2nd and 3rd illustration.

Above are my main idea for the 3rd illustration. I was struggling to draw the curves in snail so I decide to drew one and scanned the drawing so I can trace the shape in Photoshop.

After I added all the detail at the snake and the background, I struggled with the actual colour of its skin. I tried different colour in 'Hue and Saturation'. 

After I had a long battle, I decided to choose a dark brown, inspired by the colour of a real python. I selected this colour also because to make sure that the snake is stand out with the background.

Image above is my main idea for the 4th illustration.

I did not save the snake's skin texture as a document/jpeg, so I spent a lot of time using the Hue and Saturation to get the right colour approximately up to 5 minutes. This taught me to save any textures that potentially i will use more than once e.g. snake skin, its texture, ground textures as one file/jpegs so in the future i don't have to spend a lot of time to get the right colour like.

1st and 2nd illustrations.

Figure above is a rough sketch for my 1st 25x25cm illustration.

Image Y

I wanted to mix digital collage and photoshop brush tool in my illustration but the outcome did not please me. I think the water is too blue and the ground colour is too dull which makes the iguana's sort uninteresting (even thought it have an interesting texture.

Image X

Then I started to make everything digital collage but I am struggling with the ground colour. this image above reminds me of snow as I left the ground white colour. After I had a long thought, I decided to decided this image into two. First is a mosquitoes looking down and the second image is an iguana drinking a waterhole just by zoom in at the mosquitoes and at the iguana. 

I also decided to make the book smaller from 25x25cm to 20x20cm; this because I want to cut my budget for printing and binding. 

1st Illustration (left), 2nd Illustration (right)

Left: I only zoomed in at the mosquitoes and made the trees (at the background) closer to each other to represent forrest. I am quiet please with the outcome. The textures, colours and patterns work together as an illustration

Right : I also zoomed in the iguana from the image Y. I made the waterhole's colour darker. I think important for me to make sure that I open the setting of 'Proof Colour' in Photoshop all the time. I also decided to make the ground colour a dark green colour and made little grass with lighter green. 

I feel good. 

RESPONSIVE : Summative Evaluation

I think this module was completely different from the other modules in Illustration because I was to choose the briefs and the clients and, although I thought I had not done anything for OUIL503,  when I did my project report, I realised that I had done 14 or more live briefs which is a lot. These briefs enabled me to experiment with all sorts of art pathways and methods from pattern, packaging, fabric print to typography.

This module was also quite challenging because it was really open and it was up to the individual to decided how many briefs they wanted to work on at a time. This module taught me to be more independent and tested my time management skills. It taught me to be independent because everyone was answering different briefs and  I  could only get answers by interacting with the clients and the brief and I could not ask tutors because they had not designed the brief. Interacting with clients can be extremely challenging especially if they live far away from me or there are two clients (partners) in one project but they live far from each other and keep missing communication among themselves and blame me for designing wrongly even when I was following the idea of one of them.

After I completed my project report, I realised that I had made a lot of patterns and posters. I experimented with a lot of typography and repeated pattens. I enjoy making patterns for WrappedCo, Tiger Print and Unmasking The Truth etc but I found it was difficult to please myself as well as them. I think this is due to the fact that  I am not specialised in patterns. I am not very keen on typography but my live briefs involved this a lot. I do not know if I have improved on using time in design but I know that I have become more patient and aware of discipline in typography. 

I did not finish off my YCN, Yorkshire Tea (individual practice) because I found it was hard and it did not appeal to me. At first I thought it would be fun but I was wrong. I think this is due to the lack of research and encouragement from peers and tutors and also I am not interested in packaging. For me, Yorkshire Tea was the most unsuccessful of the briefs. This is ashamed because I really like Yorkshire Tea. If I had more time I would love to restart my individual practice (YCN/D&AD) by reading briefs properly before making a decision. In contrast, I really enjoyed the collaborative project D&AD, Pantone brief with William. We managed to get everything done a few weeks before the deadline; I think this is because I had someone to push me to do design work which is good. We also set our mini deadlines and set our meeting times so we could get the design work finished on time. Sometimes we had to change our meeting times because of our personal matters and timetable. 

