PPP: Module Evaluation

Initially, I was rather inarticulate in regards to how I defined illustration, and what I liked about particular examples. Through this module I have learnt to apply a more analytical range of vocabulary in order to formalise the critical process. In turn, I have been able to use the same methodology in the evaluation of my own work. In addition, by visiting a wide variety of exhibitions and events I have gained a valuable first-hand perspective of how illustration exists within a public context. The frequent blog and studio based study tasks have encouraged me to regularly sample the works of more contemporary illustrators, as I learnt that the limited sample of past practitioners I had already studied did not suffice. I have greatly improved my attention to time management; this has reduced the amount of stress near deadlines and made me more satisfied with the completeness of submitted work.


The least successful elements of the module lie in overall documentation; I have neglected to evidence many of the events that I attended this year, as well as the lectures at college. A more attentive ongoing documentation would have improved my over-all understanding of illustration. In the practical brief I made several direction changes, I think this has resulted in a less informed resolution which does not entirely reflect myself as a practitioner. Further, I found that peers did not understand the purpose of the final piece, which is due to a confused development process. In addition, having studied numerous forms of context and format, I have consistently produced posters, which seems somewhat unadventurous.

I was pleased with my PPP presentation, having being despondent following my previous CoP pecha kucha. The feedback was encouraging, and I feel a lot more comfortable talking unreservedly in-front of groups again. The 'Illustrated Self' has allowed me to improve upon my synthesis between digital and analogue work, though I am still frustrated with the lengthy times required for digital colouration in contrast to relatively painless line work. I am quite satisfied by the large range of practitioners I have become familiar with, as in past I often relied on a small selection. Equally, I am far more open to processes I had not previously considered, such as vector-based work.

Throughout the year I have made some effort to engage with live briefs, however I would like to improve this to a greater extent in order to expose more of my work to the public.
I shall also be improving my final piece in time for the show by adding more interior detail and producing the image as a screen-print. I shall also attend life drawing sessions next year, as I still have persistent issues with drawing anatomy, until then I shall endeavour to produce an arbitrary number character turnarounds throughout summer. During this course I have generally produced work to appease my aesthetic standards, in future I aim to produce work with stronger opinion or a greater amount of narrative, as the content of my work has often been vague or implicit.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Final Alterations)

After an informal exhibition in the corridor, I was able to receive some impromptu criticism.

Peers suggested that I should continue in my attempts to improve the cloud textures and change the overall colour scheme.

I have responded by using some appropriate photoshop brushes to give the clouds a more vaporous appearance. I have also nudged the entire HUE of the image to a sort of midnight-blue which makes more sense considering the lighting effects within the image.

The last addition in the small quote within the image which reads "Hardly any of use trouble to thing of the future we were making. And here it is!" This quote was taken from the relatively short science fiction novel 'The Sleeper Wakes' by H.G. Wells. I thought this quote was most appropriate, as it shows the common disregard for the importance of legacy.... relating to the architectural fiasco of many settings arounds Britain.

  

I am generally pleased with this resolution, I would however like to screen print the image for the final show.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (More Colouration)

After a large amount of tinkering I eventually settled on a scheme I wasn't too frustrated with.

The last minute alteration of the added sickly-green occurred to me in the print room, as I thought the bright yellows was far too much of a warm colouration.

I had the most trouble with the cooling tower steam as this was an entirely textural entity, quite unlike the rest of the image which is all defined by deliberate lines.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Developments)

Often when working on complex digital compositions I get lost in piles of layers, so this time I have introduced a more systematic approach and given each layer a deliberate purpose.

After some amount of searching I found a helpful selection of textural brushes, allowing me to introduce additional interior detail to the illustration.

In order to add a little more detail I introduced a small character into the composition, this conveniently gave me and opportunity to use one of my prized gas masks. I decided that the character would most likely be wearing some form of PPE due to the polluted conditions surrounding the house and the gas mask efficiently communicates the idea of filthy air.

I also considered adding a train into the composition, however I judged that it would distract from the background coal station.

