Introduction to a New Project- Iceland

For the past few weeks, I've been busy finishing and evaluating my 'Edgelands and Ruins' project so haven't had a chance to explain my new project here. After visiting Iceland in October for my 21st birthday I was inspired to do a project on it. I loved the culture and Icelandic history so much that I thought it would be a great foundation for a book project. 

Through my visit, I explored Reykjavik and went on an excursion to The Golden Circle which provided the opportunity to take lots of photos and learn more about the country. It also helped that the tour guide was so animated and talked about Iceland's heritage and folklore from his perspective. While he talked I was noting down all of the stories and myths as I knew it would be good to have as primary research for this project; information that came from an Icelander's perspective rather than relying on internet sources.

One of the main reasons for pursuing this project was the stories I heard about folklore, the Yule Lads and hidden people in particular. Surveys show that about 60% of Iceland believe in Folklore which is apparent when you visit and learn about new roads getting protested or rerouted around supposedly sacred areas. Stories of magic and mythology were what enticed me to this project as I'd love to explore it further through drawings and contextual research. I also want to explore observational drawing more, taking inspiration from my photos and utilising them in the storyboarding process. In time for the final exhibition, I'd love to produce a children's book about an aspect of Iceland; whether it's set in the harbour and more of a realistic account or an imaginative adventure to find the mythical creatures, I want it to incorporate aspects of my experience. 

Reykjavik, Iceland

My main goals for this project are to focus on narrative-based illustrations with characters, to generate story concepts based on my trip and to explore a new theme, developing my ability to incorporate inspiration from real life. I've been focusing more on observational drawings this year as I feel it helps with thinking of compositions and understanding perspective. With this, I plan to draw from photos to help give my project context and links to Iceland's heritage. 

Through research, I found an amazing YouTube channel called IcelandHotSpots which has mostly hour-long videos walking around towns in Iceland. There is no talking but it's amazing for seeing different places I didn't go to. It's also great for observational drawing as you can pause the video at any point to draw a humans perspective of a street or landscape. The tours around Reykjavik (Iceland Walking Tour - Reykjavík [4K], 2020) and Siglufjörður (Iceland Walking Tour - Siglufjörður [4K], 2020) are my favourites as the colourful buildings and harbour are scenes that I want to produce for my book.

All screenshots taken from IcelandHotSpots YouTube video in Siglufjörður  

Project Targets

• Bridge the gap between my observational drawings and character designs. I want to focus on how characters interact within and environment, with the scene showing signs of life. This could be looking at how the weather conditions change the atmosphere and lighting. Or the colour schemes could be influenced by colours found in the harbour, looking at colour palettes from real life. 
• To create a children's book inspired by Iceland and folklore. I would love to have a 42-page book by the end of the project. I feel like this will increase my confidence in creating compositions which will be great for progressing onto the Children's Book Illustration Masters. 
• Progress printmaking skills, do more landscape etchings to figure out lighting and depth. 
• Collate work for the portfolio book, keeping scanning and editing pieces as I go so it doesn't build up. 
• Find out more about Icelandic Folklore through books and research to give the project context. I want the imagery to reflect my experience and the people so this will be important in the thumbnailing process.

References:

2020. Iceland Walking Tour - Reykjavík [4K]. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6V7jc6bXP0&t=1334s> [Accessed 9 February 2022].

2020. Iceland Walking Tour - Siglufjörður [4K]. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1jx_QJulkE&t=496s> [Accessed 10 February 2022].

Youtube.com. 2022. IcelandHotSpots. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbEFnk9DolVMtxE8njwRf5w> [Accessed 10 February 2022].

Ros, B., 2021. I Am Reykjavik. [online] Norse Mythology: The Stories Behind the Icelandic Nature. Available at: <https://www.iamreykjavik.com/icelandic-folklore-stories/amp> [Accessed 10 February 2022].