Open publication - Free publishing
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
End of Module Evaluation.
This was and was always going to be the toughest module of the entire course. I have however gained more than just experience and a portfolio I dont feel ashamed of, I have gained acceptance from a group of peers I thought would chew me up and spit me out like the previous year. I have made some friends, designed some good work and gained a whole heap of new lessons that will bank within my cortex for many years to come. My practice has reached a stage where I feel as if I could happily carry on and create even better and more visually stimulating work without fear of ridicule or personal defeat. I think from what I have talked about with tutors, pros, peers and mates is that I have a much clearer - yet not fully formed - idea of what my future holds. From how to present myself, how to get myself known, who not to call, who to call and how to be someone I will be proud of.
I believe to have succeeded in my illustration abilities and learnt that if I spent time on what I am doing whilst keeping in mind a strategy for producing work, I can create wonderful, high quality and near professional imagery. I have managed to achieve my goal of actually making full use of the processes and workshops available to me, rather than wasting time and deliberating over what can and cant be done. Being a doer not a dont. I took on a range of briefs to make up for lost time in previous years where I would create abhorrent, unprofessional, unconsidered work that just wasted my time on the course. I think that I set the bar a bit too high for myself in order to try give myself the best chance to seek out employment/freelance work when I graduate, but have loved the extremities of late nights and hard work despite the overall outcome.
The briefs were diverse enough for me to try and test a range of abilities I thought I did not have; type, illustration, in fact the whole bag, but I am confident that I can and have applied my own personal touch to my projects, despite my feeling of "its all a bit late for that now" syndrome. I can confirm though that after all of this work and tribulations that I am indeed an image driven illustrator/designer with a long way to go, but I have accepted this and am eager to see what I can do, where I will go and how I will shape my future.
The lack of actual hand drawn illustration was a fault of my own, lending to personal confidence issues and an overall draining of time and responding to managing multiple briefs. I think I really could have found more ways to include my style of illustration to fit into some of my other briefs, but once again down to self-doubt and relevance to each brief's context. I really believe that I have enough time and experience to develop my skills further for future endeavours. From feedback from peers and others, I feel as if I am at a stage where I could confidently approach others to collaborate or work for.
The products I have produced are a mixed bag, to be honest I think I could have produced something of a much higher quality than I have submitted, but that's down to not trying everything due to financial restraint and poor planning.
The 2920 brief could of been sent of much earlier, but I was being finnicky about the outcome and paid the price as it has not even arrived yet. I am proud of that brief as a whole, as I created a whole range of top quality prints, especially concerning the Treaty and the Morag Tong writ of sealing. They were the pride of the range of deliverables because they came out the best in terms of how I foresaw them and how they manifested physically. The map was the weakest, as I should of screenprinted it onto cloth, but decided that it would of been safer just to print it digitally and then deal with the outcome. The method of production for the map would have changed if I were to redo the brief, as the tatty ends do it NO JUSTICE. I was under the influence that I would make it look presentable, but time has not been my friend. The chest itself will be redone after I get it back so it fits in with the rest of the brief. I will also be making the brass replica dagger as it kills me how unreliable blacksmiths can be.
The quality of Jenny's deliverables were a mixed bunch, to start with the production was left until very late, as I believed I could satisfy the deadline as well as produce something that, physically looked professional. The box looks amazing, but that is because I did not make it. The prints/postcards came out unaligned, but that is because I let Jenny print them as she was disorganised and had to take my later slot which cost me valuable deliverables for the other briefs. I am not entirely pleased with the entirety of the brief's deliverables, but I am glad that she has some cool promotional materials that I can reproduce in time for her EOYS.
Code magazine came out pretty well, despite the draft issue in the cover being made by myself, which turned out terribly, yet rectified by sending it off to be produced. The quality of the VG book in tandem was not entirely up to what I expected, but the positive is that I managed to research and discover a whole range of self-publishers and their respective quality when concerned with publications. I think I really should have produced more prints for the VG feature, but once again poor planning and lack of project management did not allow for this.
If I were to redo this module, I would definitely make sure that I stuck to a brief until it came to fruition rather than allowing it to fall through my grasp and then I lose all interest in it and its subsequent impact. I would also develop more deliverables and try to exploit everything to its fullest potential rather than scaring myself into thinking I cannot produce something to a high or acceptable standard.
I would definitely get everything designed, and sent off to print much quicker as I have been waiting around for ridiculous amounts of time and generating a whole hotbed of stress for myself which doesnt really help at all.
I came out of this module feeling more confident but not entirely convinced of my level of skill in relation to graphic design. I do feel as if I could go out and effectively collaborate or apply through gritted teeth due to the existing levels of peer professionalism which tends to dampen my spirits and overall confidence. I am worried but excited about my future, I worry about my time management, I worry about alot of things, but I will give it my best, try get a job in a print studio and be the best damn illustrator I can be, hoping to join the ranks of those I worship.
