NARRATIVES

The following pages contain detailed instructional explanations of Studio ideas, thoughts, techniques, and processes used in the construction of artwork and media products.
 
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ILLUSTRATION - UTOPIA - By Don Bergland
This site provides a detailed presentation of the Studio processes used in the construction of the illustration called, Utopia.
shim head
  This illustration currently resides in the Project Inventory. It has not been exhibited or displayed anywhere.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
 
shim
  PROJECT - ANOTHER UTOPIA
Location - Projects/Project-NewUtopians Last Worked on - Yesterday, Wednesday, Nov. 7/12
The world is currently flooded with Utopian Ideologies and their devoted followers.I've been reflecting on the number of Utopian Ideologies flooding the planet in recent years. It seems adherents of these various Ideologies are becoming more and more fervent and extremist in both their advocacy and the architectural principles dominating their ideas. I've also noticed that the most dominant of these Utopian Ideologies seem to be generating ideas, values, and beliefs which are inconsistent, illogical, and hypocritical, and self-destructive in nature. Rationality and logic seem to be concepts which are supressed in the desire to promote a particular Utopian viewpoint.
I felt like making some sort of critical visual commentary on my perception of this.
Some ideas that initially motivated me:
- Background images which move from placid to overcast.
- Selling your brain, giving it away - in exchange for what?
Please Leave Your Brain at the Door. A huge lineup of people stretching into the background. A door. A huge pile of brains stacked at the door entrance.
- No brain allowed. Dozens of people roaming around with an empty head.
I like the idea of brain removal.
I'm not going to get too deep or subtle in this image. I just want to get through a small project and explore some techniques which combine Poser and Photoshop.
The main thing I want to explore visually is:
Followers of most Utopian Ideologies have to put their brains on hold in order to accept the inconsistencies present in their accepted doctrines.
1. I quickly drew out a rough sketch of my initial idea.
  sketch
  A simple sequence of images, showing the mental devolution involved in the practise of one of these Ideologies. I want to create a figure who has no brain, brainless, mentally absent.
  In order to make this happen visually, I have to learn how to construct an image with the top of a head cut off.
2. I launched Poser and installed a figure (my regular figure).
  I examined the head. I want to perform some visual surgery on the head. I want the head to appear as if the top part were neatly sawn off. I want the remaining section to look hollow with a wide rim.
  I'm going to try and replace the head with an open cylinder concept in Photoshop. In order to do this, I need some cylindrical shapes.
3. I went to ShareCG and downloaded the following models:
- Pipejoiner01
- PipeEndPiece
- CoffeeCup01
- CoffeeCup02
4. I installed these in Poser/Props/Cyberprops and then looked through them to find one that might work.
  It seems that PipeEndPiece might work best to provide the cylindrical shape I need.
  head
  I don't need the bottom part. If I could juxtapose the over the head and scale it to fit, just the top cylindrical shape would show.
5. I set a camera shot on the figure which allowed a good closeup of the head at an angle that would reveal the surgery.
  head
  This should allow me to juxtapose the two objects (head and pipe).
6. I installed the PipeEnd, flipped it over and moved it into the figure's head. I integrated the shapes.
  head
7. I sized the PipeEnd to fit around the head. I colored it to match the flesh color (somewhat). I also changed the bottom threaded part to a red color.
  head
  What is important here is the rim of the cylinder. This will ultimately end up being the rim of the surgically altered head.
8. I didn't like the lighting in the environment. It is too orange. I went in and made the lighting more white in color.
9. I have the normal head. I have the head with the cylinder in it. Now I want to try and make the head invisible. I'll select the head and turn visibility off.
  head
  The eyes are still evident, but this won't matter as (I'm thinking), the full head will cover this later (in Photoshop).
10. I have the regular head. I have a cylinder installed in the head. This allows me to collect 2 key images:
- The normal head
- Cyclinder only (head invisible)
  head
  Okay. Now I'm just improvising at this point. I'm making things up and trying to think my way through the logic of this activity. I'm not sure it's going to work, but I'll proceed anyway.
11. I exported 2 images:
- the normal head
- the cylinder with no head
12. I brought these 2 images into Photoshop.
  head
