Contextual Research

After confirming the topic for my project, I thought it would be beneficial for me to go out into Leeds city centre and try to identify places where my final outcomes could potentially exist. I spent a couple of hours looking around shops to find products that link to my theme or have similar undertones. I also looked in shops which target the age group of young adults. I came across a few other things along the way and noted down the names of some other shops which I might like to look at online. 

Fabrication

• This is handmade products made by local creators. This would be okay if the business was small scale but I want to aim for something that will be sold on a wider scale than just Leeds. 
• The target audience for this shop might be a bit older than what I am aiming for. 
• The people who shop here are looking for something interesting and unique, they are willing to pay a bit more for something not mass produced. 

This next page hasn't transferred how I wanted it to. The image on the left relates to Waterstones and the two images on the right are related to Joy. 

Waterstones

• I wasn't expecting a book shop to sell so many things that aren't books. 
• A lot of gift products on sale, this would be appropriate for some of my potential outcomes. 
• I may have got a false perception of what the shop is usually selling because it was leading up to mothers day so a lot of the products were plant/flower based, also things relating to tea and candles. This does show that people would come here to buy things like this. 
• Relevant to my products, I imagine they get a lot of student custom here too.

Joy

• Quirky gifts, books, clothing, greetings cards and other paper products, people would come here for something a bit different from the usual high street chains. Although, this market seems to be growing. 
• Aimed at young adults so this would be appropriate for my range of outcomes. 
• Quite a few books about mindfulness and relaxation, adult colouring books are increasing in popularity. Wellbeing is becoming a recurring theme. 

Urban Outfitters

• The products (not clothing) here are very similar to Joy's product range. Lots of books about life skills, getting your life together, being calm, living happy and 'how to' guides. 
• A lot of the products are about learning about yourself and understanding yourself, I feel like they have connected with their audience's modern concerns. 
• Other products included cacti, candles, candle holders and jewellery, some with similar wellbeing themes to the books, promoting relaxation and de-stressing. 
• Urban Outfitters do stock some products that you can grow, for example bonsai trees or herbs, chillies and edible flowers for a kind of 'indoor vegetable patch'.

Independent Shops

• I went to a few independent shops and the images shown here were from shops within the Corn Exchange. This attracts a wide range of people including visitors to the city, students, young adults, people who like vintage fashion and enjoy buying from independent businesses. 
• I picked up on these teas which are said to promote wellbeing, it shows that this theme is being carried across numerous products recently. 
• There are also some last based products, most likely to be as a gift or for decoration. The majority of these were cacti which seem to be popular at the moment. 
• These shops give a hint into a certain lifestyle, something a bit offbeat and different. I like this idea but it is a possibility that my products could only be sold in independent shops but this might limit the distribution possibilities and inhibit growth. 

Magazines

• I looked at the magazine aisle int he supermarket because editorial illustrations may still be a potential outcome for me. 
• Mindfulness, de-stressing, wellbeing and relaxation were all featured on one or more magazine covers which shows that it is a current theme. 
• Part of me is concerned that the current hype about this could be a passing phase but I think the underlying concept of it will be around for a long time. 

Online Research

These are some of the places I didn't manage to go to on the day I carried out this task, or companies that don't have shops in Leeds.

Paperchase

• A lot of gift products on sale, a lot of them linked to illustration too. 
• Paper based products as well as three dimensional. They sell certain designs as a range across numerous products. 
• Target audience includes young adults but also spreads beyond this to children and older. 
• Very on trend, they move with the times and because of the nature of the shop, there is normally a focus which receives the most attention such as valentines day, mothers day, easter, etc. 
• Relevant to my product range if something was to be bought as a gift or for yourself. 

Marks and Spencer

• The age range is typically older than what I am aiming for, although more young people than you expect do shop at Marks and Spencer.
• The price range of their products is generally higher than other high street chains. 
• Strong homeware and gift department, a very established name.
• I don't think this would fit my potential outcomes, the brand name has a strong history and it doesn't represent 'new' and 'young' as strongly as the other stored I have looked at.  
• There is potential that my product could be stocked for a limited time for a certain occasion such as back to college/university time of year of Christmas if it was marketed correctly within store. 

