https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a en-us 2018-09-10 22:14:58 UTC 2023-02-10 14:46:06 UTC hello@padlet.com mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/279636459 My initial idea was to do a series of illustrations showing "Superheroes in our daily lives", a world where superheroes are a regular occurrence, but from the perspective of civilians who are just doing their everyday activities (sleeping, eating, working...). But then I realised there wouldn't be as much research I could do on this topic, meanwhile I had a lot of research already done for a personal project about greek mythology. I spent the two weeks without classes between Part 1 and Part 2 doing research about this project, just because I felt like it, studying the original myths, watching and reading adaptations, listening to playlists, looking for visual references, and even got as far as doing a Whiteboard with the basic outlining of my own idea. I ended up deciding that the greek myths project would make a great Final Project, while the Superheroes one would be best left to be done on my free time. Besides, I feel like something about superheroes would be expected of me, and I wanted to show that's not all I'm interested in.
As for the project itself, I already have the basic outline of what I plan on doing, as I said, and what's left is mostly research on the characters themselves, as I go along. Also, after the Part 3 Introduction we had today, there's research I'll have to do to put on the brief's bibliography, like going to museums.]]> 2018-09-10 22:16:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/279636459 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/279839843 I started working on the brief in order, so the first thing was the front page research resources. I didn't want to reduce the project only to greek mythology, because there's so many interesting mythologies that are adapted into pop culture all the time, so I made a point of making each of the resources an adaptation of a different mythology. The first three (Thor comics, Disney's Hercules and the Lucifer TV show) I already had on my mind, but, for the fourth, I wanted to diversify a little, since all the other ones were western (norse, greek and christian). I asked Bia for help with animes/mangas that had themes from japanese mythology and she showed me some. I ended up going with InuYasha, because it was the only one I'd actually watched.
Then, I had my one-on-one tutorial with Leopoldo, and we talked about experimentation and primary research, my two weakest "subjects". He said I definitely shouldn't have an outcome similar to what I always do and recommended some artists and museums/libraries/etc I should take a look. It was very clear he wanted me to use watercolours (which I was already highly considering), especially considering how much he liked, during my assessment, the ones I'd done before.
After the tutorial, I went back to working on my brief, this time writing the review and the project concept. The review was easy enough, I basically just answered the questions on the template and then turned them into a text, but I'm having a bit of trouble with the project concept, because what's being requested for it doesn't look like the project concepts in the briefs we've received during the rest of the year.
I want to finish most of the brief on this week still, because I already have almost all my secondary research done (even if I still have to adapt them to the Harvard Reference system).]]> 2018-09-11 13:20:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/279839843 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/280520832 Independent study day
I kept working on my brief's "project concept", and having the same difficulties as yesterday, so I moved on to the methods of evaluation. Again, I tried to answer the template's question and then turn it into a text, but it ended up going way over the word count, so I'll need help on this one too. I tried to talk to Carlos, but he was already on his way out, so I scheduled a talk with him for next week.
I worked on the methods of evaluation a bit more, but eventually moved on to the bibliography. Unfortunately, I had some problems with the Harvard Referencing Generator (the problem being I didn't notice it was working, because I expected the page to reload), so I ended up only putting one reference today.]]> 2018-09-12 18:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/280520832 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/280809257 I finished the brief's bibliography (except the visits, which I'll be adding next week as I actually do them), using both the sources I'd already researched and including some new ones, about other mythologies (because, again, there's some great adaptations out there, that are in fact a good source on adapting something so old and that was once - or still is - so important to a certain culture). Then, I moved on to the action plan. As I already have done most of the research, almost all of my time will be dedicated to production (first, adapting the stories, doing concept art of the characters and testing techniques/styles, then moving on to the actual final outcome: illustrating the myths).
