Summer Project

So for Year Two's Summer Project, we had to choose between a range of given briefs. One brief was to use one word off a given list and explore. So I decided to create a project using the starting point 'play'. Straight away I thought of play, in the sense of play, stop, pause, record and just explored this idea, mainly using shapes, such as triangles and circles in particular. I also wanted to be playful in terms of colour, so I tried to stay away from black as much as I could. Here's some of the illustrations I created;

So this illustration was created based on the word record; which translates as vinyl record. So I used a combination of black acrylic and collaged papers.

This image came about as initally a pause sign, so just the two rectangles, however I didn't know what to do with the image, so I just started to create my own town in the middle using different coloured fine liners and just really enjoyed the freedom within these illustrations. 

I also extended them both using Photoshop;

This illustration came about after numerous 'experiments'. Originally the idea came from a circle, so the record itself is a circle, the centre of the camera is a circle and the numerous shapes within the cassette. I just wanted to see what this illustration would look like on paper, scanned it in and tweeked it on Photoshop.

This illustration was based on the camera in the previous one, I just wanted to play around with different retro colours and repetition. 

DD2000; Design Product.

Design Product; Investigation, identification and interpretation of the 'product'. It also considers the role and significance of the product in culture and society. The student considers the ways in which people give meaing to products as objects of contemplation or as objects of function. Reference is also made to ecological design and materials sustainability.

- Select and compare/contrast FOUR products by FOUR different comtemporary illustrators, either four childrens' books by different illustrators, or four editorial illustrations by different illustrators or four advertising or four design illustrations (1200 words total)

Childrens' Books

I decided to compare and contrast children's book illustrators due to the fact that my previous brief at university was to write and illustrate a children's book of my own. Therefore I searched numerous illustrators until I found four children's book illustrators whose style appealed to me. I also chose children's books because I wanted to expand my knowledge of this aspect of design due to the fact that I've never explored it before. After looking through many contemporary illustrators, the four which stood out to me the most were;  Oliver Jeffers, Lucy Richards, Laila Hills and Anette Heiberg.

Oliver Jeffers                                   Lucy Richards

Laila Hills                                   Anette Heiberg

Initially I chose these illustrators due to the fact that I admire their work individually even though they all look quite similar. They each have their particular styles, however when comparing them to each other there are some stylistic similarities. I have chosen these illustrations in particular because they all contain characters, either human or animals. I found this to be most appropriate because I'm currently developing a character for my own children's book which I feel needs to be developed. 

 

Oliver Jeffers is one of few children's book illustrators that I'm familiar with. I admire the fact that he also writes his own books (as he is the only illustrator I've chosen who is both an author and illustrator), I feel this allows him to imagine each scene, creating personalisation to which he can illustrate them beautifully. All his stories spring from sense of humour and random situations and his illustrations are just as loose and quirky. Jeffers' characters are drawn with a minimalist approach, yet you still feel emotion through the composition and movements of the characters. Facial features are rather plain which adds a simplicity which I feel is part of the attraction. The rest of Jeffer's artwork can also be seen as childlike, because he uses minimal details to illustrate, particularly with the characters. In most of his books Jeffers restricts himself mainly to watercolours, working into a plain white background, which adds a border and also to his style. I think his use of watercolour techniques capture the scene and characters beautifully and through exploration each of his books are unique in their own way. I feel Jeffers particularly experimented within 'The Incredible Book Eating Boy'. In this book there's a lot of collage, with drawings made onto all sorts of paper which I find most interesting as it relates to my own style. What sets Jeffers apart from other illustrators that I've chosen is that he's extended his work beyond just picture books. Due to changing technologies, many of his stories have been turned into animated films and interactive picture books, where Jeffers' illustrations are brought to life, which I think captivates and engages the child reader. I also feel that by producing his stories in different formats, he can sell his product to a wide variety of young and older children. 

