Through studio brief 01 of this module, this taught me the value and importance of networking and talking to people already within the creative industry. For my creative report, I decided to contact two print-makers, Anthony Burrill and Ben Rider, since this made sense to me as I aim to have a career in printmaking at some point in the future. It was interesting to hear first hand about their own practices, but this also gave me the opportunity to ask for invaluable advice about the industry which will help me in my own development as a designer. From this I have and will continue to make an effort keeping in contact with both designers, Rider specifically asking me to 'keep him in the loop', hopefully meaning I have secured a contact I can potentially go back to throughout the rest of my degree and in the start of my professional career to help when needed. In addition, their responses allowed for me to produce practical work, which gave me an opportunity to put what I've learnt and their ideas into practice.
For such practical work, it was initially thought about producing screen or lino block prints to work with their methods of production, however it was forgotten how much work goes into just preparing to traditionally print designs and attempting to visualise my ideas into prints did not work as well as I hoped which meant I had to take a different approach to this. This truly taught me the importance of experimentation as Ben Rider also suggested in his responses in that not everything will go as you plan, it's just all about not being afraid to make mistakes and use these mistakes to your advantage in some way or another.
In a similar sense, the importance of talking to others and working collaboratively was further highlighted through this module, in particular studio brief 02 which asked us to work in groups of 5 to produce and pitch an idea to the class for a new wayfinding system for the university. Our pitch specifically was based on the history of the university being situated within the arts and crafts movement, whilst adding elements which would make this more contemporary - colour, light and nature. A lot of our work towards this final pitch was embedded within our initial research, however feedback suggested that it was thought this was not embedded in research enough and was a little 'under presented'. Our group did not necessarily agree with this feedback, however this taught me that it is important to think carefully about how you communicate your ideas to a client and the fact that they may not like what you like or see the same things in the way you do - whether you agree or not, you have to take the client's needs and feedback into account.
Reflecting on the year in the form of a presentation through studio brief 03 I thought was a good way to round off the year as a whole. This allowed me to work on my presentation skills which will be useful in a future career when presenting talks or pitching ideas to clients, and as a result I felt much more confident presenting myself as a designer than I have done with any previous presentations. I feel a part of this may have been to do with the fact that overall I have been more confident in my own work this year, learning more about myself as a creative, whilst developing new and existing skills.
Friday, 18 May 2018
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 03 - Presentation Feedback
- Presentation made clear that I have an interest in hands-on approaches to design.
- Think about personal branding/ have you thought about it?
(lino cut stamp for logo last year - needs developing/ changing). - Think about how you communicate yourself as a designer, not just in terms of personal branding, e.g. for hands-on approach maybe digital communication through email is not the best approach - send something physical.
- General feedback to group - everyone has a clear direction as to where they are going and who they are as a creative, we all just need to have a bit more confidence in our own work.
OUGD502 - Aims Over Summer and Level 6
- Seek out work experience and/or studio visits - I have already been invited by printmaker Ben Rider to visit his studio in London over the summer period.
- Continuously enter external competitions and briefs - based on what I learnt from being shortlisted for Whitecoate's banner design brief as part of OUGD503.
- Make work which is relevant (as said by Anthony Burrill when interviewed for my creative report) - work which is relevant to my own practice and to today's society.
- In doing so I will work on more self-initiated briefs in order to build up a portfolio of work which does not just consist of university work.
- Do more screen-printing and publication design work.
- Work on the external logo brief for POGSEE music and photography.
- Work on time management skills in juggling various briefs such as those above.
- In the words of Ben Rider, eat good food.
- And take a well earned rest!
OUGD502 - Online Presence
Over the course of this year, I have started to build up an online presence through the use of various social medias in order to showcase my work. One of these is LinkedIn, an account which was creating in response to a workshop on the importance of networking. This account allows me to make connections with other creatives outside of university and across the world who could potentially help me in my future career, whilst also allowing to showcase your own work or other creative's work you find of interest. Although I have made a few connections on this site since the creation of my account, I have not yet been actively using it which is something I shall work on over the summer period in order to start building up a better online presence.
Another social media account I have been trying to build up is a creative Instagram page. This is something I have worked and been on much more actively than LinkedIn. I felt Instagram was quite a popular site for people in general to see my work and potentially help my work get recognised. Whilst it has allowed me to showcase my own work, it also allows me to follow other creative's work I like and acts as a good form of inspiration. Creating this account was not something I had done previously since I lacked confidence in some of my work, however this year I have built up a body of work which I am much happier with and have no problem sharing with others. Again, this is something I will continue to build upon over the summer and level 6.
Another social media account I have been trying to build up is a creative Instagram page. This is something I have worked and been on much more actively than LinkedIn. I felt Instagram was quite a popular site for people in general to see my work and potentially help my work get recognised. Whilst it has allowed me to showcase my own work, it also allows me to follow other creative's work I like and acts as a good form of inspiration. Creating this account was not something I had done previously since I lacked confidence in some of my work, however this year I have built up a body of work which I am much happier with and have no problem sharing with others. Again, this is something I will continue to build upon over the summer and level 6.
