final fmp portfolio

Dani Collenette0900180

Graphic Design Yr 3UNIT EGRD3015

PortfolioReflections

Contents Previous Work.................................................................................. 1 . 2Proposal............................................................................................ 3 . 4Artists & Inspiration................................................................ 5 ......... 14Portrait Development .................................................... 15 ............... 30Expression & Body language ................................................... 31 .......38Watercolour paintings .............................. 39 ..................................... 76Reflection Photomontages ........................................... 77 ................. 96Draft Publication .................................................................... 97 ..... 102Final Publication ............................................................... 103 ......... 112Evaluation .......................................................................... 113 ....... 120Bibliography .......................................................................................121

Previous Work

To demonstrate at how and why I arrived at my proposal, I have selected some of my work from the previous semester, as this work was in preparation for out FMP. I looked at the concept of achromatic art, how colour can physically kill an image by ruining its ascetical appeal. I demonstrated this concept through a number of metaphorical images in which the colour was physically killing the subject within the image.

Similarly to the work I have produced for my FMP I experimented with different mediums. The one that I found suited this concept the best was marker pen and acrylic paint. Both create a very strong bold contrast to a blank paper background. Using the black marker to create the images allowed me to learn how to draw accurately, as the marker pen allowed for no mistakes. I really like the way the thick acrylic paint sat so heavily on top of the image and provided a three dimensional aspect. I wanted to utilize the colour so that it became the most predominant part of the image, once the viewer’s eyes had focused on the colour they would then take note of the surrounding image and begin to see it as a whole.

I was aware that I had taken a rather sinister path, within the genre of killing and this is something I wanted now to steer away from, as I don’t think it is a good reflection of my personality. However I was pleased I was able to create such a striking image, that although may shock or repulse the viewer, had a dramatic impact. It also took me out of my comfort zone, creating such ominous images, which I feel has made me a lot more willing to take risks.Although I have not continued with this concept, what has remained a strong

continuing factor of my current work is the use of portraiture. For this set of images I had photographed myself in order to have a basis to draw from, I found that I could replicate the images quite well, and that I really enjoyed doing so. I also wanted to maintain being outside my comfort zone. For my final major project I wanted to create a body of work, and final piece, that I knew I was capable of doing, and that demonstrated my skill set, but I also wanted it to be a challenge.

This body of work has really helped my portraiture skills develop, and set back good backbone for my Final Major Project.

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Proposal For my final major project I aim to look at the concept of ‘Reflections’.

Reflection or (less commonly) ReflexionDefinitionsnoun1. The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected2. Something reflected or the image so produced, as by a mirror3. Careful or long consideration or thought4. Implicit or explicit attribution of discredit or blame5. Mathematics a transformation in which the direction of one axis is reversed or which changes the sign of one of the variables6. Anatomy the bending back of a structure or part upon itself(Collins dictionary.com)

I aim to cover most, if not all of the definitions, and will demonstrate the concept of reflection from both a physical and metaphorical point of view.

Intention:I will create a body of images, each based around a physical reflection. As the final major project, and the last body of work I will produce within education I feel it is important that I reflect back over the course of my degree and highlight my strongest and most developed skill set.

Concept:The concept of this body of work is to work alongside the definitions of reflection, displayed within the medium of portraiture. The physical image of a reflection will harbour the metaphorical message. I aim to reflect within the work my most developed skills; photography and illustration. I also want to reflect the concept that an illustration is only a reflection of the person it represents. It is not an exact replica image, like that of a photograph. It is created over time, it allows input from the artist, it becomes a reflection not only of the person, but how the artist views the person

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and also a reflection of the artists style of drawing, it allows for a connection between the artists and the subject, and once placed within a public environment a third connection is made, between the artist, the subject and the audience.I also want to reflect my past, present and future. My past by looking back and selecting my most developed skills, my present by reflecting what I am able to achieve, and my future my reflecting where I want to be post-graduation, within the photography and/or illustration industry.

Form:Photography has always been a passion of mine, and has developed dramatically working at a photographers. At my place of work I often conduct studio sessions of groups of up to ten people. I am used to commanding people of all ages, backgrounds and genders to come together, to change position, to smile at the camera, or look into the middle distance. I have become very aware of studio procedures and the use of studio equipment. Working these several days a week I am in constant contact with the developing photographic industry, I am aware of how it is developing, and the best ways to utilize that development.

I am also asked often to edit photographs, sometimes just to remove blemishes from the skin, stray hairs, crease lines, and sometimes to edit entire people from photographs. This has greatly expanded my use of photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

Studying for an ALevel in photography I also have a good knowledge of the more traditional methods of photography. I am able to use a dark room, and also to develop my own film. I am very aware of photographical terminology such as exposure, aperture, and how to demonstrate a good composition. This studying also allowed me to generate a good understanding of the industry and photographers, and so I already have a good basis for research.

A skill that I feel has developed recently is my illustration. It was within my last project where I constructed a number of

portrait images that I considered it to be a consideration for my FMP. Not only did I really enjoy creating the portraits, but I felt they were strong graphic images and worked well.

Using illustration within my FMP will also create me quite a challenge. Within the bounds of photography I feel considerably ‘safe’. I feel that I know the area well and am able to put my knowledge to good use. Introducing illustration will create another dimension to my work, which can be developed as I progress. It also allows me to be more experimental and create a body of work quite different to anything I have done before.

There are a number of illustrators and photographers I wish to research throughout my work who have inspired and influenced me in the past. I will look at portraiture throughout history, and also more modern present day works, as this will help me to get a more rounded, fuller view of the subject. I will study books such as ‘Painting the Century’, a book produced by the National Portrait Gallery, ‘Face: The new photographic Portrait’ by William A. Ewing and ‘Portraiture (Essays in art and culture)’ by Richard Brilliant.

There are many great artists within the theme of portraiture I can study, some I aim to look at are; Sam Taylor-Wood, Gillian Wearing, Frida Kahlo, Egon Schiele, Sarah Beetson, Irving Penn and Lucian Freud.

Meaning:The work I create should be a good reflection of my personality and the way in which I work. It should also demonstrate my strongest skills. The meaning behind the work is its back bone, every aspect of the images should have a reasoning for their existence, and if not be eliminated.

Artists & Inspiration I have begun my portfolio with several pages dedicated to the Artists, Photographers, Illustrators and Designers, who have inspired me to create my own work. I find inspiration from everything around me, from my bus journey to and from university, customers that come into the shop I work in, even music and lyrics I hear on the radio. However, there is nothing quite as inspirational as Artists how have already made their stamp on society, Artists who have already found their niche, their slice of success, however large it may be.

I find I am most inspired when I am in an exhibition, surrounded by all of this great artwork, when I am in a zone where I feel a mix of compassion towards the work itself and the artist who created it, but also where I feel a tang of jealousy, and longing, for the work on the wall to be my own. I love to be

surrounded and immersed in their work, to see it in a tangible form, to be able to touch it, and be a part of it.

