ATA: Immersing

After some advice from some of the level fivers, I've took out a book from the library on traditional japanese drawing, that sort of helped with what I was doing today but the more and more I draw people the less and less I like them. It's really hard to get away from drawing the characters as Murakami's books are so heavily based on human interaction. 

In a bid to get away from characters I drew Takahashi milk which is just one of the small things that weave throughout After Dark so I had a go at drawing some (using google as a reference as no shops in leeds actually sold it). 

From drawing these I realised that I actually enjoyed writing in Japanese so I had a go with that again in the next thing I drew. A scene where Mari and Kogori are talking about Korogi's past. 

I was pleased by how this came out. Using simple lines and the faces blank really helped me out to figure out their positions in relation to each other without having to worry about which way their eyes would have to be directed etc. 

I also raided the scrap draw and found some nice black paper, I illustrated some of the characters trying to draw as simply as I could using the traditional Japanese as a reference point but I was'nt overly impressed by anything  I made.

 I started doing some paper cutting just because it suited the part of the story where Korogi is explaining her abusive past. I think this is one of the only things I made today I can take forward which is annoying but at least its progress. 

LIKES 

• using Japanese within the artwork made it more unusual 
• drawing non character based things 
• using ink without shading 
• using basic lines to communicate something bigger 
• paper cutting as a medium for this 

DISLIKES 

• how drawing people is really easy to get stuck into when trying to communicate Murakami's stuff 
• black paper and gouche didn't get me anywhere but at least I know not to go there (and I think using the colour blue is a definite yes for this) 
• drawing people in traditional japanese style, just isn't working 

PLAN!

• Read more of Murakami's stuff and try going after specific objects and illustrating those 
• Take the paper cutting and the mari/korogi talking scene forward. 
• incorporate Japanese into work again perhaps?