Studio Brief 1: Reflective Report

I think that I have combined media well in this image. Chinagraph and ink work really well together as chinagraph allowed me to achieve a deep black and extra level of detail impossible with ink, which added to the eerie, disturbed mood of my image. I also think that the way I have overlayed my grayscale images with block colour works well to create an unexpected contrast. The fact that the layers don't quite match up also adds an interesting friction.

I really struggled to simplify and reduce down my images. I did receive good feedback and I think that they communicate a mood well but they aren't what I was personally pushing for. I translated them into mono-print just to see if this would help me to simplify and it did with the castle. It forced me to think more about light and dark and how to better split up the image planes to create a sense of depth. I know that I am going to struggle with lino and screen print but I think that their limitations will really help me to simplify. Maybe I should think of a new way of designing my images, a more shape lead approach?

I also struggled with the drafting stage because I was so stumped for ideas. However, I discovered in the crit that I was trying to be too clever with my ideas when I could have been a lot more literal and spent more time visually developing them instead. I.e. taking just the castle concept and spending a couple of pages playing with it compositionally. Initially I thought that this was just how I worked but after my reflection in the crit I think that I was again just over complicating.

I want to continue to explore chance colour overlays. I think that the friction between the bold coloured shapes and the drawing behind is really interesting. I also want to want to continue to explore this theme of deception and the illusion of beauty, to hide the dark twisted reality. However, I need to read 'The Bloody Chamber' before I do any more drawing. Right now I think I'm focusing too closely on 'Nights at the Circus' and it seems quite different from her other writing. It will be interesting to see what other illusions and disguises crop up here.