Leeds College of Art
BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION
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Level
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04
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OUIL402 Personal & Professional Practice 1
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Credits
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20
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End of Module Self Evaluation
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NAME
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Sophie
Edwards-Smith
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1. What learning
have you inherited through this module and how has it impacted on your own understanding
of professional practice? Consider yourself as a student at University as
much as an illustrator
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Through this module I’ve learned to look for
inspiration and guidance everywhere. I’ve also learned to consider that there
are many possible routes I can follow, and that the fact I don’t want to be
an illustrator in the traditional sense doesn’t have to stop me succeeding
here and in what I do. Only as this year has progressed have I begun to
develop a better-rounded frame of mind, and realised that I have many skills
that be utilised to good effect here, even if my practical skills aren’t of that
strong a standard yet. PPP has really helped me in the latter half of this
year, everything from the list-making sessions especially.
This module has also encouraged me to be pro-active
in the way I approach this practice, and to constantly be doing things that I
find enriching, whether that’s talking to professional illustrators or
reading about different practices, or simple looking through a lot of
art-books. I’m gradually learning that it’s okay to still be learning, and
that it’s not all about a brilliant final achievement (I blame my academic
background for this, it’s a big leap to make)
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2. What approaches/ types of research have you
found most valuable over this module?
Why did they have such an impact?
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I think my main strength in this module is that I
have never stopped being curious; I have used the library exhaustively this
year, both for specific bits of research and just to engage with everything
available to me for the sake of creative curiosity. Research and
investigating has been an ongoing thing for me this year in all kinds of
different ways – I took on a weeklong internship with a professional
illustrator in order to get an insight into how illustration as a full-time
professional practice works, I’ve travelled to lots of different galleries
and exhibitions, I’ve gone to places and drawn just for the sake of drawing
and loving to draw. Every bit of research I’ve done this year, both professional
(for uni work) and personal has helped shape the way I see work and how I
appreciate it in different contexts.
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3. In what way has PPP informed the way your work
in other modules and your illustration practice as a whole?
PPP has helped me develop a greater understanding
of the positive effects that exhaustive research can have on my work. For
lots of briefs this year, especially in COP, Visual Narratives and Visual Communication,
I feel that my research and the relationships I’ve developed with my subjects
has actually been stronger and more dynamic than my finished products. The
processes of learning, investigating and actually experiencing have been consistently
more attractive to me than making final work.
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4. What weaknesses can you identify in your PPP
submission and how will you address this in the future?
I probably
could have been more conscientious in blogging things such as Big Heads.
However, I stick by something I’ve said before, which is that I see no point
in documenting for documentation’s sake, and that I will only invest time in
things that I feel are of genuine interest or help to me. I’ve only blogged
the Big Heads that have said something to me about my practice or the way I
see illustration, even if I’ve attended all the talks.
I’ve done as much going to exhibitions etc. as I
feel I could have this year, but there’s always room to get even better at
this type of research, especially now I have an idea of the field I want to
move into.
Not specifically a submission thing, but I think
for lots of this year I’ve been too hard on myself, too doubtful of myself
and insecure in the work I’ve been making, and that this, in turn, has
stopped me achieving what I maybe could have done had I had a little bit more
balls. This has been pointed out to me a couple of times recently, and I’ve
had a bit of a change of heart. In future, I am going to make a conscious effort
to be a bit braver in my work, lose my inhibitions a bit, and not be afraid
to say things I do have to say.
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5. What communities of practice and professional
contexts do you intend to investigate further as you approach level 5? Why do
they appeal to you?
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The thing I’m
most looking forward to investigating in the future is professional practices
that would still allow me to be involved with illustration and creative
practices but not actually ‘being an illustrator’. Perhaps art direction,
writing for creative publications, publishing houses, or curation. I have a
good idea now that I don’t want to be an illustrator, but I still want to
work in a field that allows me to champion and celebrate all the amazing
illustration being made out there.
I also intend to look into further education
and MA courses as a possible route, as I would also be interested in tutoring.
Both Matt and Kris have been a real source of help and inspiration to me this
year, and I think I would enjoy and be quite good at the kind of thing they
have done for us this year.
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6.How would you grade yourself on the following
areas:
(please indicate using an ‘x’)
5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average,
1 = poor
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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Attendance
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x
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Punctuality
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x
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Motivation
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x
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Commitment
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x
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Quantity of work produced
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x
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Quality of work produced
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x
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Contribution to the group
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x
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The evaluation of your work is an important part of
the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It
is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written
evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If
you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a
member of staff as soon as possible.
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