On why I decided to participate in the contest of BD-FIL 2011, it is just by a fortuitous chance. One of my friends, who enthusiasts for comics, recommended this contest to me. I am not sure how come he has known this contest, and it seems like a local event — I guess the range of participators is not further than Western Europe, refers the past recipients are mostly French and Swiss including only one German and one Spaniard. Such as me, the one who is beyond the other side of the planet, can really win it? I’m not so sure. Whatever, if I truly become a winner, it may be a record. Although I do not speak French well, I still try to do as the maximum possibility.On account of that, there would not be any missed opportunity to me. Exactly, the winners will upon to the subjective opinion, it would tentatively defined as “a half of chance is getting the award, another half is coming to naught”. If I succeed to get the award, the remuneration is not only rewards. So that I will be able to learn to become independent artist with the seniors’ experiences and resources. Therefore, I no longer have to suffer in career, then finally become a salesman or a Pâtissier. (I am not joking)

Let’s return to this piece of comic. It is a story describes an explorer who was looking for treasure of Ondine, but eventually comprehended the really valuable things are in his surrounding. Condensing the story into one page (even it is large as A3) is actually quite challenging. Especially I purchase the nib pens to draw this work. I draw some pictures for test in order to make practiced in these little tool to get started with presence. In conclusion, I create the work from the idea of story to finished work in just two days, following the conception of idea that costs about a month.

The end result seems adequate, that properly fits in with the theme “A world beneath our feet”. And it describes a basic principle: water conservation.

The former work for practice is also portrayed in flowing water. But the story is unreasonable, and the size is too large than the limit relating the rule of BD-FIL. In fact, this manuscript which appears meaningless is quite useful. Because when in painting process, new ideas and imaginative integration always occur me contemporarily. It is exactly “my process of conception”. And it shows the improvement has no miraculous path, but just doing it with endeavour, patience and persistence.

In short, the only creative point in this piece is the “water wizard” in a type of armor which looks like Mega Man, and with a magical surfboard. Perhaps this model is able to re-use next time, but will certainly not in this awkward framework. “Ondine” has at least some sense to make itself illustrate a better story.

Actually, I was very hesitant about being a comic artist. On the one hand, I also want to design illustrations or other things. On the other hand, can it really keep the pot boiling? However, in my current conviction, the real question is “what is the influential ripples in the creations”? The ability of influence should come from the multiple links to the world. What if people don’t only work for the living necessary, but the assistance to others for living in presence? I think if it is true, the world must be more joyful than the common anticipate. Therefore, I keep the pen and brush for the method of living in presence. When I have new works, each friend will become my reader and each reader will become my friend. And I would like to make a remedy to make peoples recover the familiarity with the internal spirit and external earth, then eventually become a joyfully eternal existence. All is start from the moment of one stroke — ultimately, these strokes intertwined to form the unrestrained sky of creativity.

After twenty days, I have finished the first part, which is 21 pages in total, of my Cahier. The picture above the post showed that the progress achieved second part. I’m used to draft a few pages, then finalize the batch of pages. Most of these pages are colored in the recent three days. By calculating, it seems like to finish one page per day — sufficient for progress. Since I am familiar with drawing on the Cahier after attempt in preceding drawing, I would do more difficult handicraft in next pages. Then the whole sketchbook would be more interesting.

I came up with some vagary in the plot of part one. The protagonist felt in a fantasy image, next with becoming “The Calligraphic Knight”, arrived a greek polis. A sage lead him to “deal with a problem” for the square of greatness. The plot is showed in these pages (Here are picture set of part one).

The “Advertisement” of new MacBook Air (?) below of page 19 is just drafted for fun. Actually, the first brand of Apple Inc. exactly featured Isaac Newton under the fabled apple tree. So there is still some association between my creation.

I am skill more in charcoal and pastel, but I do not draw with them frequently because the Moleskine Cahier is too slithery for pastel coloration. Therefore, I began to draw on sketch paper then clip and paste on the sketchbook just as I said before.

There are my all implements in dry drawing:

And I paint watercolor with Winsor & Newton Cotman travel set. It is such handy that doesn’t require any other tools, except for a lump of sponge.

