Evaluation

The brief

Our initial brief was based around the theme of 'Covert & Obscured', meaning that our final piece had to somehow link to this. Initially, I just brainstormed as many ideas as I could about the theme, varying from feelings, objects and places that linked in, and then all of the different forms I could possibly make. After that it was down to deciding how to link the two together and to decide which idea to go with.

Once I had a general gist of where to begin I started researching my chosen idea (masks, with a magazine as a form). I investigated different conventions of the form and analysed them to aid me when making my own final piece. The research I did based on masks, such as the pinterest boards, was mainly to help with inspiration and to give me some direction.

After researching I began experimenting with different techniques, such as spray painting and acrylic paint. I first started by taking already-existing artist's work and trying to copy it, thus getting a feel for the processes they used. I then went on to adapting these processes for my own emulation of their work, encouraging me to think for myself within a certain style. I also experimented with typeface, using multiple forms (from printing to photography). By doing all of this I was able to try new techniques I perhaps hadn't used before, and come to a conclusion about which ones suited me and my style.

Once I had figured out which processes I liked I then started trying to apply this to my ideas, and so come up with initial ideas and drafts. From here it was just a case of exploring all possibilities and developing them as I went. It wasn't until making my final piece that I really started to refine it, because my ideas were ever-changing and altering (even if it was only the slightest of change).

A piece that has been influenced by another artist 

Ekaterina Koroleva



Below are the copy and emmulation I did of Ekaterina Koroleva's work.


I used Koroleva's work as her main subject focus is people (mainly women) and  this was what I wanted to use as my cover image. By studying this artist in particular, I left my comfort zone which had previously been described as "a bit safe". The drawing style was more detailed than I usually do and so this helped me to develop that aspect as I had to 'map' out where the features would go, such as the eyes and mouth, before even beginning to think about adding any detail.

Additionally, by copying Koroleva's use of ink I explored a process that I hadn't previously used. At first I was quite anxious to use to ink on top of my work, and then let it just run down the page, however, by doing this I realised that even if things do go wrong they can be altered to improve the final piece.

On the left you can see the ink splashes I had to do for my copy piece. This was also something I hadn't done before. I had to stand on a stool and let the ink fall (to get the best splashes) however, this meant that I couldn't place the splashes exactly where I wanted them (it was more of an estimate to whereabouts they would land). Normally I like to be precise with my work, so by having no choice but for it to be more spontaneous, this helped me to be more brave with my work, and push boundaries as it were.








A piece where I experimented with different processes

One thing that I experimented with was typeface. I used multiple methods varying from photography to printing, and then altered these all in Photoshop.

For the photography experimentation I went around taking photographs of signs and posters, looking at the wide range of typefaces. However, I also took photographs of objects that imitated the letters of the alphabet. This was a risk because instead of taking pre-existing things I had to look at things from a different perspective, perhaps looking a the outline shape of an object instead of looking at the object itself. This helped me to develop my ideas when creating my final typeface as I realised you could make letters that weren't necessarily the standard form, and yet they still looked like the letter because of their outline.

You can see that the typeface I created for my magazine name in my final piece doesn't contain all the detail of typical lettering ( in the letters D and A), however you can still understand what letter it is because of the basic outline.

I also used everyday objects to create a typeface, such as twigs, wire and multiple sized brushes, encouraging me to think outside of the box and be creative. A typeface doesn't just have to be done with a pen. I then went on editing these in photoshop and playing around with various blending modes, layering and colours. The techniques that looked best I tried to incorporate in my final design. For example, my Facade header was a combination of colours and blending modes in the hope to give the best effect.

This GIF demonstrates the different processes that I went through when creating my final header. It starts off with the basic orange coloured print and then when I layered the spray painted image with this, using the 'luminosity' blending mode, giving it the purple colour. I then added an inner glow and a thin white stroke to make it stand off the page more. 

