Development:
Initial Roughs

 The first set of roughs I produced primarily focused on the negative impact of technology and more specifically social media on our day to day lives and relationships. The above set were drawn in quite a cinematic style due to my intention to create a tense, dramatic yet subdued feel within my final images.

Therefore I felt a focus on creating dynamic compositions, particularly through lighting was the best way to go about this. Although it is quite time consuming and I have been told it isn't needed for initial roughs I like to get a full tonal range in them so as to better understand how the lighting will effect the composition and, given that I create most images within the intention that they could if needed to be screen printed, it allows me to understand how the images will work with a constrained colour pallet.

In the above images I tried to employ more visual metaphors so as to convey concepts such the notion of being addicted to social media and using social media as a mask. This latter concept I think was the strongest given that there is a strong case based on my research that people use social media to construct a better image of themselves so as to attempt to keep their anxieties at bay.

However visually I didn't quite like how this concept had translate so therefore I tried using a different metaphor, images of towers/castles, to convey the same concept. I also think these are more effective due to the ambiguity they allow. This is because the fact that they are solitary towers implies a sense of isolation possibly given to the figure by a reliance on social media rather than real life interactions.

Feedback

During the group crit it was highlighted that my roughs are usually most effect when kept simple. In particularly the very first image of a couple lying back to back with their phones illuminating their faces was highlighted as being particularly powerful and therefore despite being at such an early stage is a design I will most likely develop into a final image.

It was also agreed the ambiguity and surreal nature of the tower images was very effective but that the communication could perhaps be clearer with the suggestion of using windows in the shape of social media logos being one way of possibly improving this.

Although I have intended my project to have quite a negative and angst ridden feel it was suggested that I could also look into and visual experiment with more positive aspects of technology.