top of page

Planning for the Colour Model

Today we had a masterclass from David Neat in colour/realistic model-making ["The Art of Visualisation"] - covering construction, materials, surfaces, sculpting and a selection of examples from previous years. This was a good basis to start planning ahead for what kind of materials and techniques I'll be using on my own set, but I will definitely need to do plenty of individual research as the model develops. Just like the white-card model, this will also be made in the scale of 1:25. The final products will be the plain white model and a fully realised and detailed model, both identical in dimensions.

 

Above: A selection of books I'll be using to aid the making process.

 

The main point when it comes to colour model-making is to take the necessary shortcuts that can save both time and money. These can be achieved through tactical decisions with material selection and considering just how detailed the model is going to be and, furthermore, prioritising on the more important elements of the space.

Over the next week, I will be using this blog entry to update on decisions for design, material choice and technique planning while also preparing the basic structure to the model [i.e. the groundplan and elevations]. This will leave me prepared for my return to London on the 21st of December, when I will beginning transforming the location.

The plan for the coming week:

Monday 4th: Begin blog entry, prepare for assessment on Thursday.

Tuesday 5th: Visit The Royal London Hospital Museum for prop ideas, source materials from the 4D model shop, write up some material planning for the model.

Wednesday 6th: Complete blog entry, submit to Moodle.

Thursday 7th: ASSESSMENT DAY, watch the DVD loaned from the library [Avant Garde Experimental Cinema Of The 1920's & 1930’s], begin preparing colour-model planes.

Friday 8th: Photoshop induction, begin reading "The Art & Soul of Bladerunner 2049" and research into the model making of both the original and this latest release, have all materials & plans ready for return on the 21st.

 

Above: 3 Films linked by the same technique of animation - discussed below.

 

On a side note... I recently went to see 'Loving Vincent' [2017, Directed by Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman]. It had been a hugely anticipated film, but to be completely honest, I really didn't enjoy it. It felt as though they were wholly dependent upon the painstaking animation style and not much more. The style of narration really did bore me and, as a result, the beautiful visuals were almost made redundant after a while. Nonetheless, while watching it I was reminded of two films [directed by Richard Linklater] I'd previously seen that were made with exactly the same animation technique; rotoscoping^.

'Waking Life' [2001] and 'A Scanner Darkly' [2006, based on Philip K. Dick's novel, published in 1977] are the aforementioned films and they both work under themes of technology, dreams, human manipulation, drugs and psychosis - all relevant to the narrative I'm trying to address through my set. I think alongside finding visual references for props, set-dressing, textures and architecture, it is also vital to have references for atmosphere - the "feeling" of the set-design and what you're trying to implement in the viewer. Linklater very much projects the essence of Philip K. Dick in asserting feelings of discomfort, confusion and paranoia in his audience. Both 'Waking Life' and 'A Scanner Darkly' are successful in affecting its onlookers deeply and permanently through a contrast of slow human interractions and invasive uses of man-made objects upon the human body.

I want to use these ideas to achieve a high-level of anxiety when looking through my set-design, as though it could be you sat on the other side of the glass, subjected to whatever the scientists require.

^ Rotoscoping: a technique in which individual frames of filmed live action are traced over to produce an animation, it is one of the oldest known animation techniques.

 

The Royal London Hospital Museum Trip

I wanted to try and source some ideas for more general props to be used in the set, so decided to visit this museum [which was conveniently a 10 minute walk from the 4D model shop]. It was only one large room but it had an interesting collection within. Below I've put together a gallery of the exhibits I think are most useful to me [along with some quick observational drawings done on-site]. I definitely plan to include some of these props in my own design and to perhaps alter the character I have in mind to a being of a large stomach but frail arms and legs...

 

Above: Photos & Drawings from today at the museum.

 

Inventory for Model-Making I was on a bit of a tight-budget when I visited the 4D model shop, so I was only able to buy a couple of things [including foam sheets, more milliput and an engineers tri-square]. I have a good range of materials to begin with, if I need anything extra, these can be purchased at a later date.

 

Above: Toolbox and materials

 

10 Important Areas for making the Colour-Model:

1. Removable Wall and Ceiling.

I'd like to create a removable wall on Elevation D using metal wire as a a draw-like mechanism in which the wall will go upwards and can be taken away. This perspective places the viewer in the scientists shoes, having you look through the window to the experiment. In terms of a ceiling, this may be something that I need to discuss with a tutor tomorrow. I definitely want the collonade feature in the viewing area and perhaps a cement ceiling for the experiment area, however in regards to lighting I may have to make these two areas detachable and independent of one another. This is t.b.c.

