Presentation Boards

Digital Sketchbook // EP3 Visual Journal

LAUIL603 Visual Research Bibliography

What? A collection of visual resources gathered, evidenced and referenced which have been key to each brief undertaken as part of this module.

Why? To provide evidence of research and the attempts made to better understand and consider the subject matter, content, and application of outcomes.

Reflection

An interesting display of my influences, research and external inspirations from the duration of the year which have impacted the direction of my practice and final collection of EP3 work. I have found research to be a key part of my approach when starting a brief as it is crucial for me to understand the full context of my concept in order to develop unique and interesting design ideas. Where possible I have gathered primary research through interviews and visits and sourced respectable secondary resources from online sources and a collection of library books.

Through the process of research, I find it really crucial to be aware of other practitioners in the industry who have created similar work or work which falls in line with the initial direction of each brief at inception. Without research, the variety of my practice could cause me to stray and lose focus, ultimately weakening the result. What began with a hatred towards Cop3 and research-based projects – wanting to dive straight in with a finalised concept, has ended with me cementing this method into my approach. More research = more development = a more considered visual outcome. 

Portrait Task

Sedgwick museum visit photos

EP3 Mini Brief: Triptych / Worlds

A brief centred around the concept of triptych framework and my interest in shapes within landscape.

LAUIL603 - Final Mega Crit Feedback

Updated Statement of Intent

EP3 "COLOUR" Brief: Munsell Colour "FM HUE" Test

EP3 Editions: 'Colour' Project - Activity and Research

Formal Test Name: The Farnsworth Munsell Colour Hue Test
Link to test: http://www.colormunki.com/game/huetest_kiosk

Test Description: Digital colour and hue sight test
Digital Print studio resource notes on the test:

This is an online version of the the original FM Hue test, 

it assess' your ability to see colour. 

Lower the score the better!!

Notes
Stumbled across this colour hue visual text uploaded to e-studio in the digital print resource when planning the stock and order forms to get my final work printed for EP3 submission.
Found here on e-studio: http://estudio.leeds-art.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=104#section-0

Aim & rationale of mini task: 

• Interested in seeing how I perform visually when it comes to colour, colour arrangement by scale and hue/shade/tone comparison. 
• Took online test to determine my own visual ability to determine the correct scale of hue and tone on the colour scale.

My Process & synergy with the Munsell Hue task:

• Effectively I use my computer screen as a back light, removing the "white" information of my layers and like a back light - the white light of the screen helps me to not only play with layer order, shape and colour etc - but also opacity, hue, saturation of layer - 
• this then influences colour, texture, colour ways and mixing (when layers overlap with one another)
• Screen therefore almost acts like a digital editable / interactive shadow box, the layers of colour created by digitally cut layered shapes and light shining through each layer to create different carefully considered arrangements and compositions.
• task synergises with how my 'layers' process above - (the creative consideration for how interaction between my layers effects colour as well as composition) - often calls for a sharp eye between colour values such as hue. 
• - I.e  To remain in control of my digital shape compositions for this module (for briefs such as colour, crystals, worlds etc) any opacity/hue/sat changes to my shape layers when playing with colour - can create new effects & colour ways created by layer order // shape overlaps in my compositions.
• Knowledge of colour learnt throughout this brief and 'COLOUR' editions // passions project goes hand in hand with visual ability to determine slight changes in colour values such as hue - like this test shows.

Test Process & Results:

1. Start of test - Jumbled hue tile position (before sorted):

      2. My first test attempt at finished arranged tiles per hue scale:



3. My Results

 4. My score compared to other average test scores by participants of similar age / gender

Compared to other age brackets:

• Me: 0
• Other ages average score: 160
• Highest score for age and gender range: 159

I GOT 0 - A PERFECT SCORE :)

0 = "Perfect Colour Acuity"

Munsen Colour Hue test research:
Info link: http://munsell.com/faqs/what-does-score-farnsworth-munsell-100-hue-test-mean/

"How Good is Your Color Vision?…  
The Farnsworth Color Vision Test Will Tell..."

Accurate color vision is essential to all aspects of color development and effective color communication 

whether you’re designing, inspecting or formulating in any industry.  

The Farnsworth Color Vision Test (also known as the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test) 

uncovers color blindness and other color vision anomalies.

Results explained:

• Superior (Good) Score - ME

About 16% of the population make 0 to 4 transpositions on the first test, or total error scores of zero to 16. This is a superior range of competence for color discrimination.

• Average (Normal) Score

About 68% of the population score between 16 and 100 on first tests. This is a normal range of competence for colour discrimination.

• Low (Weak) Score

About 16% of the population make total error scores of more than 100. The first retest may show improvement, but further retests do not significantly affect the score.

