Eleni Kalorkoti

Eleni Kalorkoti came to give a lecture and to chat with us about her work.

I had heard of Eleni's work before and was interested in hearing more about her process in constructing zines. Zines aren't something I've really explored much before, but Kaloroti is the Queen of Zines. Her zines are so beautifully considered and I wanted to know about how she planned and made the images to go inside each issue.

http://www.elenikalorkoti.com/New-York-Times-Op-Ed-1

She talked about the social side of zines, something I had never considered before. Zines are really quite trendy at the moment and she is thriving in this market by selling her work at Zine fairs. She discussed how she has made friends and connections by attending these events. At zine fairs, you can see what other people are making and watch how customers receive and interact with your work.

Anyone can apply for a table at these fairs and she recommended doing so.

She told us how some artists only sell their work at zine fairs, but she uses both the internet and these events. It is a personal connection and transaction that occurs between author and reader and this makes the product even more special. I've never bought work at a zine fair but I would love to go to one and to see the artist in person before purchasing their work.

Kalorkoti started making zines after graduating and committed her practice to making one zine a month for an entire year. I was really shocked at the pace of her work, but this intense practice has really benefited her as an illustrator - pushing her to create quickly and make illustrations for an audience (her customers). She showed us how she progressed and learned more about illustration by doing this challenge; we watched her zines and her visual signature evolve from her first to her most recent zines. It's great that Eleni herself can notice the difference and it is evidence that she has learned and developed through the process.

It would be great to do a similar task, but maybe not quite as intense! Although she did sell the zines, Eleni admitted that these zines were for her own fun. She wanted to make work that she was interested in. This should be a project that allows me a little freedom.

The themes of each issue are based on Kalorkoti's current interests: witches, disco music, plants etc. It's brilliant to see her passion seeping into her drawings and know that she drew these things because she felt 'obsessed' with them. This is such a human trait, it is humbling to acknowledge that this fantastic illustrator fangirls over things too!

http://www.elenikalorkoti.com/Good-Witch-Bad-Witch

The thing I love most about Kalorkoti's work is her use of texture. Her monochrome work, in particular, demonstrates a tangible quality. Her illustrations might be flat and often quite simple, but they are full of information as the result of texture. This information creates interest. 

Her characters and outfits are very interesting in the illustration featured above, with distressed tones of grey communicating noise through their fuzzy textures. 

She briefly mentioned selling things at the right price since she felt she had been taken advantage of in her first paid comission after graduating... 10 colour illustrations for £100 is not enough. Just because it is your first job, don't accept any old job and don't undersell yourself! You know what you are worth.

Someone asked what kind of work she gets and why she thinks that clients come to her. Eleni said that it's mostly editorial work that she is given and that she thinks it's because they want something a bit deeper than just a literal interpretation of the words. Her clients are looking for images to add interest to their content, not just spell it out.

Kalorkoti is doing really well in the industry and is making fantastic work. She is quite well known and respected, so I was a little shocked and worried when she said that sometimes she doesn't get work. This is a successful illustrator, and even for her it isn't easy!

On this note, Eleni then told us about how low the job can make you, being rejected feels like a piece of you is being rejected too. Illustration is entirely personal and it is difficult not to take a rejection to the heart.

http://www.elenikalorkoti.com/Post-Its

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, you make your own job! According to Kalorkoti, illustration is literally a made up job and you do what you want with it. It is the best job in the world because it is whatever you want it to be. 

I was desperate to ask her a question at the end.

I was the only Level 4 student to ask a question. I asked whether she often used reference in her drawing and where she got it from. Such a dull question, but I wanted to know even more about her working process - yes, these are the things she likes to draw, but where does she begin? Is it completely random doodles or are they based on something real?

Yes, she uses reference and it is mostly by taking photos of herself. She sometimes uses Google to find a picture of something, but will also go on trips to find the real thing and study it.

Eleni's lecture was really inspiring, and not just in that generic way that you call things you see on pinterest 'inspiring', 'ooh I am so inspired by this hairstyle'. 

She made me reconsider my definition of illustration. 

She told us things that terrified me.

She said things that had me smiling for the rest of the day. I have all of this ahead of me!

REBEKA CAPUTO PUPPETS

Rebeka Caputo's 'HAG' Puppet was on display in our college as part of the Curator's choice.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMyQSwWWgAEBGj0.jpg

First reaction: Weird.

I kept walking past it and feeling a bit odd... this weird hag puppet just sat inside a glass box. It felt out of place and very unnerving. I LOVE IT.

It's haunting and creepy.

Is it from a performance? How does it move? What is it made from?

Etsy Update

I've been accepted to join Etsy Team Leeds

In an attempt to build my knowledge of Etsy and engage with the professional online community, I requested to join Etsy's Team Leeds. This is a group of makers and practitioners working in the Leeds area who share information and hold regular events in relation to their Etsy produce.

