To start out with when I was studying Illustration several years ago the course I was on was heavily graphic design based, I initially wanted to work in paint and Photography just to be doing something a little different. I had all these great ideas in my head of what I wanted to achieve with my work and what I wanted the final piece of work to look like and what actually came out at the end resembled nothing of what I had originally intended. I felt like I wanted more control over the work I was producing at the time. From this I started experimenting in the Darkroom I really had no idea what I was doing, overexposing 3d objects on photo paper etc just experimenting really and steadily learning more about photography/lighting etc. Then the sculpture aspect came into play, along with that and the photography just clicked for me I guess.
Initially I was a huge fan of the work of Henry Moore I used to go to the Yorkshire Sculpture Garden quite a bit that contains a lot of his work , I thought ’I want to do that ’ ( but smaller, less highbrow and not in a muddy field). Looking at his work along with Illustrators such as Dave Mckean and Jordin Isip helped shape the way I work today.
Sketch, ball of clay or Polymer or Placticine for animation, model, dry, photograph, Photoshop- in that order. Although I have just began working using 3D Software such as Zbrush & Mudbox which I have found to be really interesting and gives some fantastic results. The sculptures I produce in clay are modelled in detail only on the side that is being photographed they are never a ‘complete sculpture’ and often get thrown away when I am finished.
The photography aspect in many ways I feel is just as important as the sculpture aspect especially if the work is in an Illustrative context .I feel that sometimes a camera really distorts the 3d objects hence having to take hundreds of photos with different lighting settings till I get the right one. Other than that it is a very enjoyable way to work in a style that really not too many illustrators are doing right now.
Check out Andy's stop-motion music video for the band Woven!
Andy Hixon
www.andyhixon.com
www.andyhixon.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/andyhixonart
images and content © Andy Hixon