TEST 2

Completed another test via a separate website- to make sure first test attempt (noted above) and my good results werent a fluke

Munsell Hue Test 2 link: https://www.xrite.com/hue-test

• Test Start: Unsorted Hue Tiles:

• My Sorted Hue Tiles:

I GOT A TOP TEST SCORE OF 0 AGAIN!

IN MY SECOND MUNSELL COLOUR HUE TEST. ATTEMPT 

NO FLUKE :)

- This one seemed easier than my first test attempt 

and less tiles to rearrange than in test / website 1...

Thoughts / Reflection

• Not sure how accurate this version of the test is however (i trust James in the print room to know his stuff) 
• really nice to arrange colours in such a simple "tile" spectrum - tiles act like my shape layers for me (used to arranging slight differences between hues in my layers work)
• Happy to see that my score reflects the in-depth body of investigation into colour throughout this module that I have undergone- obviously I have learnt something and have a potentially pretty good eye for hue comparison?.
• I can see how my use of layers, opacity and colour in my work for this module makes the most of this comparative skill - often changing layer values in photoshop  or playing with layered media to create accurate colour spectrum and hue pieces along with playful layers.
• I think the comparison to other age / gender Munsell Hue Test results means that i'm above average?? - by getting the score of 0. 
• (results comparison page and values a little confusing - "15986720"????? when the lowest score is "99" ??)

Degree show mock ups

Crystals Papercut

Papercut layers of "crystal" arranged on a lightboard to play with shape, colour, and light. 

Precious - 3D Crystal

3D crystal process and experiments 

Seeing EDITIONS : COLOUR for the first time

Having had a few struggles with the direction of this module and forever starting, stopping and replacing briefs due to lack of confidence and commitment in my practical approach, I I have found I often complete work and then hide it away thinking it will never go anywhere. 

To me work that i feel isn't going anywhere often takes its place as a "failed" piece or idea that needs no more time spent on it, keen at that moment to move on to something completely new, different and exciting- in the hope this method/piece/direction of practice will make up for the ditched one and will be the 'one' - a method / practical approach and outcome that satisfies my passion for creativity whilst also living up to my own personal high standards.

My work therefore often gets lost in the ether of my home studio and it wasn't until one of peers at uni reminded me of some work I had shown at an an earlier mega crit in the year - that I realised there could be a ton of work I am forgetting I have made, having been of ill health.

With this in mind I put on some funky music, grabbed my boyfriend and a ton of masking tape, cleared my home studio walls and began to go through the work I have been completing (and hiding away) throughout the year. 

Aim of this task: To curate a collection of pieces I am fond of and review the boy of work I have for this module, finding and critiquing pieces I had completely forgotten about, whilst also filtering out the pieces that didn't work or necessarily fit with my creative identity from the year.

The OUTCOME

Reflection

This personal task ended up being one of the pivotal and most important moments of the year form me and potentially the whole degree course. Seeing my work displayed altogether like this enabled me to finally see for myself the links in my practical work and approach to visual communication. The use of colour - in so many bright and considered palettes comes across as a real strength in my work, whilst the use of shape and layers to create detail within each piece add the value that I have been striving for. Note to self - don't make work then hide it - how do you know where your going if you aren't in touch with where you have been???

Right > Me in my happy place - having finally discovered the link in my work after 4 years on this course and being excited about the direction of my practice!

Design Board Board Planning

To help me round off all of my work and attempt to organise myself ready for submission, I created some templates to help me per brief when populating my design/presentation boards. It is key that I show the journey of each brief, however as I have picked up and dropped a variety of briefs - my projects and direction having taken a few twists along the way - my board delivery needs to be easily understood and concisely curated.

As I design and populate my boards, I use each template as a key note sheet, jotting down anything from chosen images for each board, to where my artwork is saved, to notes on the explanation and written element of the boards for each brief. This works when doing each brief individually, I can collate all loose bits of paper, notes, artwork & development and work through this sheet along side the brief physical content. So far it has been the most valuable way I have approached board making - I hope this organisation pays off!

Aims of this task

• Storyboard visual layout of boards - my kinda working
• To become more organised
• find any gaps in submission / blog stuff
• a way to collate all notes, info and key stuff for boards
• to do my projects some justice and round them off succinctly
• using boards as a way to show my projects from start to finish, the rationale behind each, process, research, development, and of course outcomes - therefore important and key for my module submission and understanding of the briefs I have chosen

Templates:

Project Management Post

I have discovered that in order to project manage - i need to see everything all at once - otherwise my memory is so shot - i forget what i've done, how i did it and all the prep / notes along the way....probably why I have ended up with so much work but hey ho!

In order to visualise my EP3 module as a whole I have made an (albeit late) attempt to manage the projects I have work for and completed.