John Lewis

• I used to think that John Lewis had a similar reputation to Marks and Spencer but they are actually much more tuned in to the younger generation. It is a proper family, department store which has departments aimed at all ages. 
• Homeware, gift, and stationary could all be relevant to my potential outcomes. 
• I found some products on their website which may have some connections to what I am exploring. 
• I found a plant which you can set up an electronic device to it so it lets you know when it needs watering - this is not the way I want to take my project. I want young adults to be able to know how to take care of a plant by themselves and not be solely reliant on technology for yet another thing in their lives. I can see this is a novelty product and probably for a younger age range but I think this concept defeats the point of having the plant in the first place. I am not ruling out the idea of digital technology altogether because something like a social media account might link well to my final product range. 
• Kew Gardens to a range of seeds and small planters but their packaging and designs appears to be aimed at an older audience, it looks quite traditional and the illustrations appear quite old fashioned which might be off-putting to a younger audience. 

Craft Fairs

• Going back to the beginning of this exercise, I think craft fairs would be on the same level as the products for sale in Fabrication. They have a more personal and individual feel. Depending on where this project takes me, craft fairs could be a possibility if the distribution remains low key, however if it got bigger then this might be the place for limited edition, spin off products for promotional purposes. 
• There is a large range of audiences within the realm of craft fairs, it could tourist based, student based or be dependent on the location or time of year. 

Students Unions/Freshers Fairs

• Students unions seem to be a place more for promotion rather than sale, unless they have their own shop within it. I think freshers fairs are a more appropriate place for the sale of products similar to my potential outcomes. 
• Freshers fairs could be a chance to get this audience into the brand and make them aware of the products, it could be a good way of getting the word out there and promoting the ethos of the products. I think this is definitely a key sector of the audience that need to be targeted. 

This has actually been a really useful exercise and I feel I am starting to understand my audience and market more. Although this has been quite difficult because I have not established exactly what my final products are going to be, I feel I have more direction of the route I am taking this. I have also seen examples of products I would like my outcomes to work alongside and I have seen products which I don't want my outcomes to be like at all. Overall, I have established that the theme of wellbeing is very current and on trend which would be good for the initial launching of the products. I can see that it is a theme that will most likely be around for a while. I am pleased to say that I can see a gap in the market. There are plants for sale and there are products around wellbeing for sale but I didn't notice any which actively combines the two together so this has given me hope that this project could lead me into something new and exciting. 

From the places I have seen and researched, I would say that the three shops most relevant to my idea would be Urban Outfitters, Joy and John Lewis. I think independent shops and craft/freshers fairs are something to keep in mind because it might turn out that whatever I make would be best to be sold in a  more personal and intimate setting without the risk of the ethos being drowned out by a large commercial setting. 

Secret7 - Photoshop and Refining Designs

I played around on Photoshop with the elements I had made and actually settled with some designs which I thought were working quite well. This happened earlier than I had expected because I usually get so caught up in all the options available on Photoshop that my ideas can get carried off into all sorts of directions which it is then hard to bring back down to earth. I think it is important at this stage to clarify the concepts for each of my designs. 

S729 - Clearest Blue

• The song is from the album 'Every Open Eye' and this is a line repeated in the song as well, this is where the eye image came from. 
• There is the idea of meeting 'more than half way' so I wanted to divide the space in half as if to show a line where crossing it would be more than half way. 
• The colour blue I have used obviously links to the title of the song and is also the way I am choosing to link the designs together. 
• The song feels playful and upbeat which is why the brush strokes are slightly off beat and imperfect. 
• The line 'you, were the perfect star but its not enough' drove me to have a star floating amongst other shapes and marks and not standing out and shining. It kind of links to the concept that perfect to one person is just normal to someone else. 

