A Study on Abstract Picturesque Expression of Renku with 3DCG and Its Evaluation Nobuhiko TAKADA *1 and Ryoichi YANAGISAWA *2 Faculty of Fine Arts and Infomatics *1,Faculty of Literature *2,Kanazawa Gakuin University,Japan Abstract Basyo Matsuo built up Haikai no Renga(Renku), which was a form of Japanese collaborative poetry. It is said that Kyoshi Takahama proposed the name of Renku to distinguish it from Renga and Haiku in 1904. Renku meetings are held like Haiku ones regularly now in each place, and in several universities, they have a class with practice of Renku continuously. It is very important for plural persons to work together cooperatively. Poetry, Tanka, Haiku and Renku are usually composed of only letters. It sometimes happens that we add pictures to make them more attractive and to aim at synergy by collaboration (letters and pictures). However, the study to produce 3DCG animations of Renku has not been reported very much. So we studied to produce 3DCG animations work based on the rule (Shikimoku in Japanese) of Renku. Keywords: Renku, Shikimoku(rules of Renku), Art and Literature, 3DCG animation, Shade 1 Introduction Haiku is a very famous Japanese poetry that is the shortest in the world. It was established in the 17th century by Basho Matsuo, who was the author of "Oku no Hosomichi". This Haiku was that the first phrase of Haikai no Renga(Renku) became independent. It is said that Kyoshi Takahama proposed it to distinguish the name of "Renku" which was the title of this paper from Renga and Haiku in 1904[1]. Renku meetings are ntakada@kaanzawa-gu.ac.jp *1 held like Haiku ones regularly now in each place [2]. In some universities, it is conducted as a class including the training [3] [4]. In late years, with the development of the Internet, the enforcement form has changed. However, it has not changed in co-production. Haiku is based on one independent production, but Renku is based on co-production by plural people. It is necessary for them to have sense of cooperation. In our time, it offers very important means to improve communication skills and group work ones [5]. About poetry, Tanka and Haiku, we try to aim at synergy of the phrases with pictures to let not only the expression of letters but also written phrases be outstanding more[6]. However, the study of animation expressions about Renku has not been done very much so far. A representative work in Renku animations is a work on "Fuyu-no-Hi (Winter days)" which Basyo built his orthodox style [7] [8]. This work was evaluated highly, but each artist made his own part independently. Therefore this was not made being conscious of the relevance of phrases that were essential aspects of Renku. In this study, we studied 3DCG animations which were accordance with the rules of Renku (Shikimoku in Japan) and produced our own works. It is described about Renku in section 2 and Abstract Picturesque Expression meetings in section 3. And it is described about the production of a 3DCG Renku animation in section 4 and the evaluation experiment of a 3DCG animation of Renku in section 5. Finally conclusions are described in section 6. 2 Renku 2.1 Concept of Renku (1) 58
Renku was Haikai no Renga. It was derived in the Muromachi era and was developed as independent literaryarts in the Edo era in Japanese history. It is also called merely Haikai. Kyoshi Takahama proposed the name of "Renku" to distinguish it from Renga and Haiku in 1904. It follows a style of Renga, and keeps 7-7 syllables after 5-7-5 ones. The style has such as 36 phrases (Kasen in Japanese). Renku uses more slang and Chinese words than Renga (only ancient Japanese language). Its style and rule also are simple and easy. Renku is expressed with one pair of 5-7-5 and 7-7. A composer should catch an atmosphere of the phrase which is read by the former partner and add his own phrase to the former one with full ideas. works of Haiku were drawn in proportion to the prosperity of it. It is said that Haiku pictures were established by Buson Yosa (a Haiku poet / a painter of the middle in the Edo era). (Fig. 1) "Abstract Art" is an antonym of "Representational Art", and "Abstract Picture" is an antonym of "Representational picture." To last time, we aimed at the synergistic effect of characters and pictures by the realistic expression in 2D or 3DCG animation. This time, we adopted the same type characters of Renku like the last characters. However, we tried to create pictures of the background with abstract pictures, so we defined the abstract pictures to express the background pictures abstractly here. 2.2 Research Trends of Renku (1) Rearch for practices of Renku Renku is generally composed cooperatively at a single site where fellow-enthusiasts gather all together [2]. Renku meetings are held regularly in each district of Japan, and in universities, there are several cases which students practically compose Renku in a class and learn it for a game style[3]. In late years, the method for practice has been also changed with the development of the Internet. It was the mainstream conventionally that the attendants who gathered in a single site (Za in Japanese) composed phrases by a dealer (Sabakite in Japasese) and were able to complete Renku. However, with the development of the Internet, Renku was composed at distant locations and asynchronously. Therefore, different works may be created in new large space and discontinuous time. There is a paper of CREW (Collaborative Renku Environment on the Web) as the environment construction example that used a network on the Web [9]. (2) Research about picturesque expressions of Renku It happens often to take expressions (poetry and pictures) of the collaboration with not only expressions of characters but also pictures so that the poetry (Tanka and Haiku, etc.) are more attractive. We should make efforts to understand a heart of Haiku and draw Haiku pictures plain and light as possible. In the middle of the 17th century of the Edo era, a lot of Haiga of Buson Haiga of our member Fig.1 Example of Haiga 3 Abstract Picturesque Expression 3.1 Abstract Pictures The words such as "Abstract Art" or "Abstract Pictures" are the terms in a Western art history, and the interpretation is various. Therefore, it differs by what kind of painters are put into the category of abstract art and by what kind of areas and times we consider mainly. There is room to argue about abstract pictures and it has not been decided yet even now. We are not taken too much into such a problem about the Western art history in this paper. We clarify whether what kind of pictures are targeted in "the abstract picture" 59
