Project Report Naomi Smith 254958 OUIL505 Applied Illustration Studio Brief Three
At the beginning of this brief, I identified that I thought my current practice straddled editorial and reportage but also product and packaging. I chose editorial and reportage as the area I wanted to pursue for this module but even by the point of the first study task, I was already getting distracted by how illustrators were applying their work to products. In hindsight, this probably should have been a sign that the path of my project was going to change. I initially felt a bit overwhelmed with the prospect of writing my own brief but as I started thinking of possibilities it became quite exciting. I thought about how nature can affect wellbeing and how not everyone is able toexperience nature on their doorstep. At home it only takes a few minutes to reach farmers fields and the forest so moving to Leeds to come to university meant that I no longer had this on my doorstep and that was a big change for me. I found the concept of linking the lack of nature in cities to the current mental health epidemic and city stress levels really interesting and wanted to explore this further. I struggled to be really specific with what I wanted to do which led to my initial project proposal being very broad. T he premise of it was to create a body of work which would encourage people to experience nature in their homes. T his was going to span a range of editorial outcomes which I was then going to take elements from to apply to products. I suppose it was more like a campaign promoting a message.
My sketchbook work in response to articles was a good method of research for me, I was drawing directly around the topic and was trying to get the message across through an image. I could feel myself struggling with editorial though, most of the images I was making I kept thinking would look good as patterns or on products. Tackling this brief from an editorial stance was not a waste of time at all, it was a valuable research process but I moved away from this to take the product and packaging route.
I was planning on making a starter pack for growing house plants and I got quite into this idea. It was a way of directly encouraging people to grow things in their home. I looked into the packaging of it and learnt how to make a net on Adobe Illustrator and I also planned out what would go inside. I was at a point where I thought I knew what I was doing but then I started to doubt everything about my idea. I thought that it wasn’t really illustration based as this pack was made up of existing things. Also, I doubted that people would buy houseplants to grow from seed when they are so cheaply available already grown.
My research has played a huge part in the development of my project and it has been really valuable to have the research ongoing rather than just relying on initial research throughout the whole project. My research into mental health in illustration wasn’t what I was expecting. T he work of T he Sad Ghost Club in particular can be quite downbeat which isn’t helpful in my opinion. Two things came from this research, one was that I wanted my work to be positive and uplifting, and the other was that I wanted to move away from the labels of mental health and make this product range accessible to everyone who needs a bit of a boost. I went into Leeds City Centre to see what was already out there. I was targeting shops that are aimed at young adults because this was the target audience I outlined in my proposal, now my project is complete I can see that it is appropriate for a wider audience than this. T his was a really valuable experience because I started to see the potential of what I was making and where it could fit. It was also good for me to make decisions about what was relevant to my project and what wasn’t. It was after a tutorial that I realised that I could interpret the brief in another way. Instead of encouraging people to physically bring nature into their homes, this could be done through imagery. T his would allow me to work more freely with products which would be found in the home and I wouldn’t be tied down to the relation to a physical plant. T his was the biggest and best decision I made throughout the entire project, I am so happy I adapted my idea even though it was quite late in the module.
Over Easter I visited the Natural History Museum in London and I found looking at the naturally occurring patterns in rocks, fossils and other natural forms really inspiring. I saw a petrified tree stump, the wood had turned to stone and the patterns and colours of the rings were fascinating. T he idea that each ring represents a year of growth gave the tree a story and this led to the development of my concept. I felt like this was a bit of a breakthrough moment for me, not only for clarifying a concept for my project but also because going out and doing things was triggering ideas for me. I am guilty of chaining myself to my desk when I have work to do when this could actually be holding me back from finding new inspiration and sparking ideas. I thought about how I could incorporate this into the garden of Eden theme I was currently working with but then decided to just run with these patterns and leave the figures behind. I felt that the figures could restrict the application of my designs, especially because of the open nudity, it could be seen as inappropriate. I wouldn’t want this to limit the distribution of my products. I think I am getting better at making decisions, sticking to them and moving on. I found it really useful to re-write my proposal. Before, I couldn’t help but feel like I was straying further and further away from my initial plan but by establishing what I am now doing made me feel more on track. Most of the research and ideas work I had done previously was still relevant to my project so I went through my blog and brought this information together so I had a more relevant range of information to be working from. I did attempt to apply this new way of working to the previous drawings I have done but the outcomes appeared too playful and not appropriate for my intentions.