S731 - Worry

• The main idea for this stemmed from 'this moon only shines a half to make us feel whole' so I wanted to show this through a simple collection of shapes. 
• I added in the closed eye to link to the line ' and when my eyes are closed I can start to feel you staring at me'. I get the impression the lyrics are talking about things happening in his dreams so the moon and closed eyes are relevant here. 
• The sea is a personal worry of mine and I think the fear of the unknown is something a lot of people can relate to on some level. I wanted it to look like the character that is the moon is feeling ready to be immersed into the sea below starting to deal with problems and moving on with life. The song gets across the idea that he's starting to feel ok dealing with it by himself now so I wanted this to be a calming cover, almost like the calm after some kind of storm. 

S733 - Imagine

• I found this one really hard because there is a lot of clichés that have been done many times before as this is such a famous song. I wanted to use 'above us only sky' and the main concept for this, using a circle to represent the world wrapped in a layer of sky. It gives the impression of unity by everyone in the world having the sky in common. Thats what the song is about really. 
• I wanted the get the idea across of the world living 'as one' so I used a number of different mark making techniques to represent different people mixing and blending. I made two layers of this and rotated one so the individual marks actually overlapped showing bonding between humans. 
• The idea of peace is really key in this song and I initially wanted it to be really calm and soft to look at but instead I chose some harsher marks to mix into the collection because it highlights the darker issues in the world which Lennon was trying to battle against with this song. 

After reaching a composition I was happy with for each design, I went back to using ink to create some textures I could apply to my work. I felt that the designs I had were flat and did not have much to explore beyond the initial visual impact. I want the design to remain simple but just add a bit more depth. I feel that adding the textures has achieved this, playing around with different layer styles and effects helped me to reach these solutions. I have selected my two best options for each design here and will now finalise the one I think is most successful. 

I think the texture on the blue line for the 'Clearest Blue' image adds a sense of play to the image and gets across the lively nature of the music. I am planning on using the design where this texture is more prominent. I used a dry brush texture on the 'Worry' image to hint at a downward movement which connects to the concept idea I wrote about previously. I like how there are streaks of blue showing on the right hand image but the overall effect of the darker moon on the left works better overall. The higher contrast against the background make it stand out more and the texture on it is more consistent across the shape. Finally, I added a faint texture to the blue area for 'Imagine' just to make the image feel more whole and to avoid looking so flat. I actually like the design with the full blue background but to me it resembles the sea and not the sky, I think the circular design connects better to my concept. 

Secret7 - Album Cover Research

I realised that I've thrown myself right into this brief without even looking at album artwork. I have to admit I don't know a lot about music and my taste is probably quite shameful and not up to date at all so this isn't a good area of knowledge for me. I picked out some iconic album covers from the past and briefly analysed them just to give myself an idea of what seems to work and what doesn't. I have purposely chosen abstract designs so this remains relevant to my objective.

When I think of abstract album art I think of examples like these which are photographic based but highly digitally edited. I want to move away from the photographs work for this brief and focus on handmade elements to build up the design. 

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (by Peter Saville)

This design is based on radio waves from Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, the source material is clearly obscure but the image created from it is so interesting to look at and it became a highly iconic design for them. 

The Strokes - Is This It (by Colin Lane)

It surprised me that there was no actual concept behind this image, Lane says that it was a photograph taken of his girlfriend of the time as she came out of the shower. It's strange to think that an image as recognisable as this stemmed from literally nothing, only the idea that whatever it was, it needed to be sexy. 

The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (by Bill Smith)

This album cover is a total opposite to the Strokes cover because this image is a very literal representation of one of the tracks on the album, 'Fire in Cairo'. He has used very recognisable imagery  and simplified it down to shape form, the burned edge at the bottom adds depth to the image but the overall concept is blatantly obvious.

Introspective - The Pet Shop Boys (by Mark Farrow)

This bold design contrasts with the title of the album totally. 

