Sketchbook-Feb.2017

Assignment 5 Seven days-Final

I have put the seven days in a list as below. After a reflecting for a few days I am looking back and being critical of my work .

1. Starting a New Job.

 

2. Learning the Ropes.

3. Getting to Know.

4. Work Harder and Smarter.

5. Team Work/Cooperation

6. Bottleneck Situation

7. Success at Last

 

Over all

I want to use these graphic images to convey my seven  stages of learning about a new job. I attempted to improved  to make it more eye catching and understandable to my audience.

I like most of my ideas and my thoughts, but  I feel my main problem is my drawing skill is not sophisticated enough and my drawing is a little rough. I do need some refining work. Especially I need to practical with Adobe Illustrator software.

I did use distortion for this work but it didn’t work out like the my last bit of exercise which used visual distortion in assignment 4. I like the first image with the huge head on the body, but is there a better way to convey the idea of a body which is filled with stress?

Does stage 3 match with the other pictures? I tried to draw the picture simply and put the attention on her inward thoughts. But this picture with clear eyes and nose. Shall I put some more ideas that are getting into her eyes?

In stage 4 the graph is showing things improving. It is a little bit strange in the middle of the open head. I am not sure how to refine it. Should I put some papers on the table that the figure is working on?

In stage 5 I have used images of people holding parts of a key that will add up to a whole. I am not sure that I have made it clear that one person is not part of the group. Also I am not sure if I could draw the figures in a different way to make the picture clearer.

In stage 6 I am happy with the outcome of the picture but feel I could have done the inner image more successfully. I need a quick way to learn to use illustrator to help me instead of using photoshop.

The last stage is quite a simple image of success. It is a simple narrative but it shows my happiness to get to the end of this assignment. I could have used something with a deeper meaning?

I was struggled with this assignment for several months, perhaps I was in a rut but at last it is finished. I was unsure with the early stages of this assignment.

I started off well with a lot of enthusiasm but I struggled to keep this going at the end. I needed to cheer myself up to keep going into the future.

 

Sketchbook-7/2016

Assignment 5 Seven days-Part 5

5. Team Work/Cooperation

I have done some thumbnails

Idea 1 I am thinking about using some Lego pieces to build a team shape.

Idea 2 I have the image of the crew of a boat.

Idea 3 I am thinking about showing a lock and a key. The team is working to unlock the lock. Do I need to show the lock and the key both on the picture? Maybe one of them is enough?

Idea 4 I want to use the resultant schematic to show that a team can push results in an upward direction.

I will use my idea 3, but I will put the lock in one place and show a team of people assembling the key to the lock from parts of a jigsaw. Each member of the team has a job to do… apart from one who does not want to be part of the team.

Then my image came out

 

I have tried various background colours for this image. i am not sure if these colours match with my earlier image of the women boss.

I liked the 1st colour background

6. Bottleneck Situation

After lot of training you reach a stage close to where you want to be with just the final barrier. This stage just like a bottleneck which is a situation that you need to struggle to get free from.

I found out another website which has amazing illustrations for work process.

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/illustration/bottleneck-royalty-free-illustration/511776019

Some thumbnails

I have drawn the lines of the image.

For this image I want to use photoshop to fill the colours in.

I am going to use last background’s colour

7. Success at Last

Thumbnails

I worked out how I would like the final image to be and then tidied it up with photoshop

 

Added the background now.

I have chosen the last image to illustrate stage 7.

Assignment 5 Seven days-Part 4

Now I am going to improve on my ideas.

I did more research about the illustrator John Holcroft. His style gave me lots of ideas.

Before I produce the seven images I need to decide the seven backgrounds which will emphasise the emotions of the 7 stages which are changing from curious to stress to nervous  to changes to confusion then pleasure.

The colours need to show nervous, busy, dangerous, changing from a peak to a flat surface to convey the emotions. The colours’ palette: A grid 7×4 to show the different colours.

1. Starting A New Job. I have done another thumbnail to show the ideas I wish to convey.

I have enlarged the lady’s head so that the words can be easily read on the cross-section of the brain.  I was thinking about how to show these thoughtful elements which is better the  figures or words? Then I have chosen the words.

   

Then I changed the background to decide which would be the best for this image.

I am afraid the main problem is that the green words are not clear to read as I intended them to be. Also I could convey the face better but I lost sight of the elements with a simple face to draw attention to the words at the top.

Another try with a different background

 

With this I feel the words are a little bit better to read clearly.

2. Learning The Ropes.

I have done some more thumbnails again to help to find best idea.

Then I have drawn a labyrinth to show when you start a new job and the big lady boss who may be smiling  but still give the new employee lots of stress to start.