From this point on, the project just flew. I was really enjoying what I was doing. I have realised that product and packaging is what I find the most enjoyment in and pattern, especially, is something I have a growing interest in. I was really engaged with the making of the final images, it was something I could get really involved in and spend time on. T hen playing around with colours and making the patterns was really enjoyable too. My final outcomes do appear very decorative but it for me, it is still important that they have their underlying concept. T he process of drawing the lines so close together is linked to the growth of a tree trunk and how the rings build up over time. T he concept is that how you feel and treat yourself now will affect you in the future so you need to treat yourself well to get the best out of you. Although this is too in depth to be noticed by just looking at the imagery, it is important to me that there is a concept embedded in my work. T he fact that people see the designs as calming is the main point I have tried to get across and I feel it has been successful.
Summative Evaluation I have learnt a few new skills this module such as making nets on illustrator and also learning how to use the lighting equipment from photography. Most of all though, I have been working hard to develop my existing skills, especially with pattern. I feel like my pattern work is coming on now that I am learning more tricks on Photoshop and I am getting the spacing of the components right in less attempts than it used to take. T he F ever Tree brief from the responsive module is what inspired me to pursue pattern for this brief and I am so pleased that I did. I think my confidence with colour is improving. I did really like the black and white versions of my drawings but the requirements of the brief forced me to use colour in a way that conveyed meaning so I had to select what was appropriate. I think I have learnt a lot more about the context within which my illustrations can exist. Even something so simple as going into the city centre and recognising where my products could fit was really helpful for me to gain a better understanding of my practice. I have found it interesting to draw parallels between mine and other illustrators’ practices and as a result, I feel more confident that I do have a place in this industry. Choosing to move away from mental health and focus more on general positivity and wellbeing conveyed through nature was a pivotal point in this project. It was definitely the right decision for me because I wouldn’t have been able to explore the application of my images onto products to this extent if I has stuck with the starter pack idea. I felt it was limiting the potential of the concept. I think the continuous evolution of my project has shown good problem solving skills and it shows that I have more confidence in myself to make a judgement about whether something is working or not and choose which path to take as a result.
I enjoyed being really involved with the making of my final images. It has been a while since I have produced intricate drawings and I found it really rewarding to produce something I am proud of. I was tempted throughout the design process to go back to using ink and a brush but I felt that this is becoming my safe option so I wanted to do something more detailed instead. Time management has been an issue for this module but not because of lack of motivation. If anything, I have been more keen to get on with this module than any other but the demands of completing work for other deadlines has meant that this was put on the back burner quite a lot. The problem for me is that if i’m not ahead with my workload, then I instantly feel behind. My time management is admittedly becoming a bit slack which is something I desperately need to improve on to cope with the demands of third year. I am determined to get myself organised because I can’t help but feel like I could have done more with this brief if I had used my time more wisely. My blogging for this module has been a bit lapse. At the beginning I was on top of it all and I was trying to be efficient with my blogging. Towards the end of the module, at the time of multiple deadlines, I was not finding the time to blog effectively and I think this shows in the quality of explanation and justification evident in my writing. This module has been my favourite so far on this course and it had clarified for me that product and packaging is the route I want to take forward to explore in extended practice in level six. I have really enjoyed working with pattern, getting to grips with colour and seeing how my work could exist in context. I feel like it actually has potential when I see it mocked up onto products rather than just existing in a sketchbook. I have learnt that I need to trust my instincts more. In all honesty, I should have gone with product and packaging from the very beginning because this is what my gut was telling me to do. However, if I had done this I may not have learnt what I picked up from articles which would have changed the course of my project. Although there have been numerous changes to my project, they have contributed to the journey that has led me to these final outcomes. I feel proud of what I have made for this module, it has really inspired me to try and get my work out there because I can now see that it has the potential to exist in the real world.