Thursday, 17 May 2018
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Keeping in Contact
Once I have printed my final designs, I aim to email some images to both Ben Rider and Anthony Burrill to show first hand how they have helped in the development of my ideas and practice. More specifically, I have been updating Rider on how I plan to use his answers to produce a practical piece of work, which he was very appreciative to hear and has offered to give me a tour of his studio if I would like which I will agree upon to visit during the summer period since this would be a great and invaluable experience.
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Physical Outcome Production
In physically producing my final practical responses, it was decided to stick with the idea of printing these as postcards of an A5 (148 x 210 mm) size. Each design was first printed onto matte paper. This stock was decided on since it was thought to allow the ink to stick better to the page with minimal smears of ink from previous prints, which also gave a nice texture to the postcards which can be seen to enhance the design, particularly its colours. To make these less flimsy and more sturdy like typical postcards, these were then stuck to some hardback card used typically for the production of hardback book covers. This made the designs thicker and sturdier, something which can also help minimise any potential damage to the postcards.
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Responses in Context
In the production of the final practical responses to my creative report, it was decided that due to the block and fairly minimalist nature of the designs, that these would work better on a smaller scale as postcards of an A5 size (148 x 210 mm) since at a larger scale these could potentially lose some of their detail. At a smaller scale, these would also be more effective to mass produce as traditional prints, which was the first initial idea for these designs.
Despite this, the designs were also mocked-up in a larger scale to see how they could potentially work as posters. The design below, however, I felt also worked nicely at this scale due to the nature and composition of the design.
Despite this, the designs were also mocked-up in a larger scale to see how they could potentially work as posters. The design below, however, I felt also worked nicely at this scale due to the nature and composition of the design.
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Ideas Development Cont.
Since my initial ideas had not worked so well, it was decided to produce a set of digital illustrations which could potentially be turned into lino prints due to the block nature of the illustrations generally attempting to use a limited colour palette.
However, for some, it proved to be slightly more difficult to stick to a limited colour palette for prints since much of the detail which would have made the objects recognisable would have been diminished. For this reason, it was decided to focus on turning these into digital prints rather than handmade prints. Although this can be seen as defeating the point of this body of practical work since it does not link to the more traditional approaches which both designers I interviewed were concerned with, in my own time it is hoped these designs can be simplified slightly to eventually be transformed into either screen prints or lino block prints since the way they have been designed would mostly already allow this.
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| Initial outline design based on the comment by Anthony Burrill that for a lot of his early creative practice he was busy experimenting and 'planting seeds'. The design therefore uses an image of a plant pot to represent him planting seeds and new ideas growing from such experimental approaches to design. |
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| A colour version of this design was also produced to see how potentially this would look once printed. The design uses only three colours being brown, green and black (for the outlines) would was initially done in order to make the design suitable for block printing. However, the thin nature of the black outlines would potentially work better if using a screen printing method of production. |
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| Experimenting with the layout of this design, it was then thought to put the illustration within a frame which was something that Ben Rider was found to do within his practice to add some element of freedom within a design whereby they mostly have to be created exactly the same in contrast to his general work which is typically very experimental with lots of layering of colours so no design turns out exactly the same. |
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| Adding colour and the caption again, this time in quotation marks to show that these aren't my own words as to not claim them as my property. (Design before any touching up was done as can be seen where outlines are present over the block coloured areas). |
However, for some, it proved to be slightly more difficult to stick to a limited colour palette for prints since much of the detail which would have made the objects recognisable would have been diminished. For this reason, it was decided to focus on turning these into digital prints rather than handmade prints. Although this can be seen as defeating the point of this body of practical work since it does not link to the more traditional approaches which both designers I interviewed were concerned with, in my own time it is hoped these designs can be simplified slightly to eventually be transformed into either screen prints or lino block prints since the way they have been designed would mostly already allow this.
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| Designs based on a comment by Ben Rider whereby he compared digital vs. handmade approaches to design like comparing a ready meal to a bbq. An illustration of a disposable bbq was produced in this instance in order to match the shape of the ready meal illustration, producing a small element of consistency in the images so that they could potentially work better together. |
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| Potential idea placing a ready meal next to a bbq grill, the ready meal with the red cross over the top to suggest it is not as good as the other. |
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| Potential idea incorporating type into the design. This design uses justified text so that it stretches across the whole page, incorporating the illustrations amongst the negative space in appropriate areas. |
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Practical Ideas Development
Potential ideas for a practical outcome in response to my creative report were initially directed towards potentially producing some form of traditional prints using methods by the designers interviewed. Ideas included laying type over half tone photographic images or over illustrations/ using black card and painting a white bored over this/ using different colour variations. Another final list was produced picking interesting bits out of the responses received from both Ben Rider and Anthony Burrill. The list is as follows:
- digital vs, handmade is like comparing a ready meal to a bbq.
