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