The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground and Nico (by Andy Warhol)

First impressions about this album cover are totally directed at the creator of the image rather than who has actually made the album. The writeup for this cover on shortlist.com makes a valid point when it says that this album cover was going to be successful and iconic, whoever it was made for. 

I know this research has not gone in to massive depth but I just wanted to get the gist of what made a really good record sleeve. After doing this research, I have come to the conclusion that there is no magic formula. Some successful designs barely relate to the artist or genre of the music while others use such obvious concepts. I suppose music is a personal thing, people interpret things differently so you can either take a risk and put your own personal thoughts into it or make it so generic that almost everyone feels a connection to it on some level. In hindsight, I should have focussed on more modern examples but I felt that a lot of the things I have picked up on here actually carry through to modern day anyway. After doing this exercise, I don't feel I have a clearer way of approaching this brief other than just doing what I think is right. There isn't a way of appealing to everyone and it might be good to take a punt on something obscure because it might just work. 

Secret7 - Research and Ideas

I have decided to Secret Seven as another small brief for responsive. I have been finding it really hard to stay motivated with this module recently so I thought that choosing a brief with the deadline so close might kickstart me into action again. This may seem like an odd approach to take but I know I work harder and more efficiently when I'm under a bit of pressure (not too much though!). I know the research for my main brief (Fever Tree) is very fact based so I wanted to take a totally different approach to my research method for this brief and use the sound of the track and the lyrics to produce a body of visuals to work with. I consciously chose not to research into the backgrounds or lives of the actual artists because I want the image to represent the track and the track only, I think this is most appropriate for the way Secret Seven works. 

My aims for this brief:

• Produce some abstract outcomes, something that is out of my comfort zone and very different to my normal working style. To do this I think I need to be more free with my visuals and let my mind and hand do the work rather than thinking too consciously about it. 
• Make the three record sleeves work as a set, this will provide an extra element of challenge making three songs with differing genres work together. 

Research started off by listening to the music a few times on repeat and taking certain lines from the song that I felt were particularly important or I made a connection with. This then stemmed into markmaking with ink while listening to music, thinking of certain visual symbols or marks that I thought were relevant. By the end of this process I had a body of visual material which I felt I could then play around with in terms of layout. I produced twelve roughs for each track thinking about how I could use layout and composition to get across the concepts from my research material. 

I feel the next stage for me is to scan the material I have so far into photoshop and see how it looks when it is arranged in some of these layouts. I am thinking that after this process of digital play I might need to draw some new elements or draw them in a different way if the ones I already have are not appropriate but I will have to see how this goes. I am trying hard to keep this abstract because I know what I'm like when it comes to refining things too much and they lose their charm. Then again, I don't want the designs to look careless and unconsidered, its just about trying to find the balance.

I am pleased with what I have achieved today and feel that I have a direction for each of my album covers, I just need to work to make then fit together in some way which I am not seeing clearly right now. One thing I could play on is the mention of blue in 'Clearest Blue' and the sky in 'Imagine' so maybe colour could be the thing that ties them together. I need to keep the momentum going with this brief to get it finished as soon as possible due to work commitments I have before the actual deadline.  

Next Steps:

• Play around on photoshop with colour and layout. 
• Make any alternative ink shapes and drawings or with an alternative media if that is more appropriate. 
• Read over the competition submission requirements to make sure my work aligns with them. 

Research into Mental Health (illustration and products)

I have said before I don't want this project to be too heavily based on mental health issues as I don't want it to seem like I am proposing a 'cure', I just want it to promote positivity, relieve stress and help people interact with the outside world. I thought I would do some research into illustration that tackles mental health issues, happiness and positivity to see what already exists and how my work can be different and refreshing.

Toby Allen - These illustrations are heavily based on mental health conditions and tackle serious topics. Even though they have been created to help himself and others try to overcome these issues, I feel they are quite intense and excludes the people who haven't actually got a mental health issue but just want to feel a bit better about themselves.

