The purpose of this exercise was to reflect on: “what are you aiming for in the longer term and what kinds of projects might help to get you there?”
Key words from the brief:
- Assignment One asks you to reflect on the kinds of projects you’re interested in developing
- Think about what you may need to do, as well as what you want to do.
Generating ideas
I used the outputs of previous exercises and research to create a mindmap of ideas in response to the ‘What’s next’ question.
The sections below develop this.
Overall outcome
I will have succeeded as an illustrator when the work I make generates an income AND I pivot away from my current job into a role that fully utilises visual skills.
Ideas
Subjects/themes
- Pandemic diary
- Brookwood Cemetery themes and subjects
- Revisit the Hunstanton idea
- Revisit the Hampton Court idea
- Music events, marches/demonstrations, sports events
- Explicitly tie reportage illustration into a work context. Perhaps as a way to support agile transformation?
- The stories behind the places
Formats
- Self-published book
- Editorial (reportage)
- Series of woodcuts
- Silkscreen prints
- Book illustrations
- Something that explores social media/digital
- Visual thinking
Approaches
- Collaboration – Work with an author
- Collaboration – extend the pandemic diary idea
- Documentary – Series of pictures based on place/people
- Reportage
- Visual thinking (illustration within a ‘work’ context)
- Caricature
- Keep developing figure drawing & portraits
- Words and pictures (explore in PART 2)
- Revisit/extend previous exercises/assignments
Gaps that need filling
The following list are items that have been added to my practice research backlog.
- Dip pens on location
- Figure drawing with movement
- Watercolour/working with colour
- Handwritten typography
- Using Illustrator for visual thinking
- Illustrator hybrid – Reference Olivier Kugler
Reflections
The exercise was helpful in helping me to position where I am. It feels like like I’ve got direction although I’m still looking for interesting projects to take me forward.
Question: How/where do I find interesting projects/self-directed projects to take me forward? What problems do I want to solve or themes to explore?
How do I do this within the constraints of the coronavirus lockdown?
Illustration 