I'm not sure how difficult it is to get into the team or whether they accept everyone who applies, but I was really pleased to be accepted into the team and to join the group.

Hopefully this step in my professional practice will expand my audience reach and provide me with valuable advice from fellow practitioners.

Feedback

I've received my first ever Etsy feedback and it has given me so much motivation to continue making. To receive such lovely reviews about my creations as products gives me so much confidence in my practice. I'm really proud of these reviews and I hope that these will help to build a professional standard for my shop.

Christmas Market

I was planning on holding a stall at a Christmas market in Ripon but the organisers messed me around with insurance and figures. They got the numbers wrong and then told me I had to get the insurance myself which was going to be very very costly.
So I'm not doing it and I am so disappointed, but I didn't have time to get things ready by this point anyway but hmm.
Next year I'm going to look into Christmas markets much earlier and book a table somewhere better with more footfall and accurate figures.
I'm going to start making stock MONTHS in advance.

Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JayStellingDesign

I've set up my own Etsy store in order to manage my professional practice. I want to sell my dolls and illustrations as products for clients and customers.

I've made three sales this week! I've sold these dolls before but only to people in my town who have asked for them, Etsy makes everything seem much more official.

Karly Perez

[Images Sourced: http://www.karlyperez.com/dolls.html]

I was initially drawn to these unusual dolls by Karly Perez on Pinterest because of their aesthetic - creepy, macabre, weird… The proportions of the dolls are distorted and their limbs are joined by strings, making the dolls posable but not anatomically correct.

Perez deliberately makes these dolls look weird and disproportioned. I think that this is a visual signature that Perez aims for, a recognisably strange and disturbing translation of characters. It is something that art and doll collectors identify as her 'style' and something that I was drawn to on first viewing them. They're not like anything else I've ever seen - why? Why do they look this way?

The fact that these dolls are so carefully crafted and handmade makes them really delicate and beautiful. Even though these are not drawings, they are illustrations to me. They are shapes and lines, combined and constructed into a model. These creations have the potential to be a lot more than any drawing can be: they can be dressed and repositioned, they can be placed in different situations.

A drawing is only ever one static thing, whereas a model or a doll is many things, depending on how it is captured.

Perez does not make these dolls just for herself or for her artwork, she makes them for profit too. These dolls exist as products and are sold on Etsy. Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade products and artwork. 

"All of my dolls are handmade. As such, there are slight imperfections to each one. This is what makes them truly unique and one of a kind. My dolls are pieces of art and not toys. They are not meant to be played with, their hair is not meant to be brushed, and their clothes are not meant to be changed. "

[Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/karlyperezdolls/policy?ref=shopinfo_policies_leftnav]

The hand of the artist can be felt in these dolls because every stitch is made by hand. Each doll is hand-painted and like an original painting, these one of a kind dolls are valued in a similar way. Every doll is a piece of her and a physical object from her studio. The dolls are considered as collectables and are sought after by doll and art collectors.

"While each mimic is technically identical, please be aware that there may be very slight differences between individual dolls. This is due to each doll being hand painted and some of the clothing being hand sewn and stained as well as varying imperfections within the cast (small air bubbles, etc)."

[Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/karlyperezdolls/policy?ref=shopinfo_policies_leftnav]

She makes casts of her models and creates multiple 'mimics' of the same doll.

I find her process really interesting because she makes unique, one of a kind dolls but also attempts to tackle the issue of time-consuming labour by making these 'mimics'. They could be considered as mass-produced but they are not all identical. They are still all painted by hand and imperfections can be noted from each cast, but this process of making her dolls in a batch is a way in which her practice has industrialised and how she has been affected by working commercially.

Perez's practise has had to adapt to the growing demands of commerce and her products have had to accommodate for such demands too.

These are not dolls, as such. They are not toys. They are miniature artworks and are distributed through photographs or by purchasing an original doll. Owning a doll is owning a work of art. 

I'm really interested in the process of image making as model making. Perez has not conformed to expectations as an image maker and she has been really unconventional with her products. The market of 'art dolls' is a growing industry, with many other artists on Etsy creating similar models, but none are ever the same. Each model maker has their own quality of line, their own process of constructing figures and their own anatomical representation. Each artists' model is authentic to their hand and not the hands of anyone else.

Model making is image making but real. It is physical and much more personal than drawing. It is a way of making illustration tangiable.

Kate Gibb - BigHeads

It was interesting to hear how Gibb was so process driven, finding such enjoyment in the process of screen printing that the act of making it becomes more important than the outcome.

