Personal, Professional, Aspirational | Pt. 2

Using the ideas and sketches I had created, I made some refined pencil drawings, scanned them, and added colour and type digitally.

They took a disgustingly long time to finish (though it doesn't show) so I'm just glad I got them done. Again, I think I looked into it too much.

I like the simplicity of the images and how they contrast with the vibrant colour choices. I think the consistency of aesthetics helps to draw the three together. I'm not totally pleased with them, and I'm not entirely sure that they convey the meanings effectively, but they are okay for now.

ASPIRATIONAL

PERSONAL

PROFESSIONAL

Personal, Professional, Aspirational | Pt. 1

Following a workshop in class where we had to think of traits and terms to 'advertise' ourselves from personal, professional, and aspirational standpoints, we had to create 3 posters that conveyed these three aspects of ourselves.

Despite it being a straightforward task, I found it difficult to come up with ideas for each of the categories. I find talking about my qualities and putting myself out there really weird and uncomfortable.

Personal | This one was the most agonising to do, I made a bunch of other lists before this one and they didn't work. I decided to highlight my enjoyment of learning and discovering new things, and maybe it's fair to say I'm an inquisitive person?

So the final design will most likely feature the small caricatures of me, the magnifying glass, and maybe an array of objects.

Professional | When coming up with ideas for the professional subject, I really wanted to stay clear of things immediately associated with professionalism, CVs, or employment ads. They make me uneasy. "I work well by myself, and as part of a team..." aaaaagh..

Points I eventually thought of: My ability to gather research and influence from a wide range of sources and topics. I believe that strong ideas and concepts drive a project/brief forward. I could say I am a hardworking person (with a strong tendency to be a total stress head, put too much pressure on a situation/myself...) But I do try my best (see pic above).

Aspirational | Even though I realise the importance and value of thinking about aspirations, the future, all of that...I find it so weird and surreal!! I interpreted aspirations as something less concrete, and more about what I'd like to achieve through my work.

This includes telling and sharing a story or narrative, making a person/audience feel, learn, or discover something. I feel that image-makers can potentially have the power to share an experience and make people respond in a certain way through their work. (That's pretty amazing)

Study Task 5 | Where am I now? Visual Evaluation

Russian Matchbox Labels

Found some matchbox labels that commemorated Russia's success in the space race (late 1950s onwards). An example of beautiful design; composition, colour, shape. They really appealed to me as I think they work well aesthetically and are quite charming.

What's nice is that these designs are completely optional - they don't have an immediate function (unless advertising something?) and that makes them even better to me. Pictures for the sake of pictures.

There's a lovely extensive gallery of these labels, all of varying origins here.

Allison Bianco | Maritime Screen Prints

An example of IMAGE MAKING from artist/print maker, Allison Bianco. These prints reflect her home, Rhode Island, and it's coastal and industrial connections. Really nice use of colour and vague, drifting compositions that make the images seem dream-like.

You can see more of Allison's prints here

OUIL403 Visual Skills | End of Module Self-Evaluation

1. Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

• Rough sketches have been an important part of the projects within visual skills. I think that I have used them to not only put down any initial ideas, but have used them to think about how I could develop an idea further. It has also been useful for me to see that a rough sketch doesn't have to look like a finished piece of work, and that it doesn't dictate the quality of your finished piece.
2. Which principles/theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

• A principle that has been mentioned during this module that I agree with strongly is that good 'image making' isn't enough - design is equally as important. This mainly came through in the final book jacket brief. I believe that bad design (composition, colour choices, typeface..) can drag an originally good piece of illustration down. It was good to hear that successful illustration comes from more than making a nice picture - and that concept, communication, and design are huge factors too!

• I'm interested in design, however this module has made me want to continue bringing design into my work. I would love to create intelligent illustration that can make an audience think and feel, design can even make an image interactive in some ways.

3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these?

• I think that one of my strengths during this module has been my research and idea generation. Whether it is researching a topic more broadly, gathering bits of information, looking at relevant illustrator's/artist's work, or brainstorming multiple concepts, to me it all helps to create an idea that is stronger, well-informed, and more considered.

• Another strength I feel I have shown throughout visual skills is how I experiment and develop my ideas by trying different approaches. Whether this is in terms of the materials I use, layouts, or how I consider more than one idea, I try and see how multiple things could work instead of just settling on the easiest, or the first outcome.

4. What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future?

• During visual skills I have always felt that my final pieces of work have fallen short somehow. This could be due to difficulties faced during final production, technical errors (e.g. measurements, mistakes with a material, etc..). I can address these issues by allowing slightly more time for the production stage of a project, and by taking my time (especially with work that is heavily practical - like the book jacket brief).

• Another way in which I can solve this in future projects is by being more forward in asking for peer feedback and opinions. I sometimes fail to stop and ask for help from those around me, but by asking they could pick up on something I have missed. Getting pointers from others is really valuable as you can get a range of views different from your own, and so I will have to feel more comfortable in doing this.

5. In what way has this module introduced you to the Ba (Hons) Illustration programme?

• This module has definitely introduced me to the pace of the work and the quick turn-around of brief-led projects. Having produced work for 3 structured briefs, I have got into the swing of how I approach a brief and respond to it. In some ways it has helped me develop a 'process' for this type of work and how much time I allocate to different stages; researching, initial ideas, development, and so on.

• Visual skills has also allowed me to get used to blogging and documenting my work. With the 'work process' I mentioned above, I feel that blogging these steps helps me to order my work and reflect on what I have done and consequentially, what needs to be done next. I think I have found blogging to be surprisingly straight forward and something that I do on time which is a positive as it is a requirement throughout the illustration programme.

Houses at Night | Todd Hido

various photos from the 'Houses at Night' series

Visually interesting to me - moody, atmospheric. The locations seem to be both specific and anonymous at the same time. I like the colours and how they create an otherworldly feeling.

I enjoy seeing this collection of photos and find myself scanning the images for other things (hidden figures?). I really admire how emotions and moods can be conjured from images of buildings and streets.

The audience embodies the viewpoint of the photographer, hanging around these suburban homes but at the same time you feel like someone could be watching you.