Category: Part Two: Visual Approaches

Categories
Coursework Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 7: ​Composing Pictures

Brief

This exercise builds on the previous ‘Cut Ups’ exercise, but instead of using found material from newspapers or magazines, you will need to generate your own visual material, either by drawing, designing or photographing your own images.

First you will need to create the following ‘pool’ of images from coloured paper and your own drawings, designs or photographs.

  • A group of coloured shapes, like a yellow circle, green triangle, black square etc.
  • Images of 5-10 figures; these could be ordinary people, superheroes, characters from history or celebrities, depending on the sort of images you want to create.
  • A group of 5-10 background landscapes, for example a city street, country road, mountain-scape, famous landmarks or the surface of the moon.
  •  A group of other random visual elements like objects (a bus, a building, dinner table, a bunch of flowers, etc).Photocopy these at different scales and sizes so that you have several versions of each image.Cut them into individual items with which to work. These will all then be separate pieces of paper or cut-outs that you can incorporate into a single image space.Working with an A3 format, arrange some of your cut-outs to create 10 composite images. These could be either representational or fantastical, they could be single images or they could form a visual narrative. You could make your images physically by sticking them on sheets of paper or card or scan them and make digital collages. You can be implausible, satirical, political, comical, horrific or polemical, or all of these approaches together!
Visual Skills 2: Visual Exploration p67

Keywords from the brief

  • Generate your own visual material, either by drawing, designing or photographing your own images.
  • Create a ‘pool’ of images from coloured paper, my own drawings, designs or photographs.
  • A group of coloured shapes
  • Images of 5-10 figures
  • A group of 5-10 background landscapes
  • A group of other random visual elements
  • Photocopy these at different scales and sizes so that you have several versions of each image. Cut them into individual items with which to work. These will all then be separate pieces of paper or cut-outs that you can incorporate into a single image space.
  • Working with an A3 format
  • Create 10 composite images.

Pool of images

It has been said many times during the degree how valuable keeping sketchbooks is. For that reason rather than generate any new illustrations I decided to look back at all my past work including the very first module I did. Next, I selected any work that I thought may be used for this exercise and put them into categories.

Backgrounds

People

Visual Elements

One of the challenges with this exercise is to play with various scales and sizes. To simplify this process, I decided to scan all the artwork and manipulate them digitally. This approach allowed me to easily and quickly scale the different elements according to their specific requirements.

Coloured Shapes

The coloured shapes in each of the collages were made from various coloured and textured papers that I had collected for this exercise. Each paper was scanned into the computer and digitally cropped into various shapes and sizes to use in each of the collages. This method allowed me to create a diverse range of visual elements for my collages, adding depth and uniqueness to each piece.

Below are photos of the papers collected.

Other Characters

There were a few characters I came across that I thought may come in useful so I put these into a separate folder.

Collages

One

For the first collage, the following images were used.

I also used cut-out circles from the coloured background. Below is the final collage.

I enjoyed making this collage as I felt it expressed a lot of emotion. The content in this collage was intended to express the emotional struggle of individuals with depression, highlighting the stark contrast between their outward appearance and their inner troubles. It also made me think about the deceptive nature of social media, where people often portray a facade of happiness despite internal struggles. I hoped this collage conveys this concept through using an illustration of a girl appearing happy at one angle, but appearing sad when the image is rotated. I hoped it emphasised the importance of truly seeing and understanding others.

Two

For the second collage, the following images were used.

Below is the final collage.

This collage is a personal piece. Each image holds a special significance, representing different aspects of my life and experiences. The flowers were given by my closest friends and the autumn view is a photograph of my favourite place to walk with my dog, it is tucked away and not widely known about. The coloured lines represent the people I have crossed paths with during my life and the journey I have taken.

Three

This collage was a more playful one and I tried to think of it as an image taken from a children’s fantasy book so perhaps wasn’t really creating a true collage. Still, I managed to combine an image of a castle, a troll and rolling marbles into an eerie composition.

I wanted to capture the essence of a children’s fantasy book, where anything is possible and the surreal comes to life. By blending the image of a castle a troll and rolling marbles, I aimed to evoke a sense of wonder and adventure.

Four

Below is the final collage.

At first, when creating this collage, I carefully arranged the different elements: the man in a suit gazing out at the city through the window, the teacup, the troubled expression of the woman, and the textured paper. I experimented with various sizes for each element, thinking about how to incorporate the woman’s face into the collage. As I got further into the process, my thoughts turned to transgender individuals and those who struggled with their desire to embrace a different gender. Considering how some may struggle, denying and concealing their inner thoughts. In this collage, as the man looks out the window, he is met by his reflection as a woman, appearing fearful.

Five

With this collage, the composition came more quickly than the others. The elements of the shocked woman, the textured waves, and the background illustration of innocent refugees trying to escape war but falling into the ocean fit together nicely.

The contrast of these different elements, I hoped, would create a powerful message about the human cost of war and displacement.

Six

Below is the final collage.

I enjoyed creating this collage as it was a much more lighthearted collage than some of the others I’ve worked on. The image of the young girl is actually a drawing I did of my best friend’s daughter. I wanted to capture her joyful personality, which is why I opted for a colourful background. The added marbles in the collage were meant to convey the feeling of them spinning in the air after she had thrown them, adding an element of movement and playfulness to the overall composition.