By the way, I received the tour t-shirt on 25 Oct. after Art House Co-op notified me shipped the tour t-shirt on 22 Oct. with email. So much faster than I expected. Perhaps the local post office handled many parcels from Art House Co-op recently, so they are already adept at this.

It looks such pretty good that I can take a little rest for the moment. I have to step up the progress soon for creating with more higher craft.

I have found that the theme which I chose “The Greatest Story Ever Told” may be the most difficult theme. Because the theme could let you elaborate as you free, and you should have so many – many – more many ideas to decide the frame of your story. Of course I said it can be set about describing “telling story”, instead creating a story. However, I merge them together — the story about “the birth of a story”. I think my way is very hard to drive, but I’ll go ahead. Expect for fee when participated, it is an interesting idea that I can’t give it up.

I drew these five pages with blacklead pencils (Faber-Castell 9000), color pencils (Faber-Castell Red Classic), fine lines (Uni Mitsubishi) and soft pastel (Faber-Castell Creative Studio).

And I have found a problem: the leaves of sketchbook are such slithery that I can’t handle traditional technique of sketch well on them. So the five pages actually have buggy effect, except for fine lines. (The sketchbook of Sketchbook Project is not fit for sketching totally! I’m astonished.) I consider that next time I must draw on watercolor paper, then clip and paste on the sketchbook. (Just as Anais Lee doing.)
By the way, Catrain’s work that painted with watercolor displays better effect. So I also consider to use watercolor on some next pages.

The story is ready to begin, just after the title “Imagine the Utopia”. Must express better effect the time.

Just as the picture seems, I also take a part of the year concert of sketchbook by Art House Co-op.

I had known this event through two blogs that separately belong to an art theory teacher, catrain, who loves sketch journaling, and a graphic artist, Anais Lee.

When I entered the Sketchbook Project website, I decide to participate in it on the moment. Because I think that my ability in draw is becoming enough to create something I would like to express; moreover, the event is too interesting for me to ignore it. So I payed USD$65 for a participatory sketchbook (Moleskine Cahier, I selected Navy Blue), Brooklyn Art Library card and Tour T-shirt; furthermore, additional charge USD$10 for shipping.

I send the order on Sep. 24, received notice on 27, and got the materials on Oct. 5. It took about 10-11 days from order to ready materials if you’re not in United State. Originally, I worried much about that the materials may lose on shipping way, fairly it finally arrived home mailbox to cut my fret.

The mailbag is smaller than my image. I put a 16-cm ruler below the bag and it measures about 20 centimeter.

The bag contains just Moleskine Cahier which clips the illustration of Sketchbook Project and Brooklyn Art Library card. The barcode on the card is the ID for certification to visit the Library and sketchbooks, then the back cover of the sketchbook is for filing and checking the works which finished and returned to Art House Co-op.

There is a little folder on reverse side of the back cover. The Moleskine product description is clipped in it. (Business services……? But it may be useless for me that already have two Moleskine notebooks.)
It also fits the illustration paper and card. Such a fine design.

Tour T-shirt hasn’t been send yet. Perhaps it will be sent in November or December.

After received sketchbook, the theme is the first work that have to do. My theme is “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, such a popular theme that it is booked out fast. (I reviewed the participational sheet on Oct. 6, found the themes “The Great Story Ever Told” and “Boy and Girls” were disappeared from the sheet, I considered that they were booked out recently.) I chose the theme, because I always hold ideas about creation, including story. Although I had thought journaling form about “telling story”, I decided to make the form be similar to a picture book. In other words, it will be a total story. Very challenging creation.

I placed the theme with: “The Calligraphic Knight”, which is a story describing the adventure of a knight with a pen for his “weapon”. More accurate saying, the “weapon” is not for battle but solving the problem on adventure with the knight’s strong imagination. I inspired from “Telling Story”, so I decided to describe the skilled behavior of expression for human — calligraphy (including writing and drawing).