- spend money on good materials and good food.
- beautiful decay.
- never give up, follow what you absolutely fucking love.
- you can't separate the person from the designer, they are the same thing.
- we are servants of the message.
- busy planting seeds.
- make work which connects deeply with yourself.
In beginning to develop such ideas, some initial digital positives were produced thinking about using both primary and secondary imagery. One of these was thinking about what can be classed as 'beautiful decay' which Rider said he was inspired by, such as plants growing out of brickwork. In response to this, one initial design used an image of plants growing out of a wall with the words 'beautiful decay' broken up across the image to represent the idea of decay.
However, such designs were not turning out how I had visualised them, therefore it was decided to take a different approach and produce a set of digital illustrations rather than using photographic imagery since using secondary imagery without much manipulation could have potentially caused issues of copyright.
Monday, 7 May 2018
Sunday, 6 May 2018
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Creative Report cont.
Ben Rider is a commercial illustrator, printmaker and teacher, describing himself as 'a fluorescent ink obsessed print mercenary' who loves the potential for experimentation which comes with the printmaking process. His work was something which caught my eye especially due to the punky and colourful nature of his prints which have no regards for any rules, a style the total opposite to that of Anthony Burrill, therefore Rider was contacted also to see how his views on design differ.
I understand you studied at London College of Communication. How would you describe yourself as creative whilst you were studying? Rider, not long ago being a student himself, described himself as a design student whilst studying, not yet figuring out his path into illustration. He began developing his practice as a graphic artist through letterpressing business cards, something which would later go on to inform his creative practice.
How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you to this process over more digital methods of producing design? This proved to be an easy question for Rider, stating the simple pleasure that comes with producing something with your hands is mostly what drew him to the printing process. For Rider, digital media just does not excite him like handmade design does, comparing this as a ready made meal for him compared to having a bbq. He feels much more comfortable being able to think creatively when he can physically handle the tools.
Who and what were your main influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? The list of influences were broad, describing most as 'beautiful decay' like the riverside when the tide is out, abandoned buildings with plants growing out of brickwork, faded cracked paint, hand painted signs and misprinted packaging (mainly those with bright colours like fireworks). Recently Rider describes also getting into 'super fake things' like fake bootleg toys and really cheap mass produced religious ephemera.
Your style of work can be considered very punky and experimental, some may call it subjective. How do you feel this method contributes to the realm of Graphic Design today? What advantages do you feel this has over a more objective and uniformed approach? Now there was some confusion over this question, original research findings miscommunicating Rider as being a graphic designer since his work is already very graphic in nature as a result of his university education, studying Graphic Communication Design at London College of Communication. This was meant to gain an insight on his views of the famous debate between Crouwel and Van Toorn, but Rider describes himself more as an illustrator. However, in attempting to answer the question at hand, Rider argues about working ethically and with a conscience whether this is a self-initiated brief or working for a client.
In particular, I find the use of colour in your work very interesting. The layering of colours and images works to produce unique designs. What process do you go through to make these sorts of decisions? In answering this question, Rider explains how sometimes you can plan something, but when its printed it can look totally different, therefore he lets the process itself have some sort of control over the outcome rather than planning too much. His process therefore is mainly based on his willingness to take risks and not being afraid to fail or make mistakes. Testing and practising are key, whilst also making sure to have fun at the same time.
I also understand that research is something of value in terms of your practice. How much research do you engage with before starting design work on a project? Is there any sort of process you go through in terms of this development? "Loads". A normal process for Rider starts by using the Kipling method before anything else, then furthering research using mostly interviews and online research. Based on this then a large body of ideas are generated.
Any advice you would give to someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? "NEVER GIVE UP. FOLLOW WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVE. Don't give up and spend money on good materials and good food". Quite frankly.
I understand you studied at London College of Communication. How would you describe yourself as creative whilst you were studying? Rider, not long ago being a student himself, described himself as a design student whilst studying, not yet figuring out his path into illustration. He began developing his practice as a graphic artist through letterpressing business cards, something which would later go on to inform his creative practice.
How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you to this process over more digital methods of producing design? This proved to be an easy question for Rider, stating the simple pleasure that comes with producing something with your hands is mostly what drew him to the printing process. For Rider, digital media just does not excite him like handmade design does, comparing this as a ready made meal for him compared to having a bbq. He feels much more comfortable being able to think creatively when he can physically handle the tools.
Who and what were your main influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? The list of influences were broad, describing most as 'beautiful decay' like the riverside when the tide is out, abandoned buildings with plants growing out of brickwork, faded cracked paint, hand painted signs and misprinted packaging (mainly those with bright colours like fireworks). Recently Rider describes also getting into 'super fake things' like fake bootleg toys and really cheap mass produced religious ephemera.
