PDF Portfolio review

PDF Portfolio review

I spoke too a landscape architecture designer named Kiera D'Costa, she was nice enough too look at my work and give me some feed back on my physical portfolio. 

''Brooke, your work is really interesting and I love the use of colours, I think the images you have selected work really well together and all fit as a portfolio, you really feel the style and theme you are trying to create. The only things I can pick up on are, the printing quality on the images, some look rather blurred and may need too re print the images for better quality. I really like the logo icon you have created for yourself its really effective and think black and white worked really well with the contrast on the colours in your work.''

PDF Portfolio review

I emailed my guru  Philippa Lightburn too look at my portfolio, as we was asked too contact illustrators and designers, she was nice enough to take some time out and look at my

 portfolio, here is her response to my digital portfolio

Hi Brooke,

''Your portfolio looks great! I love all your work - it's so unique and intriguing! You have obviously found a great style of working which translates well into illustration. It's nice to see that your work has continuity throughout and you can tell it's all from the same person. At this stage in the degree some people can still be experimenting with different techniques and their portfolio doesn't flow very well - but yours is really consistent and professional looking.

I particularly like the 'Panther Chase' and 'Mood and Memory' pages. Your way of working is amazing and the techniques you use are obviously very intricate and detailed. I love all of the different materials that you use and you have a great sense of colour. I looked up the panther animation on your blog and it's great! If you ever do portfolio visits, maybe you could take an ipad or phone which you could show the person you're meeting with the animation. I think it would add another dimension to the meeting as well as showing off your animation skills!

Your work is lovely and I can't fault it. If you're looking for perfection though, there are a couple of things I noticed in the presentation. On the first page (age UK), do you mean sufferers of dementia rather than suffers? Also, on the Wind in the Willows picnic page, you could remove that black line at the bottom of the image. In my portfolio I tend to group together pages which are from the same project. I don't know if this is something you would consider for the Wind in the Willows images. I see you've put the Outsider illustrations together which is nice. I just think it makes things easier when discussing your portfolio with potential clients.

I've had a look at your blog and it's amazing! Just like your illustrations, it's so detailed and extensive. Just keep doing what you're doing with that and I'm sure you'll get top marks!

Hope all of this helps and good luck for the rest of the year.''

Philippa

UnderWater Whispers

Underwater Whispers

A small felt stop motion animation based on a girl getting bullied and finds her safe haven

Hijab

'Hijab'

I wanted too create some of my paintings into 3D, I decided too make a women in a hijab. I created the head using newspaper and a face mask. I then bought a scarf and stamped words that represented all the issues in Islamabad that I researched. Once it was dry i placed the scarf around the mask as how the Islamic women would place it around their heads. 

Website Research!

I've always admired Tim Burtons web page, it influenced when i designed a web page back in college. I've always loved the idea of how its been done. The little sketched man walking into a gallery of Tim Burtons work, think its really effective and creative, I would like to do something like that with mine. I wouldn't use his colours though, as his colours represent his work, and i'd say my work is very colourful with prints and very feminine. I could maybe make a sketch doll and have him or her walking along side my work, maybe a seahorse as I love seahorses and it is used as my logo, plus it goes with my underwater theme. I could maybe make a seashell doll walking. Think this idea would work for my website because its playful I think most my work shows I am playful of new ideas. 

http://timburton.com/

This website I came across a young women named Gemma Correll, her webpage is a 50/50, I like the fact that her whole blog represents her and her work I think that's whats great about it. I don't really like how its laid out I find its a bit to busy and there's images and text everywhere, sometimes you don't know where too put your eyes. The colours are simple, not over powering i think that would make it look really bad with all the images. Most her blog is based on black and white sketches. I do like that each section of her work is in sections, like all her prints are in a page, posters, on another. 

