Final Major Project Evaluation

At the being of this module I was worried I would make the same mistakes as last time I rushed in to a brief not thinking about the outcome, and not expanding briefs to make them have more deliverables and outcomes.
I thought long and hard about some of my briefs, how I could expand them and what I was trying to show and why I wanted to do them. I chose a range of briefs which I could set my own tone of voice for whether it being light hearted and fun to a more serious brief. This has paid off as I have throughly enjoyed and been excited about all my briefs (apart from one), meaning I have strengthened my projects as I have been able to enjoy exploring ways to improve them.
Improving from last term I really think I have understood what I am expected to show, a range of deliverables for one, which I think I have accomplished this term and a lot of development saying how I came to my conclusion why I have done what I've done an the process of getting there. I have enjoyed other parts of briefs which I normally settle for “that will do”, like picking the right typeface for my projects and creating logos which aren't hand drawn for a change has really opened my thought about what I am capable off.

My statement of intent was “a hand drawn investigation in to image and type with a focus on publication and merchandise for popular culture” which hasn't changed throughout the module, I think I could expand on “hand drawn” or even change the word to just “illustrated” and be more clear when using the words "popular culture". Other than that I have unintentionally stuck to my 1^st draft for my statement of intent. In all briefs I have created publication or merchandise and they have all been illustrated. I have been able o research well in to my projects and other influences to.
In my Statement of Intent I mention using a wider range of materials and processes which has not been kept, I have managed to print on to fabric and I have drawn on to coconuts but thats only one brief, every other brief I have used digital print.
I would have really liked to have screen printed my owl t-shirts, which I would blame on my time management and that I found it quick and easier to iron on my designs without thinking about the quality. When really my work would have looked a lot better and my skills would have been broaden if I had screen printed.
I think my strongest project is brief 3- cocoaroma, my starting point was just the coconuts which I thought would be fun to decorate but I think the patterns I drew were my strong point, leaving me to want to do more and make anything I could out of them. I didn't rush anything in this brief, the packaging I created isn't up the the highest standard but only because the stock used wasn't correct, which I did experiment with, but I have developed my skills in designing packaging in this brief. In the real industry I think the packaging would have worked better. I have taken a new pleasure in designing logos which I used in Cocoaroma and Brief 1- Parliament. I spend a long time trying out typeface's and realise there is a typeface out there for everything you just need to find it and then adding to the typeface, whether it be my own illustrations or a pattern on photoshop, creating this properly an not hand drawing them has made my work more professional when applying it to other products. Although I should have been using indesign from 1st year I have only just really started this last term which isn't good as I have found I need to use it al the time, but this is a new skill I have to offer now.
I defiantly see an improvement to the way I work from last term. I have been making sure what I am doing is important and that I am not wasting time making something that isn't necessary, making a list of things to do has helped as after writing what you need to do down you never forget. A timetable has been used more than it ever has been which I can see is really beneficially now and has kept me on track by knowing how long I have left to do thing. I find setting myself tasks and not stopping until it is done has instead of coming back to it and then only half doing it properly, this is something I need to do in the future.
I believe my weakest brief was brief 4- fashion cards, I chose this after I had just found out I had a placement at hallmark cards, but they would like me to send them some work which "isn't so scary, and more suitable for Hallmark". However I rushed in to this brief and started aimlessly drawing some girls which I ended up hating and would be only be able to expand in one way which didn't interest me. After delaying it I finally had to get going, and after a lot of trial an error I ended up liking my work a lot better, it is defiantly not me and not what I want to be doing, but if in the future I get handed a brief that I dont like I will be able to manage or make myself like it. I guess this brief was valuable as I may need to expect this when going to Hallmark.
I have covered a range of subject in my briefs and used different styles in each one which is beneficial for my portfolio. I am pleased with all the outcomes and deliverables of each project even brief 4, I think a main part in this has to be thinking about each brief in depth before I start and making sure it is something I am interested in.

Brief 2- Vogue illustrated boards

Open publication - Free publishing - More brief

I really enjoyed brief 2, I spent a lot of time and effort making sure I was very precise with my illustration and with the background images as I wanted it to look amazing. I found the whole of the brief interesting, I normally only really enjoy the drawing part but I really enjoyed taking photos and editing the colours and placing my illustrations in. 

