End of Module Self Evaluation

Throughout this entire module I have developed my general image making skills by looking closely at the composition and format of my work, which in turn has allowed me to become a much more dynamic and confident illustrator. For example I have made imagery that is directly affected by the dimensions in which it exists for Studio Brief 3, which has made me more creative in the way I use line and colour to create something visually striking. I have been able to develop my analog drawing skills further and have been reintroduced to working digitally through Photoshop. This has been the most important new skill I have learnt, I am now able to compose pieces of work quickly and without the limitations of working on paper. I have learnt to translate my traditional way of working onto the screen to create more refined and resolved illustrations. I think I have used my skills effectively when needed but I probably could have taken some more time to develop final pieces in this way, rather than resorting to analog.

Generating ideas and concepts for a brief using thumbnails has been an interesting exercise in translating my thoughts onto paper. I don't usually work in this way but forcing myself to explore all of my own thoughts about a topic has resulted in better work with a sense of direction and purpose. Focusing on each element of an image, for example shape and format, has allowed the ideas for each brief to develop into much more interesting and unusual concepts. Working with collage and improving my skills has allowed me to become more creative in developing my concepts, which have been taken further through the freedom to use various types of papers, wet and dry media. Working in this way has allowed me to move away from drawing on a blank piece of paper with a pen, I am now able to create anything I want to visualise by recycling and adjusting found media and combining it with drawing to push my concepts as much as I can. The freedom that comes from combining lots of different media translates into a sense of freedom within the concepts I come up with.

My sense of colour and texture in image making have become much stronger over the course of this module, I have been able to continuously experiment with combinations of materials. I will make sure to keep exploring new combinations and ways of working and will need to try new types of media and tools to allow for further development. Studio Brief  1 allowed me to work with tone and contrasting areas of light to show form and shape, the final piece for this brief is one of my strongest visually and technically.

Although my compositional skills have gotten better I feel as though there is a lot of room for improvement. I feel as if I need to spend longer developing initial ideas and thinking about the consequences of the format I choose to use. My generation of ideas has been lacking in some briefs due to my focus on the few that I do come up with, this is something I will need to address in future. I need to work quicker and become less precious about the ideas I come up with and the decisions I make. I think I am still trying to find my own process of working and how to find a balance between quantity and quality. I have also come to realise that a lot of my concepts are lost in translation within my final pieces, this is due to my focus on aesthetic which can sometimes overshadow the message behind it, for example not many people knew what my Brief 4 final illustrations were about.

Throughout the next module I will aim to become better at generating more ideas which will enable me to come up with more direct and unique concepts that are of interest to me and the audience. I will focus on communicating my concepts through my illustrations much more clearly so that the message is not misread or misunderstood, this is an essential part of being an illustrator and is still something I have not got to grips with. Composition and format will be a heavy focus of mine and this will hopefully take my work to the next level in terms of dynamism and visual aesthetic. I will aim to make use of Photoshop a lot more in the coming briefs, which will allow me to refine my practice and generate new ideas quickly. I now look at working in this way as transferring directly from paper to screen through things like scanning etc, rather than viewing the two methods as complete separate practices. I definitely need to dedicate more of my time to my final illustrations if I want to improve upon them and properly realise my visions, I feel as if the pieces I have produced so far never quite live up to my expectations, and this could be helped with better time management.