here. For example, we give the following example. Three figures,,, are drawn on one sheet of paper. At this time, we consider whether these should be defined as the pictures of what kind of category. It is said, finally "it depends on a producer's subjectivity" for the contents which the shown pictures express as shown in Table 1. Actually, it is expressed in many cases by not such simple cases, but more complicated objects, form, and colors. Therefore, the definition is more complicated. Table 1 Simple example of Abstract expression We adopt the simplest definition for abstract pictures here. We adopt the next definition to express our 3DCG animation based on abstract pictures. - Type A : Performing Motif (modification) and Simplifiée (simplification) for the existing objects. There is a picture of the type which may finally picture a very different image as compared with the original motif - Type B : There is a picture of the type that is drawn while imagining the idea in a writer's inside without a motif 3.2 Examples of Abstract Pictures We show the examples of typical abstract pictures below, in order to clarify visually the definition described until now (Figs. 2-4). 3.3 Meaning of Abstract Picturesque Expression in Renku When we apply the definition and feature of this abstract picturesque expression to 3DCG animation of Renku, Fig.2 Kandinsky Fig.3 Paul Klee Fig.4Piet we need to consider which directivity is proper. (1) Examination of the definition It seems that Type A can perform the abstract picturesque expression by describing as it is. By deforming and simplifying a motif, it is possible to produce the image which separated considerably from a motif. In this case, if we adopt the abstract pictures which are separated from phrases of Renku too much, phrases and pictures may completely be another existence. As a result, we thought that it was difficult to obtain a synergistic effect. Therefore, we created this time so that it might not be direct and might leave the image of phrases indirectly. Moreover, in Type B, s this time, in the relation between phrases and pictures, We decided not to take positively the pictures techniques which are considered the image in a writer's inside without a motif and drawn. However, geometrical abstract pictures are the result of considering Type B mathematically, so we adopted this technique this time. (2) Examination about the feature There is a feature as "Many works are expressed by primitive modeling." in abstract pictures. Seeing (simple modeling) and hearing (BGM) are used in 3DCG animation. Therefore, it is possible to have a polyhedron spread by two synergistic effects. In the point "A color is more important than form", Renku has many examples of Haiga drawn lightly like ink drawings. Therefore, judging from the difference between Japanese culture and Western one, we tried to take out the effect of a color that it was not so colorful and simple. Moreover, in the point "Space arrangement is important", it is said that abstract pictures need much space rather than 60
representational pictures. We thought that they could fully be expressed with 3DCG animation. We made "the abstract picturesque 3DCG animation of Renku" based on these. 書を読 若 き 人 4 Implementation of Renku Meetings This time, we drew up minimum rules when we composed Renku as basic mind. We did the introduction, development, turn and conclusion of the phrases more clearly and Fig. 1 Still Image (Wakiku) 窓辺にて み積むか modulated them. We decided a minimum rule at a level such as Table 1. Table 2 shows composed 6 phrases in the first part (Omote 6 ku in Japanese). Figure 1 shows still images of the composed the first phrase and the second one. Table 1 shikimoku(rules of Renku) 蛍草 小川の岸に 咲 く Fig.2 Still Image (The 3 phrase) Table 2 Renku In the first Part (6 phrases) 3DCG animations. It is a purpose that we make images of Renku 3DCG animations with multimedia techniques, which are based on the intention of authors and the rules in the Renku meeting. 5.2 Flow of 3DCG Renku Animation The production procedure flow of Renku 3DCG animations is shown in Fig 3. Explanations of the procedure are as follows. This flow is referred to the comic animations which we made before [10]. 5 Production of 3DCG Renku Animations 5.1 Purpose It is usual that Renku is expressed only in letters. We have studied about static images and an abstract picturesque 6 Evaluation Experiment We made a 3DCG animation reflecting the author's interview and its work description (refer to the attached works).we made the participants display and evaluated this animation in class. They are sophomores of our information design department. 6.1 Experiment Environment (1) Lesson environment -Date: July 29, 2009(9:20 to 10:50) - Place: Kanazawagakuin University Room No. 233 - Participants : 43 students 61
