Instruction

NARRATIVES

The following pages contain detailed instructional explanations of Studio ideas, thoughts, techniques, and processes used in the construction of artwork and media products.





TO JOURNAL

CONTACT

Don Bergland
redjello@shaw.ca

STUDIO NARRATIVES PROJECT

PAINTING - PARABLE - By Don Bergland

This site provides a detailed presentation of the Studio processes used in the construction of the painting called Parable.

This painting was started and completed in my Victoria Studio. It has been in one International Juried Exhibition:

Aug. 2013 - Stories, Fables, Fact, and Fiction - International Juried Exhibition, Linus Gallery, Los Angeles (Pasedena & Long Beach), California, USA - Group Exhibition (Aug/2013).

TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013

This painting was constructed in my Victoria Studio (Office Studio at the University).

1	PAINTING - 1485-IMPROVISE

Location - Projects/Project-StudioThinker

Last Worked on -

I have a few hours before class begins on this, the second day of summer teaching, 2013. I don't know where I'm headed with this, but I'm jumping into the void with an Improvisation.

I'll launch Poser and construct a floor.

As I started constructing this, I thought to myself, why not write a script as I'm doing it?

"I set the floor in place, and with the music of my studio tracks, gaze and think. What should occupy this floor? My mind races through possibilities. Nothing comes to mind, so I move to my Libraries and start looking through them, hoping that something will trigger the genesis of this image. And, in a Library I call Ryder, I find an object I created a long time ago that I've never used. It speaks to me. I call this object Phant and I place it on the Floor I just created. The object is strong, solid. It's presence tells me that this is a good start."

From the Figures/Ryder Library, I install Phant01 (Figure01/Body).

This object is set up for Surgical Removal I'll consider whether this plays a role or not.

I installed a Carnival Booth from some of the Props and sized it to fit the Phant, somewhat like a sandbox.

I want a Texture on the Floor, but I think I would like it to be the old Plank/Ocean image I use for the Cyclorama. So, I opened the image in Photoshop, cut it apart, and resaved it as a Texture Map to Runtime. I then installed it on the Floor using the Materials Editor.

Okay. Something is starting to take shape. The interesting dimensions of Improvisation.

I'm thinking of a checkered Tile Floor inside the Sandbox (as I'm calling the structure the Phant is standing in). So, I'll start with a Primitive Cube.

I'll flatten the Cube. Now, I need a Texture for the Flattened Cube Floor inside the sandbox. I'll head off to Photoshp to create one.

I'll save this to Runtime and install it on the Floor using the Materials Editor.

Let me get a decent Camera angle on this development.

10.

It needs some dramatic activity on the right side. I'm inserting a Giraffe and Rat. I'll adjust the Poses to work.

11.

I'm not sure I like the Giraffe and Rat. I don't want to remove them, so I'll move them out of the scene.

12.

I brought in one of the Cake Structures I constructed a while ago.

13.

Let's move the Rat back in and see how this work. Remember, this is Improvisation. No planning.

14.

I created a different angle to the composition. I'm not sure whether I like this as much. I think I need to compare it with the last angle.

When I see them both together, I like the first one. When I look at the second one without the first one being present, I like it better. Remember, however, that I need to account for the Surgery.

How about Noah's Ark?

I don't really know. The second one has more of a playful sense, not so rigid.

15.

I've only got a few minutes of Studio time left, so I better get on with the Light Studies.

LightSet01 - ADP-Gothic/Spa1

LightSet01 -

Okay. I'm not going to finish this. I'm feeling the hint of an OM, so I'm backing out of this.

I have a class in an hour or so. I need my eyes to be working properly.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2013

2	PAINTING - 1485-IMPROVISE

Location - Projects/Project-StudioThinker

Last Worked on - Yesterday, June 9, 2013

Yesterday, I brought this painting to a place where I was running off some Light Studies. My eyes started indicating the onset of an Ocular Migraine, so I abandoned the process.

16.

I'm going to continue with the Light Studies I started yesterday.

