Becky Scarborough

EGRD3014 Independent Practice Research, development & critical evaluation

Final piece experimentation

When my final illustrations were almost complete and I was adding the finishing touches, I discovered how interesting they looked with light shining through them (from my light box). I like that there is added texture to the pieces, rather than them being flat drawings.

Other techniques I used where Pro-markers to add colour, and they turned the paper semi-transparent, adding more vibrance.

I never want to draw another feather!

Even though there are four illustrations as part of my final piece, one clearly stands out as the favourite. This was apparent when selling them as postcards at ‘No Added Sugar*’. I sold more of my ‘flock’ postcards than any of the other illustrations.

I was happy about this as this illustration alone took me a week to complete. I have never spent so much time on one piece of work before, and although it was extremely tedious, it was well worth it!

Safety in numbers - final piece idea

This is where I thought of my idea for my final piece(s). I changed track slightly from what I was doing beforehand.

I began to think more about how animals migrate in groups, usually for safety reasons. This then led me to research ‘collective nouns’ used for specific groups of animals, such as flock, herd, school (etc). I chose a selection of animals making sure I had a variety of animals that travel by either land, sea or air.

I thought I could illustrate these terms using the patterns for each animal, rather than the whole animal itself, which is more obvious. I felt that this idea was more sophisticated to what I was doing before, and would be aimed to an older audience because they would know what the terms mean, to then associate them with the patterns.

Final piece development - combining text and image

One goal I set myself at the beginning of this project was to combine more text and image. I normally shy away from using words in my work for some reason, and feel I could portray clearer meaning with text. I began to take some of the letters from each collective noun I was illustrating, and experimenting with how each pattern could sit inside.

Crazy concertina

This is where I was before the formative assessment. I wasn’t convinced any ideas I had to this point were strong enough to exhibit (at No added Sugar*). However they did all help me develop an idea that I was finally really pleased with.

There was a particular book that inspired me from the Small Publishers Fair; it was a concertina with a difference. I got home and decided to replicate it, whilst realising how interesting and versatile the format is there were

several different ways of opening it and viewing what content could be inside, making it quite abstract.

I struggled to design the content to fit the format of the book, as usually the content comes first and then the format is designed around this . So I began by keeping it quite simple and illustrating birds in flight, migrating for the winter.

Flying south for Winter

From doing some secondary research on animal migration I came across a video on youtube about a flock of starlings (see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-groCeKbE&feature=player_embedded)

I found this really inspirational and was amazed by the patterns of their formations but also the sheer volume of birds. I drew the different wingspans of a starling in flight so that I could make some sort of animation / flip book.

I decided to practise my bookbinding skills further and make a hardback book, using starlings as my content. I had wanted to make a book with proper content (as apposed to notebooks) for a while, so this was the perfect

opportunity for me to experiment. The main reason for me doing this was to teach myself pagination and printing out a book using InDesign.

I was happy with the result, and I learnt a lot from doing it. I realise that the book itself does not convey much of a substantial message, however I see it as more of an experiment to teach myself a new skill.

I was at the time thinking of ways to give this more meaning to develop the idea into something more final and reproducible.

To see the book in Issuu format go to:

http://issuu.com/beckyscarborough/docs/flying_the_nest

Great Migrations

As I was continuing to look into Autumn as my theme I then realised how everything I was looking at was very obvious. I wanted to concentrate on something less apparent, but possibly still nature related. From taking a step back and brainstorming ‘Autumn’ I came up with the idea of migration and hibernation — a fascinating thing that animals do to prepare for the winter.

I bought the latest issue of National Geographic, where they are currently doing a feature called ‘Great Migrations’. I thought the subject was really interesting, so I started to interpret some of the facts from the magazine in my own way. I illustrated some of the main animals that migrate,

by air, land and sea (as they all have their own ways to navigate to their new habitat). I then made a couple of collages from these, bringing in selected information.

I was happy with the direction this was going until I realised I was targeting at the wrong audience. It was going down the route of being something educational for children, which was not what I wanted to do.

I left this idea behind, but I ended up taking aspects of it into my final ideas with relation to the different types of animals that migrate, and how they travel differently in groups.

Theme: Autumn

The main theme that I wanted to work with for this project was Autumn. My work is usually very nature inspired and this ‘season’ is arguably my favourite.

To begin with I took photos for primary research. I went to Epsom common on a “particularly Autumny day” and found lots of toadstools. I decided to take some photos using a fish eye lens, as I had never used one before and really liked how these images created little spherical worlds.

When I got home I did some observational drawings from my photos and then experimented with putting the illustration back into the photo.

