OUIL405 Visual Narratives end of module 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 feel that my patience with image making has improved, and that I'm gradually becoming more prepared to just draw and redraw until I'm happy with the result. Having the stretch of time we had with this module (as opposed to the 2 week briefs of Visual Skills) has been conductive to this progression.
Also I've started to develop some skills in this module that I just didn't have before, namely screen printing, and computer skills; my understanding of photoshop has increased dramatically (it's still pretty poor, but we're making some headway)

  2. Which approaches to research have you found most valuable during this module? How have you interrogated your research to identify appropriate ideas?

I relied heavily on secondary research sources for this module, as my initial primary-research led ideas didn't develop. Although I managed to use plenty of books and documentaries, as well as web-based sources, my one regret from this module is that I just didn't find opportunity to do as much primary drawing as I would have liked. However, I did get to do plenty of primary research for the 1 week book task. In future briefs I will think very carefully about what styles of research my ideas will lend themselves to.

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

I wanted to make a very 'pure' picture book, and I think i have succeeded in this, by choosing a subject that does lend itself to being the sole focus of visual attention. I've also experimented with more different processes - embossing, digital processes, screen printing, than I have ever before, making this some of my most experimental work to date.

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

My focus for the future is to get better at focusing my research and completely exhausting at - my ideas tend to drift from area to area quite sporadically. For the next brief that requires a massive print job I will definitely think more carefully about dimensions, calculations and technical accuracy. 

  5. How effectively are you making decisions about the development of your work? What informs these decisions? What problems have you identified and how have you solved them?

I think I'm getting better at making bolder, braver and more ambitious decisions about my work, in both practical and conceptual elements. This module has taught me that sometimes I just have to trust my own ideas, and that self-doubt and a lack of enthusiasm for a subject will lead to my producing rubbish 
rubbish work.

   6. How effectively have you managed this project and organised yourself during this module?

I've really enjoyed this module, and have appreciated having more freedom and a greater level of artistic autonomy. Organisationally, I got through this project pretty smoothly with the help of diaries, to-do lists and so on. I still need to get better at blogging as I go though, rather than letting it pile up and having to bulk-blog.

   7. How would you grade yourself on the following areas:

•   Attendance - 4
• Punctuality - 3
• Motivation - 4
• Commitment - 4
• Quantity  of work produced - 3
• Quality of work produced - 3
• Contribution to the group - 2

Christmas work-a-thon task pt. 1

For over forty years, The Association of Illustrators has been at the forefront of championing illustration as a professional practise. The website is clearly presented and easy to navigate. A vast and varied index of illustrator's have virtual portfolios visible on the site, with these being available to both visitors and paying members  of the organisation; having such a rich array of work visible on the website is beneficial to both professionals and wannabes (like me) alike, as it makes it easy to identify current threads of trend in contemporary practise. The AoI operates on a membership basis, and any practitioner can pay a fee to upload their portfolio, thus allowing visitors to the website exposure to many up-and-coming illustrators, who may not have yet achieved commercial visibility with their practise. The AoI Award is one of the most prestigious awards of illustration, and the exposure offered to winners, runners up and shortlisted entrants via the website also makes it very easy for anyone to learn about current hot-topic illustrators, and increase interest in their work. I, for example, discovered William Grill's work through his presence on AoI, and he went on the publish Shackleton's Journey, a winner in 2014's competition.