Studio Brief 1 The brief was to celebrate 50 years since his death for the Pol Rogers Champagne Company to advertise their product, which Churchill was partial to. A gift box and label in the style of Rogers was the deliverables. The output had to be patriotic and sophisticated, traits associated with its consumers. Researching into the historical figure enabled me to show what I had found out in my portrait. However trying to fit my style and approach in to the required layout provided difficult. I undertook several mock ups of the box design to see if placement could be altered to make the box visually appealing from all sides, however Churchill was only visible on one so I needed something showing his presence on all 4.
Evaluation Being able to communicate that the product connected to Churchill, using images of the Union Jack in his bow tie, Big Ben, his cigar brand label, showed that I had been informed in my drawing output by my research, rather than just using an image of the well-known leader. This adds a layer of personal connection and interest to the piece. I hadn’t considered the subtle use of a vibrant colour before, my choices are generally subtle washes, but adding a bright and contrasting colour to his bow tie communicated a lot, given the small amount of detail needed to achieve this focal point.
This shows that I can tackle briefs with a design element as it made me consider new elements of my work and enabled me to discuss my ideas with some graphic design students for reassurance and advice. However, I should have contemplated the overall design at the initial stages of the process rather than thinking I could use my usual detailed approach and then think about its context. I should have taken a simplified approach to the design work initially to see how it would be placed.
I created each illustration by hand then manipulated them digitally in order to easily change the scale, placement and colour within various elements of the whole design and packaging. I used Illustrator to vectorize my design to avoid pixilation of the digital image, enabling the image to work on any size packaging. This was the first packaging brief I undertook, it made me consider scale, image placement and layout, plus design function, which are considerations I now take in to account in all my work.
Collaborating with a photographer at LCA provided me with a great opportunity for my work to be seen by other people/creatives as it will form part of his end of year show. I felt the style of the photographer I collaborated with would work well with my own visual style and aesthetic – delicate, thoughtful and emotive, focusing on social surroundings and candid portraits. It was initially anticipated that the illustrations would exist as an interactive element on a website. This aspect of the brief was something I had not done before, so provided a challenge making me to consider the resolutions and appearance of my images online. I developed a way of interpreting coloured photographs and scenes by using a colour I viewed prominent in the composition, setting this tone as the background colour rather than adding a illustrated scene which sometimes detracted from the detail of the main subject, or keeping a white background, which minimised the impact .By adding colour which already appeared in the original image I could capture the scene in a clear, simplified but eye-catching way. This brief proved successful as it built on a good working relationship, I found it easy to discuss issues, inform and influence improvements to either one of our practices, we were happy to share ideas and give each other constructive advice. I enjoyed being sent images to give my opinion on, it allowed us to have equal input and gave me the chance to consider both mine and the photographers composition ideas, I now look at my work with photographic composition considerations.
I felt the layered scene illustrations didn’t work in all the images, after showing the photographer a range of images with and without scenes, we decided some worked better with no distracting background, though it took me a while to feel confident with the amount of white space that created an ‘empty’ image. The use of colour helps balance this out, making it looks more complete as a composition as the white space left gives the subject form without the need for details or complications, allowing detail to be added to specific focal points of the subject matter.
Reflection Colour is sometimes needed to make illustrations stand out, I had to dismiss my concerns that colour can be too contrasting with pencil work. I’ve found subtle earthy colours work better with reportage images as the attention isn’t distracted from the drawing but instead outlines and draws focus to the figure with the negative white space of the figures body.
On a personal level I am now more comfortable with the concept of less, as long as the detail is balanced with colour and composition. If I add too much detail then this can be lost, only focal points need to be detailed to strike a balance.
As it was his FMP, it kept developing and changing so the initial deliverables he asked of me also changed. I was keen to progress the brief but felt it stalled at some points when I had produced work for his ideas to then change, resulting in having to make tweak to meet his evolving concepts. For example I had created a map of Bradford, but the photographer wanted to use images taken in Saltaire which was not within the boundary of the map. As the photographer produced the initial images for me to draw from, I had anticipated that I would be the one who would have to make changes. I relied on his time plan and not my own, sometimes this was stressful as I like to be organised and I worried he would not send me illustration images for a long time and then give me multiple tasks to complete at once when I could have had other work commitments to balance.
My process changed in this brief as consider scale. I cropped the photograph into sections of focus and drew each at a large scale and then shrinking them back down digitally to edit each together on Photoshop. Working on an image in large scale initially was a challenge as there was a lot of work to add, but I felt that when the illustrations were rescaled (larger or smaller) the detail was evident and made for a better quality drawing. When working on a small scale it can be hard to add as much detail as I wanted in order to convey personality and emotion, large scale allows for this. I now section off images to draw from , join together digitally, play with the composition and add the negative space elements later along with digital colour to finialise my illustrations. My process is a lot more experimental and flexible. I am relying on digital editing but this works well for online or mass produced items, though hand drawn images will always be my starting point, digital is used to enhance my work, or for purposes of scale.
