Artist- Katie Scott.

Katie Scotts approach to her work is very refined and detailed. Her images contain a lot of pattern , repetition and shape. These shapes are the embellished with fine details that make up very interesting drawings which have an original colourful aesthetic.

I really like how she uses a nice pastel colours in he work and how some of them contrast well and the values match each other. I also like the values of tone too how the tone helps the images to have a 3D effect rather then completely 2D.

I could see her drawing being very antitomcal and realistic , however this approach she looks to have used here non- representational depictions of things. Using the patterns and shape will help this non-representational approach, and it would like this image above look good, I would like to add this somewhere into my work as well.

Margaret Thatcher - experiments.

 Using collage was a good idea, It make the person identifiable imetietly and I has allowed me to use use different medias within the image.

I really like the angle from her mental illness and the downfall of a powerful figure. I is a slightly unseen angle of Thatcher however it is very hard not to fall into streotypes when trying to show this women.

However I really like how the patterns work and and the confusion the create. This top image is my favourite as I think it says and shows more about the decline of m.t. and how the person she was dissapeared.  

this one here I think could fit into the stereotype usually shown with Maggie thatcher and I don't think that is fair , if I choose to take on depicting M.T. I would like to do this from an unbiased viewpoint if I can.

Artist- Andy Singleton.

I went to the guest lecture that he took last Wednesday and I was stunned by his approach to paper cutting. I know a bit about paper cutting and the process but his approach was very interesting.

His illustrations mainly consist 3D paper cuts. These insulation are made up of many different piece of paper cuts that are hook together and held up by fishing wire.

My favourites are the bird above which was part of a shop window insulation because of the colours used and the way it is put together is very neat and refined.

This next one was based on outer space and the shapes and movement that occur up there.  I am really fascinated by this particular one because of how each paper cut flows into one another and together how the make one intricate well composed piece of work.  

Resurch.

 Words relating to images of them, first impressions.

Developments from reasurch.

 I try to create patterns that represented the different people , these lines above could work for M.T. and could represent the confusion in a way maybe? 

 This was based off Empress Cixi cloths but I like the pattern and could be incorporated into a design some how but nothing immediatly jumps out at me of how this design represents her. 

Research into- Empress Dowager Cixi.- first empress of china.

 There is a lot of scandal and contriverecy surrounding this women.

• She was power hungry, like Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth thrown together. Apart form she was a much worse ruler the Queen Elizabeth.  
• She was the first empress of china and he son later died of small pox and his wife committed suicide by swallowing opium , it was believe that Cixi has involvement in this.   
• She was a very powerful and determined women who squandered her wealth and kept control over the empership and locked up or killed anyone who came in her way. She was bad ass.  
• Also the culture surrounding this time is fascinating I need to do more research into this and the rituals/ cultural habits of people at this time.   

Queen Elizabeth I research.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBBcuF9YJK0 - A horrible history video about Queen Elizabeth I.

There is no question that Queen Elizabeth I was a powerful , strong, independent women , who stood by the beliefs and her actions.  Another quote from her said that she would rather live poor and  unmarried then a queen and married.

She and her army took on a the Spanish admarder and threats from oppositions.

She was also the last Tudor and as she didn't have any children the Tudor dinesty ended with her.

Artist-Rael Brain.

 This collage by Rael Brain, I find very intriguing. The way it has been put together is very rough but there is some good controlled composition in there. Given that every part if the face is made up of individual cut piece , it would have taken practised and testing to get the shape. I think that the expression of the face is disturbing, and harsh, it looks like it is screaming. This add a very dark mood into what is a very bright coloured image and this is a good example of juxtaposition. The distorted features as well add to this mood but the top which sits underneath the face I don't think works that well at all. I think that it would look better if the colours used in the head would follow down to make the neck and shoulders.  Overall it is a really interesting process and aesthetic and I would really like to incorporate collage into my work some how.        

Workshop for Person of note.