Finally, I went back to the project concept, and found out what was confusing me about it: I was using as example our old briefs' project contexts, so I had two conflicting ideas of the text's purpose. Once I realised this, I cut the part of the text that explained the context of my idea (I did like what I wrote, though, so I might still use it somewhere in the project).]]> 2018-09-13 13:18:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/280809257 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/281320052 Today, I worked on what was left of the brief: Programming next week's visits, finishing the Project Concept and polishing the other Sections. Some personal problems got in the way, but I managed to finish almost everything, all that's left now is polishing the Sections' texts, making sure it answers the questions while fitting the word count and being a natural, fluid read. I'll probably be doing this on the weekend, since I want to dedicate all of next week for the visits.]]> 2018-09-14 14:12:21 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/281320052 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/282663746 Visiting Week - Day 1
Today I went to Pinacoteca and Estação Pinacoteca with some other people from class. I mostly looked for things that could inspire the illustrations' style, but there were some artworks that could be tied directly into the characters designs, and even a few statues of characters from greek mythology. I wish I could've explored more, but I started feeling sick around midday and from then on just basically followed the rest of group around, so most of the pictures I took are from before that (I arrived at around 10:30am and left shortly after 4pm).
Two other spots I plan to visit (Museu de Arte Sacra and Liceu de Artes e Ofícios) are very close from Pinacoteca, but I wasn't feeling good enough to go to either of them, so they'll be left for tomorrow, as initially planned.]]> 2018-09-18 01:56:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/282663746 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/282959942 Visiting Week - Day 2
I'm still feeling a bit sick, and tomorrow we have the Bienal visit, so I thought it was best to stay in bed Harvard referencing the entries on my Research File and leave today's visits for later (I checked, and they both open on saturdays).]]> 2018-09-18 15:03:38 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/282959942 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/283631036 Visiting Week - Day 3
We went to the Bienal. Honestly, I didn't find much there that inspired me. None of the art styles interested me and there was nothing related to mythology, except one reproduction of an ancient greek statue. The stories behind some of the artwork were very interesting, but, overall, it didn't help much when it came to my project.
After that, some of us went to the Afro Brasil museum (which I was only planning on going to tomorrow, because I thought I'd ended up spending the whole day at the Bienal), and that turned out to be a fantastic visit. There were a lot of works about african and afro-brazilian religions, and even actual clothes and pieces used in rituals. Not to mention a series of photographs of native africans with traditional clothing that were an amazing inspiration for character design. I wish I could've spent the whole day there, and I definitely plan on going back with more time on my hands (and preferably soon, as most of the current exhibitions end on the 30th of september).
Back home, i finished the day by watching Clash Of The Titans (the 1981 movie), mostly so read it's comics sequel, Wrath Of The Titans, but ended up getting inspired by a few small things (like Athena having a pet owl and Pegasus being the last survivor of a race of winged horses and/or owned by Zeus even before Perseus' encounter with Medusa).]]> 2018-09-19 19:53:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/283631036 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286227704 Visiting Week - Day 4
I went to USP with the intention of visiting MAE and doing some research at the FAU library, but unfortunately MAE was closed to anyone who hadn't scheduled the visit previously, so I went to the library.
I didn't find many books that talked about greek mythology, but the one I did find helped me a lot, talking about elements of each major deity that I'll most likely end up incorporating to their designs]]> 2018-09-26 19:16:32 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286227704 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286227981 I finished whatever was left on the Brief (mostly polishing the language and adding a few things to the bibliography), and finally delivered it.
Then, I finally started the actual work, by passing the notes I had on my computer 
(from when I first started researching for this project, between Part 1 and Part 2) to the sketchbook. I mostly mapped out which deities I'll most likely be talking about (some I'm still not sure if I'll include) and the changes that'll be made to the "family tree" (mostly to avoid incest). Then, I divided the stories I want to tell into three periods, each with specific main characters: "The Origin" (how the primordial deities came to be, and their eventual downfall, due to Kronos defeating Uranus), "Titanomarchy" (Kronos' "reign", Zeus' childhood, his return, and the actual Titanomarchy war) and "Olympians") (this part doesn't have a set history, so I'd be just talking about each of the main gods and things related to them). I also printed the reference pictures I had of Gaia and the first sketches of her (digital ones, also from april).
