research

URBAN SKETCHING
Toward the end of this project as I was reflecting on the work I'd produced and the way I'd been approaching it
I began wondering if I was heading in the wrong direction.

I've been producing illustrations via a fairly traditional methodology for several years - which is to say starting with roughs and developing a specific idea through various iterations until a polished final pieces is complete (a distillation). It's easy to consider that process as a safety net - it can't really go wrong in any real sense. Is that level of control working against me?

As I scanned through the posts I'd liked on instagram (as I sometimes do for inspiration) the thing that I noticed is that what I might consider is rather than producing, in future, a series of 'finished' pieces on a subject, I might rather focus on creating a collection of work - finished pieces and process pieces being of equal value and worth. Perhaps the 45 second doodle is more interesting than the 2 day drawing? Perhaps it's not about the individual works but rather the collection - in the same way that urban sketchers aren't looking to produce 1 drawing to
sum up an experience but rather a collection that offers an arguably much more rounded and complete sharing of an experience.

This could also mean more drawing in situ as well as working from photos as I've done thus far in this exploration of reportage illustration.

As I approach yr2 and future practical work, this is certainly something to consider.