Seven

For this collage, I really wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and create something a little zany. Many of the collages I researched seemed quite unusual, and I found that aspect to be intriguing. I was determined to break away from the conventional and try and create something a little more eccentric. To achieve this, I selected a drawing of a 1950s lady, a 1950s television, an autumn background, and textured red, round patterned circles. I decided to use the television to replace the lady’s head with a falling apple inside, introducing a surreal and thought-provoking element into the artwork.

Eight

For this collage, I tried to create an artwork that is more about creating something aesthetically pleasing. To do this I used a pattern green background, illustrations of sunflowers that I had previously painted and an image of myself taken on one of my favourite walks. I also added a pastel pink shape lowered the opacity of it and layered it over my top. I felt this added a soft and gentle contrast to the vibrant green and added a visual interest.

Nine

For this collage, I just tried to be playful and see what the outcome would be. It includes a man sitting in his underwear and slippers, perched on the edge of a flying teacup soaring through the sky. With the addition of marbles swirling through the air and escaping from the man’s bag to add a little humour. I found this collage amusing as friends and family think the man I drew in the picture is my husband which was not intentional.

Ten

For the last collage, I wanted to be experimental and chose to use a lady’s face I painted with black Indian ink, a sea scene I painted in acrylics, poppy flowers I painted in acrylics and a black and pink background.

Using a clipping mask in Photoshop I merged the sea scene into the lady’s face and erased some parts of the sea. To the side of the woman’s face, I placed a number of the poppy flowers which I thought would add an intriguing and contrasting element. These elements were then placed against the black and pink background.

I am not quite sure why but I really like the outcome of this collage. The composition works well and the black and pink background works as a striking backdrop. The result of the final composition is quite mysterious.

Reflection

This exercise has been difficult as it is very much out of my comfort zone. I have never been interested in collage artwork or creating it myself. However, as I began to play with the different elements, I found myself embracing the freedom to explore different combinations and push myself artisticly. It was also fun to allow my imagination to run wild and I was surprised at how I was able to express different thoughts and messages in my artwork. This exercise has inspired me to keep trying new media and experimenting with different forms of artistic expression.

Categories
Coursework Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 6:​ ‘Cut-Ups’

Brief

Take a recent copy of a newspaper. If you want to experiment with cut-up images then a daily tabloid with lots of pictures like ‘The Mirror’ or ‘Metro’ might be best, but if you want to experiment with text then a broadsheet like ‘The Guardian’ or ‘The Times’ might work better.

  • Using a pair of scissors or a craft knife, start to cut up some newspaper pages in various ways. For example, cut one page in half horizontally, one vertically and another page into four quarters.
  • Continue until you have a number of differently-sized squares and rectangles of paper.
  •  Now simply begin to place them next to each other, in columns or in strips. If they are pictures, try out how they sit above or below each other. Are there light or dark areas that meet, or two landscapes that overlap to create a new hybrid picture? Perhaps photographs of two people can be put next to each other to create a new face or body. Take some time to experiment; perhaps two headlines cut in half can be combined to create a new story.
  • Keep experimenting until you have 5 cut-up collages that either spell out new phrases and texts or new composite images.
  • Scan or take photographs of your finished cut-ups and upload them to your learning log. Remember to document and reflect on the process and the outcome of the exercise.
OCA Visual Skills 2: Visual Exploration p62

To get started on this project, I went to my local supermarket and purchased a few newspapers. First, I went through each newspaper to see if there were any words or images that stood out.

The first thing that caught my eye were two images of men who were arrested for robbery, and another image of police arresting a protester. I thought it would be fun to make a new narrative by rearranging the elements and incorporating text from other parts of the newspapers. The first collage I created is pictured below.

The image I hope now shows a new narrative which is a young man being arrested for something he did but maybe didn’t want to do but was put in a position he felt he had no alternative. In the left is a picture of a little girl holding on to the words ‘Dad go and do the things you said you’d do‘ and ‘I think we will eventually live together‘ this showing that she wanted her dad to succeed and will be waiting for him.

The next collage I created is shown below. I was quite surprised and excited at all the elements I found for this one.

In the background, there is an image of nurses and doctors. This was originally a theatre advertisement, but I changed the person on the table to a young girl who had been injured during the Ukraine war. Following that, I discovered images of Vladimir Putin’s face, Joe Biden dressed as the devil, and a magician’s body with Donald Trump’s face. I then put these pieces together to raise awareness of what is going on in Ukraine and to highlight the public figures who are causing torture to others.  Other added elements are the words ‘This must end’,’Terrorist’, ‘Policing free speech’, and ‘The puppet master’.

Mathew Perry sadly died recently, and there was a small article about him, so I decided to create the next collage with him in mind. First, I created an acrylic background with soft colours at the top to represent happiness and black at the bottom to represent death. The words Salute and fallen were originally intended for a Poppy Day article. However, I changed it to Salute Fallen celeb and found additional text and imagery in another piece of paper to complete the collage.