The biggest struggle for me this semester has been trying to find a style within my work. The Artists I discuss over the following pages I feel each have that. They all have that something unique that makes their work stand out from the crowd. I have discussed in detail why each artist has inspired me, what I enjoy and take from their work, and how it has helped developed my own, and aided me in my quest to find a style.

Lucian Freud

Girl with a Kitten (portrait of his first wife Kitty), 1947.

The Painters Mother III, 1972.

I have always enjoyed Lucian Freuds work, and was lucky enough to visit an exhibition of his work held by Blain Southern. I love the variety within his work, how it ranges from quick sketches, to detailed acrylic paintings and copper etchings. I also loved how the exhibition itself was laid out, how as you wandered from room to room the work developed, and in my mind, improved. The exhibition ended with ‘Head of Jeremy King’, 2011. This was his last piece of work, an etching not completed before he sadly passed away. It will never be printed as it still has chalk lines present that would be lost during the printing process.

It was within Freud’s work I first found a love for huge eyes, for images that focused on the eyes and almost distorted them from the face. ‘Startled Man, Self Portrait’ 1948, one of his most famous sketches, still remains my favourite. I love its mix of strong detail, and detail lacking areas. It is an image of clarity, he has taken his main identifiers, eyes, nose and mouth and shone them in an equal light, they are not hidden beneath layers of shading. This clarity is something I hoped to demonstrate within my own work.

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Girl in a Dark Jacket, 1947.

Startled Man, Self Portrait, 1948.

Reflection (Self Portrait), 1985

Ben HeineI came across Ben Heine’s work in the later stages of the semester, and has debatably been my hugest inspiration. I came across him when searching for artists who have already combined the mediums of Photography and Illustration, as this was the path I had chosen, and I was struggling to back up its past success. In my search for artists who had combined the two mediums in the past, Ben Heine, for me, demonstrated it with the greatest success. Not only are his images to instantly eye catching, but Heine‘s artworks have been published in Belgium and international newspapers. They have also been exhibited in Belgium, Great Briton, France, Canada, USA, Germany, Turkey, Romania, Brazil, South Korea and Spain.

‘Pencil vs Camera’ was first exhibited in April 2010, although is a long exploration of his personal artistic development. Heine’s hand is always clearly visible within the image as it represents a connection between the viewer, artist and artwork. This connection is something I have aimed to explore within my own work, as I think it is important that a clear concept is demonstrated. For me, artwork loses its visual appeal when it lacks meaning. Whether the viewer appreciates Heine’s hand being in the image, ascetically, once they know the reasoning for it being there, it serves a purpose and becomes meaningful. This quote from Heine I feel sums up his work completely, it shows how real his images are, and proves that they are not just ink on paper; “I just make

art for people. I want them to dream and forget their daily troubles. I used to write poems many years ago, I want to convey a poetic and philosophical meaning into my pictures, each new creation should tell a story and generate an intense emotion, like a poem, like a melody”.I absolutely love his style, the way he applies the theme of ‘Pencil vs Camera’ (under which each of these images are titled) in such a different manner. The way in which the harsh black and white pencil images, contrast so strongly with the full colour, full detail photographs.

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London Design FestivalEureka MagazinePoetry Society

David Sparshott

Sarah Maycock

I first noticed Sparshott at Pick Me Up exhibition, Somerset House, London. I noticed his use of watercolour, and coloured pencil, how he used it to highlight areas of his work, but not to colour them completely. I appreciate the way in which he utilizes two mediums, normally associated with children, in such a way that his

Maycock’s work focuses heavily around the idea of huge watercolour brushstrokes. She uses watercolour in a way I have never seen before, and the first time I saw her work, a huge watercolour Bear, it absolutely took my breath away. What I enjoyed the most was how it made me react, I couldn’t work out instantly what I was

viewing, from a distance, or to the other extreme, extremely close up, her images were nothing more than strokes of paint, and yet stood in that middle distance, was clearly a bear. Looking at her other images this is again the case, it’s so obvious and yet so humble, it creates such confusion. Her style is something that I believe is absolutely

work maintains a mature aesthetic. Sparshott Graduated from Bristol School of Art in 2006, and so does not have a huge body of work. However from the work that was exhibited at Pick Me Up and what is available on his website, he has clearly demonstrated a clear style. His use of graphite, provides a harsh line effect, and this is something

I experiment with in my initial portraiture development. Similarly to Freuds work the harsh lines allow for the combination of detailed areas and contrasting plain space, as it is difficult to shade with such a strong medium.

unique, and can be applied to so many different areas and audiences, to children books, magazines, posters, because ascetically they are so eye catching – and yet clearly reflect the animal, object or person the illusion depicts.

For Psykologi MagazineFor Image MagazineFor Voi Hyvin Magazine

Rikka Sormunen

Tim Enthoven

Sormunen’s work could easily be construed as childlike, it’s flat tones and block colours make it appear cartoon like, however I feel this aesthetic quality is what gives it an edge. Sormunen’s blog shows her work in progress, how it begins as a sketch within a pad, how the colour is added, how she tests her works, how many changes are implemented before the final image is revealed. It

is amazing to be able to see part of the thought process that is imbedded within her work.

‘Escape into life’ a website discussing art, features some of Sormunens work, and comments; ‘Her characters, some based on imagined, ideal versions of herself and variations of her husband, wear intricate clothing and are often depicted amidst a

moment or action or reflection’ This idea of a reflection of someone or something, not just creating an exact replica, is exactly what I have aimed to explore within my own work.

Her illustrations work well to demonstrate a certain mind-set or emotion, not just an image of an image, they portray much more than just what is ascetically apparent.

Enthoven captured my eye at an exhibition in London, initially not due to his work, but because of a quote which sat next to it: ‘Tim is fascinated by the boundaries between reality and fiction’ This idea of creating a contrast or subtle barrier between what we assume as fact and fiction is a concept that I had been working on within my own work.

It was amazing what an influence that small chunk of text had on my viewing of his work, as once I’d read it I couldn’t help but try to apply it to his work, and I began to see much further into his images than I had previously. I noticed that there are often skull type image forms embedded within his work that at a quick glance you wouldn’t notice. I

Her images appear to capture a moment, just as a photograph would, although an illustration is a long process, it appears that the scene they represent was not. This contrast is what makes her work so appealing to me, it is what I find inspiration within, trying to piece together the story, when I study her work I feel as though I am solving a puzzle.

began to see emotions on the subjects faces, read into their body language. Ascetically I also love the way Enthoven uses Watercolour, just to highlight sections of his work as Sparshott does. The soft flat colour contrasts well with the harsh line detail, and also allows for the highlighting of certain areas.

‘Family History ’, 2006 (Film)Images below exibited at; ‘Okay Behavior, 1993 Ehibition at 303 Gallery.

