Out of Order, development and final print

I struggled for a long time to come up with a concept for this theme. All of my ideas felt... contrived, or obvious, or cliche and boring.

My first set of ideas was to take a sequence, and re-arrange it to be "Out of Order". Not entirely fresh of an idea, but could create something visually *nice*.  But, with the lack of space to work with (due to the formats) it felt cramped to do anything more than four frames, and it was hard to establish any sequence in four panels. I mean, it is possible, and more than possible to do more, but it's not my forte. And the time on this project didn't warrant going wild for something that would likely be unsuccessful. A little sacrifice.

<development pics>

I was also not drawn in by the quiet gentle ideas. So I decided to do something fun, and silly. So silly it was "Out of Order".

And so, I drew a

Giant cowboy on horse/
Cowboy on tiny horse

Because it was fun.

<sketch>

Fitting in with my current methods behind making, I made sure to keep lots of movement within the image. And strange forms.

And here it is.

Penguin Design Award: final designs

I never intended to make these images as a set, but my penchant towards simple design / lack of design understanding lead to each being very basic, and together they don't look too dissimilar. Regardless, I don't think this is of ANY importance, as they were never a set. Each book has very different audiences and contexts, so there would be no sense to push them together for the sake of it.

Of the three, To Kill a Mockingbird is the only one I have fondness towards. As a design, it is more self assured, and I wonder if this comes from being the only book I actually read for this brief. It is also the only one that feels the most "me", in regards to the techniques used. My design for In Cold Blood and even Adrian Mole harks back to what I was doing last year with Murakami, in regards to symbolism and simplicity but I have moved beyond that now. There was no reason to go back to that way of working when it is irrelevant to me, especially with Adrian Mole which could have been so much more fun.

Penguin Design Award: Adrian Mole

<issuu with development work>

I struggled a lot with this one. I had, and have, an image in my head that is something simplistic, but retains a moody-teen-but-funny charm. I didn't get it though. The result was something almost simplistic but lacking in visual confidence to pull it off. I can't see it being massively appealing to its primary market of teenagers, but maybe to the adults who read it when they were that age. The textures on the back cover were also unnecessary. 

SaveSave

Green Gardens- resolved

I don't think there is much to say for this one- it's a simple image with little contextual reference that the client was pleased with! Sometimes that's as much as necessary. Visually, I'm happy to continue working with gouache, and paint, and constructing environments in this style. Unless asked, I continue to hold off drawing tigers.

New Statesman editorial: Moby + overall experience

I had expected to struggle more with the SSGB piece, but found this piece harder. Namely, I find it hugely difficult to draw people to a likeness, and whilst Moby is someone who can easily be reduced down to his recognisable features (small, bald, huge glasses) that sort of caricature is not what I'm into making...

I didn't want this to be a simple portrait either, and wanted to get in some of that *angst* that had been described in the text (believable). The Hollywood sign was mentioned prominently in the excerpt, with suggestion that it was important to who wrote it. 

There didn't seem to be a need to make this piece much more complex than "Hollywood sign + sad Moby" but I ventured to try and do it in an interesting way. The sad overturned palm tree... the obscured sad Moby (mostly inspired by how he didn't want to be photographed, but also a help in my less-than-great portraiture skills)... 

I'm still wondering if the other foliage was necessary and whether it made the image harder to read. Perhaps if Moby was a little bigger, or the leaves a little smaller, it would read smoother. But!

----

Without really intending to, I tackled each of these pieces on a short, perhaps realistic deadline. Without the accompanying text I didn't have the opportunity to really pore over the ideas- positive in being time effective, but could potentially mean that certain nuances are missed or the ideas are not as strong.

The quick turnaround may also be to do with not  being so invested in the themes, but nonetheless having a professional approach.

I am nervous to see if anything is said about the pieces, but I would really like some feedback on how to improve my approach to editorial.