I would like to make the art style vivid, childlike, and make the story more philosophic.
Deliberately I drew the title page like the draft of comic creating, as representing “the birth of a story”. The inside story and style has been roughly framed, however I think it should be orientated towards completion slowly in drawing process. Briefly, the process would be “learning by doing”.

If you also like to participate in, enter the site and sign up. The sign up date by October 31, 2010, the present participaters must postmark done sketchbook by January 15, 2011. And the exhibition tour starts from February 19, from Brooklyn Art Library.

After successfully finish the participation, I would like to go to Brooklyn — to see the works from all around the world. I’m looking forward to it very much.

My creating course will be available on flickr, and deviantART, my main gallery for artworks. And I will also express the course with descriptive posts here.

本圖參加台灣好生活電子報的「台灣公平正義標誌」徵圖活動。

　　《為什麼設計。》是分別居於歐亞兩地的日本設計師的對話紀錄，內容完全為語錄記事，從「設計」這個領域延伸出各方面的話題，但總不脫設計與人的關聯。

　　此書可以說是以設計師的眼光觀察世界萬象的入門書，也許不會很有效的增進自己的創造力，但仍然能啟發思考設計的根本，且開始學習讓設計思想融入日常生活。
　　首先要了解的思考是，「設計」並不只是「創造事物」而已，儘管創造有趣事物也是設計師的重要任務之一。設計是「本質」的思考，並不是「物」，而是「事」。如環境方面的思考、文化方面的思考、感官方面的思考都是在「事」上面。藉由設計「事」的基礎再創造出物品的形體。

　　設計「事」的方法，有如從原本代表已知的資訊轉換成能吸引求知慾的「EX-Formation」，或是將「皺」從原本「老舊、磨損」的負面意象轉換成「成熟、舒適」的正面意象，再基於此創造形體，例如有皺摺的抱枕。設計的「事」換句話說，就是概念，概念則是創造物品所需要的根本。

　　設計是創造生活文化。因此設計並不能從唯物的角度來看，而是表現它和生活環境下的變化。生活文化可以說是累進的智慧，這樣累進的智慧其實是目前的新設計最大的影響力。從「感覺的人」的文化對談，可以發現思想逐漸加深，從文化的表面形式看到背後的思想以及歷史傳承。為何歐洲給人「古典」的印象，是歐洲人對於新事物習慣緩慢去接受它，而背後又可以了解因為人們的生活文化都是受長輩的薰陶。在小時就植下濃厚的文化種子，要去改變自然就比較難了。相反的，變化較頻繁的社會比較追求現代與進步，因為這是新生文化最能努力的方向。沒有絕對的優劣之分，重點是如何容納之間的差異，讓不同文化背景的人們都能「自由的感覺」。

　　Masstive Change 是由 Bruce Mau 所提出的概念。表示設計是可以活用於社會與環境之外的。網站上的說明道明他的概念：

The Massive Change Project explores the legacy and potential, the promise and power of design in improving the welfare of humanity.

Massive Change 計畫探討傳統及潛力，設計用於提昇人類福祉的承諾及力量。

　　拓展感覺地圖是促進幸福的一種方式。這並不是一般所理解的「設計」的範圍，但廣泛而言，設計其實就是看待物品與環境的哲學，跳脫傳統美學的框架，包括對社會人文的關懷。故此書會以談論文化為主幹其實是非常切合的，因為「文化已經包含在設計之中」。雖然這觀念可能不是放諸四海皆準，但設計背後的文化思想確實已經得到相當的重視。

　　對於「設計」的意義，這本書沒有給出具體的解答，而是各種探討問題的線索，以及思考的概念。提出概念能吸引有興趣的人們思考問題，並加入對話之中。

越是有更多人提出讓腦部運轉的疑問，世界就會自我組織，朝向美好的方向前進。設計是能讓人思考這些問題的強大動力，它最初就建立在現今世界所渴求的理性之上，以及能創造出維持世界均衡結構的視點上。
—— 〈設計的潮流，影響世界的「經濟」之後所面臨的問題〉