Your style of work can be considered very punky and experimental, some may call it subjective. How do you feel this method contributes to the realm of Graphic Design today? What advantages do you feel this has over a more objective and uniformed approach? Now there was some confusion over this question, original research findings miscommunicating Rider as being a graphic designer since his work is already very graphic in nature as a result of his university education, studying Graphic Communication Design at London College of Communication. This was meant to gain an insight on his views of the famous debate between Crouwel and Van Toorn, but Rider describes himself more as an illustrator. However, in attempting to answer the question at hand, Rider argues about working ethically and with a conscience whether this is a self-initiated brief or working for a client.
In particular, I find the use of colour in your work very interesting. The layering of colours and images works to produce unique designs. What process do you go through to make these sorts of decisions? In answering this question, Rider explains how sometimes you can plan something, but when its printed it can look totally different, therefore he lets the process itself have some sort of control over the outcome rather than planning too much. His process therefore is mainly based on his willingness to take risks and not being afraid to fail or make mistakes. Testing and practising are key, whilst also making sure to have fun at the same time.
I also understand that research is something of value in terms of your practice. How much research do you engage with before starting design work on a project? Is there any sort of process you go through in terms of this development? "Loads". A normal process for Rider starts by using the Kipling method before anything else, then furthering research using mostly interviews and online research. Based on this then a large body of ideas are generated.
Any advice you would give to someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? "NEVER GIVE UP. FOLLOW WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVE. Don't give up and spend money on good materials and good food". Quite frankly.
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Response from Ben Rider
" 1-The simple pleasure that comes with producing something with your hands. I feel much more comfortable thinking creatively and problem solving when I can physically grip and handle the tools. There’s nothing wrong with digital media etc it just doesn’t excite me. It’s like a ready made meal to me compared to having a bbq
2-I’d describe myself as a design student basically but I remember letterpressing my business cards as a graphic artist as I hadn’t figured out yet for me to dive into illustration
3-mostly beautiful decay, things like the riverside when the tides out, abandoned buildings with plants growing out of brickwork, faded cracked paint and hand painted signs, also misprinted packaging brightly coloured firework packaging and things like that. and recently got into really super fake things like fake bootleg toys and really cheap mass produced religious ephemera
4-hard to know what you’re really asking, how does a subject approach fit into graphic design? Technically not at all, but I’m not a graphic designer, but I would argue about working ethically and working with a conscience even in graphics where traditionally you’re working to someone else’s brief and if you ruin it you’re fired, I still believe there’s wiggle room to put in a hidden message or at least me ethically minded
5-I let the process have some control over the outcome. Sometimes you can plan something but when it’s printed it can look different. So making decisions based on some experience, being willing to take risks and not being afraid to fail or make mistakes. And tons of testing / practicing and fun.
6- yeah loads mostly interviews / online research and tons of idea generation normally starting with the Kipling method before I do anything
7-yeah easy question to answer this: NEVER EVER GIVE UP. FOLLOW WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVE. Don’t give up and spend money on good materials and good food.
Keep me in the loop hope that helps
Ben "
Friday, 4 May 2018
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 01 - Creative Report
You should aim to subsequently develop a report that is engaging in terms of both its style and content. The completed report should be submitted as a digital Issuu publication posted to your PPP blog and needs to communicate your interview subject's route into industry and identify where their creative practice is currently situated.
Anthony Burrill is graphic artist, print-maker and designer best known for his typographic compositions using traditional image-making processes and materials, such as screen-printing and letterpress. As someone whos work I have admired for a long time and with aspirations to have a future career within the print industry, Burrill was interviewed to gain a more personal and specific insight into his creative practice and his opinions on analogue methods of design over digital.
I understand you studied at Leeds Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art. How would you describe yourself as a creative whilst you were studying? Burrill told of his art education starting at college, studying first at Leeds Polytechnic before moving to the Royal College of Art, however during this time he did not reach any firm conclusions as to who he felt he was as a young creative. At this point, his practice was more situated in experimenting with various different materials and processes, such as sculpture and printmaking, whilst beginning to learn the basics of typography which you can now see has helped inform his current practice. Through this, Burrill described the importance of 'planting seeds', by which he means experimenting with such different processes to develop your own unique approach. It took him years to understand who he was, what he was trying to say and how to communicate it, and this is something which particularly resonates with me since it also took me a while to figure out who I was as a creative.
How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you towards the process over more digital methods of producing design? As a young creative, Burrill did not have a computer, which meant first and for most he began to use analogue means out of necessity. With limited money this meant he had to work on a tight budget which made him resourceful as a creative, seeking out cheap production methods to express his ideas. As a result, this led him to work with the local corner shop photocopier for 4p per A4 copy, which was just about within his budget. Eventually he graduated to screen print and letterpress, mainly for the availability and affordability, working with small local businesses in South London.
Do you think more traditional, analogue techniques are becoming more popular in design today? If so, how do you feel this is affecting Graphic Design as a creative discipline? It was found through my own research that there seems to be a resurgence in more analogue means of production, a period known as 'the late age of print', therefore I thought it might be interesting to get Burrill's view on this. He stated quite clearly that there is more of everything now, including both analogue and digital, as well as more cross discipline work. The important fact being that it's all about producing your own unique approach, dependent on your own perspectives. Within this, therefore, it is important to gain a network of like minded people who you can potentially work with to help the development of your work, whilst finding the appropriate audience for your work. It's all a case of being continuously active.
