Shape final outcomes

These final outcomes are fairly successful I feel, as I think the strong contrast in tone work well to detach the clothing from the person and really create the illusion of movement and substance within the piece.

In addition, I think the similar trousers help to tie the separate pieces together, whilst the different paper cutting techniques and colours help to separate them into completely different outfits.

Overall I feel I worked well to explore different image making techniques to come up with three individual yet cohesive pieces which fit the brief well. 

Final Screen Prints

I feel my group is happy with out final outcomes, as they are made to a high standard and that the colours work well together, as although they are quite contrasting, they work together to show different elements of the piece. I found it a very informative process to work in groups through this, as it is not something I have done much before when looking at illustrative work. However, the ability to work as part of a team is a necessity for any practitioner, and I feel I have learnt a lot throughout this process, such as the allocation of jobs and negotiating who does which tasks so that we both play to everyones strengths and ensure that the workload is even throughout the team. In many ways I feel working in a team helped by practice in this instance, as I felt we got on with the job quickly and efficiently and I am very pleased that we completely created a screen printed book in less than 48 hours.

In addition, I feel that the mixed styles work really well within this context, as the colour and format ties them together and ensures that the book on a whole is very cohesive. One thing which we could have improved upon would be the lining up of the screen prints, as I think more care could have been take on some of them to ensure they were precise. However by the end I think everyone in the group was a lot more comfortable working with the two different colours and the precision of the placement of paint grew over time.

Overall, I am very pleased with what our group produced in such a short amount of time, as we ended up creating around 25 screen printed A6 books, as well as learning about screen printing, a relatively new process for many of us.

Screen print development

Today we began to create imagery which we will later turn into an A3 screen print, before folding it into an A6 book.

We started by brainstorming different ideas for a story, the first, based upon what happened to us yesterday, was about a man who went betting every day and always lost but when he left the shop told the people he saw that he had won 'big'. However we thought although this had a lot of scope with repetition, the inability to use words would limit our outcomes. Our second sequence was about a woman who rented a different wig each day, but we felt again this was a little limiting. Therefore we decided to go with our third idea about a dog called Luna who dreams of being a race dog, and chases after and catches someone who steals someone's purse. However this story was a bit too cramped, so we decided to end it with the man getting away to show that although he wanted to be as fast as a greyhound he could never be fast enough.

After drafting the pages we decided who drew each page, and the final decision was Jen would create the cover and back, Kate would do the first and second pages, Ella would draw pages three and four, and Sophia and I would work collaboratively on pages five and six. We struggled originally to distribute the pages, as two people would only have one page each, which wouldn't be fair. Therefore we decided that Sophia and I would work together on one double spread and then copy all the artwork across to the kodatrace. Because we wanted the pages next to each other to be cohesive, we realised that they had to be created by the same person, so Sophia and I chose the 'racing dream' page so that the different styles would blend in as part of the context of the page. 

We then decided on a final design for the dog character, which was drawn by Kate, as we though having one cohesive thread throughout the book would help to tie all the images together. 

Once all the images were drawn we then traced them onto the kodatrace, Sophia did the sheet which will be blue and I did the red/pink one. We used china markers, which I had never used before, and found quite difficult to use precisely, but after a bit of practice I was able to efficiently build up the block colour. 

We also thought about colours to use and we have settled on either blue/red or blue/pink, as we feel these colours will contrast well with each other whilst still being very cohesive. One of the things we need to finish off before tomorrow is the type for the title of the book, which we still need to decide on, as well as a few finishing touches such as adding a red line on the grey hounds and reiterating a few of the small details such as eyes.

Overall I am very happy with how these pieces are looking at the moment and am very much looking forward to turning them into screen prints tomorrow.

Visual Narratives research day

Today we began our research into our new project through getting into groups of 5 and exploring Leeds with a list of activities to complete which will create interesting stimuli to work with.

Some of these tasks, among others, were:
Place a bet at a bookies
Try on a wig
Buy something from a charity shop
Try on some fabulous shoes
Buy someone else a cup of tea
Have half a pint of the weakest ale in a pub
Play with some toys in a toy shop
Ask a local if they know any legends or myths about Leeds

In order to collect a broad range of sources, we collected photographs, videos, voice recordings, items and words which we then will start to work from tomorrow in the development of our screen prints tomorrow.

I found this experience incredibly valuable, as I thought it was a very entertaining way to collect new and interesting information, and I definitely have several new anecdotes about what happened to us throughout the day, meaning we have a strong starting point for ideas development later on this week.

In our first activity we purchased a barbie and ken doll from a charity shop, so we decided to document our activities throughout the day by photographing them in new environments.