I believe to have succeeded in my illustration abilities and learnt that if I spent time on what I am doing whilst keeping in mind a strategy for producing work, I can create wonderful, high quality and near professional imagery. I have managed to achieve my goal of actually making full use of the processes and workshops available to me, rather than wasting time and deliberating over what can and cant be done. Being a doer not a dont. I took on a range of briefs to make up for lost time in previous years where I would create abhorrent, unprofessional, unconsidered work that just wasted my time on the course. I think that I set the bar a bit too high for myself in order to try give myself the best chance to seek out employment/freelance work when I graduate, but have loved the extremities of late nights and hard work despite the overall outcome.
The briefs were diverse enough for me to try and test a range of abilities I thought I did not have; type, illustration, in fact the whole bag, but I am confident that I can and have applied my own personal touch to my projects, despite my feeling of "its all a bit late for that now" syndrome. I can confirm though that after all of this work and tribulations that I am indeed an image driven illustrator/designer with a long way to go, but I have accepted this and am eager to see what I can do, where I will go and how I will shape my future.
The lack of actual hand drawn illustration was a fault of my own, lending to personal confidence issues and an overall draining of time and responding to managing multiple briefs. I think I really could have found more ways to include my style of illustration to fit into some of my other briefs, but once again down to self-doubt and relevance to each brief's context. I really believe that I have enough time and experience to develop my skills further for future endeavours. From feedback from peers and others, I feel as if I am at a stage where I could confidently approach others to collaborate or work for.
The products I have produced are a mixed bag, to be honest I think I could have produced something of a much higher quality than I have submitted, but that's down to not trying everything due to financial restraint and poor planning.
The 2920 brief could of been sent of much earlier, but I was being finnicky about the outcome and paid the price as it has not even arrived yet. I am proud of that brief as a whole, as I created a whole range of top quality prints, especially concerning the Treaty and the Morag Tong writ of sealing. They were the pride of the range of deliverables because they came out the best in terms of how I foresaw them and how they manifested physically. The map was the weakest, as I should of screenprinted it onto cloth, but decided that it would of been safer just to print it digitally and then deal with the outcome. The method of production for the map would have changed if I were to redo the brief, as the tatty ends do it NO JUSTICE. I was under the influence that I would make it look presentable, but time has not been my friend. The chest itself will be redone after I get it back so it fits in with the rest of the brief. I will also be making the brass replica dagger as it kills me how unreliable blacksmiths can be.
The quality of Jenny's deliverables were a mixed bunch, to start with the production was left until very late, as I believed I could satisfy the deadline as well as produce something that, physically looked professional. The box looks amazing, but that is because I did not make it. The prints/postcards came out unaligned, but that is because I let Jenny print them as she was disorganised and had to take my later slot which cost me valuable deliverables for the other briefs. I am not entirely pleased with the entirety of the brief's deliverables, but I am glad that she has some cool promotional materials that I can reproduce in time for her EOYS.
Code magazine came out pretty well, despite the draft issue in the cover being made by myself, which turned out terribly, yet rectified by sending it off to be produced. The quality of the VG book in tandem was not entirely up to what I expected, but the positive is that I managed to research and discover a whole range of self-publishers and their respective quality when concerned with publications. I think I really should have produced more prints for the VG feature, but once again poor planning and lack of project management did not allow for this.
If I were to redo this module, I would definitely make sure that I stuck to a brief until it came to fruition rather than allowing it to fall through my grasp and then I lose all interest in it and its subsequent impact. I would also develop more deliverables and try to exploit everything to its fullest potential rather than scaring myself into thinking I cannot produce something to a high or acceptable standard.
I would definitely get everything designed, and sent off to print much quicker as I have been waiting around for ridiculous amounts of time and generating a whole hotbed of stress for myself which doesnt really help at all.
I came out of this module feeling more confident but not entirely convinced of my level of skill in relation to graphic design. I do feel as if I could go out and effectively collaborate or apply through gritted teeth due to the existing levels of peer professionalism which tends to dampen my spirits and overall confidence. I am worried but excited about my future, I worry about my time management, I worry about alot of things, but I will give it my best, try get a job in a print studio and be the best damn illustrator I can be, hoping to join the ranks of those I worship.
Bottom of the Bottle Evaluation
For an illustration brief that I was meant to really develop my style and create a range of awesome prints via my favoured method - screenprinting - I didnt really set out to achieve what I envisioned. In retrospect, the brief was a dry one compared to some of the more professional concepts that circulated around the studio, but I just wanted one brief where I could flex and test my illustrative muscle.