•  By doing this work shop it enabled me to see how to go about simplifying ideas and trying to communicate something about a person without using there faces. 
• I chose to try and portray Mary Shelly and here more famous and well know novel was Frankenstein. So in trying to avoid too many stereotypes related to the novel I decided to go with a heat , and from this have a bolt of lighting and of metal going through the heart and I stitched into the paper to give a messy effect.     

• I am not so happy with the way that this communicated. It wasn't entirely clear who the person was but after people knew it was obvious. 
• I think the thing I did wrong was I may have over complicated or chosen quite a complex person , because I found it hard when creating the roughs to find a way that wasn't communicating the message too obviously. 
•  If I was to do this task again I would probable pick a more well known person in which I could use 2 or 3 symbols to portray them rather then overemelishing the idea.   

Research into Margaret Thatcher.

Margaret thatcher was a powerful women and she is a very controversial figure and is coved a lot is editorial art and what she did is fairly well known. However I am more interested in the end of her life and her battle with dementia. It was an interesting transition from a powerful women to a very vulnerable one in a short space of time. I want to focus on this first see if there is anything in the idea. college may be a good medium to start off with.  

 

Final postcards.

From the feed back I have got I am happy with the way these postcards have translated to people. The idea wasn't direct but people got the general idea about underground people. But on interesting translation that came out was one of disease and witch craft, medical things. I really liked these ideas and I think that some of this is reinvent to the over all idea.

The dark sinter mood that I wanted to come through came through which I am really pleased with and the colour scheme reflected this.The colour pallet was complimented a lot and the way I printed it too, taking time to printed it down in repergraphics was worth it because it gave the images good colour and a nice finish.

Using repetitive imagery worked very well to and creating patterns with these images and it emphasised and told message I wanted to get across.

They work well as a set and the really dark mood fits the subject. The textures as well looks good but I makes some of the images look like prints and task the vector aspect out of them a little.

Overall I am happy with the out comes but I feel I could have made it much more obvious what the cities where.

End of moduel evaluation-Visual language evaluation.

Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

 Throughout this module I have used many different skills and methods in which to create images. The one which was perhaps was most successful and has been paper cutting during the shape task. I had done some image making using this technique before but haven’t been that successful with it, but the outcome of the shape brief I think was successful and has helped me in other modules when creating images. Also it is a method that I really enjoy creating images out of. And by progress further with this technique I have developed it and become stronger in using it.  

1.    Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

Learning the theories behind features such as composition, values, depth and line of sight has helped me to realise and indentify these key features which I should consider when making images. Value is extremely important in adding depth and composition is a way of showing depth within an image. Even though I have really struggled with composition in particular, from learning about the different ways to compose images has given me something to aim for and improve towards.  

What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission you capitalise on these?  

The uses of different types of medium I think is a strong point and throughout especially at the beginning I really tried to experiment and play around with different techniques and mediums. Paper cut and the collage I think were the most successful and I have taken thoughs techniques and applied them to other briefs and I will continue to because they create I think the different techniques make really nice illustrations and I really enjoy making images in these ways. 

What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?

I really need to understand composition better; I have found it really hard trying to understand how to place images together and how the different elements that make up a good composition work. I need to find techniques in which I am able to think and create successful compositions within my images. I also need to develop a better understanding of drawing from reference. I don’t think that I have done this enough in this project and it is incredibly useful in understanding how to draw objects or the human body. I need to do more of this in the future.   

In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)?

Learning about the different ways images are made, constructed and where they feature has been vital in my understanding of how to analyse others and my own work. Thinking about all of these things when taking apart and image you gain a better understanding of the artist intentions and see whether you understand what they are trying to communicate. By looking and analysing other practitioners work as well has helped me employ some of their strategies to my own and improve the outcomes. I has also shown me a visual example of how techniques like composition and value are used.    

