Before I start working on my Project Proposal treatment, I want to do a quick recap on what I’ve learned thus far, as well as planning out a Learning Guide for new skills throughout the coming year~
Overall Objectives
To summarise my design practice for this year, I’d like to expand upon my already existing skillset while also adopting some new techniques and workflows, such as risograph printing and furthering my digital prowess. To achieve these goals, I want to be able to utilise all the available valuable resources at the college, as well as return back to my roots with traditional and digital illustration.
Furthermore, I want to be able to develop my concepts this year to evoke deeper emotion and meaning- this could be through the usage of symbolism, emotive motifs, and other vehicles for portraying an idea through visuals.
Some of the most important areas I want to develop and improve throughout Year 3 include:
- Concept Development
- Visual Aid Research/Figural Drawing Improvement
- Technique Refinement/Improvement of Rendering and Visualisation
- Progression of Confidence and Personal Reflection Skills
Strengths and Weaknesses
While I anticipate that I’ll be able to help myself achieve these targets as I progress through the year by promoting a positive learning environment, I know there may be areas of weakness, as well as strengths.
For example, timekeeping is always an essential part of success, as bad timekeeping can have a massive impact on the quality of a project. I’ve identified this plenty of times in the past, but this is the big issue for me and I really want to work on improving my timeliness this year.
Another weakness is digital skills in programs such as Cinema4D and After Effects- I intend to produce an animated piece for a project in Semester 2 (STC), and this may very well see me having to make use of these programs. If I undertake the animation project as planned, I’ll endeavour to widen my skillset and broaden my understanding of digital animation programs as much as possible.
Moving onto strengths, I am quite proficient at creating pattern work and characters, as well as drawing upon many different work processes to create digital collages that utilise many different techniques (both digital and traditional). I love working on all of the above, so in order to balance out the struggles I might face during the Animation project, I’ll ensure to work on projects using these skills so I can showcase my most confident work, as well as continuing to build upon my skills and improve further.
Professional Development Plan
- Skills, Knowledge and Experience– I’ve already outlined this above, but I anticipate that I’ll be able to include lots of skill and knowledge building in my projects, both through the revisitation of developed skillsets and by experimenting with new processes and workflows, particularly during Semester 1.
- Processes and Methods– I am really looking forward to exploring risograph printing during Semester 1, with the possibility of extending this further into Semester 2 for additional project work if the outcome is desirable. Again, as previously mentioned I also want to continue to improve my existing digital skillset, as this is an imperative part of my creative practice and any improvement is welcome. As well as these physical work processes, I also want to improve my mental workflows which link to timekeeping and having a more positive outlook on my artistic journey as an illustrator.
- Commercial Context– As far as industry progression goes, I’d love to flesh out my portfolio to be more in keeping with a certain art style and aesthetic- at the moment, my work is quite eclectic and while this isn’t really a bad thing, it’s still something that I need to bring together into a more cohesive look. For the future, my goals are to work freelance in various contexts that align with my personal tastes (although I realise this might not always be possible!), as well as continuing to develop my work to become more applicable to a variety of applications; while also maintaining a strong yet adaptable personal style.
- Possible Collaborators– I already have some competitions/live briefs in mind that I would like to enter as part of the Commercial portions of both Semester 1 and 2- I’m hoping the Cheltenham Illustration Awards continues in 2019, as I throughly enjoyed working on this brief in 2017 for one of my final pieces. The Penguin Student Award is also on my radar, as I worked with book illustration during my time at CCAD last year and enjoyed the experience. Also, since I usually work alone as an artist, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the rest of my course for the final show, as portions of our show will be a group effort, e.g. marketing, branding, etc.
- Possible Sources of Research– Throughout the year will include artist research, existing artwork research (for example, if working on a commercial project), and visual aid/reference research wherever appropriate in my project work. I will also research into deeper meaning and contextual study to support the progression of my concept building and symbolic deeper meaning in my work (as outlined in Overall Objectives).
- Anticipated Problems/Specialist Access to Resources– Since some of my predicted projects include specialist equipment, I’ll need to make sure I plan in advance when I will be using these areas (e.g. the risograph room), as I’ll need to be mindful of other people booking sessions, particularly around hand-in where it might not be possible to choose an alternative day. Also, as I have already identified some of my potential threats/weaknesses in my workflow and skillset, I should be able to work proactively to avoid conflict and loss of morale when working on my projects.
With this information laid out, I’ll be able to make better decisions when writing out my Proposal and Treatment for the entire year. More updates soon! ♥
chalon joy collingwood 