The initial branding of the night was meant to be a fixated logo, but I was glad that I decided to create a range of illustrative type as it is something I enjoy and wanted to push further both professionally and personally. It also allowed me to set a sort of feel for the rest of the project which made it alot easier to progress with. I think my major issue was at the start of this brief, I had just got my tablet and relied on my limited knowledge to try produce illustrations on a purely digital basis, which hindered the project's progress and created generic looking "grunge" illustrations that did not come out how I wanted.
Early on in the development process, before I rationalised that I did not really need to come back to the brief until later on, I thought that I had a good enough style to run with. Although self doubt was constantly creeping about up until the second to last crit, where incredibly positive feedback came back from peers I highly value and respect for the quality of their own work.
The next stage where I chose the colour combinations was a rush job, as I left it late in development and settled with a combination that I thought worked very well, but upon reflection I could have created a palette that reflected each night individually, with one colour tying the range together. Another major issue was the lack of range in terms of illustrations and the underdeveloped imagery. I wish I could have just taken the brief under my wing and made it the capitalisation of my illustrative style allowing for peace of mind and a good place to develop further upon submission. I did however, get to a stage where I am confident enough to show people my illustrations without fear of rejection.
The project as a whole feels half finished, as I didnt get everything done so I could print some physical deliverables, I do have the promo pack mailout but I just didnt see the point in submitting something that appeared unprofessional and without the accompanying deliverables to back up the entire project.
The brief could have done with alot more in terms of actual products, but again I left it too late and depended on just winging it. I did enjoy doing it, especially adding the detail and tones that I think really bring the project together and demonstrate my evolution as a professional illustrator, although this title is a premature label until I get myself known more.
A huge positive from hindsight is knowing where to improve and as such, I cannot wait to get involved with other illustrators and get some public experience collaborating.
The initial branding of the night was meant to be a fixated logo, but I was glad that I decided to create a range of illustrative type as it is something I enjoy and wanted to push further both professionally and personally. It also allowed me to set a sort of feel for the rest of the project which made it alot easier to progress with. I think my major issue was at the start of this brief, I had just got my tablet and relied on my limited knowledge to try produce illustrations on a purely digital basis, which hindered the project's progress and created generic looking "grunge" illustrations that did not come out how I wanted.
Early on in the development process, before I rationalised that I did not really need to come back to the brief until later on, I thought that I had a good enough style to run with. Although self doubt was constantly creeping about up until the second to last crit, where incredibly positive feedback came back from peers I highly value and respect for the quality of their own work.
The next stage where I chose the colour combinations was a rush job, as I left it late in development and settled with a combination that I thought worked very well, but upon reflection I could have created a palette that reflected each night individually, with one colour tying the range together. Another major issue was the lack of range in terms of illustrations and the underdeveloped imagery. I wish I could have just taken the brief under my wing and made it the capitalisation of my illustrative style allowing for peace of mind and a good place to develop further upon submission. I did however, get to a stage where I am confident enough to show people my illustrations without fear of rejection.
The project as a whole feels half finished, as I didnt get everything done so I could print some physical deliverables, I do have the promo pack mailout but I just didnt see the point in submitting something that appeared unprofessional and without the accompanying deliverables to back up the entire project.
The brief could have done with alot more in terms of actual products, but again I left it too late and depended on just winging it. I did enjoy doing it, especially adding the detail and tones that I think really bring the project together and demonstrate my evolution as a professional illustrator, although this title is a premature label until I get myself known more.
A huge positive from hindsight is knowing where to improve and as such, I cannot wait to get involved with other illustrators and get some public experience collaborating.
Jenny Sneap Evaluation
Firstly I have never even worked with a client before, or done any branding for a real person, normally a fictional company or some form of non-specific design. This was a nice change, I didnt fully enjoy the mundanity of creating a range of branded pieces as it tends to be repetitive in a cut and paste way. But it did give me valuable experience and gained a new accomplice, who will be retaking photos of my work for my EOYS portfolio. Win.
The stress of the brief coupled with my lack of knowledge in the field made this a project I thought I would struggle with, until the logo itself came to fruition and the project got under way. Normally these sort of branding briefs are the staple diet/practice of most designers, whilst I did not fully enjoy it as it was outside my comfort zone, I felt as though I gained alot of experience in working with a stressful client who didnt really know what they wanted.
The end result of the deliverables were not to a standard I would have liked, but that is down to the fact I spent the least time on this brief in regards to the other briefs I worked on during FMP. I did enjoy the processes used to give the brief a professional look and managed to make the project appear as a 'whole'.
The solander box was outsourced due to my afore mentioned lack of craft skills, but also because I wanted Jenny to have the highest quality lookbook possible and also so I had something that looked pro for my portfolio. The concept for the lookbook was the strongest and I was pleased that I could produce something that was out of the conventional designs other members of the course were working with.