The Sad Ghost Club - I have mixed feelings about this collective. On one hand I really like what they're doing with raising awareness of mental health and promoting positivity with messages like 'if it's not your time now, it will be soon'. They are creating a kind of supportive community through illustration which I think is really nice, however some of their products tackle the deep topics within mental health which to me seem to dwell on the negatives too much. I know some people would find this comforting and I don't want to preach my own opinions as truth but personally, I think it would be best for my project to take a more constructive approach to promoting positivity.

Atelier Stella Ceramics - Stella Baggot aims to 'bring a smile' with her work and doesn't purposely tackle issues of mental health. I think this is a nice way of looking at it, it isn't exclusive in any way as everyone could do with a pick-me-up at some point. Maybe this is the kind of thing I should be promoting my products as because I don't want to get caught up with mental health labels or offend anyone by it coming across as me saying that mental health issues can be easily solved by purchasing a product. That's not what I think at all.

Secret 7 - Brief Analysis

'Secret 7” takes 7 tracks from 7 of the best-known musicians around and presses each one 100 times to 7” vinyl. We then invite creatives from around the world to interpret the tracks in their own style for every 7”. 700 sleeves are exhibited and then sold for £50 apiece. You don’t know who created the sleeve, or even which song it’s for, until you have parted with your cash - the secret lies within.'

What is the problem?

Seven track need to be interpreted into vinyl sleeves without the name of the track or artist present. 

How do I aim to solve the problem?

I aim to take an abstract approach so the outcomes aren't too representative of the song's name or artist, it needs to still be a mystery whats inside. Mark making to music. 

What will I be aiming to communicate?

My interpretation of the tracks. The meaning behind the song or an element of the music, there needs to be a connection between the songs and the visuals. 

Who is my audience?

People who are into music, people who collect vinyls, people interested in unique artwork. 

Collaborative Brief Peer Review

Peer Feedback

General feedback from the walk-around. 

• The geofilters for Snapchat are a great idea. 

Myself and Sophie then pitched what we had done so far to the rest of our crit group, the feedback we received here was more constructive and useful. 

• Good concept.
• Exploring stop motion and making a character that can be used in multiple formats is a good idea. 
• Good promotional product ideas, the beermat, hashtag and festival cup work well. 
• Well considered, relevant research. 

Advice on what to do next...

• Seeing as getting toys to do the stop motion animation with isn't going well, try clay/plastercine and paper figures. Take a lo-fi approach. 
• Make mock ups. 
• Figure out a colour scheme. 

In addition to this, I think we need to...

• Make the colours and textures we are going to use into a little guide that we can all stick to when working on things. 
• Get the storyboard for the animation more refined, think about each viewpoint and what is happening in each frame. 
• We need to get going on this, we haven't got that much time left. 

Tutorial Feedback on Proposal

I found this tutorial really helpful, I felt I got good feedback on the idea for my project so far and it has given me the confidence to pursue it. I also had the chance to discuss my marks from the OUIL504 module and air my concerns and questions about what I can do to improve. Stress was a real issue with me during the last module, to the point I eventually made myself unwell - something I definitely don't want to do again! I am going to try and take a different approach to this module by working more effectively with my time and doing something I enjoy to make the brief feel more natural to me rather than a chore. I am hoping that the theme of my project linking to wellbeing, positivity and combatting stress might actually help me with this too.

Next steps

• Refine what my product range will be, what am I going to make?
• Start designing.
• Think about imagery that could me used on products or packaging. Maybe pattern too for other paper products. 
• More contextual research. Find examples of what is already out there. 
• What are the current 'styles' around this theme and how could I make my work stand out?
• Make sure it remains illustration based - don't get too caught up in product design and 3D.
• Think about the collection of things I could make. 
• Start making!

Illustration Friday Week 9 - Shelter

Initial Ideas

Umbrella, tent, under a tree, hood, home, hat, parasol, newspaper, doorway, archway, tailgate, bus stop, gazebo, cycle shelter, tunnel, canopy. Shelter for smaller things - leaves, flower, bench, rock, bush, under a car, woodpile, coal bunker.
Protection, parents, guardians, siblings, friends, sheltered upbringing, wrapped in cotton wool.