She works with no roughs, a very different way to working than we are being encouraged to. I don't think that this is a professional approach to illustration practice but it does seem to work for her, and her clients are happy to accept that she does not work to roughs.

http://kategibb.co.uk/work.php?s=stussy

Kate Gibb creates work that has value for herself rather than clients, although she admits that in order to make a living, she does have to produce work to suit her client's specifications. This is opposite to the practice of Kyle Webster, whose own work is always client-driven. All of his work is made for a specific brief and he prides himself on his versatility in this area; his ability to transform his illustration for any job.
In this respect, Gibbs's work is a lot more authentic and genuine. There is a real element of her authorship in the work she produces, where as Webster is autonomous. Gibb makes things that she likes and I think that Webster makes things for profit.

The work of Kate Gibb wasn't really my cup of tea. I appreciated the effort and labour of her prints, but they often lacked a purpose or message. She may have a definite subject, such as feminism, but in my opinion, she is just describing the issue rather than stating her opinion within the print. Where is her voice? In the colours she uses perhaps? Maybe the viewer just has to have a more active role and I am too reliant on text telling the rest of the message.
I struggle to define whether her prints should be classed as illustrations or not, as they are images that are made by hand, but are they just pictures? They do illustrate music and they say something more than just a photo could.

Of all the work she showed us, I liked her studio process shots the most. The photos she'd taken of screens in-process or printing medium splattered across a table epitomised her love for the method and the passion she has for making.

http://kategibb.co.uk/work.php?s=the-studio

OUIL 403 End of Module Evaluation

1. Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

• I've adopted a symbiotic approach in which the skills I learn feed into my work across the modules.
• Learning about drawing from observation and reference in visual language has improved my drawing skills and was particularly useful in visual skills Studio Brief 2 (drawing dogs from reference). This has also helped me gain confidence in drawing.
• I've tried to be experimental and expose myself to media/techniques I've not used before (gouache), thus making me a more versatile artist and my work more visually exciting.
• I applied Photoshop skills learned in visual language to V.S. briefs, I found Photoshop really useful in V.S. Studio Brief 3 for adding text and constructing the book jacket template.
• Ideas generation was previously a cognitive task for me, but using sketchbooks has pushed me to create visual ideas on paper. This has helped me to formulate and present my ideas. I exhausted multiple sketchbooks in preparing ideas for V.S. Studio Brief 1.
• Investigating artists in PPP provided me with new ways of making images. In exposing myself to a range of artists (Pinterest), I've broadened my knowledge of artists. I have directed my work by analysing what makes other illustrations successful and using these elements in my own practice.
• Blogging has been really handy to keep my work structured and navigate strategically through each brief. I'm using this regularly to reflect upon my progress.

2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

• I found roughing valuable because it provides a mock-up of each idea, meaning that once a rough has been chosen there is a plan to work from. I'd never used roughing before this module and I'm now using it in every brief.
• I've found experimenting useful because it's encouraged me to be playful and have fun, resulting in solutions I've enjoyed making. Studio Brief 3 is an example of my curiosity dictating a playful approach to the task.
• Research underpinned the majority of my briefs; I've found research valuable because it bestows reference and inspiration. In particular, Studio Brief 1 required a large amount of research into David Bowie that sparked my creative response.
• I've used my sketchbook as a visual diary every day to document ideas. This has been a constant tool for me and I've found it extremely useful in recording my responses.
• I've been challenged by the restrictions and formats of each brief, but think I've benefited from the experience of following instructions and attempting to solve problems. Working with a limited colour palette was a difficult task but I now know that an effective end result can be achieved. These restrictions simplify otherwise complex illustrations and I have transferred this theory across to my work in visual language.

3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these?

• I'm a punctual student and working to deadlines is a strength that I pride myself on. The amount of work I've produced reflects the time and effort I've put into this module.
• I think my passion for illustration is evident in the work I've submitted. I fully engage with every brief because it's what I enjoy doing. My excitement and love of making things/world-building is ever-present.
• I've used my blog consistently and attempted to reflect on my progress throughout this module. 
• 'A willingness to learn' was a peer comment made about my work in the first week. I've made this my mantra and tried to let go of any apprehensions. I've jumped into tasks, even when I've found them challenging.
• I think my submission demonstrates strengths in character design. This is an area of illustration I'm particularly interested in and something that I have explored in several briefs.

4. What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future?

• I'm a perfectionist, sometimes I spend way too long worrying instead of making. I'm tackling this issue because I know I could produce much more work if I stopped being precious about it/ripping out pages that I'm not happy with.
• I write in quite a formal tone when blogging when but I should be having an informal conversation with myself. This consumes more time than it should and by shortening my posts I could create more practical work.
• I'd like to move on to work in A3 sketchbooks because I think A4 has restricted my freedom and the scale of my drawings.
• I need to continue to experiment with media and not settle in my comfort zone.
• I worry about anyone seeing my work. I need to overcome this anxiety because it prevents me from being able to participate properly in group crits.