The spot varnish/foil effect for the entirety was the driving force behind the brief, which I think really helped support my SOI and my general intentions of trying an testing a range of print processes I had never really had the time or money to make. The business cards were once again outsourced due to me wanting Jenny to have the best looking products possible without the expense of time or money in regards to production and managing multiple briefs.
Overall I believe that despite my personal preference and time spent in total on the brief, I think this was one of my strongest projects and one that could have been turned around a lot quicker in hindsight.
The project cost a lot more than anticipated, but it gave me a real idea of how to work to a budget despite there not being one in place, it certainly gave me professional insight into external/outsourcing work if and when needed on a job. I also gained a valuable ally who appreciated my work despite the outcome and will be able to work together on most creative endeavours in the future.
The stress of the brief coupled with my lack of knowledge in the field made this a project I thought I would struggle with, until the logo itself came to fruition and the project got under way. Normally these sort of branding briefs are the staple diet/practice of most designers, whilst I did not fully enjoy it as it was outside my comfort zone, I felt as though I gained alot of experience in working with a stressful client who didnt really know what they wanted.
The end result of the deliverables were not to a standard I would have liked, but that is down to the fact I spent the least time on this brief in regards to the other briefs I worked on during FMP. I did enjoy the processes used to give the brief a professional look and managed to make the project appear as a 'whole'.
The solander box was outsourced due to my afore mentioned lack of craft skills, but also because I wanted Jenny to have the highest quality lookbook possible and also so I had something that looked pro for my portfolio. The concept for the lookbook was the strongest and I was pleased that I could produce something that was out of the conventional designs other members of the course were working with.
The spot varnish/foil effect for the entirety was the driving force behind the brief, which I think really helped support my SOI and my general intentions of trying an testing a range of print processes I had never really had the time or money to make. The business cards were once again outsourced due to me wanting Jenny to have the best looking products possible without the expense of time or money in regards to production and managing multiple briefs.
Overall I believe that despite my personal preference and time spent in total on the brief, I think this was one of my strongest projects and one that could have been turned around a lot quicker in hindsight.
The project cost a lot more than anticipated, but it gave me a real idea of how to work to a budget despite there not being one in place, it certainly gave me professional insight into external/outsourcing work if and when needed on a job. I also gained a valuable ally who appreciated my work despite the outcome and will be able to work together on most creative endeavours in the future.
Code Magazine
Firstly, if you didnt know, I love games; the culture, the designers, coders, everything. This brief for me was like creating the ideal publication for myself and my friends. The idea was not a selfish intention, rather I just wanted to share with everyone (target audience included) the fascinating and often heavily inspired world of gaming culture.
The sourcing of the information for the brief started off as an exciting venture, creating a database that mirrored my current cult knowledge of the subject as well as finding out things that I never thought existed. The hardest part was sieving through the relevant information into what was appropriate and what I wanted in the magazine, whilst adhering to the main concept of the brief I wrote up. The cover designs and type decisions were relatively easy to make, as I used existing publications and a few tried and tested methods to see how they functioned as a brief.
The cover designs were, looking back on it, not nearly as visually striking as I thought they would be, appearing more like a zine than an actual professional publication. The feedback was incredibly positive however, with a majority of people not getting round to my other projects due to poring over the information presented. Coming back to the imagery used for both the Virtual Geographic feature and the covers, I believe that this concept was indeed strong enough to carry the whole brief and give it a nice tie in. Looking back at it though, I could have made a much larger and extensive range for the brief, I just got to the "final stages" of the brief and finalised it as the deadline loomed nearer.
I do think that this is my favourite brief, not just because of the content, but the fact that I really got to grips with type and layout as I never had before, not being bored with the subject matter was a major aid in this. I got to explore experimental type in a formal way, as opposed to my illustrative type I use in my practice, which was a huge learning curve that helped me massively and will continue to do so, as I intend to discover the full range of possibilities of self-publishing in the future.
I do wish I had got the concept nailed for this earlier, but there is no point crying over spilt ink. I think that the online presence should have been fully exploited due to the nature of the brief, as well as providing me with the necessary practice to design and code websites which I could have done with for future endeavours.
In hindsight, I think I would have made this into a more illustrative endeavour, but I believe that sometimes I design not for myself but for others, trying to produce work "they" want to see. But from this and most of the briefs I chose, it shows that I dont just make "pretty pictures" but I can apply myself to a range of different briefs and ways of working, despite the average outcome of each project.
The sourcing of the information for the brief started off as an exciting venture, creating a database that mirrored my current cult knowledge of the subject as well as finding out things that I never thought existed. The hardest part was sieving through the relevant information into what was appropriate and what I wanted in the magazine, whilst adhering to the main concept of the brief I wrote up. The cover designs and type decisions were relatively easy to make, as I used existing publications and a few tried and tested methods to see how they functioned as a brief.