Roughs

I did some initial roughs but want particularly taken by any of the concepts, I then thought of the idea of an animal shelter and with animals that need rehoming. I decided on cats because this is clearly a current trend and I do enjoy drawing them.

Reference Imagery

I wanted to use some sort of paint for this image because I haven't used wet media and colour together in a while, I chose gouache as its colours are stronger than watercolour and I find it easier to work with than acrylics or oils. I found some reference images online and had a quick practice of painting some cats.

Drawing / Painting

I think the challenge for me is to get the proportions right as I prefer to go straight in with paint without sketching beforehand. This means my paintings can take a turn for the worst if the proportions go wrong half way through. I think for the final images I will draw a vague shape to follow in pencil to avoid this happening. I am happy with how the paintings are going, using gouache is coming a lot more naturally to me than I had expected.

More Roughs

I did some more roughs because I hadn't fully planned out the composition of this image yet. I am going to use a 2x3 grid so space for six cats, although I might leave one of the cages empty to show that one has been re-homed. I am going to give a suggestion of more cages by having the edges of other cages in view, this will give the impression that there a lot more cats there and this image is just focussed on a few. I also did a simple sketch for each cage showing what would be happening inside.

Painting Components

Using reference imagery, I painted some more cats in a variety of colours. I wanted the cats to look either confused or sad because I think these emotions are relevant to the situation - I can't say I am a fan of cats and I don't think their facial expressions ever really look happy so this was quite simple to do by working from reference. I wanted to use a couple of my original paintings but these were only of the heads so I drew some blanket piles so I could combine these on photoshop to make it look like the cat's body is curled up in a blanket. I also painted a couple of backgrounds for the case showing that they are quite small, cramped and bare.

Photoshop

I combined all of my images on photoshop and I labelled all of my layers to make sure I knew which each component was. This was SO useful and I should definitely take the time to do it more, it causes a lot less confusion and I think I worked more efficiently because of it. I played around with the levels of my layers a bit but I wanted to keep the colours quite subtle, if not a bit dull and bland to try and get across the atmosphere of an animal shelter. I blurred the edges of the image into a rounded rectangle to give the impression that there is more beyond the frame.

Submission and Evaluation

To improve this image, I think I could have paid more attention to what was happening in the outer cages, maybe showing the feet of some cats or some toys or blankets in some of them would make them look less empty. I am actually really proud of this image and I think I might start working with gouache more often because I enjoyed it and it gave the overall effect I desired. I think the image is well balanced with colour and composition but the empty cage adds a but more interest and starts to tell a story, especially as the black cat has realised that something has changed. 

Inspiration - What is already out there?

I decided to put together a series of small mood boards of found images which tackle the same or similar themes to what I am currently exploring.

Examples of city/nature contrast - These images show how the man made and natural can work together. It was nice to see some examples of respect for nature in these images although it is also concerning that we are taking over so much of the planet with man made constructions.

Existing artwork - These are some examples of fine art pieces which are tackling similar issues. I think the most powerful images here are the street art pieces focussing on children, it makes you think about the future and what the world will be like when they are grown up. I still want my project to be aimed at adults but it is an interesting concept to consider.

Interiors and containers - I think this is an area I need to explore in more depth if I am making products and packaging that are going to fit within the home environment. There is such a range of homeware styles out there, I will have to try and target a more specific style/audience that the products will work with.

Recycling/upcycling/DIY - These are do it yourself projects I found online, this is a potential route I could take encouraging recycling things in your home and using them to grow things. This would promote having nature in the home but also tackle the issue of waste and finding new purposes for things. I think I might be going a bit off topic here, to keep this illustration based I would be looking at making 'how to' guides like illustrated instruction manuals. I don't think this is something I would stay interested in for long.

Fever Tree Update

I feel like I have been neglecting this brief for a while now and really need to find the motivation to get back into it. Before getting back into my sketchbook, I refreshed my memory on what I had already done for this brief and also read over the briefs again, the YCN brief and the OUIL503 brief to make sure I was staying on track. 

