Annotation and Checklist.

HERE is a short annotation guide to help you put the finishing touches to your Component 1.

You might also wish to use this simplified checklist. It's HERE.

Final peice

The final deadline for Comp 1 - Thursday, Dec 13th
Over the next two weeks, you will be working on completing your final piece for component 1.
You will have one week after your mock exams to 'snag' any elements of coursework that you have missed or need to improve.
Please ensure that all work from the TASK LIST is completed to the best of your ability. When you hand in your book, you will want everything to be stuck in and presented beautifully. Consider the front cover of your sketchbook at a first ipression for the exminer. Make it special and be proud!

All sections of work must have titles and some form of clear annotation. The least you can submit should be your INTENTION (what was the point of doing the task?) and EVALUATION (What did you learn and what impact did this have on your project?)
The BIG hand in is the end of the lesson on THURSDAY DECEMEBER the 13th.
You will then receive your final grade for Comp 1 on Dec the 17th.

This is 60% of your final GCSE grade.

Investigating colour

Objective

In order for you to fully explore the combinations of colours that you could potentially use in your design, you must trial a draft in various colour schemes.

Task

Take your latest ideas and colour it using colour scheme ideas. This could include:
Monochromatic, complementary, analogous and triadic. There are many more examples - high saturation, low saturation with spot colour. It's up to you.
*Please ensure that the colour choice you make for your final pieces is included in the examples that you create.

Presentation

Post to your presentation with an explanation of what and why you have done this. You should also point out the most successful version and explain why.

Checklist for assessment

Can we tell straight away that you have consciously used colour?

Deadline

Tuesday 28th of November

Below is Michael's A* example.

Refined drafts

Objective
To further develop your layout ideas

Task
Take one of your favourite scamps and draw it neater at an A5-ish size.

Do this 3 times with the same design, refining each time as you go. After each drawing, annotate to describe what elements you can change and refine. This could be type size/placement, character size/placement,
You don't have to include colour at this stage.

AO2 Refine their
ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes

Presentation
Photograph and post to presentation.

Checklist for assessment
3 refined drafts with annotations.

Deadline
TBC

Developing ideas by exploring different media

In a nutshell, make your design. Just see how it goes.

For this task, you will have time to develop your ideas by exploring different media. You should attempt to choose a technique or medium that is similar to one that you have mainly been using. For example, if you have begun to create a photography based artefact, choose more photography developments that show that you can move an idea along, that you are playful and creative.

Look in my books and on Pinterest for ideas.

Feel free to link it back to an artist that you have looked at or to revisit a method that you have used before, but have found a way of refining.

By the end of this section, your idea should have moved along considerably and you should be breaking new ground.

Please have fun, work hard, and be playful. Honestly, you will get marks for being courageous as well as skilful.

Deadline: Oct 2nd

Artists research / visual response

Objectives
To further your understanding of graphic communication practitioners

Task
Using the web and my books, research and present a contextual investigation of a relevant artist, illustrator, photographer or designer.
List of artists here
Use THIS instruction sheet.

Deadline 
First week back in September 2018 


The contents of the investigation should include the following:

1 Gather 4+ pieces of their work - bullet point why these pieces are characteristic of the artist’s work. Don’t describe them separately, look for similar traits.

2 Explain your personal response. Use the relevant questions of the pink section on the 
LOOKING AT ARTEFACTS sheet to help your questioning and responses. 

3 Criticise and analyse their work. Use the relevant questions on the remaining three sections of the  LOOKING AT ARTEFACTS sheet to help your questioning.  (You don’t have to respond to every question.)

4 Respond to their work by emulating their style or process. Take characteristics of their work and merge them with your own work. Translate the work into your own ideas. Don’t spend hours coping whole images. Copies don’t earn many marks - your personal response does.


For those students wishing to achieve the top grades:
Context GCSE Stretch and Challenge 1 Write about the context. What other designers are working at the same time? Include a range of illustrator's work

Influences GCSE Stretch and Challenge 2 Research to find out who the designer has been influenced by. To do this you may need to read an interview with the illustrator. 
Just Google "Interview with [illustrator's name]" and read a few passages

Similar Artefact Typography - Homework

Objective
To research the variety of typography used on your chosen artefact.
To select a possible typeface for your product.

Task 1:

Gather together 10 or more examples of similar artefacts. (If you are making a console game cover, then you will collect lots of game covers.)

Print them off and stick them in your sketchbook (or copy/paste them onto your slides.)

Crop them so that it only shows the type.

• Describe the fonts used.
• Are there any similarities that appear in many examples?
• Why do you think they are suitable for the artefacts?
• Analyse using the Style & Personality section of these type terms

Task 2:

Look on Dafont to select a typeface that could be used on your own artefact.