Now I can start actually working on the characters' designs. For that, I'll use a book I won recently as reference: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, with illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill. I was very lucky to find this book when I did, as it showcases perfectly how I want my final project to look like. It has texts talking about the magical creatures, and an illustration for each of them - but the drawings are all very unique, and sketchy-looking, and clearly hand-drawn, and it's such a great aesthetic.]]> 2018-09-26 19:17:07 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286227981 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286228311 Independent study day
Admittedly, I didn't do much today, just finished establishing Gaia's design - which I already had a basis for, the first sketches from april.
With her design ready, I'll now begin experimenting techniques to see what would best fit to represent the character's personality and showcase the design.]]> 2018-09-26 19:17:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/286228311 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905776 The first materials I thought of using on Gaia's illustration was soft pastels - which I've never been good at. But, after a few tips from Isa, I produced something I thought way beyond my abilities with pastel [Image]. The problem was that I was using pastels as if they were coloured pencils, instead of embracing the "smudginess". So, when I started applying what I'd learned about working with charcoal during my vacations, the drawing came out very naturally
After finishing with Gaia, I started working on Uranus. I didn't have much references saved for him, so the first step was going on pinterest and look for sky-themed make-up art. I found a lot of beautiful references, but the best part about most of them was the contrast between the blue make-up and the skin, which doesn't fit with what I planned for the primordial deities (they're all going to be entirely "made-up" of things that represent each of their domains, while the titans will be normal-looking but with several marks across them that represent their powers, and the olympians will just look like regular people).
In the end, I managed to come up with a design that satisfied me, which took me to my next problem: the materials. I first tried the same pastels I used on Gaia, but it just didn't feel right for Uranus. Then, I experimented with acrylics, which looks better, but I'm still not sure if it's what I'll be using on my final piece. As I'm a bit late on my schedule, I decided to leave it at this and hope I'll come across the right materials while working on the other gods.]]> 2018-10-03 22:13:39 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905776 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905823 I started working on Hemera, the goddess of the day. My main issue while drawing her was thinking of things besides the sun to incorporate on her design, as there's already a sun god and I didn't want their designs to look too similar. Unfortunately, the only other thing I could come up with (actually, it was Julia when I asked some other students for help) was the clear sky - which I incorporated on her lips, making them blue - but most of her design is based on the sun and it's light. As Helios (the sun god) is a titan, and not a primordial god, his design will already have to be very different, so I hope this won't be an actual problem.
After finishing with Hemera, I started working on Nyx, the goddess of the night. Her design came very naturally, and I'll most likely do her in indian ink (as she's black as the night sky).]]> 2018-10-03 22:13:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905823 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905858 During the weekend, I worked more on Nyx's design and I think, instead of using indian ink, I'll simply draw her on a black paper - it's not only less material spent but it also makes more sense, considering the primordial deities come from "the void".
On the first part of class today, I watched - with Sol's permission - the Digital Animation B.A.'s class on comics. It's not only the area I want to work in, but i's also relevant to my project, as it involves both drawing and storytelling.
Both during the moments the teacher was talking to students individually and after lunch, I went back to work on Nyx. She's the first character that will have a role both before and after the Titanomarchy war (after it, she lives on the Underworld), so I had to do a second design for her - one that included clothes this time. I'm not sure if I tried to include too many things (I gave her both a dress and a gown) or if it just doesn't look quite right because everything seems to be on the same plane, as there's no shadows or transparency (which I plan to add later on photoshop). I could test it now, but as I said before, I'm a bit late on my schedule, so I'll leave it to after I finish everyone's designs. If it doesn't work out, I can simply remove the gown and add it's main element (diamonds) to the dress, which is just plain black fabric.]]> 2018-10-03 22:14:15 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905858 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905927 I started working on Erebos (god of darkness) and his design was relatively simple, considering he's surrounded by dark mists. What didn't work out was his post-Titanomarchy design. I tried to give him clothes on top of the mists and it looked very silly, so I decided to leave it like that. His whole body is already hidden anyway, so there would be no need for clothing.
