PPP task III: Pinteresting (pun is author's own)

    What illustration means to me:

• Illustration is about more than just drawing pictures - it is about translating the world around us into something more than reality. 
• Illustration is, at its core, communication. Illustration is never without purpose, message, or meaning.
• Illustration is freedom. More than strictly  representational forms of art, illustration allows the artist to be playful, and to play with different media, techniques, and ways of crafting images, without always being restricted by the confines of reality. Part of why I love is illustration, is that sometimes the image is - oddly - the least important part, and it is the message at the core of the image that really speaks.
• This sort of follows on from my last point, but illustration is so freeing in that rarely do right and wrong come into play. Obviously all art is subjective, but especially in storytelling, or narrative illustration, how the artist manages to get from A to B, sometimes in the most offbeat way, 
• To me, personally, illustration is about storytelling. I love, storytelling, I love stories and I love characters. and so naturally, ilustration for me always comes back to my love of illuminating stories. 

Texture & Pattern - Laura Carlin

Character - Misroslav Sasek 

Line - Faris Badwan 

Shape - John Piper

Colour - Blexbolex

Colour - Emily Sutton

Nostalgia & Progess

It's not everyday that you see an exhibition filled with work by some of your all-time illustration heroes (and Matt) arrive on your doorstep. Luckily, for me, a small collection of work by artists such as Edward Bawden, Edward Ardizzone, Emily Sutton, Mark Hearld, Jonathan Gibbs, and, of course, Matt, has moved in to the gallery in the University of Leeds, and so I took myself off for a wander round. 

WOW, is all I can say.

The exhibition in entitled Nostalgia & Progress, and focuses on British illustration since the end of WWII. Seeing so much brilliant work really brought home to me exactly what makes illustration such an exciting and worthwhile practice, and why I so enjoy working toward something. After a difficult couple of weeks, this was exactly what I needed to recharge my creative batteries.

OUIL403 self 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?

I have begun to develop an understanding (however low-level) of digital drawing, and tools such as Photoshop and Wacom tablets. I wanted to experiment with media as much as possible in this module, and was adamant not to use the same media more than once for any brief, and so I pushed myself to produce my final solutions ‘A Day in the Life’ digitally; the quality of the results is questionable, but I am glad I tried to employ a new skill in my practise. I also feel that my understandings of both line quality and use of positive and negative space have developed significantly over the course of this module, and it conjunction with ‘Visual Language’. If my drawing skills have improved, it’s simply because I now employ them constantly by drawing constantly.

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 don’t know whether it can be described as a theory of image making, but I have found my ability to be objective and self-critical absolutely invaluable during this module. During the very early crit sessions I recognised the fact that there can always be room for improvement, and I learned very quickly not to be precious about my work, and if I thought that something could be done to a higher standard, to not fret over starting again.

3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these?

In both my finished works for ‘Initially’ and ‘Play play play’ I feel that there is a certain level of craftsmanship in the pieces. I certainly put a lot of time and effort into the creation of that work, trying to ensure it was of a good quality.

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

I recognise the fact that I need to be more exploratory and exhaustive in the initial design and development processes when answering briefs. I have a tendency to have an idea almost instantly, and then latch firmly onto it, whereas I should be just drawing, drawing, drawing and constantly trying to find different ways to approach tasks.

5. In what way has this module introduced you to the Ba (Hons) Illustration programme? This module has certainly shown me that this degree programme is intense. However, I also feel as though I’m starting to get the hang of the mechanics of the programme, and getting an idea of how to handle the ebb and flow of the workload. This module (and the last few weeks in particular) have shown me that, on this programme, you have to take charge of your own priorities, and really drive your own work forward.

a DAMN FINE weekend

This past weekend I headed off back down south (leaving the chill of t'North behind for a few days), as I was lucky enough to get a ticket for an 'In Conversation' with both Quentin Blake and Oliver Jeffers at the Southbank Centre in London. Now, this was kind of a big deal for me. Oliver Jeffers? Sure, love him, but Quentin Blake?! THE Quentin Blake, possibly one of the most iconic illustrators of the last century (and, of course, the man responsible for bringing Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant - that's BFG to you and me to life?!) This was exciting.

The event was absolutely excellent, with both artists talking a bit about their working methods (fun fact: Quentin Blake often draws with a quill pen), their early influences, the impact of their work of contemporary illustration, and their past collaborations with other artists and writers. It was very interesting (and quite reassuring) to hear that even professionals at the very top of their game remember starting small, and all the trials and tribulations of trying to find a niche for themselves. 

After the talk I hotfooted it over to King's Cross to visit the House of Illustration museum, in order to catch the Quentin Blake exhibition the day before it closed.  

Another fun fact: this postcard was designed by Laura Carlin

Helpful signs for the geographically impaired (like me)

Visiting the musuem was a wonderful experience. It's very small and rather tucked away, so there is a great atmosphere of intamacy and enjoyment, with everyone drinking in the wonderful artwork, and many people (like myself) reliving their childhoods through the images on display.

And, also, I got to see the original illustrations from both The Twits and The BFG. Awesome.