End of Module Evaluation

 1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

During the course of this module I feel that my collage and analog image making skills have greatly improved, I am finding that image making is now much more intuitive and exciting after learning the breadth of design elements that go into making a picture. Comparing my work now to the work I was generating before I started the course, it is clear to me that I am much more aware of the placement of objects through collage and the consequences this has on composition and the readability of an image. My basic drawing skills have also improved through working from reference and observation, I found these sessions to be the most useful and helpful in altering and improving my work, focusing on the fundamental basics and knowledge of the subject which is something that I haven't always considered enough.

In the picture above I have used observational drawing as a way to understand how the mirrors in Rjukan were constructed, but I was able to retain some of my previous ways of working and combining this way of working with collage has some interesting aesthetic qualities - I like the balance and contrast between heavy and lightly detailed mark making.

2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?  

I have found the principles and theories surrounding line of sight, viewpoint and depth to be the most interesting and helpful to my practice. Before learning much about these areas I rarely ever thought about depth and perception, I think this negatively affected a lot of my work which combined a lot of different visual key elements like tone of line and texture, but lacked that something extra to bring the image to life and to give it clear focal points. Employing these principles and theories within my own work has resulted in much more balanced, engaging and effective illustration. However I don't feel as if I am using these new skills enough within my current work and am going to work towards taking the time to think longer and harder before I make a mark. I need to stop going with the flow of things sometimes and refocus/remember what my intentions are and how best to convey them, for example in the drawing below I considered depth and line of sight but didn't make strong enough diagonal lines to accentuate the machinery trailing off into the distance, I got too caught up in colour and texture.

3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission can you capitalise on these?

Exploring through playing with a variety of media as well as techniques to apply them has been my key focus point and I think a strength throughout most of the module whether I am looking at shape or line etc. This is a way of working that comes most naturally to me but feeling comfortable has been offset by the other skills I have learnt and trying to combine them with my existing ones. I feel as if my sketchbooks can sometimes become a comfort zone and as a result my work often feels like it must always work in a series and there is never one defining moment or favourite piece of work. I have tried to a couple of times to try something else and worked  on sheets of newspaper for my composition task, which allowed my work to become much more 'complete' and focused, since I knew it was a standalone piece and was self reliant, not needing the support of a sketchbook to explain it. This made the work much more legible and in some respects less abstract, but I feel as if this is one of the notable strengths and key breakthroughs within my practice that I would like to keep up.

4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?  

I think my body of work is slightly lacking in 'exhaustive' drawing that focuses on the repetition and complete understanding of things. I am pleased with the quality of my work but it is sometimes difficult for me to find a balance between quantity and quality. I am going to have to work harder in future to make sure that I can make enough time for thorough drawing sessions and must also become less critical of my own developmental work. Roughs and scamps are still an issue I am struggling to tackle, I usually get so caught up in other elements that are more 'fun' or visually rewarding that initial planning is sometimes forgotten, I am currently rectifying this with my other projects and am limiting my drawing equipment so as not to be tempted to start creating and stop thinking. This is similar to what I said before about thinking before mark making.

5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)?

I appreciate other people's work much more after looking at how labor intensive and difficult it can be to make a widely accepted 'successful' image. Looking at a variety of professional work and making sense of each with the principles and theories we have learnt about has made me realise the importance of consideration and thinking before doing. I am starting to see patterns within certain practitioners work and set ways to do things that guarantee certain outcomes in the work, for example harmonious curved lines creating a tranquil and flowing image. As a result of everything I have learnt I am much more critical of myself but this is essential if I want to continue improving and stay motivated in whatever area of work I find myself in.