Depict 90 Second Shorts

I'm going to finish off my professional practise unit (Blog) about an upcoming film festival known as Depict 90 Second Shorts. This category allows ammeter film makers, such a my self creating and showcasing our work to the general public and other film makes alike.

The idea of being limited to just 90 seconds makes you think about how you use the time wisely because you have to get a message across in a short space of time. This leads to more original and more creativeness.

Although I never thought that my career would go down a film making route, it's a route that has seemed to capture my imagination. I don't see it completely taking over my normal design work an illustrations, but I do say never say never.

A festival such as this would be the perfect stepping stone that could turn in to a new career direction. I might even consider learning more about the media industry in the, but for now I see it as a interesting way to communicate a message using a mix of graphics, illustration and footage. 

Click the link to find a whole archive of 90 second shorts done by various film makers.www.depict.org

Review Of the HND Units

What can I say about the HND units as a whole? Well, each one compliments the other. Concepts are important because you need the ideas for originality to make your work attractive an new to potential clients. Design principals are the fundamental basics of which to build from to realise those ideas.

Digital media is a major part of our culture and to be successful and stand out, you must have a digital presence in one shape or form. Design is important because you have to be able to stick to a rigid, logical structure to meet deadlines and work out costs so you aren't underselling your work. Design gives you the understanding of how to develop and learn how to problem solve when trying out new processes and techniques.

Although theory isn't my most favourite subject, I understand it's power to generate new ideas by Referencing and sourcing information to generate the initial concept, this actually comes before the concept, just after the given brief. Unit 5 was about creating a brief which gives yourself a definite goal, whether you write one for freelance yourself or you are given one at work, it basically gives you the frame work to build upon. Unit 8 which was all about a presentation of ideas gave men the confidence to promote my work professionally with confidence. which plays an important role in interviews or meetings with clients.

Professional practise is more about self promotion, it has given me the understanding of how to promote and make contacts with the world. Exhibition will test my management skills to the maximum which will hopefully be successful.

I'm not even sure if I have covered all of these units or whether I have covered them in enough detail but what I will finish with is that you have to see them all as one. Each one plays an important part to design. You can't be just a good draughtsman to be successful without the ideas, you can't be  contemporary interior designer without the know how and research, of knowing what sells in this point in time. My point being is you have to learn them all, understand them and harness their power to create original pieces of art.

Pro's & Cons of My Specialism

Cons

For a change, lets start with the cons. I there is one thing that is a down side to the design industry, it's the fact of how much It can take over your life! There has been times where I just can't generate ideas which can lead to lack of sleep because it frustrates me. Then when I get an idea, it plays on my mind so much,that I just have to write it down where ever this may occur which yet again, is usually when I'm in bed.

There has also been times where I'm up late, working in the early hours of the morning to meet deadlines which can be very taxing on the mind. I suppose keeping a balance is going to very important in the near future.

This is how I can be, whilst trying to fit in both work and college, so I would imagine that taking on freelance work would be the same, but there is a positive side this, which is that I have learnt to adapt, respond and deliver with professionalism.

Pros

The pros are easy, I love being creative but it goes deeper than that. I believe it's a purpose, I don't like to be big headed but I'm told I have a talent which shouldn't be wasted. So I set out to do exactly that. Another part I enjoy is the challenges you face with design. You have sit and think long and hard sometimes like trying to work out a puzzle, and when you get that idea, you get a kind of a buzz. This extends into my research because i get that same buzz when a technique or process just works.

Recently in my latest project (Write Down Their Stories), my work has evoked emotion which has given me a feeling that no other piece of work has done before. I felt a sense of proudness, like what I was doing had a real impact and significance which makes me even more determined to drive the project to further heights.

I can't say it's about the money because I don't earn that much, but I do look at the earnings for job roles that I feel I could meet and the wages are good for a comfortable lifestyle.

One last thing is the sense of achievement that I gain through design. Today, as I write, I opened up this months Games Master magazine and there it was, Behind the Screens was in the public eye. Behind the Screens was my last project which I created as an expression for games being a form of art. It acted as sort of symbol of a full circle of my art career because it was style that I revisited to see the progress that I made from that small beginning over five years ago.

