A historical event at the Manchester Russian Orthodox Church

First time in the whole history of England the unique artefact was displayed for viewing at Russian Orthodox Church in Manchester.This artefact the holy icon was made out of piece of wood of the cross, on which Jesus was crucified.This icon travelled right from Jerusalem.The Russian church was chosen for this ceremony, which was held on 07.12.2013 from 3.00pm until 21.00pm.

Thousands of people visited the church and I witnessed this extraordinary piece of work of holy icon too.See  below the picture of the icon that every visitor was given to take home,as they believe that the picture of the icon has the same healing power as the actual icon and charged with positive energy which Jesus had.The piece of wood which this icon was made of has Jesus’s blood that remains over centuries as a reminder  of people’s violence and a symbol of Jesus’s love to all humans, including those who actually killed him!

So,I managed to attend the amazing event of the church ceremony with singing and praying,with extraordinary outfits of priests dressed in special clothes embroidered by golden thread,all shiny and majestic!

Questioner

What does illustration mean?
Illustration is a visual representation of an object, a subject, theories, thoughts or even emotions.Therefore,it is applicable to many areas of social life, in terms of delivering the information to the masses.
Could and should illustrators do more to push the boundaries of the discipline?
Certainly yes! Illustration could be made in different ways and methods. Whether it is an animated illustration or a still image, it could be used not only for commercial purposes,but also for political and social comments.
How do you see your own work broadening in terms of scope(content) and media and how could this be best supported at college?
I work hard in terms of developing my artistic skills in using different media, in order to be integrated into the art industry and to be confident and experienced in using different media, including computer technology.Some improvement could be made in the system of studying the Art and Design at the college.Some facilities, such as 3D workshop and materials to work with should be more accessible for students. Also, there should be an opportunity to study  the computer programs more actively at the very beginning of the degree course.The introduction to Illustrator, After Effect or Cinema 4D should be made in parallel to the plan of developing basic skills in making everything by hand using different techniques.Simply,because all the students already were through the Foundation Course in Art and Design, which includes developing basic skills.The degree course should add some flavour to those skills, which already were developed previously.Therefore,would be appropriate to use a professional computer programs for illustration at early stage of developing a professional artistic skills,as it takes more time to understand, get used to it and develop good skills.It will give better opportunity to be integrated in the Art Industry nowadays.
Is suggestion of a name change for Illustration necessary or mere semantics?
I cannot see the reason why the name for illustration should be changed! What should be changed, is that an attitude to illustration and to illustrators! Those who had a degree in Illustration should be proud of it,as it is broaden and the range of skills we developed could be and should be  widely used within the Art Industry.

My choice of website style

I did my research for a website style. I have chosen the free website builder online of the

company http://www.wix.com/

I found the template I like for setting up my website as a storage of  what I have done so far  www.olgaborisova.com 

The other website shows my preferences for the type of art and techniques I use for producing art.

It is done,please visit my website to see what it is look like: http://olga120.wix.com/visual-arts#

I looked at number of websites before I made this decision.Some websites look hash and ridiculous, some of them attractive in terms of background.

The most ridiculous one I have ever seen, is the website of Jim Carrey. It is  ridiculous and fascinating at the same time! That‘s Jim Carry! The style of his website communicates with his talent and such an extraordinary personality of his! Must watch: http://www.jimcarrey.com/

So,it is fascinating, but I will not choose similar style for my website.Sorry for saying that Jim Carry,but I am still fascinated with the work you do!

I like the website of the illustrator John Haslam.The site is simple,précised but informative:

http://www.illustratorsdirect.co.uk/our-work/john-haslam/

My website template includes a number of subdivisions to identify the themes of my art work. The diversity of my art work fits perfectly in the structure of the website template I chosen.

The background is simple.The home page is organised and representational and includes the contacts box, that allows to leave a message, which will be directed to my e-mail address.I found it simple, practical and rational.