PPP: Creative Strategy Presentation

Post presentation reflections:

This presentation went far smoother than the previous attempt during the CoP module, this was probably due to a more relaxed attitude and overall familiarity with the source material.
However, it was noted that my presentational style was wanton of some formality, as I have a tendency to wave my arms around to illustrate vocal emphasis.
As usual with these sort of things I went first, however this did allow me to present without the nervous consideration of previous presentations.

The feedback was mostly positive, though I did perhaps lack some deep analysis and consideration of more weaknesses.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Colouration)

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Research)

A key part of my research has come from the book 'Is Britain Great', this photographic journal highlights the modern British landscape. It particularly reveals how the landscape is composed of juxtaposed architecture; evidence of the traditionally rural lies next to industrial megaliths.

Though the book is constructed for the purpose of humour, it is starkly honest and cynical.

The sheer bleakness of many of the images does well to dispel the rosy nostalgia for 'Old Britain,' in place of which it documents what the politicians coined as 'Broken Britain'.

Through my final piece I hope to illustrate this foreboding and decayed atmosphere.

In terms of the brief I find that this response is most appropriate, as much of my work attempts to portray some implicit narrative or sense of atmosphere.

I also endeavour to instil some social commentary in my visual responses, but wish to improve this to a greater extent in future.

In addition the forum Secret Leeds has an expansive archive of forgotten and neglected architecture thorough Leeds, I aim to use some imagery to inform my composition.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Line Work)

Using assorted reference material I completed the line art below. I am pleased with the overall quality, however I believe the image requires colouration to reduce the visual confusion imposed by areas of dense detail, such as the many bricks. I may have a second attempt at this image as I find that there are some minor flaws in the composition, although I may be able to resolve these qualms by adding addition information in digitally, such as a human figure or some textural elements.

Hopefully I will be able to screen print the image full scale, though at the current size of the image being 340mm x 660mm I may encounter some issues.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (A Change of Topic)

I was having difficulty tying together my visual responses with the Grand Depart theme. I would also suggest it was a quite tenuous subject to simply make studied of communities on the route. Rather than abandoning the existing visual information I have thus far collected, I decided to address the larger issues of the unceasing industrialisation in the countryside.

After these responses I created several small scamps to consider how I might condense multiple issues of industrialisation and the subsequently packed claustrophobia of cities.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Research)

With reference to the promotional website I created my own maps of the route, this was an excellent way to visually keep track of the communities along the route, I feel inclined to produce more scrupulous versions which include more details.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (Developments)

During a visit to an open garden event in Great Ouseburn, I was struck by the sheer peculiarity of the community. The architecture was quite varied, however it was the colossal gardens which were the most flamboyant attraction. Additionally Great Ouseburn is on the Grand Départ route, which was quite convenient for the topic of my project. 

After around 100 photos I made the following visual responses in my sketchbook:

I particularly enjoy making rough sketches in coloured Stabilo, and then refining directly on-top with a more reliable black fine liner.

On this page I focussed on the locally famous outcrops of rock which may be found near the route.

I have also studied objects which are associated with the northern countryside, such as drystone walls.

PPP: Studio Brief 2 (The Illustrated Self)

This deceptively simple brief encourages us to direct and pursue our own interests, with the aim to present something or anther in the upcoming end of year show.

Using a sheet of A2 paper I sketched out the variety of my own interests, keeping in mind that they would have to inform a breadth of visual responses. After a highly beneficial conversation with peers I decided that I should pursue the idea of Northern English communities, with the intention of presenting their quirks and genuine oddness.

Context of Practice: Module Evaluation

Throughout the brief I had endeavoured to improve my investigation of research and the thereafter visual responses. This has involved a broader selection of appropriate texts, which have directly informed the decision making during visual development. I have also greatly improved my capacity to use a sources form a variety of media, rather than solely relying on the the internet for limited and often vague information.

In terms of image making I have continued to pursue the use of screen printing, though this proved quite stressful and error-laden I eventually produced a series of good quality prints and introduced myself to the use of vacuum beds. This process has definitely contributed the overall visual quality of the final pieces, that perhaps would not have been instilled if they were produced digitally. My application of varied line has boosted in confidence due to the fastidious studies I conducted of reference material. Though I did not eventually make use of loose ink application in the final pieces, I did investigate it frequently in earlier visual responses, which I think has been beneficial to my overall understanding of tone and lighting. By using the light-box I have been able to selectively refine my drawings repeatedly, which resolved the initial problems I experienced with accurately portraying the faces of each Bond actor.