I had a one-to-one talk with Leo and he told me I need to let go more on my experimentation, do some things directly instead of sketching it out with pencil first, but I don't really know how I'd be able to do that. He used the Erebos design as example, but I did do a sketch first, you just couldn't see it because it was covered in charcoal and graphite powder. I don't really know how to draw without sketching first, in fact, sketching is probably a bigger part of my drawing process than the "final outcome". I think his suggestion might have been based on how stiff most of the characters are looking (which, admittedly, is a big problem for me) but for now I'm just working on their designs, so how natural they look is not a priority at the moment.
After lunch, I started working on Tartarus. His domain is a hellish pit of lava with the same name, so it's being a challenge to design a lava-based character in a way he's not just a "blob" (Tartarus is supposed to be kind of a mirror image of the sky, so I'm trying to make his basic physical form as similar to Uranus' as possible)]]> 2018-10-03 22:15:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905927 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905967 Independent study day
I spent the whole day experimenting with materials for Tartarus' design and am still not satisfied. I looked up some traditional illustrations of lava, and wasn't really impressed by any of them, so I guess it's just something hard to depict (which means I'll probably end up having to edit the final illustration digitally).
I also went to the Faber-Castell workshop and used the opportunity to test depicting lava with some of the materials there, but unfortunately not even they seemed to be a perfect fit.]]> 2018-10-03 22:15:22 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/288905967 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353621 I decided to stop stressing over Tartarus (especially since he's not even going to have a big part on the story) and just edit digitally whatever the final illustration ends up looking like. I'll probably use guache and soft pastels, which were the best result so far (and the last one, actually - I tried it out today). I drew the basic design I had in mind for him, and moved to the next part of the characters: the Titans.
First, I looked up references for pre-historic clothing, which is how I want to depict the Titans - both as savages and as representing an earlier stage humanity than the Olympians (which are of course depicted as ancient greeks). Then, I started researching references for the first Titan I'm working on: Kronos.
I also had a one-on-one talk with Michael, where we mostly talked about my worries regarding time.]]> 2018-10-12 20:53:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353621 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353677 Today we were supposed to have a crit, but, as I've said before, I'm behind on my scheduled, so, as I already had two one-on-one tutorials this week, I decided it'd be best to stay home and work.
I started experimenting techniques on kraft paper with Kronos' design, being inspired by the illustrations on the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book I've mentioned before. It's not looking quite right yet, but I plan to illustrate all the Titans with similar styles, so it'll develop more as I keep exploring it.
Then, I started organising my research on Rhea. She's the first character I've planned to have an active role post-Titanomarchy, so, besides her looks, I also have to establish her personality. For that, I mostly relied on a series of comics I read (Theia Mania) that have her as a constant presence on Olympus. I also researched more images to base her look on, and started working on her character design.]]> 2018-10-12 20:53:35 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353677 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353968 Research Week - Day 1
Again this week, I went to the BA comics class, and it was even better than last time [notes on image]. 
After that, I started working on Helios' design, but honestly, I didn't manage to do anything other than the basic, because the current political climate is just depressing.]]> 2018-10-12 20:55:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292353968 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354611 Research Week - Day 2
I spent the whole day working on Helios' design, and it's by far the one that took up the most pages, because I need to design him, his carriage and his horses, both pre and post-Titanomarchy (and I'm terrible at drawing horses). I think I'm finally satisfied with how the experimentation is looking. I first tried a continuous line drawing, and it was good to let go a bit, but the final result definitely wasn't ideal. Then, I tried using a direct reference from my Fantastic Beasts book, specifically the Winged Horses pages, to draw Helios' horses and it turned out surprisingly great. I then applied the same principles when trying to draw Helios and it's still a bit crude, but it's certainly a start.]]> 2018-10-12 20:59:14 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354611 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354701 Research Week - Day 3
Today I didn't work on my project. Instead, I finally visited the Mauricio de Sousa Produções (MSP) studio, saw real comics in production and met my biggest inspiration.]]> 2018-10-12 20:59:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354701 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354768 Research Week - Day 4
I finally finished the Titans with Selene, goddess of the moon. Her design was heavily based on the visual references I had and, as she's very pale, I'll be doing her with coloured pencils on white paper, trying to make her look natural while keeping her colouring as subtle as possible.]]> 2018-10-12 21:00:02 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354768 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354828 Research Week - Day 5
Here starts the part I'll have the least work on. Most of my research about the Olympians is already done, so I'll just need to organise it, and then come up with their design. I just gathered reference of ancient greek clothing, and then started working on Zeus, where my biggest difficulty was deciding his hair.
