Even More Pinterest

Created another board for the COP module; collecting images of event and gig posters, mainly off of gigposters.com. Hopefully this will help when writing the essay and give me a wide variety of image and artist references; its already given me a few more ideas. It's good to see some modern ones vs. older ones, and photographic vs. hand drawn vs. digital etc.

More Pinterest

Today I created a new board to collect reference imagery and inspiration for OUIL404 (Visual Language) - Ska, Punk and Northern Soul. It's great as a board, and when it's all up there together you can see the clear visual links between the three genres really easily. However, I don't like Pinterest as much as I thought I would, just as you have to faff around signing in and stuff to collect imagery and have access to internet. I would like to have a tangible collection of images as well as an online one, for postcards and things I find laying around. I can always take pictures of that one and then make a new board for it on Pinterest.

Self Evaluation; End of Module (OUIL403)

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?

I have been able to expand my skills in ways such as being able to be much more relaxed about the work I have produced; not being afraid of doing a bad drawing and ‘messing’ up a page in my sketchbook. I can now look at a bad drawing and use it to correct the next one, for example making fingers longer on a hand.  Leading on from this, I feel I have massively improved my drawing skills, as I have been constantly creating new drawings and repeating them almost every day. I also think I have gotten better at using my time wisely to create work, something I have previously not been very good at. This could be because the course is so demanding that if you don’t plan out your time you will get very behind very quickly, something I learnt early on. It has been useful to have a go at editorial illustration, as I have learned how to extract key parts of an article and visualise them on a piece of paper whilst communicating an idea.

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?

I have found repeating the drawings I have created to improve them very valuable, by tracing and tweaking them on the lightbox or just looking at them and trying to do it by eye. This for me is the best way to make the work I have created better and I feel this has really benefited my drawing skills and final work outcomes. I have also found observational drawing very helpful, as it has given me a more realistic outcome to my work, without detracting from my own drawing ‘style’ (not something I’m set in stone about, it is just good to try and keep a sense of character within work and not draw fully from reference).

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

I feel I have used my time fairly wisely and have created a collection of works in which I am overall pretty happy with. I think my drawings have been successful and communicative; I have capitalised on this by continuing to practice illustrating concepts or stories, e.g. an article, and asking people whether they understand what the message is behind the imagery. I feel I have been able to reflect on what didn’t work so well and use it to improve the work I am creating.

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

I think I could produce more development work for future projects, as I am prone to jumping the gun and settling on a final idea before I have tried and produced more rough ideas. This will also help me improve the concepts behind my work, something I have struggled a little with in this module, especially towards the start. I will improve on this by making sure I set aside enough time to create more, and take books out the library, watch relevant films and visit places for inspiration; absorb and document as much information around me as I can.

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

I have gathered the feel for the standard of work we are expected to produce, and how creating at this level will help me move forward in the future. It has taught me that working within a creative studio environment is helpful and influential when it comes to creating. I have really enjoyed this first module, although it has been challenging, as I feel I am developing my skills more and more every day, from drawing to concept making.

Pinterest!

I have created a Pinterest account as advised by Fred. I think this is a great idea as I am always writing illustrators names I come across on random bits of paper and then losing them; this way I can quickly add the name along with an image to an online library, and see it as a whole. I feel this will be useful to my practice as it will help me expand my knowledge of contemporary and classic illustrators, which at the moment is pretty limited. It is always useful to know what else is going on in the field you are planning to work in.

http://www.pinterest.com/charlottecurnic