You have responded very well to feedback and implemented learning from a variety of external sources.
I feel I’m learning a lot, the feedback has been spot on and helped me to see things with fresh eyes.
• You could expand on your comments a bit more
This sometimes is my short coming with my learning at the moment, I do not always find the best way to say things and express my thoughts. Having same issues with Creative book designs, making some thoughts clear and expanding upon my research. This is something I’m working, one of the ways I’ve started this is talking to other students in a creative manner (so I get used to talking) and working on expressing myself via written word better.
– it is so good that you are putting yourself ‘out there’ – I think you have made some big steps with this project. I think you are right – the Covid restrictions have actually made you think more creatively. Your observations are very valid. Well done.
This seem to be a theme, I’ve started to put myself out there more and this has all been steps towards something bigger. Things happen for a reason, maybe I was meant to do this unit in a way I never thought before, not visually, but emotionally.
watch out for typos – you spotted breathe but fresh needs correcting too. • could you use your own photo for the mock-up sign for extra authenticity? • you could consider your poster a set of three. What other imagery could you use?
My human spell checker failed, I should have double checked in photoshop as well. – this will be fixed. The other ideas are being put in place – update to be added to my learning log soon.
Mydanwy Tristram @Mockduck, from Brighton (UK) creator of Comics and Graphic Memoirs.
First of all I pulled up Mydanwy’s Website https://myfanwytristram.com/category/sketch-diary/ I started to look though her work, oldest first to the newest as I wanted to see how she grows within her visual diaries.
Found also an interesting video on youtube. Myfanwy Tristram – Draw the Line
I really enjoyed reading her visual diaries, finding humour in everyday life which the viewer can relate to. In a way her work also reminds me of Simon cat. https://simonscat.com/ , Simon Tofield whom has made a living with illustrating his life with his cat(s), finding the humour in owning a cat that everyone can relate to. This all made me think about my own visual diary in the form of a comic, actually have so many missed moments with the kids / being a mum, planning my wedding and being deaf. Lucky I tend to record these moment on Facebook, so many one day I could do a sort of autobiography comic ? But, for now, maybe work at adding these moment visually at the end, or when have a few moments to spare as a starting point.
I’ve always wanted to keep a dairy, but I find sometime words are not easy for me, but images actually do. But the challenge lies in whatever I can visually tell my life, take what is in my head and draw it.
Along with Myfanwy I alread have other inspirations to help guide me in the form of visual diary humour.
Skill share Mimi Choo – Class
One of my favioute teachers on skillshare is Mimi Chao, who did a skillshare live :Capture a moment with Illustrated Journaling. also Draw your Life. Intro to illustrated Journaling, she does quite a few classes actually that can be applied to my own visual dairy. Illustrated memory maps also being an awesome class that gets you thinking about your milestones in life as a visual illustration. Her website is https://www.mimochai.com/ which is stunning, little insight into Mimi visual life.
There are a few classes on skill share that can help me, find this side of myself such as Visual Journaling: Drawing your Feelings – by Jordan Sandler – This class has some useful exercise to what I feel gets you started and warmed up. Draw A Diary Comic – by Ira Marcks Ira is another teacher on skillshare I really admire, you walk away from his classes with new influences and a bit of new history knowledge. This could be useful if wanted a “guide” into turning my day into a comic form. Also started me thinking more about the structure of my visual diaries over just a collection of images from my day. The class itself is a short 10 min class which covers his visit to a grocery store, covers everything needed to make a “Diary Comic”. He also covers briefly about James Kolchalka (American elf project) He did a page a day pretty much for 14 years and started the trend diary comics, which I see is just way to create a visual diary. Ira Marcks also says that the diary comic is the “perfect way to experiment, try things new,” I will keep this in mind.
Naturally my research was leading me into my next research task, Top ten visual diaries.
Sketchbook Pages I started a new Sketchbook
Trying to think what a visual dairy would mean to me.
Quick test comic to see how could put my life into a form of comic. I wanted it to be loose/sketchy so would be able to quickly put together at the end of the day. Coloured using pencils (for that sketchy feel)
This is more of a test in my personal sketchbook to try and draw something of my day at the end of the day. (the sketch – I ended up working on in procreate – Below)
Other work relating to this research task Which includes my own visual diary which been uploading on to Instagram.
I like the idea of keeping a form of visual diary, I started to think how I could create my own and this led nicely into the next research task where I had the chance to study and explore visual diaries of others. Most importantly it started another personal growth and that is exploring how to use my growing “voice”.
Due to COVID-19, I’ve only just been able to start my sketchbook circle with my fellow OCA students on discord.