The cover designs were, looking back on it, not nearly as visually striking as I thought they would be, appearing more like a zine than an actual professional publication. The feedback was incredibly positive however, with a majority of people not getting round to my other projects due to poring over the information presented. Coming back to the imagery used for both the Virtual Geographic feature and the covers, I believe that this concept was indeed strong enough to carry the whole brief and give it a nice tie in. Looking back at it though, I could have made a much larger and extensive range for the brief, I just got to the "final stages" of the brief and finalised it as the deadline loomed nearer.
I do think that this is my favourite brief, not just because of the content, but the fact that I really got to grips with type and layout as I never had before, not being bored with the subject matter was a major aid in this. I got to explore experimental type in a formal way, as opposed to my illustrative type I use in my practice, which was a huge learning curve that helped me massively and will continue to do so, as I intend to discover the full range of possibilities of self-publishing in the future.
I do wish I had got the concept nailed for this earlier, but there is no point crying over spilt ink. I think that the online presence should have been fully exploited due to the nature of the brief, as well as providing me with the necessary practice to design and code websites which I could have done with for future endeavours.
In hindsight, I think I would have made this into a more illustrative endeavour, but I believe that sometimes I design not for myself but for others, trying to produce work "they" want to see. But from this and most of the briefs I chose, it shows that I dont just make "pretty pictures" but I can apply myself to a range of different briefs and ways of working, despite the average outcome of each project.
Eureka Evaluation
Out of all the briefs, bar BOTB, I believe this is the least strong. The subject matter itself was very interesting to me, but as the brief went on and I lost all interest in infographics, I started panicking and not caring which is not a good combination especially on a final major project which is meant to be a carefully planned and thought through affair. Although with the unfortunate but not unwelcome recent realisation of what it is and what I want to do with my ambitions, I am glad I did this brief.
It was intended to be an illustration brief coupled with type, layout and editorial infographics. Already it is evident that I set myself a monumentous task, as usual I took a cliffside road rather than the comfortable bike trail by the river in terms of how I approached this brief.
I spent far too much time researching, cross referencing due to my fact-finding/anal tendencies which cost me dearly in the end. I also could not decide early enough on what subjects would best suit the audience costing me valuable scoops of time and designing sporadic and for the sake of it. I think that a major issue in all my work in college is that I seek the acceptance of my peers and those above my station when it comes to creating things, so I get bogged down in detail and trying to produce anything that I think would please the afore mentioned audience. With this in mind, I once again faffed around trying to find or discover a style that would give my work the edge I wanted. Alas it was to no avail, I fell back on vector illustrations and a colour palette I took from my favourite Youtube channel (Crash Course World History). I am not displeased with the cover illustrations, as I received very positive feedback, but on a personal note, it always feels like a bit of a cop out when I know I am capable of producing something very akin to my internal visual blueprint.
The spreads of information were the hardest part for me, as I am not good at all with layout or the formalities of type. I did alot of research, but felt like I wasnt really getting anywhere, until I just suddenly clicked. I cant remember what happened, it sounds unprofessional but I just woke up early literally just did some bits of layout and put some shapes together that I thought looked great and suited the brief. Although this again, was a latecomer to the finishing line, that I felt I should have developed more, not just for myself but for my portfolio's sake. Although I think that I am capable of creating spreads and layout out information correctly and presenting it in a unique way, I dont think I would excel in the field specifically.
Indeed a learning curve all round for this brief, but I did learn that I like reading about science, but I think there are better and more intuitive ways to do this than designing for a newspaper whose media is often skewed and biased at best. There are far better mediums out there doing a better job than the Times. I do think that the strongest element of this brief was the colour and the cover illustrations. Once again proving that I may just be a Jack of All Trades, as opposed to a Master of One.
It was intended to be an illustration brief coupled with type, layout and editorial infographics. Already it is evident that I set myself a monumentous task, as usual I took a cliffside road rather than the comfortable bike trail by the river in terms of how I approached this brief.
I spent far too much time researching, cross referencing due to my fact-finding/anal tendencies which cost me dearly in the end. I also could not decide early enough on what subjects would best suit the audience costing me valuable scoops of time and designing sporadic and for the sake of it. I think that a major issue in all my work in college is that I seek the acceptance of my peers and those above my station when it comes to creating things, so I get bogged down in detail and trying to produce anything that I think would please the afore mentioned audience. With this in mind, I once again faffed around trying to find or discover a style that would give my work the edge I wanted. Alas it was to no avail, I fell back on vector illustrations and a colour palette I took from my favourite Youtube channel (Crash Course World History). I am not displeased with the cover illustrations, as I received very positive feedback, but on a personal note, it always feels like a bit of a cop out when I know I am capable of producing something very akin to my internal visual blueprint.