Excerpts from; ‘Who I am and what I want’ Excerpt from; ‘Leotard’Excerpt from; ‘Strange I’ve seen that

face before’

Gillian Wearing

David Shrigley

When studying portraiture I realised that the key to creating a good portrait is having a good understanding of facial expressions and body language. This is what I find the most interesting aspect of Wearing’s work, how the facial expressions and body language of her subjects either conflict or

I visited Shrigley’s exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London. His work is not really to my taste, however I can appreciate the reason why it is so successful. Shrigley’s illustrations from a distance are no better than I child’s scribble, but yet close up each demonstrates meaning and purpose. Some are comical and some provoke thought. I enjoy the fact that he is so literal, for instance one of the first artworks I was presented with at the exhibition is a red door with ‘door’ written on it. I appreciate that

sometimes simplicity can be just as intriguing as the most detailed painting. I did enjoy his series of 116 untitled drawings, many of them made me laugh, some roll my eyes and some I didn’t really understand. I did take a few quotes from his work such as ‘The paper weighs nothing, but the ink is heavy’, ‘we are constrained by ideas’, ‘we can see every pattern except our own’ which I thought were particularly interesting and thought provoking. Shrigely says that his drawings are

aid what they have openly expressed on the sign they are holding. Not only is each image presented in the way it is visually appealing to the eye, each is also interacts with the viewer whether it makes them laugh, snigger, feel compassion for the subject, or possibly even judge them. This

the easiest way to represent the ideas that he has, ‘Certain things happen between the conscious mind and the pen. The doodly things can sometimes express the things that you can’t describe intellectually’ his drawings appear to reduce these ideas to their barest form, allowing him to communicate simply and directly.

work has been incredibly successful, and is currently exhibiting at The WhiteChapel Gallery, London.

Mirror, 2008.

Winehouse, 2008.

Call Girl, 2007.

Johan Thörnqvist

Sarah Beetson

Johan Thornqvist is another artist who demonstrates mixed media work, again combining drawn images with photographs. To demonstrate how well he adapts the initial photographic images I have provided the original photograph of the bench image above it. I love how he has approached the same concept, in

Sarah Beetson’s work instantly caught my eye, I love it’s chaotic, colourful elements. The way it could almost be pieced apart, but also read as a whole image. I was lucky enough to get a chance to speak to Sarah Beetson, and I asked her how she managed to adopt such a clear coherent, and yet unique style, she said ‘make your work an extension of yourself, make it personal.’ She went on to tell me how people often tell her that

such a different manner to Heine. His drawn images contain colour, and appear more realistic. He also is much more comical, as Heine’s images maintain a certain amount of realism.

she looks like her work. She also suggested switching to using pen, as pencil allows for the fluffing of lines. Beetson has had a successful career so far, commissioned by companies such as ‘Red or Dead’, ‘Clarks Shoes’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘The Times’, ‘The Wall St Jounral’, ‘Diesel’ and many more.

Development Over the next few pages are images of my portraiture, how I have experimented with different mediums, and how my portraiture has progressed over the semester. I have discussed what I feel worked well, and what I feel didn’t. I have also aimed to discuss my mind set as I developed, and the reasoning behind my actions.

Portrait

These are my initial sketches, created by using colouring pencil. Each of them were fairly quick sketches, but my aim was to see how well I could replicate a face, whether I had the ability to create an image of someone that was recognisable. On showing the images to my friends and family, they were able to recognise the subjects I had depicted. This enabled me to set about researching different ways in which I could imitate the faces, different mediums and different styles which still reflected the subject, but that was not such a clear reflection of them.

I then set about using a much harsher medium, as Sparshott does within his work. I wanted to create images almost opposite to the ones I had before. The colouring pencil provided a very soft and childlike visual approach, I now wanted to create images that had a strong harsh edge. Although I wanted the images to still be recognisable, I also aimed for them to bare fewer ties to the person they represent, and the monochrome colour system allowed for this much more so than colouring pencils. I feel these images work really well, as although they do not contain much detail you can still get a sense of facial expression and emotion.

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I then looked at combining the two ideas of colour, and harsh lines. As both Sparshott and Enthoven do within their work, although differently to them I didn’t highlight particular areas, I coloured the image as a whole. This is because there were no select parts of the images I wanted to make more apparent than the rest. I wanted the face to be read as a whole. The harsh lines already provided for the main facial features to be more predominant, and so the colour works well spread over the entire portrait.

Although I think this has worked well, personally I prefer the two mediums as separate entities. In the previous images the monochrome colouring allowed for the ink sketches to maintain a bold ascetic, whereas here they are hidden behind the colour. They tend to assist the colour, to hold it together, they are no longer a bold sketch. However, I did really enjoying working with the watercolour. I instantly loved it’s flexibility. It can be commanded so well, to create lines, tones, just by changing the water to paint ratio the shades can be altered. I knew from this point it was a possible medium to pursue further.

I found Heine’s sketches so lifelike, despite them being obviously sketches, and so this is the next medium I experimented with. It is quite different to what I have experimented with previously, a much smoother non-intrusive medium. The gentle shading allows for a much more realistic finish to that of an ink pen sketch, although I also feel that it is not quite so instantly eye catching.

I read a quote by Jonathan Lipkin, 2005, ‘It is our peculiar fascination with celebrity that may be responsible for a culture in which appearance is a shimmering illusion, one that changes from day to day’ This made me consider the subjects within my work and how they worked as a tool to progress my portraiture. I was until this stage drawing members of my friends and family, who although recognisable to me and them, the general onlooker would not know whether the image was recognisable or not. Even if I presented them with a photograph of that person it would still take them time to assess the resemblance. Whereas a celebrity image is on our screens, bound within magazines, stretched across billboards – they are imprinted onto our minds. And so for my next few experiments I decided that celebrities would provide the perfect faces to reconstruct.

Here I have started with Gok Wan. He has a particularly recognisable face due to his style of glasses and clear bone structure. I found it was much harder to try and replicate his image. With my friends and family I have known them for years, I have seen them in different moods, emotions, haircuts, hair colours, make up, and yet they are always still recognisable to me. Although I need some sort of image in front of me to draw from, I already had a good idea of what they looked like inside my head. Drawing Gok Wan, I found to be much more of a challenge, from the simple fact that I did not know his face so well. However, I feel that this expanded my portraiture skills. It made me realise the way in which I conducted the portrait.

I realised that I always looked for identifiers, we all have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, and yet we all look so completely different, these differences are what I searched for when replicating a face.

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Ronnie Corbett, Watercolour.Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ink Pen & Watercolour.

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Darren Llons, Wax Crayon.Ronnie Corbett, Watercolour.

Tom Cruise, Lino Print.