6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance					x
Punctuality					x
Motivation				x
Commitment					x
Quantity of work produced				x
Quality of work produced				x
Contribution to the group			x

Colour Palette.

A colour palette- a range of colours used in the image.

By creating this colour palette it has enable me to see how an image can be made up of many different colours, and also how the different values of colour contrast each other. You can see weather colours match or look out of place in the image.

It was very easy to create this in photoshop and I need to used this more in future as a tool when using colour. I am not that confident in it but keeping and eye on the values I am using by creating a colour pallet to work from might help.

Values- light and dark, shade and tone.

How do values relate to composition?
Draws your eye to something or the focal point of the image. Balance of colour, values are balanced, this mean that the whole image is well balanced.

How can we use values to focus attention on certain information?
Contrast in tone and shade. Through half tones against light and dark backgrounds, or light against dark. It allows particular parts if the image to appear shaper and clearer then others. It influence the composition of the image.

What is the most commonly used basic values? How many values dose it recommend you use in a picture? Light and dark tones plus half tones. A contrast of tones.

Values of light and dark tone really helps the composition of and image whilst highlighting certain parts of the image the artist what the viewer to focus on. I need to really get a good understanding of this as I know it will improve my work and help me with composition.  

Visual language - fan art

  Things I am happy with:

• The aesthetic of the image, the style of the image and the type works well together.
• Using paper cuts to create the image for the positives. By using cut paper it has allowed me to create bold block shapes , but with cut details into them. 
• The composition of the type in connection with the images, the peak of the main focal point of the image and the birds, leads up to the title.    
• Having the birds around the edge looks really good as the direction of them leads the viewer around the image. 
• Keeping the image looking clean and neat, not over complicated.   

Things I want to improve if I was to do this task again:

• The colour of the final poster, I am not sure on. I think that it works however I much prefer the newsprint print above. I think that it suites the aesthetic of the image more. 
• I would have work more on the composition of the image. I didn't put in any background or mid ground, this was because I didn't want to over complicate the image, but I still think a could have added it in some how.

Overall I am happy with the poster to I definitely prefer the news print one to the colour print.  

Feed back from group crit:

• Underground maps of drug dens and hidden worlds.
• What is a suitable visual symbol for these ideas, Bugs and better the needles. 
• Like the map viewpoints.
• can you create more verity with your figures?- slave ships.
• Darkness in tones and symbol, GRITTIER!! 
• When the symbols are perfect you loose something - make it messy. 
• Maybe live trace cut paper instead of vectors.
• Investigate maps , plans of sewerage systems and underground plans.
• great links to other artists. 

I really need to play and experiment with other visual symbols and think about what they mean and the arrangement of them. The paper cut heads that were woven into shapes were better received then the roughs that i did , i need to explore this idea more as well. Using darker colours and some textures may make the images look grittier and fit with the idea better. I also think that live trace is a really good option i will need to try this because i am really struggling with drawing vectors.

Artist- Fan art- Little white lies.

 This issue cover of little white lies is brilliant. I don't really know the film but I love the process and print that has been created. It is a wood cut print and it is so interesting to look at because you can see the etchings and marks that have been made with init and how these marks flow within and around one another.  The composition of the piece is good too, keeping it central and croped brings attention to the characters face and hat, it is also well lined up with the title logo of the magazine. Also how the font covers the the space where they eyes should be and this add a dark and mysterious mood to the piece. Even though there is no colour as such in the image I think it works really well in black and white and the print gives a great aesthetic and texture. 

Below is a link to a you tube video I watched about the process involved with making the cover, It was really cool to see the process and I think that from watching this wood cuts and something which I would like to try in the future. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdD4gVZ9nVw 

Final rough ideas for postcards.

 It was really hard to try and find a way to depict the lives the people have under the tunnels.

I am not too sure about these roughs I think that they could be much better.