Then I added four colours to the background.

I chose the second one and changed it a little bit to match the last one and show more stress on the picture with the amber colour.

3. Getting To Know.

Some more thumbnails

I have drawn a character’s face who watch, think then react to do the job.

Then I added the background on it.

I like the second background colour which has a colour makes the foreground clearer.

4. Work Harder And Smarter.

I think I have drawn a sketch before which showed a nice idea for the image of work harder and smarter.

Then I have improved it to use my stage 4. In the first picture I thought to use a simple face which only has a nose on for the character but then I added eyes and a mouth because it is better to match with first stage.

I am going to try 4 colours for the background

I am going to use the light red one

 

 

Assignment 5 Seven days-Part 3

Now I am focusing on the seven days after starting a new job.

First Ideas.

Stage 1 Preparing to commence a new job. In this stage I need to produce a character and use it in these 7 stages. In my mind I need to consider that there are lots things that could happen and people who I have never met before. The characters and styles that I will be thinking about need to show the emotions that I am using. I will use a cross-section of the brain to help to convey this.

Stage 2 What will it be truly like in the new job? There are a lots of questions and worries in my mind before starting a new job. I have to fit in with the working habits of a new boss and also learn to work with a whole new group of people. I am depicting this situation as a labyrinth to be negotiated.

But is the labyrinth making the image too complex? Does it contradict my original ideas and could I make it more simple.

Stage 3 You could be very busy at the new job and have to engage with a whole new sphere of knowledge. Meanwhile you need to build up relationships with a whole new group of people. I will use my image of a cross-section of the brain and two hands to show all these things taking place at once.

Stage 4 There are a couple of levels to reach success. You need to move step by step, work harder and smarter. Find the experienced member of staff who can show you the right way to start then follow this way to prove yourself, pitch in, organisation, performance and be yourself towards the future.

Stage 5 Team work would be a great help going forward. Disagreement and controversy would get in the way of teamwork. I will need to bring a balance to the things I do to make sure don’t rock the boat.

Stage 6 It is time for you to show you have learnt and achieved.

Stage 7 Every company has their own scale.

These just my first ideas I will try to improve them using more emotions.

 

 

Assignment 5 Seven days-Part 2

I am going to produce a strip about the seven days of my holiday, it will probably be 7 separate images though this is subject to change.

This is exactly what happened of my holiday. These images are some sketches of the trip.

This is just showing a relaxing time with some fun images in it. There is not any emotions on the pictures.

Assignment 5 Seven days – Part 1

To start this assignment I will be trying to record what has been happening and recent things around me? I am going to use the seven days of my holiday starting with one days preparation and the six days of the holiday. For the random days I am thinking about how I tried to change my job few months ago. I can do how did I join the new job and things/ people around me.

Brief: Seven days

1. The seven days of the week or random days that tell a story.
2. Produce seven separate, one large diagrammatic or a continuous strip illustration.
3. Objective or subjective.
4. Decide on the media and methods I will use.
5. The context – magazine, newspaper, book, brochure or poster.
6. The intended audience.

Starting a new job gives me lots of pressure and jitters. But  it’s exciting to learn and see new things. I am trying to record what of my feeling from my starting. I have made a brainstorm board and spider diagram.

Then I have done some research which was reading about other people talking about their new jobs. Some are experiences are similar to mine and some are different..

Your First Days Working at a New Job: 20 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

After this I searched some illustrators’ works to inspire me how to imagine/convey the emotional effects.

I found a very interesting website of illustrations. I really like two of the images which are “Learn from failure” and “Stress and pressure in job interview”.

http://magoz.is/

Thinking about my style. Starting from my first exercise (the cross of 2014) to my last exercise (the ballerina) I feel I need to change the style of my illustrations. I need to learn to draw in a more abstract style to convey my images and not just draw simply line drawings.

So in this assignment I am trying to change the way I am expressing the emotions.

Educational strip(Exercise)

I have been asked to produce an illustration strip for use in schools explaining to young teenagers how to cope with the onset of puberty. It up to five frames and the client would like to see a single illustration on the front cover. I should use metaphor and humour when conveying the message through but not to trivialise a serious message.

I started of reaching some physical changes from website. Then made a brainstorming to help me to create my leaflet.

Step 1  An average girl 9 years old, ballerina dress and starting learning ballet. Not expecting the changes to come.

Step 2 The puberty has started, everything is strange and this girl is feeling a bit shy. Changes have started.

Step 3 Breasts growing more, underarm hair growing more, pubic hair growing more and acne more on face.

Step 4 Everything still growing more and more. It’s all going mad.