Due to timeline it will be completed December 2020 – which makes it likely that I will complete sketchbook unit before it finishes. So what I will do is update this learning log as an almost sketchbook journal and document as much as I can this way. – But likely can included before my assessment –
I really felt the limitation at first with lock down / face mask rules but when came to each exercise I found that I could see “everyday” and value that. I felt guess you could say “home” drawing in my sketchbook like this, really enjoy it and I honestly want to draw more! Of all the methods that I would take forward, I say there is a place and time for all of them, there will be time to sit a draw, others to take photos, revisit them later in my studio and we have the best of both worlds. I see the value of sketching on location, even having the emotional memory being in a place vs a photo of somewhere you never been. You can feel the difference, being there you can smell, see colours, get a vibe for the place. For the first time I’ve used pen a lot for direct drawings, less planning and more free… I like watercolour still as my main method to add colour when sketching on location/or returning to the image. I’m still a fan of Goauche and digitally, even though rarely used in this part.
I started to see these drawing as finished pieces, I have the skill set to pull images directly from a sketchbook and work on them to create a “finished” illustration. This is from both on location, touch up and working later after a locational visit.
I think nearly every page in my sketchbook I could have had a new idea, different way to do something. Reason I treasure sketchbook so much as I know have so many ideas that could one day to be more.
I’m going to doodle more, no! I need to doodle more.
I really enjoyed this part of the unit, even if was harder due to home schooling the children/covid-19 and very limited “me” time. I was happy to spend my “me” time doing this as I loved sketching so much.
I wasn’t sure what I was doing for this assignment, or even where to visit and sketch. Due to may have a stay in hospital soon and my husband working a lot over August I knew had to think of something sooner rather then later so I do not delay my studies to the point of a complete stand still. Originally I thought Sheffield centre would be a great place, however so much is still locked down and intense rules meant I wasn’t really comfortable to do this yet. So I wanted to make my assignment relevant to the current situation.
The day I was brain storming ideas/my thoughts it was over cast, dull and a day feeling depressed about lock down/ limited freedom and just “had enough”. So thinking back to sketching people in mask, I thought maybe doing an editorial illustrated piece with a narrative zombies horde of people missing the “human” touch due to social distancing and new up and coming mask wearing rules. Near by to mw is a Country park called Rother Valley, which has this lake you can walk around. Thinking this could play upon my own sketchbook journey with the “path”. But will remain open minded and kept this as an “idea” to maybe explore.
So I set of to Rother Valley to sketch.
First Sketches – Part one Personal (smaller Sketchbook) Most sketched on my trip around Rotherv ally / couple finished via photos and by adding a little colour. Weather – nice, warm, sunny with a gentle breeze.
Spotted kept spelling BREATHE wrong in my sketchbooks by missing the H! But also kept spelling correctly!
I think at this point it was very clear my narrative had changed, my mood was lighter and the weather was beautiful. I felt very free, like I could breathe and just relax and enjoy my time at Rother Valley.
I had no idea the route I was going with this now, but I knew It has completely changed due to my experiences and mood.
Second Sketches – Course sketchbook – Part two At home, with use of photos I took and sketchbook work. Trying to create my narrative and using SCAMPER methods.
Bit of a brain storming and quick people sketches.
I started to draw the Map of Rother Valley thinking a more diagrammatic take to this poster. At this point started thumbnailing ideas.
(Above) Collection of the photos I took which included some locks as chain of thought could be a play on lock down.
Thumbnails of different compositions and ideas. I really wanted to include people and crowds, but wasn’t sure how. An idea started taking shape from on of my sketches of the swan. At this point while I like the idea of the swan being a metaphor for me wanting to feel “free” I was still thinking about people and crowds being more attention grabbing in the image.
I started a mood board with a collection of my own images and the works of others I was drawn to. Most important was the soft mood I felt.
At this point my main attention was now on the swan, could I make this work? would it work in the style I wanted and did that mean I’ve have to drop people and crowds. Visually I kept being drawn to this.
I started to feel that text would be important, to give a message something like “breathe”.
I started to drop some of my ideas, I was thinking limited splashes of bold colour. However the swan will be white, meaning this could be my negative space. I didn’t want to overwhelming with colour as wanted a soft, gentle narrative.
(Above) testing colours with Ink, watercolour and liquid watercolour. The washed down Bombay ink give the right feeling.
(Above) colour test, I run a risk of the colours being too light and washed out, as the darker test didn’t seem right, while the softer lighter does. I know that posters are meant to be bold and eye catching.
That being said, I know I can always make brighter if the clients wanted that, so I will trust my instant in the softer washed ink.
Before I did that, I got my scrawlr box supplies which included liquid pencils. Used on this to see if was something worth exploring in this peace, it changed the mood completely so wouldn’t be right for this project.
(Above) I wasn’t sure how I wanted to create this, using A3 cold pressed and hot pressed I created two versions. Cold pressed paper being more detailed and a little “slower” in creating the lines. Hot pressed being faster and looser. Very quickly into this process I was leaning towards the cold pressed and the little more details, it had more of the message I wanted in the overall look.
