Making connections
For this task, I began by photocopying and printing images that I most have an affinity with from my sketchbooks throughout this course. This was a wonderful way of physically collecting the moments I am most proud of and enjoyed producing and visually seeing the journey I have made. I tried to ensure I had a few different sizes of some images to play with and enough copies so I could not get too precious. I also had on hand plain A4 white paper, blue card, scissors, glue, pencil crayons, ink pens, watercolours, and a few other basic materials. I knew I wanted to approach this task by physically collaging, rather than digitally, because this has been such a satisfying element of the sketchbooks course for me; to be encouraged to work in a tactile way.
Nonetheless, I still found this challenging to begin with! I was overwhelmed by the sheets of paper and quite nervous to cut up the images and collage them together. I think it was the freedom of the brief; to experiment with the images and see what I could create. To focus my mind a little, I tried to run through the SCAMPER processes and include these in my creations.
My first creation used an illustration I produced from my journey drawings in Part 3, which was quite minimalist in style. I added a limited shape image of trees (this had been collaged at the time) and cut outs of ‘crowds’ from Part 3, which I thought looked quite effective when overlapping the edge of the image, as they had been drawn across two pages (white and brown paper). To make these figures stand out, I used different coloured pencil crayons to shade around the ink lines. I thought the image looked quite effective overall; it is clear there are people walking towards a group of buildings, even if the details are minimal. The colours work well together, with blocks of brown and green to contrast. The way the collage plays with negative space adds intrigue.
Next, I used a watercolour and pencil crayon image from my Assignment 3 project as a background. The drawings I had done of single figures were challenging at the time, but after looking back through them I realised I felt quite proud of them. The drawings of my boyfriend leaning in his desk chair proved to be useful here. Also, I had copied images of the two characters from my Assignment 4 narrative. Eventually, I ended up with a collage using parts of all these drawings to create an intriguing image. I knew I wanted something to be in the woman’s hand, so I used colours and textures from Assignment 1 everyday sketchbook; I chopped these and created a sun-like object. I also cut circles of the same colour to be stacked at the woman’s feet; the child looks like they might be guiltily snatching some. I think the image has a story; it also looks like it could be used as a poster, perhaps due to the bold patterns and colours.
I had a few sizes printed of my watercolour and pencil crayon images from Assignment 3, so I decided to use these smaller images to build a setting. The deserted building, drawn with acrylic paint and pencil crayon, was created from my journey images during Part 3. I also had a few copies of my kitchen roll and watercolour paint palm trees from my sketchbook process during Assignment 4. The trunk texture was also used to create a path-like structure leading to the building and drawing the viewer in. This image took lots of layering, but I am pleased with the result. It reminds me of the Secret Garden; the run-down building is concealing something magical.
This image was a mishmash of lots of different elements from different parts. The background comes from my journey sketchbook in Part 3; the park equipment I created during Part 2 for limited shape drawings; the children dancing are copies from Assignment 4; the owl is a blind contour drawing from Part 2; the arch/brown paper section is from ‘drawing with objects’ in Part 2; and the mouth on the see-saw is, again, from Assignment 4. I absolutely loved being playful with this image. I did not have a clear goal for many of these images – I was simply playing – but this image felt completely free of purpose. It is silly and nonsensical and very surreal, but it was brilliant fun to create.
This character came from Assignment 2; I had deliberately created a blue, dark image to match the sleeping character, so I wanted to provide contrast to this. Inspiration struck when I saw the palm tree/beach image from Assignment 4; I cut this like a ‘thinking’ bubble, and this creates the idea that the character is dreaming of somewhere brighter. I think it also reflects how many of us are feeling at the moment; we are trapped indoors, the weather is dull, and we cannot go anywhere sunnier. I also added some toothbrush acrylic paint leaves to the garden from Part 2 ‘drawing with tea bags’. I like how clear the narrative became when creating this illustration and how relatable it might be during these times.
This character focus seemed to influence my next image. I had a rough draft of my dancer from Part 4 and the balloons from Part 3 that I thought might work well together. I also really wanted to use one of my car interior illustrations from my Assignment 1 Everyday sketchbook. These came together in quite a fantastical way! The dancer leaps across the scene, dragging the balloons behind her. It is quite a dreamy image. I deliberately separated the sunset colours from the night sky so that the dancer and the balloons would stand out.