http://gemma-correll.blogspot.co.uk/

As Kelly Rae Roberts is a big influence it was necessary for me too use her blog as a good example. Her webpage represents her work really elegantly, she has some of her work as the background, not to over powering. There is sections for each area of 'Work', 'Contact', 'Portfolio', 'Shows', its bright and bold. I think the colours work really well as they don't clash with the printed work behind. I think her logo is what makes her page her page, everyone has a logo to represent themselves or a image, I think I would defiantly have a logo for mine so people recognize my work. 

http://kellyraeroberts.com/

I came across this illustrator called peter spells, I looked at his webpage too learn more about his work, I realized I really didn't like his page, it doesn't function as well as its meant too. It doesn't really say much about his and there's only a gallery on his webpage, there's no information about the artist or any real contact or quote from him. His page is very bland and dull, its all black and grey soon as it uploads, there's only a lil bit of colour from his illustrations. 

http://www.peterspells.co.uk/

AOL is a really good example for a webpage!, every page is professional and clean, each page illustrates a artist and allows you to view their work and background. There are many other pages you can go on like, 'Events', 'Varoom' page all sorts, which makes the page more fun. You can also easily contact them with all the contact details, for the site owner and the artists signed. 

http://www.ianwhadcock.com/

What does Illustration mean?

What does Illustration mean?

Could and should illustrators do more to push the boundaries of the discipline? 

That's a hard question, to be honest I don't think there is a boundary and I don't think there will be one. Illustration has such a wide range and can almost be anything, know matter what, you will find people disliking your work as well as loving it. You can be a light with your work to being really dark, its all on the character or the person. I think my work is very feminine but I do create a lot of dark work or meaningful work that maybe stay hidden or people keep it hidden for a reason maybe they don't want to deal with it or its not nice to look at. Being a illustrator in any practice weather your a Maker, Print-maker, 3D, or Animation, your work will always have a voice! and it will allow people to have something to say, so i don't think its about boundaries because there's never been one, people will do as they will, and weather people like it or not its just how it is.

How do you see your own work broadening in terms of scope and media and how could this be best supported at college?

i think stick to working always, just keep making work and finding yourself weather its a uni project or work at home or even clients. the main key is too know yourself and your own work, always blog your work,so it is out there. 3 years at uni has taught me a lot, and those skills will always be there and in my portfolio, the college has open doors for me meeting other artists and allows us to do briefs that are real competitions. 

Is Salu's suggestion of a name change for illustration necessary or me semantics?

Illustration is a very open subject, I don't think its needs to be changed or bordered because being a Illustrator you can be many things, it shouldn't justify it's name because other people are using the word Illustration for a different matter. Illustration and Illustrator are two different words, your work could be a Illustration doesn't mean you are a Illustrator, could just be used as a piece of work. a Illustrator is the creator of what you make, that comes from you.

  

Mackinnon & Saunders Studio Visit

Mackinnon & Saunders Studio Visit

In the summer holidays, I got a chance too go visit the Mackinnon & Saunders studio with some of my classmates. It was amazing, as I am a massive fan of Tim Burton and he has always been a inspiration of mine, going too see their work was amazing and top secret, I felt special being able to see work that others haven't seen before. 

http://www.mackinnonandsaunders.com/home/

Hopes, Fears, Opportunities

Hopes

My hopes in the future would to be successful in my own practice, that's what everyone hopes for. I've always known since I was a kid that this is what I wanted to do, I always wanted too be some sort of creator, in craft, or in any creative industry, its in my nature and so hopefully Inshallah my talents and skills will be strong enough too be viewed in the industries. i would like to be known for my work, i think it is important as a designer that you become famous with your work that's when you know you have been successful

Fears

Fears, I would say everyone has a fear of failing, failing has always been a issue, or never being good enough, I never want too feel that way about anything or my work. My work is a massive part of me, so failing or not being good enough is another way of saying I'm not good enough. I work harder as a creator, and Ill always try doing more so that I can say I've done enough. 

Another fear would be never getting a job in my practice, just feel like all that work in my degree would of been for nothing, and I could never go back to a normal job, when knowing this is me and what I do. 