Thing I want to improve:

• It took me a while to get to grips with illustrator and creating vectors on it. I have found it really hard to try and make the images not look dead and boring. 
• Creating the symbols to represent the objects seemed to communicate well in the crit but the objects where typical of a situation like this. They need changing.
•  The vectors need to be neatened up some are jagged and don't connect well to the other vectors. 
• The symbol of the skull head doesn't really work eather I need to re think this aswell. 

• Things I am happy with:
• I like the pattern and repetition, It works well as an echo but I think it is repeated too much. 
• The map layout really works and a concept and gives the viewer an idea of what the post cards narrative is. 
• Colours used are okay and helps the postcards work as a set but they could be better.

Over all I think I really need to have a re think ans perhaps re design all of them. I know that the ideas and patterns can be better. It is just finding a way in which to show these peoples lives and I think I have been overambitious again in my topic choice. I don't feel like I have been able to get absorbed in this project.   

Roughs and cutouts for fan art.

Whilst watch the film of a series of unfortunate events , I drew several pages of roughs and ideas for what my fan poster could show.
Doing roughs as quick thumb nails is really good and useful. I am able pull out loads of ideas quickly and see easily how I am developing my ideas.

From these roughs I developed the cut-outs below. I want to put these together on Photoshop, this will hopefully allow me to play around more with the composition of the image using layers.

Artist- David Lemm

David Lemm work consists of a simple shapes to communicate his ideas. I particularity like this piece not because of the idea but the aesthetic. I really like the mixture between the slightly grainy textured dark background and the bold white lines of the shape. The repetition and the patterns of the symbols he has created add a flow to the image but also helps to create the geometric look the image has. It looks very ordered and geometric in it's composition. The big circles are evenly spaced, and the smaller symbols are in sequences, but there are arrows that direct your line of sight around the image , but the only thing that I would say is that the line at the bottom of the second circle seems to cut this off, I think it would have been better if it was to flow throughout. And the meaning behind the image for me isn't clear but it is a really interesting way of describing and communicating.     

Illustrator workshop.

• Using the one tool I traded around the different elements of the image and coloured them in. I found using the pen tool hard because the skins and shapes i made are not neat, I found it hard to make the line curve the right way by holding down shift so i tried to make the curves with small straight line but this wasn't as effective. 
• 
  
• I also used cmd c+v to copy and paste the smaller shape details to save time and this was effective and quick to do. 
• When filling in the whole body I used the opacity tool to make the shape fainter and then  used the eraser to make the eyes white again. This worked well but some of the out lines are grey and not black. 
• I really need to practise vectors more and because the shapes are very messy and I need to perfect  using the different tools so my hales are neater and sharper. 

 

 

Artist- Noma Bar.

I took this book out of the libeary, and it has been really useful in developing my understanding of vectors. But Noma Bar has a really clever and unique way of creating images out of them.  Even though I find vectors a very unpersonalising process, bars compositions of these image I think make them his own.  I particularly like the composition of the cover. It shows the line of predictors , for example dog eats cat, cat eats mouse. When you fist look at the image you see the dogs head but then you see and uncover the other animals. I think that this is all down to the composition of the image. He has found a way in which all of these separate elements can fit together to form one very interesting image.

The colour pallet is very simple and the forms of the animals are taken back to there bear minimum. I think that this allows the message behind the image to come through clearly and his used of negative space contrasted against the white dog , makes the image very striking.

I was really interesting to see how using simple shapes and colours can convey messages clearly but still leaves elements for the viewer to decode.

Composition- elephant ,butterfly and me.

I have found the outcome of this task really hard to create. I have really struggled with composition and getting my head around it. I keep forgetting to overlay items and keep the fore ,mid and back ground. I am not too happy with this outcome aether , I think I could have spent more time roughing ideas out ideas then I may have got a better idea of composition. I think in order to get better at composition I just need to practise more and re read the handout.

However using ink to draw with is a quick and easy tool to use and you can different values of tones as well which can add depth to the image, but I still think that the composition of this image could be better and I really nee to practise.