Who are what were your influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? Burrill described his influences as being broad, therefore finding it difficult to name specific artists or work which helped shape him as a designer. In Burrill's case, you can't separate the person from the designer, influences come from a broad range of experiences and things in both the real world and the design world.
Your bold typographic compositions are something which have become unique to you. How important do you feel it is for designers to put more of themselves and their own values into their work? 'I think it's vital', Burrill exclaimed. As a young creative he was taught that we are all 'servants of the message' however its impossible to separate your personal views and politics from work, even that commissioned by clients. This simply depends on what sort of designer you wish to be, for instance, socially aware or purely commercial.
Any advice you would give someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? In response to this, Burrill highlighted the importance of networking, something we're constantly pushed to do currently at university. Make contact with as many studios and practitioners as possible, build friendships, be part of the community and conversation, but most importantly, make work which is relevant. Make sure this has something to say whilst connecting deeply with yourself. 'As the phrase goes, work hard and be nice to people!'
Anthony Burrill is graphic artist, print-maker and designer best known for his typographic compositions using traditional image-making processes and materials, such as screen-printing and letterpress. As someone whos work I have admired for a long time and with aspirations to have a future career within the print industry, Burrill was interviewed to gain a more personal and specific insight into his creative practice and his opinions on analogue methods of design over digital.
I understand you studied at Leeds Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art. How would you describe yourself as a creative whilst you were studying? Burrill told of his art education starting at college, studying first at Leeds Polytechnic before moving to the Royal College of Art, however during this time he did not reach any firm conclusions as to who he felt he was as a young creative. At this point, his practice was more situated in experimenting with various different materials and processes, such as sculpture and printmaking, whilst beginning to learn the basics of typography which you can now see has helped inform his current practice. Through this, Burrill described the importance of 'planting seeds', by which he means experimenting with such different processes to develop your own unique approach. It took him years to understand who he was, what he was trying to say and how to communicate it, and this is something which particularly resonates with me since it also took me a while to figure out who I was as a creative.
How did you first get into printmaking? What drew you towards the process over more digital methods of producing design? As a young creative, Burrill did not have a computer, which meant first and for most he began to use analogue means out of necessity. With limited money this meant he had to work on a tight budget which made him resourceful as a creative, seeking out cheap production methods to express his ideas. As a result, this led him to work with the local corner shop photocopier for 4p per A4 copy, which was just about within his budget. Eventually he graduated to screen print and letterpress, mainly for the availability and affordability, working with small local businesses in South London.
Do you think more traditional, analogue techniques are becoming more popular in design today? If so, how do you feel this is affecting Graphic Design as a creative discipline? It was found through my own research that there seems to be a resurgence in more analogue means of production, a period known as 'the late age of print', therefore I thought it might be interesting to get Burrill's view on this. He stated quite clearly that there is more of everything now, including both analogue and digital, as well as more cross discipline work. The important fact being that it's all about producing your own unique approach, dependent on your own perspectives. Within this, therefore, it is important to gain a network of like minded people who you can potentially work with to help the development of your work, whilst finding the appropriate audience for your work. It's all a case of being continuously active.
Who are what were your influences which have brought you to where you are now in terms of your practice? Burrill described his influences as being broad, therefore finding it difficult to name specific artists or work which helped shape him as a designer. In Burrill's case, you can't separate the person from the designer, influences come from a broad range of experiences and things in both the real world and the design world.
Your bold typographic compositions are something which have become unique to you. How important do you feel it is for designers to put more of themselves and their own values into their work? 'I think it's vital', Burrill exclaimed. As a young creative he was taught that we are all 'servants of the message' however its impossible to separate your personal views and politics from work, even that commissioned by clients. This simply depends on what sort of designer you wish to be, for instance, socially aware or purely commercial.
Any advice you would give someone like myself about getting into the design / printmaking industry? In response to this, Burrill highlighted the importance of networking, something we're constantly pushed to do currently at university. Make contact with as many studios and practitioners as possible, build friendships, be part of the community and conversation, but most importantly, make work which is relevant. Make sure this has something to say whilst connecting deeply with yourself. 'As the phrase goes, work hard and be nice to people!'
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
OUGD502 - Studio Brief 03 - Presentation Briefing
7-10 minute presentation.
Needs to be uploaded by 8th May.
- who you are/who you are going to be in the future.
- why do you do what you do?
- where do you see yourself going in a career and how will you achieve this?
- reflect on who you are as a person and as a designer.
- current aims and ambitions - how have your experiences informed these?
- identify creative concerns, personal aims and professional ambitions - what do you intend to explore over the summer and level 6?
- personal branding?
- consider examples of contemporary graphic design and relate to the development of your own work.