A medium I also enjoy is lino printing, and so I decided to try it within the theme of portraiture. It was very hard to re-create a face in this manner as I had to etch with such precision; however I am pleased with the final print. I love the way lino printing is so absolute, so definite, it is either printed, or etched out. I have attempted to use a crisscross type action on his lower lip, forehead and right cheek to suggest shading, which I think has worked quite well, as when out brain reads the ratio of black and white it tends to create a shade somewhere in the middle ground. The negative point of creating my portraits in the medium of lino prints is that it is extremely time consuming, as each stage takes a good time to process. However it does create a bold ascetic. The other problem I may encounter with this medium is how recognisable I can make each image, as pencils and paints are a lot more susceptible to alterations and detail.

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These are the first two A3 water colour paintings I created; of my cousin Daniel, and my Mum. I decided to go back to painting my friends and family as they are a reflection of me, they are part of me and have aided me greatly throughout my degree; modelling for, visiting exhibitions with, even by helping me to re-read my work. For a first attempt, I was really pleased with the paintings, they are recognisable and a good reflection of that person. I feel I have captured their personality well, the comical half smile my cousin does when he is being sarcastic, and the modest smile of my mum when she models for my work, regardless of disliking her photograph being taken. I was aware at this point there was still a lot I needed to develop, I felt the colours were maybe too bright and contrasting, and this contributed to an overall childish, naive ascetic. However, I feel that they are bold images, I think they work well together, but also as a standalone pieces. I think the way I almost draw with the paint brush, outlining the features so obviously, provides a certain style to my work.

Body Language In order to improve my portraiture I decided to depict the facial expressions and body language of my subjects.

Expression &Photographing

a bemused expression on her face. In this incident what she has written “I don’t know what to write” which matches her facial expression and body language completely. She looks totally unsure and uncomfortable with the situation she has been placed into.The image of my brother, Tommy, Shows a completely different perspective to the other two. He is 12 years old, and has not yet become enemies with the camera. He sits comfortably, he holds the sign upright, he has written “I am a cool bean” the meaning of which unbeknown to myself, and most viewers, but the terminology possibly suggests his age. His face is calm and collected, he is not fazed by the camera, and he stares strongly at it patiently waiting for the shutter to be pressed. He does not move, sit up straight, adjust his hair, because of his age, or because of his familiarity of being placed in front of a camera lens? This is the image which gives the least instantly, but the most over assessment. For me it is the most intriguing of the three.

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I initially took a Gillian wearing approach to deciphering facial expressions and body language. I did this by giving my Mum, Dad and brother, Tommy, a board and asked them; “Who are you?” I told them they could write freely, they could write whatever they wanted. I thought it was interesting looking at the difference in not only what they wrote, but how they reacted to it, and to the presence of the camera.

I find the photograph of my dad quite intriguing. His eyebrows are slightly raised, and his mouth slightly peaks in the corners. He looks to me, extremely mellow but also serious, he does not match the comical words he has written; “A twit”. The way he still loosely holds the pen he has written with, he does not look at all baffled with the task he’s been set.

Body language is key to the image of my mum, the way her face turns from the camera, and she holds the board with only one hand. Despite her face being turned you can still tell she has

suggesting that he knows he is only going to be in that position for a short time while I take the photo. My favourite photograph of the set is to the middle left, where my granddad is standing underneath a road sign marked “Hill Street W1” Not only do I think the composition, angle and colour tones have come out particularly well, but it is the fact I have caught that mid expression, as our face changes, or as it processes a thought. If I was to illustrate my granddad from this photograph it may not even be recognisable of him, as a facial expression such as thus is not one we often see, it is a passing moment, which only a camera could allow me to capture with precision. This mid expression I have almost captured in the bottom right images, as my Grandads face could neither be described as a smile or a frown – or even neutral, it is in the process of changing from one expression to another.

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I shot this set of photographs throughout the process of one day. The man featured in the photographs is my Grandad. At set intervals throughout the day I asked him how he felt, as with the previous photographs I gave him freedom to write whatever he wanted, he could be as literal, or as metaphorical as he liked. Another level to the body language and facial expression that I hadn’t considered with the last set of photographs is how each are effected by being immersed within a public or private environment. The images before were taken within our home, and so the surroundings are somewhat more comfortable than what I asked my Grandad to do. For one of the last images he stood in the centre of a train station holding his sign, and I moved a good 10 meters or so away from him, so I could capture not only the public environment, but also people’s reactions to the signs. I feel this photograph captures the most intriguing set of body language. The man directly behind my granddad appears to look at the camera, while the man on the phone and the man standing next to his bag seem oblivious. The lady in the purple coat looks as though I’ve caught her just as she is about to notice the camera, or as she is starting to look away, her eyes nearly meet the lens – but not quite. The distance from the sign, and the fact I used a flash has blanked the sign, and so I cannot tie what my Grandad has written, however I can still tie both of these to the situation he has been placed in. His facial expression looks fairly relaxed, he holds the sign loosly, resting it on the fingertips of his left hand. However, his composure looks more unsure, his right leg extends forward,

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 437

During a tutorial it was suggested that I talk to my subjects to make them feel more relaxed around the camera, and so for this set of photographs that is exactly what I have done. Barthes states in camera Lucida that once we feel observed by the lens we ‘Constitute ourselves in the process of posing’ and this is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

As I photographed my subject, Nikki, I spoke to her, I asked her questions, made her laugh. Sometimes I pointed at something just before I took the photograph, or made her believe I’d finished shooting. I de-saturated the photographs as I wanted to read her facial expression, and to have no distraction from that. The desaturation also makes the photographs appear more like it has been sketched, and so relates more closely to my illustration.

The images all speak so differently to the viewer. Within Image 1, Nikki almost seems to be trying to avoid the camera, ducking away from it. Her grin could be described as ‘cheeky’, her raised shoulders and tilted head suggests she is avoiding the intrusive camera lens.

It is fairly apparent that some fear of the lens has been lost by Image 2. The corners of her mouth suggest a slight smile, as though she is comfortable with having her phototaken but no longer finds

it amusing. She looks into the mid distance, this lack of contact with the camera captures her expression in a much more natural light.Image 3 shows Nikki almost looking through the camera; she stares at the lens, although she seems unfazed by it. She looks relaxed and calm, the way she sits with her legs tucked under her and her arm rested on her lap. The camera is no longer so intrusive, as I talk to her she watches the camera as it moves around her, but the conversation somewhat distracts her from being able to pose.

This is a photograph that I consider to be an absolutely true representation of her face. It is an image of Nikki that presents a neutral, emotionless, unrevealing face. If I was to draw her from this photograph I feel I would be drawing her face, and her face alone. There are so many variations of our facial expressions, finding that moment when our face is completely detached, for me, provides the best canvas to draw from.

To contrast with the natural facial expressions I have included a clearly ‘posed’ photograph, image 4. In this photograph Nikki’s head is tilted to one side, her smile is a full beam, she is totally aware of the camera, and totally aware of how she wants to appear within the bounds of a photograph. However, I believe the other images reflect her personality so much better than the image she provides for herself.

