OUIL503 Responsive
Jessica Dawson
jd255593
BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 5
Summative Evaluation
This module has been a challenging one in many aspects but definitely one i have taken so much from, right from the very beginning.
I have never undergone entering any competitions before - let alone entering my own work publicly and this has really helped me to gain a better understanding of the Illustration Industry and the highs and low points all creative practitioners must face when committing to deadlines and creating artwork in response to a competition brief.
Throughout this module I have attempted to push myself in many different directions including the approaches and practical skills i have learnt and applied to each brief.
Secret 7 for me, was an example of taking a step back, getting back in touch with the very raw things that inspire me creatively and running with whatever follows. I didn't have a plan to use digital techniques for some if any of the album artwork I produced (other than for final post-production based touch ups etc), however having "no plan" and just listening to the music and being inspired by sound and attempting to convey this through colour and pattern - digitally - surprisingly paid off. I really enjoyed being able to work with my own hand printed marbled textures I had made when listening to the secret 7 tracks, and was surprised at how quickly I learned and managed to master a few new tricks in Adobe Photoshop, such as the blending tool and how layers can be layered up, masked and grouped to create various editable "smart objects". I feel this will help me greatly in my approach to new briefs in the future.
Having my artwork selected to appear in the Secret 7 exhibit at the Sonos Studios in London is a massive highlight for me and I hope to be able to find the money to take a trip and see my artwork on a sleeve in person. What I hope to take forward from this experience is to not put so much pressure on myself. I tend to battle with meeting my expectations and staying realistic to what can be achieved. Here I have showed myself that letting go, undertaking new techniques and just seeing what happens instead of worrying, can throw a little curveball but can ultimately take my skills, practice and love of creativity in brand new directions.
As well as these new digital techniques, I was also able to get my head around seamless pattern making for one of my individual briefs Feathr. I have always wanted to learn how to master this trick as I know how helpful it would be to me when creating new textures, stamps and pattern fills / brushes in Photoshop. It did take a bit f getting used too as various online tutorials I had found seemed to go about the whole process in quite seemingly different ways.
A clear area of success and enjoyment within this module for me was Secret 7, however there are also clear areas of weakness. I would have liked to invest a little more time communicating my ideas and evaluating them on my blog and in my boards a lot more chorally. I have really struggled to collate all of my information and work throughout this module in time for submission because we have had so many different briefs going on, I simply ran out time to group it and put it all together - which is a shame because I feel it lets down my work for a module and briefs I have really enjoyed and committed too. I have often felt like i had 5 heads all at once but all in other places and struggled to manage come submission.
5 main things I will be taking forward and feel will benefit the most when approaching future briefs and modules:
-The true benefits of good research. This module has introduced me to a whole new way of researching and thinking about my audience as an illustrator as well as the context in which it fits and the real importance of "knowing" your client and market. The research alone helps to shape and guide ideas from the word go - and definitely gave my work a sense of deeper meaning and value.
-TIME MANAGEMENT - I say it every time but seriously something has to change. I put myself through so much stress trying to manage my time...that I don’t live it, experience life and get work done to the best of my ability without killing myself. _Maybe save the mind-blowing ideas and processes....for after uni!?
-Working with new people and taking charge isn't too bad. I have definitely surprised myself in this case in terms of my overall state of mind recently and my confidence levels. and actually find myself looking forward to collaborating with people in the future. I think I must like the challenge after this module and my groups collaborative experience.
-Be realistic - I AM SLOW. Not intellectually I hope, but I have noticed how long it takes me to get into the swing of things (no matter how motivating my ideas). To combat this - I am going to try and approach things a little differently from now on and not get hung up on the "knowing" where creativity will take me but instead enjoy and revel in the "not-knowing". Im sure I will surprise myself as i have in this module and look forward to learning new skills, applying unfamiliar techniques and meeting / working with new people in the future
And finally - how lucky I am to be a part of such a great course. The abundance of creative opportunities presented to us throughout this module and my overall time here, have been far better and more exiting than I have experienced before - and more so than the majority of other universities im sure. I really want to make the most of everything LCA has to offer me in the remainder of my time here and plan on signing up for some induction courses in other department (wood, pottery, laser, vinyl etc) and I think it would be great to also join a society...I have never been a part of have before :)