End of Module Evaluation

1. What learning have you inherited through this module and how has it impacted on your own understanding of professional practice? Consider yourself as a student at University as much as an illustrator

I think towards the end of this module I have really learnt the value of honest and true self-reflection. At the beginning of the year I think I felt a bit lost in terms of PPP and what it meant, and I think that was largely in part to me not reflecting on myself and my practice deep enough or with enough context. With the last two briefs however (SB2 & SB3) I’ve found that a lot of what I’ve learnt through PPP has all come together. I’m starting to really understand why I like the work that I like and how that affects me as a practitioner. I’m also finally starting to really think about where my own work fits within this huge ‘illustrationsphere’ and it feels good to start figuring that out.


2. What approaches/ types of research have you found most valuable over this module? Why did they have such an impact?

I’ve really found looking at other artists and illustrators to be valuable this year, not only in PPP but in other modules as well. By looking at existing practitioners work and understanding why it is successful in both a professional sense and a personal sense, I’ve found my own work develops and grows more. Through better understanding the professional illustrating world I can better understand my place in it and where to push my work next.

As previously mentioned self reflecting and blogging through issues and concerns in my illustration has also proved extremely helpful recently and it something I want to take with me and continue into next year. 

3. In what way has PPP informed the way your work in other modules and your illustration practice as a whole?
PPP has recently become very useful to me, I feel that I started the year with good intentions and regular blogging, however this waned when SP and COP really kicked into swing. This is a shame as recently PPP has been hugely useful in understanding my own practice and my struggles within it. Next year I wish to consistently blog PPP, as it’s useful for not only the aforementioned reasons but also because I think it’s good to look at artists, illustrators, events happens ect outside of SP briefs and modules. I would also like to get into the habit of blogging regularly about non-illustration related things that impact me as I feel they too have a role to play in how I’ve developed and grown this year overall.


4. What weaknesses can you identify in your PPP submission and how will you address this in the future?

As mentioned before, during the beginning of the second term my PPP blogging did suffer; it was something I put off as I thought the more immediate deadlines needed more attention than PPP, however if I had blogged and reflected as regular on PPP as I have recently maybe I wouldn’t have had the struggles I had later on in other briefs, or would have come to conclusions quicker.

In this same vain I also didn’t blog things like exhibitions I went to, films I watched or non-illustration related things, which would have been extremely helpful. I feel as though they did shape a lot in the way I’ve worked or things I’ve thought about or considered and not taking the time to truly reflect on this may have lead to me not learning as much//taking as much from experiences or influences.


5. What communities of practice and professional contexts do you intend to investigate further as you approach level 5? Why do they appeal to you?

I really want to look at more lo-fi and loose illustration within the future. I feel like one of the things I’m really interested in is recording authentic feelings, experiences, emotions ect and I feel I do this best when things are stripped back a little bit, and a little looser too. I want to look into ceramic illustrators like Laura Bird, Jen Collins, Eleonor Bostrom, Charlotte Mei and Leah Reena. I’ve found a few other illustrators such as Joohee Yoon who work quite texturally with shape and the landscapes of Marcus Oakley have also currently caught my eye. I’d like to look more into reportage illustration as well as zines, as they’re something I’d like to try more of but haven’t really experimented with this year.

I’m still a little unsure of how my work will develop or where it will sit exactly by the time I’m finished at LCA, but for the first time I feel quite comfortable in what I want to explore, what I want to push and what I want my illustration to express, and that is primarily in part to PPP.