Final re-designs

After carefull consideration and talk with Gareth we came to conclusion that few more things needs to be changed. Some changes include - fonts (changed from celtic to myriad pro) and some elements added (chapter title on the side of each page) and some major changes to title page and chapters' title pages.
It does look more professional now. I was afraid changing all of this will make it loose its old style, and that it wont look good when I'll mix old and modern style, but it looks so much better now!

Gareth helped me with all changes and now I am focusing on final touches. I think I've done a good job, and feeling quite proud. Can't wait to see it printed and binded! On the begining I was thinging of some more complicated mechanisms, and wanted to include much more of that, but taking into accout my budget limits and time scale (quite tight) I am happy with final designs. It took ages to do it, and I spend long hours trying and experimenting and I would love to create thicker and improved version of that book, but for now I think it's ok!

Here are some examples of changes I've made to my book:

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That's firs version of chapter's title page. It contains celtic signs (used very often in this book as a little details in the corners) and one big celtic symbol used on chapter title pages only. I've also used celtic font to write book title (tales of wales) and chapter's title (boys village in this case). I've used red and green as part of colours in Welsh flag.

That design is my final version. There are four little celtic symbols in the corner, chapter's title on the side (it's on every page of the book, so when flicking through the pager reader/viewer could see which chapter they're on) also book title (same font as on the cover and main title page to make it continue through the book rather than using many different styles and fonts), also little dragon and big celtic symbol. Little image on the top presents boys village and it's going to be little flap, after lifting it up there will be colour photo underneath. Little simply trick to make it more interesting and interactive. I do think it looks so much better than previous version! I am so happy now! Looks like professional book now! I do like faded feel of big celtic symbol and chapter title bar on the side!

Will post some other examples later on!

Struggle with writing... :/

Name: It may sound daft but please get this part right.
Exploring printmaking, book design and paper engineering. History research based project on Boys Village, Trefil Quarry and Hetty Pit. 


Title/Theme/Subject: It should be declared confidently from the outset what your goals and aims are.
"Tales of Wales"

History based project regarding industrial past of Wales.  Described/presented places includes Boys Village, Hetty Pit and Trefil Quarry. The aim of the project is to create interactive book to help viewers/readers to experience passing time, and changes to the history of given places. By interaction with that book people may see how all those places looked like years ago and what was happening there - also they may see how places looks like now.

Introduction: A brief context or scene setter, a backgbound to the concept/idea and the environment/marketplace it will exist in with clear indication of your audience.

I was interested in local history since my first Uni trip. My lecturers took as to Trefil Quarry, Blaenavon Ironworks and to Big Pit. I didn't know that Wales used to be so much industrialised, and I've started researching local history, exploring places like quarries, ironworks and mines. It become my main interest and all my projects always had something to do with those places. Most of my projects for my BA Photography had always something to do with industry, wales history or derelic places. And again this time I've decided to do something new, different, but somehow connected to my beloved subjects! On the very beggining I was planning to do book including 3d anaglyphs from Trefil, as I think that place is amazing, beautiful and so huge that normal images would never show its beauty. But it seemed too easy, so I've decided to design a historical book, full of interactive parts such as flaps, windows, movable wheel, and other mechanism, and to research paper engineering and printing methods rather just do book full of anaglyphs.

 I would like it to be educational and experimental project. I think history is important part of education, especially local history. I would like my book to be interesting for all ages - adults and children. I would love to create this kind of books for charities, historical societies and museums. Maybe it is not masive market, but it's quite rare what I am doing and it could be quite interesting for museums to have that kind of books I think. Interactive books like this would be benefit for readers as most people are visual learners, and it could help them to remember some important historical facts, that's why I think educational aspect is quite strong.



The Brief: Identify the problem/area you wish to address or explore. Ask yourself the kind of questions that the viewer may ask on the final presentation. What makes this solution unique and suitable for higher level investigation?