I rather find that the final resolutions are quite strong pieces and have benefited from an expansive amount of thumb-nailing and repeated investigations of format and composition. The quality of the final prints are due to a arduous repetitive struggle with the screen printing process, thankfully the sheer amount of problems that occurred throughout did not have too much of an effect on the final pieces.
I have shown a dramatic change in the use of fine liners and other assorted pens, the early drawings in my sketchbook are quite different from the final pieces, this is due to a considerable improvement of confidence which has allowed me to draw quicker and with no digital aid. In addition I used a large amount of reference books which allowed me to produce dense areas of detail within the compositions.

In terms of the less successful; many of my prints present poor registration this would have been resolved with a more appropriately sized silk screen, as the A1 screen proved somewhat noncompliant.
My own inexperience with large screens also produced multiple printing errors, notably the odd void of tone on Roger Moore's face is a result of not cleaning the screens sufficiently. I would also add that I am disappointed in not making more of an effort to faithfully reproduce the hair texture of each Bond, as within each composition, this is the most notable deficiency.

Upon the chance to repeat the project I would investigate perhaps creating a single image with multiple colours, rather than the black and blue combination, as this is a palette I have used for several projects and seems to be getting repetitive. I would also liked to have printed the posters on a larger scale, as the downsizing of my original drawings resulted in prints which were about half-scale.

Film Society Poster

Several of us were approached to produce promotional posters for the LCA film society.

I created the following image for the 'Time Bandits' screening:

The image is compromised of vectors with minimal texturing. I enjoyed creating the composition as I am a big fan of the film. I discovered to my dismay that the genuine font used by the film requires payment, so using some clean reference I re-created the ornate geometric aesthetic of the titular lettering.

Visual Communication: Module Evaluation

The initial brief of the module encouraged working with peers that were deliberately diverse, this allowed me to develop my understanding of working as a group, such as encouraging my peers to work independently or collaboratively on elements within the project. Collaboration also improved my time management skills, as I was forced account for the pace of others as well as my own.

I have often relied on line quality as a primary tool, however the use of vector has greatly enhanced my understanding of shape and the use of a fixed palette to create appropriate imagery. I have made more regular use of the light-box in order to refine my drawings through reflective repetition, this has lead to a highly promising method of densely layering line art within photoshop to create the impression of depth and texture. During the first brief I consumed several hours creating a looped .gif, this was an arduous experience, but has vastly improved my focus on tasks and has warped my consideration of the animation as a potential tool.

The least successful element of the module was definitely the collaborative brief, the amount of confusion and indecision within the group resulted in a less satisfying resolution. I also experienced guilt having assumed the role as the main worker within the group, which was a shared sentiment with the other group members. In future I hope to face collaborative tasks with a more transparent attitude, and share the burden of work equally, making use of the individual talents of each member. Otherwise I struggled with colouration on several occasions, leading to large amounts of time being lost to nudging the HUE bar, though ultimately I would suggest it improved the final product.

The greatest improvement has been the consideration of a wider amount of media, rather than just the fine-liner, the use of water colours in the final brief informed my later decisions to incorporate textured brushes within photoshop. I am particularity pleased with how I applied format in the second and third briefs, the postcards in each instance were particularly strong in using the portrait format, using colour values to create focal points. I was impressed with the results of the looped .gif, I find that it introduced a comedic dynamic that the static imagery alone was incapable of.

Upon the opportunity to revisit the module I would have invested more time into analogue colouration, as I found the digital exorbitantly time consuming, over-all I find that I am lacking in the experience and confidence to colour things physically which can only be remedied through confrontation. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to create some more screen-printed responses, as reliance on reprographics has proved stressful. I would have accounted more for the input of others during the collaborative segment, as I am fully aware that the skills of others can be capitalised on for effective results.
In addition, I might have made less use of the fine liner to make visual responses, as it is not universally appropriate.