- responses to set tasks and individual tasks set by yourself.
Need to address:
- who you are as a creative.
- what have you discovered about you and your practice over this year?
- what have you found from your creative report? was it difficult, useful, etc?
- talk about report in general.
- what you thought of pitching an idea brief (wayfinding).
- what stood out about this year creatively that had influence?
- view on your practice - has it changed over the year and how?
- plans over summer, next year, new areas/skills?
- are you talking to any creatives in the industry?
- placements over the summer?
Could potentially be in the form of a video, etc.
Needs to be uploaded by 8th May.
- who you are/who you are going to be in the future.
- why do you do what you do?
- where do you see yourself going in a career and how will you achieve this?
- reflect on who you are as a person and as a designer.
- current aims and ambitions - how have your experiences informed these?
- identify creative concerns, personal aims and professional ambitions - what do you intend to explore over the summer and level 6?
- personal branding?
- consider examples of contemporary graphic design and relate to the development of your own work.
- responses to set tasks and individual tasks set by yourself.
Need to address:
- who you are as a creative.
- what have you discovered about you and your practice over this year?
- what have you found from your creative report? was it difficult, useful, etc?
- talk about report in general.
- what you thought of pitching an idea brief (wayfinding).
- what stood out about this year creatively that had influence?
- view on your practice - has it changed over the year and how?
- plans over summer, next year, new areas/skills?
- are you talking to any creatives in the industry?
- placements over the summer?
Could potentially be in the form of a video, etc.
OUGD502 - Easter Break 2018, Italy Trip - Rome
The third and final stop on our trip around Italy was Rome, Italy's capital city. This is somewhere I have always wanted to visit, particularly due to my interest in ancient philosophy.
On the second day of our visit to Rome, we took a trip to the Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome which sits the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and is home to the Pope and famous Sistine Chapel whereby another one of Michelangelo's most famous works is held. Due to the chapel being a holy and sacred place, unfortunately pictures were not allowed to be taken, however this just made me think and appreciate the artwork more. The huge scale of it was like nothing I'd ever seen. It made me realise that we have become so trapped inside a technological bubble that, again, sometimes we simply need to stop, look and appreciate things for what they are without these sorts of technological influences on us.
Along with the more historical pieces of design held inside the Vatican, this was also home to various contemporary artworks by the likes of Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and Fancis Bacon. In learning about these artists during the early years of my art education at school, I have always had an appreciation for their art, therefore it was great to see such work in person.
Other pieces of artwork within the Vatican which I thought had more of a contemporary appeal were such below. The first two images show works by artist Tano Festa who used a process of photographic emulsion and varnish on wood to produce an image. The works are inspired by Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel (part of the Vatican). The colours have been reset through the use of photographic reproductions in black and white, contrast to the red paint also used around the frame. This process gives the work a style similar to that of prints, something which drew me to these artworks since I have always had a love for traditional printing methods of design, the artworks showing an new and interesting way in which an image can be formed.
Overall, this proved to be a really inspiring trip, allowing me to take a break from work, but also gain new experiences and new knowledge which have become enriching to both my education and my development as a designer. Not only this, but the trip has allowed me to appreciate architecture more, something which I had never been quite fully immersed with before.
On the second day of our visit to Rome, we took a trip to the Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome which sits the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and is home to the Pope and famous Sistine Chapel whereby another one of Michelangelo's most famous works is held. Due to the chapel being a holy and sacred place, unfortunately pictures were not allowed to be taken, however this just made me think and appreciate the artwork more. The huge scale of it was like nothing I'd ever seen. It made me realise that we have become so trapped inside a technological bubble that, again, sometimes we simply need to stop, look and appreciate things for what they are without these sorts of technological influences on us.
However, other pieces of design and architecture inside the Vatican were just as amazing. For instance, the highly detailed and decorated gold ceiling which seemed to stretch for hours along one corridor through the museum. I get neck-ache again just thinking about it.
Along with the more historical pieces of design held inside the Vatican, this was also home to various contemporary artworks by the likes of Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and Fancis Bacon. In learning about these artists during the early years of my art education at school, I have always had an appreciation for their art, therefore it was great to see such work in person.
The piece of work below is called FrontisPiece of the Portfolio "The Lord's Prayer", produced in 1921 by German expressionist and printmaker, Max Pechstein. The piece is a hand-coloured woodcut on paper, a form of traditional printing whereby an image is carved into a piece of wood, layered with ink and then pressed against a piece of paper or other medium to form a print. This method of producing design is something which I had gained an insight into before, previously having the privilege to view works of art held in the Central Saint Martins archive whilst taking part on a short course there. This archive held a range of traditional Japanese woodblock prints and I found learning about the process fascinating. Therefore, viewing the piece below inside the Vatican made me think about potentially experimenting with new forms of print which have perhaps died out now to produce some unique pieces of work inspired by this trip.
