Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION OUIL603 Extended Practice
Level
06
Credits 60
STUDIO PRACTICE Statement of Intent Name
Abby Glover
Date
2nd SOI 28/01/16 3rd SOI 14/05/16 –Update in italics
Blog Address a-glover1316sp.blogspot.co.uk
Rationale This year, I’d like to focus on exciting projects and push my practice further. I shall do this by further exploring use of media as well as applying skills/ techniques that I’ve developed since the beginning of the course, capitalising on the biggest achievements I’ve made with my practice. I feel that this will develop and strengthen my tone of voice and help towards the way I come across as a professional, as my portfolio will become more consistent. I am hoping that in my final year, I shall gain confidence in my work, as I will try my best to utilize everything I’ve learned (and continue to learn), such as industry knowledge, practical skills, time management, and critical awareness. The use of research gathered from Context of Practice and Personal and Professional Practice will be essential, as they inform my practice by helping me to realise what my interests and goals are within the industry, providing a starting point for my projects. I’d like a portfolio that will show potential employers that I am capable of making informed, influential illustration. This year has been a very informative one. I have used my briefs to develop design and production skills. The exploration of options I may have when I leave was a massive part of my development. Through the course of PPP, I decided that I want to aim for employment when I start my next steps. Research informed me that I could work as an in house illustrator for a design company, perhaps within the greetings card industry, or print design, areas that specialise in product and packaging design. My projects have been moulded around these goals, and have subsequently lead to the production of content that should work together and stand out to get me noticed. My portfolio will demonstrate that I can use print, motif, layout and text to resolve projects to a high standard. This development has most certainly given me more confidence in my work; I feel like I have capitalised on the skills I have gained from the course effectively. I will take away a lot from this experience. Themes / Subjects Themes Popular/Consumer Culture Commercial Work Product and Packaging Subjects Fashion and Beauty Wildlife, Animals and Nature For my extended practice projects, I’d like to focus on a few themes. The development of my practice has led me to engage in commercial briefs, which has involved the use of animal imagery, repeat pattern and portraiture. I have developed ways to make my work stand out and be more unique, which is what I would like to continue pushing myself with. The themes and subjects of my work shall be based upon my research over the past few years into what kind of imagery people resonate with and why. I find that animal/ natural imagery and human imagery is used massively and is very popular, therefore they are viable subjects for commercial work, such as adverts and sellable products.
I decided to drop the exploration of portraiture for this year, as I feel that it didn’t excite me enough anymore. Instead I focused on how to make an image/ product as luxury as possible using print and production processes. Products / Methods of Distribution Products: - Homeware (Screen print & Digital) - Gift Products/ Stationary; Cards, Wedding Invitations - Packaging; Fever Tree Bottles, Makeup Packaging - Campaigns - Book covers
Distribution - Shop sold - Online sales - End of Year Exhibition - Self Promotion - Portfolio I decided to drop homeware, and do something different to product, which is why I applied my use of motif and production methods to book covers.
Practical Skills / Media / Formats Painting Screen Print Digital Print Repeat Pattern Foil Flocking Laser Cutting For this module, I need to build upon the skills I already have. I would like to develop screen print further, after the success of last year. Screen print will be useful for printing on textiles, e.g. For home ware ranges. Digital print will also be needed for different products under the theme of home ware and giftware. Developing use of repeat patterns will also be necessary, if printing onto decorative textiles. One of my live projects will involve wedding invite design, which will use a combination of the two printing processes. As I have already enjoyed using foil flock screen printing, and think that it is great for wedding invite designs due ostentatious looking outcomes, I shall be looking forward to using it again. Since I dropped my homeware brief, I didn’t have as much reason to explore screen print. Instead I developed my use and application of laser cutting and foiling, to add to my skills and produce more exciting/ visually engaging products. I expanded upon my use of motif/ pattern for general design through all of my briefs.
Brief 1: Fever Tree Deadline Rationale: To get experience in packaging design. I will also be showing my work in more contexts that I see my work belonging in, therefore my portfolio will be enhanced. Through this module I shall be improving my use of repeat patterns, so I will also be able to use this brief to develop commercial repeat patterns that will stand out in retail. Repeat pattern was not necessary for this, as it turned out, the flower motif and use of colour was all I needed to make a desirable product. Brief 2: Feel Good Drinks
Deadline
Rationale: I’d like to expand my work to fit into different areas of illustration, rather than just product and packaging. I’ll be working on a campaign to develop my communication skills.
Brief dropped. Not enough interest in the brief, it didn’t really seem like it would benefit me much to waste time forcing myself to complete it. Brief 3: Wedding Invitations
Deadline
Rationale: I am creating a range of wedding invites that can be sold/ serve to advertise for commissioned work. I have a live project that I shall be working on which will involve designing and printing invites for a wedding that will take place late 2016. I will be paid for designing and printing the invitations, I will then have the designs to put into my portfolio, they will go alongside greetings cards I aim to make for another brief. This will benefit me, as I will develop a range of self-directed work. 3 Wedding invitations were designed, once the commission was done, I expanded on it and made my own 3 designs consisting of a digitally printed set, a foiled set and a laser cut set. They enhance my portfolio by showing a range of skills I’m capable of utilising. Brief 4: Greetings Cards
Deadline
Rationale: Products to sell, I want a portfolio that shows commercial work as I will be contacting hallmark etc. for experience. This was the result of a very successful collaboration; working with Sophie Hargreaves to create a brand (Pink Cat Club) inspired me to produce my own range of greetings cards, as well as products that I can sell. It was also useful to research this industry, as I’m interested in working within the greetings card industry and now have a better understanding of it, as well as relevant portfoilio pages. Brief 5: Homeware & Gifts
Deadline
Rationale: I want to make ‘Giftware’ - Mainly office supplies/ stationary (e.g. Pencil Pot, Notebooks, Rulers) & Gifts such as cards, gift-wrap, mugs, and coasters. I believe that making these products will also broaden my creative skillset, carrying on a body of work I really enjoy making. I’d also like to produce or propose a range of printed products for home decoration. In this brief I intend to print on fabrics, either digitally or manually with screen print. This is because I want to extend upon one of my previous projects, as I will gain more knowledge on print production. I will benefit from this because I will have more skills in the field of illustration that I wish to be part of. I dropped the homeware brief, as I feel that I have explored product enough within my other briefs. Instead, I chose to work on book covers, which would push my practice and show that I can do more. Additional Project Proposals Exhibition: Fashion and Beauty Final project – enjoyed CoP work, want to expand and do something fun Will focus on product as well as campaign, so I can work at a range of sizes. Major Project; For my final brief, I chose to produce patterns/ motifs for makeup products and packaging, as well as their shop displays. The reason for this is that I could focus in on all the strong points I’ve developed over the past 3 years. Process – I could use foiling and embossing for packaging. Motif – I have developed ways I produce images. They are more applicable to product and packaging.
Contextual References
Illustrators who make printed gifts: Laura Gee Jamie Mitchell Hanna Melin Sandra Dieckmann Matt Nguyen Gemma Correll Sophie Corrigan Stop the Clock Design Charly Clements Love from Lemonade James Barker Katie Viggers Fashion & Beauty Illustrators: Esher Bayer Hodaya Lewis David Downton Cecelia Carlstedt Kornelia Debosz Sandra Suy Sarah Hankinson Soliel Ignacio Jazmine Cant Megan K Jones Wendy Plovmad