Practice & Research - Exercise 9.1: Learning Outcomes

My Emerging Illustration Voice

It's interesting to see the path this unit has taken me, and the effect it has had on my practice. I also have to acknowledge the considerable personal challenges that I have faced; it's impossible to ignore that these will have had (perhaps unexpected) impacts on my work, practice and approach.

I started out the unit with a plan to start smaller projects and explore different aspects of illustration that intrigued me. I also had some leads on some paid corporate sector work. These did not pan out, so my focus quickly retracted towards my initial project of researching and blending influences. I think I was overly preoccupied at this juncture with developing a cohesive style. I also think I succumbed to chasing a gap between rendering processes and my abilities (and natural approach).

It was when I started to indulge the intersection between my practice and my interests that things seemed to start making sense. It somehow felt easier for me to integrate aspects of the influences that I had researched. The conversations I had with my tutor helped me to have the confidence to pivot my approach, and focus on a project that cultivated my interest first and foremost.

Research into Practice

The aspect about my world-building project that I have come to appreciate most in review is how the needs of the product led to a natural cycle of research and implementation. For example, when I came up with the idea of institutions in the Well-Meaning World, it led me to look at logo design and period-research. I also had the opportunity to look into book design and layout - as I had not done any related modules in HE4, this was an invaluable experience for me to explore a more blended practice between graphic design and illustration.

I am concerned that my personal challenges have impacted my approach to present every link between my research and implementations. Likewise, that feedback cycle was often quick, iterative, and fluid. I do wonder if I have managed to miss certain aspects of my research from my learning log because I simply moved quickly, and didn't document my thought process in the moment. This would have been compounded by the time-gaps over the course of this unit.

Incorporating Feedback

One of the key aspects that has informed my practice has been the invaluable feedback from my tutor along the course of this unit. It has been this feedback that helped me to focus on a new direction for my projects. Sometimes, it has been difficuly to let go of my ideas, but I am pleased that I have been able to (eventually!) let go of my own personal 'sunk cost fallacy'.

Most recently, I have been very proud of the research and writing that I have completed for my critical review. It has helped me to uncover a new vein of visual storytelling to mine. One of the notes my tutor left me was about embracing 'sketchy-ness' in my work.

To that end I have started to re-visit some of my spot illustrations, thinking about how I can incorporate the same feeling that emerged from my map work and to embrace looser, more intuitive line work. I think this could do with a little more iteration (particularly if I am able to also incorporate more texture like the mountains on the map).

I used a dark indigo for the linework, but will look to experiment with a darker value. I also think that using the blue as a highlight may also work to add more contrast and variation in the overall value scheme.

As I come to the final stages of this unit, the remaining steps for me are to look to the future, and think about what I will need to do to get my project ready for the assessment window, and to explore the new avenue of my new career in teaching.