Short evaluation – Visual Skills 2: Visual Exploration – Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration

I looked at the work I had completed within this unit and selected my favourite pieces.

Two of the pieces are videos I created for Assignment 2 and Assignment 3.

#9 Assignment 2: Presenting your work

#10 Assignment 3: Movement

Before presenting my work for final assessment, I am considering trying a different technique in After Effects for the video I did for Assignment 3 (“Movement”) in order to improve the timing between sequences if I can. I would also like to experiment with the collages of scenes I created for Assignment 4 (Themed Project) (#7) to see if it is possible to improve the collages on some of the panels, although it might be difficult to achieve in retrospect.

I reviewed my tutor’s feedback to reflect on the positive points and the areas that need more attention.

Exploration: This unit has been a fantastic opportunity to explore new techniques, media and concepts and I have embraced the chance to learn new approaches.

Connections: I have enjoyed making connections between different exercises or within a single one (e.g. Composing pictures). It is always interesting to see the potential when characters or sketches are assembled to create a different story. Making connections between several techniques can also bring surprising outcomes. This is what I did in the last image I created for Assignment 5. I used different techniques inspired from continuous drawing or automatic drawing to create the sketches and was happy with the dynamic of the final image. I will carry on making connections as suggested in my tutor’s feedback.

Narratives: I will continue to explore narratives as storytelling is essential in illustrations, even within one image. I was given the chance to experiment with various aspects of storytelling in this course and have discovered a lot of potential. I have realised that there are so many ways to find inspiration for a new story, whether it is with a combination of random words or through automatic drawing for instance.

Characters: As my tutor mentioned, I need to spend more time developing characters. This is part of telling a story. When I draw a character (it can be a person, an animal or an object), I should ask myself what their story is, and how I can convey that message to the audience. It could mean adding an interesting hat, a different outfit or be more specific about the characteristic of an object or a plant.

I could make my characters stand out more and be more interesting through stylisation. Some techniques explored in this course such as joining the dots or automatic drawing are very helpful to draw more fluid lines and interesting proportions.

Background: I need to develop my skills when I draw backgrounds as suggested in the feedback. I have made a conscious effort to do this in Assignment 5 and want to pursue my efforts in that respect. Backgrounds add depth, mood and context to an illustration. I have looked at the work of artists for a while to understand how they draw strong backgrounds. A video I discovered recently on YouTube has helped me to understand further how to create an interesting composition with more depth (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVynETvms-o&t=489s).

Research: When I carry out some research, I need to reflect more on how this will assist me with the brief or my practice in general. I have started doing this by asking every time what element(s) in the work of an artist can be a source of inspiration or help me to understand a technique. I now need to make better connections between what I observe and what I am trying to achieve.

Drawings: I have gained more confidence with my drawing, and this was reflected in the feedback. I think part of it is due to the new techniques I have learned such as continuous drawing. This has given me the freedom to make mistakes.

Composition and collages: I will follow my tutor’s feedback and experience more with scales and compositions as this is an area I am particularly interested in even if I sometimes struggle to achieve the right outcome.

Colours: I still feel that I could improve my colour palettes, and this was mentioned in the feedback. Strangely enough, even though I was not particularly happy with the colouring of the last piece in Assignment 5, I have started to understand how I put the emphasis on everything, and as a result the final images lack contrast. I intend to spend more time analysing how other artists combine colours as suggested.

I sometimes struggle to organise my thoughts in my learning log, particularly if I have done a lot of research and if this is a long project, even if I take notes along the way. I will try to analyse my choices better.

I have learned a lot while studying for this unit. It was sometimes challenging as I do not find it always easy to let go and leave the outcome to chance. However, this has given me the freedom to explore and enjoy the process without always worrying about the result. I believe that this has given me a completely different perspective.

I am looking forward to carrying on with the next unit to develop my skills further.