Going through the papers repeatedly started to become difficult for ideas until I saw a photo of a man doing crazy stunts in the water. On the next page in an ‘Agony Aunt’ column the words read I’m terrified of everything. It made me laugh at the idea of combining these words and pictures because it was so ironic.

Finally, I discovered a photo of Britney Spears when she shaved her hair because she was depressed. On another page, I read an article about menopause, and I know that many women during menopause suffer from depression. As a result, I attempted to reassemble these elements in order to tell a new story about the effects of menopause while also injecting a little humour about killing my husband.

Reflection

To be honest, I have never enjoyed doing collage work; it has never caught my interest. However, I found this enjoyable because I was attempting to create new narratives from old material.

I’ve realised now that approaching a creative task with a different mindset can completely transform my experience with an exercise, and I’m glad I spent some time playing and exploring.

By completing this exercise, I discovered a way to express ideas and narratives in ways I would never normally work. It’s fascinating how the process of reinterpreting and repurposing old materials can spark new ideas. However, I am aware that some of the topics I have discussed are sensitive, and it would never be my intention to upset people but only to raise awareness on a matter.

In the future I will try and not disregard collage work and keep more of an open mind when creating new work.

Categories
Coursework Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 5:​ Word Processing

Brief

For this exercise you need to have access to a computer with Microsoft Word or a similar word processing programme with a thesaurus (if not you could use a standard dictionary for this exercise but it will take longer). In Word the Thesaurus is the second option in the ‘Tools’ drop-down box. The starting point for this exercise is an automated word association game.

Here is an example of how to play the word association exercises.

●  Choose a word to examine – the example here is the word ‘grass’ as a starting point. Type the word ‘grass’ in a new Word document.

●  When you highlight and look up ‘grass’ in the thesaurus you are given the alternative words ‘sward’, ‘grassland’, and then the third definition of grass which is the word ‘meadow’. Now type that word in after ‘grass’:grass meadow

● If you then look up ‘meadow’ on the thesaurus then ‘lea’ is the third alternative word, making:

grass meadow lea

● After continuing this process of looking up and adding the third alternative word for a while, you will eventually develop a word poem like this:

grass meadow lea grassland heath hill mountain elevation boost lift buzz tinkle phone headset phone mobile transportable travel collapsible foldaway folding foldaway

● After a while you will reach a point where the alternative word begins to loop and repeat and you can’t take the exercise further. In this case you could switch to the fourth alternative word, or the fifth if you then start repeating again.

Now think of your own word and try the experiment. ​Sometimes you might begin to repeat very quickly, but experiment with a few words until you achieve a list you find interesting.

Once you have reached a 20-30 word text or ‘poem’, draw pictures or take photographs of each of the words in the sequence. These can be quick sketches or snapshots, but keep the order the same as the ‘poem’. These don’t have to be perfect drawings or photographs, more a visual record of the text, maybe structured as a comic strip or storyboard. Here is an example of the ‘grass’ poem:

OCA Visual skills 2 – P57

I began typing words into Word but found it quite frustrating as each word wouldn’t generate enough new words to make the word poem.

Below are images of words I attempted.

Eventually I found a word that worked and this was Ocean.

This word poem is:

  • Ocean
  • Waves
  • Gesture
  • Signal
  • Beam
  • Smile
  • Twinkle
  • Shine
  • Glow
  • Flush
  • Burn
  • Smoke
  • Cigarette
  • Chore
  • Duty
  • Task
  • Assignmment
  • Charge
  • Impose
  • Con

Below are the individual illustrations I created for the poem.

Ocean & Waves

For these words, I painted an image of the ocean with crashing waves. This was created with acrylic paint.

Gesture

For this word, I decided to create a gesture drawing.

Signal

For this word, I created a flag which is a signal to say there is a danger of strong currents.

Beam

For this word, I used Adobe Photoshop to add a beam of light to the sea painting.

Smile

For this word, I created an illustration of a man smiling using pen and water colour paints. Then I enhanced the illustration using Adobe Photoshop using various brushes and the smudge tool.

Twinkle & shine

For these words, I added shine and twinkles to different parts of the sea painting using various brushes in Adobe Photoshop. Below is an example of part of the painting.

Glow

For this word, I added the sun to the painting and creating a warm glow using Adobe Photoshop.

Flush

For this word, I drew a lady looking flushed using a dip pen with black Indian Ink and watercolour then enhanced the illustration using Adobe Photoshop.

Burn, smoke & Cigarette

For the words burn and cigarette, I created an illustration of a lit cigarette and then added smoke using brush tools and blurring the marks using Photoshop.

Duty

For this word, I drew an illustration of a sign warning the public that there is no lifeguard on duty.

Chore , Task & Assignment

For these words, as they were very similar I decided to think about them as one and drew an illustration of a lady litter picking.

Charge

This was my favourite word of all them because I got to draw my pet dog charging towards me. The illustration was first drawn and painted with acrylic paint.

Then using a reference photo of him shown below, I then enhanced and added further detail to the drawing using Photoshop.

Impose

For this word, I painted a picture using acrylic paint of a sign imposing no alcohol.

Con

For this word I decided to create an illustration of a con artist. This particular con artist is an individual who tries to trick people into believing or investing in something that is not what it appears to be. Such as selling fake designer goods to tourists on the beach.

