Tag: writing

I am a texture lover. For those out there that did not follow my old web site, I used to use newspapers to doodle on. Towards the end of my old website I had an impending feeling of doom. What if someone recognises a photo that I do not have rights to modify and upload and comes looking for monies? It never happened, but it was burbling away in the back of my mind. So I stopped doodling on newspapers, and found my work lacking. The main thing missing was that grainy newspaper texture.

I then came across copyright zero images on Unsplash and Pixabay. Print them off in medium to low quality on 80 gsm paper, and like magic, that texture has returned!

Scruffy is Awesome

I am not saying doing a bad job is awesome. Those little imperfections, those grains, the bumps and flecks. They can combine to create something more than a doodle. Intentionally imperfect. That’s the scruffy that’s awesome.

I am not the only texture lover out there. I know DMS at DMStrachan.co.uk is a texture lover too. In a very different way to me and my messy textures, but the way she writes about the feel of the fibres.

It’s a pity you can’t squish this fibre through a monitor, I can’t look at fibre without reaching out to feel the texture of it.

For a worryingly colourful post, and much wool,  artworks and paints, give her a visit and a follow.

http://dmstrachan.co.uk/colour-therapy-with-added-smoosh/

Smoosh aside. There are other texture lovers, that love the look and feel of a textured artwork. Have you been to my Etsy store?

Canvas effect is awesome

My one review remarks that they love the texture of the paper I printed on.

The canvas textured paper is a nice touch.

It’s a canvas effect paper, at 200 gsm, it has a sexy look and feels awesome. Glad the buyer liked it too. I take that as more evidence I am best served warm, with texture.

Now here’s the problem and point of the post. My TellyTube videos. Have you seen them?

The humour and artwork is all very me. Scruffy, kinda, with minimal colour. But in the same breath, it is lacking. The voice is me, daft London accent. The music is kinda goofy. It currently masks background noise I cannot eliminate in my home without a better mic. My voice has enough character to go without music. I hope to deal with that in a few months time.

But the thing that is really missing, is the texture. The visceral feel of every other art work I put there. Canvas or paper. Grainy or clean. It is missing that scruffy edge everything takes on when it has some texturing to it.

TellyTube needs Texture

That pretty much sums it up doesn’t it? My TellyTube needs texture. I have been thinking about this, and there is a few options I can take.

The first would be to take the original art work, and do close ups of each part as it comes up in the spoken word tale. I think that would look and feel jaunty and awful, but it would be textured.

Another alternative is to draw each scene individually. I am not a consistent doodler, even of my own images. That would go over the scruffy edge into sloppy inconsistency.

I can achieve the above effect digitally. Take this as a test card. I would probably run this effect on white paper.

They grey and black background is printed on 80 gsm paper, with Fuen and Yuffie added digitally. Hey I think this is the first appearance of Yuffies actual image on this website!

It looks scruffy, would be more consistent, certainly better than both the other options above. Even with that terrible grey, it looks more ‘Little Fears’ than the super clean format images I currently use in the videos.

The last option is to record the video as me telling the story to the camera. I look as daft as I sound. My facial features and animated movements would make for a great story teller to the camera. My hands and face constantly move in exaggerated ways when I tell these tales to people in person. I get much more in character too. My voice is toned down in the current videos.

Don’t point that camera at me!

The problem there is I really struggle to talk to a camera. I have tried so many times, I just can’t seem to do it. Give me a stage and an audience, and I am up there. You can give me a social group, and I always end up leading the pack. Or a class room of people, and I will be the clown, getting everybody’s focus. But talk to a camera? Holy crap, do I get self conscious.

So how else can I do video of me?

I wonder if a mask would work my head into gear.

Image not of me. 

But that could work. I mean, imagine a fella, sitting on a tree stump, or heck even in an alley way, somewhere odd. With my voice, behind that mask, wearing a shirt, grey wool jacket and jeans. Reading the Little Fears tales from a book. That could work. I would still be animated with the body, it ‘might’ give me the right head for talking to the camera, and a mask like that would fit for tales of whimsy, humour, terror and courgettes.

Where am I?

After all this writing, I still am not sure what I want to do with the videos. I want create them, even for creative sake. I really enjoy making them. They never take long to create. Man, I want to do something else with them though. I need to get some texture in there! I’ll figure it out. If you have any ideas yourself, let me know in comments.

In the mean time, you can check out my current set of video offerings on TellyTube HERE. Also if there are any another texture lovers out there, you can check out my Etsy store, with matte and canvas paper art prints on sale from £12.

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