HOW I DECIDED TO INTERPRET THE MUSIC

The music I chose to illustrate was by the band, the Smashing Pumpkins.

The style of the illustrations came from listening to hours of the bands music, getting a real feel for what they were about. Many of their lyrics are cathartic expressions of emotion and I wanted to reflect this in the illustrations.

The black and white textured feel gives a sense of mood and atmosphere befitting the songs, using drawings, sketches, photographs and photoshop.

When it came to interpreting the music I looked at Arcade Fire’s interactive video, set to the bands track ‘We Used to Wait’, I thought this was an inspired way of connecting with their fans on a more personal level.

Along with other interactive projects I’d researched and been involved in, these acted as a catalyst to interpreting the Smashing Pumpkins tracks through ‘Interactive Illustration’. It’s a fresh and exciting fan participation experience, allowing them to engage with the illustration and music. This would be a real step in the right direction to building closer relationships between bands and fans.

As music is changing and reinventing itself then illustration should follow suit as they compliment each other so well. Interactivity could be the way forward in bringing music and illustration closer together and creating the perfect harmonious experience.

Interactive Illustration Video: The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins Interactive Video using 'Processing'

The video will appear after the D&AD results have been announced.

The Journey

The Journey through the project, starting with the Core Values and Mood board which was the basis to start creating ideas and producing sketches and finally leading on to the finished illustrations.

Core Values and Mood board

Ideas, References and Sketches

Illustration.1_Smashing Pumpkins: Daphne Descends

Illustration.2_Smashing Pumpkins: 7 Shades of Black

Smashing Pumpkins Illustrations_'Processing' frames

Happy with the style of the illustrations and pleased with the 'Processing' results. Just need to get them filmed. Started work on the digital boards.

There's a bit of code which allows you to save frames, below are 2 examples.

Daphne Descends

7 Shades of Black

Illustration style

Looking at a Black and White style to create mood and emotion within the songs.

The main illustrations will be static images letting the audience use it's own imagination to interpret the song. 'Processing' light trails and particle effects will be used as an 'enhancer' to bring the song alive but not detracting from the illustration.

Illustration.1 has almost a scraper board feel to it

    D&AD Illustration 1: The Smashing Pumpkins_Daphne Descends

    D&AD Illustration 1: 'Processing': Motion detection creates  Light trails and particle effects.

Interactive Illustration

Having discussed the project further with the Course Leader I realised I needed to look at the brief in more depth. I think I got carried away a little with the project, that fact that it was Illustration and the chance to do some painting and drawing on paper.

As the brief states; to demonstrate how illustration can reinvent itself as a powerful tool for promotion and expression with the world of music.

I've decided to use the 'Nike Magic' Installation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3WLWWNbW0U) I created for the 'Interactive Design' module, created in 'Processing' and Photoshop as the inspiration for the diesel brief. Whilst my knowledge is very limited in Processing the fact you can use existing code, adapt it for your own needs gives you huge potential for 'Interactive Illustration', even more so, using Illustrators to work along Processing experts to create magical interactive illustrations that could feature in concerts, high street music stores for promoting albums.

You could even get fans of the bands to create their own artwork, submit them and see their art work brought to life by the Processing experts.

Regarding on-line interaction, I'm not sure whether you would have to have the necessary application to make it work or whether it's coded in such away that all you need is a webcam.

D&AD 2011_Illustration

CLIENT: DIESEL

BRIEF:

Create an Illustrated interpretation of 2 musical tracks that are experienced by the viewer in an Unconventional and Pioneering way.

BAND: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS

The Smashing Pumpkins have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, new wave, heavy metal, grunge, dream pop, psychedelic rock, arena rock, shoegazer-style production and, in later recordings, electronica. Frontman Billy Corgan is the group's primary songwriter, his grand musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land".

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smashing_Pumpkins]

From the soft layered ballads such as ‘Cupid de Locke’ (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) to the dark loud abrasive track, ‘Bodies’, (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) The Smashing Pumpkins became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s.

The group's videos so often avoid the literal interpretation of the song lyrics and this will be carried into the illustrations.

CONCEPT.1_ CONTRASTS (Quiet and Loud)

As The Smashing Pumpkins have such a distinctive contrast of styles they can often create different emotions.

The object is to try and tap into those feelings by using textures to convey the emotions and layer them up, bringing the songs alive.

For the quiet and loud song’s, using light and dark paint in an abstract way as the music bed, building up with mixed media, collage of abstract images, pencil, acrylic paint, really working into it, almost giving the illustration a tactile feel.

CONCEPT.2_ 3D AUDIO WAVES

Using the Audio waves of the tracks as the canvas by making them a physical 3D platform to work on, (material still needs to be thought out more but initial feeling was a plastic mould)

Following the journey of the track and highlighting changes within the song with use of abstract imagery.

Again the aim is to bring the songs alive by giving it an almost 3D feel to it.

TRACKS

Still to be sorted out

MEDIUM?

Wood . Paper . Collage . Paint . Pencil . Digital

These Images had a certain resonance and were chosen whilst listening to the Smashing Pumpkins.

sound waves

attracted to light_Moth timeline

textures