I plan to do the Olympians digitally, so there's no need for testing anything here, and I'm having a lot more fun than in the weeks before. Today I thought a lot about this and how late I am on my schedule, and I'm thinking of ending my project with the end of the Titanomarchy. I already knew I'd be continuing my adaptation well after the final exhibition (especially because it actually started as a personal project), but I always thought I'd at least talk about the major Olympians already. But now that I think about it, it's the perfect place to end. It's not only where the most "mainstream" part of greek mythology starts, but also the part where the linear narrative ends, so the style of writing would be completely different. It also gives me more liberty to work with the deities I care about the most without having to worry about techniques and deadlines. So I guess my final outcome will end up being displayed as an illustrated book, starting with the origin of the Primordial Deities and ending with the Olympians' rise to power.]]> 2018-10-12 21:00:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/292354828 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295916627 Progress Tutorial Week - Day 1
Today I designed Poseidon. I based his physical appearance almost all on Jason Momoa's Aquaman. His "underwater" look was more complicated, but, luckily, my brother was watching a video of "Assassin's Creed: Odyssey", and suggested that I used a character's armour as inspiration.
Then, I was designing his trident and my brother mentioned the spikes didn't look right. So I googled tridents and stumbled upon the one from "Pirated of the Caribbean", which was indescribably better than the one I'd come up with. So I used it as inspiration and added some more "sea" themes (seashells and waves).]]> 2018-10-23 13:12:02 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295916627 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295917535 Progress Tutorial Week - Day 2
Progress Tutorial]]> 2018-10-23 13:13:33 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295917535 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295917737 Progress Tutorial Week - Day 3
Hades' design was easy, because it was the one I had the clearest in my mind (mostly his face, not so much his clothes - but I had good references for it), so I already started working on Hera.
She's, on my opinion, the most complex of the 6 original gods, so I spent quite some time reviewing research and making notes on her personality, so, design-wise, I only finished her Titanomachy look.]]> 2018-10-23 13:13:54 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295917737 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295918523 Progress Tutorial Week - Day 4
Following Leopoldo's advice to start working on the next steps of the , I skipped a few pages and started working on the writing, now that I've established I'll be making a book. I basically opened tabs on the computer with the original Theogony (by Hesiod) and a few retellings and started rewriting it. The original poem is a bit convoluted, so, when "translating" it to a more linear narrative, I had to research a lot of things that weren't made clear on it (as seen on my sketchbook).]]> 2018-10-23 13:15:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295918523 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295930310 Progress Tutorial Week - Day 5
I finished writing the book's text, and tomorrow I'll ask Eugênio (who understands a lot both about writing and about greek mythology) to review it.
I went back to work on Hera, finally deciding whether her hair will be blonde or black (which took more time and thought than it might seem, because I can easily see her with both, but I ended up going with black because I feel like blonde fits more the "jealous and petty" stereotype that often falls over her, while black suggests more depth of character - not really sure why, maybe it's just falling for different stereotypes) and designing her peacock-inspired queen outfit and jewelry.]]> 2018-10-23 13:33:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295930310 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295931256 I asked Eugênio to review my text and he actually loved it (which means a lot, because I really don't like my writing), the only criticism he had was about some dramatic pauses, but most of them were there because I already wrote the text with the pages in mind, so certain pauses that look weird on their own are actually there because there's a page turn.
Then I started (finally) working on my storyboard. I'm thinking of doing something more minimalist, like George O'Connor's "Zeus: King of the Gods" graphic novel. The storyboard was quite easy, as I'd already pictured most of it while writing the text, so it came very naturally. While doing it, though, I realised almost all the illustrations made up spread pages, so I'm thinking it would be more practical to make the book horizontal (like the sketchbook).