Here it is:

Seeing my notes and work in piles having gone through every post it, slip of paper and all my development and artwork is like a brain sort out for me. I need to see things if they are going to get actioned!

I am not a sketchbook kind of person. Something about the beauty of the book and paper and how its bound - i just don't feel my work is worthy of that and forever terrified of making marks and then wasting such a beautiful book. Most of my sketchbooks are repurposed however - for their lovely paper - that way I work on lose sheets (often like my note taking) and build up a body of work that I can curate (and have the control over who sees) unlike a submitted sketchbook where all work is present unless torn out which can destroy the artwork, book, look noticeable bla. Complete control freak i know.





Working on separate sheets has its perks:

• ease of scanning artwork, roughs, development and repurpose
• ease of binning / amending
• easy to layout all work at once and see development / areas of improvement
• I find it freeing for my practice and approach to new briefs

'Farnsworth Munsell' FM HUE 100 Colour TEST RESULTS - PDF Boards

EP3 Practitioner Research: HARI & DEEPTI

• 3d Shape & lense
• Beautiful layers
• Complexities and planning in the composition & layout
• Paper cut scenes and worlds
• shadow box - using light to create depth
• 2d medium - 3d concept
• Successful have shapes of no colour come to life through arrangement and the use of light to create a variety of shades.
• The use of light (being shone through to the front from behind the back of the piece) - creates a sense of atmosphere and immersion - something which would be entirely different if the light was off.
• Through the use of simple shapes and layering - detail, intricacy and craft can be achieved

EP3 Triptych / Worlds Brief: Research

Following quotes sourced from https://www.finearttips.com/2014/01/3-reasons-why-triptych-art-is-successful/

"Triptych art is made up of three panels that are intended to be displayed together. A triptych is from the Greek adjective τρίπτυχον meaning “three-fold”."

"The first triptychs were from early Christian art, which were a popular format for altar paintings from the Middle Ages onwards. Today triptych art is still defined as a work of art, usually panel paintings, digital art or photography divided into three sections."

“When the triptych art form is applied to photography or fine art, there are no steadfast rules to a triptych display. One method consists of three mounted artworks in a frame, the 3 images are closely associated in subject matter and are displayed near each other. Alternatively, the triptych can be a collection of three pictures featured in a singular image.”

“Here are the three points that I have highlighted as to why I believe they are a successful vehicle for an art installation.

1. Great visual appeal: These images have an aesthetic appeal to them. They challenge the viewer to think about the design and challenge themselves to the meaning and movement of the piece. As the viewer looks from one panel to the next, they have to come to terms as to how the art speaks to them and how they can digest three different artworks in one composition.”

2. Color: The color does a nice job of leading the eye from one of the images on the left to the ones going right. The subtle color of the first illustration to the blue tones of the second on to the thinner lines of the 3rd keeps the piece interesting . I believe these contemporary artworks do a better job than photo’s in the triptych format because I can alter the colors and transition of the piece. Unlike a photo which is basically one image cut into three sections.”

- Marc Garrison

Reflection

I am not sure what came first, my love of working in 3’s and odd numbers or if my creative practice has been subconsciously influenced by traditional triptych fine art. Either way, I am excited to use this layout in my own artwork for this brief, to play with the idea of frame work and visual communication. Each panel is displayed together therefore clearly linked and part of a larger message. What I like about the division of 3, is that you can include multilayers of information and even specify content to each individual frame/panel whilst still forming part of, and relating to the larger whole composition.

Visiting Professional - Laura Carlin

Notes from the talk (which I found particularly interesting):