Notion of Noosphere.Extension of the Natural World Project

The notion of Noosphere first was introduced by Russian scientist-philosopher Vladimir Vernadsky and developed further by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.They believed that there is a collector of any kind of  energy including thoughts and emotions, which are treated as energy too; and collector of all information about all species on the earth. It works as Information Bank of a genetic code and it named Noosphere.The Noosphere is in charge of Global Consciousness and controls a number and  type of species on the Earth; and it is situated in the external layer of the Atmosphere and above it around the globe.

Development work in making a 3D model of Noosphere or “Teleport”

I designed a kinetic model of Noosphere (teleport) out of recycled materials like old CDs, plastic round base out of CD container and other subsidiary materials I found at home, including bits and pieces of broken toys, those my child keeps in his storage.Old CDs give a good colourful reflection of the objects, that gives an illusion of holographic images within the base of the model I designed.The model is manually operated and spins.See pictures below:

This image was processed in Photoshop.The emphasised  pattern of the model, which appears on the top, gives illusion of a sphere shape against the black background.

I improved  this element of design by using Photoshop, in terms of tiding up and giving the smooth edges to the sphere. I integrated the handmade globe  into the centre of the model:

Mixed media ( combined 3D hand made object and Photoshop generated 3D objects) images are represented below:
I created some sequential frames with both: integrated handmade object and computer generated 3D objects.At this stage of my development work I completed the animation in Movie Maker:

Development work by Olga Borisova

I decided to choose Cinema 4D program as a media for creating 3D objects in terms of reflecting the theory of Noosphere. My visual interpretation of “Noosphere”  completed in Cinema 4D is represented below.I keep working on panoramic picture by adding different elements into it.The animated picture below contains a complex composition of different 3D elements with special effects created in Cinema 4D computer program:

19.11.2013

The improved version of the same episode is represented below:

19.11.2013

Improved image of Dinosaur:

Development work by Olga Borisova. Cinema 4D Animation

Early attempts in Cinema 4D (development work):

 

Zoomed in image of Time Machine:

20/11/2013 Development work

A have a lot more ideas to deliver.I keep working on creating and animating 3D digital images.The best ideas will be combined into a short animated film for the project.
The episode below tells a story about a dinosaur escaping from natural disaster through the time machine that creates a black hole,which is a portal between different dimensions and parallel worlds:

21.11.2013 Development work by Olga Borisova

The next episode will be about a human meeting the dinosaur; and he decides to keep it as a pet.

Instead of creating a human figure in Cinema 4D program,I have decided to illustrate the artefacts like foot prints of both, a human and a dinosaur:
I will keep practicing creating characters within Cinema 4D.I would like to design a human character,which is most difficult to do, as my teacher sais.I  will do the best I can in this case.
A hand painted dinosaur and a hand drawn abstract picture of a human were integrated in the sequential frames and attached to the walls inside the cave,so it reminds of  painting in the cave.
I have changed  the appearance of  hand drawn pictures using Photoshop ,in order to give a certain look:

I combined sequential frames in Movie Maker program:

28.11.2013 film and music by Olga Borisova

Next step is to create the animation in After Effect computer program.I have to cut out some  repetitive frames which appear by mistake.
My final outcome for this project, the animation completed in After Effect, is represented below:

The evolutionary model of the theory of time.Film by Olga Borisova

The extension of the previous Natural World Project

I am planning to create an animation about time as a substance that could stretch, squash, twist and shrink. I would like to integrate into the film not only digitally developed pictures ,but also hand drawn or painted. The film will be about correlation between time,space and Evolution itself; interaction between different dimensions and parallel worlds, when time is overlapped;about black holes which described by some of the scientists as a portal between different dimensions and parallel worlds;about artefacts, those which confirm the existence of all  species at the same time on the Earth, including Dinosaur and Human.The recent findings dated almost as old as dinosaurs, such as: little sculptures representing the Human and Dinosaurs together and casts of foot prints of both, as if dinosaur was kept by human as a pet;-gives evidence for the concept rather than against.Furthermore, I will keep developing my skills in using Cinema 4D computer program,Photoshop and Illustrator in order to use them for creating panoramic pictures and 3D objects for the planned animation.
I have started developing characters for the animation.I am in the process of painting by acrylic paint on a small size of a canvas board,as it is easier to scan and to storage the painted images.The image of dinosaurs isn’t finished yet .It is blue at the moment.I will take a risk by adding  texture using different brush strokes with green paint, until it will take more representational look.The scanned image of a blue dinosaurs at the early stage of my painting is represented below:

In parallel,I am working on the digital images for animation.I use Cinema 4D and Photoshop.
A few sequential frames of “the time travel machine”created in Cinema 4D are represented below:
The low resolution animated picture:

09.11.2013

I keep developing 3D objects in Cinema 4D program.I am planning to create a panoramic picture by combining some created 3D objects into the composition.The image of a Globe with time meridians and its animation are represented below:

12.11.2013

The Time flow illustration created in Cinema 4D:

14.11.2013

I managed to combine different elements into the composition within the Cinema 4D computer program:

14.11.2013

14.11.2013

A slightly higher resolution animated picture of the World is represented below:
I have been practicing modelling a human’s arm.I started from modelling the bones,then I combined them into a piece of skeleton and rapped them up into muscles.Whatever I managed to design has been animated eventually.Technically it isn’t perfect,but I tried hard  and my skills will develop further along practising Cinema 4D program.This imperfectness gives a certain charm to the animation.While creating 3D images within Cinema 4D I learned a lot in terms of technical aspect of using the computer program.
The still images of a skeleton designed in Cinema 4D are represented below:
The animated pictures of a “cyborg” hand are represented below:

15.11.2013

15.11.2013

Volunteer Work

I have started a preparation for the volunteer work ,which I am going to proceed after Christmas in 2014.The team of a local Stay and Play School ,where my son stays while I am at the College,promised to give me the opportunity to entertain children by teaching Art and Design for one hour every week.I am planning to use for that the self-studying day ,which is given weekly at the college.

In terms of preparation, I have to create a working plant, collect enough recycled materials for children to work with,to develop a design for some 3D objects by myself, in order to tech children and discuss the strategy with the actual school team.The team seems to be quite exited with this idea and looking forward to giving me this opportunity for a little experiment, in terms of expanding my skills.

Also, the idea of entertaining  and organising children while at Stay and Play School, looks good to me, as I will have a great opportunity to spend productively more time with my child  within the school and to teach him as well.It will help to develop  further child’s imagination,artistic skills and  collaboration with others.

Research materials for animation with scientific content

This is something to think about and analyse the content: http://vimeo.com/29938326 http://vimeo.com/45858333 http://vimeo.com/58626695 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZxCn7YgYJ8#t=112

Cinema 4D Animation

I managed to download the student version of the studio Cinema 4D computer program to practice in creating  and animating 3D objects within the computer program. I really enjoy playing with this program. The first ever sample of my Cinema 4D animation is represented below:

Created 03.11.2013

I am doing my first steps in modelling the characters within the Cinema 4D program. It is hard to navigate through the program.A lot to learn! Cinema 4D animation of a “scruffy bird” character is represented below:

Cinema 4D image created and animated by Olga Borisova 03.11.2013

Slightly better quality of created object and more sophisticated moves:

03.11.2013

One more attempt in Cinema 4D animation:

development work by Olga Borisova

The film- summary about my development work in Cinema 4D.I created music by myself, played on the piano- synthesiser and integrated it into the film:

03.11.2013

I have created the image of dinosaur and animated it in Cinema 4D.Some sequential frames and animations are represented below:
The quality is poor because of the student version of the computer program(the format is too small); and also because it was combined in Movie Maker.So,the material was rendered twice, which affects the quality.Cinema 4D is not included in the program of  course studying.I practice it apart from current project requirements.All I am interested in is to develop as many as possible skills in using different computer programs, while  I am a student.I might try to render the file on the computer at the college for better quality picture.
This image of Dinosaurs combined in two programs Cinema 4D and Photoshop:

I managed to improve the image within Cinema 4D program at the College.I improved the shape of  dinosaurs' claws and applied the texture to the dinosaurs’ skin:

I managed to animate the improved image of dinosaurs.Animated pictures in different perspectives are represented below:

Cinema 4D animation

Cinema 4D animation

Cinema 4D animation