PROJECT REPORT Tilly Catherine Naomi Butters
AOI SOUNDS OF THE CITY The brief was to design a poster that was a visual interpretation of urban sound. I decided to work on this quickly in order to get the ball rolling with 603. I wanted a quick turn around brief in order to start creating work for my professional portfolio, and also to break up the longer briefs. I had created lots of character work during the summer that I was able to refine and factor into this design, which sped the process up somewhat. My strengths during this particular brief were time management- ensuring that I completed the poster in time for the official deadline. Process and development, from personal drawings in my sketchbook, then refining them to suit the brief. Overall, this wasn’t the brief for me. I wasn’t over the moon with what I submitted and I know it could have been better. I think I work best when I work on longer briefs, due to the nature in which I work. Process is essential in my practice, and if the process had been focused from the start, working towards this brief in my sketchbook rather than changing previous designs to suit the deliverables, I could have created something a lot stronger. I now know that I like to work with theory, contexts and themes, so a brief as short as this gave me no enjoyment, which is why the final outcome suffered somewhat.
MURAL- Leeds college of Art Train station The brief was to design a mural that celebrated Leeds college of Arts 170th birthday, to sit Leeds train station for a month. This was another brief I completed in the early stages of this module in order to get some work churned out . Again, working to a tight deadline sped up my process of image making and decision making, which are skills I later developed throughout the year. But at this stage I was still terrible. I worked in Photoshop to colour the mural, which, at the start of the year, wasn’t a strength of mine. Looking back, my colour palette didn’t work in my favour, and a limited palette would have vastly improved the design. I was pushing the character work from the previous brief, and getting myself caught up in work that I didn't’t actually want to be making. Again, I was focusing on short , quick turn around briefs, without realising that they weren’t benefitting my practice or my portfolio. This was an amazing competition to enter however, and I was lucky enough to work on the winning design as a part of George’s paint team, which was invaluable experience and a great accomplishment. Understanding mural work after completing it, made me realise how much I would change in this design.
WHITTARD’S OF CHELSEADesign a tea caddy competition The brief was to design a tea caddy for Whittard’s autumnal Halloween tea. A pumpkin spice and a toffee apple tea. During this time I was really into my mono printing, as it was right in the heart of COP. I thought I could mono print a design that fitted the deliverables of the competition. I then worked into the monoprints, which, in hindsight I shouldn't’t have done, as the prints were stronger as they were. This was the brief that made me realise I needed to stop entering these meaningless competitions. I wasn’t passionate about the competition, and again it had no theory or context to work with, and it wasn't benefiting me what so ever. The only thing I was gaining from this was the ability to create work quickly and meeting specific deliverables.
UPCYCLE.RECYLE This was a self initiated brief that came from my cop, which looked into sustainability. I had wanted to print onto fabric for ages, but I needed to do it sustainably. By upcycling old clothes and changing them with various prints gave the garments a new lease of life. Although this brief was small, I learnt many valuable skills that will benefit my practice in the future. Printing onto fabric is definitely something I would like to continue and improve, as I really think there is a gap in the market for one off bespoke hand printed garments, and the feedback I received encouraged this. There are so many interesting things you can do with an item of clothing, and people will always need clothes, which is why I think if I really researched the market and started making designs purely for this purpose, I could set up a small but successful business in the years to come.
NEW STATESMAN I did this brief because I knew it was a really great opportunity, and the prospect of getting the opinion of an industry professional really pushed me to complete a design, even if it was a little out of my comfort zone. My initial thoughts on the brief, were - ‘there is really not much to work with here.’ The information given was so limited, but I think this really helped put my degree into practice. The importance was in the communication of what information was given, even if it was small. I wasn’t happy with my design, but I feel like I gained so much from just completing the brief and meeting Gerry. My design lacked in depth research into the themes surrounding the topic. If I had had a better understanding of what I was illustrating, the communication would have been stronger. Time to develop ideas would have been beneficial to the overall aesthetic, but it was good practice, as time would have been even shorter in the working world. These shorter briefs were teaching me valuable lessons, but I wasn’t ever pleased with my final outcomes. I needed to be spending more time developing my visual style, rather than jumping from one brief to the next, creating work that varied drastically from one brief to the next. I needed something that was a little more coherent, that I could develop and improve with time.
