Literature

Apart from doing some practical work for my Crit week presentation I have been spending increasing amounts of time reading books and trying to understand not only how to structure my honours year project but also all the rest of relevant information that I need to learn/understand to be able to complete my work.


As mentioned  in my previous blog post (week 5), more than two weeks ago I have started looking in to some literature that would help me in dealing with research proposal and my project in general. Punch, K. P.  book 'Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches'* looked like a good start.(recommended by Robin Sloan)

Since my project is very art concerned there was not as much relevant information as I have hoped, however it was handy in finding out what are good research questions, what is a 'case study' and general advice on writing research proposal and finally dissertation.

Since I'm considering on using a case study of game 'Braid' I need to have an understanding how useful it would be and how I can structure it. At the moment however, I am not sure under which type (general overview, instrumental case or collective case) my own study will go under. It seems I would be looking to find out information that is covered  by each one of them.

* Punch, K. P. 1998. Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage.


Some of the other books that I've been looking at recently are:


Bentkowska-Kafel, A., Cashen, T. and Gardiner, H. 2009. Digital Visual Culture: Theory and Practice. Bristol: Intellect

Book contains a number of essays from different artist who create digital art. It analyses theory and practice relationship across technology and digital media and what is involved in creation of new media artworks. It also points out the impact of technological advances on new visual art and artistic practices that are developing as a result: interactive art and videogames as part of the new digital culture.

Gray, C. and Malins, J. 2004. Vizualizing Research: A Guide to the Research Process in Art and Design. Aldershot: Ashgate

I have read and used this book last year for one of my modules but decided to have a second look this year as well in a hope that it will help me to understand and structure my own honours year project. This book covers such topics as project development and implementation for art and design. Although it is primarily aimed at masters and PhD students it does have a lot of useful information even for undergraduate studies. Explanations given about research processes in general and how they can be applied and used for practice-based approaches. I think it is a really good book not only to help evaluate and ground ones project and ideas within appropriate context but also to set one on the right path on how to approach and structure/plan the whole project.



Kirkpatrick, G. 2011. Aesthetic theory and the video game. Manchester : Manchester University Press.

Author sees videogames as a part of popular cultural form and claims that they offer aesthetic experiences to the players. Similar to G. Tavinor, he employs aesthetic theories and draws parallels between videogames and painting, music and dance but at the same time acknowledges that videogames are neither of them but a combination of all. Thefore, it is one of the defining properties of the videogame and must be judged differently: as its own medium. G. Kirkpatric dedicates most of his attention in this book to the gameplay which dictates rhythms which influence players in a number of ways.

Laughey, D. 2007. Key Themes in Media Theory. Maidenhead ; New York: Open University Press

Since it was on a recommended list for this year’s read I was really expecting more out of it. It was an interesting read in general and I do not regret having read it, however there was hardly any really useful information that I could apply to my project. Chapter 8 Postmodernity and the information society provided information on the whole postmodernity movement and added some overall understanding on how my  project fits within the media theory however I feel I am already past that stage and what I am looking for now is how I can narrow down on what I want to achieve and find supporting literature.



Tavinor, G. 2009. The art of videogames. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

In his book author talks about how videogames can be considered as being art. He takes philosophical theories of traditional art (especially cluster theory)and applies them to video games and their development. Explores how current technical and artistic sophistication affects game development and how a player perceives it. These are the questions that author addresses in his book:
'How does a videogames art sit in the respect area forms of art?
How does the digital medium of videogames have an effect on visual art?
How do videogames appealed to the player’s emotions?
What is the locus of artistic interest in games, and how does this differ from other traditional forms of art?
Finally, Is videogame genuinely art?'

Tavinor sees graphical representation in current videogames as one of the most important aesthetic achievements and having potential to make a contribution to the arts. However, other video game components like sound, gameplay and narrative play a very important role.

Digital Painting Books

A few weeks ago I took some books on digital painting and drawing: ‘Digital Art Masters' and 'Digital Painting Techniques' both by 3DTotal . I have found them really inspirational as well as useful even though some of them not only contained information on digital painting. Sometimes just reading how people in the industry go about creating their art can teach one some good techniques and handy tricks. I think most interesting part that I really think will be worth trying out for my project could be digital brush creation.

Another great book I had a chance too look through is 'Mobile Digital Art: using the iPad and iPhone as creative tools'* by David Scott Leibowitz ( Abertay library link: http://uad-live.lib.ed.ac.uk/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=121861) Although it talked only about art created using mobile devices  (tablets, phones) it introduced me to the idea that I should use more my Android phone as a portable sketchbook. It happened so many times that I came up with some good idea while on the go or when I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep and did not have a sketchbook with me to record it. However I do have my mobile phone most of the time with me and I can use it to sketch even in darkness which can be really handy.

