S2 WEEK 12: Negotiated Project Outcomes

Project Outcomes:

After conducting research into my chosen research question, I decided to set myself the aim of producing one editorial piece every week. These pieces focus on the topics of Propaganda, Satire and Protest. I have previously worked with this form of illustration, but wanted to improve my skills in this area.

My first editorials are my weaker pieces, as I did not always identify the key words that best communicate the articles subject matter. As the weeks progressed, I found I was able to think more in depth about the most important pieces of information from the articles and how best to present them. I learnt that having less can be much more effective and subtle, rather than overpowering the artwork with too much detail.

Initially I found it quite challenging trying to adapt my illustrative style to each piece. My initial artwork is digital based working with shapes and blocks of colour. Although my peers recognised the figures I presented in my work, they did not feel the images showcased my strongest skills. I felt the images looked quite flat. I primarily work with traditional print media, my favourite being lino print. This influenced my decision to set myself the aim of applying print to my future editorial artwork. The work of Daniel Pudles was encouraging when looking at alternative ways of approaching editorial illustrations.

After I started experimenting with lino, I could see that it could be appropriate when producing my pieces. The figures/objects/symbols produced are still recognisable, but have a more graphic, bold aesthetic. One of the strengths from this module is my experimentation with colour, as I usually work only in black and white. I found the articles based on high profile political figures the most interesting to experiment with. My strongest work is mainly figure based, particularly when focusing on the face. My portrait of Theresa May received the most positive feedback.

I found satire much easier to illustrate, as I could play with expression when looking at political figures and add an element of humour. From the article titles, I could generate lots of ideas and thumbnails. On reflection, I feel that sometimes I did not always choose my strongest ideas for final development. In the future, I would look for feedback from others more so, in order to identify the strongest concept. 

Overall I think the main strengths of my outcomes are my lino print editorials, as they show my skills as a printmaker. They also present an alternative style to digitally produced editorials. One of the main weaknesses of my work is the lack of protest and propaganda imagery. I found these topics more difficult to develop concepts for. In order to answer my initial research question, I would research further into these two topics and consider of how I can best present these with my chosen media. Although I have not covered each individual topic as much as I had planned to, I have furthered my understanding into how illustration can be used as tool within editorial.