OUIL404 Visual Language Evaluation

1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

I think I have developed a range of practical skills within this module as I’ve worked with loads of different media. A skill that I think I have developed most is collage and working with shape in general, as this is not something I would normally do when image making – I draw with lines so it was really fun to work with shape as it forced me into a new way of working – which influenced art I made later on in the module (particularly my digital composition piece). I particularly enjoyed doing collage when it included different textures as I found this made images more interesting to look at, texture is definitely something I will be exploring further. I have been able to draw from life and from reference a lot quicker, and I’m not as apprehensive to mess up a drawing and just do another (as previously I probably would have spent hours erasing and working back into an image to attempt to make it right)

2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice? I’ve found pretty much everything I learned this module valuable. I think line of sight is one of the most valuable principles I have learned, as it’s important when thinking about the composition of a piece. I found it difficult to create an image solely thinking about the line of sight but when I was drawing my ‘do something good’ image I found myself thinking more about how the background of skate park ramps would lead to the focal point of the image, and I know that I will be able to transfer this knowledge to other tasks. Another principle I’ve found useful is the realisation that drawing from reference does not have to mean recreating a photograph/image exactly but capturing some essence of that image whether it be the pose of a model or the atmosphere of the image. This seems like something simple but after so many years of secondary school art classes where I’ve been told to copy pictures it’s been a revolutionary concept to me. I think this allowed my drawings to be more free as when drawing from reference I wouldn’t be trying to get the image exactly perfect I would be focusing more on the task of thinking about the line quality or shapes etc.

3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission you capitalise on these?

I've been pretty good at breaking out of my comfort zone because this module was more about drawing and making mistakes and trying new things than making a polished final piece. I particularly think my use of shape has developed greatly in this module, which is most demonstrated in my 'Dragula' poster where I really got into using shape and collage to create a piece. The poster is one of the best pieces I've ever done and I'm super proud of it as I have NEVER liked doing collage. This module has given me the chance to just improve on my drawing skills and my understanding of key principles of image making. I think throughout my sketchbook the improvements are clear. I have also been able to keep pretty up to date with my blogging throughout the module, I have not left them all until the last minute.

4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?

Although I did all of the tasks I definitely think there could be a higher quantity of work. There was a lot of room for experimentation that I don’t think I took advantage of to the fullest, though I have experimented and learned a lot from this module. In the future I will try to fully exhaust my ideas visually with sketches, experiments, different media etc. and I will try new things even if I think they will turn out unsuccessfully. Again my time management has not been the best during this module but I am working on this by using a diary and calendar to plan and keep track of my time.

5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)? The knowledge of compositional elements; depth, frame, line of sight etc has really made me able to focus on these in other people's work which is really useful in pin-pointing exactly what makes the image successful/appealing to me. This has also helped me in the planning process of my own work, as I can analyse these elements within my roughs to find which one(s) should be pursued. I think this module has helped also to decode the intent of the artist by looking at different formal elements, such as composition or line quality. The tasks within the session helped to look at images with these things in mind so I can continue to do this with works outside of visual language.  6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor 1 2 3 4 5 Attendance x Punctuality x Motivation x Commitment x Quantity of work produced x Quality of work produced x Contribution to the group x The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.