- Unchartered waters, an entirely new experience for an unfamiliar audience. The client was happy for me to have control over the styling, as they were aware of my work, and liked it before the collaboration began, so we had a clear idea of the style I would be incorporating. The brief contained a personal spin, a story his grandad wrote which he wanted to publish to commemorate his passing. Therefore older family members needed to appreciate it. I wanted the work to be sensitive and nostalgic as well as colourful and understandable for children to view. I chose this brief as it was my first opportunity to create a commission, I was pleased to take on a new challenge, however I realised I had not given much thought to the actual project or target audience when excepting the commission due to my excitement. I wanted to approach the brief using spot illustrations, detailed with watercolour. However I couldn’t work from reference (usual approach), as the manuscript I was provided with required imagination not concrete elements that needed illustrating. The client added notes regarding what images he imagined for each page as a starting point, this stifled my creativity as I was being dictated to, describing scenes in detail from his imagination; therefore discussion was key to achieve a compromise. Though I have used the watercolour and colour pencil technique in the past, this brief allowed me to add more vibrant colours, a requirement to attract the younger demographic.The media was used consistently through the series of 10 drawings
is an avanue i cant see myself following , however I feel I can draw in a way which interests children and sparks their The successful elements were the consistency of the art, imagination for one off pieces rather than in a storyboard format. working as a series and individually. They have fairy-tale Nevertheless, This was a new experience so if I was aesthetic yet still show realism. From my childhood I presented with a similar project, I would still consider preferred realistic images, using the story to imagine the taking it on as feel more prepared to tackle such a brief. surrounding scenes described in the same detail, so I wanted to produce designs that allowed the reader to have this starting point but allowed them to do the same and Reflection develop the visuals in their own mind. I found it frustrating having no source of reference I could On a personal level, it was good to experience a different type of design, audience, and working for a compare my illustrations realism to and resulted in creating collages from a variety of images to create the client.. As the client was a mutual friend, I found it hard to scenes in my head for that comparison. Book illustration balance a informal friendship and a professional one when Evaluation -
some elements needed serious consideration. We were both new to this process which made it difficult managing expectations, but also meant we were both in a position to collaborate and work through it. It was a good experience to take forward when working with other clients, in the future I would find out about their expectations and set guidelines regarding numbers of illustrations, pricing, amendment and development time etc, before agreeing to take on the work. The brief came about in an informal way, which made it harder when discussing finance etc. as these were formal, professional elements that I felt uncomfortable with.
I chose this brief because it allowed me to develop from last years 505 module ‘Applied Illustration’ as I had to consider format and composition as well as a themed aesthetic required from the clients wedding day. I had to consider simplifying designs and designing motifs that are aesthetically pleasing. I looked forward to creating illustrations that did not require a complex narrative or specific meaning behind them as I was already undertaking briefs of this kind. Though I had a set deadline, I had enough time to slowly chip away at this brief whilst getting on with others, which made the process enjoyable.
Because a specific colour scheme was important to communicate the clients wedding theme, I used the watercolour and colour pencil technique, which I used for the children’s book brief, however this brief was for completely different audience therfore I used a more subtle, natural and sophisticated colour pallet. Looking back, I think I chose quite a time consuming method to create the wedding designs as I illustrated each flower then attempted to organise their composition together to create a design for their application. If I were to complete a brief like this again, I would probably design the layout and composition with specific placement of flowers before creating them in detail to then fit into a exsisting composition idea as I did not end up using all my flower illustration, so this was wasted time. However, illustrating the flowers separately made me consider using them for print based illustration and greeting cards. The illustrations, though personal to my clients requirements, had the ability to be developed further into other commercial wedding items such as save the date, RSVP cards, table names, paper table cloths, bunting etc. which could be sold in industry. Creating the compositions digitally allowed me to duplicate and alter designs so they could be applied to different wedding products, it also allows me to use different colour schemes; this means I could adapt it for future clients.
I choose this brief as it forced me to think in terms of promoting, something I needed to consider within my own practice. It challenged me to work to specific measurements. It was also design focused which meant I had to consider text as well as imagery. The branding element to this brief was a challenge in itself as I needed to simplify my work ethic, making sure I did not over complicate illustrations, allowing the image to be easily understood and remembered. Application of the design needed to be considered throughout my design process, making sure it was effective on all the required platforms buisness card, online presence, van design etc. The designs needed to work large scale for use on the side of the clients work van so I drew each drawing large to reduce the chance of pixilation when scaled up. I also vectorized the illustrations on illustrator to avoid this further.