INTERNATIONAL REGGAE POSTER CONTEST The brief was to design a poster that celebrated reggae music and culture. “The primary reason for organizing the poster contest is to construct an international platform to showcase a far-reaching vision: the erection of a world-class Reggae Hall of Fame museum and performance centre in Kingston, Jamaica that celebrates the voice, vision and vocabulary of Jamaican popular music.” I really love reggae music, which made this an enjoyable brief, and it became a definite point of improvement for me. I had been making work that was heavily texture based prior to this, because of Cop. But it was here that I realised what could be achieved if I mixed texture with block colours. This is one thing I took forward after this, and managed to develop. Another thing I learnt was how to create an image that worked within a poster design. My previous attempt at a poster didn’t meet the deliverables for a poster in my eyes. My skills on Photoshop were starting to improve, which gave me the time to work with composition and communication. Although my design was not selected, I am happy that I completed the brief as I learnt some valuable things about the way way in which I work. I learnt which processes work well for me, and how to adapt my work to suit varying contexts.
SECRET 12 I was really upset when I found out secret 7 was running this year, as I had been looking forward to it for months, Which is why I was pleased when the college released its own version of the brief. I completed 3 designs for the competition, and gave myself a limited time frame in which to work. The aesthetics for each design varied in order to suit the choice of song, but the techniques I used to create the imagery were fairly similar throughout. I took on board what I had learnt about mixing textures with flat colours and worked on this. This was helping me to achieve an illustration that looked crisp and finished. I was also working on techniques that I had learnt in cop, like subtracting the lines, which, is now one of the main points of focus in my process. The repetition of process really started enhanced my practice at this stage, and I started to gain more confidence in the work I was producing. I really enjoy interpreting music visually, and having the freedom to explore various themes that match the music. Being passionate about the work is something that works well for me, rather than completing briefs just to tick the boxes. Combining my love for music and illustration is something that works well for me, and is a consideration I should think about in the future.
During our time there I used a 35mm film camera to take photos. They came out beautifully, which is why I decided to make something with them I got everyone who came to Warsaw to write a little something about it, whatever they wanted. I then collaged the photos I had taken on my film camera and worked from photos of people from my phone to create something completely new. I had never worked with collage before, but thoroughly enjoyed the process, and how much it changes final resolutions. This brief was beneficial to my practice because it was the first real bit of documentary illustration I attempted. I finally managed to place my work into a context that worked for me. It was here that I realised I want to be a documentary illustrator, as it helps me to align my values with my practice.
WARSAW ZINE This was a self initiated brief that was sparked from an inspirational trip to Warsaw in January. It was a small documentary based zine about the time we spent there. This was one of the most influential briefs I completed this year, because it taught me so much about my practice, and where I want to take it in the future. Creating work about something that inspired me and made me feel passionate about something was the first step to realising what I wanted to do. When I connect with my work on a personal level, I put so much effort into the final outcome.
I was forced to think innovatively about ways to communicate something that I had experienced, whilst making it visually engaging and interesting for my audience to receive. By involving the people that were on the trip, and including their thoughts, I was able to communicate a broader idea of Warsaw. This was the start of a technique that continued, and I will build on in the future. Overall, this personal brief was successful because I was making work that mattered to me. I realised the importance of experience, and how this is an essential part of my process.