The spreads of information were the hardest part for me, as I am not good at all with layout or the formalities of type. I did alot of research, but felt like I wasnt really getting anywhere, until I just suddenly clicked. I cant remember what happened, it sounds unprofessional but I just woke up early literally just did some bits of layout and put some shapes together that I thought looked great and suited the brief. Although this again, was a latecomer to the finishing line, that I felt I should have developed more, not just for myself but for my portfolio's sake. Although I think that I am capable of creating spreads and layout out information correctly and presenting it in a unique way, I dont think I would excel in the field specifically.
Indeed a learning curve all round for this brief, but I did learn that I like reading about science, but I think there are better and more intuitive ways to do this than designing for a newspaper whose media is often skewed and biased at best. There are far better mediums out there doing a better job than the Times. I do think that the strongest element of this brief was the colour and the cover illustrations. Once again proving that I may just be a Jack of All Trades, as opposed to a Master of One.
Product shots from boards
Didnt wait to spam a load of images I didnt use form the camera as I took well over 100 shots. Here are the selected few...
Open publication - Free publishing
2920 Evaluation
What started out as a straightforward brief with a subject I hold dear to my heart snowballed into a much larger problem, with regards to cost and production values. Initially it was going to be a brief that demonstrated to myself and others that I am capable of producing a professional looking project that I could be proud of. I wanted it to be the crown jewel of my third year, showing to others that gaming culture and being a nerd is cool and can produce really interesting work. I wanted to stick to the sort of feel the Elder Scrolls' universe has which is a sort of late 13th/16th century decor to it, but being able to push it in the direction I wanted it to be and how I wanted it to look.
It began as a publication brief, creating two perfect bound books that would work as a set, with a rough idea for accompanying deliverables to compliment the content within. This would have been a perfect time to develop and lay the foundations of some incredibly practical bookbinding skills, which I did not even engage with. I did do some mocks, but I realised pretty early on that I am not that talented when it comes to crafting or creating perfect publications. It was around then I decided to outsource the book, partly due to my skills, but mainly due to the high content nature of the brief coupled with the fact I had not produced a single piece of work I deemed worthy to show anyone, be it professional or peer. The research turned out to be very useful, I got to visit two establishments to talk to the binders and even got my girlfriend interested in the profession. So not all lose-lose really.
The content of the main publication for the brief was compiled from 12 separate volumes, and I spent far far too much time deliberating over what type I should use, being terribly unfamiliar with both the inner workings of indesign and the formalities of type/layout. The accompanying publication (Pocket Guide to the Empire) that I started yet never printed partially because of lack of funds, but also due to the project as a whole and the changing of the concept if I decided to keep it in. I laboured over the minor details of both the type and layout throughout even until the latest possible time I could submit the final artworks for the brief.
The ornate stamp detail on the front was subject to much internal debate over the style it was created; do I use my own interpretation of the visual approach the game favours, or do I go with an illustration I have developed and feel comfortable with? This sense of delusion coupled with the angst and confusion of trying to see my project from a potential customer's/audience's view tended to cause a large amount of dissonance with myself and the alter ego checking for "fanboy" mistakes. In the end though, I just went with the design and felt it worked fantastically. The feedback from my mocks were positive despite most people not understanding the context/content of the brief, though this didnt dissuade me from the outcome at all.
I feel that the only major positive from this brief were the additional deliverables that were inspired from the narrative in the book, mainly the Treaty and the Morag Tong deathnote. I very much enjoyed going into the printroom and building up relationships with the staff, gaining more confidence with my skills both practical and professional. After I had created the map on the digital printers and tried doing foiling correctly I got a real sense of achievement not felt when in digital print, which inspired me to research the possibilities of getting a job in the profession.
This aside, I felt as if overall I gained the most practical skills and development from this brief, I love screenprinting, figuring out registration for each print, mixing the ink and producing a whole range of products. The deliverables for the brief had a focus on traditional fonts, layout, type and logo design. The logo design element was a minor focus, yet put the proverbial icing on the cake for the range of printed products. The use of simplistic vectors when applied to a time period was a shaky move, but like I said, I wanted the old to clash with the new and I believe I have created a project that not only suits the audience, but has an element of me in it somewhere.
It began as a publication brief, creating two perfect bound books that would work as a set, with a rough idea for accompanying deliverables to compliment the content within. This would have been a perfect time to develop and lay the foundations of some incredibly practical bookbinding skills, which I did not even engage with. I did do some mocks, but I realised pretty early on that I am not that talented when it comes to crafting or creating perfect publications. It was around then I decided to outsource the book, partly due to my skills, but mainly due to the high content nature of the brief coupled with the fact I had not produced a single piece of work I deemed worthy to show anyone, be it professional or peer. The research turned out to be very useful, I got to visit two establishments to talk to the binders and even got my girlfriend interested in the profession. So not all lose-lose really.