 Fear would be, having really difficult clients, I think it makes it not as enjoyable working with someone who is difficult. Also not getting any clients would be the biggest fear, as you would be out of a job, you have to be adaptable and open for you to be able to work for different clients needs. 

Not doing enough and not giving it all!

Opportunities 

Opportunities would be a hard one, as I am open too briefs, jobs anything that will build me up on a learning path as well as being successful. I like too be known for my 3D making as well as maybe working on some books or something. I don't mind even teaching my own practice too students, to be honest I like working on new briefs so it gives me more of a open range and not sticking too one area. 

Hopes, Fears, Opportunities for the last semester

For my last semester I would like to finish with a big bang, I want too make my final piece the best piece work I have done in the 3 years. I want my work to show my learning path and how far I've developed, and how I am growing. I think as a artist you do always learn and your always learning and growing as life goes on, In most cases it will always be like that. My last project I want it to really represent me but have a really big meaning in my work where people and my teachers will go 'WOW', I want them too finish with a positive note and hopefully come out with at 2.1 or wishing 1.1. I hope my work speaks for itself and will get me the grade I deserve. I do have fears on my last project as it is my final, I hope it can get it all completed and find a good path too use for my final piece where I don't get bored or stuck half way. Hopefully I will get opportunities to show my work when we go London and hopefully after I finish uni. I am thankful for my teachers, I think they have been a big help and push to helping me find who i am and they will always influence me. 

Ric Frankland Dwelle

Ric Frankland came into our university, to give us a lecture on his career, to be honest I had never heard of him before hand, when I realized that I go past his work every weekend when I am on Wilmslow road. Know now knowing about his work, and being able to see it in front of me, I think his work is pretty interesting, for me the houses are a little small, I like my space but they are interesting how they have adapted. 

The structures in his work are very graphical I think, almost like a maths sum, I agree with the idea of being more ECO friendly and do think its a good thing too have in the future. Ric himself seemed like a really nice guy, funny and made his lecture a bit more enjoyable with his humorous comments. For me his work doesn't have any similarities accept that he works in 3D but I do like to look at his work.  

http://www.dwelle.co.uk/

Business Cards Ideas!

Some Shell Underwater work!

Research for Hidden Issues

Research and developing ideas, I think researching on artists and using examples of their work to create something of your own, really helps give you better ideas. 

Mehmood Ahmed

Asim Butt

Naiza Khan

Rashid 

Glass Hijab!

Glass Hijab

I was creating a shape over a plastic face mask, and I was using this glass box too balance it, and I came across it looked like she was wearing the hijab, which was part of my project. I decided to place the face in the right place and inside, I thought ill create all the problems that are going on and that are in my painting inside as a 3D piece. This was meant to represent her brain and all the issues going on. At the bottom there is a cup of water with words on, this shows she's trying to escape underwater that goes with my theme earlier. 

Key for Tamed

Force Marriage 

Bribe

Hammer too show beating 

Thorns, Trapped 

Acid-tone

Dying crops too show poor and no food

Cup of Meaning and Pain

Hidden Problems in Pakistan

This painting is a representation off a few problems in pakistan, I have looked at many artists as research, such as Kelly Rae Roberts and Mehmood Ahmed. Each part of the painting has its own story or symbol. The women in a hijab she has has acid thrown on her face as well as beaten, many of these attacks happen and its awful. The two hangs chained is a representation of force marriage, the birds are too show a male over powering women and beating them up, the male bird is larger and is done in red to show power and darkness. the money is to show bribe as there are too many bribes going on and people getting away with things. The flower is to represent rape, the flower is a light colour to show a delicate form, and the bee is strong and painful, pointy, this is to show he forces into her with his sting and his seeds fall inside her as her tears.  The spider web is too show tamed, that they are trapped and all these issues are hidden behind a cover. 

I then decided to take each problem out of the painting in sections and create a poster of awareness.