• For inspiration and authenticity within work, think back to the imagery which surrounded you as a child.
• Stop looking at social media - make work that is solely me, instead of being influenced by other on instagram.
• Sketchbooks = a personal insight into the "studio" of an artist or illustrator. People are often awestruck by sketchbooks
• Be honest about your work. Invest in honest friends who will give honest critiques of my work, what works and what doesn't etc...this external insight is extremely valuable to have as a practitioner.
• Laura began omitting what isn't necessary in communicating the message. exaggerating shapes, height ad perspective of images to reflect atmosphere and feeling. Gives a personal and unique perspective - this is the aim of an illustrator.
• Don't just do a landscape
• Ideas don't have to be rocket science or highly conceptual, illustrations can be just that - a way of seeing an engaging an audience into that way of seeing.
• On Inspiration - Laura keeps folders full of work that evokes emotion and gets her brain going. This inspiration almost takes the form of scrapbooks - a collection of her work along with anyone else's and anything else which she find inspiring.
• Work which is authentic and playful is great - bring the playful to the adults.
• Look closely and observes the smaller details which others may have missed. Use these details to my advantage in visual communication and composition. Be playful
• Don't just illustrate the most obvious or draw directly fro the text. Gove more than the obvious or the description. Provide the image as a culmination of what is seen and felt and also what is missing from between the lines.
• Folio society bookstore - visit there!
  - They don't have a house style and are open to seeing and displaying new work.
• Children are an honest audience. 
• Lauras process for creating publication work:
• Procrastinate
• Check other practitioners social media 
• Then throws everything and every possibility at a project.
• Storyboard for idea of pace and flow. Each frame / composition within the storyboard on a separate sheet of paper so one whole story board is laid out, different frames can be re-arranged.
• The storyboarding at this stage is focusing on loose shapes, composition, text areas and white space - the point being to get an idea of compositional space and how much paint is needed per page.
• Then photocopies storyboard and creates a mock up
• always thinking seeing and doing book as a whole - to get a true feel for the pace, flow, visuals and storytelling aspects.
• When working on a project - likes to keep 3 projects going at one time.
• Keeps Laura working quickly, reduces the pressure and keeps energy level and pace up so that her creativity towards one project doesn't become stale
• Constantly trying to reduce the pressure of "the final piece"
• Works on lots at once to keep everything moving, new, exciting, fluid
• Likes to work on large sheets of paper when first starting a project whilst drawing the same things over and over until the right outcome has been achieved.
• 30 drawing of the same thing helps practice that aspect of the pice / publication (say a specific character or focal element) - this then strengthens your practice, you are more likely to achieve the desired look and then all this practice creates a nice backlog of work to reuse / become inspired by.
• All illustrators have their "tweaky" way of doing things - its about being true to who you are as practitioner - making things easier for yourself (not harder) and finding what works
• Being content as a practitioner one day then having a disastrous identity crisis the next is completely normal.
• Illustration is the power to show people how I look at the world and better yet - communicate it.
• We should all be looking at things differently as there is no "correct" way.
• Illusion - That creatives are all inspired all of the time. THIS IS NOT THE CASE.
• Laura is inspired and enjoys storytelling through tactile tapestries and pottery.
• Be ope to trying other mediums when things feel or become a little "stale".
• It is best to be brave when bravery is needed most. (during a creative block!)
• Newspaper club - large scale printing for cheap
• Consider exhibiting from a house are always fun, intriguing, relaxed and CHEAP

My thoughts on the talk:

• Having Laura visit us in the studio was really enlightening and I have great admiration for her sense of self, playfulness, connection with children and how honest she is about the hardships encountered in this industry.
• I feel her experiences have contributed to her growth and confidence and I found her points of view incredibly refreshing.
• What I found most beneficial from the talk was hearing how Laura likes to approach a new project, brief or publication. Being an illustrator who often has so many ideas floating around in my head that I often become bored with a project - it was nice to hear how someone else overcomes this by attempting several projects at once - on a little rotation - to keep things fluid. 

Degree show / Proposal / statement of intent update post

Proposal update for the degree show:

The recent proposal submission for the LAU BA Illustration upcoming degree show has got me thinking seriously about the work I want to showcase and what I need to produce in terms of physical material - as an extension & highlight of the work & projects I have been doing for this module. Having a clear idea of what I want to produce for the show at this stage gives me something to aim for in terms of deliverables for the submission of EP3 and what I can build upon in the remaining time left - to hopefully produce an exciting collection of work to showcase.

Degree Show Proposal

Submitted Proposal

Postcard Designs

 



Postcard information (for reverse)

essca

email:        essca.art@gmail.co.uk

website:    essca.co.uk

Insta:         @essca.art

603 - Contextual Research: BBC Mountain Documentary

BBC Mountain Documentary
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b1xs2d/mountain

Documentary To Classical Music
Atmospheric, dominant landscapes
Influential Cinematography
Frame & composition inspiration
Pace and flow

Documented exploration of 
"our obsessions with high places and how they capture our imagination"







Trailer:


Research, Notes & relevance:

Thoughts

It is ok to indulge in obsessions. 

• A creative alternative looks at a subject close to the heart of my Editions passion project for this module.
• Probably one of the most influential and inspiring pieces of work I have seen in a long time. The many links this movie has with my practice; how it gives an alternate look at a comparable subject matter - links closely with the recent subject matter I have been exploring in my work, shape and landscape, frame, composition - my practice, what excites me in my work  --- the list is endless!
• Just the boost in inspiration I need and I'm really beginning to feel where this is all going..for this project AND potential future of my practice (for now )..Finally! 
• Watch this documentary!

Further Research:

An enlightening and highly positive review from the guardian:
"a truly amazing view from the top" - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 14.12.17
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/14/mountain-review-jennifer-peedom-willem-dafoe