For this brief, I decided to pursue after the poem I learned in second class which was called: "Žiogas pievoj vasarojo" by Zita Gaižauskaitė. It's a lithuanian poem following a story of insects enjoying their summer day by playing instruments together.
My goal was a diorama piece, make it actually come to life. I followed my own designs and made my own map of the place to help me decide on the final piece.
You can find my journey below, from concept development of the characters to a finished Diorama.
As I finished up on the details, I placed a light above to show case as sun. Had to move it around until I found the way I liked it. Closed the blinds so no other light interferes and here we go!
To reflect on this piece, I would say, make the tree stump taller. Work more on the grass detail when you do have better materials - as I lacked in glue for this. Another light wouldn't harm, but the other one I had was broken. Over all, I'm happy :)
I started painting after I settled. Painted the floor, the tree. Added a little bump to add more levels. Then I placed down grass, and little bushes and little trees.
I worked smart, by not spending my time on the angles I wasn't going to use.
These are couple stop motions I gathered that used Diorama sets:
This stop motion film was created by animator and director Eva Cvijanović as an adaptation of the children’s poem by Branko Ćopić. I looked at this because I'm also adapting a poem from children's book by Zita Gaizauskaite. I find it funny how the title is "Needle Felted" when the actual diorama is made from wool and worked with a needle.
This one is by Laika Studios for the film "Missing Link". I actually love how it's a bigger scale, as I always seem to go big naturally. As I am working with a tree, and grass. I thought it's quite inspiring. Also this shows work smart - as not every tree is fully done!
For this one I watched behind the scenes here. The one that made this come to life was a person that also worked on "Coraline". It's great to look at different styles of stop motion. One point I really felt was how she created this piece using as little toxic materials as possible - as while we work on our diorama's we are exposed to chemicals.
This is my big, long background to hug the sets and scene as whole. I did a plain sky incase I want to change weather. The different grass bit identifies a place in the map, where the pond can be found.
If I would go back in time, I would for sure made the ground more lower.
Today I finished up the beehive. I learnt that you really need to be patient.
First I, on my prepared base, made a cone shape out of paper for the roof to have a support unit. Then I stuck down rushes one by one to make the idea of thatched roof.
Second, after the roof has dried, I tied it up at the top with some rough string. Then I painted it with acrylics.
What I would do better if I re-did it, I would paint first, then put together and do more denser roof to make the gaps unseen.
I started a diorama, as mine is an open field, I'll need places in the background. This is were the bee-hive comes in.
After designing it, I used cardboard to make plank like objects and stuck them together with glue gun. Then later on the day I gathered rushes to help me make straw like roof.
I strated sketching out and planning the little beehive for my diorama. I looked at different beehives and ended up doing mix and match. I really liked the older beehive look of the cone roof made of straw and then for walls might do cylinder or if it doesn't work out I'll stick to basic cube.
I'll probably get more and more creative as I go and get materials and start it.
We were placed in small groups to talk amongst each other and tell stories based on the prompt given earlier. I only could attend two sessions, but these are based on cooking disasters and neighbours.
I took these photographs at work during easter holidays and I really wanted to include them as I could imagine the Insects sitting on the mushrooms playing, or the weird fern creatures living around the place. Maybe they'll turn out like fun additions, or help me make more realistic backgrounds.
I just thought about how the clothing of the characters I made weren't so nature like. I made them out of leaf and flowers where I could for them to fit their place. I did kept some the same, as I involved a city into the map for more wealthy insects:
I think I should look at real textures of leafs and flowers outside right now, and find familiar places like in the map to get more used to it visually.
Here is Vincent starting at the sunset in his field on a bump of dirt that they see as a mountain stage.
I didn't want to rush back into work, so I took the slow approach for my brain to get back on track by just getting a grasp of a possible place on a map. I ended up colouring it and here is the result:
I think I quite got inspired from a visit in kerry, and the view of the mountains there.
Albert is a grumpy mosquito who hates loud noise. Brick is a literal brick, he has the armour of a soldier and loves helping around the field as protection. That's why he is wearing a bulletproof vest.
I ended up not doing these digitally yet, because I want to give other things a try to change up my posts a bit - maybe do a 3D background for this poem? Anyway here are the sketches:
To give Albert the feel he is expressing, I took some element's from these photos:
Charles was a frog character that I created awhile ago, so I tried to base him off the old version. I changed his head to suit my realistic drawings, and changed up his clothing. You will see his old version, then my new sketches and finally digital drawing of him in his colours.
I really had a struggle with the hands on this one.