Now that circle is complete I feel like I need to move on, to take that step into professionalism and see where the road takes me which is exciting!

Craig Ward "Words Are Pictures"

Craig Ward is a well established graphics designer who pushes the boundaries of typography in new and exciting ways. The title of his website "Words are Pictures" is most certainly the case when you take a loom through his quality body of work.

I love how Craig manages put across a message clearly using what some may consider, unclear type but as you can see it works very well.

This is down to this idea of treating words as pictures to strengthen the message using materials that tie in with the words. I love his inventiveness such as his "Hot 100" type, I don't know for sure but I would imagine that he painted water around the parts he wanted to intact, then simply lit it and photographed it.

It's his simplicity that I admire the most in the look and his ideas, In the Dangerous piece below, he has managed ton see a letter "D" in an explosion and turned it on it's side, so clever yet so simple. I love the detail of the gradual erosion of the neighbouring letters.

Overall, Craig is one of my favourite graphics designers who's work continues to inspire me and no doubt others, his work is both inventive as well as creative which doesn't sacrifice clarity.

Craig Ward
www.wordsarepictures.co.uk

Mentors

I'm quite fortunate to be working along side two professional Graphics Designers who both have a lot of experience working for both Design Agencies and in freelance.

Their names are Cyrus Hulme and Dean McFarlane and they both have a manageable client bases out of work. I have already learnt so much from these two and I do believe that I have surprised them myself with some of my work. They have taught me so many things from basic packaging layout, to being accurate with type. They have almost had to pull me back sometimes, telling me to go with a much simpler approach, which is something I have found difficult in the past. I know that I can still learn so much from these two and  when I start to work in freelance myself  intend to keep on listening to their advice and ask questions when needed.

As well as these two, I do believe that I will meet new people that will help me along with my journey and hopefully I can do the same for them. Emma Metcalfe maybe another person that may be able to help me with the illustration side of my work and who knows, I may bump into (Gregg Staples who is an illustrator who has made it big) in my next visit to Sainsbury's.

I suppose the most important thing is to isolate myself from other designers, I need to talk to them and embrace their advice as it will no doubt benefit me in the long run.

The AOL "The Association of Illustrators

I found out the Association of Illustrators through my artist's interview with Emma Metcalfe. She pointed out how you can receive vital support as a freelance illustrator so it was only natural that I did some further research into the organisation.

Established in 1973 to advance and protect the rights of illustrators as well  encourage professional standards, the AOL strives to sole promote the existing and upcoming professional work of illustrators.

The site has been built over time to this network of portfolios that are diverse in style to suit the many different potential clients. By the looks of things, If I join up for a reasonable fee I would be able to promote my style of illustration through this well known establishment which would be great.

I also notice that there are many award opportunities to enter which could potentially give your career a massive boost and that there are forums with many different illustrators from all walks of life that could lead to potential collaborations meaning more work and contacts.

There is a online shop full of helpful resources such as books to give you a better understanding which become discounted if you become a member.

Speaking of membership, If I join I will receive access to a members only part of the website, which gains me access to documents such as illustrators fees that are being achieved as well as being part of a community so I don't feel alone.

You will be granted access to a one hour one to one (online I think) with an accountant to explain the best professional practise in keeping invoices and paying tax, which would be helpful and above all else support on judging a price tag on your work, which I have found hard to do in the past.

Overall, I believe that the AOL is going to be a important step to take when I'm ready to join, when I say ready, I mean when I have a definite style that is manageable and suitable for a specific target audience and a well presented portfolio that is specifically illustrative, because illustration is just one part of my overall skills that I hope to offer professionally

Magazine Article Review

As I have already focused on several different magazines to review, I thought it was time to focus on a specific article in further detail from a magazine I buy regularly called Advanced Photoshop.

This magazine is full of interesting advertisement ideas and styles which are predominately created using Photoshop.

Imagine Publishing Issue 120

The article that I'm focusing on is about making a big impact with your designs. This advertisement campaign was created by Art director Yamen Ibrahim and Creative Director Bassem Sabry for dietary  supplement called Chromax.