Step 5 Everything’s ok! Puberty is a beautiful thing!

So my idea is going to draw a ballerina growing up with puberty.

I am going to practice my leaflet. First stage I have drawn an ballerina’s growing up with a black fineliner pen. Size 42cm*16.3cm

I have realised that the final pose of the ballerina would look better if she raised her head but I am still working on it.I am going to add the emoticons  to the background to show the changes of puberty. Then I am going to add the background and puberty things on the images.

The background form light pink going to dark pink. I used some green flower petals to mentions the main body’s change when girls are in puberty.

Next I am going to add the words by photoshop on this leaflet.

Overall I am happy with my thoughts but the character is without too much detail so it feels a little over complicated.  My original idea was with simple lines for the character but the ballerina came out with more and more detail. I used the green flowers as a collage onto the pink paper. Perhaps the theme of this leaflet is not immediately obvious. Maybe the audiences can’t see the theme straight away.

I don’t know why at the bottom of the leaflet the colours are not evenly distributed maybe because I rubbed on the soft pastel with my fingers.

 

Working for children(Exercise)

Collect as many examples of imagery for children as possible. Group the illustrations I’ve collected into the target age groups.

Pre-reader

My first word book by Joy Wotton, Jenny Tulip

My first touch and feel words book/Jojo’s frist word book by Xavier Deneux

My first book of animals/Alphabet by Alain Gree

These books have adorable characters and are showing the babies starting to learn the basics of life.

Pre-school (3-5)

Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak

This story grew up in the 70’s and most people say it is suitable for all ages. But I think it is best for pre-school(3-5).  It’s a truly dreamlike story to read to children.

The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child By Author Julia Donaldson , Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

These are suitable to read to children 3-5 years. They are fantastic stories. These books have  very appealing characters in exuberant colour and lots of wisdom.

Early reader (5-7)

Many Moons written by James Thurber and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

I like this story in clever way with vibrant colourful pictures.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Mary Azarian

I like the illustrator used the exuberant colour-saturated blue and white background to match the colourful characters and building etc.

Established reader (7-9)

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by  Simms Taback

It’s another exuberant colour-saturated book.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

My husband and I watched this film in the cinema. The recommend said for age 7-9 but I think it is quite good for adults as well.

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

This illustration book with traditional elements in it.

Older age groups

Tintin by Georges Remi

This series of illustration books is my husband’s favourite one. He has got a big pack as collection.

I am going to practice Pre-reader and pre-school(3-5) through the words growing and family. I have chosen the animals kangaroos and birds.

So my brainstorming

And also some sketches to find out some themes with brainstorm.

I think the age 0-2 years old children just started learning basic things so “touch” is the theme of things to give an early connection to.

My pre-reader idea is from mummy and baby clues, because this age is just starting to learn perception. My original idea was to use some fur fabric material (fur or fleece) as a collage to create a part of the kangaroo’s body. Then my illustration can show the 0-2 years old what the animal’s skin is like. But I couldn’t find any of the fabric that was correct for what I wanted to show. Finally I decided use a flowers’ pattern for mummy kangaroo’s pouch. The soft fabric would be just like the baby’s blanket. My illustration shows the baby kangaroo is being spoiled by its mummy, I tried to make them both seem happy and content. I just showed the babies in the world what they like when they were this age. The kindly mummy’s face and one hand is with milk then other one is holding the baby’s hand.

I have used fineliner pens and soft pastels mixed up for this image. I was enjoying working with the new material which I have not used for a while maybe since my childhood. I didn’t scan it because I felt the colours would come off the paper if I put it in the scanner. So next I need to acquire some more skill with using pastel and see how to make the colour correctly stay on the paper. Then I used the photoshop to adjust its brightness and contrast for my final image.

A couple of days ago I was in the kitchen and saw a bird was picking up some dries weeds and branches from my garden. It was picking more and more until couldn’t get any more for its beak and fell out a bit. Then it was very hard to fly back on the tree.

I have been inspired by this. So a story came out from my mind.

It’s a family story for children. I think it suitable for age 3-5 years.

I have drawing the image but I didn’t give any text apart the staves from the little pink baby bird. I may write down a couple of words about the story and put on the pictures.

For my illustrations I used the ‘tough’ faction which is let the baby touch the pouch and to learn basic like things are like mummy’s love and baby’s blanket. My second illustration the children need to learn fly/walk and sing just like the little birds.

I used the bright colours for all the images but some areas have been mixed to dark brown giving a darker effect was because the pastels were smudged by my hands. I should not draw the branches of trees so thick and luxurious because simple and clear pictures will have made the birds emerge.