EvaluationImage Construction-To create most of my images, I drew them out, scanned them into the computer and edited them on photoshop. When drawing out my images I drew each image in small sections, this enabled me to manipulate them easily on photoshop. Although, because I changed some of my design ideas, I had to create images on photoshop using the polygonal lasso tool(1). I think using the Polygonal lasso tool was more effective than drawing my images out as it made a much darker line, it got rid of the issue of having to delete all the white from the Paper, and it also meant I could also mess around with the outline of the image to make it as large, small or messy as I needed it to be. When I created my outlines with the polygonal lasso tool I made sure they were as messy and thin lines as possible to make them look more hand drawn. A lot of my images I have used look scribbled and rough, with different thickness’ through the lines to make it seem more confused. Instead of using a block colour, I used patterns and textures(2) for my images to create a collage type of effect. I think this was fairly effective as it was more interesting to look at than just a block colour, and also added a more surreal vibe to the story. The downside to using this technique is that it can over crowd the image, making it look too messy. I think I managed to control the over crowded look however by using sticking to similar colours. Where using a pattern or a texture was most effective was in the text boxes. For these I used tea stained paper(3). This pattern doesn’t look too fussy to draw attention away from the text, but it still gives my text boxes a more interesting, old and worn look.

1

2

3

Production Processes- My first step in the production process was to draw out all my designs. I tried to split up allmy images in to as many little bits as possible to allow me to play around with them as much as I could on photoshop. I scanned these into the computer and edited them on photoshop first.Then I needed to take pictures of different patterns and textures to create the collage effect. I ended up only using about half of my own images, some of the images I used I got from google. I had to cut out all of my drawings from their backgrounds, and cut out all of the images I took myself and from google for the textures and colours using the polygonal lasso tool. I then put together my drawings and my images to create almost finished images. I realized when I arranged my collage fully that the outlines from my drawings where too light, and there was too much white still, so I used the polygonal lasso tool to create a messy black outline over my drawings. I also used this black outline on the boarders around each segment of the story as well as around the drawings. I then needed to create my text boxes. I took some photographs of tea stained paper and cut it down to the size and shape I wanted it using the polygonal lasso tool. I then added a boarder using the polygonal lasso tool again, just like I had done with my drawings and with each section on the story. Again, I made the boarder as messy and erratic as possible, but still tried to keep the line thin. I then wrote all of my text in. As I didn’t initially create all of my images straight onto the story board, I added them on and arranged them correctly.

Anchorage-Throughout my story, right up until the last two pages, text has been used to simply describe exactly what is happening in the image next to it. Then in the last image on page 5 with the hill opening and the fairies flying around, there is no text to go with it. Page 6 is all text which describes the process of the hill opening in detail, so it is as if we skip a bit with page 5 and jump back to it on page 6. I could have put the page of text before that final image, but I thought it would be effective if I decided to follow on from the story in another issue, it would flow nicely just carrying on from exactly where it left off with the text.

Signification-On the front cover I have used an image of a gold chestnut incased in its spiky shell(4). This image of the opening chestnut itself was used to represent the opening of the hill at the end. The colour gold used for the chestnut was also used to help represent that scene. The reason I chose a chestnut was because in the full story Kate cracks nuts with the prince when he is well, as well as the fact the story is called “Kate Crackernuts”. I chose black and gold for the colours of the chestnut to reflect how surreal the story is. The gold I used was taken from an image of some thin gold sheet to fit in with the collage style running through my story.

On my first page the text I have used seems to reflect how normal things are at that time(5). Each line is in line with the next and I have used full stops and capital letters in the correct places. Then when I move onto page two there are random capital letters and random punctuation(6). This is to represent everything beginning to change and go strange. Another technique I have used to show things being strange is through the distortion on my images. On page 1 I have an image of a clock facing forward looking normal(7). Then on page two I have a larger image of the same clock at a tilted angle, and looking slightly distorted(8). On my first page I have also used colour to show the difference in class. Kate is dressed in a dark brown that blends into the wall(9), where as the prince is in bed under gold and red coloured sheets(10). Although Kate comes from a Queen, she ran away with Anne away from that life. She also isn’t addressed with a royal title like Princess, it is just Kate. As the dress blends in with the wall, it shows how she is owned by the Princes family as she is only getting money and shelter from them, so she may as well be one of their possessions, like the wall in the Prince’s room. In comparison, the gold in the sheets shows how rich the Prince must be.

On page 5 of my story I have used many different bright colours such as a colourful starry sky and colourful planets, a bright green grass hill pink dresses for the fairies and gold inside the hill(11). The vibrant colours are used to reflect excitement of the Prince and Kate, but also the fairies attending the party inside the hill. It also reflects the anti realism of the situation, where the Prince asks the hill to open, and it does. I could compare this to at the start of the story when they are in the Prince’s castle, where all the colours are dull to show how boring it was(12).Another technique I have used to reflect the anti realism is through shape. I have created images of planets and stars to go over my realistic night sky image(13). All of the planets and stars are a lot larger than in real life, making it look even more unusual.

My final page is majority text. The text is quite sparsely laid out(14). The placing of all my text on this page allows the reader to slow down their reading, showing that the story is coming to a stop. I have used an image of a drum being hit to tie in with the story(15). Though in this image I haven’t used too much of a collage effect with only a splash of colour, also showing that the story is fading out. I used a gold splash on the point where the drum stick hits the drum to reflect the colour from inside the hill, and the splash to show that the music is really loud and alive.

I have repeated the colour gold throughout the story to show wealth, vibrancy and decadence. In the story Kate is also told she can have silver, then gold if she stays up and looks after the Prince while he is sick.

4

5

6

7

8

9

1011

12

13

14

15

Representation-The story I have chosen represents women as being brave. In the full story the narrator calls Kate “a brave girl”. The full story also shows her performing brave acts such as running away with Anne to get her help for her disfigured face, and taking care of the Prince even though she is told of the fate of many who have. It also shows that in folk and fairy tales, women don’t have to be just Princesses. Despite Kates background, she is still just called Kate.

Historical and Cultural Context- The story of Kate Crackernuts itself seems like a fairly new concept due to the gender role swap, when in fact it was created in 1889. I have looked at the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, written in 1812, following a very similar concept to Kate Crackernuts. The story is of twelve princesses who all go to sleep and wake up each morning with their dancing shoes looking worn as though they had been dancing all night. Though in this story it is a man who is to find out why each girls shoes seem worn. The story is much more classic to its time, where the gender roles are very stereotypical and the father gives away the daughter to any man who proves himself and helps him solve the mystery. Where as in Kate Crackernuts, the father of the Prince asks the Princess for help, and Kate is the one being described as brave, which is more stereotypical of male characters.