5. In what way has this module introduced you to the Ba (Hons) Illustration programme?

• I've got to grips with blogging. It seemed complicated to begin with but I know what I am doing with it now and can continue doing this for the rest of the programme.
• I've settled into the routine of University and of using eStudio. I've been inducted to using the college resources and the Library.
• I've learned basic skills that I'll have to use regularly in future modules, I've been provided with the foundations on which to build my skills as I progress through the course.
• I've been introduced to briefs. This process will run through my degree and also prepare me for professional illustration practice post LCA.
• Working in the studio has helped me to feel comfortable and settled. We've also been encouraged to have peer reviews with students we don't normally speak to, so this has helped me to get to know my peers who I'll be spending the next 3 years with.

Moominland Midwinter - Horse and Bamboo Theatre

I went to see Moomins on stage in Manchester!

Expectations
I am a HUGE Moomin fan and was so excited to see it, though I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I've seen the animated shorts (the new films and the older stop-motion creations)
Tove Jansson worked on a theatre production with her Moomins but it wasn't received well by the press… would this be the same? Would it live up to the legend of Moomin?
The audience was mostly young children but also some older individuals too (original fans).
I guess I was expecting people dressed up in furry costumes? Maybe screens with animations.

We were running late because the tram got stuck so we had to run to the theatre to catch it starting!

The Puppets
Pleasantly surprised by the puppets! Should they be called puppets?
Since they were so big the actors could only control the head and one arm at a time so it did look bit odd when Moominmamma would clean with one arm but the rest of her limbs would be completely still.

784d7f0355e307e720e872906bd15b2c.jpg

The puppet for Little My was much more loose in its movements, so when the actor made her run, all of her limbs would wobble and give the impression of running too. This worked really well and suited Little My's personality - mischievous and energetic. If the other Moomins had been made in the same way, it wouldn't suit the character's movements - Moomins are slower than Little My.

They also had mini versions of all the cast which they used for scenes where bigger stunts were performed, like Moomintroll falling from a ski slope. This wouldn't be possible to perform with the larger puppets.

I wonder where the puppets go once they've finished with them? What are they made from? Light enough to control by one performer so don't think they could be wooden at that scale!

I FOUND THE BLOG OF THE LADY WHO MAKES THE PUPPETS!
http://alisonduddle.blogspot.co.uk

ALISON DUDDLE

3374916.jpg

'these puppets will be around 4ft tall in total, so I'm very keen to see how they look when all the parts are put together - and, more importantly, how practical they are for puppeteering. Its going to be important to keep the weight down as much as possible, so the heads and bodies are paper mache, but I think the limbs will be wooden - I'll just have to hollow them out as much as possible.'

Stage Design
Snow - appropriate to the story and to Tove Jansson's original context and adds an impression of temperature and season to the show.
The backdrops used lines and shapes from Tove's original drawings, tying in her authorship to the show.

Voices & Acting
 Actors wearing black, including black hats. You could still see them- their faces and their limbs were not disguised, only made neutral to the background so that the puppets were the focus. It's so clever that this trick makes you look at the puppets and forget about the actors.
Little My's actor was Scottish which I didn't think would work. She's Finnish!!! But it worked really well and she sounded both cute and aggressive.
Moomintroll's voice was a bit odd - very high and excitable. Manic Moomin.

https://www.moomin.com/en/blog/dont-miss-moominland-midwinter-live-on-stage-in-manchester-this-christmas/

http://www.horseandbamboo.org

http://www.horseandbamboo.org/puppet-festival-2/what-to-expect-this-year/

Christmas Shop Window Display

 Curating the Christmas window at Stuff 4 Offices in Ripon.

Using my dolls and signs to advertise the stationery products available in the store.
My boss is so lovely, letting me put my silly old dolls in the window but I am so grateful!
 

Had very little time to work on these so they're really rushed!

It's a prime space to show off my work and get it seen.

Question Time

10 questions that I want to find the answers to as part of my degree:

1. How does publishing work?
I want to know more about the process of publication and the internal workings of a publishing company. I think that this would improve my illustrations as I would know the distribution and printing process that they will venture through, post production. I think working within publishing could also be a potential career opportunity. I'd love to actually visit a publishing house or speak to a publisher as part of my professional practice in order to answer this question.

2. How do I approach a publisher?
I've read books, articles and online resources telling me 'what the publisher wants', but they all have different answers. I will speak to illustrators and attend Big Heads talks in search of answers. I will approach the publishers myself and find out. A process of trial and error may be the only way to find out for myself, learning which publishers appreciate my work and which publishers I would like to work with.

3. How do I make decisions?
I really struggle to make decisions and when I do, I feel drowned in regret and anxiety as I worry that I've made the wrong choice. I need to learn this basic life skill and quickly. This is more of a personal goal but it continuously affects my studies, so I hope to find a solution before the end of this course. I expect to find an answer through practicing different methods and strategies. I expect this again to be a case of trial-and-error as I find what works best for me and I learn from my own mistakes.