　　此書表面上是關於設計的對話集，實際上也是思考「設計」的指引。隨時琢磨感覺，並用心體驗物件，就能開始將設計思想融入自己的日常生活。總而言之，兩位設計師在歐亞兩地的對話，雖然看似平凡，但內蘊的思想卻很吸引人，令讀者也自然而然地思考「設計」。讓大家一起思考設計就是此書的本意，也是大善之處。

　　Moleskine 這家義大利公司，就像 Rolls-Royce 之於引擎，是筆記本中的超級名牌（甚至有醞釀成「傳奇」的實力）。相信也是多數手繪或紀錄愛好者的首選筆記本。在 2010 年新推出¹的 Moleskine Passions 系列根據功能分成食譜、紅酒（這兩本排在最前面，果然是義大利的作風）、書籍、電影、音樂、健身六種。主題式分類的功能，可以根據不同的活動攜帶不同的筆記本，如去書店帶 Books Journal、觀看影片帶 Flims Journal、烹飪帶 Recipe Journal，而去歐式的餐廳（通常會提供酒類）則帶 Recipe 及 Wine 兩本。Moleskine 特別推出 Moleskine Passions Exhibition: “Share the loves of your life” 計畫，整理後精選作品展示。
　　但這還沒完。Book Journal 又推出加碼試用的計畫：跟知名的書籍社群網站 aNobii 合作，不過只提供內頁格式。參加方式是：

加入此群組，下載以下的壓縮檔，印出裏面的 Moleskine 閱讀日誌，利用它寫下一篇讀書心得或感想，然後把它電郵到 contact@anobii.com 或寄到 …… 便有機會得到一本 Moleskine Passions 系列閱讀日誌，參與【Moleskine Passions 分享生活中的最愛】展覽，於 Page One 書店與大眾分享閱讀樂趣。

　　由此可見，是要將閱讀日誌的內頁印出來，寫滿它（至少我是忠實地寫滿了），然後掃描寄到 aNobii 的服務信箱（為何不用負責人的專屬信箱？），或是整張紙本寄到香港（Molskine 的香港代理商 Working Unit Ltd.）。

　　內頁（可參考 PDF 檔）的格式特地做得和 aNobii 相近，除了基本的書名、作者、閱讀日期、初版（原版剛問世）年份、既版（就是自己手上讀的版本）年份、出版單位等內容之外，摘句、筆記及評論簡直是為 aNobii 量身打造的。

　　這應該是經過特意設計的，因為一般人不會邊閱讀邊用電腦紀錄閱讀（絕對會分心，但這事我做過不少次），但書旁邊放筆記本紀錄反而可以更專心於書頁。Book Journal 以明晰的框架提供讀者隨時隨地寫下即時的摘錄及感想，到準備好時，就能到電腦前面整理並在 aNobii 或 Blog 分享，能有效避免了意念流失和記錄閱讀歴程的熱情冷卻。經過自己的測試後，證實這種筆記比較適用於閱讀中的書，已經讀完的書反而比較沒有紀錄的熱情。因為我在上面紀錄的兩本書：《緩慢的人》及《為什麼設計》分別是讀完幾天和正在閱讀中的，書寫後者的筆記時更有紀錄的熱情，且紀錄的熱情可以讓閱讀的速度更快，所以藉著這次的紀錄，一口氣讀完了《為什麼設計》，也驚嘆於 Book Journal 的強大能力。

　　相信 Moleskine Passions 一系列 Journal 能更有力地喚醒「手的感覺」。用手永遠最快，最直接，即使是評論寫到一半要畫圖解，只要換隻筆就可以立刻上手了。以之前的產品來說，厚頁的 Moleskine 繪畫冊如果當作旅遊日誌，可以利用鉛筆或水彩來紀錄旅途風景，讓日誌更加豐富多彩。不過今後確實要多練習繪畫和書寫的技巧，才能做出快速又精細的寫生記事了。