In my project I would like to explore ways of printing (handmade paper printing, printing on tracing paper, printing on foil, lenticular printing, creating and printing of 3D anaglyphs etc.). Another thing I would like to research and try is paper engineering (pop-outs, movable elements, sliding parts, turning wheels, cuting things out and more). Also different ways of book designs and styling. It may include double sided design/printing, single sided design/printing, puting book together, binding, designing folding pages, single pages etc. It's a lot to think about - book layout, pages layout, choosing mechanisms, size, paper, etc, ect. Another subject I would like to research is creating dioramas - from basic things such as creating terrain using plaster, to things such as designing little buildings, printing them on plasticard and then folding it. I am not sure yet of how many dioramas I will create, I would love to create all three but it's depend of time. I will start of doing Boys' Village diorama as it would be most complicated one and work out if I will manage to create other two as well, as it is very time consuming.

Assessable Outcomes: What will the outcomes of your research be and how will they be assessed? If open-ended,what stages/benchmarks/learning outcomes will you set yourself to clarify and review your progress?

Stage one: researching history and collecting documents and old photographs.
Stage two: researching printing methods and paper engineering.
Stage three: creating a plan (some basic ideas of what I will use in my book)
Stage four: field trip planning (what kind of photographs I will need for my book)
Stage five: field trips
Stage six: editing photographs
Stage seven: designing a book
Stage eight: book printing
Stage nine: researching dioramas
Stage ten: creating diorama/s


Still trying to sort this out, but can't really focus on writing as there is so many things to finish up (Book)!!!! :(

Brief

I wanted my project to be educational, but also experimental.
It's very clear that historical aspect of my project have educational function. It's to show people some local places and tell history of those places as well. To help viewers/readers to view those derelict and demolished sites as something what was completely different years ago, i.e. full of life, laugh or tears.

Let's say Hetty Pit, Hopkinstown - people walking down this road very often, old mine it's empty, scary and bit forgotten. People don't think that often about what's happened there ages ago, just walking past on way to work/school. I've visited Hetty, I've seen old engine working, researched it's history, found some old images and felt real atmosphere of this amazing place. It's amazing experience! And I wanted to give little bit of this experience to others, who can learn about Hetty's past through interaction with my book. They could see old photographs and new photographs to compare how it used to looks like in the past. They could read little stories about it, and more! It's important to remember local history and to pass it on to younger generation, as there is not many miners left who still remember what's happened there!

I have no idea about early education systems  here in UK, can't get what's Key stages are and what's included in which Key stage, but I am sure that books like that would be interesting for probably all ages, as there are various elements and even if young children won't understand text they would have fun exploring movable parts of the book and will understand what those parts are for or what they represent.  I.e. they will see some landscape full of stones (present) and image on the top (past) with man digging out those stones - it would be easy to understand that they used to work there to dig out the limestone... 

Experimental part of this project is by learning/exploring different methods of printing (on paper, 3d, lenticular, on tracing paper, on transparent foil), paper engineering (pop outs, cut outs, movement) and some other aspects of design and model making. I never tried so many different thing in such small amount of time and it's shame that I hadn't more time to improve my project.

I am not good in writing, and it's hard to explain what I mean... but I hope aims of creating my book are quite clear.

Some changes

After another tutorials with Gareth we've decided that I will not only use vintage old feel but some other design styles - tried to design cover it's still old style but with some modern details as well.

 Created using so called cloud tags both background and 'tales of wales' are made of words related to my book and subjects. I think it's quite good idea. And I am quite happy with that. Looks quite empty yet but thats just an example, maybe I will use something else in the middle of cover.

This would be chapter page wording 'boys village' created using so called cloud tags - this times words related to Boys Village and its history. I've put image but it will be something else used - not sure how to explain that but it will be mechanism (under this page) and sliding piece of cardboard and when it's get slided out it will become colour, slided back in b&w.

Dioramas

After tutorials with Gareth we both came to conclusion that book would look much better in much bigger size (a3) and it's going to be easier for me to make all mechanisms on bigger size.

Main aim of doing this book is to explore ways of printing, different methods of pop-out, and other paper engeneering. I've researched lenticular print - I did managed to get some lenses as well but didn't managed to get desired effect so gave up creating it. Some of pages including turning circle with windows (it's gonna be table of content page) some anaglyphs, images printed on tracing paper overlying other photos printed on normal paper (to show how place looked a like in the past and how place is now), pages where viewer can open little window and see what's behind, and more.
I researched so many things and methods of creating interactive book, read so many things, watched so many video tutorials and bought so many children books that I really became geninuely interesting in this part of design. I wish I could have more time for creating this project, so I could design much more various effects.

