10 Questions:
What do I want to know?
Why do I want to know this?
How am I going to find an answer to this?
Our task was to come up with ten questions that we want to find answers to as part of our degree course. We then had to respond to these questions by listing both what we expect to learn from them and what we will do in order to find answers to each question.
What does it mean to be a professional illustrator?
-Learn how to conduct yourself in a professional manner in relation to client interaction, contractual issues, professional practice and time management.
-Attend big heads meetings, speak to/network with illustrators and other creative professionals and conduct independent research into the creative industry and professional practice.
How can I make my illustrations more professional?
-How can I best tailor my work to meet the needs of the widest range range of clients and platforms.
-For each set brief undertaken as part of the course produce as many different ideas and potential out comes as possible so as to create a more expansive and versatile visual repertoire. Network with creatives working within different fields of practice so as to unlock new ways of thinking and create a wider range of solutions to problems.
What media and processes best suite my 'style' of illustration?
-Learn to use a wide range of different media and processes, both analogue and digital, and how they can be used when answering different briefs/working with different clients to create more effective illustrations.
-Experiment with as much media as possible, attend all digital workshops and further play with software within own time, look into other artists/practitioners who use selected processes as well as the historical background of the media and processes.
What improvements do I need to make to my practice?
-What my personal weaknesses are both in the conceptual and practical creation of images and what measures I need to undergo in order to resolve these issues.
-Keep trying when something isn't working instead of giving up on it. Try different processes and media that may be better suited. Work outside of my own personal comfort zone as that in itself may be impeding creativity.
How can improve my communication skills?
-Improve my confidence, knowledge of creative practice and image making as well general knowledge so as to produce and communicate a wider range of ideas in a more successful and professional manner.
-Attend all crits and don't be be afraid to show and communicate about work. Discuss ideas,processes and work as much as possible with tutors, others on the course, flatmates, family other creatives etc. Conduct as much research and reading as possible.
What different types of job opportunities are there within the industry?
-Learn what opportunities lie within the creative industry and understand the difference between them ie someone working with more commercially driven client al my operate in a different way to someone working within the outer fridges of creative practice.
-Speak to as many practising professionals as possible and gain an insight into the range of client al they work from and how this affects there creative process and outcomes. Figure out where within the industry my own work would fit.
Who am I and what am I trying to say?
-Learn what my tone of voice is within illustration/image making. Learn what interests me the most both conceptually and practically.
-Expose my self to a wide range of different processes practically and information,research and ways of thinking relating to the conceptual development of my images. If any seem more interesting, challenging and engaging for explore, refine and develop them. Worry less about what others are doing and engage more in what interests me. However it may also be useful to reach out to other practitioners/course mates operating in a similar way and exploring similar themes so as to share and develop your own personal ideas further.
What other creative practices can I combine with my work?
-Learn what other practices will best compliment, challenge, further develop and ultimately make my work more successful and engaging.
-Research into a range of different creative practices. Apply different methods to my own work and further research into and develop those that are helping to further my own work.
What platforms are there to advertise my work?
-Discover the best platforms and networks in which to best display my work in order to reach new audiences and client al. Learn what platforms will be best suited to my own work and personal 'tone of voice' in order to reach those that are best suited to it.
-Take note of different platforms and networks in which I am exposed to the work of other illustrators and professionals. Speak to tutors, course mates, practising professionals and attend big heads meetings in order to see what platforms others advertise there work on and take note of those which could be used in conjunction with my own work.
What can I learn from my peers?
-Understand how working to others, exposing yourself to there work and thought process as well as personal interests can further develop my own work and personal growth as a whole.
-Talk to others as much as possible, enquire into there ways of thinking and practical processes, network/social with people from many different walks of life in order to gain insight into subjects not previously known and exposure yourself to new ways of thinking.
Sunday 25 October 2015
Sunday 11 October 2015
Who am I? Why am I here?
Reasons for wanting to become an illustrator:
- Where it is situated within the creative spectrum ; it sits some where between design and fine art and has the potential to move into/further towards either area depending on how you develop your practice.
- Growing up the people who have influenced me most creatively have come from a wide variety of practices. These have included my high school art teacher who is also a practising fine artist, a family friend who works within games design and finally the design studio I do work placements at during my summers. Therefore I feel illustration was a natural path to choose as it channels all the major artistic influences I've had through out my life.
- Desire to communicate ideas/concepts/narratives visually.
- Further question and explore both the world around me and how I interpret it visually.
- Refine my practice of image making through developing both my conceptual and practical skills.
Reasons for choosing Leeds College of Art:
- Specialist art institution: complete immersion within the creative arts and exposure to other ways of approaching it due to the diverse range of students/subject areas.
- Strong reputation as an educational institution which in turn has led to strong industry connections.
- Leeds as an up and coming city. A lot going to influence, develop and apply your creativity to within the city.
- When looking around other universities it was the one I felt the most resonance with. This is due to its relatively small size which made it seem easier to immerse yourself within as well as access all the resources and facilities you would need to develop as a creative practitioner.
- Close enough to home (Sheffield) to not feel overwhelmed but still a new city/environment to become immersed within. Allows me to still be apart of the various projects I'm involved with in Sheffield whilst still taken the plunge of moving away from home/living independently.
My personal strengths:
- Use of colour.
