I have recently received my tutor feedback for Assignment 2. It's time to look back and reflect on section two, but I also want to reflect on the journey so far.
Tutor Feedback
The summary of my tutor's feedback was positive. I had put a lot of time, focus and energy into this section of the module, and I am generally happy with the outcome. I'm pleased my tutor acknowledged the work I had put in. I am serious about my studies, even though I am distance learning. I am conscious, though, that I need to take care not to burn the candle at both ends if I am going to go the distance.
The edits that I made to the blog navigation seemed to have worked well. I also gave the tutor specific URLs to both exercises and assignments. There were a few things to improve on. I had published my first exercise, but forgot to include the right tags. This meant that it wasn't included in the exercises URL.
I was a little frustrated at the time that my tutor hadn't taken the time to use the search to find it. But on refection this is something for me to learn. I cannot expect those assessing me to think about web pages the same way I do. Nor can I expect them to add extra time to find content, especially as they have many other assessments to do.
There was other downside to having a very specific way to find the exercises. My posts covering reflections and commentary don't have any acknowledgement in my feedback. I don't know if that's because they weren't seen, or if they didn't need feedback. I want to increase the chance they will be read. So I will supply a specific link to all reflection posts in my submissions.
I am still frustrated about how to research well without the use of the internet. It's hard for me to get access to the right books without buying them. Whilst I am happy to buy some, when it's for one exercise it seems pretty excessive. I don't have a lot of time when libraries etc. are open to go and find what I need. I work full time away from my home town. Having said that, I should visit my local library to see the quality of content available. before I try and come up with other ways to conduct my research.
One of my favourite parts from this section was making my own sketchbook. There are so many other different books to make. I have been thinking about making different types of books. I have had some ideas about experimenting with informational and narrative storytelling. Some of the book designs I have read about could work well for those topics.
I appreciate the way my tutor prompts me to read and search further. Over the period of this section, I read the book "Steal Like and Artist" (Kleon, 2012). In one section of the book it talks about going deep into your inspiration ancestry. That is, going back to research the people that inspired the people you are inspired by. Discover and go back to see where particular elements of style or technique come from.
My tutor noted this time:
"Your design development is clearly shown and your final design has a good sense of intrigue and movement about it.
You could also look at the paper cut out work of Rob Ryan. His work is quite decorative. http://robryanstudio.com/archive/
Also Béatrice Coron. Her work is very atmospheric.http://www.beatricecoron.com/"
I have looked at both of these artists, and I particularly enjoyed the TED talk by Béatrice Coron. There is something in the nature of these silhouettes which is captivating. I notice that from my roughs in exercise 2.9 that the most captivating ones use silhouette in the foreground.
I plan to experiment more into paper cutting, and also to look into how this plays into animation. Things like shadow play and Ivor Wood's Paddington animation from the 1980s.
For exercise 2.10 there were some specific points of feedback for me to consider:
"Look at the main elements in the room in relation to the man. What do we notice first the man or the filing cabinet or the desk?
After doing this task then the background items might need to be ‘knocked back’ in terms of colour and tone so that they don’t jump ahead of the man.
The table rather looks like it is impaling the man so perhaps look at that too.@
I wasn't 100% happy with the table and its perspective when I made it, but went with it anyway. I would like to try and address it. I appreciate the comment around focus. The man should be the focus, but the eye is definitely drawn to the filing cabinet. This suggests a significance it doesn't warrant.
I have a few ideas on how to address this to see if I can make it more successful:
Create a mock-up as if it were a book cover for the novel it came from, does that change the focus?
If not, how best to adjust the background to give prominence to the man and establish correct hierarchy in the piece?
(Based on the notion of the Paddington animation mentioned above). Could the background be stripped out digitally, and re-rendered? I have two ideas - one that build upon the desaturated background style from the final assignment. The other to see if I can construct the scene physically using a new backdrop and the hand-rendered head. Then use photography to create an image. Time would be an important factor here, so I'll start with the first idea and do the second if time allows.
I am a bit guilty about Exercise 2.11, visual metaphors, as I didn't extend my ideas as fully as I could have. This comes from a place that this is not new and fresh to me, it's a topic I have been practising for over five years. Whilst I know I can do better, what annoyed my was coming up with metaphors around an abstract concept. Rather than exploring the idea of developing a visual vocabulary.
