OUIL505 Applied Illustration End of Module Evaluation

OUIL 505 – Applied Illustration Evaluation

I found this module much better than any of the others this year. From the start I was excited about making products; my research supported my development and helped the ideas for the project to grow, as well as my interests. 
The themes I chose to explore are closely linked to other projects that I have enjoyed in the past, such as Context of Practice. The fact that I find this so enjoyable really helps me to keep motivated with the project, and it made me more likely to experiment and push it further. The things I find harder to do have generally always been things I don’t like doing – this was apparent even through school - (I did really well in art but I was only average in maths!)  This is why I found responsive harder than  this module – I wasn’t interested in the subject matter, so It was harder to complete as well as taking more time.

  I much prefer the freedom to take on my own project and I felt like product and packaging would be a good choice for my practice, so that better ideas and more enjoyment would take place. The ability to plan my actions from the beginning, and produce my Celebrity Cat packs in my own time felt rewarding. The outcomes were exactly how I wanted them to be, and I loved them.

  I am really happy with the end products! The colours printed so brightly – which was one of my concerns at the beginning – I thought that they wouldn’t be very bright and wanted to screen print, but ended up changing my mind to digital print in order to save time for production and documentation / blogging. The workshops we had for digital print were really useful in order to know some of the ways to ensure a high quality print.

If I had to do this project again, I’d prepare all my files to print at the same time – I wasted a few mornings in digital print because I forgot some bits each time.
The final products could be slightly better – I noticed that on my lady gaga print that there are a few smudges left on the Photoshop file that I didn’t notice before. I also forgot to print one of my Katy Perry magnets (I’ve printed them now, but need to hopefully run home and grab the magnets before submission if I have time!)   Also, on the tabs that I will fold and staple onto my packs, I forgot to say that It includes 3 post cards as well as the rest of the items. These are small things that I will change if I sell any Celebrity cat packs.

  From this project, I have learned that I really like the Project and Packaging area of illustration; it is probably what I’d be most likely to do with my practice when I leave. I think it suits me best, because I prefer to make images that are well crafted as opposed to work that focuses on a narrative – as with traditional illustration.

   I ‘ve also learned how to make professional digital prints; this is good for me. For the OUL504 module I became more confident with screen printing, now I’m confident in both print processes, I will be able to develop my work to produce even better products. I won’t be afraid to go for it next time either! The more experience I have with printing, the more efficient I will be when I come to do it next time around.

  The context/ research I have conducted for this module has helped towards researching creative concerns that I’d love to explore in Level 6.  The social impact of celebrity image links in with my Context of practice research on the subject of how our relationship with the media has an effect on the way we construct our own identities.
  I want to research these themes for my dissertation, and I think that this project can be extended into my third year. It is great to feel that my work is pulling together contextually, and my practice is becoming stronger and better informed. I am also happy with the fact that I am enjoying what I am doing, especially since the 3^rd year will be more self directed. It makes me feel more confident that I can do well, because I personally want to continue this work as for as long as I can and to the best quality.