End of Module Evaluation

Summative Statement

I've always strived to be a 'versatile' illustrator with a wide skill set, and a portfolio of work that is adaptable to many different contexts; however I've certainly found that having large ambitions can be extremely overwhelming.

Planning ahead and getting started on projects are the two things that I've struggled with the most in my whole degree, due to the way that my brain is wired to do things in a literal sense with an overdose of perfectionism, and not forgetting my huge lack of confidence. It's taken a while, but I think that I've finally learnt to tame this beast and trust my instincts, eradicating most of the negative traps associated with creative practice that I have fallen into. As a result, I believe that I have really found my feet working in a mixed media layered format with gestural and expressive  line work, that portrays a documentary and emotive tone of voice.
I've arrived at this point through investing time into the enjoyment of areas that are of interest to me, which in particular has been people and places. 

Although I feel like I've been running on empty and dragging myself through numerous creative blocks this year, I've produced some work that I am actually really proud of. Looking back at my progression and development, I feel that this year I have made a positive step forward out of my closed and confined art school sketchbook into the professional realm that is the creative industry. This time three years ago I never would have envisioned winning a competition and having a mural that I designed printed in a hotel reception and being published in a magazine and a colouring book! 
I aspire to continue engaging with public art projects and local organisations that allow me to produce illustrations that can help and inspire people for good causes, as well as continue developing and expanding my personal interests through illustration. 

I remember my first day at college, when Fred told us all that "we will take your life away from you, and give you back a better one in three years", and now I can finally say that I agree with that and see myself as an illustrator, not just someone who loves drawing.

Project Report and Final Outcomes

Updated Statement of Intent

FMP: FINAL OUTCOME

Here it is, the final design! My back is crippled and my eyes feel like they are bleeding, but I have done it, and am SO HAPPY!!!

Front Spread

Back Spread

A closer look

FMP: Mini Mockup

It is happening! The end is in sight and I think that I am actually going to get this publication finished. Here is a mini mockup of what it is going to look like:

Improvements?

Add tiny sketches of people, just in black fine liner stood outside the buildings. This will give it more character and charm, making it look like an actual street ( I hope ).

I also need to do the back...but I need to run a tight ship for this one!

FMP: Final Roughs and Thoughts

So I'm very stressed and running out of time, BUT THERE IS STILL HOPE!! I originally envisioned producing a 'body of work' as a final piece, but the body as such is more contained within my sketchbook, and I am just presenting it in a concertina format.

Here is a rough sketch, I initially intended on producing six pages, but have resorted to five (quality not quantity), which will consist of five different themes/reasons why tourists visit Amsterdam. These are Anne Frank's house, the Red Light District, Cannabis Coffee Shops, Obscure museums (cheese) and Cycling. I aim to show the buildings of each on the front, because architecture is the reason that I visited Amsterdam, and give facts about each on the back.

At this stage, I kind of see this as a more personal project rather than what I initially intended which was a tourist pack, but its funny how things turn out isn't it! Either way, I have confidence that I will produce a high quality outcome in the time I have left, so without further ado I shall get making.

FMP: Drawing as Performing

I had a whack at the drawing as performance process following on from my tutorial with Matt, but considering the short time I have left to produce a final outcome, there was added pressure coming from all directions.

So I put on some upbeat music and really tried to engage with my drawing process, paying attention to line and energy throughout. I had a go at Anne Franks house in this exercise, but I just couldn't see myself getting to a stage where I was happy with the outcome.

The drawings themselves display a great deal of character, but I just feel that they aren't enough for a final outcome.

I feel a little disappointed that I didn't have more time to experiment with this technique, as I feel it could have been more beneficial in the earlier stages of my project. But I'm pleased that I tried it out, and am confident that I can apply it to my practice in the future. For now, with time running out, I think I'm going to have to play to my strengths and get the old watercolours out!

FMP: Cheese, More Bikes, and a Matt Chat

 

I had a tutorial with Matt this morning, and as always, it was very helpful.