I like to think the illustration serves as a creative way to highlight the issue and remind people to be cautious when encountering such situations while traveling.

This illustration was created with pen and water colour and enhanced using Photoshop to add detail to the face and skin using various size brushes and the smudge tool.

All the individual illustrations I compiled into a final illustration which can be seen below.

Final illustration

Reflection

This task took me longer than I expected, partly because I made some images in great detail. I knew it wasn’t necessary for the exercise, but I wanted to challenge myself and see what I could come up with.

Generating images for each word was challenging to begin with. However, the more I thought about it, the more I could envision an interesting final illustration.

Putting all of the various sketches together helped me to create one cohesive artwork that visually tells a story. For example, combining the con artist’s illustrations generates a visually appealing  image.

This exercise enabled me to put complicated ideas into one single image. The final illustration allowed me to express an idea while also displaying my artistic creativity. I hope it engages viewers and provokes thought and emotion.

Categories
Part Two: Visual Approaches Research & Reflection Research Points, Part Two: Being Creative

Research Task:​ Process Artists

Brief

Many fine artists have developed systems and processes to create their work, and these approaches often cross boundaries between drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. Some famous ones are:

  • Robert Morris
  • Mario Merz
  • Agnes Martin
  •  Bruce Nauman
  • Eva Hesse
  • Overall, Joseph Kosuth’s working process is characterized by a rigorous commitment to conceptualism, an emphasis on intellectual engagement, and a careful consideration of language and its relationship to art. His work challenges viewers to think deeply about the nature of art and language, making it a significant and influential part of the conceptual art movement.

Research some of these artists’ work and working processes and reflect on these in your learning log.

OCA text book- Visual skills 2- Visual Exploration

Robert Morris

Robert Morris (1931-2018) was an American artist known for contributions to minimalist and post-minimalist art movements. His work consisted of many forms, dance performance, minimalist sculpture, earthworks, drawing, painting, film, photography, collage, readymades and theoretical essays.

In his works, Morris frequently used industrial materials such as plywood, fibreglass, aluminium, steel and felt. These were used to make simplified geometric forms.

Robert Morris’s Process with Sculpture.

While researching his approaches and focusing on some of his sculptures, I realised that his most famous works appeared in the middle of the 1960s, and Morris had a unique approach to this medium that began with minimalism. He would distance himself from his artwork while working in order to concentrate on the process of creation. which he continually highlighted as a significant component of his work. He once quoted:

“There’s information and there’s the object; there’s the sensing of it; there’s the thinking that connects to process,” he once explained. “It’s on different levels. And I like using those different levels.”

(Morris, 1960, as cited in The Art Story, 1915).

Morris appears to be discussing a process of engaging with and understanding the object he is constructing.

There is a distinction, for example, between what the artwork is about and what it shows. During his working process, Morris would investigate the artwork using his five senses.

Morris then goes through a cognitive process in which he reflects on, analyses, and interprets the artwork. When employing this working style, it is important to distinguish between each of the cognitive processes because it is this way that helps him to have a better understanding of his work.

Mario Merz

Mario Merz (1925-2003) was an Italian artist who was part of the Arte Povera movement which began in Italy in the late 1960s.

Following WWII, the fast development of industrialisation and advanced technology in Italy (and Europe) prompted the country’s transition to modernism. Other movements welcomed the modern age, but Arte Povera saw it as a threat. Mario Merz and other artists rebelled by frequently creating work from cheap-to-hand materials like mud, rags, glass, neon lights and twigs. This creative process is intended to push the boundaries of art in the modern day.

Merz’s work frequently incorporated these everyday objects to create sculptures, installations, and paintings that addressed topics of nature, culture, and society. His artistic process used a mix of mathematics, geometry, and the natural world.

I found it interesting that he frequently used the Fibonacci sequence in his work. This is a mathematical sequence found in nature. This influence can be seen in the image shown below where he has used spirals and numerical patterns.

Fig 1 – Fibonacci Tables (1974-1976)

One of Merz’s most iconic works is his igloo series. From the 1960’s until his death, he made thirty of these sculptures. These igloos are made from various materials, including clay, glass, and metal, and again they often incorporate the Fibonacci sequence in their construction. The use of the igloo symbolises the idea of shelter and the interconnectedness of human beings and nature.

Merz’s artwork also included political and social satire.  Merz once phrased on one of his sculptures “If the enemy masses his forces, he loses ground; if he scatters, he loses strength,” The phrase prompts viewers to think about Giáp (who was the general of the Peoples Army of Vietnam.), and other Vietnamese’ conduct throughout the Vietnam War, which had been going on for over a decade when Merz produced this sculpture. At the same time, the sculpture encourages viewers to think about their behaviours in the present day by engaging with the object. He was a critic of modern society’s excesses, and his art frequently attempted to question it. So he could promote a more environmentally friendly and peaceful interaction between humans and the environment.

Fig 2 – Igloo di Giap (1968)

Overall, Mario Merz’s creative technique was defined by the combination of mathematics, nature, and everyday materials and an in-depth study of humanity.