Another author that I know of who has also adapted to the change in technology is Julia Donaldson. In this review I've chosen Lucy Richards (who has illustrated some of Julia Donaldsons' books alongside Axel Sheffler, Nick Sharratt and Lydia Monks), as I feel her paint studies really capture characterisation and her vibrant colours attract the audience. In the same sense as Oliver Jeffers, her characters are quite minimalist when it comes to detail. However I feel even though she only uses loose drawing techniques, the facial features within her work (also like Oliver Jeffers' characters) add personalities to the studies and even a small detail such as a smile can achieve an emotion within the character, which I feel a child would relate to. I also feel the movement and positioning of her characters are quite playful which is relevant to the format of her work. Lucy Richards has some similarites to Oliver Jeffers also including the media she works with. Even though Richards' restricts herself to using mainly watercolour and acrylic, her vibrant studies of natural environments and characters are beautiful to look at and I believe they would attract the targeted audience as well as be admired by older readers. One strength I found within Lucy Richards work when compared to Oliver Jeffers is that she creates an entire scene quite realistically, whereas Jeffers' studies are minimal in the sense of detail. However I believe that both styles are unique to both illustrators. 

 

Laila Hills is a UK based illustrator, whose background in graphic design helped develop her love for characters and children's book illustration. I feel her work is rather similar to the studies of Lucy Richards, particularly when regarding colour schemes. Laila Hills uses vibrant colours within her work which I feel are playful and eye catching for the child reader. It was also her playfulness within her quirky drawings of animals that I found most appealing. I was particularly attracted to the off-set proportions of her characters features, which sets her apart from the previous two illustrators. Even though Laila Hills is also quite minimalist when it comes to shapes, I feel the colours are the focus of her work and not only are they used to make the study attractive but they also set the scene. When compared to Jeffers and Richards, Hills also uses minimal facial features, however each illustrator captures emotion within their characters. Hills in particular captures emotion within the eyes of the characters, whereas Jeffers and Richards mainly use the mouth to create different emotions. This is an aspect that I want to achieve within my own children's book, and due to this brief being a whole new experience for me, I think by exploring these illustrators I can also adapt my own style and characters to create more personality.

My fourth and final children's book illustrator is Anette Heiberg. Firstly, when compared to Jeffers, Richards and Hills, Anette Heiberg also relys on colour to create her studies, which I think work quite successfully. She also uses minimalist facial features, which are similar to that of Eric Hill (Spot The Dog), however I believe that Heiberg needs to rely more on the mouth of the character because it adds more personality (as seen in the third image across). Also like Laila Hills, Heiberg uses colour intead of drawing to set the scene within these illustrations. Even though her studies are rather simple, I believe children of younger ages will be able to recognise what the animals are and this also provides a learning process. Within other illustrations of Heiberg's she also uses collaging techniques, which are cut realistically to create her characters. I feel this adds creativity to her work and sets her apart from the other illustrators. 

Overall I feel there were many similarities between all the illustrators, however their own style of drawing and creating studies set them apart from each other. I believe all the illustrators attract the child reader in numerous ways; mainly due to colour however I feel Oliver Jeffers in particular uses his imagination and sense of humour to engage the reader through his writing as well as his illustrations. However Richards, Hills and Heiberg have vibrant illustrations which are eye catching and attractive, which is appropriate for the format. My own personal feelings have changed towards children's book illustration. After writing and attempting my own book, I feel I have a good foundation to develop my character building, either due to facial features or positioning of characters. The main similarity between my work and my selected illustrators is the use of colour, whether to set the scene or create personality for the character. 

Word Count; 1,269.

DD2000; Design Discourse.

Design Discourse; Identifies and develops the student awareness of and skill in the use of language specific to Design research, investigation and design thinking. The theme also introduces an awareness of the distinctions between communication for academic and professional contexts. 
- Review TWO talks by contemporary practitioners based on talks of interiews on the folliwing websites and blogs; diegestalten.tv / ted.com / D&AD blog / AOI blog / aiga.org / itsnicethat.com / thisiscolossal.com.

