Graphics Exam Prep Evaluation

The theme for our exam was “Flaws, Perfection, Ideals and Compromise”; therefore the outcome I plan to produce will involve myself re-creating a book cover for Roald Dahl's infamous book "Danny the Champion of the World "celebrating 40 years since being published! I will also incorporate a photo shoot to produce other possible advertising outcomes such as a poster, or invitations for a book signing event.

I started off firstly experimenting in the style of Jamie Reid and David Carson. To carry out Jamie Reid's style of work, I tore out images and typography from a magazine to create a collage style advertisement. At first I struggled, however I thought his work suited advertising, therefore for my final two experiments I imaged they were a magazine cover. I loved the look of ripping faces in half and placing two different ones together, as it created striking contrast but also evoked a story. I also found it quite fun and relaxing when experimenting with the typography because there were no right or wrong answers. You could place different fonts and different sized letters next to each other and somehow they managed to work.

When attempting David Carson, I did both handmade and digital experiments to see if they had the same effect. Cutting out the typography from newspapers and magazines allowed the edges to be quite rough and inaccurate, and that it was allowed it to become quite personal. Previously, I haven't had many good experiments when it came to digital typography, however I loved experimenting in the style of Carson. I didn't choose the fonts at random because I still wanted there to be a sense of structure and precision. When it came to choosing colours, I stuck to only three because I wanted it to remain simplistic and not take the attention away from the arrangement or fonts of the typography. I was really happy with my final experiments because I had really gone out of my comfort zone in terms of the composition and use of fonts, however I thought they all worked well.

I then went on to experimenting in the style of Matisse, who's work I really liked. The simplistic, abstract shapes he creates takes me back to when I was in primary school, however that's why I love it because it's so easily relatable. The shapes of both the typography and patterns were easy to achieve as I didn't need to draw out the shapes first. His use of right colours is immediately attention grabbing with connects greatly with the sharp geometric and organic shapes.

Another material and experiment I took part in was stencilling. I struggled at first to understand the way to trace over the parts you wished to cut out because I didn't know how to make the image to look obvious. Nevertheless, once I had finally cut out the stencil, I found it very easy to do. I started off with basic materials such as cartridge paper just to familiarise myself with the spray. Once I gathered the best distance to spray the spray paint, I then changed to different materials such as newspaper, tissure paper and also sandpaper. These were succesfull because the textures were all different e.g. because the tissue paper was thin and smooth, the liquid from the spray paint didn't soak into the paper as well as the cartridge paper which created a deeper layer from the paint. I was happy with the choice of colours I used because I kept them harmonious.

Another material I used was watercolour which I applied to my quick sketches inspired by Philip Bannister. I tried a new technique of doing quick sharp paintbrush strokes instead of taking my time applying intense detail to create a sense of spontaneity. I then took these illustration further by photocopying them and adding drawn details with a fine liner. This was to differentiate the shapes and patterns that could be created through the brush strokes. I also changed the colour filter when photocopying the illustration to create a more abstract version. I thought these experiments worked well because they looked creative and fun, which is how I would interpret my version of "Danny the Champion of the World". I also loved going back over the shapes with a fine liner because there was a sense of formality and also precision.

Another technique I contributed to was creating photograms in the darkroom. I had gathered some leaves and plants from the woods and places them on the photo paper once I had experimented with the composition. I aimed to keep the composition quite simplistic because I wanted the different elements to stand out. I loved the photograms because the shapes were really distinctive and the harsh contrast between the black and white created a bold and almost quite haunting atmosphere. I tried something spontaneous by sometimes flicking the developer onto the paper to create contrasting tones. Overall I thought the photograms were a success because they were something I hadn't thought of trying however was please I tried something different and expressing a different ceative side.

I also tried a new technique of drawing after looking at the artist Sandrine Barrois. Her style is with limited colour but a lot of lined detail. I've never tried this style before as I usually go straight to using watercolour, however this style taught me some new things. I learned better, and easier ways to show direction by following the guide of the outline, or the direction of the shape. I also took my time with these experiments, which I noticed completely upgraded the quality of the final outcomes. I would definitely like to take these illustrations further and incorporate them into my final piece because the contrast of the grey and green pencil is so striking, it almost reminds me of life an death. 

I then also looked into paper art, which after much research I decided I wanted to base my final outcome on. I knew I wanted the imagery to be based on forest scenery that not only linked back to the artist I looked at, but also related back to the theme of landscape within the actual "Danny..." book. I thought these exoeriments worked particularly well because my choice of harmonious colours allowed the different layers to work well together. One aspect that I would have to change is the paper I used, particularly the black one because it was very flimsy and that caused it to rip and break easily. 

My prep for the exam was successful, because I completed a range of experiments that gave me a lot of possible outcome ideas. From early on in my book, I looked into a range of different artists styles and artwork which all inspired me for my own creations. Furthermore, I did a lot of secondary research via pinterest as I looked at a range of images that would allow me to gather as many ideas as I could. I also had my final ideas for my outcome fairly early on which gave me the opportunity to really think about what I was going to do and how I was going to achieve it. 

What didn't go so well for me, was the lack of time. I feel I did a lot of experiments that I could have taken further e.g. my photograms I feel I could have taken further by scanning them into the computer via the printer and creating digital and handmade effects. I could also have painted on the with acrylic paint, or even used ink for the vinrancy. I wish I had more time to experiment with my interpritations of Sandrine Barrois's work, as I could have involved more colour, more exagerated shapes, instead of using leaves I could have drawn flowers. The main thing I wish I had more time on was the typography as I don't feel I really got a range of fonts and sizes that I could have used, and I didn't actually manage to combine the typography with the cutout design, therefore I had no idea how the to were going to work toegther. If I had more time, I would have also have liked to have experimented with other books. Eventhough my first choice would always be "Danny...", I would have still liked to experiment with other charcters and scenes. 

New skills that I learnt was skillfully using a craft knife. Previously I have only created basic shapes to cut out, and even though my designs for my final piece were still quite simplistic, the precision and effort I places into them allowed them to become better structured. I also got to think more about composition, because drawing out the scenes to cut out on the card was tricky because I had to make sure there was no overlapping between the different colours. I also learned to take more risks, because you never really know if something is going to work untill you try it, therefore I came out of my comfort zone to really push myself. Artists that inspired me were David Carson, Philip Bannister, Sandrine Barrois and Rob Ryan. Sandrine Barrois was my main influence as her dream-like story book illustrations allowed me to think of other places. I wanted my imagery to look like hers and to bring the viewer piece and tranquility. Rob Ryan was a big influence because he inspired how to incorporate typgraphy within my piece. His work is also very dainty, but is powerful, and that's how I wanted to express my work because the imagery is simplistic, but I still wanted it to look meaningfull.