Joseph Kosuth

Joseph Kosuth is an American conceptual artist best known for his investigation of language and philosophy through visual art. He has made numerous contributions to the conceptual art movement that started in the 1960s and has continued to create thought-provoking art throughout his career.

His working process involves research, careful selection of language and texts, and careful consideration of the context in which his artworks will be shown.

Neon text installations are one of Kosuth’s most renowned types of art. He displays words, phrases, or quotes in neon lights, frequently in a language or script other than the viewer’s, encouraging people to consider the meaning of the words. He often displays definitions or lists of synonyms to investigate how language affects our views of reality and objects.

Below are some examples of his work

Overall, Joseph Kosuth’s working process is characterized by creating conceptual art, which focuses on engaging the viewer with careful thought about the language he uses and its relationship to the artwork.

Reflections

It was interesting to learn about these artists because they are not the type of artists I generally study. It was fascinating to learn about the purpose behind each artist’s work, their creative process, and how intellectually perceptive some of the pieces are once you know what they are about. Overall, all these three artists employ a minimalist approach, carefully selecting and analysing their medium and artwork.

It’s great to see how different artists begin their work, how they decide when a piece is finished, and what they hope to achieve.

Reference list

Auz, Dr.L. (2021). Mario Merz, Giap’s Igloo. [online] Smarthistory. Available at: https://smarthistory.org/merz-giap-igloo [Accessed 7 Sep. 2023].

king, N. (2010). OpenAthens / Sign in. [online] go-gale-com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org. Available at: https://go-gale-com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=ucca&id=GALE%7CA460761404&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon [Accessed 7 Sep. 2023].

Leonie Huber (2019). Robert Morris – Refractions – Berlin. [online] Sprüth Magers. Available at: https://spruethmagers.com/exhibitions/robert-morris-refractions-berlin/ [Accessed 2 Sep. 2023].

Merz, M. (1974). Fibonacci Tables. [Charcoal, Acrylic paint, Metallic Paint and Neon on Canvas] Tate Gallery online. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/merz-fibonacci-tables-t03673 [Accessed 6 Sep. 2023].

Rajesh, P. (2020). Mario Merz. ProQuest, [online] Jan., pp.100–101. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2328344975?accountid=14178&parentSessionId=%2FWUXklpy%2Bx7r4RQqy08ROLctM03Lj2mi%2Fzar4NlSuGg%3D&pq-origsite=summon [Accessed 7 Sep. 2023].

The Art Story (2015). Minimalism Movement Overview. [online] The Art Story. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/minimalism/.

Wikipedia Contributors (2018). Võ Nguyên Giáp. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V.

Witney musem (n.d.). Robert Morris. [online] Sprüth Magers. Available at: https://spruethmagers.com/artists/robert-morris/.

Zelazko, A. (2023). Joseph Kosuth | Biography, Conceptual Art, Artworks, One and Three Chairs, & Facts. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Kosuth.‌

Illustration list:

Figure 1. Fibonacci Tables (1974-1976) [Painting] At:https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/merz-fibonacci-tables-t03673 (Accessed on 06.09.23)

Figure 2. Igloo di Giap (1968 ) [Sculpture] At:https://smarthistory.org/merz-giap-igloo/ (Accessed on 07.09.23)

Categories
Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 4:​ Word Associations

Brief

Undertake a series of mind-maps or spider diagrams to generate associations based on a single concept. Try and develop a process that moves your thinking through the obvious, to find more subtle, subjective, specific, or unusual motifs.

  1. Use a mind-map or spider diagram to generate associations based on one of the following concepts:● CUTTING ● GROW ● HIDE ● SEED ● WOBBLE or another concept that relates to your current practice: Place the word in the centre and radiate your ideas outwards.
  2. Try introducing images to your map or diagram as a way of offering new possibilities and ideas. Use quick drawings or snapshots as a way to do this on your spider-diagram, or move to your sketchbook to develop ideas further.
  3. Introduce new ideas to your map or diagram to help broaden your associations, for example, thinking about the sound, smell, touch, or movement of your concept/ideas as much as their image. Think about how you can use lateral thinking techniques as further prompts.
  4. Identify concepts/ideas in your spider diagram that you feel are the furthest or most divergent from your starting point. Amend or start a new diagram that aims to find connections between these divergent ideas and your original starting point. Alternatively, add new words or ideas, alongside your original and start to develop a more complex, rhizomatic set of connections. New words could include:● HISTORIC ● OVERLOOKED
    ● MUNDANE ● EXTRAORDINARY
  5. Identify which single idea/concept or lines of connections you feel have possibilities or are the richest in terms of how you might start developing a visual piece of work in response.

Use your learning log to identify these and reflect on the process and the exercise as a whole.

Visual Skills 2 – Visual Exploration – OCA

Keywords from the brief:

  • Use a series of mind maps or spider diagrams to generate associations based on a single concept.
  • Introduce images to the mind maps.
  • Use lateral thinking techniques as further prompts
  • Identify a concept from these spider diagrams that has the best possibility for starting a visual piece.

A series of mind maps or spider diagrams

To start this exercise, I made spider diagrams for each of the mentioned words to see what ideas I could come up with for each topic.