What he thought were my good points about the project so far:

• Energy in the lines, especially the bikes
• Expressiveness
• Content, very informative and appropriate 

Areas for improvement:

• Working from photographs, by observational drawings are so much better and original
• Slipping back into the fear of being neat when a piece of work has the pressure of being a 'final piece'

Another thing that we talked about was my approach to image making. We both took notice that my work is ten times more effective when it is drawn from observation, and or drawn with expressive, free moving gestures. Matt suggested that I try and approach my final pieces like a performance, imagining that I am on stage and have to create a visual piece for the audience (sort of), you get the gist. I can use this to practice and practice drawing the same subject until I feel happy with it, or get to a stage where I can have more authorship in the composition, i.e. choosing the most successful parts of each drawing and compiling them into a final piece. I am excited to try this! I will do so when I am 100% sure of what is actually going in my publication.

Final page ideas: Cheese museum? Bike Shop?

FMP: More Research

Anne Frank House

I've decided to go ahead with the concertina book idea, thus I definitely want Anne Frank's house to be included in this. Tourists from all over the world come to visit the former hiding place of the young girl who dreamed of becoming a writer and being free from the Nazis in the Second World War.

Facts and quotes:

• "One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we'll be people again and not just Jews!"-Anne Frank 11 April 1944
• Anne was born in Frankfurt, Germany on 12th June 1929
• She was one of the millions of victims of the Nazi persecution of the Jews during the Second World War
• The Franks moved to Amsterdam in 1933 when Hitler came into power and established an anti-Jewish regime, Otto Frank set up a business in the city
• In May 1940, the German army occupies the Netherlands, and anti-Jewish measures were implemented there as well
• The Frank family went into hiding at 263 Prinsengracht, where Otto's business is located on July 6th 1942
• Anne received a red and white tartan diary as a present from her parents for her 13th birthday, she wrote in this diary when the family were in hiding
• Of the 8 people in hiding, Otto Frank is the only person to survive. He made the decision for Annes Diary to be published, and for the hiding place to be made into a museum in 1960

Observations/Experience on my visit:

• Extremely moving and humbling, the fact that the place was so well preserved in its original state largely informed this
• I learnt about Anne Frank in primary school in history when I was about 9, so actually seeing the secret annexe, and particularly the moveable bookcase in the flesh really bought the story to life for me
• It was very quiet/eerie
• I got the impression that the Franks were a fairly middle class family before the Nazis stripped them of everything they owned

Sketchbook pages:

http://www.annefrank.org/en/Museum/From-hiding-place-to-museum/Saved-from-demolition/

http://www.biography.com/people/anne-frank-9300892

Anne Frank House; A museum with a story- English museum guide

Red Light District

Prostitution is legal in Holland, and in Amsterdam most of it is concentrated in the Red Light District where it has enjoyed a long tradition of tolerance. Since October 2000, window prostitutes have been allowed to legally ply their trade.-Amsterdam.Info

Facts:

• As early as the 1300's, women carrying red lanterns met sailors at nearby ports, bars and clubs, as Amsterdam was one of Europe's major trading harbours
• Prostitution wasn't legal until 1810
• Brothels were legalised in 2000
• Police monitor the red light district with the use of cameras and patrols
• The minimum age to be a prostitute in Amsterdam is 21

Observations/Experience on my visit:

• I've never been anywhere like this before. Part of me felt a great deal of sympathy for the women who were pretty much being viewed as pieces of meat by their male spectators, yet the other part of me was glad that the women who chose this profession would receive full support in a safe and secure working environment 
• It was full of tourists, it just seems to be such a novelty attraction to non Dutch nationals
• It was a mixed experience of being weirded out by the seediness of it all and feeling sorry for the women, and being enlightened about how 'normal' and un-condemning prostitution is in Amsterdam

What now?!

I need to spend tomorrow visually documenting some of the other attractions that I want to feature in my concertina book. I have a tutorial on Wednesday so that will be a good opportunity to review my progress and gain some more direction.