When I first started to learn, one of my favourite books was The Sketchnote Handbook (Rohde, 2012). In that, and similar books, you are encouraged to come up with a visual vocabulary. This is so that you can construct composite metaphors and convey ideas efficiently. The exercise would be more useful if it directed the student to create a visual vocabulary. The concepts in the exercise would group those specific items and ideas.
The Assignment
I enjoyed this assignment, and really liked going to do research on-site. What I particularly liked was the sketchbook work I did on the fruits and vegetables. I didn't realise how useful it would be when it came to the final image. Even though I simplified the detail, knowing the subject matter made a big difference in rendering it.
One thing I know I missed (and was conscious of at the time) was taking more time to iterate the shortlisted ideas. My tutor noted how I could have tried different wellies and kites, as well as iterating layout, size and colour. She like that I had included type, but I didn't document or show the alternatives that I went through before I decided on the final choice.
I did a lot of work researching how best to choose, edit and refine the text. So this is something I could have demonstrated. Sometimes I forget how much I am learning as I am doing the work and forget that it's stuck in my head.
Time was also a factor here. I had given myself more time over the Christmas break. But unforeseen circumstances eat away at my extra time, which created pressure for me. I am still not sure how to reconcile meeting the (self-imposed) deadline vs. asking for more time to do the assignment to its fullest extent.
One thing I can do in retrospect is review the colour of the kite. I can see if some of the colour options I discarded might be a better choice. My tutor noted that green on green might not be the best option. She also noted that it might be nice to see this in some kind of store mock up, so this might be something I can do too.
Technical Skills
I have enjoyed using my sketchbook. I definitely feel more comfortable expressing myself. And this makes me more relaxed. I am trying to reconcile expression vs development by using multiple sketchbooks at once. That way I can use one to be more experimental and authentic, and use the other to problem solve.
I have made an effort to experiment and play more with mixed media as go. Whilst not every media has been enjoyable, they have all been useful. I want to bring acrylics in more, but at the moment I am not happy with the effects it is giving me. Layering materials has been interesting during my experiments. I know a lot of illustrators like to combine paint with pastel or pencils. Pencils have been very useful for me this section and I am interested on how to make more use of them.
I have been struggling with my watercolours (ink, watercolour and gouache) ending up muddled and dull. I have known colour theory since I was a teenager, but I don't think I know how to use colour. Especially using a limited palette. My tutor pointed me in the direction of Angie Lewin, so I am going to look for inspiration there. However I should email my tutor to ask about specific help around colour choice etc.
I admire the use of colour in Hildafolk (Pearson, 2015) and would like to bring some of that cohesive sense of colour to my work. I also got a lino print kit for Christmas, so I want to experiment with that in my work.
The other aspect I am unhappy with, are my technical skills to paint digitally. I would like to push my style more and experiment with painting without line-art. It may end up that it's not my natural approach but I wont know unless I try. I still struggle to get the effects and appearance that I want when painting digitally. I am going to start by using Skillshare before I move to spending money on other learning resources.
Personal Growth
I am really amazed, looking back only four months, with how much I have grown over this short period. What I keep on noticing is how differently I think and observe. I feel like I see more than looking. I would like to get back to doing some more observational drawing.
I also love that I get flashes of inspiration and choose to spend time capturing those. Reducing the amount of time I am watching a screen is a big positive improvement for my mental health.
I enjoy the mediums that that I can understand (if not control). But sometimes I wish I could get some teaching on the technical fine art / drawing side of things. I am looking into a local art club to see if I can make time for it coming back from work. I also think it might be time to do specific course, so research is in order.
I think this will help me with choices I need to make as part of my VisComms syllabus. I have been tempted by some of the fine art courses (drawing, painting and printing). But if I can feel confident enough learning from short courses, then that leaves me open to take modules in other topics. At the moment I am thinking Sketchbooks and Graphic Fiction.
Personal Projects
So, to summarise, these are the personal projects I am thinking about, and will be making an informal to-do list for:
Building on section two exercises
Experiment with other book-making techniques, mixing them with some sequential illustration
Paper cutting experiments
Trying to see how I can engage in discussion with other OCA students. I'm currently discussing the idea of a VisComms podcast
Experiments with lino printing
Working on the concept of style by running experiments to discover what I like, and can fold into my practice. Areas to research: Painterly backgrounds, Ligne Claire, Abstraction
Research and experiments with digital painting.
So, lots of things to cover, and still do the coursework! The main thing I need to remember is to just chip away at things and not take it all on at once. That's too overwhelming.
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