Shepard Fairey

'Obey To The Better'

I've admired Shepard Fairey's work ever since I was introduced to it a couple of years ago, and when I saw this interview on Gestalten.tv, I just had to review it. Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer and illustrator whose work has been seen all over the world. He's one of the best known and most influential street artists, alongside Banksy. His work has been included in galleries all over the world, the most recent being in Copenhagen. Since the mid 1980's he has created outstanding art that is strong, iconic and expressive. However within this interview you also learn that Fairey is a thoughtful, commited and outspoken activist who revives the artistic virtues of standing up for the freedom of speech.  

Fairey starts the interview by explaining the thoughts behind the creation of his work. His opening speech describes how the focus of society is control and power, and what matters most to him is what you can do to shift that focus. He explains how it doesn't matter whether someone doesn't like a particular piece or his work in general, as long as he alters the way people think.

 

Fairey characterises his style as attempting to engage people outside of the usual, narrow elite fine art world. He looks at modern culture as being full of mass communication that can be very overwhelming, which influenced the fact that he thinks art really needs to function as a way to stand out above the clutter of visual noise. The aim behind his creative freedom is to try and make his art both visually arresting and in depth. Throughout his work he uses vibrant and eye-catching imagery to grab the viewers attention, however the image also has some message behind it, either political or social commentary that also provides an overall them of empowerment. 

Fairey continues the interview by explaining that he believes if you want to create something that can make a difference, then the street is where you can prove that. He thinks the risk and the passion of the application in that public form really translates to the viewer and it gives a positive affect to the people who have always thought they were powerless in the face of the government. Through this process, creative artists and viewers end up seeing results, so even if they create art as a way to get quick personal fame, the street can turn into a serious area of art democracy and political dialogue. It's the place that artists play in order to be seen and heard. 

Fairey in response to his previous comments, also explains how he's in a law suit with the associated press over the reference photograph he used to illustrate the Obama poster. Fairey explains his feelings about copyright, and I was rather inspired by his comments and how he sees the issue. He explains that copyright is important and as powerful as it always as has been, however he believes it should relate to exact identical copies, not transformative pieces. For decades artists, musicians, speech writers and authors were creating new works that were inspired by older works but somehow updated the conversation and had new and unique value. So he believes that the law suit is worth fighting because any number of artists that have produced important work in the last Century, their entire bodies of work could be considered copyright infringement and the danger behind this is that people will not make that kind of work for fear of being sued. Not only is it an issue important for him as a street and outspoken artist but also for art in general. I personally think Fairey touches upon a strong issue, and depending how far copyright will and can go, it starts to eliminate being inspired by other artists due to the fact that your inspired aspects could also be seen as copyfright infringement. 

Fairey continues to talk about the method and technique behind his creative work, which I found interesting and inspiring. Fairey explains how the computer is a tool, and just a step in the process he uses to create a piece of work. Due to the fact that he started before the computer era, he knows the end results that he wants and he understands the full possiblity and dimensions within hand-made work. Therefore he doesn't feel bound to the limitations of a computer, which makes him very fortunate in that way. 

The main aspect and technique of Shepard Fairey's work is what I admire and am inspired by the most due to the fact that it's something I want to develop and include in my own work. Fairey explains how screen printing allows him to think of what he wants in his head and then explore and experiment with colour and technique until he achieves something close to what he wants. After he has an initial piece he allows himself  very loose and creative freedom to 'go crazy' and do whatever he wants. Screen printing is a very liberating medium, it allows you to be very passionate and realistic in detail, but simply through process allows you to also enjoy what your doing. When compared to computer, even though it still allows you to experiment in an unlimited way, you personally can't be involved due to the playing surface being a screen and not simply open space. 

The main aspect of this interview that I felt I could relate to was when Fairey describes his feelings towards screen printing and why it's an important method for him. Fairey believes that screen printing allows you to create imagery by hand, and this is more personal and organic than digital creation. People will respond to natural hand-made work, even if it's very subtle. There's something in the translation by hand and by screen printing that yelds something idiosyncratic to that artist and screen printing is important to him for that reason. It's also a great tool of reproduction and collage. I couldn't agree more with this aspect of the interview, the reason I'm attracted to Shepard Fairey's work is mainly because of the screen printing elements he uses and it's also something I look forward to experimenting with in future projects. 