The article takes you through their whole design process detailing how they started the project through understanding the product for it's key qualities and selling points to then develop a campaign that delivers the message effectively.

They wanted to make the message instantly recognisable to the everyone so the choice to use utensils was a important factor they wanted to include from the beginning. So much time and care was taken in the development, they would carry out extensive research through sketches, photography, choosing the right stock imagery and deciding on a backgrounds that compliments the main visual which really work in my opinion.

The article details the importance of the composition before taking the time on the more detailed work. They even go into a little detail about the various tools they use on photoshop to give you an understanding of how it can be done yourself which urges myself to have ago.

They say simplicity is the most important thing to consider so you don't over complicate the message which has been a weakness of mine in the past because I have tended to over complicate things.

Overall the article is short but sweet, It manages to take you through the whole concept through a short interview which works well for me because it allows me to dip in and out of reading with a final conclusion. I have one gripe with one of the designs though, why dd they use a spoon as a plate for foods that tend to be eaten more with a fork? I would have rethought this because it seems a little odd to me but overall the advertisement is a well put together piece that is simple but completed at the highest of standards.

Printed.com "A Step In the Right Direction"

One of the most important things, which is about a professional career within Graphics Design, is your quality finish. So I thought it would be good idea to investigate ways of finishing my work off using professional companies. 

I was pointed to this website quite a while ago for one of my most recent projects, but unfortunately I ran out of time to use them. Printed.com specialises in various printing options for both personal and professional results. The site is very user friendly which takes you through process step by step. 

They offer a whole range of products such as business cards, saddle stitched booklets, brochures, leaflets and much more. You can choose out a vast range of papers which are could potentially give your design that extra tactile feel which could take the design up onto another level. For example, if I was designing a retro looking design, I have the option for a paper known as Kraft which is a dark brown colour with a heavy weight as opposed to a generic silk paper. The point being is you have options in black and white so you can tailor your design towards a certain paper.

Once you have decided on a paper and the product which may give you further options such as folds and finishes (Matt or Gloss Finish), the company allows you to download templates in Illustrator, Indesign or PDF for free to store on your computer.

There are also delivery options such as a quick 24 hour delivery if you are cutting your deadline with an important client to the line which obviously comes at a cost. You even have options to send them straight to your clients in plain boxes which look like they have come from yourself which is especially useful if you are adding extra on to your clients bill for organising it.

The one draw back is that you are at mercy to their templates to a degree, I have noticed when I sent for some sample packs that their customer service is spot on, so with this in mind I'm sure that custom designs are achievable but none the less, I'm sure that this company are going to play a vital part to my future career.

www.printed.com

An Unexpected Find

After the great response from many people about my idea of a "Write Down Their Stories" campaign, I decided to get in touch with my uncle, who I haven't seen in over ten years to find out more about my Grandads war history during world war two. 

What followed was a conversation that instantly fascinated me, I found that he served under general Montgomery's 8th Army in North Africa as a gunner. He played a part in the battle of El Al mane which was a pivotal turning point for the war and eventually went on to serve in Italy. 

Then I found out that my Great Grandad "William Taylor" served in World War 1 at just the age of 14. He served in both Eyp and the battle of the Somme where he first looked after the war horses, before becoming a stretcher bearer. 

Theses are just the bones of the story and it's going to be my task to find out more about these battles and places that they each visited because I just know that they will be both involved. 

As well as stories, my uncle also had primary material which I was able to borrow and record and then experiment with the copies and photos, which I then created a piece of artwork to get an idea of this amazing piece of my families histories potential.

A few out of a handful of images of my Granddads War History 

My Great Grandads Service Medals from World War One

My Great Service Medals from World War Two

And this is the piece which I created using copies and photographs of this material 

The Royal British Legion Research

Looking into a more serious subject matter for a means of visual communication, I have started to look at the Royal British Legion and their various campaigns that they set up to raise awareness and funds to support veterans of past and present wars.

Like most charities, the Legion uses various ways to raise funds, to help the needed through charity runs and events, raffles and lotteries and even the selling of products and corporate partnerships. 