Overall, this proved to be a really inspiring trip, allowing me to take a break from work, but also gain new experiences and new knowledge which have become enriching to both my education and my development as a designer. Not only this, but the trip has allowed me to appreciate architecture more, something which I had never been quite fully immersed with before.
OUGD502 - Easter Break 2018, Italy Trip - Florence
The second stop on our travels was Florence, home to much of Italy's Renaissance art and architecture. The Il Duomo di Firenze (also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) is the main church of Florence and has become one of the cities most iconic pieces of architecture. The design of the cathedral is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white and adorned with Gothic style features by Italian architects Arnolfo di Cambio and Emilio De Fabris. Like the Duomo in Milan, this kind of attention to detail was also something to be admired.
After two very tiring climbs of both the bell tower and the dome of the cathedral, I could no longer feel my legs but the views were totally worth it, being able to gaze upon the whole city of Florence in all it's glory. One interesting thing which I gained from this was the way in which the streets themselves had been designed. Long, straight roads which seemed to go on for eternity. It was found that back in the time this was built and religion was something most people believed in, the cathedral was built to be the tallest building in the city to represent its importance over everything else and since navigation devices didn't exist at the time, this allowed people to see the cathedral from wherever they were and the development of long streets leading directly to this was something to help lead others here. Transferring this into the design world, this shows how a wider audience and purpose for your designs is important to consider when designing a piece of work. How will this help them? What purpose does it serve? Consider the appeals? Not only this, but the climb up both these buildings to admire the view from above also taught me that hard work truly does pay off! (Eventually!)
The next day, we visited the Uffizi Gallery, one of the largest and most famous galleries in the city. This was home to much Italian Renaissance art, however something other which had me with my mouth wide open in amazement was the ceilings. Typically, ceilings are nothing to get excited about, simply painted a solid colour with no apparent need for any sort of detail or design. However, the Uffizi took this to a new level and showed me things which are generally considered 'everyday' and boring can be transformed into something incredible and become a piece of art in itself. This taught me to always look up. We spend so much time in our own little bubbles with our heads towards the ground that we end up missing anything interesting that goes on around us, therefore it is important to step back sometimes and admire such things.
Home to beautiful ceilings and the God of beauty. One of the most famous pieces of artwork held in this gallery was 'The Birth of Venus' painted by Sandro Botticelli. Produced between 1482 and 1485, the painting is described as becoming almost a landmark of 15th Century Italian painting. The painting depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore, fully-grown, after her birth from the sea. I have always had a love for Renaissance art and seeing this painting in person was something I almost feel privileged to have experienced.
Our next destination in Florence was another gallery, this time the Galleria dell'Accademia, home to the famous David of Michelangelo sculpture. Again, I had some previous knowledge of this sculpture, however the grand scale of it was something which took my breath away. It was huge! And to think this was supposedly made out of a 'bad' piece of marble which Michelangelo had been given to work with almost seems like an impossible concept. This taught me that even if things don't go to plan when producing a piece of design, for instance materials or processes, that amazing work can still be produced, it all depends on how you tackle the challenge at hand.
After two very tiring climbs of both the bell tower and the dome of the cathedral, I could no longer feel my legs but the views were totally worth it, being able to gaze upon the whole city of Florence in all it's glory. One interesting thing which I gained from this was the way in which the streets themselves had been designed. Long, straight roads which seemed to go on for eternity. It was found that back in the time this was built and religion was something most people believed in, the cathedral was built to be the tallest building in the city to represent its importance over everything else and since navigation devices didn't exist at the time, this allowed people to see the cathedral from wherever they were and the development of long streets leading directly to this was something to help lead others here. Transferring this into the design world, this shows how a wider audience and purpose for your designs is important to consider when designing a piece of work. How will this help them? What purpose does it serve? Consider the appeals? Not only this, but the climb up both these buildings to admire the view from above also taught me that hard work truly does pay off! (Eventually!)
The next day, we visited the Uffizi Gallery, one of the largest and most famous galleries in the city. This was home to much Italian Renaissance art, however something other which had me with my mouth wide open in amazement was the ceilings. Typically, ceilings are nothing to get excited about, simply painted a solid colour with no apparent need for any sort of detail or design. However, the Uffizi took this to a new level and showed me things which are generally considered 'everyday' and boring can be transformed into something incredible and become a piece of art in itself. This taught me to always look up. We spend so much time in our own little bubbles with our heads towards the ground that we end up missing anything interesting that goes on around us, therefore it is important to step back sometimes and admire such things.
Home to beautiful ceilings and the God of beauty. One of the most famous pieces of artwork held in this gallery was 'The Birth of Venus' painted by Sandro Botticelli. Produced between 1482 and 1485, the painting is described as becoming almost a landmark of 15th Century Italian painting. The painting depicts the goddess Venus arriving at the shore, fully-grown, after her birth from the sea. I have always had a love for Renaissance art and seeing this painting in person was something I almost feel privileged to have experienced.