Paintings For my final reflection images I wanted to create watercolour paintings of members of my close friends and family. As this project is an overall reflection of myself and my work, I choose people who have been a played a big role in my life, and also who have helped me greatly with my degree work. I have tried to paint an image that I feel is a true reflection of them, as I described of Image 3 on the previous spread. Although I may have painted them with expression, I wanted to capture the side of their personality I was the most familiar with, may it be serious, sarcastic, funny; so that even the expression on the subjects face is a reflection of them, and also a reflection of how I see them. I wanted to create that same link between the subject, the artist and the artwork, as Heine does within his images. I have written a small explanation next to each painting as to why I have painted that person, and also a small detail about what they have chosen to be reflected in.

I have chosen watercolour as the medium for my illustration as I love its suppleness. Through research of work I have discovered the many different ways in which it can be utilized. I have discovered that it can lose its bonds to childhood as demonstrated by the works of artists such

WatercolourMethodology 1:

as Sarah Maycock. However, it also aids and reflects my childlike images, and could suggest naivety within the illustration industry, still being a student.

I have arranged the paintings in the order of which I completed them, as I feel this demonstrats my progress and development. I think that my paintings improved greatly as I began to learn how to use the watercolour paints competently. I also picked up helpful tips such as stretching the paper, which really assisted my development. It is about half way through the images that I spoke with Sarah Beetson, from this point on the images really come together, they start to form a set of images, the begin to be legible as a group as well as singular images.

Grandad Pete For this painting I used watercolour pencils, as they allowed for more detail and also to incorporate a semi drawn/semi painted approach. I really like how the painting turned out in terms of recognition, but I decided that my earlier experimental watercolour paintings worked much better in providing the style I was aiming for. My Grandad has been a huge help to be throughout the course, always accompanying me to exhibitions and modelling for photographs. For his final reflection he chose a mirror that has hung in his bedroom ever since I can remember, it is the first time he sees his reflection in every morning.

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Tommy For this painting of my younger brother, Tommy, I have gone back to using the watercolour paints, as I feel this delivers a much stronger ascetic. The block colours create a bold image, and the smooth detail lacking skin tones provide the painting with a computerised, digital, looking edge. Tommy has not only helped me a great deal with my coursework, always modelling for my photographs, but we are also extremely close. He chose his reflection to be in an Xbox disk, as playing computer games are something he really enjoys as a hobby.

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Myself I once read that if you can photograph yourself, you can photograph anything. Most people, me included, are so critical of their own appearance, and so it is extremely hard to re-create your own appearance without taking each flaw into account and being forced to replicate it onto paper. For these reasons alone, this was one of my most challenging portraits so far. However, I feel it really helped to expand my skills, it made me more aware of the elements that generate an entire face.

I reflected my image into a mirror that stands in my bedroom, as it is the reflection that I see myself in most frequently. It also has a ribbon across the top on which I clip flowers, and hang beads, this I feel is also a representation of my personality, I feel the way in which I work, dress, even speak are reflected in the ideology of a ‘organised chaos’. To an onlooker it may look cluttered, gaudy, miss matched. I am aware the way I speak and write is not always conventional, neither is the way I paint – in the sense that I draw with the paintbrush.

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George George has been a good friend for a number of years, and was happy to model for my reflection photograph. At the time I met up with him to take the images he was debating whether to text his recently estranged girlfriend, and so on the spur of the moment decided to have his reflection photograph taken in the screen of his phone. Although of the images so far, this one was unplanned, I really liked the way it came together and the story behind it. When a general viewer reads the quotes that partner each image in my book, they will not know the entire story behind them, although they may be able to work them out, there is still an air of mystery. This is an aspect I really enjoy. In this case Georges completed image will be a reflection of not only himself, but his mind set at the time of the creation of the image. My image will create a snapshot in time, just like that of a photograph.

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Charlie Charlie is one of my closest friends, but during to us both having work/ attend university during the week, the best time we have to catch up is on a Saturday night when we’re getting ready to go out. This set the perfect scene for Charlie’s reflection. I wanted to capture her in the midst of getting ready; looking into the mirror she always uses to apply her make up.

This painting is slightly different to the others in terms of angle, as her head is not facing the viewer face on. I really enjoyed the challenge of painting from a different angle. It provided me with a whole new perspective when piecing her face together. The eyes no longer sat level, the mouth extended further on one side to the other. However, I was really pleased with my final painting, I feel it resembles her well.

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Beth Beth is another of my closest friends, who I will be backpacking with in the summer. She also takes a Degree in illustration, and is always extremely helpful with advice for my own work. Beth chose her reflection to be in a Kettle, for the simple reasoning that she loves Peppermint Tea. The Kettle provided me with the challenge of bevelling my painting onto the image. This is one of my favourite paintings, I really like the angle, looking down from above, and also the contrasting tones, especially on her forehead.

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SaxSax, who gets his name due to there being three James’ in our group of friends, (James Saxby), has been a good friend for a number of years. Sax’s reflection is in a pair of sunglasses identical to his own. The sunglasses are placed on top of an amplifier as not only is he in a band called ‘Night Never Dies’, but he also DJ’s at ‘Black Sheep Bar’, in Croydon. To the left of the sunglasses is a yellow plectrum. This is the most vital part of the image, as it ties it all together, and is a fantastic representation of sax himself; He traded me the yellow plectrum for a Jagerbomb on a night out. This humorous cheeky side of his personality I think is reflected well within his facial expression. His mouth is not quite a smile, but yet not a smirk, the corners raise ever so slightly, but they don’t reveal too much.

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KarI have known Kar since primary school, and we also attended the same secondary school and college. He is unfortunately in Norway currently, and although couldn’t model for a photograph he chose a spoon, his reasoning being ‘I just love to eat haha!’ This quirky personality trait I feel is reflected well in his huge grin. The thing I found the most challenging in this painting was duplicating his glasses accurately, it was very hard to make them look as though they sat on his face straight.

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RichRich, who I met at university, has been a great friend over these three years of study, and is such an amazing help with advising me with my work. He decided to have his reflection in the screen of a Mac as he spends so much time working on one it has become like his best friend. I am really pleased with this painting. Of them all so far, I think this one bares the greatest resemblance. I have used particularly contrasting tones to create a three dimensional feel to his face, and I feel this works so much better than my earlier paintings myself or Tommy, where the skin remains fairly flat. This is due to a tutorial where I was advised to paint the darker shades first and build up to the lighter shades, leaving anyone brilliant white shades as negative space.

