End of Module Evaluation

Throughout this module I have definitely developed my research and analytical skills and my knowledge of semiotics. Both Studio Brief 1 and 2 required an in-depth understanding of a subject so it was important for me to look at various sources and extract the relevant information. Whilst writing the essay for Studio Brief 1 I also became more confident with Harvard referencing and how to use in text citations - this perhaps isn't something that will drastically improve my practice as an illustrator, but it is good knowledge to have in an education environment.
In Studio Brief 2 I feel as if I stumbled into new territory because our illustrations required us to not only research and be informed on a topic, but to communicate that topic in any format we chose. Having such an open but heavily research led brief left me feeling very stranded in some instances because I had to figure out exactly what I was trying to say with the information I was gathering.

I am beginning to realise what my strengths are with my practice and what are the areas I need to improve on. My on-going goal is to be more exhaustive with my drawing and I think in Studio Brief 2, I really started to tackle this. As a result of this, I think it sped up my final image development process because I had already, intuitively created an appropriate aesthetic for the information I was trying to relay.
The weaknesses in my work have definitely been my lack of academic research sources. I tried to find as many relevant sources as possible, but I felt as if I needed more to really justify the points I was making. This may have been due to a small availability of sources relevant to the topic I had chosen however.

If I were to do this module again, I would spend more time doing more in-depth research and being exhaustive of the different academic sources. I feel as though I only prioritized this module when it was close to deadlines, so at some stages I don't think I really met my full potential. I found that when I was looking at my research, I got a clearer idea of what I wanted to do or what I could develop further. If I spent more time researching/informing myself, then my understanding and the development of my work could have gone further. However, the time spent researching was also influenced by other responsibilities so it couldn't always be prioritized.

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

Evaluation

Throughout a lot of this project I have felt directionless and very unsure about what I wanted to communicate. I started my visual research with a lot of momentum and then as I neglected my research and informing myself on my chosen topic, I lost that momentum for a while. However, once I started looking into the different cultural codes of Metal culture, I got a better idea of what to produce and what I wanted to communicate. 

I found it quite easy to find a visual aesthetic that suited the tone of voice I wanted to create just by experimenting in my sketchbook and then doing the same digitally with textured brushes and loose line work. When it came to actually producing a physical copy of my zine, I struggled with getting the colours to print correctly, so it took quite a lot of trial and error. However, that has definitely been beneficial because now I understand how different papers and printers affect the outcome. 

General feedback from peers has been positive so far, although none of it was from a formal feedback session. I aimed to give my illustrations a bit of humor, which isn't a strength of mine, and combine it with an informative tone of voice. I think I've been successful in doing so but I also want to let my audience (peers during the crit/feedback session), help determine that. 

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

 Unexpected problems

When I printed this version of my zine, I was really disappointed with how the colours had come out. They were much too dark and the textures didn't print at all. Compared with the draft version I did previously, on cheaper paper using a different printer, this 'final' print out looked awful. 

How the colours and textures were supposed to look:

It occurred to me that although I used the correct colour settings in Photoshop, that it was possibly the paper and the type of printer that was affecting the colours. The mock version was printed with a laser printer, whilst the other version was an inkjet - I hadn't realised this could affect my artwork before. The paper I used to print on the 'final' version also scratched very easily which made it, in my eyes, unpresentable as final outcome. 

I resolved to alter all of the artwork to make it much lighter so that when printed, the textures and colours would be more like on screen. I also chose a different kind of paper that didn't scratch and as a last minute decision, I made a sleeve to keep it closed and presented nicely. 

I do think that the cover is a little bit too light but I am satisfied with how it looks overall.

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

• Text needs moving within some kind of margin as it was cropped & looks too close to the edges on the digital ISSUU version.
• Colours have printed mostly okay - some areas need to be lighter
• Will possibly edit front cover because it feels a bit bare at the moment - need to add name as well.

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

Finished illustrations

• I found using a monochrome/limited colour palette really useful because it helped me stick to the codes/palettes I pointed out in my essay.
• I wanted this to be informative but also humorous - I think this translates into my work - using thick textured brushes helped to define the tone of voice - reminds me of short comics found in newspapers. 
• Producing a mock up previously really helped me to figure out where the textual information would sit in relation to the illustrations - being exhaustive with drawing is important. 
• Some areas of the illustrations look a little dark on screen - I will review & alter accordingly once my test print is done. 

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

Page development:

Page 1, handwritten.

Page 1, using a font I found which was similar to what I wanted my handwriting to look like on the previous example. 

I am choosing to use the digital type/font for each page of writing because overall it will look much more professional. As I was writing with ink I found I made quite a lot of mistakes that weren't always easy to rectify. By using digital type I'll be able to adjust the writing much more easily. 

I also think that the handwritten text doesn't stand out enough. When it is put next to the illustration, it definitely gets washed out because it doesn't have enough contrast. 

THEORY INTO PRACTICE - A Visual Response

Developing illustrations

Initial mock up of page 1 & 2

 I wrote the text out by hand using an old mechanical pencil dipped in ink. I knew that when I scanned it in the edges of the letters would look similar to the textured brushes I would be using to draw the illustrations. 

Whilst creating each page I looked at what I had noted about metal album work in my essay. For example, dark colours & grungy textures, so I made sure to implicate them into my work. 

I'm not sure if I like the text - it doesn't really stand out. If I can find a suitable font then I'll scrap my own hand-writing - this would probably look cleaner and more professional anyway.