2. Material Chosen for Main Contruction.

The Kapa-line Foam I purchased recently seems like the best option due to its strength and resistance against curling. I think I may create two layers for the main walls; mountboard on the outer part and foam Kapa-line Foam on the inner.

3. Means of Creating Textures.

In regards to creating ageing cement walls and flooring I will have to experiment between using printed images [www.textures.com] and the use of cracking medium with paint. I think the latter may be more authentic and succesful in its appearance. I could however paint the effect from scratch.

To be purchased: Cracking Medium.

The addition of a puddle on the floor [some kind of leakage] could be achieved through painting the puddle to show depth and then layering PVA on top of that.

4. Creating the fake wall and viewing window.

The fake wall can easily be made by joining 2 or 3 layers of foam board together. The viewing window won't have any fancy framework besides a thin metal edge. This wall [and window] need to convey that it's tamper proof and for the saftey of the viewers.

Options for the window: purchase/find perspex/acrylic plastic OR layer up acetate sheets.

5. Technique for pipework.

After a discussion with David Neat, we came to the conclusion that the use of plastic tubing with faux painting would be a much quicker, easier and cheaper method for creating the complex pipework. All components [e.g. brackets, joinings] upon the pipework can be achieved using milliput.

To be purchased: Plastic tubing [very thin and malleable].

6. Real Door and Fake Security Door.

Both of these doors will be theoretically made of steel with bolting and the necessary security precautions. These can be achieved simply through mount-board and metallic paint. Final designs of these will be included in a later sketch.

7. Final list of major equipment.

I plan for the pipework to run from the experimentation area into the viewing area through the top-right side of the room. These will then lead into a large fictitious piece of equipment that covers the sink area and rises to just above the door frame. It will be covered in dials and monitors. Below and above the desk area will be other smaller pieces of equipment. These will be designed using a combination of all reference material found. The main idea is that these pieces of equipment monitor, control and measure the amount of growth hormone being pumped into the subject and the current health of the being.

8. List of other set dressing props.

9. Main add-ons to the original location.

The fake wall, a desk in front of the window, large machinary covering up sink, faux cabinet draws to the right-hand side, fake door, pipework. Fill in the panel secton to create a flat wall. Walls thickened to hide skirting.

10. Design for the sign that will eventually be scaled up.

I'm thinking of creating a plaque/sign documenting which experiment number this room is working on. Perhaps this would be placed on the back of the door or besides the viewing window. Another idea would be to use a serial label placed on the side of the large piece of equipment that all the main pipes are running into. [Some information about the manufacturers under the reign of the current leader/organisation, with a code to number this particular experiment].

 

Of course, these are findings I've made during this week - it's important to note that these decisions may change through experimentation. When it comes to creating the actual model, I may find better/quicker/cheaper ways of achieving a certain effect, but I think the decisions made and listed above are a good foundation to work on.

Below I have created a final diagram of the set-design with much more accuracy than previous sketches.

I think I'd like to alter the narrative to the experiment being abandonned and then after a number of years passing away and being disposes of... hence why all of the pipework is still in the correct composition for a living body.

 

Above: Final design for the location transformation.

 

UPDATE: MOODBOARD ADDITION

I've just found a perfect source to help with my modelling/painting style. A film directed by the legendary Phil Tippett [known for his work on Jurassic Park & Star Wars] called 'Mad God: Part 1' [2013]. It's a 12-minute-long, fully practical stop-motion animation "set in a Miltonesque world of monsters, mad scientists, and war pigs" - quoted from Tippett himself.

Below I've included a gallery exhibiting some stills that are particularly relevant to my own design. I hope to use this film as a great source of inspiration when it comes to painting and creating textures.

[The website hosting this film can be found in my online resources list below.]

 

Planning for "Colour Model-making" Chapter in Workbook: - Photograph Model-making throughout entire process. - Create sub-sections on each technique learnt.

 

Online Resources:

www.textures.com

https://davidneat.wordpress.com/methods/making-realistic-models/​

http://watch.madgodmovie.com​

 


Project Category
Recent Posts
Archive
  • Instagram - White Circle
  • w-facebook
  • Vimeo - White Circle
bottom of page