End of Module Evaluation

End of Module Student Evaluation

BA(hons) Illustration

Module Code: LAUIL404 Illustration 2: Communication

Name: Cáit McEniff

Student ID: 267534

Please identify where the evidence for each of the learning outcomes is within your submission and how well you feel you have met the learning outcomes. Please also grade yourself in relation to the learning outcomes using terms:

> poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent (Note- This is so that the team have an understanding of how well you feel you have done. It is not an indication of the actual grade you may receive)

Learning Outcome	Evidenced where? Blog, Sketchbook, Roughs Final Illustrations, development sheets etc.  (No more than 75 words)	Your grade Using words: > poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent
4A5 Demonstrate a range of approaches to research in the collection, development and communication of source material	Sketchbooks, interviews, photography, drawing from life, books, films, podcasts, blog
4B4 Demonstrate a critical awareness of individual intentions in the production and contextualisation of work related to appropriate creative practices in illustration	Blog, visual inspiration of practioners,
4C4 Explore appropriate processes and techniques in the visual development of ideas relating to narrative, sequence and content	Untold Stories, sketchbooks
4C5 Demonstrate the ability to incorporate visual skills and sensitivity to appropriate media in the development of a body of individually identified responses to set briefs	Sketchbooks, Final outcomes
4D4 Effectively manage time and resources in order to document, present and evaluate a self-determined body of work in response to set briefs	Blog, Self reflection, To do lists, Sketchbooks

Evaluation (See guidance below for more information)

You are required to write a 500 word evaluation of this module.

I have really enjoyed this module and the freedom it has given me to create and tell stories, although compared to 403 I feel it has been more of a rocky road. I think Untold Stories has been my favourite brief and I think the outcome has been the strongest of the module. This was helped through the research, I took different approaches to my research rather than just through websites / books etc, and this was the greatest strength in keeping me interested and inspired in the project. The interviews I made both in person and through Instagram with strangers were indispensable to the book I created, I found interviewing to be one of the most beneficial methods of research both through getting engagement through interesting conversations and also through an almost motivation to create work which I felt gave justice to the responses people had shared with me? As with Persons of Note in 403, I found drawing whilst watching films really useful, especially as an early starting point in the project to get my mind working and drawing without pressure. I really enjoyed creating work for a book format and the opportunity to tell stories and engage a viewer in this way, considering my work in relation to the layout of a book as oppose to a single page. I think Futurology was my weakest brief of the module, I got really frustrated at myself for feeling uninspired and unmotivated, this impacted my work as I only got out of the creative rut with a week left of the brief so everything felt a bit rushed and unpolished. At the time I was annoyed with myself for how this module went but on reflection and through listening to the talk with Laura Carlin I realised that the self-pressure as a creative to be inspired all the time is so unattainable and I shouldn’t beat myself up for feeling that way, it’s all part of the process. Part of my weakness in Futurology was that I tried to tackle too much, I chose a subject that was too broad and so I ended up getting overwhelmed and bogged down with too many bitty ideas and research points. I’ve learnt the importance of being able to let go of ideas that aren’t working and trust my instincts, so despite my negative feelings towards Futurology I’m very grateful of what I’ve learnt. This module has taught me many new skills such as how to make gifs, using Photoshop and InDesign. I’m really proud that I’ve  managed to get over the apprehension of feeling unconfident with Photoshop because I realise how beneficial it can be to my work, for example I don’t think my Untold Stories book would have been as successful if I didn’t change the levels of my scans. I also tried using a Wacom tablet for the first time in this module, once I got the hang of it, it became a really enjoyable (and relaxing?) process. I’ll definitely continue to keep experimenting with this. In all honesty I preferred Playbook during 403 than Playbook 2 in 404. I think this is because I’ve felt less freedom to play, I’ve felt the pressure of considering compositional factors which is not something I’m used to doing consciously. The theory learnt through reading the handouts and putting that into practice has been hugely beneficial in forcing me to consider the work I’m making more rather than absentmindedly making an image without roughs first. I will continue to make more carefully considered roughs, but I also understand the value in letting the process happen as sometimes my best work is made this way. Working in sketchbooks is the place I’m most comfortable with, I think my Untold Stories and Gif making sketchbooks are the most successful because they show the most engagement and play, whereas my futurology sketchbook seems bitty and messy and theres a certain lack of learning through play which my other sketchbook show. Keeping personal sketchbooks is something very important to me and during Futurology when I was feeling uninspired and lost they acted as a sort of safe space to create work outside of uni and get back into the flow of making without any self-inflicted pressure. I think this is maybe why Untold Stories felt so comfortable to me because the outcome was in a book format, with a primary focus on storytelling which is the work I enjoy making the most. In the future I want to start to get out of the sketchbook more, and work larger which is not something I try often. Overall I’m pleased with the work I’ve made in this module, I’ve learnt lots of skills, illustration theory and new research methods which is really beneficial to my practice. I’ve made work which I’m proud of and I’ve taken myself out of m comfort zone way more than I did in 403.