Josh Atkinson OUIL 402 -‐ Study task 4 – Where am I now? Visual evaluaBon
PracBcal Skills •
When analyzing my personal development of my pracBcal skills so far I have to say I have probably learned more than I realise. I am willing to admit that not much experimentaBon has taken place however different ways of construcBng an image I have definitely begun to consider. For example I have used digital skills combined with my preferred medium of hand generated drawings to create a much beOer image in my opinion.
From the start of the year to recent work I feel there is a clear visual progression.
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I have now used InDesign which was a program I had not even heard of before never mind used and I used it for the Visual NarraBve project. Through using it, it meant the final printed outcome was to a professional standard that I was very happy with. I had used Photoshop before starBng the course however I did not have much skills to do with the soUware. I now believe I have improved on them basic skills through what I have learnt so far and although I am reluctant to truly explore with work on Photoshop Its pleasing to know that those said skills are always there if I need them. I have also now use a Wacom tablet something I never used before the course and that is definitely something I have to explore more as a pracBcal skill.
A personal illustraBon I did of Jimi Hendrix which demonstrates how I have used Photoshop to turn a drawing into a more professional outcome. However I definitely need to do more personal work on the side of my required uni work.
PracBcal Skills conBnued •
I have learnt that I have a willingness to want to draw from my imaginaBon and recognize the fact that the only way to get beOer at generaBng ideas from my head is to simply pracBce it as oUen as I can.
A progress shot of an example of a cartoon/ character piece that I used my imaginaBon to create, something I believe one step at a Bme I am geYng gradually beOer at.
Personal Management Skills “If you manage yourself, you control the flow of your Bme to the right direcBon. It takes self-‐discipline to be at the center of control for your own Bme.” • • •
I believe I have learnt to manage my Bme preOy well, the odd thing has got on top of me but I have learnt to keep posiBve and carried on with the task in hand. I have met most deadlines for individual tasks and I believe I am keeping a good flow with my work and how I am managing it overall. I am also appreciaBng the breaks in between where I may take a liOle Bme off to refresh myself and then approach the work in a good frame of mind when I return to it.
Timetable to demonstrate Bme management techniques.
Study Skills •
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I have a tendency to get distracted by the internet when trying to apply myself to study. I parBcularly find that through YouTube I get distracted by such videos that relate to my musical interests i.e. interviews with musicians. However I oUen find that because of the kind of interviews I watch they are oUen like myself reflecBng on their own pracBce and how they go about things when concerning their profession. So it preOy much is a distracBon but at the same Bme it is a form of inspiraBon as well. I have a greater awareness of the need for inspiraBon especially with contextual references. Pla_orms such as Pinterest are useful for that, however I haven't really uBlized it enough. Bigheads has been very useful in terms of being inspired by other pracBBoners and drawing from influences around me. My favourite Bigheads so far was with Glynn Dillon. I think because of the fact he was involved with Star Wars but as well as the fact that he was so well driven mentally and was a very hard working pracBBoner in general.
Personal development •
I feel that the blog has been very influenBal for personal development as aUer all it is a useful pla_orm for personal reflecBon. For seeing what I have done and ulBmately why I have done it or whether I am happy with it or not. This is obviously forms of reflecBon which ulBmately is the best way to mover forward and develop as a pracBBoner.
This demonstrates how reflecBng on my project helped me to overcome my obstacle.
Professional pracBce
“CreaBvity is intelligence having fun” • • • • •
In terms of professional pracBce I always aim to be as professional as I can within a learning environment. I aOend Bigheads as oUen as I can that way I don’t risk missing what could potenBally be some really beneficial advice or form of inspiraBon. Bigheads has also opened up my eyes to the fact that there are many different career opportuniBes and paths to go down. I could aOend more events such as print fesBvals where there are people who perfect their craU for a living where I could also gain advice. In my professional pracBce I can acknowledge that I don’t really have a wide variety of medias in my work and so I should definitely expand in that department. I have managed to keep a good aOendance which has helped me be present for the informaBon that is most important to me.
Types of IllustraBon •
I have discovered through being here that there are many many different types of illustraBon which range in many different areas. For example some range aestheBcally where the overall appearance is different or there's a variety of materials used for the image. Another way in which an illustraBon can be different is that I have found out that they don’t have to be just a drawing as I have discovered they can be physical sculptural pieces or a really good use of photography and collage.
From a 3D craU illustraBon by Marcus Oakley
To a digital illustraBon by Kyle Webster
The Purpose of IllustraBon •
I guess my idea regarding what the purpose of illustraBon is hasn’t really changed since being here. I had a basic idea of how it was to serve possibly these following purposes. Those being; to inform, to educate, to entertain, to adverBse. My idea of this hasn’t changed however I am more aware of how important concept is for an illustraBon otherwise I believe there is no funcBon to a meaningless image.
An example of how an illustraBon can serve some of them purposes is through the great detailed reportage works of Olivier Kugler. His work serves the purpose to inform and educate as he travels the world geYng the stories of those less fortunate across in areas such as impoverished parts of Africa. This is what I tried to do on a much smaller scale detail wise with my Visual NarraBve book outcome, aOempBng to reflect the work of Kugler but in my own visual signature.
The contexts in which you see illustraBon • •
I believe my knowledge of the contexts in which I see IllustraBon has grown and I certainly have a beOer understanding of where they might appear. I have a beOer understanding of such contexts as editorial illustraBons, commercial illustraBon, websites such as Itsnicethat.com. AdmiOedly I probably have not immersed myself fully into observing all the different contexts in which I see illustraBons but I am sure that will happen in good Bme. What I mean by this is exploring different PracBBoners and therefore seeing what different contexts that work would appear in.
This was personally my most successful editorial piece from the editorial brief. I really enjoyed the challenge of producing an image that would resonate with what would be a reader of the potenBal arBcle. John HolcroU creates brilliant saBrical works which I believe grab your aOenBon and make you think and reflect about the topic in quesBon.
Stepping out of my comfort zone “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”
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The main point to address with this is the fact of the personal journey that has occurred so far from being on the course. What I mean by this is factors such as moving away to Leeds. The reason I menBon this is because I believed that I would get home sick in no Bme and perhaps would not be able to deal with that aspect of stepping out of my comfort zone. That has not happened and am very pleased with how I have handled it personally. In terms of reflecBng on this at the start of the semester I believed that I would be effected but as I have menBoned I haven't been. This means in some ways I am developing mentally which can then help me with other problems that relate to my comfort zone in work terms and as a pracBBoner.
Earlier on in the course I wanted to find out the following: • • • • • • • • • •
What kind of illustraBons do I want to make? How will I find my tone of voice? How do I get beOer at drawing from my imaginaBon? How do I get beOer at idea generaBon for briefs for example? How will I learn to take risks? How will I learn to become less negaBve when it comes to looking at my own work? Am I good enough to make a living out of doing illustraBon? What if I find out IllustraBon isn't for me? How do I develop links to the industry? How do I get beOer at figuraBve drawing?
On reflecBon most of these points were preOy self explanatory but I didn’t know any beOer at that point because of my uncertainty as to what lay ahead. However I know now that the main simple answer to most of these is to buckle down and to just basically work hard as that’s how you get anywhere in life if you do put enough effort into it. Other points I believe have been addressed in their own liOle ways.