One of the best things that I like is the possibility to create sketches/drawings/paintings using layers on the app and then export it and use it in Adobe Photoshop to add final touches or continue working  on the earlier sketch.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro software information: http://www.autodesk.com/products/sketchbook-pro/features/all/gallery-view

Autodesk SketchBook Pro app for Android Cost ( current price £3.03): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.sketchbookhd&hl=en_GB

Autodesk SketchBook Pro for iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sketchbook-pro-for-ipad/id364253478?mt=8

Autodesk SketchBook Mobile: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sketchbook&hl=en_GB

Free version is also available: SketchBook Mobile Express : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sketchbookexpress&hl=en_GB

The same apps are available on iPad as well as more similar art apps by other developers (for iPad and Android) free and paid can be found on Internet.



*Leibowitz,S. D. 2013. Mobile Digital Art: using the iPad and iPhone as creative tools. Abingdon; Burlington, MA: Focal Press

Literature struggle

On Thursday I will have a Pitch presentation and I am struggling with my  project. I do like the idea for  my project  and I knew it is probably not going to be an easy one, considering there arent that many people creating so called 'art house' games, but I was expecting a bit more literature on the actual 2D art in games. Sadly I am finding it really hard to find relevant literature. Most of the books I've looked so far* tend to talk about aesthetics of the games as a whole and primamrily consentrate on gameplay  and hardly mention the actual art part of game development and what role it plays in user experience. At the moment there is a lot of information about 'whether games are art' in general and very little about the actual art in games. Also, a little bit of more relevant information can be found on the web but even there information is very sparse therefore at the moment I am trying to salvage all the info I can just to have something useful for my Pitch this Thusrsday and see how it goes and what feedback I'll get because now at the particular moment I am feeling really desperate. Even contemplating if deciding to do this particular project was a good idea after all. The main concern is: what I am going to write about when there is hardly any literature on this topic and if there is more information, then where I can find it.


* - Kirkpatrick, G. 2011. Aesthetic theory and the video game. Manchester : Manchester University Press

Talks about gameplay aesthetics and audience as well as place of videogame as an aesthetic object within the art and culture itself. Most interesting bits of  information that are related to my project are:

• lack of knowledge in visual aesthetics by theorists as well as gamers themselves.
• findings that players do enjoy gameplay as well as visuals and are appreciative of visual styles.
• claim that art itself is becoming game like with a lot of interaction, however digital culture has changed/been changing it and seem to move art further towards entertainment that way distancing it from  aesthetic. p.109
• claim that “Players do not approach games with anything like the ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ that applies to theatre goers or even modern film audiences.” p.41  with whitch I would like to disagree personally and found some information to support it.

Tavinor, G. 2009. The art of videogames. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

In this book author tackles topic of videogames becoming a new form of represeantational art.  He points out that recent games have seen growth  not only technical but also artistic sofistication while developers are exploring artistic potential and new ways of engaging and  influencing players aesthetically.
Information related to my project that I have found within the book:

• author points out that games seem to raise the same issues and concerns  as traditional arts: aesthetics, narratives, emotional engagement. p.13 and can be considered as art if we apply 'cluster' theory. p.172, p.194 and p.195
• people working ing game development (e.g. artist) need great amounts of skill to create games and therefore are silmilar to artists placticing traditional arts. p.172
• evolution of graphical representation in videogames is one of the most important  aesthetic achievements. p.69-70
• agrees that suspention of disbelief is part of the gamepaly if one is to experience game emotionally:   games draw players in to imaginary worlds and stories. p.133 p.183-184
• claims that gamers do apreciate the art withn games. p.174, p.175, and p.180
• also points out the lack of visual literracy between players and theorists while discussing games therefore makes it harder when taling about videogames within a wider understanding of culture and arts. p. 186

Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S. Et al. 2008. Understanding video games: the essential introduction. London: Routledge

This book did not contain much of really useful information that can be relevant to my project. A few related peaces of information were:

• the book author claims that games influences players in a number as ways. For example: communicates values and ideas p.25 therefore contributes to culture as well as reflects it. p.28
• author also supports idea that games are popular art. p.31
•  mentions Aki Järvinen who identified 3 graphical styles that dominated video game design:  photorealism, caricaturism and abstractionism. p.122 

Newman,J. 2004. Videogames. London : Routledge

Another book that I have found to contain hardly any relevant information.  He points out that video games have been largely ignored by academics and reason for it in his opinion is, games so far has been considered childs play in spite of their maturing audience.


Bentkowska-Kafel, A., Cashen, T. and Gardiner, H. 2009. Digital Visual Culture: Theory and Practice. Bristol: Intellect

Another book that I have felt continued little information that would help me with my project. I was expecting to find more data relating to actual art in digital media but did not. However, some of the essays did support idea that some art aesthetic theories may need change somewhat to be able to include visual art produced digitally. I have also found myself agreeing with a claim that "...new media art seems to be the only sphere of artistic activity in which there is any hope of realising the goal of overcoming the elitism of fine art." p.64 I think video games is/can be a great medium for that.