Response to Tutor Feedback Part 2

'Great to see your work developing here, particularly the thoughtful way in which you have challenged yourself to develop your skills in observational drawing.

Your sketchbook work in the early stages of projects is great. As you move forward, try to spend more time experimenting with a range of creative approaches and reflecting on your design development at later stages in your designing process in order to explore and develop more creative and refined final illustrations.

Your analytical research here is very good, allow this to inform how you too can think in a nuanced way about how drawing style can help to communicate.

Perhaps draw upon some of the previous research which has particularly interested you (or any other hey themes) in order to begin mind mapping about the direction of your critical review.'

 I am pleased to hear I am making progress in the areas I am weaker in such as people sketching and my analytical research. I have been looking at other artist's who illustrate people such as, Sarah van Dongen. I have started her course on Domestika called 'Character Creation from Observational Drawings'. The tips given and the illustration style of this artist is very inspiring and will encourage me to be more experimental in my people sketching from now on. Van Dongen's illustration style is quite loose and natural looking, which really appeals to me because some of my favourite drawing experiences have been from loose, energetic line work. I've always loved coloured pencils, graphite pencils and paint, all mediums this artist uses too. 

Sarah van Dongen Illustration. 2022. Sarah van Dongen Illustration. [online] Available at: <https://www.sarahvandongen.com/> [Accessed 29 March 2022].

My tutor suggested taking a look at artist James Albon and Posy Simmons as well. Looking at Albon's blog from 2015, his sketches are so interesting and full of energy. I really like Albon's use of pencils and ink in these drawings. Using only two coloured pencils in some of these sketches has really worked and gives a soft but powerful image. I took a look at Albon's more recent sketches and found I much preferred the older works. The newer sketches are much more detailed and heavy in colour and line. Looking at this artists portfolio, I found that these works where a very different to feel to those early sketches. This gave me more of a sense of the type of line work that appeals to me most. The softer but energic lines. I enjoy using black fine liner pens also for quick sketches and find this medium to be very appealing also.

James Albon. 2022. A sketchbook. [online] Available at: <https://jamesalbon.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/a-sketchbook/> [Accessed 29 March 2022].

James Albon. 2022. James Albon. [online] Available at: <https://www.jamesalbon.com/> [Accessed 29 March 2022].

Taking a look at the work by Posy Simmonds, I found this article about Simmonds recent graphic novel release and the featured illustration was certainly inspiring. Simmonds style reminds me of Raymond Briggs illustrations in ink and watercolours. The light captured in Simmonds illustration draws you in and gives a sense of ambience, which is a skill I am definitely looking to implement in my own work.

I am currently reading 'The Power and Influence of Illustration: Achieving Impact and lasting Significance through Visual Communication'  by Alan Male. I'd like to improve my knowledge and skills at visually communicating to create more powerful illustrations.

My tutor has given me a range of tips use in my future life drawing and people sketches to think about how my line work, use of backgrounds and materials used can all enhance the sketches and inform the viewer in different ways. This is really useful to move forward with and I've written these in my sketchbook for future reminders.

Unfortunately, the book 'Drawing Architecture' by Phaidon recommended seems to be out of stock everywhere at the moment. The sketches on the website do look very interesting and I'd like to get hold of a copy of this book in the future if I can. I want to improve my backgrounds and environments and this looks like a good source of inspiration.

Phaidon. 2022. Drawing Architecture. [online] Available at: <https://www.phaidon.com/store/architecture/drawing-architecture-9780714877150/> [Accessed 29 March 2022].

It was noted that my tutor could not find my work for natural sciences and travel illustrations. Both these exercises were logged at the time of submission. I particularly enjoyed the natural science exercise, nature, plants and flowers are some of my favourite things to draw and I would like to continue exploring this further.

https://nikisillustration2degree.blogspot.com/2022/01/part-2-exercise-rose-by-any-other-name.html

https://nikisillustration2degree.blogspot.com/2022/01/part-2-exercise-there-and-back-again.html

To view all exercises in the category there is a button at the bottom of the page to see the other posts that is called 'Older posts', they are all listed there.

It was pointed out that my work was there, it is a shame not to have feedback for these exercises since I did put in a lot of work for them and would like to have them reviewed for future reference to know how I've done with these particular projects. The exercises were not reviewed by my tutor despite my request.

Assignment feedback, I need to work on development of my ideas for the final pieces. Further research to aid my decisions and time to consider who they are for, where it will be seen etc. This is where developing my visual communication skills will help to improve my future assignments and to allow more time for the assignments to go deeper in my planning and execution of final images.

Overall I am very pleased with my feedback and will take onboard the areas I need to improve in.