Fairey finishes the talk by reflecting on his personality over the past couple of years and how he feels he's become more socially and politically engaged. He explains how for a number of reasons he's always cared about the big concepts such as 'big brother is watching you' and 'make sure the planet is preserved'. It's the ideas behind his creativity and imagery that has always been important to him, even if he only made a little bit of a difference. He also feels he's matured over the years, mainly due to the fact that he now has children and he cares about the world they inherit, it's not just 'live fast, die young'. For the first time in his life, he's been looking at the world a little less selfishly. 

I chose this interview with Shepard Fairey in particular because not only is he an artist that I've similiared myself with before, but he also uses techniques that I find inspiring. I feel the thoughts behind his work make him different in comparison to other illustrators, as he explains in this interview there's a process and a reasoning behind every aspect of imagery. Not only is his work visually beautifully, it also has a purpose, and I think it pushes the boundaries of graphic design and illustration. It's not just about creating images in your own style, it's also about adding your opinion without speech. I also admire the technique behind his work. Due to a contemporary audience, digital composition and creativity has become a lot more advanced and easier to create exactly what you want, and I admire the hand-made quality that Fairey bases his entire body of work on. This is something that I'm definitely experimenting with and wanting to develop within my own studies. 

Shepard Fairey; obeygiant.com

Word Count; 1,375 :)

DD2000, Design Practice.

Design Practice; Investigation into design activities related tot he invention planning and design problem solving. Design Practice focuses on people and process across a range of design disciplines and the concept of multi-disciplinary design. 
- Review TWO current (by current we mean you have visited it in 2012) exhibitions of contemporary work; one of which we will select and visit with you, one you will select for yourself. (600 words total)

Samantha Donnelly

Today, I travelled to Machester to see the 'Contour States' exhibition situated at Cornerhouse. Contour States is the first major UK public solo show by British artist Samantha Donnelly. Her sculptures concentrate on the strong interest in the images presented in today's media that continue to idealise and objectify the human form. The exhibition featured new works that explored the representations of female identity in photography, television, film and advertisements. 

Metronome; Talon; 2012

Underpinned by references to art history and popular culture, Donnelly's distinctive work combines traditional media with disparate everyday objects to create erotically charged illusions, but fundamentally only offers a fiction to buy into and invest in. Samantha Donnelly explored a variety of vibrant colours and materials, for example this sculpture is formed by combining plastic wallets, card, glazed stoneware, collage with original inks, felt, copper mesh, nail-polish, corrugated metal and acrylic. 

Sharp Orbits Fall Flat; 2012

Rather than just resenting finalised work, Donnelly actively encourages visitors to engage with the process through which meanings are made and unmade. Samantha also explored a variety of scale, due to the fact that she wasn't restricted to a small working space, which allowed creative freedom and to therefore work at a bigger scale. Due to the open spaces around her three dimensional sculptures, you were allowed not only to view her work up close and personal, but to also see her work from all angles. I think this was beneficial due to the fact that her work was visually interesting from all perspectives. 

Detail; 2012

For this exhibition, I found the mass-prodcued, generic and figures of the female body were the foundations of her sculptures, and then by adding further layers of objects including buttons, lace, net and mirrors she created depth into the moral behind her work. The experience overall was quite interesting, mainly because her work was a complete contrast to my personal comfort zone. I opened my mind to the perspective behind her work and think she provides the finalised piece with a fragmented and abstract quality. Some of her pieces appear relic-like and precious, whereas others are seemingly transient and ephemeral, on the edge of dissolving. It was also nice to explore a new environment.

Contortionist; 2012

This particular larger scale sculpture was created by combining numerous materials such as stained eartenware, varnish, acrylic, mirror, copper tubes, electrical tape, aluminum clamps, steel clamps, fabric bound books, metal chains, modeling wax, tights, buttons, earrings, neon fablon, paint and velcro. 

Method Act/City Limits; 2012

The exhibition is free entry and available from 28th January 2012 - 25th March 2012 and worth exploring :)

http://www.cornerhouse.org/art/art-exhibitions/samantha-donnelly

Word Count; 403.