My other part of FMP will be dioramas, I am still not quite sure if I am doing just one or maybe three dioramas, that's all depend of time. I've started doing Boys' Village diorama. I wanted my exhibition to be something else than just a book, as lonely book on the table would be not as interesting on its own. Thats why I've decided to do dioramas as well to help people imagine how my fav places looked like in the past.

Here are some photos of my work in progress:

 This image is of swimming pool - part of Boys' Village diorama.

This is swimming pool and little chapel with ready grass and paths.









It looks very simply but believe me or not I've spend many hours researching and creating this part of diorama. I had to make little map first:

I've made this map using some gaming software for creating maps for rpg/rtg games. I knew how Boys' Village looked like before (years ago) that's why it wasnt too hard to create it, anyway not knowing software I've spend whole day designing it.





After creating map I had to make dioramas groung, I've found some video tutorials of what to use and how to create dioramas - those are most interesting ones (follow all parts):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQ2UAkmxZE&feature=relmfu

I've made my terrain/ground using plaster, paper towells and corkboard as a base. Then I've used paints to paint my terrain (to make it easier to remember where to put buildings, grass, paths, sand etc. Pool is made of box of matches painted blue, then filled in with crystal clear silicone used for windows and tiles and other DIY stuff. Then I've put some n gauge little pepole bought off ebay and made some ladder of wires and staples.

Grass and sand and paths I get off my dad who used to make dioramas when I was kid, he had all stuff needed for making terrain...

Little church from photo was made of  thin paper, and it was just to make sure I get all measures right, so it's not a final version. I will use plasticard for making buildings. It's taking ages so will leave it for later and focus on book design for now as deadline is very soon.

Designs - pages

Here are some designs I've made to print in my leather covered book:

This page would be title page (page after cover) and the tile will be Tales of Wales, I used 'vintage paper' texture made using Photoshop. Also I've used some celtic shapes (corners) and two little welsh dragons. I found few different celtic fonts as well. 

 This page will be one after Table of Content page and it's a map showing all three places (Boys' Village, Trefil Quarry and Hetty Pit). Vintage paper texture used, plus old map of Wales plus three photographs taken in choosen locations.







This page is Chapter page, there will be three chapters in my book (each chapter telling story of different place (BV, TQ, HP). I've used same vinage paper texture, 4 little celtic symbols in the corners, large celtic symbol in the middle and celtic font (different to this used on main title page). I've also used two colours - red 'tales of wales' (which is title of the book) and green 'boys village' (which is title of the chapter). Green and red are part of wale's flag.

This page is Story page - some of previously used symbols repeated - text written in celtic font - first capital letter is biger and different font used to make it stand out (similar to real old book with fairy tales where first capital letter in every chapter is always bigger than the rest of text).

Idea no 2

Ok, so after considering all things I've decided to create a book on Wales history (Boys' Village, Trefil Quarry and Hetty Pit) - full of pop ups, sliding mechanisms, just to help people who will read/view it to experience something more than just 3D images (as planned on the beginning). To see how those places used to looks like years a go, and how do they like now. Book full of interaction, where viewers/readers have to discover hidden windows, pop outs etc. I also planned to do a large board with pop outs.

After trying to understand pop-outs and all pop-out mechanism I've realised that it will take ages to create it, so I've decided to do dioramas instead of pop-out boards.

I wanted to keep my book in vintage style, so I bought some stuff to make it looks old. Here are some items I bought:

Wax seal with initial M, for sealing and to give my book vintage
feel. I choose letter M to personailse it a little (Meg).
I've designed some celtic signs and shapes to decorate pages of my book, and designed 'vintage paper' texture to print it and give even more style to my book.

Handmade journal in leather cover with dragon (to made it more 'Welsh') with hand made paper to give my book vintage style, and because I quite liked an idea of printing on lovely textured paper. Size wasn't too big but I was quite happy with general feel of it.