Evaluation

In this module I've done a lot of theory behind the work which I never talked enough about on my blog. As I decided pretty early on that it was the characters that I love about the Discworld (and any Terry Pratchett) series, it was those that I focused on. However when I went back to reading some of the books and exerts from others I realised that Terry Pratchett hardly ever describes physical attributes. On the whole I think this is wonderful that its the character's personality and actions that make them over their appearance but when you're trying to show a character it can get a bit tricky. I've spent a lot time thinking about how Angua should show how beautiful and how classically she resembles the role for women in fantasy While also showing that regardless for how she looks she isn't that character. All the characters (or at least the ones I wanted to portray) had this combination of either little description or conflicting appearance to intangible qualities. This made it difficult but enjoyably so to design them. I've tried to sow a lot of it in body language and expressions. I hope this is visible to others.

I did most of this work in my visual journal but this led to me just having fun drawing lots of characters and not spending enough time continuing to develop the way I was working. Though I did enjoy it at the start and it reminded me that I do like working with collage and the effect it can create.

I have not enjoyed the moving pictures brief through mainly my own fault. I have learned that I am not an animator, I don't have the patience for the hand drawn animation that I love and I don't think in the way that you have to for stop motion. I think part of the trouble has been that I do love cartoons, I spend probably too much of my time watching cartoons. I would say that cartoons probably influence me and how I draw more than art galleries and even most illustrators. All of this is fine except when it comes to doing an animation because I constantly have the way I want to do things and my own inability and fatigue at drawing  the same thing over and over again frustrate me to the point where I just don't want to be anywhere near it. However I think that I might have been more inclined to enjoy it if it hadn't been tied to the author brief. The fact that I had to keep thinking about how I had to convey Terry Pratchett/his work hindered my ability to just make things regardless of how it looks. Though yet again this is my fault for choosing a series of books that I love and want to do properly. I thought that while I do log it it wouldn't be too much of an issue as i was having no trouble with the drawing side but when it came to learning a new skill (which you're likely not to do well from the start) I found it incredibly aggravating to no be able to convey what I wanted. Saying all of that though I am glad that I've the learned the basics, its good to know that if I went back to it I wouldn't be completely lost and I agree that while I personally don't enjoy it, it is a useful skill for illustrators to at least understand how animation works. I have also gained a massive respect for animators. It should also be said that as I had the option of doing the work I understood and liked more I did ignore animation and some of my stress towards it is likely to be from that.

For all my negativity towards animation and this module on the whole I am pleased with my printed pictures. While my work may not have that much technical skill, I got to expand on my ability to interpret characters and as books are what I'd like to go into learning how to make them relatively easily and on mass has been invaluable. From this moderately simple process of making a hotdog book I have managed to get my work to a slightly higher standard, its still not perfect or professional yet but making it into a book has meant that its got a bit closer to something I struggle with. I've really enjoyed getting to screen print again especially as its something you need to be doing regularly to remember what to do. however it is a very long and process which was made longer for me as someone stole my screen after I had left the emulsion to dry. but I hindered myself as well when I didn't put enough time into making sure my lines were thick enough and had to start my screen all over again.

I'd quickly like to say as well that I let things that bothered me that had nothing to do with college effect how I was working and how well I handled this stress of this brief which was not well at all. I let both my emotional state and my necessity of needing somewhere to live urgently effect how much time and effort I was putting in. I can't promise that I won't do this again as I was trying this time but I think I can do better in the future.

I don't know where this should be but I would like to say that its been lovely the way that everyone has been helping each other through trying to do things they probably haven't done before.