• Try a few
• Present them using the name of your artefact
• Describe why the examples you have chosen is good for your design.

Expected time

2 hr +

Deadline

Start of the lesson - 2nd July 

Hand made typography

Objective
To experiment and possibly create a suitable typeface for your chosen design.
To evidence your understanding of the expressiveness of typography.

Task
Over two double pages of your sketchbook, experiment with handmade typefaces that could be used within your design. This could be a title or another graphic element.
You can work in ANY medium and use ANY process. A mix would be fine.
You can work in colour or black and white. Leave in your mistakes.
Look on my Type Pinboard for inspiration... (HERE) 
Annotate on your page, intention, notes and evaluation.

I recommend you look at the 'matching intentions' slides and include similar images, textures and colours for your the type that you are designing.

Checklist for assessment
2 double pages of experiments, beautifully bustling and busy pages of creativity.
Annotations.

Time needed
3 hrs.

Deadline
June 25th

Exam Board - Creative Statement

Task:
You are to begin to write your Creative Statement for Component 1. This is what the moderator requires to help them understand your project.
You will be writing this as you go through your component 1.

The Creative Statement is HERE, make a copy and name it. Then share it with danhaycocks@me.com

...then look at the extra help and an example HERE

Thumbnailing

Objective
To work through your initial ideas in an uninhibited fashion. Working in pen means that you can work quickly and not worry about making mistakes. Consider the fact that one of the ideas that you make will eventually make it through to be a final design. Get all of your ideas no paper now, however strange.
For those who consider themselves not able to draw... think of these as diagrams rather than drawings.
The work at the bottom of the post is not A grade standard, but they have a lovely looseness to the drawing.

Task
Using a pen, draw out your ideas over a couple of sketchbook spreads or more.
Firstly, pour all of your ideas out. 

Then, if you like one, in particular, develop that one for a few scamps until you have a better, more refined version.

By refining, you are looking at improving the placement of the title, or the direction of an image. 

Presentation
Sketchbook.
You may colour them if you wish, but do it loosely and don't spend too much time on it.

Checklist for assessment
Loads and loads of different ideas being explored and refined.

Time needed
3 hrs

Deadline
June 11

Post half term hand in

Please be aware that you will hand in your sketchbook on the first Monday back after half term. This will be a chance to get a good mark at the start of your GCSE. Make sure that all tasks have been presented as well as you can and that all tasks have some form of annotation. You can use the Critical Reflection sheet HERE. I will be assessing the following:

• First double page with similar artwork (doing games? fill with game covers)
• Brainstorm (full and brimming with potential ideas)
• Your brief (presented in a creative way)
• Moodboard
• Thumbnails of other designs
• Drawing, drawing and drawing (at least 4 pages)
• Investigating using photography (your own pics, annotated properly)
• Investigating formal conventions

Conventions of the form

Objective 
To increase your understanding of the elements needed to create a successful artefact. The 'form' relates to the artefact that you are making for component 1. Graphics products come in various 'forms': game covers, packaging, magazines boo covers etc.

Task 
Annotate a few examples of artefacts to indicate the elements that are typically included.
If you find that there is not much on a single digipak or book cover, use a few different examples - especially if you are aiming for a 7 or 8.

Tip
Those looking at children's' picture books, you will find that once you have noted down things such as title, author, image etc, you will wish to examine some ina little more detail. Notice general things about the use of type, is it straight? what sort of typefaces? Maybe look at the size and shape of characters, how big are their heads? what expression do they have? You are after generalisations, not specifics fo this tasks.

Those looking at album cover design, once you have completed stating that most albums have a title, image and barcode, you will want to look a little deeper. Try gathering some example from different genres (metal, country, indie, Blues, EDM etc) and noting the similarities or differences that they have. As an example, you may wish to spot at how Blues albums mainly feature musicians holding or playing their main instrument - probably guitar. This is due to the audience's fondness for seeing blues artists and being able to actually play rather than mime. There is authenticity.

Time needed 
2 hrs over at least a double page spread. 

Deadline 
April 1st

Investigating using Photography - Homework

Objective
To gather further primary research for your Component 1 project. 
To enable those who feel drawing is weak to collect useful primary research.   
Within the mark scheme, AO3 states: 'Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.'

Task
1. Consider the subject matter for your project. Take a collection of 30+ photos that you could either edit and use in the final artefact or just use as drawing/illustration reference.
To get the best results from this task, be as creative as you can with your subject and composition. 
As an example, if you have a wise old wizard in your book—and don't have a wise old wizard to hand—dress up your friend/dad/self in a bed sheet, cardboard hat and long stick. Pose them in different, relevant positions. 
Or, look on YouTube for tutorials about how to create wise old wizard make-up. There are loads of tutorials (plenty of zombies) on make-up. Make sure you then photograph the 'making of' period.
You will get plenty of good results from using your initiative. 
Do not make excuses as to why you couldn't get interesting images, there is no excuse.