One activity we undertook was placing a bet in a bookies, as none of use had done this before, and it was a very unusual experience, as we had to get help from some strangers in the betting shop, meaning we collected a lot of interesting audio information as well. In addition another interesting event which happened to us was when we chose a pub at random to have our half an ale in, and we inadvertently chose 'the roughest pub in Leeds' which led to a few awkward moments and unusual conversations!

Overall I thought this technique of collecting information was very interesting and beneficial to our practice, as I know we will really be able to work well with our first hand experiences in a visual manner.

Shape Progression

Drawing with shape can be an interesting exercise, especially for me, as I normally always use line work in my practise. Because of this I started by experimenting with line and block colour before slowly reducing the amount of line in the image to create compositions which show the person and their stance whilst using minimal information.

I liked exploring different media and ways to portray clothes using block colour, as I found it very stimulating to think about how I could manipulate solid shapes into clear, defined clothing forms.

From these experimentations I have decided that I want to use very solid colour blocks, as I feel the painted colours do not give enough vibrancy and boldness, especially since this is a shape orientated project.

Shape presentation

How can shape show ideas and concepts through simple means?

Remember that it is the iconic, symbolic nature of images which can often produce the most effective and emotive outcomes

Scope to play around with analogue and digital media in order to find different, clever compositions which effectively communicate the intent.

Noma Bar

Enzo Mari

Evaluation

Throughout this module I developed many practical skills, particularly the use of gouache and more diverse ways to use inks, through pen, dry and wet brush as well as the use of different colours and tones. I also explored my Photoshop skills through the development of scanned hand rendered images, which I feel worked well aesthetically.

Because I was unable to use the print room, I had to create a similarly looking alternative to print, and developed my own acetate stencil and painting technique, which created an appearance I felt was effective and aesthetically pleasing. I also found cut paper important during this module as it is an effective way to quickly add a colour as well as a new element to the piece to add interest.

I inevitably found myself comparing my work to my peers, and I questioned whether my work fit into the course. However, I realised I need to see what others are creating, but not grade my work alongside theirs, as we all have different skillsets, and once I accepted that our work would be varying, I found it incredibly beneficial to be working alongside so many talented peers. In Studio Brief 2, I didn’t find the article stimulating, and struggled developing roughs. However, I should have experimented more to begin with, and let the roughs come through my trials and play with media. Although I feel the editorial pieces were not the best I could have made, I found it invaluable, as I began to learn how to break through creative blocks, which is a vital skill for an illustrator. Something I could have developed further is the composition of the editorial pieces, as the message was unclear, but I feel with more time I could have made them communicate better.

At the start, I found the project structure quite disjointed, as I was trying to fulfil ‘roughs’ quota rather than freely experiment and see where it took me. However, by the end of this module I found the mid-way group feedback invaluable, as I thought of it less as a half-way assessment, and more as a chance to discuss my ongoing work, which I believe is down to my improved time management so that I wasn’t worrying about getting the roughs done in time, thus allowing myself more experimentation time. In addition, I feel I have learnt many problem solving skills, due to the specifics in format and content, as the responses had to be appropriate and communicate the correct theme and tone, which is something I really loved exploring through different designs and roughs. Therefore, I feel the most prominent strength of my work is the design, especially in the last brief, as I have used my design skills to create interesting compositions and colour pallets.

Overall, I feel I have learnt a huge amount from this module, mainly on the way I view working processes and how I can think of new ways to problem solve, both to fit the brief and when working with unfamiliar media and methods. I also feel this introduction to Ba Illustration has changed my mind set quite a bit when it comes to how I exist as an illustrator, and am really looking forward to my practise developing and evolving over the next three years.

Final Outcome

I am very pleased with my final outcome for this project, as I feel I have successfully captured the style of the book, and reflected this on the cover by making it feel modern and on trend, whilst still showing the character of each pasta through the handmade process, as it mirrors how each pasta shape is made using the same mould, but there are slight irregularities due to the nature of the materials, just like I used handmade stencils to create uniform shape, but each are slightly different due to the nature of the gouache.
Because of this I feel the concept of the book really comes through, however, I feel I could have improved the smaller type, as I feel with some more time invested into the development, I could have perhaps made a stencil from which to cut the type so that it was more accurate and neat. In addition I would have liked to have added some type to the inner jacket covers to add a little more explanation to the book.

