CITIES, PEOPLE AND PLACES FINAL PIECES WEEK 6

James Hancock Illustration
http://jamesgulliverhancock.com/books/

Matthias Heiderich - Graphic architectural photography

Ray Phillips Graphic and Mixed Media artist
http://www.rayphillips.com/galleries/04/3_ray_phillips_desire_III.html

Zimoun - Sound Sculpture

Teh Chankerk - painting

Samantha Fortenberry
http://www.samanthafortenberry.com/counterpart--nsfw.html

Kerrie Jane Stritton - Architectural Painting

Kerrie Jane Stritton - mixed media illustration

Alina Zamanova Art Fashion  Illustrator

Iris Van Herpen - constructed fashion

It is good to see such a wide range of final ideas, studies and possibilities beginning to take shape. 

To complement your final piece you need to compile 2 pages of research into an Artist/Designer whose work is closely associated with the approach taken in your final piece - so this could be a Fashion Designer, Fine Artist, Illustrator or Graphic Designer for example. 

There are a variety of potential research sources illustrated above (and included in previous posts and list within the project brief). If none of these feel like a good fit with your own creative direction then find your own.

As usual with research pay attention to visual presentation/layout. Get a range of good reproductions of the Artist's work, keep pages busy, but in sympathy with the style of the work you are studying.

Written content is important, engage your brain, don't just lift from the internet. 

You should make sure you do the following within at least 500 words, more would be good:

• Provide brief background biographical information on this artist, outline their journey to acknowledgement within their field; why have they been so  successful, what have they done that has been well received? 
• Analyse at least 2 specific works in detail.
• Dissect these and their use of visual language to describe what is going on within the compositions and what you are drawn to. 
• Offer your own opinions and analysis of these pieces and explain why you hold them. 
• Discuss aspects of images such as technique, scale, colour, process and composition; what it is that intrigues you about these pieces and make sure you say how the Artist/Designer selected relates to your own ideas and work.  

This will complete your research for this project, in total you should have looked at: 2 Modern Architects, 1 Paper Engineering Artist,( we have yet to produce the practical for this) 1 Mixed Media/Collage Artist or Illustrator and 1 Artist specific to your Final Piece.  Please make sure you are up to date with this. 

PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM AND PROJECT OUTCOMES WEEK 4

 3D Book Illustration 

Final piece Outcomes:

This week you should start planning and devising your final piece. Think about what your project outcome will be. The format of this is entirely down to you, it just needs to be inspired and visually informed by Cities, People and Places

In the past we've had paintings, large scale mixed media work, sculpture, series of prints, animations, graphic magazines, books of illustrations, garments, jewellery!

It makes sense to produce an outcome in the area you intend to specialise in next year (if you know what this will be) as this will be of more value to your portfolio for application to Higher Education. The piece might be an extension of things we have already tackled in the project (a more ambitious collage or drawing for example) or it might explore an altogether different creative area.

You will need to make sure you have the following in your sketchbook this week :

• Write your Project Proposal Form to include a Bibliography and Timetable- some of this has been done for you already and guidance for this is on Google Classroom
• Show initial sketches and diagrams, designs
• Produce 2 Mood-boards containing:

Ideas of things to inspire you - artists' work, things within design that show  techniques and construction methods you aspire to
Information on the techniques that you will need- colours, swatches, and ideas of techniques and possible processes to use.


There should be clear planning for your final piece in your sketchbook, so this means both annotation and imagery outlining your intentions. The nature of the imagery will depend on what you are planning, but it could take the form of painted studies, fashion illustrations, trial page layouts, photos of 3D maquettes or many other things.

You should be aiming to complete this planning (over several sketchbook pages) over the next few lessons, so that we are ready to start working on project experimentation as soon as possible this week. 
If you have particular material requirements for your final piece (e.g. Canvases, fabric for garments)You will need to speak to technicians then you will need to talk to them today.  Start organizing all  these things now.  It is your responsibility to make sure your project get's off to the easiest, most productive start. 

As you begin work on experimentation  on Wednesday remember to record your progress so you can include photos and imagery of the creative journey you take with this piece. 
A diary of make is essential and you should annotate and reflect on your efforts each week. . 

COLLAGE WORK - CITIES, PEOPLE AND PLACES WEEK 3

Some examples from previous students.

COLLAGES

Use your existing Architecture imagery as the basis for this - prints, photos and drawings. Try manipulating them on the photocopier or through Photoshop to to make inventive combinations of imagery that show creative use of idea, surface, typography and image making.  Combine this imagery with the additional collage ingredients supplied - coloured papers, stickers, tape, squared/graph paper, raffle tickets etc. 

A few pointers:

• Inclusion of text, numbers and symbols can be very effective.
• Using strong focal points (e.g. a larger image of a particular building) often helps your collages becoming too fragmented.
• As well as papers you might work back into your collages with paint, spray stencils, pens, stitching etc.
• Along with addition be aware that subtraction can be a key part of the collage process. If your images become overcrowded using areas of plain papers or white paint can be an effective way of freshening up your piece. Careful consideration about the retention of areas of space, as you make the collage, is another way to do this.
• As with other images we have created this year producing a composition with balance that leads the viewer's eye as you intend is the ideal. Repetition of colours or symbols can help achieve this, along with strong directional elements.

Supporting Research

To inform your own collage experiments you should look at the work of all the following Artists/Designers who use collage techniques and mixed media in creating their work.
Once you have familiarised yourself with their work choose one of the Artists whose work is illustrated below and produce 2 pages of research into their practice. As usual obtain several good reproductions of their work, provide some background information and analyse at least 2 images in depth, identifying what media are being used and commenting on how they are being handled, this  is particularly important. Discuss ideas such as:

Use of materials- how do you think they have produced this image?
What makes their marks, techniques interesting?
What combination of materials and techniques are they using to create an effective image?
Can you describe the use of space, composition, form and use of colour within this work?
How does the eye travel around the piece?  What parts are you drawn to and why?
How have they interpreted the architecture theme in inventive ways?

Sven Pfrommer

Sven Pfrommer

Lucy Jones

Dan Parry-Jones

Dan Parry-Jones

Richard Galpin

Robert Rauschenberg

By Wednesday 18th March you should have created 4 (or more) mixed media collages and 2 pages on 1 collage artist

Thinking ahead ....Specialist Areas

This month in tutor you should spend some time researching your options for specialising in the second year of the course,  and thinking about what course you might go onto when you leave.  This is an important decision and the more you can find out about the potential choices the better, here is a brief introduction to some of the main possibilities:

Specialist Areas

Fine Art

Fashion

Textiles

Three Dimensional Design

Graphics

Illustration

Animation

Film and Photography

We will talk about this more in Tutor but for now, have a look at this information, do not worry, you have plenty of time. 

Each of the above areas is an umbrella term for a variety of sub-specialisations that can be found within these disciplines.

Fine Art

Fine Art course cover painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and film.  Most courses are modular and follow a fairly diagnostic first year, where differing areas are experienced with the intentions of specialising within the second year.  There are still a few which require you to opt beforehand. 

If you intend to follow Fine Art you need to be very self motivated, have good drawing skills, and be a person that is interested in ideas.  All courses will expect you to have your own visual language and body of work that is more or less self motivated.  Don’t consider Fine Art if you thrive upon other people’s starting points.  Colleges will expect you to work unaided for a lot of the time.  Good Fine Art courses are competitive.  Some like Goldsmiths and Central St Martin’s like particular sorts of students.  Goldsmiths for instance prefer mature, highly intellectual, independent and conceptual workers.  If you like painting landscapes in a fairly traditional way don’t consider the above course.  Make sure you view the college to check your suitability.

Fashion

This field covers designing, making, technical and business aspects.  It essentially trains you to design a collection for industry, however it does have many spin off career paths such as a buyer and image consultant, and numerous fashion management positions.  You may become an in house designer where you work with a team of designers under a particular label such as Gucci or freelance designer who sets up their own label. 

Many courses cover pattern cutting, fashion drawing, all manner of fabric production and technique.  They deal with business management and preparing you for employment.  This can be a large or small part depending upon the College.  Some courses require you to learn a language and want Maths, Language and English GCSE as part of the entry requirements.

Fashion is competitive.  To work within it you need to be a person who keeps abreast of current design changes both contemporary and historical and who enjoys designing for the body.  You will need good like drawing skills, the ability to draw quickly and must be able to work under pressure with a range of differing personalities.

Textiles

This area covers a broad subject area which breaks down into numerous sub-headings.  There are a diverse range of courses such as those that specialise in print, knitwear and weave, surface.  To do textiles you need to love ‘change’ trends and keeping abreast of design and art styles.  You need to be good at working with colour and a range of materials but also need an excellent drawing base and be a versatile worker.  You need to love surface manipulation.

 To do this subject area you need to be a person who loves experimenting with colour, fabrics, texture and manipulation of colour. You may be producing sample designs, liaising with clients, interpreting clients ideas, assessing production standards,  be an in house-designer or working freelance.

Career pathways may be postgraduate study, buyer and merchandising, retail sales and markets, fashion journalist, management. etc there are courses that combine fashion and textiles and those that let you work diagnostically during the first year and then choose within the second to specialise.

Three Dimensional Design

This covers a wide range of design specialisations:

Furniture                       Theatre and Costume Design

Product Design             Ceramics

Jewellery                      Industrial

Interior                         Glass

Architecture                  Automotive

Craft

 This area is extremely far ranging and can only be mentioned in fairly general terms here.  In most courses students learn about the design process as well as studying design history.  Many courses have good links with industry although they vary considerably in what they offer and how courses are structured.  Some courses endorse working in expressive sculptural ways, others put more emphasis upon function and commercial usage.  Manufacturing Technology, ergonomics and material use are all areas that courses cover.  Look carefully at the costs of some courses as these may be expensive according to specialisms.  metals and jewellery, for instance, incur a fairly expensive sub. 

