Have you created a drawing that you were so proud of that you wanted to save it forever but short of lamination, you considered it to be unlikely? Yes, there are cameras and computers to help with that. However, if the picture isn't just right, the image may not have the same punch the original drawing did. So you bring the image into a computer program and try to do minor tweaks here and there to make it just like the original. Hours later you have a lackluster digital representation of your original and the drawing no longer seems worth the trouble to save forever. This is where it all began for me.
The initial problem stemmed from my own difficulties in being able to transition into creating digital art. I found it often times overwhelming and counterintuitive to what I was attempting to accomplish. This led me to question if this struggle was mine alone. Did other artists have difficulty creating using digital means or transferring traditionally made art to digital mediums? How could I go about finding this out?
As I thought about my own difficulties I considered what I wanted to gain out of this senior project. In the end wouldn't that be the true determination of whether it was successful or not? In that vain I established my thesis statement long before the product was fully considered. This helped me finally settle on my product of an adult interactive storybook that would detail my trials transitioning from traditional art to digital mediums while providing helpful hints and tips along the way to the reader. This product although a more personal endeavor would still provide, for those it targeted, an understanding that they were not alone in their own creative struggles. In this way I would hopefully be able to fulfill the aim of my thesis statement which was;
"to become a better more diversified illustrator/animator/graphic designer in the digital realm. I want to produce illustrations and animations that, while being creative, are also an honest, true and unencumbered vision into my world. I aim to serve businesses, consumers and my peers with high-quality and innovative illustrations and animations."
Although it feels a bit lofty and idealistic, I understand that this goal may be not be fully realized in this one project. Ultimately the solution may require a continuously moving goal post before it is fully realized.
The initial search for insights as to which way to go with my project started with my own frustration with mastering digital art mediums. This insight took the form of a ten-question survey to get the temperature of the artistic community at large. The survey was active for several weeks and I solicited artists, teachers, and professionals in the field to garner participation in my research gathering. After about two weeks I pulled the responses from 13 participants. After the initial polling I then allowed the survey to be active for an additional 3 weeks and received an additional 15 participants. The survey questions and results are what follows.
On the left are the initial results of the survey with only 13 participants and on the right are the results with the full 28 participants included.
The results of the survey led me to get personal interviews. I set my interview count to a minimum of one professional in the field and one novice starting out as I counted my experience as the intermediate user that I might otherwise have sought out. This one-on-one question-and-answer session later became the basis of my solution.
The surveys were conducted over several weeks with a total of 28 individual participants. These participants ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's and included both professionals and non professional. These along with the interview responses of professionals supported the initial belief that artists have difficulty transitioning from traditional art mediums to digital forms. What it found was that although these difficulties do not necessarily stop these artists from creating, especially if it is a required project for work or school, it does cause undue stress and frustration in the process. These feelings can cause a strain on the artist and create a lack of confidence that can eventually negatively impact their work and their willingness to use digital art creation mediums. This is what my solution looks to change.
For the marketing strategy I felt it best to keep it very simplified. I would go offer free workshops in locations creatives might frequent (i.e. college, library, museum, etc.) The workshops would be aimed at increasing digital art creation skills in varying platforms alternating from week to week. At these workshops I would provide personal background and then offer tips and tricks to overcoming digital art illiteracy. I would also provide promotional materials that would include a QR code to link to the book. I would also utilize online book shops such as Amazon and Barnes and Nobles to provide easy access to these that may do general searches on self-help books with a twist.
Aside from the shopping locations I would also create some strategically placed graphic ads (some might be animated) on social media sights often visited by artists such as Artsy and DeviantArt.
The typekit was chosen to a respresentation of both the digital and the traditional that this project was addressing.
The logo mark evolved from the first letter of each word of the project. Originally intended to be a strictly typographic logo mark, upon rotation of the letter forms it appeared to take on an image. After further exploration of the letterforms, the brand mascot was born. With the animal-like appearance of the mark, which resembled a frog, I named it Forager as it seemed to fit.
The actual logo was created using the a combination of the LCD font and 2 original handmade letter forms to fully match the brush stroke capital B and the origami styled lettering.
The final color palette came from the colors I have always been drawn to in my personal style with the addition of two neutral base tones in the off white(eggshell) and the black(midnight) hues. The colors are meant to evoke the boldness and fun that should always be part of the process of creativity.
This senior project allowed me to discover that the transition between digital and traditional is not an impossible one if you allow yourself to make mistakes. Learning is always an ongoing journey even when you think you have learned all that you needed to accomplish a particular goal. We all have a different way to understand any given process and if we allow ourselves time to find our way of understanding creativity and technology need not compete or frustrate you.
Thank you for attention and best of luck in your own journey to B-Digi-Gami.