Publication Log #1 - Pinpointing the Idea

Historically, the thing that I presume always got my publications to tank was the lack of a clear foundation and idea behind them. It was always either too broad that I would be too intimidated to move on from the conceptual stage, or it would be too narrow and I wouldn't have much to work off of in the end, so the publications would end up consisting of nothing but full page illustrations that were sketchy/unfinished, accompanied by a brief "description" on the back cover. These could technically still be counted as publications, but I would like to try and go past that pseudo-publication territory with this project.

By the time of writing this post, I'm nearing my one year anniversary of doing ceramics, and I thought it would be really fun if I could create something that would showcase all that I have learned in this relatively short time. I had been meaning to create a sort of archive/diary of my learning progress since I started working with the medium, but never really got round to it, and I think it makes total sense to do it now at this figurative "first finished lap" mark.

The publication's main purpose is to serve as an introductory handbook for anyone who might find themselves in a position I found myself in last year - eager to hop on the wheel and get some clay work done, but having little to no prior experience. Ceramics, as a medium, is a whole lot to bite off at once; it takes an awful lot of time to really develop an understanding and feel for the various aspects of it, and even then, most of these aspects come with a set of sub-aspects to be taken into account. It's tedious, and, without proper support, the learning curves must be incredibly difficult to navigate. I'm fortunate enough to have had great guidance and support from the very beginning, so another big reason for creating this handbook is also to return the favour and, in a way, give back to the craft itself and the community behind it. 

I've mentioned it briefly in the previous post, but I do think I want to go for the comic-style segments after all. These comic panels would follow a fictional narrative of a group of insects building up a ceramic studio, with each strip/set of panels playing out a sequence that would visualise a selected bit of the information presented in the pages before. Albeit a bit fictionalised, but I'll try my best to keep it somewhat close to shore, haha. The main reason of going down this route is so that the publication can be rich in visuals, however, the other, more selfish reason, is so that I can practice paneling and narrative illustration. My brain for some reason works in a very cinematic way and if I attempt to thumbnail for a comic or anything story-based, I end up creating a lot of "unnecessary frames" that could essentially be cut from the final thing and no one would question it. It's definitely a style and way of working, but I would like to try and get to the point a bit faster; feel free to call me out later on if I end up going back on this "promise".

May be wondering - why insects though? Well, one of my first brushes with anything remotely close to ceramics was when I sculpted a cicada with airdry clay for a university project. I have since gone on to create a collection of characters in the same style and have even had the chance to turn one of them into a "proper" ceramic. (Proper as in made with ceramic clay, bisque and glaze fired, with finishes)

Consider this fella the main character of the handbook as he will be appearing a whole lot! 

In summary, to really pin the idea down - the publication will be a beginner friendly handbook for those starting ceramics. Covering aspects such as material in use, its properties, processing, how to work with it, tools to use, the different stages of the process (preparing, throwing/building, drying, bisque firing, glazing + firing, finishes), potential faults and how to prevent them, etc. Included in the mix will be comic-style segments that will feature topic-relevant scenarios and follow a storyline of a group of insects establishing a ceramic studio. 

Really hope having written this out first-thing will help keep me on track throughout the development of the project. Should consider printing it out and having it ready and available at my work desk, haha. Excited to share more as it comes, stay tuned as we're about to get into illustrating little by little! :)

Also, slight side note - I'm starting a new log series to follow along the development of the publication I intend to work on over the next 6 months (or however long it ends up actually taking). I was deliberating keeping it in the Work Catalog Development series but figured it's probably better off being a standalone one. That way, when I have new and/or unrelated updates in regards to the work catalog, it won't affect or muddy up the flow of that log. This post is the first in the continuity "officially", however when I eventually get down to making a comphrensive timelined archive out of this series, it will be placed second, following the post in which the project was brought up initially.