We had one-on-one crits with Henry, and he actually gave me really good suggestions. I was worried about the style of the illustrations being too complicated to make that many of them, so he suggested using just lines or certain colours to indicate each character (which I've already been kind of doing with their names on my sketchbook).
With the storyboard finished, I can finally start working on the actual final outcome: the illustrations that will make up the pages of the book.]]> 2018-10-23 13:35:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295931256 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295934104 I started working on a huge illustration of Gaia that, if all goes right, will be an "official" one, being the first one in the book. Visually, I loved how it came out (especially because it was my first actual work with pastels), but I ended up spending the whole day on a single illustration, which is a lot more time-consuming than I can afford, so I don't know if I'll keep doing this style.
I also talked with Leopoldo today about my idea of making the pages vertical, instead of splitting each illustration in the middle. My worry was that, since they're the actual outcome, and the book is just a way of showcasing it, prioritizing the design of the book instead of the visual showcasing of the illustrations was the wrong way to go, but he argued that doing the book in the more "traditional" way would also show my abilities in designing a book, which might be a plus when being evaluated, so now I'm not sure. But the design of the book is a problem for later on, for now I need to experiment a bit more and decide on how I'm doing the actual illustrations.]]> 2018-10-23 13:39:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/295934104 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097566 Independent study day
I, digitally, did one of the pages (or two, depending on how I end up organising the book) using the minimalist style I had in mind [seen on my sketchbook] and it was fun to do, fast to finish and easy to organise, but the more realistic one I made yesterday looks way better. Not to mention a big point on my progress tutorial (in fact, in all my evaluations so far) was how my final outcomes are always digital, so, while on one hand I'm afraid of going the manual route and not finish the project in time, on the other hand I'm afraid of going the digital route and not impressing the people who'll see (and evaluate) my work. I need to decide on a style as soon as possible, so that I can start actually working on the final outcome - which I was supposed to already been doing.]]> 2018-11-03 18:44:55 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097566 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097616 I talked to Daniel about my conflict between styles, showed him the two experimentations I'd done so far, and, while he liked both, he preferred the manual one a lot more. When I expressed my problems with time, he suggested trying to get to a middle-ground, doing the manual illustrations but with a more simplified style. I'd already been doing another test [seen on my sketchbook] that was on this vein, using manual methods but drawing on a much smaller scale, forcing me to simplify the drawing, so, after talking to Daniel, I tried to do an actual page like this (the one I intend to be the 7th one) and it was a success! Which means I've officially started working on my final outcome.]]> 2018-11-03 18:45:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097616 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097648 Since I started working in the final outcome, there wasn't much reflection made, as what I'm doing now is mostly just manual work and it, thankfully, has gone smoothly. So I decided to save space and put all my reflections on this single post.

Day 34 - 26.10.2018
6th and 8th pages of the story done.
Day 35 - 29.10.2018
9th page done, 10th page started.
Day 36 - 30.10.2018
10th page done, 11th page started
Day 37 - 31.10.2018 (Independent Study Day)
Continued working on page 11, but didn't manage to finish it because of a birthday dinner.
Day 38 - 01.11.2018
Finished page 11. The drawings with black backgrounds seemed to be missing something, so I added a white contour to one of them and it made all the difference, prompting me to go back and do this in all of them. Started page 12.
Day 39 - 05.11.2018
Decided to do the drafts of all the illustrations from the 2nd part of the story at once, to be more practical, so I drafted pages 1 through 5 of it (well, not exactly sketches, I've done the definitive pencil lines already)
Day 40 - 06.11.2018
Did the pencil lines of the last 2 pages from the 2nd part of the story and started the final art on the 1st one.
Today was the day we met our assistants, and mine was absent, but I don't think I'll be needing her much, anyway, as most of the things in my project can only be done by myself (there's no materials to buy, no complicated hanging process...)
Day 43 - 07.11.2018
Missed two days of work for personal reasons, so now I'm a bit late. Finished pages 2 and 3 of the 2nd part of the story.
Day 44 - 12.11.2018
The paper I'm using from my final outcomes comes from a roll of craft paper at EBAC (I was inspired by the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them illustrated book I've mentioned a lot earlier on), so, since tomorrow is our last studio day, I started the rough drafts of the 3rd and final part of the story, to see how much paper I'll be needing to take home to finish the work. After that, I started working on the actual drawing for the 1st page of the 3rd part.