I scanned and made adjustments in photoshop.
(above) printed A6 samples of each of my “text” wording. I originally wanted breathe, but upon picking the font and placement I realised it felt like “Breathe” magazine, I check and it was too alike. So I was left with the option to change the text or the font and placement.
I knew due to the font style I wanted I would keep running into the same issue, so changing the text seems most sensible.
I settled on RELAX.
(Above) – I printed on A3 to test and I liked it even more.
Tested using a free mock up, wanted to see what would look like in the setting. Little worried may not stand out enough for a poster, but I’m staying true to my feeling that the mood from the poster was the most important element in this case.
I like what I’ve created, just hope it serves it’s intended purpose and narrative that I wanted to express. It’s also serves as proof weather and mood can completely change an illustration.
I found it hard at first to get started and it took its time to come together, but I enjoyed the process and made sure I kept in mind SCAMPER and all of exercise to date as I worked so I naturally made changes to the illustration. I feel comfortable with the direction which I took as it felt natural to me.
Just have a few thoughts on my mind as I reflect on the finish piece.
Could I have risked it more bolder/eye catching ? Should I have pushed more ? Should it have been more about crowds and people? Would it make people want to visit during lockdown?
The Art of doodling. I honestly miss doodling, do not get me wrong I do still doodle, but, what I’m talking about is the long mindless doodles that I would do in class at school, or meeting at work, normally on lined paper with limited space.
Not long ago I got a book called “Sketching from the Imagination, An insight into creative Drawing” By 3dtotalpublishing. Which covers the sketchbook work of many brilliant Artist and Illustrators such as Mattias Adolfsson whom sketchbook doodles has already appealed to me in one of the research tasks. In this book a lot talk about doodling, from remembering their early years spent doodling to getting starting in their sketchbook by doodling.
If I start with a random shape or a line however, and let my subconscious fill in the rest, the process is much less tedious and more challenging and fun.
Rustam Hasanov – Sketching from the imagination, An insight into creative drawing. 3dtotalPublishing. 2013.
I folded A4 printer paper in half, so would be able to create a small “booklet” of my doodles. Whenever I was “busy” watching telly, waiting for someone, listening to music I would try to doodle.
At first I tended to do a lot of “repeat things” items or sketches that I’ve drawn.
I spotted I did a lot of gestures and movement in stick figures.
A couple of my doodled turned into page of a “finished” doodle, but seem to like patterns and “leaves”.
Many was inspired by things and shapes I saw on telly or the flow of the music.
After I finished my little Doodle booklet. I took to my sketchbook, as well as including a couple of doodle pages. I took a few of my doodles and developed them into more finished illustrations (as below)
I took the one idea I liked the most (above) and turned into a illustration by scanning my sketchbook pages and fixing in photoshop. (below)
More “doodle” pages – Main sketchbook
Last ending paper (above) – included ending doodle sketch and an insert to keep my doodle booklet.
I really enjoyed this exercise, being able to get myself back into the mindset to randomly doodle again. It is good just to let yourself go, and be so free with a pen/marker.
I could take so much and use in new ways my doodles.
I am a great admirer of Pam Smy from her sketchbooks, I first came across her work while reading I think it was “Illustrating Children’s Books: Creating Pictures for Publication” and had made a note to make her an illustrator of interest, for my own studies.
Pam Smy Thornhill 2017 David Fickling Books
Pam Smy is an illustrator, author and illustration tutor and mentor who lives in Cambridge.
As I said before, I take a lot of photos, for both photography and reference purposes yet. Now I truly had the desire to start sketching everything as well. This also could be the conclusion I’ve been naturally coming to throughout this unit. Also the desire to take photos has been replaced with the desire to get my sketchbook out and draw!
(above) explored a couple of Pam Smy sketches, then looking though my photos I sketched things I’ve never drawn before, as I was inspired.
(below) more pages inspired by Pam Smy work. Used as a chance to explore with ink and tones.
I am a bit late writing this up, I forgot to published as soon as I got my feedback from my tutor.
So a bit belated and updated version of my reflections on part two.
The first part was good, and yes I agree that I’ve enjoyed being taken out of my own comfort zone, even now months after the fact I not only more confident as an illustration but as a person as well.
I am glad my falling fruit page didn’t fall completely short of the objectives.
“if you have paraphrased any of her text or taken direct quotes then it would be helpful to get into the habit of Harvard Referencing these correctly. This might apply to the other research that you have done too but I won’t keep repeating it” I think I needed this reminder, it is just a slip up in these times that I’m not quite forgetting but more overlooking when I came to finish parts of my learning log. I’m going to be honest in lock down due to looking after kids / being ill things on the organising side (such as my check list) have slipped, I needed the reminder for that push not to let myself get into bad habits and slipping up.