2. Screenshot the collection of thumbnail photographs. (see presentation above)
Print off and annotate -

• Note images that are good. This might be due to them being in focus, correct composition etc. 
• Cross out images that are not to be used. Out of focus, badly cropped, wrong position etc. 
• Write simple notes against the photos, 'out of focus', 'too far away' or 'too dark', 
• Make your annotations obvious - write in pink? 

Within the contact sheet presentation, comment on the following:

• What were your intentions for the shoot? Why take these images? 
• What are the successful elements, What worked well? 
• What were the unsuccessful elements? What didn't work well? 
• If you were to take these images again, what would you do to make them more suitable? 
• Do you believe that you have all the shots you need for the project? If not, what others do you need to take? 

Checklist for assessment
Lots of interesting photographs with concise and insightful evaluative annotations. 

Deadline
Start of the lesson, May 18th.

Drawing

Objective

For AO3, you need to evidence that you can record observations, insights and ideas relevant to your work as it progresses.

You will need to evidence that you have looked at the world around you and recorded your findings. You can do this in many ways, drawing, painting photography and written notes. 

You can show your recording skills in many ways depending on where you are in the project. Feel free to use any medium you wish (even driwing digitally using the tablet and pen) and a combination. 
Look in the presentation above for ideas.
The basic gist is that your outcome should be 2+ double page spreads in your book full of drawn observations and ideas. Show your exploration and playfulness. Just draw, draw, draw!

Magazine design
Draw a cover designs with as much detail as you can, draw out some ideas for type, photograph and experiment with Photoshop.
CD, Album cover design
Draw elements of iconography from the lyrics, draw band members, draw a few cover designs, draw out some ideas for type,
Childrens' picture book cover / Game cover design
Design a character, create a landscape that the game might take place in, draw out some ideas for type,

Checklist for assessment

Full, bustling pages / detail / obvious investment of time / different approaches to drawing

Time needed

7 hrs+

Deadline

Start of lesson, Tuesday 4th of June.

Here's a little tip. Don't let your brain trick you into giving up as soon as your reach your first drawing hurdle. Keep on going and make a busy, messy drawing if you wish. Just don't throw away until all avenues have been exhausted. If you are drawing a load of smallish drawings, cram your page with examples. You will be amazed at how effective they look all huddled together.

Thumbnails of other designer's work

Objective

To further understand the part white space and layout plays in a graphic artefact.

To become aware of how designers balance elements on a page.

Task
Gather a range of similar artefacts. This can be via Pinterest or your own examples.

Draw them in your sketchbook.

Pay close attention to the light and dark tones—allow your brain to 'threshold' the greys into either light or dark tones. See my measly example above.
The images above are of magazines - not book covers, or CD Digipaks or Children's book covers but you get the gist.

Remember, you can to look at my PINBOARDS if you are struggling for examples...

Checklist for assessment
18 examples or two pages.

Deadline
May 7th

Writing a Brief

Create a moodboard - Homework

Task
Your homework task is to assemble and present a mood board related to your brainstorm or content research (band lyrics, story, etc).
Look at your brainstorm and collect related imagery 
The mood board should be presented on a double page spread of your sketchbook... or more!
Don't be too strict on yourself - at this stage in the project, you can let your imagination run wild... pretty much anything goes.
The end result should completely cover your pages and be a carnival of ideas.
Use the Critical Reflection helpsheet when annotating.

What to include?
Imagery from your brainstorm 
    (photographs, drawings, illustration, your own and found)
Words and phrases, lyrics - printed and handwritten
Potential colour schemes
Textures and associated ephemera

Deadline - Monday, April 30th

Brainstorming / Finding content

Objective

To allow you to retrieve and create a wealth of ideas for your unit 1 project.

Tasks

1. In your sketchbook, brainstorm all of the possible ideas / associations that you associate with your story / lyrics / title / synopsis / brand.

2. Attempt to ‘free-associate’ - allowing your brain to come up with ideas - with many of the words. Don’t judge yourself at this point, just let the ideas flow.

3. Feel free to draw and doodle and stick photos in and around your brainstorm. Your book should start off with a bang.

This could be attempted in many forms the following ways:
Children's book cover  
Print the story out, (double line spaced is helpful) and annotate in the margins. Highlight key scenes and subject matter that could be used on the cover. 
Game cover 
Start with a few words in the middle of a page. The words should be linked to the game. For Epic City Limits you would write the 'name' of the game, 'city', 'jobs', 'youths' etc. Then, using a thesaurus, branch out with connections.
Design for music 
Come up with a name for the album. THIS LIST of THEMES should help you.
Then brainstorm the name/theme to arrive at a concept.
For existing bands/singers - print off lyrics by and annotate them in the margins. Maybe you can arrive at a theme through the lyrics.
If you have a rough design idea already (e.g. the 1980s) then feel free to use this as the basis of your brainstorm.
Packaging design 
Brainstorm the name of the product... and the overall 'feel' or 'message' of the product.
Magazine design 
Brainstorm the name of the mag... and the overall 'feel' or 'message'. List features that could be included as these might be referenced on the cover.

