EVALUATION - What is a line?

Evaluation for 'What is a line?'

From starting this project I had an idea for my direction but found my focus changing and growing throughout. Starting with trees, and how age is determined by lines within the trunk, I began looking at E.H Shepard and her approach to illustrative designs and producing my own studies in her style first my drawing one of her illustrations from a 'Winnie the Pooh' novel, then by finding an image of a tree and doing the same. I soon felt at a loose end, my line drawings were just that, I didn't particularly relate to my initial idea of lines determining age, but I did enjoy producing the line drawings I did. I felt this could be a new direction, but keeping a main focus on nature and plants within it.

I began taking trimmings from a relatives garden, to set my self up on a table with pencil, pen and paint and producing a range of studies in the style of E.H Shepard, which had my own distinctive style within. I had a vast majority of observation and began to categorise them into shrubs and border plants.

After speaking to a few relative, my grandparents soon enough gave me much information about each of the plants I was drawings, noting these down I soon felt it would be appropriate to really use this information to my advantage, my making my final outcome some kind of educational, informative item.

I drew up a few idea's. initially mocking up a poster, but found the information needed to be individualised to be made useful. I soon came up with the idea of creating playing card designs, and from that simple informative cards. With two sets of cards I felt another gardening element would make my final product that bit more useful. I started drawing gardening equipment, in a different format, giving a range to my designs. I produced very simple line drawings, paired with information about the equipment and how to use it.

With three sets of cards, I felt packaging would benefit the presentation and use of my product; I created a simple, yet sophisticated packaging to hold my cards.

Overall I am quite please with my outcome, although I felt I could have pushed forward and explored the idea of creating playing cards further. My research was most helpful and relevant to what I wanted to achieve. I feel there is defiantly an audience and use for my product. To take this forward, I could produce more species to add to my collection, and perhaps more area's within gardening, perhaps a hide on how to plant and maintain your garden. 

MODULE SUBMISSION FORM - What is a line

MODULE SUBMISSION FORM

Steohanie Lawson

OUGD104

VISUAL LANGUAGE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: TUESDAY 26^TH APRIL 2011- 1PM

THEMES/SUBJECT & RATIONALE

For my 'What is a line?' project I began by exploring the theme of lines within nature, focusing of how lines depict age within tree's. I felt the ideas of producing line drawings of trees to be a good focus but soon began to district myself in subject matter focusing on plants in general rather than just tree's. I began collecting trimmings of plants and shrubs from a relatives garden of which I started producing many observational studies, finding much inspiration for my style and approach to these through my research; the illustration artist of 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'Wind and the Willows' was a main resource for me. I became comfortable using watercolour paints and pen, using a series of lines to create shape, texture and shadow within my studies.

After doing a series of observational studies I found my direction to be relating to gardens and gardening. I had noted down the species and information about the characterises of plants and shrubs I had drawn, dividing the plants into two area's, shrubs and border plants. I soon decided to create some kind of gardening kit, which would hold a plant identity pack. Feeling this wasn't quite enough to be considered a 'pack' I drew some gardening tools, taking on a different drawing style; simpler line drawings. I also noted down what the equipment was to be used for and how.

From this I had 3 sets of observational drawings, that of common border shrubs, common garden shrubs, and gardening equipment, each with useful information. I decided on creating informative cards to be placed inside a packaging sleeve to create a 'your garden' pack. A basic kit on getting to know and identify elements within your garden.

Blogs up to date: COMPLETE

Work labelled as briefed: COMPLETE

Work submitted in appropriate format: COMPLETE 

Self-Evaluation Completed and posted to blogs as briefed: COMPLETE

I confirm that all work submitted is my own and am aware of the colleges Plagiarism Policy and that all work submitted has been appropriately labelled, formatted and tested.

STUDENT SIGNATURE

Stephanie Lawson

DATE

25/04/11

END OF MODULE SELF EVALUATION - OUGD104 - Visual language

End of Module Self-Evaluation

Stephanie Lawson

OUGD104

VISUAL LANGUAGE

BLOG ADDRESS: www.sl-lawson1013.blogspot.com

1.    What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I believe I have really experimented within scale and size within this module, being shown how to produce a hot dog fold book I did find most useful, I was able to develop the design into my own when creating designs for the book fair.

2.    What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

Throughout this module I have found myself doing more and more primary research, as It has been the most useful resource to me when producing designs. By going out and actually doing something in direct relation to work really gives me more motivation and drive and a variation to my work. 

3.    What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I feel my work has a strong personal and useful element ;each of my products have had a precise and direct audience. I use a range of materials throughout my work, sometimes combining many along with a mixed approach to materials used. It gives a real mix and range to my work.

4.    What weakness can you identify in your work and how will you address these more fully?

I tend to use a lot of hand drawn elements throughout all of my designs, I feel I need to experiment more with media and materials in order to find other approaches in which I enjoy. 

5.    Identify five things you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1.   Experiment more with media and materials

2.    Be more abstract and unexpecting in my deliverables

3.    To write and analyse more along the way

4.    Try to stick with my idea, don't step away from it right at the end

5.    Work more digitally

7.    How would you grade yourself on the following areas?

5 - excellent     4- very good    3- good            2 - average       1 - poor

Attendance                                                      5

Punctuality                                                      5

Motivation                                                       3

Commitment                                                   4

Quantity of work produced                             4

Quality of work produced                               4

Contribution to the group                                4

VISUAL LANGUAGE - Re written brief - Take 2

Brief:
Exploring lines in accordance to nature, and in approaching direct observations.


