Finished Final Project

The first few pop-ups were added in the image below. That was the relatively easy part. But from here on out, every pop-up following also had to work off of these foot prints. The pieces have to be parallel to each other as well as have a stand and supporting piece, if they build off one another. 

The finished project is shown in the images below. I had some difficulties getting the final images to work in an arrangement that functionally worked as a pop-up book. After lots of trial and error, I finally finished. 

I don't think this is going to be my last pop-up book. Even though the process is extremely frustrating, I seem to enjoy making these. 

I chose a simple cover. I decided to use extra pieces from the foliage images. I think this is simple enough for a cover, but also gives a hint as to what the content contains.

Self-Evaluation

After completing this project, I experienced first hand the difficulties associated with paper engineering. It is however very rewarding to finish a project of this difficulty. Seeing the images come to life every time the book is opened is satisfying. I think the strengths of my project include the brightness of the photographs I used. Also the unity they have even though they all weren't taken from the same location (Mexico & Michigan). A weakness my project exhibits are the traces of glue marks left on some of the images and the use of two different types of photo paper. My further direction on future projects of this nature will include trying to create an environment like the one above as well as experimenting with different filters and edits I can create within Photoshop. 

Final Project Beginning Stages

To begin, I found images that worked well with each other. A couple images are from Mackinaw Island in Michigan, and a few were taken in Cozumel, Mexico. I then began editing each photo and brought out the natural landscape colors. I added more contrast and vibrance to really make the photos pop. I then had to flip each photo across the horizontal axis. After printing each photo out I glued the original photo to the back of the newly flipped photo. This step was necessary because I wanted the book to be viewed at all angles. And without creating a backing for each photo- the back of each image would be white paper.

I then took cardboard and wrapped it in brown paper. I chose brown because of it's natural look and goes along with the overall theme of the images. After creating the book platform, I glued the background image on with PVA book binding glue. I then began creating a maquette book to show how the book will function and work out any problems before beginning on the final piece.

Final Project Inspiration

For the final project I was inspired by artist Colette Fu and her pop-up books. Colette has many skills up her sleeve including photography and college. She received her MFA in Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. She began dissecting pop-up books soon after graduation and since then it has been her go-to medium. She has created award winning stop motion animation commercials featuring her books, as well as freelance work for Vogue China, Canon Asia, and Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. She currently teaches pop-up book courses and community workshops at various art centers, universities, and institutions nationally. 

Pop-up books have been around for thousands of years. It is thought that first ever pop-up book was created in 1306. This book contained information about astrology. Throughout centuries pop-up books have been used to teach anatomy and astrology, as well as creating a secret code and telling fortunes. It wasn't until the 18th century that pop-up books began being designed for entertainment purposes, such as children's books. 

To make this project work for my digital imaging class, I will be editing the photos in Photoshop. Changing their color levels as well as the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels. I was inspired mostly by her project titled, "Bamei, Cave in the Forest." 

Illustrator Drawing

This is my first time using Illustrator. I created a figure drawing using the paintbrush tools. I am pleased with it and seem to like the program so far.