Ed Faulds (He/Him)
Hey! I’m Ed. 4th year Com Des – illustration student. I’m fascinated by ink, print and anything that can’t quite ever be replicated in the same way again. Usually I work on process based projects, with strong emphasis on concept and narrative. Currently working on a graphic novel called Lost Soles.
Lost Soles
Indecision. Social anxieties, fear of failure and a general lack of faith in ones own opinion seem to be more prevalent than ever… at least for me that is. Daily decisions need to be made constantly, but sometimes your mind values certain decisions over others, not always rationally. Lost Soles is a graphic novel exploring one of those needlessly overvalued decisions – buying a new pair of shoes. But is it needless? Shoes are personal items, something you wear all day, something you can tell a lot about a person by. Practical or fashionable? Colourful or minimal? These are deliberate choices, but why do we make them? How do we make them? And will they actually have a lasting impact on our lives? What if you could view every option before making that decision, see what every future may look like depending on the shoe you go with… would that help or hinder you? In the comic a will-o-the-wisp, a small flaming spirit guide, shows you through the options as it covers themes of value and self-worth. Sometimes cloudy, sometimes clear, there isn’t always a reason for the decisions we go with, but that butterfly effect may always be the same – so is that a problem?
Due to unforeseen circumstances in my personal life, this project is still a work in progress. I intend to have the graphic novel finished by August of this year. Directly following this excerpt are the individual short stories depending on the different shoe choices.
Lost Soles Short Story 1
The first of three resolved short stories for the larger graphic novel ‘Lost Soles’. These take place in the centre of the narrative, and offer a glimpse into different futures depending on which shoe you choose to buy. Their intention is to be a short and snappy vignette to show the possible outcomes or consequences of choosing that specific shoe.
Lost Soles Short Story 2
The second of three resolved short stories for the larger graphic novel ‘Lost Soles’. These stories may have something to do with the shoe, or be a completely unrelated knock on effect that occurs as an exponential and indirect result of the shoe choice – similar to the butterfly effect theory, that highlights how a butterflies wings could cause a tornado etc.
A key element I want to keep throughout the short stories is that there is no clear winner; no one future stands out above the rest. However perfect a future may seem to be, or is fantasised about, there is always good with the bad, sacrifices you have to make to achieve them, or they’re simply inconsequential.
Lost Soles Short Story 3
The third of three resolved short stories for the larger graphic novel ‘Lost Soles’. Each short story will work as it’s own separate narrative, but all will follow one or more of the comics themes to link back to the overall narrative. These themes include: indecision, social anxieties, fear of failure, self worth, and the desire of that ‘fake perfect life’ which is glorified on social media – jealous fantasies, which steam from insecurities. I wanted the stories to really capture the performative side of my practice and to create them improvisationally – created of the moment to embrace the random unpredictable qualities of improv. This would in turn highlight the infinitely random possibilities of an indecisive mind.
Due to unforeseen circumstances in my personal life, this project is still a work in progress. My goal is to have at least 10 short stories completed in the larger graphic novel by August of this year.
Face + Hands
With a focus on fast paced observational drawing, using a mixture of different media, and varying models, the point of this project was to loosen up and capture the essence quickly. To take in information and work with it before overthinking. This meant each piece was less precious, so more experimentation could freely take place. There was also an element of highlighting how much we can still achieve during lock-down, as each portrait was taken using models via zoom video – adapting to the situation we found ourselves in and focusing on the face and hands as a result.
Inside/ Outside
This short project had a focus on our lives during lock-down and observing the everyday in new ways. Using the window in front of my desk, I captured the insides relationship with the outside, during a time when one overpowered the other.
Book Cover: The Uninhabitable Earth
Book cover for The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace- Wells. Using a mixture of monoprinting and digital manipulation.
Shadows at the Threshold
Shadows at the Threshold explores doorways, entrances, exits, and our relationships with them. Traversing through three different cities, Toronto & Quebec City before lock-down (colour), and Glasgow during lock-down (black & white), I considered how the idea of an ‘entrance’ has changed over the past year, and how our access to them has slowly been taken away.
I focused on highlighting the shadows at and around the threshold, emphasising the beauty of the commonplace and that which is taken for granted. I cannot deny that there is also an element of formal curiosity and discovery; instead of crafting the image I found it, sitting in the everyday just waiting to be appreciated, especially when access to it has been taken away.