FMP: AN IDEA AT LAST

I had a brain wave this morning, better late than never!

After reading a few online articles about Dutch tourism  I came up with the question: Why do people choose to visit Amsterdam?
The ideas I came up with off the top of my head were:

-History 
-Culture
-Legalisation of soft drugs
-Laws on prostitution
-General intrigue 

This list was confirmed on a Dutch tourism website:

Main reasons for visiting Amsterdam
› Amsterdam's cultural history (66,1%)
› Museums (50,1%)
› Reputation (33,2%)
› Atmosphere (32,7%)
› Coffeeshops & soft drugs (16,5%)

Most popular activities
› Wandering the city (95%)
› Visiting a museum (85%)
› Eating out (70%)
› Drinking at a cafe or pub (65%)
› Viewing traditional 17th and 18th century architecture (64%)
Visitors undertook an average of 10 activities during their stay.

Less generic / more "quintessentially Amsterdam" responses included:
› Exploring the Red Light District (46%)
› Canal cruises (42%)
› Visiting a coffeeshop (35%)
› Cycling (22%)
› Design-related activities (10%)

Amsterdam's most positive aspects
› Architecture (66%)
› Relaxed atmosphere (48%)
› People (35%)
› The city's culture (32%)

Source:  http://www.iamexpat.nl/read-and-discuss/lifestyle/news/tourists-choose-amsterdam-for-its-culture

Drug Laws and Coffee Shops

Sources: 

http://www.amsterdam.info/coffeeshops/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/articles/future-of-coffeeshops-in-doubt-as-amsterdams-oldest-cannabis-cafe-faces-closure/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/articles/how-amsterdam-is-tackling-disneyfication/

Summary of interesting facts:

• Since 1995, the number of coffee shops in Amsterdam has fallen from 350 to 167
• Dutch governments have been clamping down on coffeeshops by banning those in border cities from serving tourists, and forcing the closure of establishments near schools
• Dutch drug policy is directed by an idea that every human being may decide about the matters of its own health
• People of Amsterdam do not want their city to be a capital of junkies and drug addicts from all over the world. But at the same time, they are for tolerance and accessibility of soft drugs. 

What now?

-Research other areas why tourists choose to visit Amsterdam (PRONTO!)

-Think about how I can present this information (ALSO PRONTO)

Here is a rough idea:

6 Sided Concertina

The 6 sided concertina will mimic the traditional style of canal houses of Amsterdam; each representing a different unique cultural area or theme associated with the city that appeal to tourists.

I think this is a good idea and I can see it working really well.

Independent Leeds: Independent Cornerstones

I was asked by IL to feature in their magazine again! This time it was to be accompanying an article called Independent Cornerstones, looking at the independent arcades and shopping areas in Leeds including Kirkgate Markets and the Corn Exchange.

They printed it on this lovely sepia toned paper to make it look more historic!

Individual Illustrations

These can be added on to my Building of the Week brief.

FMP: Turning Point

For the past two days I've just been mindlessly drawing from my Amsterdam photos in my sketchbook, feeling like I'm going round and around in circles.

I've been speaking to my coursemates, and they all seem to be in the same boat, running on empty and being more than ready to finish the course. But I am determined to succeed in the 12 days that are left!

I spoke with Ben this afternoon and he gave me some reassurance, and reminded me that this project doesn't HAVE to have a commercial outcome, it can still be a personal exploration. He also mentioned that I shouldn't just forget everything that I've done so far in extended practice, and that I can take some of the elements from that forward into this final resolution. But the main thing he said was to just do what I enjoy and hope for the best.

Other ideas we discussed:

-Illustrative tour guide; how could I do this?
-Making a concertina book
-A series of prints/postcards about interesting Dutch buildings
-Documentary series of editorials

What now?

-Put some chill music on and draw for fun
-Perhaps do a tiny bit more specific research into the things I found interesting in Amsterdam, i.e. the drug laws, lifestyle, culture etc