graphics evaluation

Over the documentary illustration brief, I explored several new methods of creating graphics, including alot of digital colouring techniques, such as using the fill tool, the lasso tool to colour and using the clone tool to add texture and pattern. I ended up using all of these techniques in my final piece, as I felt they could be combined well together to give an impressive final effect. I found, like always, the digital side of it to be very enjoyable, however I did include more manual line work in my final piece in the form of a contour line college illustration as this connected with my artist Dave Howell's style, however I did end up colouring it digitally to also connect with Olivier Krugler's (my other chosen artist) method of working. I also experimented with various methods of drawing with lines, including blind drawing, using different thickness of lines, contour lines, using the light box over pattern paper and using carbon paper.
I believe that my strengths in this project lied in my willingness to experiment, as I focused on spending more time on my experiments that I did in previous projects, taking inspiration from my artists, which I think improved my overall final piece. By experimenting more, I was able to look at all my choices in my selection for my final piece and choose the most suitable and successful ones to push further in my designs.
I looked at three designers in this project, Josh Cochram, Dave Howells, and Olivier Krugler. In the end, I focused these down to gathering inspiration from just the two artists, Howells and Krugler as I preferred their ways of working and their pieces of work over Cochram's and found them easier to combine into one piece of art. I was inspired by both their works handmade feel and the sense of time that was gathered from their documentary illustrations and also other areas which I have annotated.
I feel that in this project that I should have produced more typography experiments, as comparing them to my drawing experiments, they seem to be lacking, although I am happy with the final font which I have chosen for my final piece.
I feel that I took several ideas and was inspired by both of my artists a great deal; my final piece shows Howells' layering/collaging technique, his single lines sketches, his use of maps included in a layering style, and the way his work doesn't always have a definite setting. From Krugler, my works shows his colouring technique, which I liked a great deal, his idea of busy vs empty, his style of leaving things unfinished and his notes about the documentry journey, adding a personal feel which I tried to also include in my final piece. I also tried to include both of their styles of including a obvious sense of time and movement in the piece, which I did by leaving things unfinished, using a typewriter font which added a feeling of the past, along with a coffee stain, which showed time, and the use of a conversation in text.
Overall, I found this project most enjoyable, particually the digital colouring work and experimenting with different arrangements and also different methods of working manually with lines as I felt I could gain alot of freedom to experiment in these areas.