Considerations:
What medium I want to work in, wether it be digital, or simple line drawings. What size am I working to?


Target Audience:
Those wanting to know / learn about gardening


Tone of voice:
Factual


Background:
A range of common plants and equipment found in a garden, and information about each.

Mandatory requirements:
Completed on time, visual investigation and research.


Deliverables:
Notes book / Sketchbooks
Visual Work

WHAT IS A LINE - Re-written brief and action plan

Written by myself


Brief:
Exploring lines in accordance to nature, and the way in which lines within tree's are used to determine age.


Considerations:
What medium I want to work in, wether it be digital, or simple line drawings. What size am I working to?


Target Audience:
Depends on how I approach my tone of voice.


Tone of voice:
Playful or serious in factual Information


Background:
The science behind lines and makings within tree trunks, and how they define age.


Mandatory requirements:
Completed on time, visual investigation and research.


Deliverables:
Notes book / Sketchbooks
Visual Work

Written by Ben

Brief:

One can predict the age of tree's through lines. Explore this visually.

Considerations:

Hand crafted / Stitched method or a digital outcome should be considered.

Target Audience:

Maybe children learning about tree's?

Tone of voice:

Playful

Background:

Lines can be found in everything. Nature is an aspect of the world where lines are everywhere. In nature lines, it can be very informative, e.g trees, lines, show age.

Mandatory requirements:

Completed on time and to the best of you potential.

Visual investigation and research.

Deliverables:

Note / book / sketchbook

Visual work; photography?

This exercise really helped me to determine what approach I wanted to take. I decided Ben's idea of creating an educational children book was wonderful and achieve able. I thought using lines drawings of the life process of a tree, with short statements would be a a good idea, as it would be aesthetically pleasing to a child's eye, as well as providing an educational element.

Action Plan:

Action: 

Week 1: Research where and how lines contribute to nature. The science behind accurately ageing a tree. Start drawing.

Deadline : 29 / 03 / 11

Week 2 : Research life cycle of a tree. Start visually documenting the life of a tree.

Deadline: 03 / 04 / 11

Week 3:

Consider an appropriate medium, Experiment with sewing, drawing, and digital work. Mock up pages.

Dealine: 10 / 04 / 11

Week 4: Get going. Start producing final outcome.

Deadline: 10 / 04 / 11

Week 5: Final / print final outcome

Deadline : 24 / 04 / 11




This exercise really helped me to understand how to go about doing things, to plan my time and make the brief achievable. I could follow this plan very easily, and as it's broken down, it means I can really concentrate on the action at hand.

VISUAL LANGUAGE - Photography - Final prints

Taking what I has learnt from the photography induction, I decided to plan ahead of my photoshoot. I bought some tissue paper I had experimented and found it to be a good light filter, I had collected a few other items and materials which create a textured or abstract lighting effect when placed over or near a bulb. 

After collecting an arrangement of orange items I started photographing them, finding a few to work better than most. From my objects I found textured objects to be most effective. A ribbon being the final object I worked with due to it unrestricted movability; I could manipulate it's shape to what ever I felt best.

Photographing 'Orange' Objects

My Chosen ten

I focused on just one of my objects, an orange ribbon. I felt it had a lot of variety, shape and shadow. I could do a lot more with it than anything else. It almost suggests movement. I focused on getting harsh contrasting lighting between light and dark. Using a spotlight to create shadow.

I really like my final photos, the harsh lighting works really well and in some I have used the light itself as subject matter; it gives a sense of proportions and adds an element of drama to the images. Some of the photos are intentionally blurred to create a sense of movement. 

VISUAL LANGUAGE - What is a line - Final pieces

The final pieces for my 'your garden' pack:

I decided on this style of packaging due to its inside presentation, it holds my cards in place, in a formal, professional sense and has the ability to categorise them into 3 area's, without there being any dividers (which I feel helps with the continuos flow of the designs)

VISUAL LANGUAGE - What is a line - Packaging

Using some inspiration from an existing design on my context blog, I decided to manipulate it to create my own. I used the size of my cards as a guide, each were to sit side by side with 0.5cm space between each, the sides both height and width coming into contact with the sides of the packaging. Here is my net:

It currently has no wings, as I decided to add them on afterwards cutting and sticking (due to my A4 printer, the wings were unable to fit). 

I scored, cut, stuck and put together the final packaging:

I kept it fitting with the designs of my identity cards, wanting continuity throughout. I used the same font, word alignment and monochrome colour palette.

VISUAL LANGUAGE - What is a line - Playing cards

After finding a few playing card designs I liked, I thought it would be a lovely idea to create my own educational gardening cards directed at an audience of keen gardeners or those simply wanting to know a bit about a few species. 

As I had three area's in which I have studied and drawn -

Common border plants

Common garden shrubs

Gardening equipment

I felt it would be suitable to keep the divide by producing a set of three playing card pack designs

Here is the 'Common border plants' playing card designs

.....

I decided to go against the idea of producing playing cards, although I feel it was a good idea, I don't feel I have the time or materials to complete them to a high standard. It's one of those 'wish I'd had this idea earlier'.