Written Proposal

Here's my written proposal that I am going to hand in to my tutors.

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT WRITTEN PROPOSAL

ALIX DE COURCY

I have chosen to look at Serial Killers as my chosen topic. This is because I originally wanted to do a manmade disaster such as a plane crash due to a book I enjoyed creating in Second year on a sinking ship. However, after looking into plane crashes, train crashes etc. I felt it would be a bit repetitive and easy to create another book on a similar topic. I enjoyed another project at the beginning of second year called ‘fairytale and folklore’ which we had to use symbolic imagery to illustrate the short story we had chosen. I chose Bluebeard, which is a story about a man who murders his wives but ultimately is killed himself. This gave me the idea to combine the two, man made disaster and a murderer – Serial Killer.

After research, I have chosen to illustrate John Christie who was a serial killer in the 1940s until the early 1950s, when he was hung. He killed a total of 8 women. This particular case stuck out to me as there is great controversy surrounding it. This is because an innocent man, Timothy Evans, was hung for the murders of his wife and baby daughter, due to poor police procedures and forged confessions. Christie was a witness at his trial, and gave fake testimony knowing that he was the one who had actually committed these murders.

I feel this story has several angles in which I can illustrate, which are – The character of John Christie, The hanging of Timothy Evans, and the victims. I would like to illustrate each in a different way;

1.     The character of John Christie – 3 Symbolic images of three stages in Christies’ life; his early life; his time as an active serial killer; and his arrest and conviction. I will use a reverse symbolism dictionary to find symbolic images which illustrate his personality and life events to bring together in three separate prints. I would like to try and print one of these on old wooden floorboards as he would sometimes hide his victims under the floor.

2.     The hanging of Timothy Evans – I would like to create an A3 concertina book named ‘The Misfortunate Events of Timothy Evans’. This will have mainly images with small bits of text explaining what happened. I have found a folk song about Timothy Evans by Ewan Macoll called ‘Go Down ye Murderers’, so I may use this as the text throughout the book.

3.     The Victims – I would like to create a chest filled with different objects and illustrations for each victim. A closed chest symbolizes secrets, so when the box is closed, the secrets are hidden until you open it when all is revealed, much like how it happened it real life. I want to try doing some 3D work for this. Also, a chest may be difficult to get hold of in which case, perhaps a big box, or something similar.

Timetable for FMP

Throughout the project, I will update my blog 2 or 3 times a week. I will also continually research into different typefaces and ways of creating text as well as images from 1940s and 50s, and artists to inspire me.

WEEK STARTING	PLAN FOR WEEK
27-01-14	Research into what topic to choose and illustrate. Choose subject and research further. Choose how to illustrate topic.
03-02-14	Start to consolidate research into different areas of interest. Visit to London. Research symbolic images for John Christie images and start initial sketches.
10-02-14	Choose several initial sketches to develop further. Start Timothy Evans book by choosing what text to use and separating the events leading to his death into different possible illustrations in order of timeline.
17-02-14	Start to draw developed sketches of Christie at the correct scale and develop further. Start to draw initial sketches for the book of Timothy Evans. Choose what text to use. Play with layout of text and image.
24-02-14	Finish image and layout of three Christie images. Start to create screen printing traces of each individual coloured layer. Scan into the computer to bring together on photoshop to ensure the layers work and experiment with colour. Start to create a mock A3 concertina book putting illustrations and text in the right order, ensuring the images work together. Also to help me decide how I am going to create the final images, text and book.
03-03-14	Fix any errors discovered on screen traces, change anything which doesn’t work as well as originally thought. Scan back into potoshop to see if it works better. Start making lino cuts, images for book. Start research into the different victims.
10-03-14	Create the final screen traces, create screen of one image. Print on different papers, and textures, using different colours, create as many different outcomes as possible to choose best print as final. Carry on creating and developing images for book. Start to write information found about victims and thinking about how to illustrate each victim.
17-03-14	Create screen of second image. Print on different papers, and textures, using different colours, create as many different outcomes as possible to choose best print as final. Carry on creating and developing images for book. Start initial sketches for each victim.
24-03-14	Create screen of third image. Print on different papers, and textures, using different colours, create as many different outcomes as possible to choose best print as final. Carry on creating and developing images for book. Develop sketches and ideas for each victim.
31-03-14	If any images for book are ready to print, print them. Carry on creating and developing the rest of images for book. Start creating developed drafts of objects and illustrations for victims.
07-04-14 (Easter)	Look at screenprinted images for Christie and ensure I am happy with all three. If not, get a new screen tracing ready for return to studios. If managed to print any book prints, look at them and see if any changes need to be made. If changes are to be made, get them ready for return to studios. Carry on creating and developing images for the rest of the book.
14-04-14 (Easter)	Start making the images, items, 3D models for each victim. Look for some kind of container to keep them all in once made. Get the rest of the book images ready to finish once back at studios.
21-04-14 (Easter)	Carry on making the images, items, 3D models for each victim. Get as much as possible done at home before return to studio. Fully prepare for final push to the finish.
28-04-14	Re-print anything which was changed over the holidays. Start printing book illustrations ensuring enough space is around each print to make the finished book. Carry on making victim illustrations.
05-05-14	Finish Presentation Document and make sure I’m happy with how it’s written, the layout and appearance of it. Finish off printing book images, look through all of them, and make any changes if necessary. Carry on making victim illustrations.
12-05-14	Start choosing the best prints of book and making the finished book. Create hard book ends and screen print a front page and back page. Start finishing off victim illustrations.
19-05-14	Bring everything together and tie up and loose ends. Think about how to display the victim illustrations in chest-box. Choose finished prints for Christie. Ensure book it put together securely and neatly. Gather sketch book work together. Hand it all in!