The content of the main publication for the brief was compiled from 12 separate volumes, and I spent far far too much time deliberating over what type I should use, being terribly unfamiliar with both the inner workings of indesign and the formalities of type/layout. The accompanying publication (Pocket Guide to the Empire) that I started yet never printed partially because of lack of funds, but also due to the project as a whole and the changing of the concept if I decided to keep it in. I laboured over the minor details of both the type and layout throughout even until the latest possible time I could submit the final artworks for the brief.
The ornate stamp detail on the front was subject to much internal debate over the style it was created; do I use my own interpretation of the visual approach the game favours, or do I go with an illustration I have developed and feel comfortable with? This sense of delusion coupled with the angst and confusion of trying to see my project from a potential customer's/audience's view tended to cause a large amount of dissonance with myself and the alter ego checking for "fanboy" mistakes. In the end though, I just went with the design and felt it worked fantastically. The feedback from my mocks were positive despite most people not understanding the context/content of the brief, though this didnt dissuade me from the outcome at all.
I feel that the only major positive from this brief were the additional deliverables that were inspired from the narrative in the book, mainly the Treaty and the Morag Tong deathnote. I very much enjoyed going into the printroom and building up relationships with the staff, gaining more confidence with my skills both practical and professional. After I had created the map on the digital printers and tried doing foiling correctly I got a real sense of achievement not felt when in digital print, which inspired me to research the possibilities of getting a job in the profession.
This aside, I felt as if overall I gained the most practical skills and development from this brief, I love screenprinting, figuring out registration for each print, mixing the ink and producing a whole range of products. The deliverables for the brief had a focus on traditional fonts, layout, type and logo design. The logo design element was a minor focus, yet put the proverbial icing on the cake for the range of printed products. The use of simplistic vectors when applied to a time period was a shaky move, but like I said, I wanted the old to clash with the new and I believe I have created a project that not only suits the audience, but has an element of me in it somewhere.
Submission Boards
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Jennys Deliverables
Left alot of the development out for the cv, mailout and subsequent printed paraphernalia, so here it is.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Final Eureka
Open publication - Free publishing
These are the final covers to accompany the spreads for the main stories I have selected, I think I could have designed them to a much better standard, but I got caught up in my other briefs and kind of lost interest in the brief as I let it drag on for so long, but I think the outcome is not that bad.
Here is the development PDF I thought I had lost:
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Rough Boards
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Final Crit
Overall a very positive reel of feedback from the post it notes and on my feedback sheets.
Generally speaking it is my blog navigation/posts that need to be sorted out, but that can be amended over the weekend as I can stay up all night/day to get it sorted. Typos, some mistakes on prints and context shots were the main source of criticism, which was gladly received, partly due to the fact I wanted the majority of feedback on the flow of my boards.
Another point raised was the stock choice for the Eureka brief being unsuitable, but this was due to there being no newsprint left in college to print on.
So yeah, crack on and sort it young Cummings!
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Eureka: Finalising stages
So I finally got myself up to the challenge to finalise and make the covers for the eureka something semi-decent and I was happy with, whilst at the same time making sure I stuck to the original colour palette I settled with earlier. Managed to make the vectors more interesting based on my research into the Thought Bubble graphic team. Also stole their colour palette as it works rather well!
Think that I could of spent way more time on this brief, but instead I wasted valuable time on cross referencing, getting bored and busying myself as opposed to doing something productive and creative.
This aside, think its looking pretty decent, the layouts look much more vibrant and visually engaging. Now the only thing to do is finish the other covers...
Finally decided on the final content for the Times magazine, although took it down to print and it seems that the size is not the exact same as the times. Unless I should of been designing for the Sunday edition, which can be recitified relatively easily. I also believe that I could make more promo/special edition newspapers but the amount of content that I have would barely fill 5 newspapers.
The Royal Society is included as it is the 350th birthday of the institution, but it is intrinsic to the content, as they have funded and opened new avenues for the greater good.
I then finalised the Times covers to accomodate the stories I had illustrated for the covers and managed to get the all in the right dimensions and source the relevant people of interest for the front page.
AAAND everything that is finalised and done done done done. No more will I piss around on this brief. I like it, I think it functions and the colour scheme is brilliant if I dont mind saying so myself! Lets see how they print!
Monday, 21 May 2012
EUREKA! I HAVE CRACKED IT.
