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.