Example
http://hollypearsonunit1gcsegraphics.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/brainstorm-research.html

Checklist for assessment

Loads of interesting ideas.

Time needed

1 hr

Deadline

Before the lesson, 30 April.

Component 1 Starting points

Brian Biggs - Places

Biggs Eraser HERE
If you find that the presentation won't load due to the slow web, there is a PDF version on Student Shared. Follow the map below:

Jon Klassen - Contextual Investigation

This is THREE-week homework. 3 questions this week, 3 the next and the presentation time.

Objectives
To further your understanding of graphic communication practitioners

Task
Using the web and my books, research and present a contextual investigation about the illustrator John Klassen.

The contents of the investigation should include the following. 

!!You will get extra marks if you draw, plan, describe and doodle elements relating to the investigation!!

WEEK 1
1. Personal Response

Describe who the artist is. You could include major works, a map / info of the town of where they work, a drawing of the artist / their studio. Use your imagination. Do NOT include a biography.

Explain your personal response. Use the pink section on the WAYS OF LOOKING sheet to help your questioning and responses.

2. Comprehension

Criticise and analyse their work. Use the WAYS OF LOOKING sheet to help your questioning. 

3. Characteristics
Take a number of typical examples and bullet point why they are characteristic of the designer. Consider, what makes a typical John Klassen?

WEEK 2
4. Context
Write about the context. What other designers are working at the same time? Include a range of illustrator's work
5. Influences
Research to find out who the designer has been influenced by. To do this you may need to read an interview with the illustrator. 
Just Google "Interview with [illustrator's name]" and read a few passages
Try these:
Read the last 3 paragraphs of this one…
http://www.artofthepicturebook.com/-check-in-with/2014/10/15/interview-with-jon-klassen

…and scroll to half way down this interview, to the paragraph that starts 'The structure of ‘This Is Not My Hat’ came from two…. You’ll find some odd influences there. 
http://blog.picturebookmakers.com/post/152596041611/jon-klassen

…and there are some in this interview towards the start:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/meet-jon-klassen-one-of-the-most-successful-canadian-authors-ever/article21051170/


6. Working in their style
Using photos or drawings that you created yourself or images from the web, emulate the style of the designer that you are researching and create a version or your own.

Checklist for assessment
Relevant images, in-depth research and response in your own words (no copy and paste), accurate emulation.

Time needed
6 hours

Deadline
Week 1 - 3 questions by Monday 15th of January (checked in class)
Week 2 - Final 3 questions by Monday 22nd of January.
Week 3 - Presentation in the style of the artist.

Any problems, pop and see me before either deadline.

John Klassen - View from my window - Homework

For the next piece, you will be working in the style of Jon Klassen.

Task
You are going create a view from your from a window at home.

You are welcome to use your imagination and make up what is on the walls and what view might be seen. In my version, I have used half of what is there and imagined the rest. It could be completely made up or totally true to life.
If you struggle with drawing, collage the view from photographs and trace it.
Draw it as a line drawing with no tone. 

In your sketchbooks, you could have your line drawing and also reference images that you have used, maybe a photograph from your window.

Deadline
8th Jan

John Klassen - Emulation Piece

WEAR HEADPHONES! WEAR HEADPHONES! WEAR HEADPHONES!

Tutorial features:
00.30 - What makes a John Klassen?
01.18 - What you need to get  ready...
02.30 - My attempt
02.48 - Start of tutorial
02.56 - Thresholding your drawing
03.35 - Importing big textures
04.00 - Blending modes
04.40 - Gradients
06.00 - Textures and layer mask
08.00 - Copying sections of texture
09.50 - Gritty texture / blend mode screen
10.32 - Extra elements (inverting)
11.00 - Textures with other blend modes

Objective
To increase your understanding of working with hand-made textures and hand drawn line in Photoshop.
To learn intermediate Photoshop - blending modes, layer masks and gradients

Task
Using the tutorial above, create a piece in the style of John Klassen from the view of your window. This is called 'emulating'.

Emulate = imitate: "hers is not a hairstyle I wish to emulate."

What do I need?
* Line drawing of your window and surrounding area (curtains, objects wall etc)
* Another line drawing of extras, this time in more detail.
* Access to Student Shared folder > 01Mrh > Graphics > Textures
* An image of a John Klassen work, for reference.