FECUNIDTY TITLE SEQUENCE
Annie Dillard's "Fecundity" reflects nature’s boundless fertility, where life perpetually creates and destroys itself. Combining the technique of cyanotype printing with digital editing, this title sequence portrays the duality of nature, both enchanting and unsettling.
CYANOTYPE PRINT x DIGITAL MEDIA
Cyanotype is a printmaking technique that creates blue images, reminiscent of MRI scans. It echoes the idea of revealing the hidden, unsettling intricacies of life — often unseen or difficult to comprehend. I combined traditional cyanotype with digital manipulation for this project, merging the strengths of both mediums.
DESIGN BOARDS
PROCESS MAP
01
Design compositions in Photoshop
02
Cyanotype printing
03
04
Motion test
Combining digital and cyanotype
01. Digital Composition
I collected and photographed plants as design assets. Through color adjustment, blend modes, blur effects, noise, I mimicked a cyanotype look and built out all the design compositions in Photoshop to get a general idea of how it will turn out.
Collected plants that have interesting forms or intricate details
Photoshopped frames to figure out composition
02 Cyanotype Printing Steps
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a. firstly, invert compositions and print out on regular paper
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b. apply cooking oil to printed paper to create transparent film negative
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c. applying cyanotype solution to bristol paper
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d. place film negative on chemical soaked paper, put under UV exposure for 20 mins.
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e. lastly, promptly rinse paper after UV exposure, let it dry
03. Combining print and digital
Result Analysis
The soft edges and faded colors of cyanotype print created a nostalgic look. Although I like the texture but it lacks the discomfort feeling this title sequence aims to deliver. Hence I decided to combine both the digital version and the cyanotype to create a look that captures both the beauty and strangeness of nature.
Digital
The rich saturated colors looks great but the texture looks unnatural and feels alien
Cyanotype
The cyanotype has beautiful textures but the fading and soft edge makes it look nostalgic and that is not the right tone for the project
Digital + Cyanotype
Combined both preserves the rich hues of the digital version and the textures of the cyanotype, overall enhancing the look
04. Motion Test
Did a short motion test in after effects to see the overall animation, definitelya project I will hop back on and finish the rest of the frames.