My rapid drawing of some everyday objects from Part 2 was catching my attention. I thought this would be good as a focus (I had tried to place it in front of some more detailed backgrounds but it did not look right) and so stuck it straight onto blue card. From here, I collaged colours from my Assignment 1 Everyday sketchbook onto some parts, and added the bear and owl blind contour drawings from Part 2. I also added eyes and a nose from Assignment 4 to make the hole of the shoe into a face. This is not my favourite collage at all, however it was fun to play with more surreal elements and create a fun image that is a stark contrast to the rest. A lot of the other images have context; this is very random!
I found this image – an illustrative drawing based on my journey during Part 3 – particularly tricky to add to. After lots of playing around, I found that by adding white paper to the bottom and extending the size, I could add crowds on brown paper (from Part 3) and they would stand out. I also extended the yellow road markings using colours from one image. The hand-holding image from Assignment 4 adds an almost divine element to the image; I liked the way this detailed biro style worked with the rest of the image. Finally, I copied an owl into the tree from my blind contour drawings in Part 2. Overall, I am happy with the changes I made; although I was scared to alter this one, as it already seemed very full and busy, I think the elements I have added give the image context and life.
The shopping trolley had been irritating me! It was a creation from Part 2 ‘drawing with objects’. For this image, I had a breakthrough; instead of trying to shoehorn the whole image in, I cut the wheels off, and used these to add to the scenery. They almost look like lampposts. The continuous line setting comes from Part 3’s journey sketchbook; I went over a few of the lines to ensure they could be seen. I also added a limited shape bench, from Part 2, and a group of people walking into the scene, from Part 3. I think the crowds walking into a scene are effective, because they bring the viewer in as well; they are walking towards the focus.
Finally, I wanted to use some of the smaller building copies I had made from my journey sketchbook in Part 3 to create a street scene. I also used a ‘drawing with objects’ image (my paint splatter tree) to create a sort-of sun in the background. After I had done this, I cut out the street and stuck this onto another texture I had used before during the course but created again for this image; a rubbing of the texture of my electric fan grid. I tried to get the shapes to curve around, so, again, the viewer would be brought into the scene. Although this is a little lifeless, I like the perspective and playfulness of the images. I think the sun pattern adds a lot of interest too.
Next, I was asked to lay out my images and arrange them to show connections. I found a lot of common themes running through my images and I think there were several ways I could have arranged them, but these four collections felt the most appropriate. The brief specified that the collections had to mean something to me; below, I will give my reasoning.
Characters and narratives
These images all had a character – or characters – as the focus. They seem to all, also, tell a story; or a story can be told by looking at the image. These narratives were often unintentional and accidental, however, as the images developed, I would feed into the narrative that was appearing. The most conscious narrative I told was for the sleeping/sad light switch character, who is dreaming of somewhere sunny and happy. I also had a strong instinct to use the balloons with the dancer, as she looked as if she could be dragging them behind her. These characters are the heart of each image.
Minimalism and blocks
This next collection consists of images that use a mixture of minimal line drawings and blocks of pattern or colour. The contrast between these elements provides interest and balance. Also, these images contain figures, but they are not main characters or the focus of a story; they are part of the setting, pulling the viewer into the scene; really, they are a part of the scene. The limited shape objects that use real textures of greenery or wood also ground the scenes; they help the viewer to know what they are looking at.
Settings
This collection consists of settings without characters or figures or ‘movement’. The settings are immersive; parts of the scene direct the viewers attention to a building or into a street, such as the direction of the sunrays or the path or road markings. There is lots of colour and a mixture of textures, to add interest.
Surrealism and humour
Finally, this collection shows elements of surrealism and humour and playfulness (literally, in the case of the playground!). These are scenes we would not see because they are illogical; for example, the giant hands reaching across the sky, or the shoe with a face. These are interesting and perhaps funny; they take aspects of reality and group them in unexpected ways. There is also ‘life’ and movement in each image; whether this be a person, a crowd, an animal or just a face.
I thoroughly enjoyed this activity. Although it proved challenging, I am pleased with the resulting collections of images and feel they reflect my work over the course of this unit fairly accurately. I have explored characters and narrative; I have been playful and tried to add elements of surrealism; I have explored settings and places; and I have used a mixture of contrasting styles to create balanced illustrations. I think the collection I am most proud of is the characters and narrative collection, because this is a skill I am still working hard on. The light switch character dreaming of another place has a clear message; a simple, but effective collage, bringing together elements from different stages of the course.
Jade's OCA Learning Log 