I have made quite a few mistakes and trial and errors but I think this has helped me to create the best I could do.

However I wanted this magazine to be massive, with a different illustration on each page and have it the actually size of Vogue. I didn't realise just how long that would take, so I chose 3 designers and used the illustration I drew more that once in the magazine, making it 20 pages long. 

I think an area for improvement in my magazine is the front cover. I am happy with the colours, they did not come back different than what I expected. I am unhappy that I dont think the cover and the back page match the rest of the magazine. I think maybe a photograph would have worked better as that is how the rest of the magazine looks.

I hand drew my type which I think works as it matches the illustrated girls. However there is no other type throughout the magazine. I did say it was not about type and how I wanted it all to be illustrations and photos, I should have tried and see what i would have looked like, but I didn't know what information to put in as it wasnt about the designers, it was about me as an illustrator. 

Aswel as the magazine I created proposal for the next few issues and also mocked up advertisement and products you can buy. I would have liked to make something else which you could physically pick up. 

Brief 2 Vogue illustrated development boards

Open publication - Free publishing - More boards

vogue photos

Open publication - Free publishing - More magazine

Catwalk illustrations

As the illustrator for each Vogue Illustrated Magazine will be designing their images before the actual magazine and getting their inspiration from designers collections, they could look at the designers collections before and their logo could be used on the catwalk for each of the designers

advertising the first magazine

New Magazine

My new magazine came and I am  so much more happy with it. 

The cover looks a lot better

Other Vogues

Created 3 other cover for Vogue Illustrated with other fashion illustrators which would come out every month after my 1st issue.

Limited prints and frame

limited addition prints would be able to be ordered from the actual Vogue and be sent out to the orderer.

The images they order would only be available for a month and change each month as each illustrator changes.

my new magazine

In my new magazine I hade added double pagespreads as this is what they do in the real Vogue.

This will make my magazine fit in to context with Vogue

Open publication - Free publishing - More illustration

New front cover

Changing the front cover to look more like the cover of the real vogue magazine.

Put the writing behind the head. This was to make it look more like Vogue. Vogue doesn't always hide the type but commonly do. This will make mine seem more like the real thing

Having the writing inline and not covering important parts of the picture.

The magazine

I sent off a pdf for my magazine to be made at dox direct. I am really happy with the inside as I looked at a real Vogue. The real magazine is full of pages of adverts with no writing on which is basically what I have done. I think I need to add a few extra things in to the inside of the magazine. I am not happy with the front cover as it does not fill the page, but this can be change quite easily.

promotional poster

Advertising poster for Vogue Illustrated

This poster would come about a month or more before the 1st issue of Vogue illustrated in put in to the magazine.

These promotional posters would be found in the magazine, bus stops, buses, website and facebook page. 

A new artist would be announced on the website each month before their addition to the magazine. 

Each illustration designer would have to look at the Vogue they would be published in and take three designers collections like I have done and interoperate the fashion designers collection in their own unique  way.  

Vogue Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More vogue

Vogue so far

I think the trip to whitby was a very good idea, I have all my photographs and images drawn. A few things have been a trial and error, I was really hoping my Vogue girls would look good cut out and made self standing with me taking photographs of them, however it didn't go as planned, the images lost detail and i found it really hard to make them self standing without the stand looking bad, I tried to cover the stand with a scarf.
I'm happy I tried this out but I do prefer the images photoshoped as i can make them different sizes and play around with the colours of the background.
I now need to make my magazine by looking at how the real vogue layout is. This needs to be really good or it will not look like it is part of vogue.
 I have ben looking at afew and have noticed how there are a lot of double page spread which I will need to make. The magazine if full of adverts and then pages of imges where to buy clothes from and interviews with people. However Vogue illustrated wont be a magazine with information in it so there will be no writing, it is all about the months illustrator interpretation of the designers collects.
I need to make advertisement for my magazine, and maybe a launch party. I will also need to show how the next few issues could look.

Whitby Photographs

Even though I liked the pictures that I had taken in the basement for my soft goths I had the chance to go to Whitby for the day. I think Whitby Abby is perfect for the soft goths as it is the home of Count Dracula.