Cutting

The first word to investigate was cutting. Initial thoughts included cutting the grass, cutting hair, and cutting a piece of cake. However, when I thought about each new idea, I found myself deviating from the initial notion and coming up with some quite distinct thoughts such as self-harm, mental health, mystery, and pampered pets.

Grow

The second topic to look into was grow. Again, I began with simple terms like “growing older,” “growing taller,” and “growing seeds.” These ideas, however, produced some unusual concepts such as wizards, horror, and special powers.

Hide

The third theme was hide. This was a little more difficult for me to think of words at first, yet I soon got terms like hide and seek, hide from the enemy, and protect. This sparked three ideas for future projects: Boogeyman, Robber, and a comic strip depicting the realities of joining the military against the parents’ perspective. This final project idea probably came to me because my son is planning to enlist in the Royal Air Force.

Seed

The fourth topic was seed. This was my least favourite notion, and I had the most difficulty coming up with fresh words for it. Each of the words was self-explanatory, such as sow, grow, and harvest. God, COVID, and Mad were the most far from my starting point for the word seed. However, when compared to the earlier spider diagrams, I didn’t believe these were viable ideas for a new project.

Wobble

Wobble was the final word to be investigated. This word inspired the most ideas for me. I started out with words like teeth, jelly, scared, and unstable. However, the more I brainstormed, the more bizarre concepts I came up with, such as mermaids, bears, fairies, wizards, and Medusa, which surprised me.

Using images within the mind-maps.

I tried to incorporate little thumbnail sketches of what I was thinking about in each spider diagram; the more I did it, the easier it became. As shown in the diagram above, sketching out concepts helped me produce more ideas.

Looking at each of the spider diagrams side by side I looked at what I thought would be the most interesting words to use as a starting point for a new project and circled them in pink.

The ideas I liked the most were:

  • Caves/bears
  • Tooth Fairy
  • Mermaids
  • Pirates
  • Medusa
  • Boogeyman
  • Wizard

Looking over the list, I was amazed to discover that I had thought about fantasy characters for each spider diagram. However, being happy in children’s illustration is what I hope to achieve in the future, and I believe I’m on the right path to achieve this.

I wanted to play with each of the concepts right away, so I chose Wizard to experiment with just for fun.


First, I made a new spider diagram based on this topic.

After thinking how I could distinguish a traditional wizard from a standard drawing of one. I imagined what a modern-day wizard would look like. Especially if he was a young man. I didn’t want to make the mistake of recreating Harry Potter’s appearance (glasses, robe, and wand). Using Pinterest, I created a mood board with ideas for a young wizard.

As this was only for enjoyment and not for a final assignment, I figured it would be a good opportunity to learn some digital skills. I’ve attempted to draw digital illustrations a few times, but because I lack the necessary skills, the drawings never turn out as I would like.

This time I watched a Skill-share class to try and learn some new skills and I then applied it to my own drawing. The class I watched is called:

Digital painting : Fantasy illustration step by step tutorial.

By Ariya Abeen

Following along with the classes and techniques but using my own inspiration I began by starting my illustration with a few thumbnail ideas.

Next, I chose the bottom right thumbnail idea to work on as my new illustration.

Selecting the brush tool in Adobe Photoshop I sketched out a more detailed drawing of the young wizard. I wanted him to be young and trendy so dressed him in a hoody, skater gloves, baggy trousers and Converse trainers.

Next, I started to colour the illustration again using the brush tool.

Then I began adding further detail and started to add the background.

I continued to add detail to the background, including shadows and highlights, after receiving colour guidance from the Skillshare class, and I added a magical element to the artwork that the young wizard is conjuring.

Reflection.

This was a fun activity that turned out to be a surprisingly useful tool. It has allowed me to come up with new and intriguing project ideas that I would not have thought of otherwise. It was fascinating to observe how brainstorming may eventually transform my initial ideas into something altogether different.

It was enjoyable to experiment with digital painting and to gain new skills, but I am disappointed that I still have a lot to learn in this area. Due to my lack of technical understanding in this field, it will take some time for me to make a digital drawing that I am proud of. However, I will continue to practise this whenever possible.

I am also excited to come back to the list of fantasy characters and experiment with other mediums to illustrate soon.

Categories
Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 3:​ Words to Pictures

Brief

For this exercise I was asked to choose a word and make a list of the different manifestations that the word can take.

Here are some keywords describing concepts:

  • PAINTING
  • WRITING
  • SOUND
  • DESIGNING
  • MAKING

Next, I was asked to visualise this written list by drawing thumbnail sketches of each of the words and phrases.

Once I have made a collection of sketches I have been asked to incorporate some or all of them into one A2-size image.

Keywords from the brief

  • Choose one of these words and make a written list of the different manifestations that the word can take
  • Draw thumbnail sketches of each of the words and phrases of your own list.
  • Observational studies of objects or people
  • Incorporate some or all of the sketches into one A2-size image.
  • Redraw or collage copies of your drawings
  • Organise your icons into a design, or cut up and combine copies of your photographs
  • Reflect on the process and the exercise.

Written list

As I was not sure which word to choose, I began the exercise by making lists for each of the words.

