OUIL406 End Of Module Self Assessment

1.  What skills have you developed through this brief and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

In this module, I feel I have experimented and pushed myself the most in terms of developing certain skills. I have really enjoyed trying out new methods of working for the first time, for example illustrator, and also using the cintiq, both extremely useful skills to have. In terms of applying them to my work, I have achieved a brilliant number of outcomes in this module, each down to experimenting with and exhausting methods of production. I would say I have applied them really well, and that this module has been my most successful in my opinion.

2. What approaches to/methods of image making have you developed and how have they informed your concept development process?

Once again, I have developed so many different methods of working in this module. In the GIF brief I really challenged myself to create complex animations in Photoshop for the first time, that would challenge me in terms of time management and technical skill and I feel that through perseverance I managed to achieve effective outcomes. I have found that when developing concepts, research into my chosen subject was key, especially in SB3, so that I could fully understand what it was that I wanted to communicate. I researched quite heavily in SB2 and SB3, which I feel really paid off. I found looking at other artists to be really useful also in terms of pushing my concept further, inspiring me to try new medias.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think especially in this module, I have been able to demand more from my outcomes and push myself, in order to achieve them. I think that the briefs where I have had enthusiastic intentions, have been the most successful. In every brief of this module, I have challenged myself to create unique and impressive outcomes that in some cases I have achieved. I also really feel like I am starting to understand the tones of voice of different medias, which will definitely help me in future modules.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

One main weakness that I found to be reoccurring, was how I would start a piece of work and would get lazy and be unable to finish it with the same enthusiasm and craft as when I started. It is something I need to work on, as It tends to really bother me when looking back at previous work. On top of that, time management is once again a main concern, especially now that I am working outside of university, I need to be able to manage my time more efficiently.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

-       Ask for more help from my tutor, and peers to gain an insight into how people view my work. -       Use sketchbooks a lot more as a tool. -       Take a more professional approach to ‘finished’ pieces of work, e.g, if there are minor aspects that need fixing, fix them to create a higher standard. -       Use timetables to organise my time effectively. -       Blog atleast 4 times a week, in order to keep reflections truthful and up to date.

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Final Outcomes + Prints

Poster

My poster was a massive triumph for me. I am so pleased with how it has turned out, and how I was able to locate the ideal media for my poster. I think that the colours work really effectively, and that the poster really communicates a nostalgic feeling that makes you think. I found it really exciting working on such a large scale, and feel like it really challenged me to use composition effectively. There a few minor compositional niggles that were brought to light after printing, but for a first attempt at using a cintiq I am so happy with it. 

Postcards

In each of my postcards, I have referenced a still from a variety of episodes of 'Carl Sagan - Cosmos', each of them showing Sagan exploring/enjoying nature and appreciating the universe, aspects that I have tried to recreate in my postcards.

I think that my postcards work really effectively, and have the same consistent quality as my poster. I feel that the use of colors once again create an atmosphere, which was one of my main intentions. As a set I think they work phenomenally, and the use of orange, blues and purples create a warm vibe in each of the images. This is further created by the use of the custom brushes. Overall I'm so happy with my postcards, and apart from small compositional aspects, I do not feel they could be improved. 

Stamps

In each of my stamps, I have tried to focus on the beauty and the depth of the universe, ranging from plant earth (the shell), to galaxies far away in space. I do not feel like my set of stamps are successful as my poster and postcards, however I do really enjoy the warm mixture of brown/orange and blue. I feel that the warmth created by the color scheme is reflective of Sagan's nature towards to the universe, accepting and considerate. I think that I really struggled with the stamps because of the composition and how small scale they are. 

Prints

I decided to get my images printed on matte card, because I wanted to create an authentic yet polished look, which I feel my prints convey. The colors turned out amazingly on the prints and feel that each image is complimentary to one another.  

A small idea I had was to print my poster on to tracing paper, in order to give it an authentic quality (and it was only 50p a print so why not), however It did not turn out how I imagined. I decided to put it up against a window and let the light shine through it however, which made all the colours really intense and vivid. I really like the idea of using it as a window sticker, because of it's picturesque aspect, which is intensified with natural light. 