DD2000, Design Practice.

Design Practice; Investigation into design activities related tot he invention planning and design problem solving. Design Practice focuses on people and process across a range of design disciplines and the concept of multi-disciplinary design. 
 - Review the lectures of TWO practitioners who will deliver visiting lectures to you this year. (600 words)

Fig Taylor

Fig Taylor is the Portfolio Consultant for the Assossciation of Illustrators and author of 'How to Create a Portfolio and Get Hired'. Fig Taylor visited my university yesterday to talk to us about embarking on an illustration career and how best to put together an effective, professional portfolio. She started her talk by helping us understand about the clients and commissions. She explained how clients in UK particularly are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting an illustrator due to the fact that there are more illustrators than there are jobs available, which allows clients to choose what and who they want. However, she elaborated on the difference between illustration in the UK and Australia, due to the fact that there are more jobs available than illustrators in Australia. Therefore it allows the illustrator more creative freedom and the clients are used to taking risk, whereas a client in the UK will refer to a reliable illustrator to avoid mistakes.

She also touched upon personal style, and explained from personal experience, that an illustrator cannot commit to many styles, not only will it confuse and mislead the client of what your best ability is, but it becomes hard to classify one strong style and you may waste their time. I found Fig Taylor's talk was really helpful when she told us to aspire towards the styles and aspects of our own illustration that is the strongest. She told us to be honest with ourselves, focus on our strengths and the best of our ability and leave the other aspects that were not so good at to other people. This was beneifical to me because I feel I haven't found a personal style yet, however by focussing on the aspects I enjoy and my strengths, I hope I eventually find my own style. 

From experience, Fig provided an insight into what to expect when meeting with a client for the first time. She firstly explained how very little time is provided for you to make a good impression, and it doesn't matter if you have big internet presence, you should make an impression in person. She also touched upon her understanding of clients and explained the reasoning behind some of their actions. For example, some clients are very responsive when looking through a portfolio, however other client's like to think how your work can help them and whether your style can fit in to a job they have available. It's very important to explore everything in your style, due to the fact that the client will judge you based entirely by your portfolio. Also only approach a client that you can see your illustration working with, compare your style to previous illustrations they've used. 

Fig also gave us helpful tips regarding portfolios, such as what to include and how to organise and display the work. She firstly explained how during university, your surrounded by people who can give you feedback on anything you do, however when you graduate you're then on your own, and in order to make decisions, you have to become your own tutor, and question your work and be honest. 

As for work within your portfolio, Fig provided some tips of what not to include in your portfolio; firstly if there's any piece of work you hate, take it out because it's personally weak. She told us to have faith in our work, and if were not at least 87% happy with a piece of work, then remove it from your portfolio. Any work that is experimental or is incomplete and life drawings/personal sketches should also be removed. All work included in the portfolio should be illustration, not mainly graphic design, otherwise it will confuse clients. She also mentioned that ancient work should be removed because it will drag the overall standard of the portfolio down. The tip that I found most useful was when Fig explained not to include any work that cannot physically be repeated. If a piece of work takes to long to create, then either find a faster way of working, or remove that aspect. Also if a piece of work is created through different techniques or by specialised equipment, you need access to that equipment otherwise remove it from your portfolio. 

The portoflio size should either be A3/A4 and light and portable, due to the fact that you have to carry the portfolio around and the industry only provides small desk space, therefore doesn't have room for large portfolios. 

Fig explained that content is a key word. So in your portfolio you should be including work that is professionally relatable to what the client will expect. If a client asks 'what do you like doing?' just be honest and have a straight answer, because a client will be confident in an illustrator who knows what they want. Be open to compromise; be realistic to which the client will be responsive. Your portfolio should be a representative of who you are. 

Fig Taylor also described how to display your work within your print portfolio. She started by explaining that it doesn't matter what you mount your work on, as long as it compliments your work, and isn't too heavy or thick for the portfolio sleeve. Large scale and delicate work should be photographed professionally and mounted. She explained that different portfolios can be used to collect relevant work together, and you should group either the same media/subject matter/style or vibe together to make the portfolio flow. 