From all the words, the most interesting lists came from the words sound and making. I finally choose the word making.

Thumbnail sketches

Below are my thumbnail sketch ideas for each of the sentences.

Observational studies

Visual experimentation

Next, I selected some of the sketches and experimented roughly what they may look like when used together to form a new illustration. Below are these ideas.

The final sketch reminded me of a day when everything becomes too much for me. For example, having too many decisions to make and too many errands to run while juggling family life. It seemed to have a story to it, so I decided to recreate the drawing into a complete image.

I started by redrawing the thumbnail sketches into more proportioned characters and painting them in watercolour.

The illustration was then modified in Photoshop by making the image have more vivid colours and adding shadow and shade.

Final illustration

Reflection

To begin with, I thought this exercise was a little random and didn’t see the value of drawing random scenarios. However, after sketching thumbnails, I realised how it opened up my thought process and led me to interesting concepts. It’s a creative practise that could come in handy if I ever get stuck illustrating for a project and don’t know where to start.
I felt relieved after finishing the final illustration. Reflecting on it I thought It captured me on a day when I felt overwhelmed because I didn’t know where to start with a project and I enjoyed the illustration I created of my beloved dog Cody since I thought it portrayed his likeness beautifully.

After completing a project’s final illustration, I frequently examine whether it could be used productively in the future for another venture. After staring at the artwork for a while, I decided it would be amusing to use it as the front cover of a notepad for my academic work. To remind me to avoid procrastinating and get things done.
This was a fun exercise that I may repeat in the future.
Below is a mock-up of the note pad.

Image by Freepik -llustration by Author

Reference List

Mock-up of notepad (no date). Freepik. Available at: https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/back-school-template-with-notebook_1293559.htm.

Categories
Coursework Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 2:​ Multi-Dimensional Thinking

Brief

This exercise should take you a couple of hours to complete. As with Assignment One ‘Flow & Play’, begin with a blank sheet of A2 paper. Start by making random dots across the paper with the point of a pen or pencil, as if you are creating an elaborate dot-to-dot picture. Once you have filled the page with a couple of hundred dots, begin to connect them to make shapes and forms like squares, triangles and rectangles. As you begin to fill the page, think of how to connect these shapes to each other. Start to think three-dimensionally and in round and non-linear shapes, as if you are designing a landscape, or a city or park. Slowly start to think visually’ perhaps a cluster of dots resemble a tree, or a building, or a person. From your map of points, try to create the territory within that map.

Keywords from the brief

  • Couple of hours to complete.
  • A2 paper.
  • Start by making random dots across the paper
  • Begin to connect them to make shapes and forms like squares, triangles and rectangles.
  • Think visually’ perhaps a cluster of dots resemble a tree, or a building, or a person.
  • Try to create the territory within that map.

I started by making dots with a black fine liner pen, on an A2 piece of paper as directed. When the paper had over two hundred dots, I sat back and looked at it. I was initially a little lost and believed that I could only draw squares and triangles. Yet, after connecting a few of the dots, I noticed the beginnings of an image, so I kept on with the visual form emerging. It shocked me to see how much my drawing matched Charlie, my late dog. I kept adding forms to the drawing that would fit the narrative, such as a ball, trees, houses, and grass.

Below is the finished drawing.

After I scanned it into Adobe Photoshop and added basic colouring to see what it would look like.

This exercise has taken me by surprise and made me wander how and why I drew my dog that passed away last year.

I now recognise that this is yet another excellent activity to perform, perhaps when I am lacking project ideas.

Categories
Coursework Part Two: Visual Approaches

Exercise 1: ​Getting Into ‘The Zones’

Brief

Take an A1 (59 x 84cm) sheet of paper and draw a circle about 30cm in the middle of the sheet. Write inside the circle a list of things you like, experiences you enjoy or feel comfortable with. For example, these could be ‘sunshine’, ‘cities’, ‘lying in bed’ or ‘green salads’. Now draw two larger circles 40cm and 50cm diameter around the first circle, as if you are drawing a dartboard. Now in the large circle write things you don’t like and that stress you. These might be the opposites (or ‘antonyms’) of the things in the centre like ‘moonlight’, ‘the countryside’, ‘exercise’ or ‘bacon sandwiches’, but they also might be completely different things. Try to be as expansive as possible, so name experiences, objects, cultural phenomena, etc. Do you dislike all the things in the outer circle, or are they simply the opposites of the things in the centre?

After you have completed this exercise, reflect on your current creative practice and begin to identify what new things you’d like to develop through this course. Below are a series of prompts to help you, feel free to select which questions are most useful or add new questions of your own:

●  What do you feel comfortable doing?

●  What do you feel uncomfortable doing?

●  What areas would you like to develop further?

●  What thoughts do you have about your work and where it might develop?

●  Where would you like to begin?

●  How can you develop ways of working that allows for the new to emerge?

●  How are you going to document and reflect on your progress?

Write your responses to these questions and upload them to your learning log.

Keywords from the brief

  • Draw a circle about 30cm in the middle of the sheet. Write inside the circle a list of things you like, experiences you enjoy or feel comfortable with.
  • Draw two larger circles 40cm and 50cm diameter around the first circle, as if you are drawing a dartboard.
  • In the large circle, write things you don’t like and that stress you.
  • Be as expansive as possible,
  • Reflect on your current creative practice and begin to identify what new things you’d like to develop through this course.