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Peer Critique

I took part in a peer critique where we discussed our progress over Easter and the ideas for our final outcomes.
We were asked to write down our intentions and problems that we are facing. 

Unfortunately I did not receive a massive amount of helpful feedback, however It was agreed that my stamps would work better as postcards, which I agreed with. This exercise did help me to realise what struggles I was facing however, and how I needed to focus more on communication of a message, rather than making images aesthetically pleasing. 

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Scamps + Final Mockup

When creating the mockups for my poster, I had intentions of creating an awe inspiring scene of nature, showing the beauty of the universe and nature, with Carl somewhere in the composition looking out in deep thought. With ideas as concrete and precise as these it was quite easy to generate mock ups.

In these mockups I had the idea of using alot of negative space to show the vastness of the universe, however I felt that this idea was quite cliche and overused, alot like in my ink and white paint image. 

I then settled for these compositions for my final poster, that would show a picturesque landscape lit by a sunset, where I intend to reference Tom Cole's stunning use of media and colour. In my final poster, I think it would be effective to not show Sagan's face, and that it would become to obvious to any fan who it is anyway. I think it would create a sense of prestige and would honor his legacy subtley, as opposed to using a caricature. 

Upon creating these scamps I decided to try out the cintiq and play around with the various brushes, which created the exact authentic effect I was looking for. 

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Artist Research

One artist I came across recently is Tom Cole. I saw his work and instantly fell in love with it. His mixture of analogue and digital media used to make twee and often nostalgic images is a really interesting way of working. 
I love the way he creates atmosphere so intensely in alot of his work, often created by his skies and beautiful use of colour and media. 

These images are a prime example of how he creates atmosphere in his imagery. The use of intense red/oranges and pale blues are so complimentary and just look really effective in my opinion. 

I tried to recreate Cole's techniques in my own work, by overlaying gouache with oil pastels:

I think they work on a small level, but don't look as neat and refined as Cole's use of media. I really like the use of gouache however, and love how vibrant the colors are. I would really like to try out the cintiq in the studio and use the custom photoshop brushes to see if an authentic effect is created.

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Media Experiments

Here a few media experiments from my sketchbook that I created in relation to Carl Sagan.

Nebula experiments with gouache

Watercolour experiments

I made this image using ink and a white paint pen, which I think really sums up my interpretation of Carl Sagan. I wanted to make an image that shows Sagan appreciating the universe, which is a really nice quality I have found in him. I really like the idea of an image that creates a feeling of nostalgia, celebrating the beauty of the universe, which I feel reflects Sagan's patient and considerate nature.

I also took part in a peer critique where I discussed my intentions for my project. Some main feedback I received from my sketchbook;

• Good to see a full sketchbook of experimentation
• As opposed to focusing on what Sagan looks like, big eyebrows, turtleneck etc, try to understand more what he is about and form an opinion of him.
• Starry image works well, maybe try making him smaller, play with scale to communicate largeness of space.

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Vector Experiments

Because of my recent success using Vectors and Illustrator, I thought I'd give it a go when starting my sketchbook. I created these small pieces based around the Golden Record, one of Sagan's well known achievements. I really liked how quirky and interesting this whole concept was, and felt that it would create some interesting visuals. 

In this second image, I tried experimenting with 3D image, making a reference to the 1980's and the space age. I do not think that this image is very effective, however it was to get my ideas down physically. 

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Chosen Person + Research

When I first received my three people, I was very unsure as to who would make the most interesting visuals. The people who I got were; 

Sir David Attenborough - A British national treasure who is famous for his wildlife programmes and contributions to natural science. With Attenborough, I felt like it would be very difficult to avoid cliche's and that because he is so widely appreciated, it would be hard to form my own opinion of him. There were alot of interesting unknown facts about him, but I didn't really want to focus on small insignificant details. 

