Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION	Level	04
OUIL403 Visual Skills	Credits	20
End of Module Self Evaluation

NAME

1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?
The use of roughs has been invaluable for me when generating initial ideas and until starting this course was a process I rarely used. It has allowed for the quick and exhaustive generation of ideas as well as developing and understanding how they will transition into a final image. I have also tried to use as many different media and processes as possible. These have included both analogue methods such as charcoal, ink, acrylic, papercut and graphite as well as digital skills such as photoshop. I have tried to push myself out of my comfort zone as much as possible and would site paper cut and the use of photoshop as particular examples of this as I rarely use them for illustrative purposes. Although I feel I have improved to an extent with these mediums I realise that I still have a long way to go yet as I don't feel they have always been as effectively employed within my image making as thye could be.
2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice? The importance of drawing out as many potential Ideas of as possible as well as repeat drawing images regardless of how rubbish they are has been invaluable. This was achieved through my use of roughs which I seemed to have been drawing endlessly throughout the project. Furthermore the importance each aspect of image making, ie composition, design, colour, quality, has on delivering the message of an image. This means it's not always enough to create something which simply looks good as the wrong composition or colour combination, even if aesthetically pleasing, can completely distort the intended message of an image by redirecting the focal point or changing the atmosphere within it.
Finally that simple and reductive ideas rather than overly complex ones are usually the most effective due to how legible and immediate they are and that trying to be overly clever with ideas can often result in imagery that is too complex and confused in the eyes of the viewer.
3. What strengths can you identify within your submission and how have you capitalised on these?
I think my ideas development in response to the briefs has been my main strength and I would sight both task 2 and 3 as examples of this. Particularly they demonstrate the time I have taken to get to know the subject matter, ie its content, themes and concepts, allowing this to really inform and shape my ideas. I have consistently been able to produce a large range of distinctly different ideas both visually and thematically for each project which has allowed to be highly speculative when approaching in brief.
4. What areas for further development can you identify within your submission and how will you address these in the future?
I was not happy with any of my final pieces and therefore I need to dramatically improve how I transition roughs/initial ideas into a finished piece. The main way to achieve this is to build upon my image making skills which I feel at the moment aren't up to the standard needed to successfully solve each task. Therefore I need to build upon them as much as possible in my free time as well as within both Visual Skills and Visual Language. Feedback from peers and tutors is also essential for this as it will and has allowed me to see what is or isn't working as why. I think it is particularly important for me to do this as I am by far my own worst critic which often results in me losing faith in my own work that inevitably damages the final results.
5. In what way has this module introduced you to the Ba (Hons) Illustration programme? It has shown me what is expected us when tackling each brief both in terms of how we tackle each problem and how much we need to do in response to it. The introduction to the blogging system has been particularly useful as it has drilled in to me that evaluation and reflection is essential to the process of image making and must be an ongoing process through the course. I have also been exposed to just how high the standards of the course and those on it are. This is because we have consistently received highly engaging briefs to which many have produced work that is highly inventive and being produced to a high level of skill and crafting. In regards to the last point I feel I still have long way to improve as to be on the same level as others within the group and need to focus on improving my practical skills so as to keep my ideas development and image creation on the same level when tackling future briefs.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance				X
Punctuality					X
Motivation				X
Commitment				X
Quantity of work produced			X
Quality of work produced			X
Contribution to the group			X