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Holly Angle

BA [Hons] 3D Design Modelmaking + Digital Art

I am a Dublin, Ireland based 3D artist finalizing my BA degree in 3D Design, Model Making + Digital Art at IADT, Dun Laoghaire. I enjoy using mixed media, surface design and details to bring my work to a more interesting level of visual enjoyment and wonder. Experimenting with new techniques and products pushes me to be innovative in how I think and see the end result of projects. Sculpting and mould making gave new life to what and how I could produce multiples of objects for projects and expands what I can do. Never stop learning or experimenting.

Mr. Crow in his work apron getting ready to save his family.

Tools of the trade. Paint brushes, pencils, paint stirring stick, string and a nice worm for lunch.

Mr. Owl, the trusted friend offers advise to Mr. Crow about the plans for the snake.

Eco printed paper is pigmented with leaves, alum, logwood bark and iron in a pot of boiling water. This was used for the crows laser cut feathers. The iron leave an iridescent colour on the surfaces.

Paper dyed with onion skins, eucalyptus leave, and rusted steel in the pot using vinegar to adhere the tannin or colour from the leaves. These are some of the papers used for the owls laser cut feathers.

Sheets of paper are layered with leaves and bark then tied tightly around ceramic tiles or rusted metal plates before being submerged in boiling water for 45-90 minutes. The results are magical.

Mr. Owl's wings in progress. The lower wing element slides into a pocket on the upper giving more range and flexibility to the wing motion.

Linen paper was dyed in the iron pot and resulted in a mossy surface. It was stripped into strips to evoke a shaggy hickory tree. This is where the owl perches to lend his wisdom to the crow.

Birch bark, moss, ferns and silk string make the set more intimate and cosy. The dimensional flocking was made from sawdust and acrylic paint.

Woodland ground coverings hide the crow eggs and the snake's skin under Mr. and Mrs. Crow's nest high in the tree.

Short mechanics of stop motion puppets. Intentional feather movement is achieved by gluing black wrap/foil strips onto each feather. 7 magnetized beaks allow for quick replacements for talking sequences. Costumes are also lined with black wrap to freeze movements in between shots.

Animated birds are making plans to take revenge on the snake for eating the crow's eggs.

The Story of the Crow and the Owl - Stop Motion Puppets

Based on Aldous Huxley's book, The Crows of Pearblossom, I have created two fully functional stop motion puppets. Mr. Crow and Mr. Owl’s feathers are printed on papers using a process called Eco or Botanical printing. By boiling bundles of paper, leaves, dried vegetable skins and rust, it causes a chemical reaction that releasing the pigment from the pot contents onto the paper, creating imprints of the leaves. Each sheet is different but retain similar colours. The bird feathers are laser cut from a warm acorn and brown palette for Mr. Owl and an iridescent purple and olive paper for Mr. Crow.
The paper set surfaces are layered replicating silver birch trees, elevations of a forest floor with paper foliage ferns and overlapping grasses that invite the viewer into an intimate environment.

Material Movement: Aesthetics, Fluidity and Structure in Stop Motion Animation

Material Movement examines the aesthetics, fluidity, and structures in stop motion puppets. This thesis looks at the internal and external, and the mental and physical ways these innovative companies produce and animate life into tiny characters, elevating them to film icons in stop motion. Beginning with formative ideas, the process of the story evolves through different stages of creative minds and hands to give the audience an experience that delights the eyes, engages emotions, and stirs a connection with the narrative and each puppet's character. Combining the aesthetics of fashion and what it reveals about the wearer's identity, begins a rich development in the puppet characters. Technological advancements currently used expedite manufacturing, leaving time to personalize and stylize costumes, puppets, and set into the fantastic fantasy world for the film genre. By integrating aspect and principle of both realism and stylization, stop motion animation invites the viewer to embrace a sense of recognizable memories while distorting them in ways that engage our emotional responses as well as stirring empathy.