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CarolThis is my aunty, Carol. She has always been a big part in my life, and used to take me on days out to places like London Zoo when I was younger. She had her reflection taken in a mirror in our house while visiting for March Birthdays. Although the reflection itself was not ideal, the event it was taken at reflects a big part of each year. March holds the birthday for my Mum, Dad, Grandad and Aunty and so every year we have a get-together to celebrate them all. Similarly to the painting of Rich I again use fairly contrasting tones to create a more three dimensional feel, I think this really improves the overall quality of the painting.

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ChloeThis is one of my favourite paintings of the set, and is of my good friend Chloe, who I met at university. Chloe is always at hand to help and advise me with my work, and was kind enough to model in a mirror at university. This concept works really well, as the university is the reason for us knowing each other and also the reason for me creating this work, so each serve as a back bone to the other. The reason I think the painting works well ascetically is a combination of her long dark hair framing her face, and also the flat skin tone with a few harsh areas of shade. I also like the fact that she is not looking at the viewer.

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NikkiNikki has been a great help with my work, having an eye for a good photo and also visiting exhibitions with me. Nikki chose her reflection as in a camera lens, as she is always taking photographs, and really enjoys photography. I found this painting really hard to achieve, I found the angle odd to replicate, and her chin hard to round at the correct point. However, I think it is a clear reflection of her, it shows her huge grin, reflecting her smiley attitude.

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dadThis is the second painting of my Dad, the first one I painted appears in the first two drafts of my book. However it did quite fit into the style of the rest of the paintings. Here I have used a much clearer ascetic using the harsh contrasting tones and negative space. My Dad is always helpful with my coursework, letting me use the computer at home as and when I need to. My Dad chose his reflection to be in the wing mirror of his car, as he is a Taxi driver.

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LeaMy cousin, Lea, is like a sister to me, only being two years older we grew up together. Her reflection is in a video called ‘Popskool’ which is something we used to watch on repeat when we were younger. An aspect of this painting I am particularly pleased with is the hair. The hair is the part I always struggle with the most, as it’s very easy to make it look either like a block of colour or like a child’s scribble. Similarly to the painting of Nikki, I struggled with the chin. However, I feel that overall the painting is a good reflection of lea. Her grin like smile and the way her eyes arch, reflect her good sense of humour, and witty personality.

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DevelopmentTo demonstrate how my paintings have developed I have dedicated three pages to the main facial features; nose, eyes and mouth. The images read left to right, top to bottom, and are ordered from my first to last painting.

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Recognisability Although I wanted my illustrations to be a reflection of the person, not an exact replica, I did want them to be recognisable. On this spread I have selected a few of my illustrations and placed them next to a photograph of the person they reflect, to give an example of their general appearance.

Photomontages Over the next few pages are my photomontages, which I created using Adobe Photoshop. The idea of creating a montage is to reflect my two my favoured, and in my opinion most developed skills; Photography and Illustration. It also allowed me to combine my passion of each of these subjects with a good use of Photoshop. In my job at a Photographers I am often asked to edit people’s photographs, which I will expand on within my evaluation. This has extremely improved my photo editing skills, and I felt it was a fantastic opportunity to be able to apply it to my FMP.

I want the images to entice the viewer, to be something that makes them look twice. I want the images to be inviting, to make the audience think about what they are viewing, to consider how and why I created a set of images in this way. In my final book each image is accompanied by the name of the person it features and also a quote or a reason for the reflection from that person. The images each hold a great deal of meaning, the concept of ‘reflection’ weaves in and out of each image. The images should work together as a set, but

ReflectionMethodology 2:

also as individual pieces. I hope that the images also contain a strong enough paradox between illustration and photography, reality, and fiction that they can be broken down even further into the two separate mediums they began as.

I have organized the images in the order I created them, to show the development in my ability to montage the two images together. I have also provided several thumbnail images of the initial photographs I took, and a larger thumbnail of my chosen photograph, to show my selection process.

The first spread shows a selection of photographs of my sketchbook, which demonstrate how I analysed each photograph to determine which one was the most suitable, and why.

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Sketchbook Photographs

Sketchbook Photographs

Grandad

Above: Choosen photograph.Left: Thumbnail images.

Final Image

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Mum

Final Image

Above: Choosen photograph.Left: Thumbnail images.Right: Initial montage.

Dad

Final Image


Tommy

Final Image


Myself

Final Image

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Charlie

Final Image


George

Final Image

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Beth

Final Image

Above: Choosen photograph.Left: Thumbnail images.Right: Initial montage.

Sax

Final Image


Kar

Final Image


Rich

Final Image

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Carol

Final Image


Chloe

Final Image

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Nikki

Final Image


Daniel

Final Image

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Lea

Final Image

Publication I have received and altered two draft copies of my final publication, which is to be a hardback book containing my reflection images and a detailed Prologue explaining exactly why and how I have created the images. My first draft was with ‘Lulu’, I was not happy with the quality whatsoever, the images where printed extremely dark, the pages trimmed leaving an uneven white edge, and the spine text was not even printed correctly on the spine, but so it overlapped onto the cover.

I then sent a second draft copy to ‘Jessops’, the quality of this was fantastic, the only errors I encountered were my own doing. The images were still slightly too dark, but aware of this I can pre-lighten on re-printing. I have applied post-it notes with alterations and amendments to my 2 draft copies and photographed them. My final publication will be printed with Jessops.

Draft

Draft One:Orientation: Portrait

Service: Lulu

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Draft Two:Orientation: Landscape

Service: Jessops

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Publication On the next few pages are photographs of my final publication, and a link to an online digital version. The prologue serves to evaluate and explain my work, and so an extended version is included within my portfolio in the form of an evaluation.

Final

Digital Publication

http://danicollenette.gdnm.org/2012/04/27/reflections-digital/

Click the link below, or copy and paste the web address into the taskbar.

http://http://issuu.com/danicollenette/docs/final_digital_book

Photographs of Final Publication

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BibliographyEvaluation &

Evaluation

My portfolio has led up to the creation of a series of 16 montages, all bound within a publication entitled ‘Reflections’. These montages combine digital Photography with watercolour Illustrations, and aim to highlight my passion for working within both mediums.

The concept behind the theme of reflections is both physical and metaphorical. Physical in its form, as the series of images are all based on a physical reflection.On a metaphorical level, the images demonstrate the concept that an Illustration of a person is only a reflection of them, their physical image and possibly their personality. My aim was to address both levels of reflection within the images. To do this, I asked the subject what they would like to be reflected in, therefore that choice became a reflection of their personality.

According to Collins dictionary, one definition of Illustration is “an example or demonstration”. My series of images are examples or demonstrations of the person they represent, they are not supposed to be direct copies. Illustration allows for distortion just as a mirror does, and so the two complement each other well. As this is the last body of work I will produce within my Degree, reflecting on my past must play a huge part. While studying my past creations and observing what worked well and what did not, I discovered that my two most developed skills went alongside the two subjects I bore the most passion for, Photography and Illustration. I wanted to present a body of work that shone each in an equal light and that also demonstrated a good use of computer software and photograph manipulation.

