Commission Work

I was asked to produce a drawing/painting of a hotel in Devon for someone to give as a gift this Christmas. They didn't specify what they wanted the image to be like but I took inspiration from artwork I have seen at seaside galleries to produce this image. I used black fine liner pens and watercolour paints. Not all of my lines are perfectly straight and neither is the text at the bottom as this is just my handwriting, but I think it adds to the character and charm of the image. 

Visual Skills Self Evaluation

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?

My final outcomes of the three studio briefs display a diverse range of media and I felt I became more adventurous with my choice of media as the module went on. I felt I needed to push myself to take advantage of the freedom we were given with Studio Brief 3; I had never previously considered wax crayons as an appropriate media for a final piece due to the unruly nature of their finish. However, for this brief, this media worked well with the playfulness of my final images. This module has allowed me to develop my practical skills somewhat through experimenting with media and tools (dip pens were a tool I had not used before), techniques and processes, but I feel it has been more beneficial to my competence in idea generation, development of a concept and refinement of a well considered image. I have kept the focus of this module on the communication of a message or idea which has led to the production of some well thought out conceptual outcomes that I am not necessarily pleased with aesthetically. 

Which principles/theories of image making have you found the most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

Producing roughs has proved invaluable to my idea generation as it has allowed me to get my ideas onto paper quickly and efficiently before progressing onto the selection and development stage. It realised part way through Studio Brief 1 that roughs could in fact be ‘rough’ so I felt I had spent some time during this brief producing detailed images which I later understood was not particularly necessary. Seeing a visual of my initial ideas rather than writing a list helped me to see whether an idea was viable and if not, how I could adapt it so that the image could be understood. Studio Brief 2 required me to work ‘within the frame’; this process really pushed my composition skills which is something I personally felt needed improvement. I think the composition of my landscape piece for this brief has a really effective composition showing how time is dragging and I don’t think I would have been able to think of this idea if I hadn't been working within the frame.  

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

I feel idea generation is a strength of mine, although some of my initial ideas are quite obvious, I work hard to produce a wide range of concepts which is often commented on in peer critiques. Studio Brief 1 displays a complete exhaustion of my initial thoughts before moving on to the development process of my final poster. This tested my competence in the exploration of possible solutions and led to some more interesting concepts as the process continued. I think I also consider a lot of different options in terms of media, tools and techniques for each aspect of my images, pushing my experimentation and exploration as far as possible in the development stages. 

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

One regret I have with this module is that I have not used digital media. I need to improve my confidence with using Photoshop as I feel this will really enhance my work and allow me to present my final pieces in a much more professional way by adding colour to my drawings precisely and removing any unwanted marks on the page. I feel I need to improve my ability to stand back from my work and take an objective view; this would allow me to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses more effectively. I think that future peer reviews and group critiques will help me adapt to this - I have learnt how subjective a piece of work can be and how feedback can raise issues I had not previously considered. In future, I aim to critique my own work in the same way that I look at my peer’s work.

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

This module has got me in the mindset of working to a brief with the intention of finding a solution to a problem in the form of a final outcome or set of images. I have realised that one to one contact time with a tutor is really valuable so I try to make the most of this to iron out any of my concerns or queries. Having strict deadlines to stick to has taught me how important time management is on the course, especially as we have numerous modules running at the same time, each with their own individual demands. The group critiques have introduced me to both giving and receiving criticism of work which has improved my ability to form opinions about visuals. Blogging was also a completely new concept to me and I have had to adapt my way of working to accommodate how my work will be assessed. I have had to get out of the habit of describing what I am doing and focus more on why I have chosen to do things, evaluating the successes and failures of stages of development and recording transformative moments in a project.

Big Heads - Jon Burgerman

• English practitioner living in Brooklyn, New York. 
• Studied fine art at Nottingham Trent University
• His work predominantly consists of drawing and flat visuals, character design also plays a big part
• He also produces sculpture and performance art, etc - it is about having an idea and pursuing it in the most appropriate way. 
• It is difficult to define Jon's practice but it exists in the middle of art, illustration and commercial work. 
• Your studio is everywhere, you can make anything wherever you want - ALWAYS CARRY A PEN.
• Its okay to make stuff that you don't know why you're making it, trust your instincts because something might come of it in the future. 