Day 45 - 13.11.2018
Our last studio day. I've let the material for the final outcome at home, because we'll need to take all of our things that are still in the classroom today, and I didn't want any extra material to take home. So I spent the day organising the Harvard References on my Research File (there were some works I'd left "unreferenced", because I didn't really know what they classified as, so I needed to go back to them).]]> 2018-11-03 18:45:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/300097648 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/305234685 Again, I've just been doing manual work, so there's not much to reflect on when it comes to the illustrations, except to note that I finished them (also, I had to cut out some pages due to lack of time, but they weren't really necessary for the story, I had let them to be finished last exactly in case this happened).

As for the exhibition, I've had some ideas for the design of the book (which I've decided will only be one, instead of the several zine-like ones I was thinking of doing when I submitted my exhibition proposal - this has already been cleared up with Michael).
I wanted to keep the original craft paper pages, because of the feeling they give off, not only of original art, but of something more old and serious (which fits well with the greek mythology theme), but didn't know how to add the text without having to permanently write or glue something on top of the drawings. Looking through the portfolio I'd recently brought back home, I remembered I'd used parchment paper to protect some charcoal drawings, so I'm thinking of using them to both protect the drawings and to put the text on. I also had the idea of using the same fabric I used on my Drawing Diary's cover as the book's cover, also to transmit that "old thing" feeling that none of the illustrated covers I thought of before were giving.]]> 2018-11-16 13:37:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/305234685 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/306814741 2018-11-21 18:04:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/306814741 mariaclara_pacheco https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/313597894 The first display method was a slightly modified version of the original one. The only clear change on the pictures is the character posters, but the definitive version would have a new illustration and a better-constructed book. I did like the original exhibition plan quite a lot, so it’s natural that I’d embrace the possibility of having another go at it. The smaller wall would be pretty much the same, with the major difference being the character posters on the bigger one. Honestly, they’re there as an attempt to add something – anything – to the exhibition, not really fitting the altar theme. I’d before thought of adding more plants and candles, or even crystals, to the wall, but ended up deciding it would be too complicated. As much as I liked the altar proposal – not only because of how it looks, but also because of how it fits with the theme of the project – it would probably be too ineffective, as I now see very few people would likely read the book itself. 
The second display is a very simple one. Four images from each of the three parts of the book – with each image representing a key point of the story. What was holding me back from putting my illustrations up in the wall was that I also wanted to tell the story, which is why I chose those key points, but this also wasn’t the ideal, because there were a lot more drawings that I’d done and was proud of, and I wanted to show all of them. This is going to be a down point in every display going forward, as I couldn’t find any way - besides the book - of showing all the illustrations and the story - and is why I ultimately chose to add a zine. Another problem that appeared in this and all other three possibilities was the bottom of the walls looked too empty, which I ultimately solved by adding a few bricks to display the zine.
The third display consisted of the text of the story in the smaller wall and the selected 12 illustrations on the bigger one, displayed on 3 horizontal rows. The wall was smaller than I remembered, though, and the illustrations ended up having no breathing room. This problem repeated itself on the fourth display, where I tried to group the illustrations differently, and both options were quickly discarded.
The fifth display had to be thought up on the spot, as the one I had originally planned needed materials that weren’t available to me anymore. It was basically the second display, but with the text pages added to it. It, again, ended up with little breathing room, and only even fit in the walls because I displayed them unevenly.
Michael suggested I removed one illustration from each of the the three parts and re-printed the text horizontally and on a different paper. Having to pick the illustrations to remove was easy for the first and second parts - I just took out the first one of each, both just showing the status-quo before the real story began. But for the third part I ended up having to chose between a major part of the story and one of my best illustrations - and removed the former. As I had the zine now, I felt the story was well-represented in it for the people who wanted to read it, and the priority on the walls had to be the quality of the drawings.]]> 2018-12-11 19:52:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mariaclara_pacheco/amxq8uznfp3a/wish/313597894