4. How do I get my work 'out there'?
We've discussed the downfalls of social media in the self-obsessed, trend-obsessed, consumerist age. This has left me feeling a little lost. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to get my work seen if I don't post it on the internet. I suppose the answer is about controlled social networking and a professional online presence. I have a website in progress, but I don't know whether to aim it at my audience or my clients. I need to conduct further research into the professional practice of other illustrators to find out the best way to expand the reach of my work.

5. How can I gain confidence in my work?
I am confident in speaking, but I am not confident about my work. I am always worried that I could have done more and therefore don't think my work is good enough. How do I stop thinking of my peers as competition? I think that the solution is to loosen up and enjoy myself on this course. I will only find confidence once I have stopped worrying and that requires a much lower level of anxiety. Much easier said than done, but that's something I am always working on. I am my own work in progress.

6. What is the relationship between illustrator and author?
I want to tell stories through both of these roles. Should I focus singularly on being an illustrator within this course? Can I be both at the same time? The answer, I suppose, is in my own mind. I can be whatever I want to be and this course is what I make of it, but I think that speaking to students in Level 5/6 will help me to understand what the course has made of them and how they have collaborated with other artists.

7. Can I survive as a freelance illustrator alone? Do I need an agent?
This is a personal decision that I think will grant different answers depending on who I ask. This question asks more about how I work best. Although speaking to professional illustrators will inform my choice, It may take some self-reflection to conclude this decision for myself. This isn't a matter of priority right now and is something to think about later in my career.

8. I would like to go into FE/HE teaching. How do I get there?
Speak to your tutors! They are doing just what you're thinking about. Ask them and you'll find their answer, but your career path doesn't necessarily have to follow the exact same route. There are always different ways around the block, but you are heading for the same destination so they are the ideal people to speak to.

9. WHAT IS TAX? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I'm a child and I never want to grow up. I need to learn about tax, invoices, payments etc. I hope that the PPP section of this course will guide me in some way, teaching me about these formalities, but there are also plenty of online resources and library books explaining these terms. I think that professional illustrators might be able to help too because they will have experienced these struggles before.

10. How can I manage my time more efficiently?
There are various ways of managing time and this is another question that goes back to WHAT WORKS FOR ME. It may be a trial and error system until I find the 'right' method for me, but there are plenty of resources online documenting effective ways of managing time. I can always speak to Student Advice if I need additional support with this. I can make timetables and continue using my diary to plan my time.

Blog Group - Our Opinions

Monday's PPP session required us to split into our blog groups and discuss the answers we had come up with in response to 'why we chose the course' and 'why we chose LCA'.

We do not just share similarities in that we chose the same course.

We live in the same city, we have something to say, we all want to study, we all got out of bed today to be here.

It was interesting to discover that many of our answers were similar. We'd all completed the blog task independently, answering personal questions as to why we'd chosen this course, but upon sharing our ideas we found that these unique reasons were the same as the people sat right next to us. We're not as different as we think.
We're not snowflakes, but we are pretty cool.
The majority of our group chose illustration because we LOVE TO DRAW!
Of course, we each had our own experiences and opinions behind these points and they stem from different lives altogether, but it's so warming to feel connected to these people, these strangers, because of our love for illustration.

Lots of worries were unanymous

A worry shared is a worry halved, or so the saying goes...

I am not alone. You are not alone.
Most of the group had some feelings of doubt about going to uni, about being independent and about their work being good enough.
So it's not a bad thing to think about those things. It's not unusual to feel low or anxious, it's human. Look around you, all these people you think are better than you are probably thinking the same thing about you. They're probably scared too!

BIG HEADS - Kyle T Webster

The Illustration course here at LCA hosts an interview channel with illustrators all over the world in an event called 'Big Heads'. I've watched videos of these interviews online, but I was really excited to finally get behind the camera today and speak to a REAL LIFE ILLUSTRATOR as part of the in-studio student audience.

This Big Head chat was with Kyle T Webster, most famous for his Photoshop custom brushes. Being fairly new to Photoshop and digital art, I'll admit that I'd never heard of Kyle T Webster before and I felt a little intimidated entering the conversation without knowing his work, so I researched it. I looked at his website and I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't all digital, hifi graphics as I'd expected, but a great range of well crafted characters and artwork.

[Source: http://41.media.tumblr.com/4c7f4dd71a46dcaac74ffab70cb3fe36/tumblr_n2fvicnaXv1qkq1vfo1_500.jpg]

Kyle talked to us about his background in graphic design and his move into illustration. It was really interesting to hear how he makes money from his art and how he has worked as both a freelance artist and as part of a company.