　　這一頁已經掃描寄出去了，希望可以得到一本 Book Journal 和作品被展示的機會。不過我想在得獎之前我早就迫不及待地買一本回去了。

　　《Objectified》是由 Gary Hustwit 繼《Helvetica》之後所執導的設計紀錄片。相比於上作過度營造愉悅感的毛病（雖然本意是想表達 Helvetica 的使用廣泛），《Objectified》 經由採訪設計師來表達工業設計的思考方式，也讓普羅大眾了解看似既定的物品外型皆有所來自。一般人能從這部紀錄片設計師得知設計師是如何想；學習設計的人則能從這部紀錄片重新思考設計的意義，且不忘學習的熱情。《Objectified》表達出的設計思想簡明易懂，意涵卻深刻，是相當值得一看的紀錄片。

　　主導影片過程的皆是世上知名、最有影響力的設計師。影片鋪陳非常順暢，在帶領大家觀看產品的設計過程的同時，也表達工業設計可循的概念。

　　影片另外指出的一點是人與物件的關係。人們會從外觀上的形式看待身邊的物品，設計師依籍此點作出實用或造型出色的產品。不過設計不僅是讓使用者有愉悅感而已。Dieter Rams 將設計和園藝相比，表示靜下心透徹物品質感的禪性；而 Smart Design 提供的手柄的故事則表示從生活中發現解決問題之道的智性。設計並不和社會脫節，相對的，他們最應該了解這個所處的社會與生活環境，方能成就恰當的設計。相比以前設計是重視功能，現在的產品設計重視美感與實用並重，且好的設計會使產品加值。重視設計的產品通常會高價，因為設計是產品的實力，這種實力會讓顧客願意付出更高的價格。更高明的方式則是作最貼近人的習慣的方式，如人對於筆的習慣是提起寫字，對行李的習慣是將它放在地上，片中±0 的「鞋底包」的設計正是這種習慣的反應。

　　設計與人的關係，從《物裡學》這本書可以看出端倪。設計之所以簡練就在於其他的意義是由使用者去賦予的。例如用作清潔用途的掃帚，在兒童看來可以作為像長矛那樣的「玩具武器」，一切源於自由發揮，沒有誰對誰錯。如果設計中有太突兀的細節，反而令人反感。如椅子一般來說是不必有五隻腳的。如同作曲一樣，設計師通常貫徹「簡潔不需多餘」的精神，包括概念上。因為設計不和社會脫節，所以影片中特別強調「設計民主化」（聲稱設計的「主權」應該回歸大眾）就是個多餘、不需被提出的概念。但也非一味追求簡潔，增加一點有趣的小細節有時是跟客戶的感情交流。設計提供好的體驗，而人付出感情，是互動的關係。片中提到的 Macintosh 就是接觸即可感受到設計的範例。

　　片中看設計的方面是相當多的。純粹的美學、設計與人的關係、設計的影響力及設計如何友善環境等主要方面都有顧及。放在最後的可以說是最好的片段，言曰最初始的設計——發想創意。因為物品的價值及既有的概念並非永久保持，美觀、功能的設計雖然也很重要，但比起概念是為其次。設計新的材料甚至新的概念是重要的，片中的範例是討論口腔護理除了牙刷還有什麼其他的東西，嘗試設計概念比單純設計物品更容易有新創意，就像為戲劇寫腳本一樣。精準而言即「為思考而設計」，將設計作為思考及解決重要問題的媒介，真正愛好設計皆會習慣這麼作，設計不僅是提供生產，也提供更多有意思的概念。

　　隨著資訊的傳通，設計對大眾不再遙遠，人人都可以透過創意從周圍的物件開始打造心靈圖象。而世人對於物件的情感與意象很多方面都是相通的，這些面向正是世界的一個主要成份。《Objectified》以工業設計作開頭卻以人與物的關係作結就是想表達這個觀念。這部片除了帶領大家了解設計師如何觀看事物，更引人思想自身與物件的關係。「人人都是設計師」是現在很熱門的概念，只要願意發想創意，也能跨越傳統設計的技術藩籬，創造自己的個人風格。因此與其說像《Objectified》是讓設計的觀念普及，不如說是張開雙臂，宣言：「觀眾們，你也可以跟設計對話」。確實，設計師已經不是以前工業生產的幕後人士，他們正透過各種充滿特色的設計在和眾人進行創意回響。