Fig.3 Production procedure flow of 3DCG Renku animations 7 Result and Consideration of Questionnaire 7.1 Evaluation and Consideration of Animation Fig. 4 shows each result of the representational picturesque animation last time and of the abstract picturesque one this time. In the 2.Expressing Animation of Renk(The 2 G),Animation of Representational Pictures (ARP) and the Animation of Abstract Pictures ( AAP) were 3.70 and 3.78 respectively(there was no significant difference). But in (6), the average mark of ARP was 3.02 and that of AAP was 3.53. The difference was.51 and there was a significant difference in.05>p. In the case of ARP, there were several opinions that the animator tended to create works with his intention, though he tried to understand the author's feelings. On the other hand, since it was abstract expression in AAP, the impression which expressed the author s intention might be obtained. Because it was that they could see from many sides by the ambiguous expression of the animation. Moreover, in the case of the RA: Representational Animation, AA: Abstract Animation p: significance level, **:.01, *:.05 Fig.4 Graphs of Average marks of questionnaires for each item image obtained from the verse was regarded them as reflecting the author's image enough, it was high. However, As AAP was abstract and didn t express the feelings concretely, the evaluation was somewhat low. In (8) and (9), both of interest and effectiveness to 3DCG of the animation were high. It can be said that our students got interested in 3DCG animation for Renku very much. In the 3. Shikimoku for expressing Animation (the 3G), the mark of Shikimoku-related (11) of AAP was not so high as 3.14 and the mark of ARP was considerably low as 2.67. This was because it was dependent on the animation s speed. It was not so easy to understand the Shikimoku quickly, since it was an abstract expression especially. So the evaluation was considered to be low. In the free description, some students said that they could understand the contents of the season word to some extent, but in the case of abstract pictures, it was 62
difficult especially to perceive a sense of the season. Therefore, there were some opinions that it was hard to understand the contents of Renku (there was a significant difference by.05>p). About (12), ARP was 3.37 and AAP was 2.74, and the same tendency as (11) could be seen, but the difference was bigger than that of (11). It was thought that it was not explanatory of the Shikimoku but an artistic expression based on it. Among (13), (14) and (15), the evaluation of (14) was the highest. (14) had a significant difference of.01>p to both (13) and (15). In the 4. Overall Evaluation of Image Work (the 4G), the average mark of ARP was 3.73 and that of AAP was also comparatively high as 3.68. Both of the evaluation for the work of (16) and (19) were high as about 3.8. In (16), the evaluation of AAP acquired especially the high point 4.02. But in BGM (Back Ground Music), although ARP was high as 3.65, AAP was low as 3.05 (there was a significant difference by.01>p). As ARP was a representational animation, it is thought that the animation was rather gentle and comfortable. Therefore, it can be said that the evaluation of participants was high to the music suitable for the image of Renku. But it was said that the abstract expressive music was expected in the case of abstract picturesque animation in free description columns. In the "5. Overall Evaluation for Expressing of Renku with Image" (the 5G), the average mark of ARP was 3.83, and AAP was 3.87, and both were very high. There was no significant difference in all items, so it can be said that it was high on the average. In (24), it was got the result that this work was very effective for introductory education. In the image grasp of Renku of (23), the AAP was as higher as 4.02. it can be said that abstract picturesque expression was popular for grasping the image of Renku,. 8 Conclusions This time, we made a 3DCG animation based on the work of the last 2DCG animation. After we displayed the animation on our studentst, we took questionnaires and evaluated them. As a result, we obtained the following conclusions. - They understood the lecture of Renku itself considerably well, so they could evaluate the 3DCG animation at a high level. - It is important to express images, considering Shikimoku and characters of verses especially. -We need to take into consideration understandings of Shikimoku when improving this animation. -We obtained the evaluation that this animation work itself was high as a work of art. - It is important to consider balance "whole evaluation about expressing Renku with images" Based on the items above, we would like to make efforts to study 3DCG animation expressions. References [1] Hiroyuki Inui : Invitation to Renku, Izumi books(2001) [2] Yamaguchi Renku kai. http://www.local.co.jp/renkuu/ [3]Extension class of Kanazawa Gakuin University. http://www.kanazawa-gu.ac.jp/university/koukaikouza/ [4]Renga and Renku(Tsuneyo Terashima). http://www.tmd.ac.jp/artsci/jinsha/lec/renga.htm [5]Credits for Graduation of Hokkaido University of Education. http://www.hokkyodai.ac.jp/faculty/ [6] Japan Sekiho Haiga Association. http://www.haiga.com/ [7]Mark Baker:Renku Animation Winter Days,(2003) [8]Yamamoto,K., YuriyBorisovich Norshteyn: Official Book Winter days,esquire Japan (2003) [9]Inoue,T., Nemoto,K., Shigeno,H., Okada, K.,: Collaborative Renku Environment on the Web, IPSJ, Vol.44, No.2,pp328-339(2003) [10] Takada,N.:,A Study how to express 2DCG Animation of Renku A study, NICOGRAPH Spring Contest, The Society for Art and Science.(2008) Appendix We produced a 3DCG Animation of Renku in this paper. The work can download from the URL under. No.1:http://www.kanazawa-gu.ac.jp/~ntakada/3DCGrenku.zip No.2 :http://www.kanazawa-gu.ac.jp/~ntakada/3dapa(renku9-3).zip 63