[Source: http://41.media.tumblr.com/1b75912914d046f7859289f2730cc0d9/tumblr_n7ouhtsjdw1qkq1vfo1_500.jpg]

[Source: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55ea20e6e4b0be5bebc69c63/55ea26a5e4b0be5bebc6b380/55eb3ac7e4b049db23dcc927/1441479367518/nprSmallWeb.jpg?format=500w]

We asked Kyle about how he felt his brushes should be used and he talked to us a little bit about wacom drawing tablets/syntiques. Kyle was honest in discussing that the artist should know how to draw before even beginning to think about drawing digitally.
I became really intrigued by the quality of his brushes and the engineering that had gone into replicating the natural stroke of analogue brushes. So intrigued that I'm going to purchase one of his brush sets myself.

[Source: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55ea20e6e4b0be5bebc69c63/55ea26a5e4b0be5bebc6b380/55eb53c7e4b02a8ac1bd0705/1441485768320/leBooTinySample_900.jpg?format=500w]

Speaking to Kyle FACE TO FACE (or as close as you can get when the artist is over 5,000 miles away) was an incredible opportunity and a truly worthwhile experience. Seeing his face as he spoke about his PASSION, seeing his studio through the eyes of his screen and having the chance to put forward any queries we had of our own.

I look forward to the next Big Heads session.

Noel Fielding Art Exhibition

On Sunday the 11th of October, Harrogate Theatre hosted an exhibition of Noel Fielding's paintings as part of Harrogate Comedy Festival.

[Source: http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/what-s-on/theatre/exhibition-by-mighty-boosh-s-noel-fielding-at-harrogate-comedy-festival-1-7504047]

Being a huge fan of Noel Fielding's writing, costume design and acting as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, I had already encountered his brilliant artwork before and was very excited to see it in the flesh. Fielding is a man of many hats and a master of all things creative, my favourite of his works being the costume designs and short animations he produced for The Mighty Boosh.

[Source: https://youtu.be/xu6Vuwgu724]

The above clip is a short animation from The Mighty Boosh, featuring Noel's abstract characters and whacky stories. A fictional children's book within a tv show for alternative teenagers and young adults, 'Charlie' both haunts and inspires me. It's nonsensical, it's memorable.

I was expecting the exhibition to reflect this style and be some kind of interactive, comical feat, similarly to Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy Live that I went to see in Hull earlier this year. I expected costumes, props and the world of his mind to be encapsulated within the exhibition.

[Photo taken by James Paylor]

I was a little disappointed by the exhibition. Noel Fielding is known for his eccentricity and his loud, vibrant characters but in the classy and 'posh' theatre of Harrogate, his paintings were mounted in gold frames and hidden in the theatre bar. I don't think this suited his work and for me it really drove away from what makes his work so brilliant. In this context they just seemed out of place.

The exhibition was really just selling the paintings, which I think are less of a commercial prospect and more of a form of entertainment. I doubt that the population of Harrogate, and those who would visit the theatre bar, are really the type of people who would appreciate a painting of a naked unicorn.

I might be wrong, he may have fans in the area, but I doubt that they would purchase his artwork in this form.

Noel's actual audience would probably prefer t-shirts adorned with his bizarre 

characters than purchasing a gold plated painting for a couple of thousand pounds.

Art in Education

I was asked by a local primary school to work with the children in their Reception class in their art lessons. I knew that I didn't have much time to donate to them because of the intensity of this course, but I also hoped that having access to a focus group of children may prove helpful later on in the course when I require feedback from my intended audience.

I have visited the Ripon Cathedral Primary school twice since starting this course. I have used two Wednesday afternoons of Studio Development time to work with the children and help them to develop their own image making skills. My role is a mentor and I've really enjoyed seeing how these children interact with materials. I may have taught them about colour and texture, but they have taught me a lot about playful practice and imaginative construction.

The class's current topic is about nature and wildlife. They went on a trip to Hackfall woods and showed me photographs of the day. I had completely free reign over what I wanted to do with the children in my arty afternoon, but I decided to work with this topic and focus on nature.

            

Seven Stories

I visited Seven Stories, the National centre for children's books.

Seven Stories is located in Newcastle and, as the name suggests, features seven floors of children's literature and illustrations, from classics like Paddington Bear to shiny new talents like Benji Davies.

I saw an advert for Seven Stories online and realised that I'd never been, despite it being so close to home. I was visiting my brother in Newcastle that same week. I wanted to check this place out. 

I had my doubts about the museum, worrying that it would be entirely child focused and that we would find it boring, but Seven Stories really left an impression on me.

http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/

(Photo taken by James Paylor)

WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE! I had a fantastic time visiting Seven Stories. 

The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, they didn't judge us at all for having no child in-tow and we felt free to enjoy the building as we liked.