Fig also provided tips if you'd prefer a digital portfolio to a print portfolio. She explained that you should only show an amount of work due to the small amount of time you have with the client, however with a digital portfolio you can have a range of different work available if you are asked to elaborate on a particular style or image. However you have to make sure that the images are set at a good resolution, one that you can clearly see the image, but not so big that it takes too long to load. You have to be completely self-sufficient. For example; charging your laptop/ipad, providing your own memory sticks, providing your own internet for access to your blog/website. As for pieces of work you want to include, there is no magic number.

Fig Taylor finished her talk by touching upon helpful tips within the industry. She firstly explained there is a hierarchy within the industry, and the clients that are paying less money are the ones willing to take more risk. She was mainly talking about commissionsers and practitioners working in magazine and book publishing, design, advertising and TV/film and how there are different working methods within each category, for example, working for a magazine has no middle man to interfer where an idea for an advertisement has to be passed through the client first. Fig also mentioned by doing research into different magazines, you'll be able to pick up illustrations that are similiar to your own, and by targeting a not so popular magazine or newspaper, you have more of a chance, without waiting in a queue. Fig also told us to contact clients who we like and who may like us, not through email but by writing a letter, because it's more personal.

Overall I found Fig's talk very useful, not only did I learn helpful tips for displaying my work, but I also feel I have a better understanding of the client I may be involved with and what there looking for. 

Word Count - 1,260 words. Oops! :)

DD2000, Design Practice.

Design Practice; Investigation into design activities related tot he invention planning and design problem solving. Design Practice focuses on people and process across a range of design disciplines and the concept of multi-disciplinary design. 
- Review TWO current (by current we mean you have visited it in 2012) exhibitions of contemporary work; one of which we will select and visit with you, one you will select for yourself. (600 words total)

Contemporary Artists' Book Fair.

Today as an exhibition selected by my tutor, I visited the 15th International Contemporary Artists' Book Fair. After pointlessly wondering around the Leeds University campus (and after looking at several maps!), I finally came to the Parkinson Building to be welcomed by stalls of illustration, print making, hand-made books, graphic design and inspiration.

Caroline Pratt

http://www.carolinepratt.co.uk/

http://carolinepratt.blogspot.com/

Caroline Pratt is based in Leeds and is known for her print making and pattern design. Caroline's stall was filled with repetitive patterns and prints. Her beautiful, yet quirky illustrations were made in a variety of formats, from one off prints, to artist books and notebooks. I was welcomed by her personality, and throughout the day found myself travelling back to her stall. 

 

I'm really inspired by her bold retro graphics and complimenting pastel colours. Various techniques are recognisable in her work, such as traditional printmaking methods (screen-print and lino-print). I find her hand-made techniques such as papaer cutting and collaging quite effective. Her quirky drawing also adds to her illustration. Caroline also uses digital manipulation in order to piece her repetitive patterns together. 

I adored her illustrations (So much that I bought a hand-made notebook with this design ^) 

Caroline Pratt, Sarah Mitchell, Ruth Viqueria and Gareth Wadkin collectively are 'We Have Beaks'.

Contact details can be found on their blogspot..

http://wehavebeaks.blogspot.com/

Ann-Wyn Dean

http://www.pagepaperstitch.co.uk/

[This is the hand-made card I bought from Ann ^]

Wandering around the Book Fair today, I also came across Ann-Wyn Dean, whose stall came under the name of Page Paper Stitch. All of the designs and products within her stall were inspired by fragments. She focuses on the techniques within antique embroidery. The card I bought in particular was inspired by embroidery fragments and hand-made by duplicating and screen-printing antique vintage aspects of clothes. 

Her work is expressed through hand-made techniques, such as painted paper, printed paper, and embellished papers. Ann also adds stitching elements to her work, which I was attracted to. She mainly presents her work either as book formats or as wall pieces, which were all on display today. 

Overall the experience was very beneficial. I've been inspired to loosen my drawings and explore different hand-making techniques. Also contemplating creating my own artist book, or hand-made books, I'll be uploading any successful progress :)

Word Count; 365.