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 feel that within this module I have largely developed my analytical skills and understanding of what makes a good piece of illustration. Through learning about important elements of composition such as line of sight, depth etc, and incorporating these skills into my practice, I have begun to effectively analyse and critic others work as well as my own. I have more confidence in determining what aspects are successful/ unsuccessful within an image.
Planning composition and frame have become a really important part of visual language. Since learning about these important elements, I have thought a lot more about the layout of my images, and how to improve. - creating scamps, repeating the image to achieve a good composition has become an essential task particularly towards the end of visual language. - At times i haven't followed my roughs as closely as i should have when creating the final piece resulting in a not so successful image. i will continue to rough out and plan compositions in good quality.
This module gave me the chance to try out new media, and methods - such as screen printing, which I have really enjoyed this time round. - although not explored fully yet, I now feel much more comfortable creating a screen print. Through the opportunity to experiment, and explore in this module, I gained interest in creating shape and texture; I will continue to push this further and incorporate in future briefs.
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 did really enjoy the tasks set at the beginning of visual language. I found the basic principles of using line, and shape, and observing really eye opening. Learning about these basic elements of illustration was a really good starting point for the module - having a better understanding of these, better prepared me for the weeks that followed. - I built around these initial skills.
Learning about elements within composition has been so valuable in the development of my work. The ability to be able to recognise and create a successful composition is a skill i feel is needed to succeed in this profession. By putting these theories into practice, i have come to learn just how important composition is in determining the success of an image, or how influential it can be over how that imagery communicates to the viewer./over the perception. I have learnt how essential it is to plan and consider the arrangement of an image. - through creating a variety of roughs considering these key elements.
3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission how can you capitalise on these?
This module has given me room to explore media, and try new methods of working. - although i feel that i could have pushed this a lot further - (as in quantity and refinement)i have still learnt some new skills and built upon these through each week. I have looked at the successes of work produced - and areas that i was perhaps interested in developing, and incorporated these into other briefs. - I really enjoyed experimenting and playing around with shape and texture, achieving work that was nothing like what i had produced before. I took a risk and it payed off. - Without this exploration, i never would have created the book for visual communication which I am quite proud of.
Visual language has broadened my understanding of what illustration is. - much more than just drawing. i have found the use of paper cut, textures and working with digital media, and 3d and lens really interesting and exciting. through exploring these i have become a lot more open minded and inspired. i need to continue down the path of experimenting and work with a variety of media. - to continue to explore and discover.
4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?
The quantity/quality of work produced. Each week i feel that i have not highly prioritised visual language. Although that has meant that other briefs have succeeded because of this, i do wish that i had more time to spend on completing tasks. i think that the quality of my work has been effected, and feel that more investment could have meant more experimentation and development. - In future i aim to plan out my time more efficiently between modules - trying to not let one fall because of another. - realistically i will find this difficult but think its going to be more beneficial to find this balance.
I think that within my sketchbook, I have not been very playful or expressive. I think that I would benefit from being more spontaneous - put more of my personality in the pages, and not being worried about getting it wrong. I feel that i need to be bolder and not worried what the outcome may be, just that i'll learner from it. I think now I have seen how much more beneficial this play can be - from looking at others sketchbooks - and advice from inspiring illustrators. - I am much more motivated to try.
Drawing from observation. I found this to be really beneficial but definitely need to do more of it. I haven't really attempted it since these initial sessions, but really want to get better at it as i think its such a great skill. From these sessions i felt that i was already improving, and know its something that will take take time and lost of practice. I aim to do lots in my spare time over the summer, particularly focusing on people.
5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)?
Having weekly sessions teaching us about valuable compositional elements such as death, line of sight etc. has given me a much better understanding of these terms. Through discussions amongst peers, I feel much more able and confident in making informed opinions on the successes and un-successes of other practitioners work. From attending these sessions, I find myself being more speculative and evaluative of others work.