13. Okay. Now I have to sit here for a while and think about this. How do I integrate these two images so that the result looks as if the figure has had the top of his head neatly cut off.
  All I need from the Cylinder Image is the rim edge and interior of the cylinder. I can impose this over the top of the regular head image, and then cut off the protruding part of the regular head.
14. I returned to Photoshop. I turned off the Full Head Layer, leaving the Cylinder Layer.
  head
15. Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, I cut out everything but the top rim and visible interior of the Cylinder Layer.
  head
16. I turned on the Full Head Layer and moved it under the Cylinder Layer.
  head
17. I set a Guide for the bottom of the Cylinder.
  head
18. I scaled the Cylinder so both edges matched the edges of the Head.
  head
19. Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, I selected the top of the Head I wanted to remove.
  head
20. Clicking on Delete, removed the top of the Head in the Full Head Layer.
  head
  Okay. This looks somewhat the way I wanted. The top of his head has been surgically sawn off and the contents removed.
  I was left with a good approximation of a man whose brain had been removed.
  I think this method will work so I can create a few commentary images dealing with the intended theme and the Storyboard I initially created.
  I now need a brain. As I looked at the empty brain space in the image above, I also realized I needed some tendrils to occupy the empty space.
  So, I'm going looking for a model of a brain as well as a model of some tendrils.
21. I went to ShareCG and found two models that should work
- Human Brain - Poser Model
- Thingy - .obj Model
  head
  I downloaded these, quit Poser, and then installed them in the Runtime Folder.
  Brain - Props/EllPro/HumanBrain
Tendrils - Props/Cyberprops/Tendrils
22. I opened the brain in Poser to see how it looked.
  head
  I also opened the tendril to see what they looked like.
  head
23. I installed the brain and the tendrils inside the Poser Model (PipeEnd structure) and parented both objects to the PipeEnd.
  I now have a figure with 3 props installed in the head:
1. PipeEnd
2. Brain
3. Tendrils
  head
  Using the Photoshop technique discovered above, I can turn these objects off and on (visibility) and create the renders needed for the Phtoshop work:
- A normal figure with head and brain in place
- A figure with the top of his head removed and the brain showing
- A figure with the top of his head removed and no brain in place, just some tendrils.
24. I'm going to give this another try and produce the figure in 3 stages.
25. I created:
- Head in Place
- Top of head off and brain showing
- Top of head off and brain missing
26. I brought these 3 images into Photoshop and began processing them.
  I used the formula I discovered above and created 3 images (plus the background only).
  I also added a temporary background (image downloaded from the Internet).
  head
  Although this is not as forceful as I was intending it to be, it does work to provide the intention I wanted.
  Maybe the bleak landscape should be the last one in the series.
27. I changed the arrangement in the sequence so the bleak image was at the end.
  head
  I'll think about this for a while.
28. I think I'll now try turning this into the 6 panel production. I'll continue working in the panel arrangement I've started.
29. I found another sky image online and installed this for the first image. I used the previous sky image for the final panel.
  head
30. I simply installed the head/brain evolution series through this arrangement.
31. On the fifth panel, however, I wanted to dissolve the imagery a little more strongly than it was now appearing. I wanted it to look as if the abnegation of rationality led to oppression. I worked through some Photoshop Filters, layer opacities and other devices to get a fairly bleak image.
  head
  This will do for now.
32. Based on these images, I put together a 6 panel sequence.
  head
  I'm not sure how I feel about this product.
33. I need to add a black overlay to provide some depth and darkness to the panel. I create a Layer and filled it with Black.
  head
34. I deleted the panel division areas.
  head
35. I lowered the opacity on the Black Layer and then used the Eraser Tool to brush out highlights in each Blackend panel.
  head
  Hmmm. It still needs something. Probably some Text, which can provide even more direction in the understanding of the intention of the image.
  I wonder if I should use some of the very old Overlays that I used in my older paintings?
36. I just played around with some Text.
  head
  There is much more that could be done with this image. But, I wanted to do this as an exploration and then move on to other things. So, that's going to be it for this one.
  headfinal
  These ideas will lead to some others in the series.
   
ILLUSTRATION - UTOPIA - By Don Bergland


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


© 2012 Don Bergland