I had to create a to do list most of the time as this module was overlapping with other modules. I really did have to plan my holiday especially during the Easter break as the deadlines for all the modules were approaching; the to do list technique and deactivating my Facebook did help me a lot. When I did my to do list, I realised that I was leaving all the blogging to the last minute, for example I did a live brief in November, and I still did not blog about it until Easter which is bad because I had probably already forgotten some of the experiences that I felt during the live brief.

At first OUIL503 was my least favourite module but as time passed by, I really enjoyed the module as I start to pick live briefs/competition that suited my interests rather than picking a live brief/competition just for the sake of it. 

Project Report

Individual boards for your Collaborative Brief

Boards for the individual practice brief.

I submitted my YCN but I was unable to finish the brief on time so I submitted an unfinished design. For me this brief is really difficult because it involving packaging and I am not interested in packaging. I think it is essential for me to read and investigate the outcomes of a brief before making any further decision.

Boards for other briefs produced as part of Studio Brief 1

RESPONSIVE : Colours May Vary

A design for CMV exhibition.
I sold my tote bag £10 each because I used three fabric print colours and actually bought the tote bags on ebay. I think it was a bit expensive but hey at least I sold one of my bag. I was surprise yet happy. I think, as a young illustrator, I am a lack of confident with my illustration skills. I think it is because I found it was difficult to please myself with my own work.

RESPONSIVE : Tiger Print.

Why do I choose this brief ?

• The theme is 'mark making'. 
• I enjoy making some textures by using unconventional tools so I want to expand my skills into patterns. 
• I also want to do more competitions instead of live briefs from my friends.

What do I want to get out of it ? 

• Design more than five patterns and try to submit more than three pattern to Tiger Print.

What do I need to produce in respond to it ? 

• Images must be 500px x 500px or 500px x 700px, jpeg at 72 dpi.
• Each entrant may submit a maximum of 5 designs each.
• Please submit entries from Tuesday 24th March 2015 until Monday 20th April 2015 (Midnight GMT) using the 'Enter Now' button below.
• Don’t forget to retain your original artwork at a resolution of at least 300 DPI, in case your design is selected as the winner.

What do you want to produce in respond to it ?

• Design more than five patterns and try to submit more than three pattern to Tiger Print.
• Try different style of patterns?

Submitted. 

This is my to do list during Easter holiday. I didn't accomplished some of them but this really helped me to get at least my OUIL503 back on track.

Progression Crits.

Peers suggested me to :-

• bolder colours would attract children more
• maybe look at making soft toys out of my characters or stationary instead of making skirt for adult as my book is aim at children
• Start producing !
• combine texture and digital
• Do a mock up of your book to see what it'll look like
• What information will i put on my promotion poster
• 'are you advertising that it is a re-ilustration as to attract existing fans of the book? or the 40th anniversary ?
• where will your animation be shown ?
• make a clear deadline for yourself and do a to do list

RESPONSIVE : Postcards

Why do I choose this brief ?
Design more pattern and sell my work to people so I can promote my work and gain some pocket my money. I also want to network with Malaysian people across United Kingdom.

What do I want to get out of it ? 
Learn how to make repeat pattern, by  selling my postcards I hope I can gain more freelance work

What do I need to produce in respond to it ? 
Postcards with some pattern and quotes.

What do you want to produce in respond to it ?
A6 postcards, patterns with bright colour schemes, legible typography used.

I designed 12 postcards (patterns with quotes) to sell across Malaysian events. So far I have sold more than 300 postcards at four different events across UK.

I found it amazing and happy whenever people buy my work. I found it difficult to love my work but by having buyers to compliment my work, do make me feel more confident and eager to design more.

There are two batch of design (sic and six) the first six designs are more to 'leaves' and 'natural' themes and the second batch are more to 'abstract' and 'shape' themes. I did the second batch digitally but not the first batch. I sketched the leaves/flowers on a piece of paper, scanned it in and then coloured them in Photoshop. I enjoyed both processes of working.

These are some fail illustrations that I created before I did my digital collage illustrations.