The entire building was beautifully curated and so visually stimulating. Illustrations lined the walls, scenes were set out at every story point. Visitors are encouraged to experience the books by reading them inside these artificial landscapes and performing as the characters in the inventive costumes dotted around the place.

I had lots of fun trying on costumes and exploring the stories. This sense of interaction is something that I felt was missing in Quentin Blake's House of Illustration, and something that sets Seven Stories apart from any other gallery or museum I have visited.

I think that it accurately reflects the magic of picture books. Not just art, hanging on a wall for viewers to look at, but a story for visitors to be a part of, as readers.

The museum brings stories to life in an interactive format that any child would enjoy, as well as some big kids like myself.

I'd love to contribute to Seven Stories; I'd like to read stories, curate the displays or even see my books in Seven Stories some day. This is what excites me about the future of picture books and about the artistic community that I am joining, we are creative and we are actively doing things to make this world a better place.

5 Photos Showing My Interest in Illustration

My interests in illustration mainly lie within the area of children's book illustration and visual narratives. I love illustrations that have a strong concept and an atmospheric aesthetic, setting the scene and creating a world within the frame.

My interests are changing all the time and since starting the course I have been exposed to an even wider range of illustrators and storytellers than I was aware of before. I have selected just five illustrators to quickly demonstrate my specific interest in children's book illustration.

For the sake of not blabbering on, I have not mentioned Tove Jansson this time. I don't wish to bore you again with my love for that woman and her work... I could talk for hours.

[Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuvxuUu_qc3zqCFICZH64rZphb5VNmx5uHNfxiTXwXg9XeuhVkxjgDq92FLxCUmiUcl7XtwxfFsxoQOZPzmNET-pF3LuaoHRQdOvF6HMsGjiePWPx7UvI-MnQV8KLhyphenhyphenHjDeQa4r2qGJgN/s1600/Miss+Rumphius+Cottage.jpg]

Above: Barbara Cooney. When I think of fairytales, I do not think of the Brothers Grimm - I think of Barbara Cooney. The depth and detail of Cooney's work is what draws me in and tempts me to step inside the stories she illustrates. Her landscapes are beautiful and her scenes are composed to give away just enough of the narrative to keep the reader guessing.
This illustration gives something that words can't. The illustration suggests a sense of place and firmly embeds Cooney's authorship within the book. If her voice is not apparent in the words then it can be found in the visual signature of her idyllic scenes.

[Source: http://100scopenotes.com/files/2015/05/9781909263437_1_4ea01.jpg]

Above: Emily Hughes. An illustrator whose curiosity feeds her stories. Through the construction of her innocent characters, she is given the chance to explore and join the adventure on the page. Hughes has an affinity with the child's mind and manages to craft images that both relate to and inspire her young readers. Charming character design that always leaves me reaching for that friend.

[Source: http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/foxsgarden_camcam1.jpg]
Above: Camille Garoche. Garoche constructs these intricate papercut dioramas as living and breathing pages. The depth she creates is not an illusion, it is real. She really does make a world of her own with these layered trees that characters can literally get lost in. She uses light to cast shadows and illuminate the image.

[Source: http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo4jzlKGXH1qlem2bo1_1280.jpg]

Above: Brian Froud's beautiful conceptual illustrations for the major motion picture 'Labyrinth'. Labyrinth is my all-time favourite film. It features incredible puppets designed by the Jim Henson creature shop, but these drawings are the heart and soul of the characters in the fantastical narrative.

[Source: https://coyote.imgix.net/076-oliver-jeffers/this-moose-belongs-to-me-oliver-jeffers.jpg?w=700]

Above: Oliver Jeffers. Jeffers is an extremely talented painter. He is immensely skilled in painting realistic landscapes, yet he uses these in conjunction with his lo-fi hand-written script and scribbly linework. Perhaps this is how his audience of young children perceive the world, perhaps Jeffers intends to be ironic in his clashing aesthetics. I think that this technique is truly unique and definitely interesting. The juxtaposition of visual dialect in these two approaches to representation gives humour and a subtle naivety to the images. I think that Jeffers is a very clever individual and uses his talents to transform the world around him, merging imagination and reality into one.

5 Things I Want To Improve

1. I think that my observational drawing skills need improving. I often draw from imagination and my illustrations are a simplistic style that does not always reflect the real object that it represents. I need to keep practicing the method of drawing from life in order to inform my work.
As an illustrator, I will be challenged to draw things that I do not know much about, so I want to be able to deconstruct the mechanics of the subject with competence.
I believe that the more you practice something, the better you become. I hope that this course pushes me to build upon my weaknesses using this principle.