This reminded me of the recent Sainsburys Christmas advert of the truce of 1914 and how the advert was a powerful means of communicating a message which most certainly would have had an impact. I can remember how you could by chocolate from the advert which was sold to raise funds. 

Sainsburys Christmas Advert for The Royal Legion

Christmas Truce of 1914

This has given me an idea, what if I was to create a campaign! I could develop the look and branding through posters, leaflets and advertisement using my skills which would also make use of gaining an understanding of printing techniques I have been looking at.

I could tie in illustration and graphics and could even go as far as including my filming techniques. This needs more thought before I set my theme in stone but I have the perfect start and idea which I just have to do, to see the response in next weeks presentation.

What this Led To

After much extensive planning and experimentation in my sketch book I produced a short video with same idea in mind of the Sainsbury's Advert. This video was one of the most emotional and serious things I have ever produced and was a response to the request from my fellow students who asked me to do something completely different. The response from social media and people in person and my personal experience made the decision for me to carry on this idea and do it full justice.

Maritime Museum Review

Child Immigration Exhibition

The Maritime Museum in Liverpool was simply a marvel to explore. The place was brimming with history which was exhibited in engaging ways which inspired the senses as well emotions which also gave me ideas on both design and possible ways to exhibit work. The building was huge and was split up into several different exhibitions.

The first out of the two that I managed to explore a was the exhibition on Child Immigration. During the early 20th century, children were immigrated to other countries because of poverty, war and other circumstances. They were led to believe that they were in for a better future which could have been the case considering their lives in Britain, but what came apparent was a life of hard labour. 

The first thing that I noticed were the heart touching quotes that were all over the walls. They were poignant messages that added another layer to this whole emotional subject whilst you looked around all the exhibits on show.

Most of the pieces of history came with very personal descriptions and acted like back story to the items. I loved how the leaflets that you picked up along the way had an old vintage design to them, they didn't feel out of place to the various objects you were looking at. Everything from the vintage style colours (Browns & Light Blues) to the brown paper they were printed on felt right. This is down to the thought that has gone into the theme by the exhibitors or the graphics designers.

Another thing that I noticed throughout the exhibition was the way you could interact with some of the exhibits. The three images below are the two that stood out to me, the first is a large interactive map which shows the course the children took on their travels to Australia or Canada. You could turn the screens placed on the map to see footage of the various ports of call which I found interesting. The second was about weight, the rope and bucket had around 10Kg of weight in it to show you what these children were lifting at the age of just 5. You could actually lift it up safely and interact with it to gain a hands on impression which yet again added yet another layer to the exhibit. 

Overall the exhibition gave me more ideas from within half an hour than a whole two hours in the Tate. I suppose this is down to it appealing to Tourists. The information was there in plain English and didn't feel like I was trying to crack a puzzle so for that reason I enjoyed it more

Titanic & Liverpool "The Untold Story" Exhibition

Moving on upstairs I discovered the Titanic & Liverpool "The Untold Story" section of the Museum which was the best part of the day visit to Liverpool for ideas for my book research. The exhibition was a story of Liverpool's links with the Titanic combined with personal stories of various passengers. 

You started by picking up a leaflet which can find in my sketch book, which told you the name of the person and their back story such as their job for example. As you continued their story unfolded through visuals, audios and films combined with all sorts of other aspects of that treacherous night. In the end you discover their fate which led to my person losing his life. The whole thing had more of an emotional impact because you felt connected some how.

There was various other pieces of the Titanic's history which were yet again told through interaction, audio and even smells, you could even try on a life jacket and dress up figures.

The whole thing seemed perfect for the book project and gave me some interesting ideas for the book project in both ways to exhibit and design. 

Illustration Magazine Review

Illustration Spring 2014 Edition Issue 39
Gineapiguana Publications LTD

Illustration Magazine is seasonal magazine which focuses solely on illustration in the more traditional sense. I also feel like the magazine is more about fine art expression rather than the commercial focused “Computer Arts Design Matters magazine” that I have reviewed before.

