So here is my synopsis of Study...It still feels a bit vague as to what I am doing, but as it is an experiential journey that will make these doubts clear.

Synopsis of Study

“There is never a moment where we stop to look at something, and our eyes never stop moving, because otherwise we’d be dead. We move the focus every time we move.’’ This is known the ‘Principle of moving focus.’ (Hockney, D. 2009)

Within my illustration practice, it is important to me that I am always learning new skills whilst keeping up with new technologies because we live in an era where technology changes at a rapid pace. For this unit, I would like the main focus to be about drawing because after evaluating my technical skills, it is apparent to me that I have a weakness for drawing in 'the background'. The imagery I create seems to hang in the middle of the page without a sense of belonging. Therefore to improve my skills I would like to create a screen based animation where the main focus would be about the landscape itself.

Previously in my work, I have developed film montage techniques involving stop frame animation, film and timelapse. I would very much like to expand upon these skills and find new ways to explore these techniques whilst incorporating drawing, as more and more I am using moving imagery in my practice.

In terms of the brief, I am going to explore the divergence of a visual and experiential journey from the northern industrious landscape to the natural landscape of the Peak District in the Derbyshire area.

I would like my animation to be emotive and thought provoking, and stress the point that a lot of the time we never stop to really look at what is in front of us. E.g. when we’re driving in our cars or in a rush to get to a destination, we generally focus solely on the task in hand. I aim to target this screen-based animation towards those whom may have busy lifestyles, and wouldn’t necessarily take the time to look around and question what it is they are seeing and how they are seeing.

In terms of where the animation would be viewed, it would make sense for it to be viewed in a place considered to be busy e.g. on the wall or floor of a busy highstreet. This would help to create a contrast between a busy environment and a that of the Peak District.

In the book ‘The art of seeing’ Berger states; “We only see what we look at. To look is an act of choice. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled and the way we see things is affected by what we know or believe. We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves”. (Berger. J 1972 pg.8,9). Bearing this in mind, it would be good demonstrate in the animation, that we are living creatures and there is a beauty of ‘looking’.

I grew up in a suburban town and I have never lived in Derbyshire, but it is where the majority of my family live and it is a place that has always has a strong place in my memory because of the countless journeys I have made there in my childhood. I am in awe of the vast Peak district landscape, which covers 555 square meters, and is full of history and is visited by people from all over the globe.

Also, my uncle has been a peak district ranger for over forty years now and has a vast breadth of knowledge about the area. He has kindly offered to aid my research, as I will be going to the Peak district to do some primary research.

The program about David Hockney, ‘The Bigger Picture’, and how one sees with memory greatly inspired me, as the large scaled paintings he created were painted quite rapidly in situ and this is how he saw what was in front of him at one point in time. They reflect the journeys of the Yorkshire landscapes that have accumulated in his past and present memories and help to tell a story. I would like to examine the process of how we create and make journeys and visually record them as a drawing through seeing and looking at what is in front of us.

I have had a little previous experience with using animation programs such as after effects, and Premiere Pro. I have also had previous experience with sound software to create sound effects. I would like to take the opportunity to further my knowledge within these programs, as I aspire to work largely in screen- based outcomes in the future of my creative practice.