OUT OF ORDER This brief gave us all a great opportunity, not only to exhibit and sell our work, but also to gain professional experience in the organisation of the event, and in the networking sense. I learnt the importance of being professional with my work, and how this can increase sales, from something as simple as packaging it well. My idea was to create a design that I knew would sell. Market research proved to be very useful for this, as did research into illustrative trends. I tried to combine what I wanted to draw at that time with what I knew would sell. The concept behind my illustration is making yourself out of order to the rest of the world. Which is what everyone needs to do at some point in their lives, which is why its relatable to a broad audience. Making the audience feel a personal connection to the piece was one of the strengths of this piece, and one of the reasons I think it sold so well. It was my first ever attempt at a 4 colour screen print, which improved my screen printing skills vastly, as I had to do the whole thing twice in order to get a result that I was pleased with. It also improved my Photoshop skills no end, as I spent hours working on colours, negative space and bitmap. The digital version of this image was far stronger, as the colours really stood out. Overall this was a highlight for me, because my work actually sold quite well. I had achieved what I set out to do for what felt like first time ever. The feedback I received was so encouraging, and it really motivated me. The techniques I used to create this image worked really well, and have now become one of the defining factors in my practice. Finding this style, and being able to communicate what I wanted with it was one of the most eye opening, influential discoveries of the year. The exhibition was really successful, and seeing my work exist in an exhibition space is something I really like, and would like to consider in the future. It was great exhibiting with my piers, but it made me think whether I could fill a space like that with my own work in the future. Having my own exhibition is a definite future goal.
KINDNESS PROJECT The aim of this brief was to create a collection of images that communicated people’s thoughts on kindness. The idea was to gather opinions from people world wide, in order to show the similarities, and to celebrate what kindness is. They were to be made into screen prints, and create a collection that could be exhibited. However, this found me in a creative black hole. Not because I wasn’t passionate about the project, because I was. At the time I couldn’t work out what was going so wrong, or why I wasn't connecting with it. But when I took a step back, and reflected on everything, I realised that I had eliminated any form of process and play, and was heading straight for a finished piece before I had started. I now realise, to document things correctly, its important that I play with media and process, in order to document in a way that tells a story, communicates something or challenges it. It was during this creative block that I completely appreciated the one on one tutorials. I was advised to feed more theory and context into my work, and advised to play in my sketchbook again. I had got to a level that I felt comfortable with, but that wasn't going to push my practice forward in any way, which is why I wasn’t enjoying the project. This is something I want to revisit in the future, but I want to do it properly, taking on board everything I learnt this time around. I now understand the importance of reflection and self evaluation, the benefit of seeking advice from others as well as the value of process and play. Process informs my final resolutions, it always has, which is why it should never be dismissed, even when working to a professional level.
COMISSION FOR MUSIC LABEL This was a commission to design a t-shirt for a new music label that was being released. The client wanted a girl smoking, and the smoke to spell out ‘Beyond Paradise’ (the name of the label). This was definitely an eye opening experience, probably for all of the wrong reasons. I definitely learnt a lot about what not to do in the future. I was told that there was not much money involved in the commission, but that the exposure would be really good for me, as the client knows so many people in the music industry, so I thought it was a good way to get my foot in the door. Looking back, I think this was just said in order to get me to work for next to nothing. I intended to spend 5 hours on the design given the price of the job, however, the client wanted so many things changing that it turned out to be a few days of working on it until it was right. I now realise why illustrators should charge by the day. I also had to get someone to do the type for me, as I knew it would be much better. Which reduced my cut straight away. I should have negotiated the price with him but I felt I couldn't after I had agreed. The freedom of design was limited, and the work I created had nothing to do with my values, so it didn’t benefit my portfolio. However the professional experience was valuable. The only benefit of doing this work was the realisation of what a real commission might be like. At least I've learnt what to do and what not to do. I even made an invoice and invoiced someone for the first time ever, which was good experience. I won't think about this negatively anymore, I just need to learn from this and move on.