As well showing the works of new and upcoming illustrators, the magazine also covers more historical figures who illustrated back in there day and gives you an insight of their processes and style. For the illustrators of today, the articles detail what inspires them, take the article headlined as “Wander Lust” which is details the work of Christopher Corr. He explains how travel has informed his approach to illustration through everything from the colours he see’s to the tastes and smells he encounters, he goes on to say how it pushes his work in new directions. It’s information such as this articles that you can relate in my own practise because some of my bests work has come from other places, not so much as travelling around the world but, visits to exhibitions or even the country side. 

I’m slightly disappointed of the lack of workshop techniques such as step by step tutorials, but I suppose illustration is about your own individual mark so to try and imitate someone else’s would go against this. Each page proves this fact because one image looks precise and focused on line whilst the next is more about shape and form combined with bold colours. 

This magazine isn’t the best I have laid my hands upon, I suppose this is because I’m seeing myself as a Designer, rather than a Artist, but when I read a little deeper, I took away small pieces of knowledge that are useful.

Magazine Review Computer Arts Design Matters

Computer Arts Design Matters Issue 236
Future publishings, www.futurenet.com

Computer Arts Design Matters is a magazine which focuses on both illustration & Graphics design arts, using digital techniques or finishes. Each edition shows off the latest works from a number of successful contemporary designers working within design agencies or in freelance.

The magazine is a perfect place for inspiration for ideas as well of processes, it shows you many different ways of pushing the boundaries of design which leads to more original ideas which could set you out from the crowd. The work showcased within also gives you an understanding of what styles are popular because of monthly changes in fresh new content and the designers who create them. They say variety is the spice of life and this is most certainly the case with this magazine because the art spread across the pages are as individual as the designers themselves which not only gives you more processes to try out, but also shows how important it is to create your own visual identity through your style.

As well artwork,each new edition has a main strap line such as the portfolio edition or in this case, the freelance edition. These articles are fantastic for new comers to the design trade which offer great pieces of advice which help you to get noticed more or how to present your portfolio. There are also pages such as small pieces of advice which are tailored towards the strap line (Portfolio, Freelance). There’s articles in culture and upcoming events which also come bundled up with a whole workshop section at the back which shows you more detailed approaches to certain design methods.

What you have got here is an exciting and inspirational magazine which gets to the point and whats more, its affordable at just £6.00 per month which is about the price of drink in a night club which grows braincells, instead of killing them.

Exhibition Review "The Tate Modern Liverpool"

I have to get straight to the point when I visited the Tate Liverpool being that I didn't feel like I gained anything from the Artworks on show, this was most probably down to the fact that I had no idea what was on show. 

Tate galleries seem to be focused towards the Fine Artist, rather than a Designer, I find each piece of art hard to understand the meaning that the artist was trying express and even when I read the descriptive cards, I'm still none the wiser. I don't want to seem negative because I understand how many of these artists have all played their part in the evolution of art or inspired other artists/designers to evolve their own styles. 

In this first piece of Cubist Art which caught my attention, I failed to understand the meaning. Even after I had read the card I still was struggling, but I saw something else, I saw how this style and practise could have informed a more contemporary style know as Vexal art. Just like cubism, vexel art is a series of shapes and colours built up to make an image which can be more abstract than the example I have used from Paulinetje25.

Portrait of Jacques Nayral 1911, Oil on Canvas by Albert Gleizes 1881-1953

Vexel Portrait by Paulinetje25.
Paulinetje25.www.deviantart.com

Yet again I find myself in the same predicament when I looked at this next piece. Rather than understanding it's meaning I was more interested in the making and how it could work as some sort of graphics design pattern which could be used as a background for a architectural magazine because there was a link to this in the description.

Inversions 1966 by Mary Martin 1907-1969
Aluminium, oil paint & wood

I wonder sometimes if I'm doing this wrong but these are the fact of the matter is these are the things that I walk away from galleries such as the Tate. Looking back at the visit, I discovered that I'm more of a designer than an artist, the proof is in this last piece of work which I found in the gift shop. I was instantly inspired by the idea, the illustration and it's novelty idea and was a genuine highlight of the walk around the gallery.

www.alicemelvin.com