Pardon the appalling pun, but after a day of sitting down and condensing the info from all the articles into a much easier to read and digestable format I have cracked it. Or getting closer to it. From this project I have understood that I sit firmly in the image bias of the field of GD. I enjoyed it at times, but the only thing that brought me joy was inserting the basic (but effective) graphics to enhance the overall feel of the page. I will have to redo the cover illustrations to match the content now, and extend the amount of covers I have. Not too hard, about another day and I will be closer to fully finishing this brief!
Just have to polish off the newspaper deliverable and post some of my other development work up here....
Just have to polish off the newspaper deliverable and post some of my other development work up here....
Nerdology: Final
This is the final version of my DC publication that has a focus on everything that is nerdy and fantastic. The front cover is subject to change as I want it to match the contents and how that flows together.
Here is my development PDF:
Open publication - Free publishing
Sunday, 20 May 2012
BOTB Images detail
Think I have left it way too late to make this brief how I want tit to be, so I fear I wont even have any printed deliverables for submission. On the plus side I have learned to actually do a whole range of illustrations and just get stuck in as opposed to putting off one of my main briefs until the very end just because I think I could pull it out of a hat. I do think I have hit the nail on the head concerning the finalisation of the images and application of detail. Not quite incredible in terms of final work, but I feel as if this style works and cant wait to try it out after we hand in.
This is the PDF of all the final illustrations
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Botb - Mocks + Update
Basically I am just working with the palette I went with and explored some possibilities if what I can and cant do digitally, using the tablet. Mainly works incredibly well, although can detract away from the hand drawn/punk esque feel of the project. ALthough I have not yet completed the type for some of the other posters, I do think I have made sterling progress in such a short amount of time, although I really could of got stuck into this brief sooner, as I am REALLy enjoying it. It probably shows...
Although I am nowhere near boards yet, I took the initiative to mock up some products to see what they would look like in terms of professional imagery/context. Reassuringly good looking if I might say so myself. The products are relative to merchandise already available at the venue on the night.
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Luca
Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
Botb getting there
Open publication - Free publishing
Friday, 18 May 2012
Botb - Development of images
Thought I would start using my tablet as a force of good and potentially see if using an excessive amount of linework would be an effective way to maximise the overall impact and functioning aesthetic. Looks pretty good when afar, but I will have to see how they print out in the coming week before I can make final judgements.
I decided that it would be easier to have my skecthbook with the type examples by my side as I did this task as it would allow me to recreate the type through the tablet. Sure enough its much easier and versatile to use the tablet to sketch and make notes as I go, if only they did this in pocket format.
Botb - Colour choices
Open publication - Free publishing
I have chosen: P 222M and K=20 along with 280 M
I went with them as I believe that they bring out the best parts of the illustrations, whilst enabling them to act as bold, standalone images. It also give an identity to the night without the need of a repetition of a logo to confirm with on a semiotic level.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Monday, 14 May 2012
Times Newspaper
In order to expand the deliverables for my Eureka brief, I will be proposing and creating the Times' Newspaper entirely derived from the articles and stories highlighting importance of science in modern society. This will be done form excerpts from the Guardian, Times, New Scientist and Thought Bubble sites. The paper and project overall aims to inform and identify key areas of science that range from quite interesting, to downright intrinsic to our existence. I bought a copy of the paper, so I can get the measurements and hopefully get a copy of it printed for tomorrow.
Ok, so as an extra deliverable as mentioned for this brief, I was going to have to produce some low-cost prints. Due to the content and nature of the book, I have created a treaty that was signed by both the Imperial Army and the Tribunal of Morrowind. This treaty was snatched by Merevar of the Morag Tong, which caused the war to erupt again due to the carelessness of the guild. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to create this. The type itself needed to be handwritten in denotation, yet retain readability/legibility, so I opted for a decorative type that can be read easily. The format I rushedly decided to be B4, as it just works. I managed to get the screens exposed today and have mixed the colours accordingly to match the pantones I have chosen. Cant wait to see this printed! Have decided to use the printmaking room's handmade stock, thus keeping with the olde worlde feel. The colour choices are reminiscent of the desaturated nature of inks used around the hyperreal timeline and relate to both the Imperial Army AKA the Red Diamond Army and Morrowind's Tribunal roots, which relate to the colour of the original race of peoples there, which was a sickly yellow.
I dont think I can cast the dagger as my blacksmith is not responding to my calls. Genuinely pissed off about that.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Nerdology: Draft
Ok so here is the text only draft of my DC publication, just so it has a rough structure and I know how it is going to flow. Unfortunately indesign is not allowing images for some reason.....
Hope this clears up pretty quickly.
Hope this clears up pretty quickly.
Eureka Research: Times Paper
These are some of the stories/articles I will be using for content of the special edition of the paper, which is meant to have been taken over by scientists in order to get their points across.
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