Bring the experience to the audience
interact with > f o r m a t
Improve on ownership and authenticity within my work
Themes:
Landscape, adventure, exploring, personal, memory, colour & theory, shape, texture, Layers
Improve skills in frame & composition
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This module has allowed for me to return to a much needed state of play and exploration within my practice - enabling me to build my confidence and skillset across a range of interesting and diverse briefs.
My aim at the beginning of the year was to produce a strong body of work in the hope of populating my portfolio at the end of the year with pieces I am proud of and which represent me as an illustrator. In addition and for me personally, returning to creating work after a period of illness, I was eager to see development and changes within the way I approach new briefs, whilst hopefully achieving a succinct style and tone of voice which I felt had been lacking.
By approaching a range of briefs I was able to quickly determine early on what direction and areas of my practical approach to visual communication I wanted to improve upon, in particular my use of shape, layers, frame and composition whilst also generating a sense of authenticity within my work.
The briefs I feel most successfully achieved this are:
'Crystals'
'Deserts'
'Worlds'
Most notable out of the briefs is my EDITIONS: COLOUR passion project, which had its quiet yet valuable influence over much of my work. This has been a real highlight for me as what initially began with a COP3 project, ended up forming the grounding theory which underpins my process.
One of the biggest challenges for me this year was maintaining control over my briefs. Still a little wobbly on the ground in terms of taking ownership of my work, I found it difficult to see briefs through to the end in every single instance - for fear of taking the wrong path and ending the year with a collection of work I never wanted to show. It wasn't until I began to show my peers and tutors my work, that I realised mistakes, play and experimentation with no clear direction or ideas for outcomes are fine and that this often produces some of the most insightful and personal work.
This inevitably reduced the pressure for me and let the creativity out, enjoying processes such as returning to the print room to create a texture bank which went on to play its part in 3+ of my briefs (Triptych / Worlds, Crystals, Deserts etc).
I worked on and completed 9 briefs in total (having binned around 5 across the course of the year ) and feel I really pushed myself and my practice to see what i could accomplish.
Some briefs are more successfull than others
The most enjoyment I had with a brief was turning my physical texture bank of mono prints into desert paper-cuts. I havent working in paper cut layers for some time and not with the purpose of final imagery (I created some pieces for COP3 but they remained as a part of my sketchbook). I have always felt my paper-cut work to be lacking in some way - a little too tacky - always reminding me of those laser cut flowery grandma cards you get in Clintons. I was determined to have some fun with an aim of improving my delivery of this well developed (but often forgotten) skillset of mine.
I cant wait to explore this process further, as my key take aways from this module and year is that it is ok to play and indulge in obsessions.
I have also achieved the impossible, and that is a succinct collection of work and practical approach revolving around my play with layer, shape, format and most importantly colour.
Final thoughts:
- Colours for me (and my use of them in my practice) hope to spur an emotional response. It is a way I often see the world - in spectrum and twilight hazy dusk - lighting extremes. I hope to continue to develop this project and how it shapes my practice, aiming to achieve the sense of atmosphere in my work through the use of colour shape space and light - that I get through my “eye sight”.
- Aim to achieve in my practice layers of colour and texture and light play off one another to keep drawing the eye back
- This module has ended with me and my practice in a complete state of play, development and enjoyment of process. Coming full circle with a project I had initially binned in COP3 in September - and having it take precedent by the end of my degree is a true “jess” way of doing things and making things harder than they need to be - but regardless i'm glad I got myself back here and im excited where im taking it.
EDITIONS:COLOUR Passions project
CRYSTALS - research based project
SECRET 7 - Live brief
A-Z a typographical brief
DESERTS - research and papercut project
TRIPTYCH WORLDS - Mini Brief centred around composition and frame
TEXTURE BANK - a self directed brief with the purpose of building a body of textures to be used both physically and digitally in furture artwork.
WOODLAND - a return to the process of seamless pattern making to improve skillset
DUCK EWE- commissioned client Brief