Over the past two years I have worked in Photographers. This has expanded my ability to use photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. On a daily basis we are asked to tamper with photographs by removing and adding people, removing crease lines, stains and even children’s scribbles. It could often be said that we take photographs as the truth and evidence, but working in a Photographers has shown me how photographs can mask the truth so well. I have been asked to remove ex-husbands and wives from photographs, so it just looked like they were never even there. I have equally been asked to add people to a group who were unable to attend the event where the photograph was taken. In years to come these photographs will be seen and taken as truth, when in fact they are nothing but fictitious Illustrations of the original scene.

However, photograph manipulation is not something that is new to society; it is just that advanced software has made it much more assessable to the everyday person. Photo manipulation dates right back to the Commissar Vanishes and falsification of photographs of Stalin’s Russia, carried out during the 1930’s.

However the majority of people regard photographs, including those within my images, as fact, and my Illustrations as fiction. I believe that creates a strong paradox between reality and fiction, just as it does between Photography and Illustration. A contrast which I believe makes each aspect of the overall image work as a standalone piece. Our eyes allow us to see the image as a whole but also to break it apart.

Tim Enthoven, an illustrator exhibited at this year’s Pick Me Up exhibition at Somerset House, London, enticed me not only by his Illustrations, but also by a quote next to his work. ‘Tim is fascinated by the boundaries between reality and fiction’. Once I had read this, I was able to apply it to his work and could instantly see how his drawings were so technically perfect but still an illustrative reorientation of the initial

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factual object.

The intention of my images is to reflect what I have learnt during my last two years of study and to generate a backbone for my future, post-graduation. While creating these pieces, I also intended to develop and demonstrate a clear style which could be seen across my body of work. I wanted to create something that made my work stand out, as I am aware at how competitive both the Illustration and Photography industries are.

My style developed from a comment that labelled my Illustrations as childlike, or naïve. I know that within my Illustrations, there is a lot of concentration on the eyes and the skin tones. I am also aware that I almost draw with the paint brush – as opposed to painting with it. At first I saw this as something to steer away from, by trying to change the way in which I painted.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to speak with Sarah Beetson at an exhibition in London. I really enjoy her work as it’s not only extremely appealing to look at but I also think that it harbours a lot of meaning and purpose, that demonstrates further than the initial image you are presented with. When I spoke to her, I asked how she determined such a clear consistent style. She replied that it is an extension of her personality, as she is often told she looks like her work and told me that if I illustrated in a way that was personal then I would find my style naturally.

After speaking with her, I realised that by trying to find a style I was making the situation worse for myself. I was forcing it to happen. And so, I decided to go back to my childlike, naïve, paintings as this is what I did naturally when I pick up a paintbrush. Whether it was technically right or wrong, it was my style, and for me that is a lot more important. Sometimes the technical imperfections can be what gives a piece its edge.

I have used watercolour as I love its suppleness; it also suits the fact that my images are often construed as childlike, as watercolour itself is also. I love the way watercolour can allow for harsh lines, but also the smoothing over and softness of subtle tones. It is a delicate, non-intrusive and humble medium, and I feel it compliments my Illustrations well

Another artist whose style I appreciate is Riika Sormunen. She is not only loyal to watercolour, but she also uses flat tones, appears to draw with the paintbrush and also concentrates heavily on the eyes. This often makes them seem larger than in reality and the most noticeable part of the Illustration.

I found a love for watercolour also through experience, and inspiration of other artists work such as Sarah Maycock and David Sparshott. Although each use watercolour in such a different manor. Maycock in large format, using the watercolour as the main highlight of the image and Sparshott to detail parts of ink drawn illustrations, they both utilize watercolour in such a way it loses some of its bonds to childhood.

I also really appreciate Sparshotts portraiture. The harsh ink pen is also something that Beetson spoke of as it allows for your first instinct move and not for the fluffing of pencil lines. This is a medium I would definitely like to develop in the future.

A major concern within my work was finding a clear distinction between the

Photography and Illustration. Generally, Photographers will see the Illustration and Illustrators see the photograph as a distraction from the aspect they should be focusing on. Although I did see how this could be a problem, I saw it more as a hurdle to overcome rather than a wall preventing further travel down this path. Work by artists such as Johan Thörniest and Ben Heine, has not only been a huge inspiration for creating my own work but also a re-assurance that the hurdle can be jumped and landed safely.

I decided the form for my piece was to be bound within a book. When considering books you instantly think of reading it – and that’s exactly what I want people to do, to read my images. This is one reason why I have included a body of text at the beginning of the book as a prologue, rather than accompanying each image separately, so the reader has the of whether to read it at all, and if so, then when and how. A book also allows for each of the images to read together as one book, or separately as individual pages.

I feel that my front and back cover design present the idea of reflections well. It is the side of my face which is featured on the front cover, although you can just see my hair and a hint of my nose. It is although I am looking into the book. The second half of the image, my illustrated reflection, is wrapped round onto the back of the book. It represents the fact that I am metaphorically ‘looking back’. I also feel that the highly coloured and detailed back contrasts well with the front cover. If I was to change something about the cover design, I may lighten the image slightly, as the front cover almost looks black from a distance. However this does contrast well with the white lettering making it very bold and giving it more clarity.

The audience of this work is extremely varied, I like the fact that different genders, age groups, people of different minds and interests will all have the chance to read my book and decipher their own meaning from it. A book that is comprised of mainly images has no language or age barrier, and so my audience range becomes even more diverse.

I wanted to make sure I had a good understanding of the different ways in which I could approach creating portraiture, and so I set about studying ways it had been already been tackled. I first began to look at portraiture throughout history; Painting the Century, a book produced by The National Portrait Gallery was a great help at aiding me to see how portraiture had developed and changed from the year 1900 to 2000. I also studied portraiture within photography, studying books such as Face by William A. Ewing.

I find visiting Galleries and Exhibitions my most usefully research method, as I enjoy being submerged within the work, to see it hung on the wall as a tangible object. An exhibition of Lucian Freuds work held by Blain Southern, I found to be extremely interesting. I enjoyed not only his work, but also the story behind it. I loved how the work changed and developed as time progressed, how he worked so freely between mediums, his etchings being just as fantastic as his ink and watercolour portraits, and those as brilliant as his acrylic paintings.

I really find quotations helpful when researching a particular subject as they give such a concise view. Jorge Molder once stated; My work is over when I have managed to get beyond the mirror. He wanted to create images that were not a direct copy, he wanted to create a reflection, an image that represents them – but is not them.