- Composition
- Use of Software
- Exploration and development of ideas
- Ability to communicate ; visually and in written word.
My personal weaknesses:
- Ability to create more technical/realistic drawings/images.
- Over thinking/complicated ideas/concepts.
- Doubting my own abilities/losing faith in my work.
- Procrastination: I have far too many pointless hobbies.
- Use of wet mediums, particularly acrylic and oil based paints.
Five images that best describe me:
.jpg)
( reblogged from http://coopercolegallery.com/imgs/artwork/listing/CC_Geoff_McFetridge_3x3(DealingWithAbstraction).jpg )
This piece by Geoff McFetridge shows my appreciation of more graphic illustration as well as tendency to use more minimalist approaches in both colour and composition.
( reblogged from http://www.jeanjullien.com/work-91-books.html)
Again this piece plays into my minimalist approach, however the main reason I have chosen this image by Jean Jullien is because of the playfulness he uses to create visual metaphors. This is a method I try, but don't always succeed, to employ within my own work.
( reblogged from http://www.1zoom.net/big2/75/182776-Sepik.jpg )
Leading on from this is my desire to create work that can be appreciated by multiple different audiences. The work of is the work by my child hood hero Albert Underzo who's Asterix and Oberlix comics, created alongside Rene Goscinny speak various different genrations through both clever word play/innuendos as well playful visuals.
( reblogged from https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/736x/c9/ba/2e/c9ba2e542c0a0da520b15baf897d052a.jpg )
On the other end of the spectrum I also enjoy work that is a lot more visceral with varied use of texture. In particular Anselm Kiefer's work has had a major impact on me particularly when I've been created work on a darker subject matter.
( reblogged from http://themicrogiant.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ralph-steadman-1.jpg )
The work of Ralph Steadman best shows the way in which the various different visual and contextual ideas displayed above can be combined. This mirrors my desire to explore the possibilities of mixing different media/techniques/processes to produce work for a variety of different subject matters/contexts.
Reasons for wanting to become an illustrator:
- Where it is situated within the creative spectrum ; it sits some where between design and fine art and has the potential to move into/further towards either area depending on how you develop your practice.
- Growing up the people who have influenced me most creatively have come from a wide variety of practices. These have included my high school art teacher who is also a practising fine artist, a family friend who works within games design and finally the design studio I do work placements at during my summers. Therefore I feel illustration was a natural path to choose as it channels all the major artistic influences I've had through out my life.
- Desire to communicate ideas/concepts/narratives visually.
- Further question and explore both the world around me and how I interpret it visually.
- Refine my practice of image making through developing both my conceptual and practical skills.
Reasons for choosing Leeds College of Art:
- Specialist art institution: complete immersion within the creative arts and exposure to other ways of approaching it due to the diverse range of students/subject areas.
- Strong reputation as an educational institution which in turn has led to strong industry connections.
- Leeds as an up and coming city. A lot going to influence, develop and apply your creativity to within the city.
- When looking around other universities it was the one I felt the most resonance with. This is due to its relatively small size which made it seem easier to immerse yourself within as well as access all the resources and facilities you would need to develop as a creative practitioner.
- Close enough to home (Sheffield) to not feel overwhelmed but still a new city/environment to become immersed within. Allows me to still be apart of the various projects I'm involved with in Sheffield whilst still taken the plunge of moving away from home/living independently.
My personal strengths:
- Use of colour.
- Composition
- Use of Software
- Exploration and development of ideas
- Ability to communicate ; visually and in written word.
My personal weaknesses:
- Ability to create more technical/realistic drawings/images.
- Over thinking/complicated ideas/concepts.
- Doubting my own abilities/losing faith in my work.
- Procrastination: I have far too many pointless hobbies.
- Use of wet mediums, particularly acrylic and oil based paints.
Five images that best describe me:
( reblogged from http://coopercolegallery.com/imgs/artwork/listing/CC_Geoff_McFetridge_3x3(DealingWithAbstraction).jpg )
This piece by Geoff McFetridge shows my appreciation of more graphic illustration as well as tendency to use more minimalist approaches in both colour and composition.
( reblogged from http://www.jeanjullien.com/work-91-books.html)
Again this piece plays into my minimalist approach, however the main reason I have chosen this image by Jean Jullien is because of the playfulness he uses to create visual metaphors. This is a method I try, but don't always succeed, to employ within my own work.
( reblogged from http://www.1zoom.net/big2/75/182776-Sepik.jpg )
Leading on from this is my desire to create work that can be appreciated by multiple different audiences. The work of is the work by my child hood hero Albert Underzo who's Asterix and Oberlix comics, created alongside Rene Goscinny speak various different genrations through both clever word play/innuendos as well playful visuals.
( reblogged from https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/736x/c9/ba/2e/c9ba2e542c0a0da520b15baf897d052a.jpg )
On the other end of the spectrum I also enjoy work that is a lot more visceral with varied use of texture. In particular Anselm Kiefer's work has had a major impact on me particularly when I've been created work on a darker subject matter.
( reblogged from http://themicrogiant.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ralph-steadman-1.jpg )
The work of Ralph Steadman best shows the way in which the various different visual and contextual ideas displayed above can be combined. This mirrors my desire to explore the possibilities of mixing different media/techniques/processes to produce work for a variety of different subject matters/contexts.
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