In addition, I find the contrast between the orange, grey and white to be very successful, as I think this colour scheme is on trend and still loosely echoes the colour of pasta, as well as creating a big impact on the audience. The repeated pattern also works well as I think that the uniform layout mixed with the slightly uneven placement, due to the stencils being applied individually rather than from one whole stencil like I would have with mono print creates a more welcoming tone. Because of this I am actually quite pleased that I was unable to use the print room for this project. In addition, I had originally planned to use the letterpress to include type, but I think the solution I made for this works better than letterpress would have.
One way I could have improved the overall design would have been to scan it in and print it out, as I feel a flatter more polished outcome would have made it feel more professional and finished.

If I were doing this project again, I think I would have swapped the order I explored my processes round, and would have begun with exploring media, and then moved onto the layout, as I feel that starting with the layout limited me a little with how to portray the pasta on the cover.

Text and Colour

Because type is such an integral part to most book covers, and my designs especially, I really wanted to make sure I created a dynamic and modern typeface. Therefore I experimented roughly with many different ways to portray the book title, and I feel that I am very happy with my chosen type, which will hopefully draw people to read the book as they may find it a dynamic and intriguing composition, which echos the trends of the book.
In addition, I found exploring colour through different media to be very helpful, as I was able to really understand the relationship between the type colour, vignette grey tone and how they contrast with the white stock, which all depend on each other to create a successful design. I feel that these design decisions are all very important, as they all have a huge impact on the overall effect, especially since my design is so minimal, and I feel that I have compiled the best parts of all my designs to create a successful outcome.
My final text will be cut paper of the 'shadow' type in the pale orange card.

Book design initial prints

Once I had created my pattern and design, I was left with the decision of how to format the type, so I drafted my favourite three out through stencils and acrylic before I asked other illustration students which they felt worked the best to convey the book content.
The opinions were very split, with a few people saying they didn't think the print on print worked, so I vaguely drafted up cut paper type onto them and we decided that the first design would work a lot better, as it was far crisper and created more of an impact.
However there were still a few concerns over the colour, as it may have looked a bit 'Christmassy' or not have jumped out enough, so I will need to continue to experiment with different colour ways until I find a colour palette which I am happy with.

Print/Paint experimentation

After my image development, I decided that in order to show the inside of the book on the cover I should create a very uniformed pattern, whilst still showing the individuality of the many different pastas it details through hand made techniques, such as mono printing with stencils. However, since I have not yet had my print induction, I needed to think of other ways I could create that sort of technique, but through using more readily available techniques.
Therefore using my stencils, I experimented with both acrylic and gouache paint, as well as several different application techniques, such as assorted brushes, paper towels, sponges and fingers, before I decided that gouache and a rough stippling brush gave the effect which was most similar to mono printing, and created a very unique appearance.

Experimenting with different paints and cut paper

Production of my book cover through gouache and stencils

Media experimentation

Overall I was really happy with the raw shapes I had developed, as I felt as a collection they were minimal enough to keep the modern feel I wanted, whilst still having enough visual information to effectively convey what they are. Therefore I created a reusable stencil through hand cutting acetate, and I decided to experiment with different media and colours in order to explore different ways to present my shapes. 

I feel this was very beneficial as I was able to freely look at new techniques and colours, and how the two impact on one another. After looking at these different outcomes, I think I would like to explore paints more, and possible print, as I feel with a repeat pattern such as this, a more uniform technique would suit, whilst still allowing the character of the serendipity of print to show through. 

Group crit

After working in groups to discuss the roughs I created in response to the book cover brief, we quickly discarded the monochrome designs, as we felt they weren't visually interesting enough to convey the intrigue and complexity of the books content. In addition, I felt that the two blue designs again didn't really match the inside of the book, as I thought they looked quite rough and reminded me of cookery books, which is not the message I wanted to convey. Therefore we decided that the repeat pattern and added red type designs were the best, and I feel very happy to continue on with these designs and work with composition and type in order to create dynamic and contemporary designs. I will continue to experiment with different media and layout to help me decide how to proceed, but I know I will explore print, paint and cut paper to progress my images.

I also undertook some research into book cover design and realised that the ones I found most effective were often the most simple, as I really love the simplicity of the Fäviken book, but I feel this simple design works so well because of the complex printing process, and since this isn't available to me, I think my designs might not create as much of an impact if they were done similarly but in simpler techniques. In addition, I thought that the type is such a huge part of the designs I liked that I really want it to stand out, which means I will have to draft a lot of different type and compositions in order to find one I am happy with.

Rough 7

This design was inspired more by the original design, and the maths based content of the book, and I quite like this simple, stripped down design, however, I feel the repeated pattern design works better as a professional finished book cover, which is something I will ask my peers during our group crit tomorrow.