This Humble Contagion - WIP the last
cut paper / wood on tatami
7 x 10 in• 255 x 180 mm
Here are the last few work-in-progress shots of "This Humble Contagion", not necessarily in order. By this point in the process (of the photo above), I'm entering the home stretch. The background layers are cut out and glued down, as is that wriggly, droopy tree-thing. The conscious larval-pod guy is just laid on top, in case I decide to change something later. Usually, I wouldn't have glued down details like the clouds until nearly the end, but since they have to be layered behind the tree, I took a chance. I think they work out just fine.
The pile of blue-green paper off to the right are some of my choices for the sleeping pod-folk; the last major element to be added to the pic. As a general rule, I like to get as many pieces cut as possible before I glue anything down. That way I can change out anything that isn't working. With every piece tho, you hit a point of critical mass where every time you try to add a new piece to the mix, 5 other pieces go flying out of whack.
Moving backwards in time, I've just finished cutting out the background. Nothing is glued down yet, so please don't sneeze. Or even breath heavy. The tree is waiting patiently for the knife. These photos make my desk look alot nicer and cleaner than it really is...
Below, you can see the tree mid-slice. It's a subtractive process, cutting away the parts that aren't needed in the hope that you end up with interesting shapes. Later, with the gluing it becomes additive, layering everything on top of each other. And to think, I became an artist to avoid math.
You'll notice the lil' strips of paper that are holding the floppier bits together. You might also notice the pieces of tape, which do the same job where I forgot to plan ahead. Next time: the final product.