Visual ideas are always in my head but i fear my approach on my own initiative. This has taught me to be more would not do them justice. However, this challenge assures decisive and confident in my own ideas as the client was happy with the results, however I know this will not always me I can achieve simplicity with a detailed technique. be the case and I need to push for stronger working From the experimentation of using colour with pencil work relationships in the future. in other briefs, I again used subtle colour to draw attention As the illustration I produced is a promotional design, it will to the logo design. Though I battled with finding the correct tone, looking at the drawing without colour made be used on and in a number of environments promoting not only my clients trade, but will also expose my work. I me realise it was a necessity to draw attention. Evaluation hope this will generate interest and inspire other One of the main problems I experienced with this brief tradesman/clients to inquire about my services. Though I can produce commercial work in a more direct and symbolic way. I have always enjoyed the concept part of was communicating with the client. Again, this was a fairly logo design does not usually drive my practice, I am happy informal commission for a mutual friend so was tricky to with the exposure it may bring and the opportunities to illustrations, thinking about how to convey a message establish a professional dialogue. The client was not direct produce something different as I realise a variety of briefs simply and visually, but the style of drawings I typically create meant that projects outcomes are usually more with what he wanted me to create, leaving me worried and subjects maintains my interest and keeps me complex and detailed. I have not given myself much that I was creating work that he may not have considered, motivated. opportunity to work in a simpler way out of fear it would and therefore i may have been wasting my time. not be as successful as my complex projects. I have stuck after attempted to show him ideas and development pieces and failing to receive much feedback lead me to rely to what I knew. Though drawing at a large scale required more time, especially when I knew the logo would be prominently used for a small business card and letter head, at least I was able to capture more detail in the drawings, which I think works to communicate the tradesman work ethic. He wanted to be represented in a way which showed his attention to detail, accuracy and professionalism.
This project raised a social issue, I find it interesting to hear people’s stories and the elderly have a fuller life of memories to share, their faces are full of the character and personility I aim to capture and the combination makes for an opportunity to tell their stories. My idea was triggered by a TV campaign about loneliness amongst the elderly, influencing my briefs purpose. I undertook this out of interest rather than to meet a client needs, however I have considered how this body of work could be applied to raise awareness and have contacted charities to discuss this. I used a mixture of handcrafted detailed pencil drawings; watercolour and collage paper and combined these together digitally creating collages. I feel this project is a combination of all processes I have used this year. The reportage approach gives a feeling of a scrapbook of memories, which is more informal and expressive compared to portraits, which were more selective, but still visualised elements of the indivduals story.
worth, reminding viewers subconsciously to get in touch Evaluation with their elderly friends and family. I struggled to give my work purpose and appropriate I feel more confident in getting involved with situations This project has made me realise each illustration I create that are not creative based to inform my practice - Age context at first. Tutor feedback and my own decision doesn’t have to be perfect (realistic) especially when put UK (Kendal windows on art). I’m actively seeking situations making led to many changes in the final weeks of the project which was stressful, but i feel i have now produced together in a collage; a mixture creates focal points and and people to draw upon for my inspiration, it informs finals which showcase my ideas and skills which justify my expresses atmosphere and emotions. me socially and about world issues outside the area of concept.. the format outcome i settled on could also my practice, but the outcome directly informs my artistic I have also used a new approach; incorporating hand drawn inspiration. apply to commercial formats, such as editorial pieces, making people remember that old people have value and text to annotate the work and give the illustrations context. Changes in direction -
My practice is driven by the possibility to raise awareness to social issues therefore this brief was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. The brief allowed me to learn about a social issue I was not informed about and to interpret this knowledge into my illustrations, hopefully enlightening others. I had 2 ½ weeks to complete the brief, which was a huge risk as I presumed I would need plenty of time to develop a strong concept and produce my detailed work to a high standard. This brief is where I first experimented with adding a coloured background with pencil drawings. I felt colour was a necessity to make the campaign attention seeking. Initially I was only using colour to make the charity Amnesty recognisable as yellow is their brand colour; it has created an effective noticeable solo piece.
However to avoid the yellow overpowering the This brief reassured me in my ability to produce work for illustrations, I lowered the opacity over the pencil drawings a quick turn around as it forced me to believe in my initial ideas and sticking with them. I now have more confidence to make these the focus. with developing compositions and adding text to my As I was undertaking similar processes at the same time pieces in an effective professional way. (Bradford brief) the process became tedious, I worried this would show in my delivery. It was time consuming, using Though I know it’s rare to win competitions, spending a a lot of detail for each separate illustration. However, due lot of time on a brief to not receive feedback or possible to the time I spend producing the work, when it formed context for it is quite disheartening and does put me off the end composition it wasn’t necessary to alter or add doing them in the future. However, I know there is always that chance I would get the recognition so completely anything else to it. discounting competition briefs would be foolish. It was nice to have a brief that was clear and direct, taking away the stress and questioning whether I am doing it right – which is what I had to do with most other client briefs.