Projected Projects > "The Black Book"

I've finally begun working on my Dream Journal. I've taken my trusty Moleskine along with me during my last three visits to Starbucks to work on it. I actually spent some time with it tonight, and I have to say that I'm incredibly shocked by how well things are coming along.

All along my fear about working in The Black Book was centered around adapting to a new medium. As I've mentioned before, this will mark the first time when I've made a concerted effort to work with color; colored pencils. I figured it would be a disaster compared to working with my trusty Bic pen. While working with the pencils is definitely new and different... it feels surprisingly natural. I'm very happy with the way things are coming along. In some ways I feel as though I'm capturing more of what's going on in my head, on paper, than I ever have before. It's pretty wild.

I never mentioned it before, but at the same time that I had formulated the "concept" for The Black Book , I was also turned onto the concept behind Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams". His Dreams was basically the cinematic version of my Dream Journal, an interpretation of personal dreams translated to film. At the time, I had no reference for a Kurosawa film in color. For me, his work existed only in black & white. The concept and the change in medium totally blew me away. It was very serendipitous. For me, it was a sign that I was on the right track. I needn't fear moving into the colorscape when all I had ever known was working in black & white. Evidently I was right. ;)

I make it a point to work with the most meager of tools. In my mind, that really makes the work pop... rather than the medium. As I've mentioned I customarily use a Bic Crystal ball point pen in my normal work, so I thought the best route for my colored pencil endeavor was to go with the old-school Crayola 12-set ("Preferred by Teachers"). :P They work really well on the Moleskine... though I'm sure that has more to do with the book than the pencils. :P Anyway, I'm enjoying the whole process... it's very new. Having to sharpen your tool is pretty wild... as is the idea that it wastes away in the process of creating. That makes a pretty powerful impact, somewhere deep down, on my mind. Best of all, unlike ink, the pencils don't smudge or smear. *happy dance* :P Yes... it's all working out quite well. :D

I never show sneak peeks of work that's in progress so I won't show you what I've been able to do so far, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you're not, at least I was. :P ;)

DS333, plugging away.