Fanzine

I really enjoyed spending the day making a Fanzine. I decided to use Autumn as a theme as the day before I had taken some photos of fallen laves; and they were the most amazing colours. I used a combination of illustrations and prints that I had already made but not used for anything, photographs, and images taken from an Autumn issue of Vogue. I like the idea of bringing nature and fashion together.

Looking back at this now I realise that it’s not really a Fanzine, but more of an actual book. It would be harder to reproduce (photocopy) as I used a lot of colour and texture. If I was to make another Fanzine in the future I now know how it’s supposed to be, and how I could improve.

Creative Thing no.3

Writing is not one of my strong points, especially about things I am unfamiliar with. Analysing this book by John Bentley was really interesting and I’m glad I got this object to analyse. As my writing was not very strong, I decided to put more effort into the presentation. So I turned it into a pamphlet. This meant it was also fitting with the object itself. The brief was to design the analysis on one side of A4 – so I didn’t break any rules.

From visiting a few book fairs over this project, I got to meet John Bentley and talk to him. It was interesting to put a face to a name after doing so much research into his work for this brief.

Get Lost

For my ‘do something you’ve never done before’ brief I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone by not planning. I went on a spontaneous day out, by myself, not knowing where I would end up. I turned up at Epsom train station, closed my eyes and pointed to a letter on the ticket machine. I had picked stations beginning with the letter H. I scrolled through the H’s and ended up going to Horsham for £6.

This was an exciting experience, however it didn’t go quite to plan (although I guess that was the point). I ended up getting annoyed waiting around for trains, which I wouldn’t have had to do if I planned ahead. Also Horsham was not a very exciting place to explore on my own. I learnt a lot about myself and how I work, and would like to take more risks in the future, but organised ones!

(For a reminder of the video of me ‘getting lost’ go - http://www.bscarborough.gdnm.org/2010/10/18try-something-new-today/)

Becky’s Big (3 minute) Art Attack

It was hard to think of something to do for the 3-minute video. I wanted to do something on a larger scale, and quite active to challenge myself. I kept thinking about linking it in with the Autumn theme I was working with on other projects. I could use nature as the resources and materials for a large piece of art.

I set up a camera on the roof and filmed myself making a big collage of an owl out of leaves, stones, coal, string, compost and whatever I could get my hands on. I had never done any filming or editing before so this certainly was a challenge, but a very fun one.

(For a recap of my three minute video go to - http://www.bscarborough.gdnm.org/2010/10/13/three-minutes/)

Evaluation: Independent Practice

When I first conjured up three proposals the main focus seemed to be to make a book(s) with content, message and meaning. I found that I needed substantial content and an idea before I could decide upon a final execution of the project. In the end I didn’t make a book, as it wasn’t appropriate for the work I ended up creating.

At the beginning I struggled with the theme I gave myself as I found it too literal and I wasn’t thinking outside the box. I believe that all the failures and dead ends I had in this project led me to a really strong final outcome that I am proud of. Doing ‘No added sugar*’ aided this as I was under pressure knowing that my work was going to be seen by the public. So I worked extra hard to make it good.

Mid-project I had problems with my message and putting this across to a suitable target audience. I wanted my work to be more than just drawing some birds and putting them in a book. Then I started illustrating animals and combining them with facts about animal migration, which could have been aimed at children, I didn’t want this.

From making the Fanzine I realised how I needed to make my work reproducable. This is still something I need to figure out in terms of bookbinding, however in terms of my final piece(s) this wasn’t a problem as I easily could make 100 copies of postcards.

Although I did find it hard at points of this project, mostly to do with finding the theme I gave myself was too limiting, I am really happy with how everything has gone. I would like to repeat a lot of what I have done for my FMP, in terms of making products to give my work more depth and skill.

Final Major Project: Proposal

Working title/theme: Habitat

My proposed outcome will be a range of products made using my illustration / craft skills. This could be anything from prints and books to accessories fashion and home. (Depending what route the project takes).

From exploring animal migration for my Independent practice, I have decided to progress this theme into habitat. I want to begin by exploring both animal and human habitats, and then I can research a variety of things such as animal survival and adaption techniques to human habitat and living space.

This theme excites me, as there is so much to be explored, which is good considering the length of the project. I would begin by researching the theme and what the word ‘habitat’ means – both for animals and humans, before experimenting with my findings.

My intended audience would remain the same, concocting of Illustrators, crafters, bookmakers and lovers, ‘arty-farty’ people and young adults.

My strengths lay with making things and have thoroughly enjoyed this recently for my independent practice / external positioning. I want to make a range of products responding to the theme of habitat and to externally position in the same way I have been doing (via online shops, gift shops, fairs / exhibitions)