The limitations of using polystyrene printing for my typeface is the lack of detail you can achieve through this technique. In some cases, for example if the typeface was smaller (perhaps being used for body text) it wouldn't really be appropriate as some people may find it hard to read. Despite this, the lack of detail is what I was actually looking for within my magazine, as it gave it an edgier ambiance and has connotations of a more 'rebellious' and 'street' style. So, in this case, I was able to use the limitations of this process to my advantage.

The only other important limitation was that  we don't have the software available to transform the prints into a usable typeface, meaning that you couldn't type with it like a pre-existing font. This would obviously cause problems I wanted to use it for writing an article.

A piece I refined over time

The actual image I used on my final cover was refined over time. Originally I started out with a basic photograph which I took (see below). I decided that this needed changing because it wasn't effective alone, and the background very much distracts from the image, and also makes it look less professional.

I then took the photograph into Photoshop and removed the background; adding effects, desaturating, altering contrast and adding grain filters. From this I realised that I liked the highlighted layers and the way that certain parts were more prominent than others. However, it still didn't have the impact needed to catch your attention. The image below shows how it was a little 'plain' and safe. It needed a pop of colour, or at least darkened tones, to add some interest to the image. 

After looking at Donovan's work I decided to try spraying the image (this way I could really make the multiple layers, caught in the lighting of the original photograph, more explicit). Spraying it would also give the image a more unique and hand-made feel. Below is the version of the photograph that I then printed and cut out to use as the stencil. You can see that even the stencil has more impact then the monotone image above. 

Even after spraying the image and scanning it into the computer I further refined it by altering the colours and blending modes, in the hope to enhance the photo more. I went through a series of revisions until I found the colour scheme and effects that I liked best.

My final piece

My final piece was very much inspired by Miles Donovan's work. After trialing spray painting during experimentation I decided that I really liked this process and it had the edgy feel I was looking for within my magazine; to make it unique and stand out amongst the everyday publications I researched, such a Elle. In particular it was the layering of the spray painted images that I took from Donovan, using different colours to highlight the different layers. As you can see in the section above, I used a different colours to show the highlights created from the lighting in the original photograph.

Something that went well within the whole project was incorporating the influence of other designers in my work. As I've said previously, Miles Donovan's work is most poignant. However, it's arguable that I linked in the work I did during my copies and emmulations when looking at Ekaterina Koroleva. Her use of ink work (splashes and ink runs) could be seen as coming through both on my final front cover and double page spread. Koroleva's work is below (showing her work with ink splashes and colour merging and you can see the influence of the paint splash I used in the image below this. Also, on my double page spread you can see the spray splashes, the faint one at the top, in particular, slightly resembles Koroleva's work. The colours bleed into one another like the ink in her work. 

One thing that I struggled with was trying to incorporate masks into my cover image. For example, when I tried using photography and lighting to cast a shadow over someone's face, this was much harder than I anticipated. The doily I used to try and create the mesh 'mask' was too thin to cast a dark enough shadow, and so it didn't give the dramatic effect that I was looking for. Also, it was hard to block out enough daylight for the studio lighting I did have, to work very well; it would be better if I had done it is a studio with a backdrop and nothing but the artificial light. The image below is just one of the many photos I took, as you can see the shadow created isn't very dark, and the actual pattern I was supposed to be projecting onto his face isn't very defined. 

If I could change one thing it would be the subject matter of my article. Even though this isn't a majorly significant part of the project, it did have an effect on what the final piece looked like. When I came to create my final piece I was still a bit unsure about the article content and this meant that when I did decide, the imagery on the page wasn't as reflective as it could have been. If I was to do this again I would have been sure about what the content was so that the front cover and double page could have contained paraphernalia linking the article and imagery. For example, had I have chosen to write about Ed Sheeran then I could have incorporated themes from his music, his trademark paw print or even just the colour orange (as this is the colour or his album), which would have made the magazine on the whole more relevant and deeply en-rooted within the subject matter, which in my opinion would be a better design.