I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile, and its probably because I haven't. It's hard to blog about my progress on the book when its all on the computer and there really isn't any picture taking. But oh wells. Critiques are every day and they seem to be helpful. This project is going at a fairly good pace, it's just a lot of printing. But what can ya do? I'm just excited to see what the final books turn out to be like.

Today was nice because the critiques went well and I was able to get a few good ideas form my group and from other people about what looks good and what doesn't. This project seems like its going to go smoothly. I found that I actually like designing books, I kind of always have. So this project is going to be really fun. I just wish I knew how to do more with photoshop and all those tools.

Presentations went well today. I think this project is going to be so much fun, but a lot of work, like how our color books were in color theory. But i'm excited. This is my 400+ word essay. Its about 700+ words actually, but I just had so much I found to write on. It's a rough draft, but I like it so far.

As an outcast from Burbank, California, born on August 25, 1958, for over a quarter century in Hollywood, Timothy William Burton has left his “Burtonesque” mark on the filmmaking industry. While growing up, Tim Burton was not good in school, but he gained pleasure in drawing, painting, and in movies. He also found inspiration in horror films and monsters. After high school, Burton attended the California Institution of the Arts in 1976, and a few years later he was already working as one of Disney’s animators. Soon being an animator wasn’t all it was cut out to be for Burton. He didn’t enjoy the fact that the characters were drawn separately and then put together, and placed over painted backgrounds. The work required talented artists, and Burton was very talented, but he could not stray from the structured manner of drawing the characters. Because his talent was not being utilized, the studio made him one of the conceptual artists, the people who design the characters that appear in the films. From there he did early work on The Black Cauldron and The Fox and the Hound. His work was not the traditional Disney fare so he was set loose to created his own animated shorts, Vincent (1982) and Frankenweenie (1984). Shortly after he was offered his first movie deal to work on Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), and from there he produced his first blockbuster, Batman (1989). Burton’s career had taken off. Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) came along shortly after. And just like that Burton had produced thirteen more movies, which included Batman Returns (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Mars Attacks! (1996), Sleepy Hallow (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeny Todd (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Dark Shadows (2012), Frankenweenie (2012). Other movies that Burton produced were 9 (2009),
James and the Giant Peach (1996),
Batman Forever (1995), and
Cabin Boy (1994).

Now at age fifty-five, Burton still stands out from the rest of the crowd with his trademark look of black jeans, navy button down shirt, black blazer, black boots, black sunglasses, and messy black hair. Like his character’s Burton strangely resembles them. It is said that he uses the “weird environment” from his “weird childhood” to create the stories he does today, which is why so many character resemble his own self. This is especially seen in Edward Scissorhands, with the horror movie sensibility and mundane suburban upbringing in Burbank. Edward is Burton’s spiritual autobiography. He is a fairy tale of the “otherness” felt by every outsider. With his frightening hairpiece, imploring eyes and pruning-shear hands, Edward is the “king of freaks”. Edward’s difficulty of having blades instead of fingers causes him to injure everything he touches, which speaks to the teenage alienation, which was so clearly a part of Burton’s early life, and to the fear shared by many creative people that what makes them special also sets them apart. Like Edward, Burton doesn’t really fit in with the “norm” of society. Because Burton portrays himself in his characters it makes his work so much more personal and it starts to bring his creations to life.

From working for Warner Bros to Disney, and now producing and directing his own films, Burton has created a world like never before. He created dark daydreams and bright pastel nightmares. His movies became extensions of his drawings, and he created a world of freaks and dreamers through pastels, paints, pencils, pens, crayons, and watercolor. Soon his gothic, dark, eerie and entrancing black and whites with spindly boys and girls that are giant-brained extraterrestrial, bug-eyed creatures became known to the world. “Burton uses special effects and visual tricks to create sights that have never been seen before. His movies takes place in an entirely artificial world, where a haunting gothic castle crouches on a mountain-top high above a storybook suburb, a goofy sitcom neighborhood where all of the houses are shades of pastels and all of the inhabitants seem to be emotional clones of the Jetsons” (Roger Ebert). Burton is a director who has made an impact on both the industry and on the cinemagoers. His films, so special in their childlike reverie and cathartic blend of horror and black humor, warrant his inclusion amongst the great visual filmmakers of the past and present (Steve, 2013).

Sources:

·      Starger, Steve. "Tim Burton's Toy Box." Art New England 31.2 (2010): 10-11. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

·      Cashdan, Marina. "Tim Burton: Hailing Filmdom's Oddest Artist." Modern Painters 21.8 (2009): 48-57. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

·      http://sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/burton/

·      http://www.timburtoncollective.com/bio.html

Well class was very interesting today, especially to find out that two of my classmates were injured and rushed to the hospital yesterday made today even more interesting. I feel so bad for them! But I guess things happen...Anyways the critiques went well I think for the most part. I am still so amazed by some of the chairs that I saw today!! All I have to say is that theirs look way better than mine did.

Anyways I am really excited for our last project, that's so weird to say(last project). But I have decided to choose Tim Burton as my designer. and by choosing him I am way more excited than I should be. He's not even in interiors or architecture, but he does create his own sets, so that kinda fits. I have been obsessed with his work since forever, and I think it is so unique and great that I chose him. So I guess we'll see how this project goes!

Tim Burton

yesterday was an extremely long day, and so was last friday because I spent 8 or so hours plus the workdays in studio time to finish my vessel. Who knew making a box would take 10+ hours? Especially when I was making as small of boxes as I was. I am so happy to be done with the project, but i will admit it was a fun project. And now I know so much more about how to use power tools and working with wood.

Over all I am happy with my project, there are some things I wish I could change because the glue didn't dry right in places and the bandsaw messed  up my wood a little, but I am happy with it.

Here's what they look like!!!

Today was a crazy day, but I was able to get very far on my project. I have mostly everything cut out, all i have to do now is a lot of sanding...whoopy!! Working with wood is a lot harder than with cardboard. I broke the jigsaw at least twice today because the maple wood was a harder wood to work with than walnut. And I am coated with wood shavings...yuck, but i guess it happens. Gosh i'm such a girl... anyways Cutting out my boxes was a little nerve racking because it's the final box, so it needs to be perfect. I am happy that I am as far as I am though. I'm excited to see how it turns out in the end though, so i guess we'll see!!!

Today was a very successful day. I was able to practice my cutting and complete a prototype of my box using the band saw. I was also able to buy and glue my wood, so on thursday I will be ready to start my real box. The people in the shop are very nice, even though I felt stupid at times because I didn't know what on earth I was doing at times, They were able to help me. So I thank them for that very much!

A few photos from today's progress: