Rationale
My specialism is illustration I choose this because most of the work I do is drawings, so illustration is the pathway that fit what I do the best. I learnt that that I was good at drawing silhouettes project. Silhouettes have influenced my choice of discipline it is the only I can represent realism. My digital art has also influenced my choice of discipline as like the smooth look of digital art. I don’t stick to a certain discipline as I like to explore my options and often choose what I think fits the project best. Occasionally I tend to stay a bit from my specialist pathway and do some 3D paper cut-outs and decoupage using my skill to draw silhouettes to do so.
Project Concept
I chose nature as my theme because I have memories of being in forests and and my grandad often painted nature. My idea for this project is to draw different kind of animals in a forest as I want to focus on them more as I have always loved animals. I have generated ideas by making two mood boards one of memories to help decide what to do for my project and one of my theme nature to help narrow down what I to focus on during this project. I have also done a survey on what my friends and family’s favourite animal and flower was and I’m going to draw them to develop my skills. I have also created a visual mind map of my ideas for themes relating to memories this was inspired by the mood board. This is what help me to make the decision to go with nature as it was the one, I had the most ideas for and what I was the enthusiastic and excited about making. I have done some rubbings which I intend to include in my drawings. . I am going to researched Kara walker and I like how detailed yet simple her silhouettes are this inspired me to do the same and to draw the animals as silhouettes. I intend take photos of my grandad’s artworks. I am also going to do some mixed media mainly digital art on photos. For my final piece I think I will use a photo of the forest and draw some of my silhouettes drawn on top.
Evaluation
I will evaluate my work by writing what I liked about it, what I would do next time and if there is anything that I don’t like about it. I am going to record my decision-making process by planning and recoding any changes to it. I will annotate my drawing outlining what process I used to make the artwork as well as what I was trying to achieve. I will also write about what I have learnt from creating this. I will also write about what I plan to next in my project.
| Week | Date Week Beginning | Activity / What you are intending to do – including independent study | Resources / What you will need to do it – including access to workshops |
| 1 | 6th Feb | Mind map, Photos, Mark making, Mood board. | Paper, pencil, phone, watercolour pens. |
| 13th Feb | —–Half term——– Artist research. | Computer. | |
| 2 | 20th Feb | Surveys, peer review, postcard, proposal, action plan. | Paper, pen, computer, phone. |
| 3 | 27th Feb | Artist transcription, animal silhouettes. | Pencil, paper. |
| 4 | 6th Mar | Take photos of forest. | Camera. |
| 5 | 13th Mar | Create 3D art piece. | Pencil, paper, craft knife, glass mat, foam tape. |
| 6 | 20th Mar | Artist research and transcription. | Computer, pencil, paper. |
| 7 | 27thMar | Digital art on photos. | iPad. |
| 3rd Apr / 10thApr | —–Easter holiday—– | ||
| 8 | 17th Apr | Textile screen printing. | Fabric, ink, gel, screen, pencil. |
| 9 | 24th Apr | Create decoupage piece. | Pencil, paper, craft knife, glass mat, foam tape, alcohol pens. |
| 10 | 1st May | Artist research | Computer. |
| 11 | 8th May | Develop ideas for final piece | Pencil, paper. |
| 12 | 15th May | Creation of final piece. | iPad. |
AO1 Apply an understanding of specialist industry practice to a creative projectAO1 Apply an understanding of specialist industry practice to a creative project
I chose illustration because I love drawing and Illustration allows me to do manually draw while also allowing me to change what medium I use. I mainly draw digitally on procreate often using photos as backgrounds. I used some recycled paper and scrap linoleum during my project and often used both sides of the paper to reduce the amount of waste I created. I also took into account the ethic repercussions of my research on the cottingley fairies due to the hiding the truth about the photos for over 60 years.
AO2 Produce a self‑initiated project proposal
I chose forest animals because I have memories of bieng in forests, playing with animals and playing in fields. My grandad and mum both draw nature as well this inspired me to do the same. I have learnt about the history of the cottingley fairies, a new artist by the name of Raquel Travé and two artist I have reaserched before. My idea changed from forest animals to forest fairies as I discovered Raquel often draw fantasy characters this inspired me to do the same provoking me to further reaserch it. I created mindmaps of the theme memories then onece I had narrowed it down to nature I created a mood board to find a precise theme.
AO3 Use research to inform and direct a creative project
I gathered a lot of primary research to help with my initial ideas. I took a survey to help me come up with ideas on what to draw later researching what animals live In a forest to give me a wider variety to pick from. During the project I also did umrous workshops the one with the biggest impact bieng the motif workshop as this inspired me to make a repeating pattern using lino print. Raquel inspired a lot of my work this project as I devloped the silhouettes I created and gave them life as I coloured the cartoon style animal. Kara also was a big impacted my work as I love the ambiguity of silhouettes but how accurate and detailed they can be.
AO4 Use technical skills and materials associated with a specialist industry practice to realise a self‑initiated project
I used digital art through out my project this helped develop it as I am able to combine this with photography to create a connection to my theme. Lino help me to developed my skills and create repeating patterns of some of my designs and allowed my to connect my theme of fairies with the animals and nature. I have most invested in paper cutouts as I like creating 3D art pieces and how they can tell a story even though the are simplistic. I have Improved at creating the cutouts as I am more precise with a craft knife.
AO5 Resolve problems within a creative project
I started a lino piece that I was unable to finish due to the bieng busy with workshop I had to leave the linoleum and during that time it had been mo. I was unable to find it again but I was able to work around this and used scap linoleum to create small print to make patterns with. I was able to to catch up on the work I had planned to do but was unable to compleate due to workshops though was unable to do the textile print workshop I wanted to do due to lack of time I had. I was able to adapt and at home but it didn’t work as well as we thought as the material was too bumpy.
AO6 Use specialist practice visual language to communicate ideas and concepts
I chose to do two art piece for my final piece as wanted to represent the two artist that inspired me throughout the project. I chose to do digital art for my final piece as I enjoy taking photos and wanted to Inculde them Into my project more an I loved the results. I chose to do a negative space silhouette as it allows the silhouettes to take the focus while not taking away from the photo. This relates to my target audience as they are peaceful and calming soothe people that will be in distress at the hospice.
AO7 Use specialist practice presentation techniques to present ideas and outcomes
I presented my two drawings both of them bieng A2 I chose this as I wanted them to be big but seen as I was presenting two pieces I had to make the smaller than normal so that the would fit In the space I was given. They will be displayed landscape with the silhouette piece bieng on the bottom and the fairy piece on top this is because the silhouette piece is darker so it makes more sense to be placed below as shadows fall on the ground. The fairy piece is on the top as it is brighter, more vibrant and light hearted as it Invloves fairies a mystical creation mostly associated with children which is more suitable for a hospice than a mainly black piece.
AO8 Apply reflective practice to a creative project
I wanted to develop my analysis of my work and writing about what I have done. I believe that I have improved at this thoughout the project. I also wanted to develop my textile printing skils which I was unable to do as I wasn’t available when this workshop was open. I did develop my Lino cutting skills during this project succefully making six small Lino cuts and multiple successful Lino print with them. I also develop my digital art skill as I was able to confidently draw people and fairies in a cartoon like style which I wasn’t able to do at the start of the project.
Bibliography
Raquel Travé. Available at: https://raqueltrave.com/ (Accessed: 03 March 2023).
About (2023) Kaffe Fassett Studio. Available at: https://www.kaffefassett.com/about/ (Accessed: 15 March 2023).
Kara Walker, Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kara-Walker (Accessed: 20 March 2023).
Wildlife, American Tree Farm System. Available at: https://www.treefarmsystem.org/wildlifehabitat (Accessed: 26 March 2023).
Ceres Lau (2019) Girlsclub Asia. Available at: https://girlsclub.asia/meet-the-artist/ceres-lau/ (Accessed: 04 April 2023).
Cottingley Fairies: How Sherlock Holmes’s creator was fooled by hoax, Google. Available at: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-55187973.amp (Accessed: 15 May 2023).