THE MAN THAT WAS NEVER BORED This was a self initiated brief that documents the busy life of my Dad. I wanted to document all of the things that he does, in a way that makes it interesting for the viewer, whilst maintaining a personal connection to my work. This was my largest brief, and because of this my process has changed throughout, testing various methods of image making in order to achieve the best possible outcome. I feel like I've been on a journey with this brief, and I have loved it. I have realised that I definitely prefer longer briefs that allow me the time to explore media, composition and the best way to communicate my subject. Working with something as close to my heart as my Dad meant that I had to give some serious thought to my audience. At first I was calling it ‘Documenting Dad’, which immediately makes it too personal, and extracts an element of empathy within my audience. By changing this and making it about a man that never stops, and all of the things that he does or has done opens an empathetic window to the viewer. Documentary is something I am passionate about, but I need to make people feel something when they look at my work. It needs to resonate with my audience as much as it resonates with me. Having the time to explore this idea definitely strengthened my thought process and my illustrations. I worked in a number of ways, from photos, from life, from stories, from words. Gathering as much information as possible enhanced the content of my work.
At first I was working in this style. Pure line with sketch on top, and then small amounts of colour. I thought that by working in this style I was achieving a nostalgic aesthetic, which is what I wanted. I was trying to bring in various theories, such as flow theory and the open and closed modes of creativity, which really interested me when associating them with my practice. However, after producing a few illustrations in this way, I started to realise that the illustrations weren't as strong as they could be. They were lacking personality. I was starting to doubt what I was doing, and starting to realise that these illustrations wouldn’t make an interesting publication. After a discussion with Ben, I realised that I needed to review my out of order print again, and try to combine that style with this subject. I had previously steered away from that style because I was worried all of my work was going to look the same, but now I understand that having that coherency in aesthetic is crucial to my practice. Not only that but I was then able to spend time developing this style, which pushed my practice forward.
Changing the aesthetic immediately improved the illustrations. Instead of trying out new styles I was beginning to capitalise on one, which has enhanced my portfolio no end. The images I started to produce for this series were far stronger, far bolder and far more eye catching. I think that by doing my finals and my work in this style from now on will really build and enhance my portfolio, and show a little more professionalism in its coherency. My styles have always been varied, and I can keep that experimentation going in my sketchbooks, but if I aim to complete my illustrations in this way I think I would make myself a little more recognisable. This work stands out, it's bright but still tells a story. I kept the same colour palette running throughout, and it still holds nostalgia, because the colours are rather 80’s, which is a time that is documented in this book. One of my my aims for myself this year was to improve with colour, and I think I can tick that off, which is an achievement. I can now build on this in the future, and work with this method throughout various briefs in order to maintain a visual signature.
There are still illustrations that came from playing in my sketchbook that I wanted to refine into finals, that didn't’t necessarily match the aesthetic of the book, but still worked well when completed. I used the same method of image making, but varied the colour palette a little and the style. I want to make these playful images into screen prints in order to better my skills in the print room, and to push this technique into various contexts. The importance of my sketchbook has been paramount throughout this brief, as it has allowed me the freedom to experiment and play. Repeating a drawing over and over in as many styles as possible was a good exercise for me, and helped me to produce numerous ideas that wouldn't’t have existed without that time to play. I think this works well because it shows off my illustrative techniques, whilst demonstrating that I can change the tone of a piece to suit a particular audience. These are all things I've learnt about my practice, because I have had the time to work on my image making process.
Getting people involved in my documentary projects has been a really great way to add personal reflections into the work, that haven’t just come from me. I really like involving people in the work I produce, because it brings something completely new to the book, that I wouldn't’t have been able to achieve on my own. Suddenly it becomes a book that can be shared with a group of people, that communicates various thoughts from individuals, thus reaching a wider audience. The tense of the person changes too, from person to person, which I really like. It adds new levels to the publication, and should hopefully make the viewer realise that the book is just about a man, and takes away from the fact that he's my dad.
Throughout this brief I have learnt so many valuable things about my practice that will be beneficial to me in the future. My image making techniques have vastly improved, and I feel very comfortable working in this way now. Having a process in which to create my illustrations that can be adapted to suit varying briefs will enhance my portfolio and practice in the future. The ability to communicate effectively has been explored through various channels and aesthetics, and is something I think will be necessary in my career in the future, in order to document subjects sensitively. This brief has made me passionate about becoming an illustrative journalist, and given me the confidence I needed to believe in myself and my practice.