Out of Order brief

 BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 06

OUIL603 Extended Practice

BRIEF TITLE Out of Order

Brief

Create one print image for Colours May Vary’s exhibition, “Out Of Order”. There is no theme to colours, style, or idea- just the title as the theme.

Product	Tone of Voice
One square format print	Anything I please, but bear in mind the tone of the shop, and that it is designed to go on someone’s wall. So… something gentle, playful, or fun.
Audience	Context
People who shop at Colours May Vary (artistic, or interested in art, aesthetically driven, some money)	Decorative, for a home

Additional information/Considerations

Mandatory Requirements	Deliverables
	One print design Prints to be sold in shop

New Statesman editorial: SSGB

As part of my editorial project I decided to incorporate the New Statesman brief. The editorials are not necessarily themes that I would have picked up on by myself, but the opportunity to get this work in front of an art director makes the challenge more than worth it. 

As mentioned before, I'm not overly fond of making (particularly editorial) illustration that relies heavily on symbols without any grounding in a *reality* or environment. I also wasn't sure how to address imagery of nazis and WW2, and altogether, keep it "simple" as briefed.

 

I liked the coloured version of the union jack, as it made the image stand out more. However, the point of the piece/ story that I was trying to create is that the UK was something of the past- a shadow as it were.

I didn't find out much about the book or its plot, but it seemed that it was full of mystery... the shadows I drew were intended to be ominous to fit this, but I wonder if it is too cliche either.

I had considered going for another media type, but now as all my other editorials are in the same media, I feel like they can create a nice set together as pencils+digital. I am not sure if this is positive, or limiting.

Updated Final Major Project proposal

Updated Statement of Intent

initial FMP theme ideas

From a "wikipedia journey"

I started to look at the Kibbo Kift, a post-scouting movement, enticed by their ideas and visuals. This lead to

Attention Restoration Theory -> Slow Movement -> Montessori/ forest kindergartens -> Nature deficit disorder

Attention Restoration Theory is something that could be applied to all of these subjects, I think.

I wouldn't want to illustrate a history of the Kift, not approach any of these in a factual way, but interpret it into something further...

I'm still considering the ideas behind "situated illustration" and how these could be placed in this context

Penguin: In Cold Blood

The first admittance- I am not wholly aware of the book, its tone or its plot. Which is instantly a hinderance, and not the best decision to go ahead with a cover in this state.

Harking back to my Murakami days of OUIL504 I have been trying to make simplicity and abstraction work for me now. I think it suitably conveys the dark tones, in a way that my wilder more fully formed figures may not be able to. 

I went through a few colour variations settling that a dark green has more interest than black, whilst presenting a more readable option than the dark blue. 

For the final image I redrew the symbols with a pencil, in the hope that some texture would make it look a little more natural, and importantly for me, in keeping with my visual language. All in all, I'm fond of the face, but think the spine and back cover imagery is a little awkwardly placed and coloured. I would go looser with the face also, and make it a little more expressive. It's not quite there.

Green Gardens

This is the series of sketches and notes I sent to the band Green Gardens in regards to the album cover they are commissioning. This brief hasn't required a huge amount of considering, as they had already selected previous pieces of work as a style model.

The previous work they had singled out as a style model:

brief: Green Gardens

BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 06

OUIL603 Extended Practice

BRIEF TITLE Green Gardens album cover

Brief

Paid commission to design an album cover for local band Green Gardens. Following from previous work they have seen, they would like a painting of a rainforest, featuring an animal. The brief is fairly open, with only a focus on greenery and foliage.

Product	Tone of Voice
One square image, suited for an album cover and promotional material.	Suit the mood of the music: from what I have heard, fairly laid back and sunny.
Audience	Context
The band, and their (potential) listeners. Must be eye catching enough, but also fit the tone of the music and their desired final product.	Online and physical promotion of band Green Gardens

Additional information/Considerations

Mandatory Requirements	Deliverables
One square image to be used for physical and digital promotion of band Green Gardens	One painting, which will then be digitally put together as an album cover.