Jon's project 'Tumblr Girls' was about drawing people without caring too much about form and colour, just drawing. Not everything has to be a well crafted, complete drawing, sometimes a simple, naive and quick approach works best to get information onto paper. Looking at this project has inspired me to do something similar, working from photographs to produce a large quantity of quick drawings. I feel this will help me improve my drawing skills and I could include this as part of my visual language module. 

Everything starts with a drawing - it is a form of writing. 

Advice from Jon Burgerman to students: 

• Enjoy being a student
• Take advantage of all opportunities available to you.
• Collaborate with peers. 

What makes something a great piece of work?

Its something you feel, it not a measurable thing, you just know. 

Nick Sharratt Interview

'Illustration: An interview with illustrator and long-term Jacqueline Wilson collaborator, Nick Sharratt'

I found this interview on It's Nice That and immediately thought I should read it as Nick Sharratt illustrated some of my favourite reading books as a child. His work really inspired me to draw and this is reflected in how I started out drawing figures and faces. I admire how he can recreate the same characters with such ease and them still be recognisable, he also shows facial expressions really effectively with his very simple style and process. 

'Can you give some advice to any illustrators out there who may be looking to become a children’s book illustrator?

I’m sure I once read a quote by John Vernon Lord (one of my illustrator heroes) about the need for professional illustrators to be able to convince themselves that they can draw anything at all. I think that’s the philosophy to have – of course it also means really working on your lateral thinking skills!'

illustration-an-interview-with-nick-sharratt

What is illustration?

1. Illustration should have a concept behind it and convey its meaning through image. 

John Holcroft

This image has a clear message behind it showing 'you are what you eat' in a very literal way which can be understood by an audience by purely using image. Not all messages need to be this obvious in the way they are portrayed as long as the concept is understandable. 

2. Illustration must have a level of visual quality showing craftsmanship. 

Hood - Henrietta Harris

I chose this image because in my opinion, it shows good drawing skills. The image shows craftsmanship and an investment of labour which, to me, is important when doing illustration. However, a realistic drawing with a high level of detail is not appropriate for every concept; some ideas would be better represented using a looser drawing style. In light of this, I think the statement that needs to be made is that illustration should harness an appropriate image making technique and tone of voice to suit the concept behind it. 

3. It should trigger some feeling or emotional response. 

Isaiah Stephens

The lack of colour in this image makes it seem dull and depressing before you even notice the content. The visual metonyms in this image (tear drops, person walking away and an umbrella suggesting rain) all suggest sadness and an emotional farewell. I feel this is something a lot of people can relate to and have an emotional response to in one way or another which is what makes it such a powerful image.

4. If produced from observation or reference material, the illustration should be a translation of what the illustrator can see and not a direct copy. 

Old Face - Rupert Bathurst

This drawing is an example of how visual information has been taken through a creative process between looking at the subject and translating that information into image. Although this probably doesn't stray too far from what Rupert Bathurst could see, the way it is drawn shows a level of interpretation and that he has not directly copied this in a photorealistic way. This makes the image individual and more interesting to look at. 

5. Illustration should have a purpose, for example, an editorial or commercial use. 

Packaging for 'Beehive Honey Squares' - Lacy Kuhn

For an illustration to function, it needs to be put into context so that it is doing its intended job. This illustrated packaging for Beehive Honey Squares uses an image of a bear to frame the view of the product. If it wasn't in this context, it wouldn't be illustration, it would just be an image of a bear. 

Leeds Print Fair

Today I went to look around Leeds Print Fair at the Corn Exchange. I really enjoyed looking at the printmakers' work and it has inspired me to have a go at printing because this is something I haven't looked into in that much depth before. Most of the fine art prints were beautifully crafted and I think the handmade aesthetic of the traditional printing techniques made the work a lot more individual and personal than digitally printed work as they show a clear investment of labour and craft. 

Some printmakers had printed their designs onto merchandise such as cushions, bags, clothing, and other materials - I thought it was really nice to see people's art work on products we see and use every day. This has made me think about how I can get my work out there maybe in a more interesting and useful way.