Philip Larkin - A poet from Hull, who developed a gloomy attitude to life as he grew older, reflected in his poetry. Because of the negativity surrounding this person, I did not feel passionate about this person whatsoever and thought that it would not be constructive for me personally to look at him for my project. 

Carl Sagan - After researching this person I automatically knew that I wanted use him for my project. Carl Sagan is a Scientist and somewhat TV personality, who hosted a range of TV programmes, 'Cosmos' that made Space/Science/The Universe an accessible subject to it's viewers in the 1980's. He has also made a number of contributions to Science, including releasing a Golden Record into space, containing sounds of earth, in an attempt to communicate with someone/something who would find it. I think this person is really interesting and would really enjoy looking into him alot more. 

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To start understanding who Carl Sagan is, I started watching episodes of 'Cosmos' on youtube, which then made it very clear how passionate about science and the universe he was. The way he interacts with his audience in the programme is really inspiring, because of his patience and consideration that is conveyed through his words. When discussing space and science, Sagan speaks almost poetically, once again conveying his love and passion for his work. 

Stills from Carl Sagan's: Cosmos Episode 3

Studio Brief 3: Persons Of Note - Initial Thoughts

This brief is really exciting to me because I love the idea of becoming an expert on someone. In order to succeed in this brief, I feel that it is crucial to fully understand what my person is about and develop an opinion about them, so that I can convey a message. 

To start this brief, I started looking at illustrative portraiture:

 

Self Portrait by Lizzie Stewart 

I really love this piece by Lizzie Stewart. I think the use of media creates a really twee effect and the use of negative space around it really balances out the composition and creates a subtle and minimalist effect. The piece communicates alot about Lizzie herself, indicated by the facial expression and small details like the red nose. I think it's a really unique perspective also, and links to traditional portraiture of a side profile. Depending on my person, I would love to go down a quaint, media driven pathway.

Amanda Senneby

This piece by Amanda Senneby is really nice also, and her use of colour is a bit crazy, but very complimentary. The use of gouache provides a really authentic texture, and the experimental use of inverted colors contrasts nicely with it. The composition of the piece is really unique, and reminds me of playing cards. The way that the portrait is shown in 2 different colors could communicate an alter ego/dual personalities/ mental health issues, and may be something to think about.

Studio Brief 2: Greetings From - Final Crit

Here is my feedback sheet from this briefs final critique, which I got some amazing feedback in. I was really appreciative of how everyone recognized how much work had gone into them and I really liked the idea of 'looking into a little world'. Alot of people asked me if I was referencing the sims or other virtual platforms, which I found quite interesting as it wasn't my intention, but looking back I can see the link. 

Studio Brief 2: Greetings From - Final Postcards

These are my Final postcard images created using Illustrator. 

Overall I'm really happy with how they've turned out. I feel that the large amount of time and craft that have gone into them has really paid off and they look exactly how I intended them to. To finish them off I added a circular border, which I feel creates an effective contrast between the cube like shapes inside of it, and gives it a sleek finish. I feel like they look quite trendy aswell, in relation to what is popular in illustration at this time. 

These 2 top images are by far my favourite ones as I feel that aswell as visually communicating the chosen place effectively, the colour combinations work perfectly together and I really enjoy the composition. 

These last 2 images I feel are still effective, however are not completely harmonious in relation to colour and composition. For the postcard based around London/Britain, I feel that I should've been slightly more considerate about the colour combination, as it does not as well. 

Studio Brief 2: Greetings From - Production Of My Images

These are Screenshots from illustrator when creating my images. The process was very complex and time consuming, however I hope that I have managed to capture my progression effectively. I found it really amazing to see how even 3D objects can be reduced to various shapes, which is basically how I went about creating my images. 

Creating the Background

Creating 3D Objects

To create the objects, I had to manually render each 3D face of the object.

I then coloured them, using lighter variations for one side, and darker for the other, to create the desired 3D effect.

To create the effect of glass, I used the usual process, and then lowered the opacity on the object. This was quite difficult however, as it meant that I had to create all 4 sides of each glass object, as they would be visible through the glass.