27/11/2011

Yet again it's been another weekend of full on binge drinking, when I really should have been getting stuck in about the new briefs that's been handed out. So this week I will need to focus on the tasks at hand. (Channel my energy into the task at hand)

I've been experimenting with a range of different plastics and light for the drawing class, the idea of trying to generate a shadowed images effect on the wall. I feel that it is achievable, it's just going to take a little bit of time trying to see what works best; is the light too dim, is the ink bold enough etc.

For Creative Concepts another new brief has been issued, where again I feel I've got off to a very slow start. Trying to find the correct place/environment that can be shown through my sketchbook - telling a story, where the presents of feeling or emotion can be understood and felt. The sketchbook has not to be a scrap book, so I am going to have to develop my ideas to make this idea of feeling or emotion. Is this place going to be dark and mysterious or enjoyable and happy? 

I have started my own project for Specialist Skills, this was to use photography and by enhancing the images I would generate the visuals of capturing light and motion. I have started this project on a high because I am really enjoying the work I am producing. There are still many techniques I want to try where I will post some of the work here.

In the other part of Specialist Skill we are still focusing on the workshops, which I am still enjoying. This week I am going to need to go back to the sketchbook of all the work we have done in the duration of the lectures since the start of the year and make sure that everything is up to date and explored in detail.

Contextual Studies at the moment is preparing us to write a short essay of our choice which has interested us throughout each seminar each week. After much debate I have chosen my topic to be on Art, Design & Popular Culture. I suppose this will be trial and error as I feel my writing does let me down, always head off in tangents..... so when I was at the shop, right.....

PDP has made me more aware of ways of working, so for all of the above I am going to set myself short term goals for each individual subject. This means although it does indeed sound/look like a lot of work, which it is, I will keep on top of my work load.

22/11/2011

Hello blog!

Going to Ayr this weekend to see the family before Christmas! So i can't imagine getting much college work done this weekend!

Still a lot to do! Certainly need to get a move on with the symbols brief!

Goodbye blog!

06/11/2011

Mid - Module assessment are over for the first block, well with Specialist Skills, Creative Concepts and Life Drawing. Some went a lot better than others. 

I need to include a lot more within my sketchbook work, especially in the Creative Concepts projects. More relevant research, different concepts and my own 2D and 3D models.

New brief on Visual Symbols & Pictograms has been issued for Creative Concepts where I will need to get my finger out and get to grips with the projects quicker. Going to need to take an in-depth look at Semiotics - the study of symbols of all kinds, what they mean, and they relate to the things or ideas to which they refer. 

I had the idea of trying to not write anything in my sketchbook and try and make it understood through symbols and images only. But after thinking it though and trying it briefly, it was far too difficult.

So, plan for next week it to :-

Research more on semiotics and for the words festival, society, holiday, bargain, culture and mineral.

Start progression in my own chosen object for life drawing, scratching into plastic and filling with different colored charcoal or wax.

Finish the swatch diagram for specialist skills and start to a new workshop.

Finish essay on digital designers/artists for specialist skills.

And finally, more research on modernism and post - modernism for contextual studies.

12/10/2011

Thought I will include this in my blog only because it is pretty weird.


On Thursday the 6th of October 2011, class BAD1 were given an assignment in Contextual Studies. The task was to pick either, just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?, 1956

By Richard Hamilton, or, 

The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein the younger, 1533.

That night I decided to make a collage based on the Richard Hamilton work. The theme behind this piece of work is to show how more and more 'mod-cons' were being made and how they were always trying to be bettered in the late 1950s in my opinion.

My attempt to try and portray the same effect in todays culture was to used the company Apple and how they do the same thing. (Trying to come up with more ideas quickly, but effectively). iPhone 1,2,3,4, iPad 1 and 2, iPod and iPod Touch etc etc.... The list is endless....

The collage would then be presented and a little bit about your ideas and imagery were to be discussed with my peers.

To finish it off I then printed out a full size (A4) picture of the CEO of Apple - Steve Jobs. This would be the first time I ever printed anyone (to that scale) out my printer. I had never known of him before or looked at his background, It was just to include in my collage.

That very same night Steve Jobs died. Now if your into all that supernatural stuff, that is pretty weird/creepy.

Just thought I would share that little story.

R.I.P Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011.

10/10/2011

There we have it, first proper brief complete and presentation done for the year. Think the whole thing went pretty well until my timing device didn't officially complete its cycle, which was kind of expected after all the bother I had with it that morning. 


So, moving on to brief number 2 - 'Visual Symbols & Pictograms'.


Looking forward to getting stuck into the research and working towards a 'symbol' rendered digitally and presented at A4 size on individual boards. Or could it be something different?! 7 weeks to go until hand in anyway.

03//10/2011

Not written up on my blog for a while and nothing has changed. Still working on the 'Time' brief (1 week to go till hand-in-date) and workshops for 'Transformation. However, we now have  a lecturer on Thursday mornings for Contextual Studies.

12/09/2011

Study Skills

After yet another monday off on the 5th, we arrived back to college with a new brief and a PDP class where we learnt a lot about ourselves.

Our first task was to write 'your top forty', where I had to make a list of my strong point, successes, qualities, attitudes and attributes etc. I'm not going to lie but I found this difficult as it was a quite daunting to write 40 different points about myself.

After reaching the final 40 the next task was to pin-point at least 5 of these which I was most proud off. These were sense of humor, polite, positive attitude, tidiness and patience - (sometimes).

There was then another 2 tasks which were along the same lines, where my strong points were highlighted and the points that still needed developed were raised. The purpose of this was to find out which was priority and needed to be focused on first to enhance my research techniques and manageable goals.

I think attending this Personal Development Planning (Study Skills) hour on a Thursday will certainly help me become more organised and more confident in my own abilities.

Mobile Blogger!

02/09/2011

Just downloaded an app that allows me to blog on my phone!
Now i can blog on the go! :)

01/09/2011 First Time Blogging

The first week of college is now officially over.

However, I missed the first day (Monday 29th August) due to being on a flight back from Zakynthos, Greece.

My main project handed out is on the topic of 'TRANSFORMATION'. Part 1 is to explore and develop my practical skills and knowledge of media, in response to a set brief. The skills that may be used will be acquired through workshop activities for the following 40 weeks. 

Investigate the potential possibilities of a range of media in response to the concept of transformation.

Let the research and sketchbook work commence!!!!!