1.
What learning have you
inherited through this module and how has it impacted on your own understanding
of professional practice? Consider yourself as a student at University as much
as an illustrator
Through all the PPP sessions there has been a real
focus on figuring out what makes you tick as a student and illustrator. The PPP
sessions have also allowed us to share and develop traits that will make us the
best illustrators/students we can be. As a student, the learning that I have
inherited relates to things like time keeping, organising study and leisure and
living I balanced healthy lifestyle – all being improvements. I feel like the
things I have learnt to do for myself as a student have definitely run into the
‘professional’ side of PPP. For instance, as a student and a person outside of
university, I have done a lot of new things I would never have done before and
learnt to really enjoy my own company – which I think has steered my direction
as an illustrator and a successful student.
As an illustrator, PPP has taught me the importance
of developing an online presence, as a lot of networking as a professional is
done online. I have also learnt the importance of answer briefs, as when I come
to having a client/artist relationship, I must obey if I want to make a living,
but it is just as important for myself as an illustrator to choose the right
briefs for me.
2. What approaches/ types of
research have you found most valuable over this module?
Why
did they have such an impact?
Within PPP, I definitely think a more primary, hands
on approach to research such as reading, looking at other illustrators,
browsing online shops and pinterest is the most prominent. Researching in this
way has made me more aware of the world of illustration, and understanding what
kind of illustrators and processes I am most interested in referencing my own
practice from.
Research into things non-illustration based broadens
interests. I think one of the most important forms of research within PPP for
me is keeping up to date with the current social/political climate, so that I
have an opinion on and something to say about the world; I have done this
through watching documentaries, reading and watching the news etc.
3. In what way has PPP informed the way your work in other modules and your illustration practice as a whole?
PPP, and my learning gathered from this module has
definitely impacted on other modules I have done too. For example, PPP has taught me to question
what I am doing, whether that be in life outside of university or within the
course. During Visual Communication, I was struggling with engaging with the
brief and why I was making portraits of Jim Henson – but I knew that it was to
answer the brief and pass my first year, pretty much. PPP has definitely made
clearer what kind of illustration I want to make –and that I don’t want to make
something that simply looks nice. Through visual narratives too, a lot of the
research I had gathered during PPP linked with artist and processes definitely
informed my decision to make three hotdog books, but also the content of them
was informed through PPP too.
In terms of professional
practice, realising the importance of answering a brief in terms of format and
dimensions, I started writing down my formats on my studio blog before every
brief – which really helped on a professional level.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your PPP submission and how will you address this in the future?
I think I could have definitely blogged my journey
through my blog better. In terms of PPP in Level 5, I will definitely make time
to make more personal posts – I just found I discovered so much and found so
many things interesting and relevant, the last thing I wanted to do was to sit
and blog about it, I just wanted to investigate further.
When it came to making my
final PPP tasks - 10 illustrations and 10 slide presentation – I definitely
struggled because these tasks were based on something we had done previously in
PPP – 10 rules and statements. I know that I did this task in a throw-away
manner, but then this affected my tasks later down the line. Within PPP in the
future, I will definitely take all of the tasks I am given seriously and treat
them as one, as they will definitely influence each other further down the line.
5. What communities of practice and professional contexts do you intend to investigate further as you approach level 5? Why do they appeal to you?
My vision for Level 5 PPP
seems much clearer now I have completed Level 4. The community of practice whereby
I start to choose briefs that are better suited to things that I want to say
through my work is what I really want to take forward – some briefs from Level
4 I have found a little tame, but PPP has made me realise it is fine to think
that, but just act upon those opinions and kick back. A lot of the artists and
illustrators I have idolised through PPP I would probably class as ‘outsider’
illustrators, and I definitely want to
investigate into this community of practitioners further and use them to
reference my own practice. I want to begin to master the balance between
outlandish, anarchic illustration that harbours real opinion with being able to
answer briefs and be appealing to the masses – I think when I begin to really
nail that I will start to see real successes – without selling out to making
twee, futile illustrations at the same time.
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