Study Task 3 - What is Illustration?

•  Communicating a message, the message could be anything; political views; parables; dolphins are cool etc. Illustration is pretty versatile in ways it can convey a message such as in one image or through a narrative driven piece, which is pretty interesting to me. 
• Reflects artists interests. Pieces of illustration that I like usually always reflect the artists interests, as they draw what they want to regardless of whether it will appeal to anyone else. It's good to let your interests inform you. 
• Illustration usually has an audience or a purpose it can fulfil. Even self driven illustration can appeal to an audience of people with similar interests. 
• Knowledge of media - informing the illustrators decision when it comes to making a piece. Experimentation with media is key to this knowledge as one can develop styles, techniques etc. that can be applied when creating work.   
• A concept is kind of like a first step. Once you've got a concept in place for your illustration you can mould it and create a great piece - I feel that sometimes if the concept and message is clear then the crafting of the image can be less important. (Though its always nice to have a well crafted piece)

Pinterest!

Character

Rob Hodgson

I love how this image takes the moon but then turns it into a range of characters rather than just one, showing different emotions and looks. There's an experimental quality to the images - the running theme is clear but each section is crafted a little differently. I am a little disappointed this is not called 'Faces of the Moon' to play on 'Phases of the Moon' 

Line Quality

Jacqueline Bissett

This is a fashion illustration and the quality of line in this is just beautiful. The lines describe the shape of the clothes and the figure without overpowering the image. I love the fluidity of the lines, they really convey the structure of the body and the fit of the clothing, the texture of the hair all in just a few lines. 

Colour

Kali Ciesemier

This image falls under both the colour and the composition mark as a combination is what makes this image so exciting. The darker tones set the spooky mood of the house and makes the bright yellow and the eyes of the ghostly creature really pop! The colour accentuates the composition as the yellow flashlight leads you from the bottom of the stairs up the image. 

Composition

Peter Donnelly 

The length of this picture is like a going on a journey. I'm really enjoying the stylisation in this image -  it really suits the composition and the dimensions of the page. The way the waterfall leads the viewer through the woods is quite a simple idea but with these dimensions used it's really effective as it reflects the downward motion of the waterfall.  

Craft

Alison Woodward (front of pop up book)

Alison Woodward (inside pop up book)

This gorgeous book has so many different elements to it. Firstly the images are beautifully painted - the detailed textures on the unicorn and underside of the mushroom, and the tonal work. As well as that the paper crafting and assembly of the book is just magical! Paper craft is something I look at in awe especially when it's this intricate as I have always been a bit terrible with cutting paper myself. 

OUIL403 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?

I've been able to explore a lot of different media, recently I have been enjoying experimenting with brusho to create textures and used it in some areas of my Play Play Play images. In this module I have worked a lot with paints and inks. I think I have effectively used these media for different purposes for example I used gouache in two briefs (Day in the life, and A-Z Typology) but in my typology I have used it in a way that is creates flat colour whereas in Day in the Life I have used a dry brush approach. My work with inks could definitely be improved to be more controlled and less patchy.

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?

Making roughs has been a really helpful in this module as it provides a chance to see your ideas and compare them – adding suggestions of detail etc without having to do a full picture and find it hasn't worked. Before this course I had done thumbnails in projects but reluctantly – now I understand how important they can be for the design process. Initially my roughs were terrible, particularly for the typology they were totally unrecognisable as images, but throughout I realised spending a bit more time on the roughs adding media and colour as I have done in Day in the life and Play Play Play really helps in communicating the images – especially when other people have to critique the roughs. While working with particular dimensions in Day in the Life working within a frame was very useful for designing the layout of the images. This will definitely come in handy when doing future projects with dimensions that are not standard (A4, A5 etc)

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

My biggest strengths have been my use of colour. In each of the projects I think I have had a good eye for what colours are appropriate for each piece. Play Play Play is my favourite use of colour as it really communicates an atmosphere and gives the images a narrative. I believe that the ideas that I create are strong as I am able to think up a lot of different ideas, though I do need to work on the overall execution/communication of the idea in imagery.

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

Crafting is something I definitely need to work on as a lot of pieces are not as polished as they could be, I will be able to address this by just setting aside time to really work carefully on pieces so I am not rushing through the crafting process. Along with this, time management is another thing I need to improve as I always end up doing things last minute and although I have met all the deadlines I would like to be more comfortable and have finished everything I need to in good time. I will have to use my diary more.

5. In what way has this module introduced you to the Ba (Hons) Illustration programme? The range of briefs has introduced me to the breadth of styles (editorial, narrative etc) that will be covered on the degree, which is pretty exciting! I can't wait to continue. Blogging has been a pretty new experience for me, previously I have just had a critical journal blog but I'm finding it great for documenting my process rather than writing it all in a sketchbook (sketchbooks are for sketching!)