• you could return to the question mark / hearing aid symbol at some point and start to refine it by exploring different thicknesses of line / shape. This is a good idea, I would like to explore more with this as lately I’m been embracing my deaf identity and would be good to maybe design some items around this symbol, if not to sell but for myself.
• you could try playing around with scale more within your sketchbook pages. So, you could zoom right into the leaf and show us part of it and then zoom out and show us a forest of trees. This will help you to test ideas around visual pace and the start of narratives. I’ve been trying to add this in areas of part three when I’m able. I also used some of my walks as I chance to revisit trees (in foregrounds and backgrounds).
I think my break through has to be one of the moments in life things inside me started to make sense. This moment documented forever in my sketchbook will be powerful to me and emotional. The idea of the path, ‘seeing sound’ and the personal statements is very moving and a great theme to return to to develop further. Yes, this would be a great “voice” for me to explore. I’m having fun getting to know myself again so this is a good route for me to do that.
I am looking forward to seeing the wine and beetroot experiments… I’ve managed to get the wine (while drinking with family) in my personal sketchbook. Sadly the beetroot I’ve not yet had on my food delivery! But, always tomorrow!
• could you create some narratives around the wild dandelion, the peacock and the found object characters? They all look like they could have stories to tell us… I’ve made a point of revisiting these during part three, I like that it is a recurring theme, makes my sketchbook work relate to each other.
• it would be good to see some drawings of how your faces have developed. These could be digital or analogue but they would show us more options for each character. This is a good point, more I didn’t think of this. In key steps I did a lot of “step by step” that was said “too much work” I may have wrapped things up too quickly in this instance.
• the faces that don’t require any additions (such as eyes) work the most successfully as they make us work a little bit harder. I agree, I did have a moment thinking “Am I overworking this” “should I leave it for guess work” but I didn’t listen to myself as was a little worried people won’t see what I see… I should have more faith in my viewers.
• you could think about the foreground, mid-ground and the background within your images. This would help us to notice the elements in an order that you control. This is called visual hierarchy. So, the robot in the foreground could be stronger and the tree etc could be knocked back to be paler and less dominant in the background. That way we will notice the robot first and then the background. I did do this a little, I skipped steps in my learning log and didn’t push to much. I was a little scared pushing too much outside the whole “happy accidents” and the image becoming too controlled by me.
Thank you for the feedback, a lot I should have trusted myself on more and came as no surprise (In fact pleased that about the result, as know I shouldn’t hold back). The links and books recommendations are great and given me some serious inspiration.
I often refine images digitally, while doing Key Steps in Illustration 1 I really enjoyed the fusion of painting, inking and then making it work for me digitally. For this SCAMPER objectives I wanted to recreate, merge a couple of images in my sketchbook that I felt had a lot more to give and their stories left untold.
Above – course sketchbook Really just placing together some of my ideas, placing elements together or changing completely to have a story.
At this point a couple of ideas started to take shape. One being BOLA, making an illustration to show his playful nature as he explores Earth for the first time, taking joy in the most simple things.
Above – Course sketchbook (both Gouache/B&W posca pen) But, it was to be the bird in the sky and the post box I wanted to create first. A bit of a play on fact pigeons used to deliver messages now using posties themselves. Next was the peacock, which I saw in the grass on one of my works, being sad at all the litter left around, disappointed as I am the people could be so thoughtless.
Once in my sketchbook I drew my anniversary flowers (as an extra study) Using this I wanted to have pet DandeLIONS, created this by printing the photos of the dandelions and adding to the image. (Gouache/b&w posca pen), and finally I finished with a quick doodle from one of my illustrations but adding a touch of how I feel at the moment. (watercolour markers)
(above) lastly in my personal sketchbook I ended up doing this little illustration based on the photo collage of my “fish pie” fish. Water colour and Ink fineliner.
I love doing redraws and reusing my own work. So this was quite a fun exercise, on nearly every page is something I could have used to create something new, use in a different story.
Below – I took two of the images and clean up in Photoshop.
The main conclusion was I “miss doodling”, I do still doodle, more so when stuck for ideas. But the kind of mindlessly doodling such when I was at school in class as should have been listening to the teacher.
While I did my “research” I found I was starting to doodle elements I liked. The Sketchbook that inspired me the most I would have to say is Mattias Adolfsson. While his work can be very detailed and likely put a lot of time and effort into each page, I really like how he explores each subject in great detail. From his work I wanted to do a mini character exploration like his (below) with my own twist, this evolved into a full sketch of the “doodle” from the handing figures (above).
(above) – Cleaned up version from my sketchbook, using Adobe Photoshop.
Emclemmie OCA Sketchbooks 