What do I want to do?
I want to make imagery based on natural forms, ideally something detailed and beautiful that I can spend time on to produce a good piece of work I am proud of. Something decorative but still relevant to the brief, probably in monochrome or greyscale.

What does the brief want me to do?
Produce something beautiful and sophisticated focussing on visual impact. The design needs to fit around the existing logo. 

Does the brief allow me to focus on my practice?
Yes, they are looking for visual impact predominantly because they are adding a neck tag which explains the Malaria No More collaboration. With this in mind, the images I create won't need to spell out the concept for the buyer, just be relevant enough so they can notice the connection between the label image and the neck tag. Also they want something beautiful and sophisticated which is what I want to do for this anyway, something that looks professional that I can spend my time on. The brief states that the image needs to fit around the existing label layout which is a plus for me because layout and type are my weaknesses, if I know that these are set in stone then the part I would have found really challenging is eliminated from the process. 

Timescale
I have just under five weeks to complete this brief, and my collaborative brief has the same deadline. I am giving myself four weeks from now to complete the brief and having is ready for submission to YCN because this will allow me time for corrections if anything goes wrong. 
Week 1 - draw draw draw, find something that works.
Week 2 - practice, start making finals.
Week 3 - production of final images, digital editing.
Week 4 - adding the text and layout of the label, photoshop mockups, final crit.
Finally - respond to crit feedback, final checks and submission.

What is the challenge and how will it benefit me?
Fever Tree want a sophisticated design and it needs to be well crafted and presented, showing good technical skills. My feedback from the OUIL504 module suggested that producing a well crafted and professionally finished final outcome was one of my weaknesses so I want to use this brief to show that I can do it. I think the main issue with this will be time, I need to be decisive with which route I am going to take and then work hard to produce the best outcome I can without rushing it. 

Before doing this mini review of the project, I was unsure about which direction to take my project in which is typical of me because making decisions and sticking to them is a definite weakness of mine. After doing this, I have decided to bite the bullet and just go with it. I'm hoping this will teach me a valuable lesson that making a decision and working hard to make the most of it will work better than spending ages flitting between different ideas. Time to make some decisions ..

- I am going to stick with the idea of using piece of cinchona bark to build up the shapes of the relevant countries. 
- The countries I have chosen are Ecuador, Columbia, Guyana and Bolivia which are all in South America. (These were chosen partly because of the shape of the countries and how these would look within the layouts). 
- I have been trying to move myself away from using ink but I think it could work really well for this brief as it can be used sensitively. When creating a beautiful and sophisticated design, I think it is important to work with a medium you understand and are comfortable with. 

Orchard Pig - Product Designing

I have been doing some product designing for potential promotional products to go alongside our campaign. The first is a snout beermat which could be used in bars, pubs and restaurants but could also be given out for free at festivals or other relevant events. There would be a social media campaign running alongside this to encourage people to share a selfie with the nose on. 

This idea continued and I developed it into a festival cup so that when you drink from it and the cup is tilted upwards, it looks like a snout on your face as it is printed on the base of the cup. I will have to continue developing this because I think this has some potential. 

I tried to transfer this idea onto a glass but I think this isn't appropriate for the festival theme we seem to be following. This might work as a promotional product for another season or campaign but I don't think it will work for our project. 

Snapchat geofilters seem to be taking off at the moment. I think using this as a way of advertising could be really interesting, especially at a festival when people are sharing photos of what they are doing. 

Sketchbook work in response to articles

I have build u a small collection of relevant articles which I have read through and started to break down and respond to visually. This is part of my research process but is also a way of learning how to respond to articles if I do decide to have an editorial pathway within this project. 

Unleashing the Power of Nature in Cities - this spoke about the relationship between nature and the city so I explored ways of showing the contrast and blending of the two through mark making. It also spoke about how experiencing nature indoors can make you care more about the environment as a whole. I did a quick ink sketch of a window showing indoor and outdoor nature, I think this in an idea which could be pushed to represent having your own little piece of the earth. It also links to the idea of mental health or isolation because it is as if you're connecting with the rest of the world one step at a time. 

