Leeds Arts University BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION LAUIL603 Extended Practice
Name
Level
06
Credit.
60
Megan Swan
Date Rationale I’m aiming to become highly skilled at designing prints and patterns for retail surfaces, such as home furnishings and greeting cards through this module. This will equip me with the right skillset for the industry I’m intending to become a part of, which I will hopefully come to understand after a series of placements and internships. Using the time left with the University’s facilities, I’m intending to broaden my experience by trying new processes, such as natural/direct dyeing, collage, digital techniques and screenprinting on paper and fabric. I enjoy working with people and have seen its benefits to my illustration practice, thus I intend to improve the collaboration and communication skills I picked up in Level 5 and during COP, which again will be ideal for the future. By tackling a variety of briefs and handling diverse time scales, I hope to gain valuable experience managing the projects efficiently so that I benefit as much as possible while completing the work to a high standard on time, as well as broadening the contents of my portfolio. Themes / Subjects Having had a lifelong admiration for nature, I hope to integrate its qualities into my creative practice while furthering the connection with nature that I developed during COP3. Coming from a background of Illustration is going to be a strong characteristic of my work in the future, and a key part of this background will be an ability to evoke narratives and a sense of character in the prints and patterns. I hope to focus on this during Extended Practice so I can learn new methods and techniques for conveying personality. Products / Methods of Distribution Home furnishings, such as cushions, bedding, wall-hangings and other home accessories Greeting cards Wall murals in public spaces Merchandise such as tote bags, pins and patches Practical Skills / Media / Formats
Dyeing Screen-printing – onto fabric and paper Digitally printing onto a diverse range of fabric e.g. silk and cotton CAD skills – InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop Using a WACOM tablet with digital brushes – ease of reproduction Digital mock-ups to visualise illustrations in context Concept boards Trend research
Brief 1: Keep Real
Deadline 17/05/18
Rationale: Collaborate with a like-minded creative individual to produce merchandise to be sold online for the funding of workshops with young people regarding mental health in Yorkshire. Provides an opportunity to develop and refine designing for application to products (accessories specifically) Broaden portfolio and design skillset by creating work for a unisex market Brief 2: Bath Arts Festival – Literature Trail
Deadline
04/05/18
Rationale: Experience a commission based on email communication alone – create work that satisfies brief within the correct time frame Develop character design skills – not something I’ve dedicated time to previously – perfect opportunity Learn how to interpret somebody else’s concept (i.e. short stories and poems) so that it evokes a suitable impression Brief 3: George Home – Design Placement
Deadline
07/03/18
Rationale: Gain first-hand experience of homeware design in the industry from a global company. Experience working in a fast-pace environment and participating in creating work for strict deadlines. Represent a company’s guidelines in the designs I create. Gain insight into upcoming trends for the specific market as well as the homeware market in general. Brief 4: Leeds Arts Uni – Christmas card competition
Deadline
11/05/17
Rationale: A chance to design an innovative card that catches attention for its detail, colour and character Opportunity to have the card reproduced and sent out to key stakeholders, creative businesses and friends. Wide open brief allows for a diverse range of ideas and media – take this chance to make something new and different.
Brief 5: Leeds Arts Uni – Wall Interior
Deadline
20/04/18
Rationale: Design with a much bigger scale than ever before Brilliant way to advertise work to potentially important people visiting the University Chance to work with a prestigious interior design company – great for experiencing their brief formatting and to refer to in the future Brief 6: NEST – Student Magazine – Issue RED
Deadline
10/11/17
Rationale: Editorial experience Applying practice to a specific aesthetic and theme Chance for piece to be seen by a variety of professionals and the local public through mail-outs and mini-exhibitions Brief 7: Ohh Deer – Cushion competition
Deadline
20/11/17
Rationale: Great experience to design a placement with a specific application in mind – a large cushion. Product could be found in a variety of places, so needs to be a versatile design that it isn’t too busy, or too simple. Connect with the public (voters) by appealing to them through emotional design. There’s a chance of being selected to be a future contributor for Ohh Deer, and if it won it’d be posted through hundreds of peoples post-boxes. Brief 8: Self-directed final major project
Deadline
11/05/18
Rationale: Personal goal to create a beautiful collection of homeware prints and patterns that appeal to a mature, creative market. Targeting a similar market to that of my dream employer – Anthropologie – by targeting their market I hope to express a capability to design for it so that in the future they may consider me for a placement or internship. Broaden process repertoire, such as constructing concept boards, fabric dyeing, bookbinding, screenprinting on fabric and paper and digitally mocking up for visualisations. Creating seamless repeat patterns and learn methods to produce them quickly and effectively.