Having reached the end of Part 5, and the end of the Unit, I reflected on the Assessment Criteria Points. Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills This part of the Unit did not really require much use of technical or visual skills until I reached… Continue reading Part 5: Reflection
Assignment 5: Self-directed Project
Throughout the course you have responded to lots of briefs in the form of exercises, research points and assignments. This final assignment offers you the opportunity to either undertake a self-directed project OR undertake a competition brief OR work with a client on a brief. Hopefully this course has told you more about who you… Continue reading Assignment 5: Self-directed Project
Critical Review
In early 2025, I decided to make a fresh attempt at writing the Critical Review. I had completely forgotten and lost enthusiasm for any of the potential ideas I considered in 2023, so I started thinking about new possibilities. The topic that I kept returning to was that of dialogue-free sequential narratives and characters within… Continue reading Critical Review
Exercise: Presenting Yourself
Reflect on the work you have produced so far on this course. Pick out a range of pieces that best express who you are as an illustrator and which show off your image making strengths. These could be finished assignments, exercises or ideas that have developed out of your sketchbooks. Find a suitable way to… Continue reading Exercise: Presenting Yourself
Research Point: Finding a Client
Think about yourself as a potential freelance illustrator who is getting ready to undertake client-led work. Identify an easy client you could work with. Somebody who would benefit from having an illustrator to do some work for them. Use SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats posed by such a venture. For… Continue reading Research Point: Finding a Client
Research Point: Copyright, Payment and Contracts
Find out about copyright laws in your country. What do you need to know? How much would you charge a client for your time? Think about how you would go about working this out. You may want to research into what other illustrators charge for their work. If you want to develop as a professional… Continue reading Research Point: Copyright, Payment and Contracts
Exercise: What’s Your Working Process?
Different illustrators work in different ways. Many of the elements of your creative working process will be similar to what we have outlined, but there may be variations, different emphasis in different places, areas that need development or particular strengths. Reflect on the projects you have been involved with up to this point. How would… Continue reading Exercise: What’s Your Working Process?
Research Point: Self-directed Projects
Find examples of self-directed projects set by illustrators. What sort of brief did they set themselves? It seemed surprisingly difficult to find many illustrators who list personal projects on their online portfolios, although I am sure that this is not a true representation as, in the past, I have noticed that many do indeed have… Continue reading Research Point: Self-directed Projects
Exercise: Writing a Rationale
Go back to the briefs you read earlier. Think about how you might go about answering one of these briefs. Write a short rationale outlining your intended approach. You’ll need to think creatively about how you respond to the brief but you do not need to produce any actual work – just put together a… Continue reading Exercise: Writing a Rationale
Research Point: Analysing Briefs
Read the provided briefs and identify what the client wants and how they will judge what a successful outcome would be. Do these briefs provide all the information you need? If not, what questions would you ask the client? Where would you place these briefs on the open-closed spectrum? When reading through the three sample… Continue reading Research Point: Analysing Briefs