I began by drawing three circles in pencil on an A1 sheet of paper. After that, I coloured each circle a different colour. My danger zone is represented in red, my maximum performance zone in green, and my comfort zone in yellow. I know it wasn’t essential, but colouring them helped me visualise my ideas better.

I began writing everything I am happy and comfortable doing on another piece of paper. Then I wrote down anything that makes me nervous, caused me concern, or caused me stress. After that, I cut up all the text and put them in the appropriate circles.

As the green circle became empty, I began to consider what I had written in both the comfort and risk zone. While reflecting, I recognised areas in my working practises that, if maintained, will allow me to perform better. So I wrote these ideas down and put them in the green zone.

Below is a photo of the finished work.

Fig 1: Comfort zone (2023)

Prior to beginning this exercise, there was some information in the OCA textbook that described flow and play, as well as a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who explains ‘flow’ as a mental state also known as getting into the zone. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). As a result, I did more study and viewed an amazing short film that illustrates the concept of flow. This is shown below. (Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi animated book, 2015)

Below is a screenshot from the video that helped me understand how I can get into a flow state.

Fig 2 : Screenshot of a flow model (2015)

I then watched a TED Talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which is presented here.

He explains what the state of mind can be during an activity and what causes our moods to change.(TED, 2008) The next diagram depicts this flow mode.

Fig 3: The FLOW Model (1997)

Reflecting on the comfort zone drawing I did I decided to see where some of my topics sit within a graph like the one above.

Flow / attention, enjoyment.

  • Reading
  • Running
  • Lifting a new personal best at the gym
  • Painting
  • Sculpture
  • Drawing
  • Learning new Photoshop techniques

Control / enjoyment, confident.

  • Printmaking
  • Planning
  • Pen and ink
  • Sketching
  • Thumbnail ideas
  • Spider diagrams.

Relaxation / confident.

  • Playing with my dogs
  • Walking
  • Cooking
  • Taking a bath
  • Meditation
  • Matching a sunset
  • Watching waves crash at the seaside.

Boredom / relaxed, depressed.

  • Being confined to a grid system when designing
  • Drawing detailed buildings
  • Same daily routine
  • Collage
  • Contour drawing
  • Studying a topic I am not interested in.
  • Distraction
  • Choosing the right typography
  • Designing my own typography

Apathy / distracted, depressed.

  • Watching television,
  • Scrolling social media.
  • Stoping my children arguing

Worry / stressed, distracted.

  • Not being good enough
  • Dyslexia
  • Procrastination
  • The white page
  • Juggling study with family commitments
  • Not experimenting enough
  • Time management.
  • Will I be a success or is this a waste of time?
  • Am I too old to start this?

Anxiety / alert, stressed.

  • Social situations
  • Presentations
  • Talking to a crowd
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Pencil crayons
  • Oil painting
  • Abstract art
  • Drawing movement
  • Making mistakes

Arousal / Alert, focused.

  • Blogging
  • Researching
  • Discussing ideas with family and fellow students.

Putting my topics into flow model titles has helped me understand my working mindset. It has shown me I spend too much time worrying about doing the work and trying to create perfection. However, if I spent more time in the areas of control, arousal, and flow, it would help me produce more work and most likely work that is of a higher standard. I need to believe in myself more, which I can do if I push myself but not too hard.

Studying Csikszentmihalyi’s theory and completing the comfort zone diagram helped me identify what I’m comfortable with and areas I want to work on, like building confidence, trying new things, having fun, and enjoying the course. Checking in with the flow model to see if I’m directing myself in the right places is one of my future goals. An Adobe Illustrator course, a confidence-building course, and getting feedback on my work will all help me gain confidence in the near future.

By making sure I spend more time in the three areas of flow, arousal and control, I think I will see a new progression in the speed and quality of my work. This exercise has been an invaluable exercise for me and one that I will continue to use and reflect on with future work.

List of Illustration

Fig 1: Fowler, G. (2023) Comfort zone. [Painting] The author.

Fig 2: Flow model (2015) [YouTube, screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h6IMYRoCZw (Accessed 28/06/2023).

Fig 3: Digital reproduction of  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s FLOW Model. The FLOW model (1997), https://www.mindtools.com/a3u4xut/the-flow-model. Accessed 28/06/2023.

Bibliography

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York, NY, USA: Harper & Row.

FightMediocrity (2015) FLOW BY MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI | ANIMATED BOOK SUMMARY. YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/8h6IMYRoCZw.

Flow theory: A deeper dive into flow states (no date) Teuxdeux.com. Available at: https://teuxdeux.com/blog/flow-theory-a-deeper-dive-into-flow-states (Accessed: 28 June 2023).

MindTools (no date) Mindtools.com. Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/a3u4xut/the-flow-model (Accessed: 28 June 2023).

Oppland, M. (2016) 8 traits of flow according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Positivepsychology.com. Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/ (Accessed: 28 June 2023).

TED (2008) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXIeFJCqsPs&t=5s.