Our next destination in Florence was another gallery, this time the Galleria dell'Accademia, home to the famous David of Michelangelo sculpture. Again, I had some previous knowledge of this sculpture, however the grand scale of it was something which took my breath away. It was huge! And to think this was supposedly made out of a 'bad' piece of marble which Michelangelo had been given to work with almost seems like an impossible concept. This taught me that even if things don't go to plan when producing a piece of design, for instance materials or processes, that amazing work can still be produced, it all depends on how you tackle the challenge at hand.
OUGD502 - Easter Break 2018, Italy Trip - Milan
Over the Easter break, I took an 8 day trip around Italy, travelling to three cities; Milan, Florence and Rome. Although not the main reason for this trip, this provided me with an opportunity to learn more about the history of Italy and more specifically, their wide history of art, design and architecture which is something that had me awe-inspired the whole trip.
The first stop on our travels was Milan, known as 'the global capital of fashion and design', most famously known to housing Leonardo Di Vinci's 'The Last Supper' which is situated within the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. On arrival, already with some existing knowledge of the painting and its artist, I was blown away by the huge scale of the painting, soon learning that the painting was part of a mural, painted on one of the inside walls of the church. The work was thought to be commissioned in the 15th Century and depicts the scene from the Last Supper of Jesus and his apostles when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. It was learnt there that what is usually interpreted as an image of Mary Magdalene in the painting is actually false, something speculated in Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' in 2003. However, this person is actually representative of John the Apostle, something quite surprising to everyone in the room.
Soon after, we visited the Pinacoteca di Brera, the main art gallery of Milan. This was home to many historical paintings, and particularly fragments of alter pieces from old churches which were adorned with gold. The attention to detail in all of these paintings was slightly mesmerising, something which I can only imagine being able to achieve myself. However, one thing in particular this showed me was how far art and design has developed since the origin of these paintings. This style of working cannot be seen anywhere in the world of 21st Century art and design, it seems to have almost died out as a style, which reminded me of a quote by Josef Muller-Brockmann which states "Tomorrow or in twenty years time, aesthetic tastes will have changed" showing the evolution of art alongside the evolution of humankind.
However, attention to detail didn't just stop there. The architecture was also something to behold, in particular, the Duomo di Milano (Milan's Cathedral). If looking at the cathedral from afar wasn't enough, when you look up close this is when you really start to appreciate the work which must have gone into building this historical piece of architecture. Everything was painstakingly detailed, and at such a huge scale, no wonder it took six centuries to finish building!
In addition to this, Milan had a fair few smaller, independent churches where locals can go to worship. Unlike the Duomo, these were plain on the outside, most looking like standard buildings you would see in the UK, however inside couldn't be more different. Initially I was not bothered about going inside, it just seemed like an ordinary place on the street which had no apparent interest to anyone walking by, and this taught me the life-long lesson to never judge a book by its cover. In terms of applying this lesson to the design world, it taught me that perhaps a piece of design work does not look as though much work has gone into it from an outsiders perspective, however usually what you can't see is the amount of time, effort and work that has gone into producing that piece of design in terms of research and developments which is what makes the work more informed and representational of a specific message.
The first stop on our travels was Milan, known as 'the global capital of fashion and design', most famously known to housing Leonardo Di Vinci's 'The Last Supper' which is situated within the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. On arrival, already with some existing knowledge of the painting and its artist, I was blown away by the huge scale of the painting, soon learning that the painting was part of a mural, painted on one of the inside walls of the church. The work was thought to be commissioned in the 15th Century and depicts the scene from the Last Supper of Jesus and his apostles when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. It was learnt there that what is usually interpreted as an image of Mary Magdalene in the painting is actually false, something speculated in Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' in 2003. However, this person is actually representative of John the Apostle, something quite surprising to everyone in the room.
Soon after, we visited the Pinacoteca di Brera, the main art gallery of Milan. This was home to many historical paintings, and particularly fragments of alter pieces from old churches which were adorned with gold. The attention to detail in all of these paintings was slightly mesmerising, something which I can only imagine being able to achieve myself. However, one thing in particular this showed me was how far art and design has developed since the origin of these paintings. This style of working cannot be seen anywhere in the world of 21st Century art and design, it seems to have almost died out as a style, which reminded me of a quote by Josef Muller-Brockmann which states "Tomorrow or in twenty years time, aesthetic tastes will have changed" showing the evolution of art alongside the evolution of humankind.
In addition to this, Milan had a fair few smaller, independent churches where locals can go to worship. Unlike the Duomo, these were plain on the outside, most looking like standard buildings you would see in the UK, however inside couldn't be more different. Initially I was not bothered about going inside, it just seemed like an ordinary place on the street which had no apparent interest to anyone walking by, and this taught me the life-long lesson to never judge a book by its cover. In terms of applying this lesson to the design world, it taught me that perhaps a piece of design work does not look as though much work has gone into it from an outsiders perspective, however usually what you can't see is the amount of time, effort and work that has gone into producing that piece of design in terms of research and developments which is what makes the work more informed and representational of a specific message.
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