How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? - I found this article really useful for clarifying some facts and concepts. It confirmed to me that this is an issue which can be tackled with what I am proposing. 

Best Houseplants for Beginners - I just used this article as inspiration for which plants would be best to advise novices to begin with. This exercise got me painting with gouache which is something I am enjoying at the moment. I feel like the way I am painting has been seen many times before but I suppose this is only a starting point which I will develop from. 

I resorted to pinterest to look for some motivational and inspiration quotes. I know this seems really cliché but this is the kind of positivity I want to get across in my work. Some of them relate strongly to natural themes and growth which could be a potential route for me to follow. 

Create a Zen Den - I have critiqued this article and tried to see how I would change this to make it work better. I did some drawings in response to this, I was thinking of the idea of getting back to nature and I interpreted this as escaping the city. I drew this nude female casting a shadow over the city and enjoying nature for a while. I like the sense of freedom it has and it suggests she has control over what she chooses to experience. 

A Surprising Nature Oasis In The Heart Of New York City: 1 Hotel Central Park - This article is about a environmentally conscious hotel. It links themes of sustainability, nature and design and made me think about how nature itself is visually pleasing and that nature and style can coexist and work together. At the moment it is a novelty but it should be something everyone experiences at some level in their own homes. 

Project Proposal

Illustration Friday Week 8 - Hat

Initial ideas

Beanie, bowler hat, top hat, cap, beret, "I'll eat my hat", magic hat, the mad hatter, witch, winter, cold, animals wearing hats, helmets, military, crown. 

Animals who live in the cold - seals, polar bears, penguins, arctic fox, wolf.  

I found some pieces of work by René Gruau which I really like the simplicity of, it might be good for me to simplify my work in this way to make it more shape based. However, i'm not sure this brief is the best time to do this, especially as the theme of 'hat' is portrayed so obviously. This week's theme was hat which is instantly a very visual word as it is a physical thing. I tried to think outside of the box a bit with some of my ideas but then settled for the idea of a hat to keep something warm. To push this idea I wanted to choose an animal who is typically related to a cold environment. I chose a penguin because it was appropriate and plus, I like penguins. 

Roughs 

I didn't do many roughs because I already had this image in my head of a number of Penguins in a row, all wearing different patterned knitted hats. I quickly moved on to the drawing process. 

Reference material 

I found some images from Google and Pinterest to work from, although the aim for this illustration is going to be simple, innocent, playful and 'cute' if you like, it is still important to me to get the body shape and markings on the bird correct. 

Drawing

I chose ink as my medium for this because I could play around with textures and gradients in this experimental stage. I tried about a few different ways of drawing penguins but settled on the smoothest one. I still managed to get some texture in this but I think the more soft and gentle approach with the ink was important to get across the idea of these penguins still being childish and innocent. 

New composition

While I was drawing these penguins a new idea arose in my mind. One of the penguins I was drawing was looking up so I thought that this could be in admiration/jealousy and of the object causing this was a hat, it would put across the theme more clearly. I decided to go with this idea, making one of the penguins bigger looking very pleased with himself because of his woolly hat, and the smaller hat-less penguin looking up to him. 

Photoshop 

I arranged the individual drawings on photoshop the way I wanted them, leaving the background totally white to add to the simplicity and innocence of the illustration. I played around with levels a bit to get the tones of grey to all work together and didn't want to over complicate it any more than that 

Submission and Evaluation

I submitted my illustration to the website after reducing the file size. I received a few comments from people (in conversation) saying this would make a nice Christmas card so there is potential that design or a similar one might make an appearance later in the year. 

I am really happy with my submission this week and I feel this is more of the direction I want to work in. One improvement I might make to this piece would be to add a subtle suggestion of the ground, maybe some snow around their feet or some shadows.