LightSet01 - ADP-Gothic/Spa1	LightSet02 - ADS_Toys/ADS_Toys
LightSet03 - Arc_Janus/Light	LightSet04 - Environment/MIL Environment
LightSet05 - Environment/MPCycForest	LightSet06 - LD-bar/02
LightSet07 - Nikemage/ArtCorner2/AC2Light3	LightSet08 - Light (top)/NightImage

None of the Light Sets were very good. I ended up sticking with LightSet08 and adding one more spotlight. This brings about the sense I want.

17.

When I look at what I created yesterday, I'm disgusted. I don't like the composition at all.

It appears messy, disorganized, cluttered, and without strength. So, I need to really clean house.

18.

I removed the entire Sandbox, floor and all. I moved the Tuba piece right into the Phant. I eliminatd the Cake Set, and moved the Rat forward. I changed the Light Set and framed the Camera shot a bit better.

Much better. It is amazing what a bit of housecleaning can do.

19.

There is still something that is needed, so I'm just going to go through a variety of additions and note which ones work and which ones don't.

The last set involves a large Block, submerged in the water, with hands reaching from it.

The hands are just too thin and weak in this composition, which is about strength and solidity.
- The Girl head works best at this point (but, maybe too obvious)
- Eliminate the hands and just use the block (actually, this might be best)
- Forget Surgizing the Phant and instead, lay the block of meat in the water
- What about whipped cream and cherry inside the bell?

Interesting. I don't know which one is the favored one at the moment.

A Parable of Ham, The Seventh Parable,

7:28 am - I'm going to have to leave this for today. The image has gone through some major evolutions in this short timeframe, however.

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

3	PAINTING - 1485-IMPROVISE

Location - Projects/Project-StudioThinker

Last Worked on - Yesterday, June 10, 2013

Yesterday, I brought this painting (Parable) to an interesting place, where a series of decisions had to be made.

The hands are just too thin and weak in this composition, which is about strength and solidity.
- The current hands are too thin and weak
- Eliminate the hands and just use the block (actually, this might be best)
- Forget Surgizing the Phant and instead, lay the block of meat in the water
- What about whipped cream and cherry inside the bell?

I need to get in and get the third object working the way it should:
- Eliminate hand, just block
- Block of meat in water
- Whipped Cream and Cherry in bell

20.

I launched Poser and opened the current file (05).

I rebuilt this and saved it as 06.

21.

While looking at the block, I thought of the Circus Stand. I saved the file as 07 and move the Stand in place.

I think this is the object I want to use in this composition. I now have to decide whether I want to surgize the Phant or not. The Rat also needs some work.

Should there be two Rats, one a little behind the other?

An Aesthetic Quality - There is an aesthetic quality to this image that I like. This quality is something I identify from somewhere, but I don't know where. But it is a strong flavor, a component, that I like and have always liked when I've seen it in an image. I don't know how to describe this quality, but I should be trying to do this:
- A thick illustrative, news image, illustrated, turn of the century, like the illustrative style of the carnival posters. Look into writing about his a bit more.

22.

I studied the Rat a bit and decided it was okay. I took down the Intensity of the last spotlight I installed.

23.

I'm going to begin the process of Rendering this painting. I think I'll make two renders (whole, meat) just in case I want to try a surgized Phant
- Render 01 - 6:13 am - I started the Render for the first layer

24.

Rendering was finished. I went to turn off visibilities to reveal the Meat Piece, and it wasn't there. I hunted through the set, and no Meat Piece. I certainly don't remember eliminating this.

FATE - I guess Circumstance has forged the destiny for this painting (no Meat Piece remains). It will remain as it.

25.

I have a few minutes until I have to run off for Lesson Planning. I should try to finish this painting.

26.

I installed the Render in a Photoshop file.

27.

I don't know where I have a file of high resolution background Hubble images, so I'll have to construct a new one.

I went online, but the dowload speed was absolutely ridiculous.

28.

I installed a background Hubble.

29.

I fixed the Tuba shaft by removing the black band on the horn. I also made some other minor adjustments.

30.

I added the black overlay and worked through the Erasing process.

31.

And I have the finished compostion.

Hmmm. Parable of Eves. I have a EDCI 512B Class in a few hours. Interesting morning work.

I'll have to think about the title.

PAINTING - PARABLE - By Don Bergland

You can explore further Studio Production Instructional Details through Don Bergland's Online Journal