evaluation, SWOT/Target Setting

Reflection – 21.09.18

Chalon Joy

This week, I began making some good progress with my research file- I expanded upon my artist research, adding some more artists that were especially relevant to my upcoming projects, e.g. Robert Nelson, whose artwork has inspired me to look at similar visuals and techniques when I start the Printmaking project. Using the risograph will be a new experience- I haven’t worked with this medium before, so I’m looking forward to it! I’ll have to carefully consider the imagery I use during this project, as most of the riso colours are much brighter than what I usually use in my work, so I’ll have to keep this in mind when looking at potential subjects for the contact sheets I will be producing. I’ll be able to thoroughly experiment with this beforehand though, as the first semester is all about skill building and improving upon my current knowledge.

I’m finding it a bit more challenging to discover artists and animators that work in the style I’m envisioning for my animation- I think this semester I’ll focus on character and environment design, as that is the premise of my chosen second Personal project (in Semester 2, I’ll develop these ideas into a full animation as part of the Adobe Awards). Ultimately I think it will be more of a ‘moving illustration’ type, with different planes that have small animated components, e.g. flowers blooming, a looped walk cycle for my character, or something similarly simple. In the past I’ve given myself too much of a workload with moderately complex animated projects, so I’d like to avoid this for my final year as I don’t want it to detract from my other projects!

Additionally, I also started to look into self promotion (e.g. promo packs for final show)- I’ll have info on this up on this blog soon! This is something I’m really looking forward to developing as the year goes on- while I’m still pleased with my promo stuff from last year (Summer 2017), I feel that my work will have progressed enough by this year’s final show to be able to re-design my promo pack (including some new items, e.g. stickers, zines, etc)

In terms of my goals for the upcoming week, I’d like to finalise my Treatment and Proposal, so I can start preparing the Presentation I’ll have to do as part of this unit. I’d also like to start pulling together the research I’ve done so far, just to ensure it’s enough- I don’t want it to all pile up as a huge workload near the deadline (which admittedly, I’ve done in the past) so I’m hoping to keep on top of things this year as a good practice!

evaluation

Reflection – 14.09.18

Chalon Joy

Starting a new academic year has been both difficult and exciting for me, particularly as I have come back to Newcastle College after a year studying Illustration for Commercial Application at Cleveland College of Art and Design (now the Northern School of Art). I didn’t really enjoy my time in education last year, so I am eager to fully utilise this year to my advantage and get ‘back on track’ with my artistic skills, hopefully regaining my passion for the subject.

The first week back was quite formal, with most of the lesson content being introductory. Nevertheless, it was nice to start fresh with a blank canvas- in total, we’ll be working on 3 personal projects and 3 commercially based projects towards our final degree. Thus far, I’ve done some research into various illustration competitions to try and gather an idea on which I want to enter as part of the commercially based briefs I’ll work on, as well as looking more insightfully into my own current practice (strengths and weaknesses), which I gathered into a Reflective Report. This has helped me to identify what sort of routes I want to take in terms of the personally based briefs for my degree- I’ll talk about this more than I begin work on these.

Lastly, I have begun to envision the six projects that I will undertake in a quick overview document- naturally this will become my final Project Proposal as I begin to expand upon each project.

about, evaluation

Year 3 Objectives and Learning Plan

Chalon Joy

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! ♥

about

About

Chalon Joy

Hi and welcome to my blog~

As an illustration student in my final year, I look forward to completing my studies while continuing to improve and broaden my artistic skill set. I chose to study illustration after finding an interest in textile and fashion design- I quickly realised I was more interested in the characters themselves rather than the garments and interiors/environments I was designing. This brought me into character design, which is one of my main areas of interest within the subject. I also enjoy working with pattern, as I have a fascination with repetition and organisation within visual design.

My work is quite feminine- I enjoy using flowing line and curves in my work, with a strong emphasis on female characters and figures. Natural influence is also a strong feature in my illustration, particularly in terms of pattern and environment. I love painterly textures and natural media, which I am continuing to explore and develop via both traditional and digital platforms.

Between now and October, I’d like to get back into illustrating after the long summer break, hopefully improving my understanding of form and colour while also learning new skills as I continue with my studies. I also would like to participate in a daily drawing challenge, as I’ve never managed to complete one of these!

Working towards these goals is really important to me, as I want to finish my degree with a strong understanding of every aspect of illustration, as well as a good work ethic and commitment to my practice. At the same time, I want to illustrate more ‘for fun’ than I have previously, where all of my work has been degree based.