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However, of course this is just my reading of his quote. These are some other quotes I found particularly interesting; ‘Why you’ve even stolen my face; you know it and I don’t’ Jean-Paul Sartre, 1944. ‘To make a portrait, it is not enough to reproduce the proportions and forms of the individual with mathematical accuracy; it is also, above all, necessary to understand and represent the intentions of nature manifest in the individual, saving and improving them’ Andre Adolphe Eugene Disderi, 1862‘I am visable, I am image’ Jean Baudrillard, 1993

Jean Wearing created a set of images where the subjects each held a sign. With this in mind I also began to photograph people holding a written piece. Directly before I took the photo I would ask them a question such as ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Who are you?’, and I told them they were free to write anything they liked. This allowed me to find a link between what they had openly written, and their inner thoughts and feelings. To find a link between what they were comfortable showing, and what they couldn’t help but show in their facial expression.

When both creating and researching portraits I look for emotions, facial expressions and body language. I also looked further than the person the portrait contained, how objects and the surrounding affected the overall image, how there are so many aspects that influence the overall perception of the image. I wanted to be able to see into the picture, I wanted to see a story embedded within the image, just as Roland Barthes describes in Camera Lucida, when searching for the photograph of his mother.

He talks very deeply and with much detail about the validity of a photograph in his search for a photograph of his mother. He is looking for an image that is not an empty shell, he is looking for what he describes as a specific photograph which in effect, is never distinguished from its referent (what it represents).Barthes discusses the almost. He cannot find his mother within the photographs, just fragments of her, the images are only partially true and therefore totally false. He describes the images as being dream like in substance, he always dreams of an image of her, but it is never quite her. A statement Barthes makes that possibly relates to a great deal of family photographs is: my mother lent herself to the photograph again re-instating how she is not actually there.

It is in Chapter 28 Barthes finds this photograph, the one he has been searching for:All this had transformed the photographic pose into that untenable paradox which she had nonetheless maintained all her life: the assertion of a gentleness.

You can almost hear his sigh of relief but equal excitement at finding the photograph he had been looking for, he has finally found an image not of his mother, but that is his mother. For once photography gave me a statement as certain as remembrance. Barthes relationship with photography up until this point had been disappointing, although I have no doubt about the fact he appreciates the aesthetic qualities photography can present, he was yet to find an image that satisfied him.

An interesting aspect of the text is that the reader is never presented with this photograph of his mother. It is interesting to think that every reader will picture it in a different way. For Barthes this image provides him with wholeness. It replaces a very small part of loss we feel when someone close passes away.

For me this is a perfect example of how an image can contain so much more than just visual content. This is what I look for within an image, this story, this reasoning for its existence, and this is what I also want to reflect within my own work.

Elizabeth Peyton entitled her first book of portraiture, Live Forever. For me the title alone suggests the raw strength of an image, how you cannot un-see something. Her representations of pop stars, historical figures, friends and relatives will live forever as pencil on paper, paint on canvas, bound within a book, and imprinted on the minds of the people who view them.

Portraiture has always fascinated me as a person’s face is their main identifier. Working in the photographers I have taken hundreds of passport photos, hundreds of faces all with two eyes a nose and a mouth, and yet all so extremely different. Each face tells a story. A passport photo is an exact representation of that person, whereas illustrative portraits contain not only input from the model, but also from the artist, and so both are reflected within the final image.

When first sketching out a portrait I always consider the parts of the face that make this person recognisable from the crowd. I decide whether it’s the distinct curve in their eyebrow, the height on their mouth, length of their chin, size of their lips and eyes. I decipher their main identifiers from what constructs the general human face.

I am really pleased with the set of watercolour portraits I produced. I feel that they can all be bound together within a style, and are a good reflection of the people they represent. I do however realise I still need to work on my technique and style. I find that as I am initially sketching the person I often manage to distort the face slightly, by making the face too long or wide, or allowing too much space for cheek, forehead or chin. This distortion almost aided the concept of reflection int his case as a mirror often provides a distorted image, such as the image os ‘Kar’ reflected in the back of a spoon, or ‘Beth’ in the side of a kettle. However, for my general illustration, this is something I need to work on.

I picked up many tips from friends and the tutors throughout the time I was creating my watercolours, and I feel these really aided my progress, and there is a clear distinction between those at the behgining with little guidance to those at the end where I have been advised and am also more aware of how to use the watercolours. One of the most helpful hints was to start with the darker shades and buod up to the lighter ones, ultimately leaving any brilliant white areas as negeative space. This was something I hadn’t even considered, and gave a much clearer finish, and my images a more realistic and three dimentional feel.

Over the next few weeks I will be creating a poster to accompany my publication, adapting my work for a gallery space in light of the up coming Degree Show.My intention was to reflect what I have learnt over the course of my degree and also where I aim to be post-graduation. I have aimed for the montages to show equal passion for photography and illustration, a good understanding of each subject, and have hopefully displayed a good skill set within each medium.

I have enjoyed my time at UCA. I feel I have learnt a number of skills which will benefit me greatly within the industry. I feel I will be leaving with a strong portfolio of work, and most importantly a body of work that I am proud of.

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Bibliography

Barthes, Roland, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography 1993Benheine.comBenjaminheine.blogspot.co.ukBlainsouthern.com/exhibitions/2012/lucian-freud:-drawingsDavidsparshott.comDavidshrigley.com/Deller, Jeremy, Exhibition, Hayward gallery, london, 22.2.12 - 13.5.12.Escapeintolife.com/artist-watch/rikka-sormunen/Ewing, A, William, Face, 2006.Famingomagazine.com/we-like-tim-enthovenFreud, Lucian, Exhibition, held by Blain Southern, London, 17.02.12 - 05.04.12Guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/mar/27/gillian-wearing-whitechapel-gallery-retrospectiveGuardian.co.uk/artanddesign/freudGDNM.orgGibson, Robin, Painting The CenturyGoslett, Dorothy, The Professional Practice of Design, 1971 & 1977Huffingtonpost.co.uk/tag/david-sparshottIllustrationweb.com/artists/SarahBeetsonIssuu.comItsnicethat.com/articles/the-graduates-2011-sarah-maycockItsnicethat.com/articles/2943-tim-enthovenItsnicethat.com/articles/whats-on-lucian-freud-portraitsJessops.comLeeuwen, Theo Van & Carey Jewitt, Handbook of Visual Analysis, 2001Lulu.comMorris, Desmond, Gestures, Their orginins and distibution, 1979Newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishesNiedermeir, Karin, Emoticons, 2001Pick Me Up, Exhibition, Somerset House, London.Pondly.com/2011/08/snap-and-draw-johan-thornqvist-94/Riikkas.comSarahmaycock.co.ukSarahbeetson.com/Shaughnessy, Adrian, Graphic Design A Users Manual, 2009Shrigley, David, Hayward Gallery, london, 1.2.12 - 13.5.12.Snarlik.seTate.org.uk/art/artists/gillian-wearing-obe-2648Timenthoven.nlTumblr.comWhitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/gillian-wearing

ExhibitionsWebsitesBooks

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http://danicollenette.tumblr.com/