 To work within three dimensional design you need to have a good aptitude for constructing and perceiving in three dimensions.  You should have the ability to work with a variety of materials and be able to communicate your ideas well.  Good problem solving skills, accuracy and attention to detail area all desirable.  

Graphic Design

This is essentially coming up with ideas, big ideas which lead to ‘concepts’ and ultimately can head a campaign to advertise a product, event or idea.  It isn’t just about working with text and image and liking layout in fact this is a minor part of this discipline the important part of this subject area is ‘lateral thinking’ and the number of ideas that it is possible to generate.    Courses will cover branding and logos, animation, photography, typography, concept development.

You need to be a dynamic thinker, versatile worker and enjoy working to deadlines. You will also need a  knowledge of trends, fashion, and contemporary design. it is useful although not essential to have some skills within CAD.  Courses will train you when you arrive.  Some  Graphic courses will encourage links with industry or give you opportunities to enter competitions then it is a good sign.

Career pathways may be:

Web design

Advertising

Marketing

Video Gaming

Exhibition design

Magazine design

Film and video design

Illustration

Illustration is drawing with a purpose. This means it is a design field that always works to a brief.  Illustration isn’t just drawing and painting for children’s books.  It may cover this but also considers packaging, advertising, narrative, sequential, concept art, gaming design, information leaflets and editorial works.  Courses will tend to want good skills within drawing and painting and people that can explore and develop their own style.  Some courses will cover CAD and digital imaging.  You need to be a person that loves drawing,  can come up with loads of ideas and interpret others’ text or idea inventively.  You also need to be able to solve/ produce imagery to deadline. Illustration falls into 3 main headings:

Narrative – books, fiction, non fiction, magazines, lyrics,

Promotional- any product, event, person to be promoted from trainers - breakfast cereals - live music.

Informational – anything that passes on information to others about a place, cause, conditions, tourism to a guide to making cup-cakes.

Drawing skills need to be good; you need to willing to work to others’ starting points and ideas.  Related fields are animation and graphics.  You should expect to be able to work quickly. A few graphic and illustration courses are combined.  Look for more expressive courses if you want to broaden your approach.

Animation

Animation can be drawn, imaginative three dimensional models, storyboarding and film.  It covers cinematography, traditional and contemporary methods of working as well as the latest innovations in electronic animation.

To follow animation you need to have good drawing skills, an ability to think sequentially and to convert your thoughts to the camera.  It is a very specialised area which is very competitive.  To go into this field you need to have a strong interest and knowledge of contemporary animation.  Good storyboarding skills and preferably evidence within your folio that you have an aptitude to work within this industry.

Photography and Film

Courses within these areas vary enormously. Some are directed towards graphics, advertising or journalism and concentrate upon the commercial side.  Photography courses break down into the following:

Fashion and Advertising

Commercial Photography

Journalism and Editorial

Others are Fine Art based and are much more expressive.  Some courses combine practical skill with Art and Design history and professional practice.

You need a good eye for composition, experience of SLR cameras and darkroom processes and for film, and an ability to think sequentially.  An interest in photographers and film makers is a must and a flair for leadership and organisational skills is desirable.

Some courses have a mixture of the two areas, others are completely separate.  Most students choose one or the other as in themselves they are diverse areas.

Film courses are often based on television studies, media and film making.  Students are required to have excellent storyboarding skills, ability to think about time, soundtracks and sequential imaging.   You will learn about digital and technical working and be trained in the use of editing.  You will be expected to work in a team and lead others within the direction of your vision and ideas.  You need to be an excellent communicator.

CITIES, PEOPLE AND PLACES UPDATE- USING PHOTOGRAPHS AFTER TRIP WEEK 2

So having been to London we now have the imagery to branch out and create some really exciting work. From what I have seen you all have some excellent photography 

In addition to the work from the College Architecture (and the Architect research) from Week one (see earlier post) these are the things you should be completing by the end of Monday 9th March. 

• Print out contact sheets of your London Photographs.
• Print out a range of your best shots at A5 or A4 for inclusion in the sketchbook.
• Complete at least one ( more would be good!) A4 or A3 sustained  pencil/ biro 
• Sustained and detailed monoprint(s) based on a London photograph.
• Cut and print a detailed A3 Gold Card plate.
• Complete an ambitious A4 carbon print from a complex London image.
• Photocopier experiments with your drawings (inverts, blueprints).
• In preparation for the paper city work we will do later this week or next  you need to research at least one Artist who uses paper engineering in their work, there are a range of names you could find out more about in this article http://weburbanist.com/2008/12/02/papercraft-creative-paper-art-design-sculpture/

Also ...

A selection of photos from the College Architecture, print contact sheets of your shoot and include the best shots printed out at A4 or A5 scale.

• At least one full page sustained careful pencil tonal drawing from your College photos (this should represent at least 3 hours work). Choose a complex composition that will challenge you.
• Minimum of one full page precise linear drawing using fine liner.