2. I lack confidence in my work. I struggle to show close friends my work when I am not happy with it, so presenting it in a critique situation is not a strength of mine.
I struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I don't want it to rule my life; I want to overcome this as a personal priority, but I know that overcoming anxiety would also affect my ability to contribute to group tasks within University and enable me to accept my work as an illustrator.
I want to be able to share my progress and ask for advice instead of hiding my sketches away and struggling alone.
This is a big wish, but I am moving forward with every blog post!

3. I need to be more decisive. I struggle to make even the most simple decisions, fearing that I may be making the wrong choice. I often ask other people to make the choice for me but I need to gain control and take responsibility for my actions. Have your own opinions.
Stop asking your mum what you should do!
I know that this strategy would never work out for me in the future and it is already dragging me backwards. As a learner and a professional, you must have your own mind.

4. I would like to improve my skills in printmaking and try out some techniques that I haven't attempted before, such as textile printing and aquatint etching.
I'd like to sign up to workshops and learn new picture making processes. Don't be scared, get out there and make the most of it! Don't waste your time or let opportunities pass by you. University is a gym and you have a gold membership - use it!

5. I want to improve my knowledge on the subject of illustration and learn about new practitioners that I've yet to encounter. I want to expand my interests and visual vocabulary of artists. There is so much still to learn.
Go to exhibitions. Read more books. Know more things! Discuss, share and research.

5 Strengths That Make Me a Good Illustrator/Learner

1. I am imaginative. I think that this makes me skilled in constructing narratives and characters that are exciting and appealing.
I am never lacking ideas, there is always a story to tell and an adventure awaiting! I don't tend to struggle much with brainstorming or ideas generation because I have so many things in my head already.

2. I am a committed and determined student. I will always try to do my best and use my time effectively. I am a perfectionist, which in many respects restrains me when I am working artistically, but in terms of professionalism I think that this mindset makes me a productive student and person in general.
I possess a willingness to improve and learn. I want to know more about the industry and I want to be a better illustrator as well as a better human being. Accepting and acknowledging my imperfections leaves me open to criticism and prepared to develop/grow.

3. Analyzing existing work and reflecting critically upon my own progress is something that I really enjoy. Writing essays is something that many people dread, but it's something that I look forward to.

This strength helps me to maintain motivation when conducting tasks that others may find tedious. Being able to reflect on my own work means that I can identify where I am making progress and where I need to focus in order to improve my work. Having the skills to analyse other artists' work means that I can decode the successful elements of their practice and follow similar principles within my own.

4. I want to change the world.

I know my audience well. As an aspiring children's book author, I try to understand my readers' psyche. I want to create books that change the way the world works and how children are socialized to view and understand it. I have a purpose and a mission.

5. Despite often lacking confidence in my practical work, I am a very confident public speaker and enjoy tasks which involve verbal presentations. I also have leadership skills which help me to manage collaborative tasks efficiently. I was Head Girl in Sixth Form, which challenged me to take responsibility and speak on behalf of the Academy. I'd like to channel Head-Girl-Jay into the studio and ask her to speak up. She has a voice.

5 Reasons Why I Chose This Programme (Leeds College of Art)

1. Its reputation. Leeds College of Art has an outstanding reputation and I have only ever heard amazing things about the course here. I know students who are in their second and third years studying Illustration at LCA who have had an incredible time so far.
I did my Foundation at Leeds College of Art and wanted to stay within the creative buzz of Leeds.
I loved the Foundation and hoped that this course would continue to deliver a great quality of teaching and facilities.
Being a home bird, I also didn't want to move too far from home. In fact, I ended up staying at home and commuting every day, managing to balance the comfort of family and a cultural stretch to the big city in a (very long and very EARLY, but luxurious) bus journey.

2. The work that has been produced so far. I came to visit the end of year show and was blown away. I'd looked at the online gallery on the website before, but seeing such a diverse and highly crafted amount of work in the flesh was really encouraging. I wanted to be one of those people, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. Not one House Style cramping everyone together as one prescriptive approach to illustration, but a varied collective of visual communicators.

3. BIG HEADS! Networking with successful illustrators (and my idols) is quite a unique and special opportunity that LCA has to offer. I can't wait to see who we get to speak to on the next Big Heads and have enjoyed watching previous discussions on the YouTube Channel.

Emily Hughes was my favourite interview. She's also one of my favourite storytellers.

4. The tutors are all working practitioners. They know what they're talking about. Teresa Flavin, one of the tutors on the course, is an established and successful children's book illustrator whose work I adore. It's great for these tutors to be able to offer real advice and experiences, rather than theoretical assumptions about the 'industry'.

5. The connections that this course has established with publishers, competitions and design agencies is really impressive and I loved how this course, unlike most others, offers so much advice and preparation for life as a professional illustrator, not just as a student.
At open days, I saw impressive examples of work placements and post-degree success stories ranging from Hallmark to Disney. I'd not seen this much consideration of the students professional practice at any other institution.