Reportage Evaluation

 Reportage Evaluation 

 

As part of our illustration and communication project, we did two separate projects, Reportage and Editorial. The idea of the Reportage was for us to explore and develop our knowledge into the idea of reportage and how we can use it within our own practice.  

During this project we took part in a range of activities, including drawing exercises, conceptual activities and printmaking. 

We started the project looking at observational drawings and how we can use it within our own practice. For this we collected drawings from around campus, in our own environments, and on trips to the galleries, the biennial and the Potteries Museum. Before this project, observational drawings were something that I found hard as I like my work to feel perfect, however after completing a range of these activities including timed observations, I found myself slowly coming out of my comfort zone and working loosely not overthinking the marks that I was making within my sketches. My favorite part of this was the visit to the Potteries Museum and sketching within the Spitfire exhibit. I liked capturing the plane in a fast manner as well as being able to link within its environment. These activities and exercises also led to further outcomes further into the project such as the biennial poster and using our sketches for different printmaking workshops. 

As Well as capturing observationally we took part in some conceptual activities, such as merry letter form, the barcode activity, idiom task and seeing things activity. These were only some of the exercises that we were given during the project however, these were a notable example of reportage and how we used it to further our knowledge. My personal favorite was the seeing things activity as I really enjoyed picking out different elements from landscapes and turning it into a completely new meaning.  

A lot of the activities that took place during our project also led to development for print printmaking workshops. The printmaking was a real key part of the project as it allowed us to experiment with a new media whilst also broadening our knowledge for potential future work. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend some of the workshops however I was able to complete the process at home where I had access to the equipment. I really enjoyed the print making sessions with my favorite being the risograph as I really enjoyed playing around with the gradients and layering the colours. 

Overall, I was successful with this project as I found myself trying elements which would usually make me feel rather uncomfortable as I was not able to perfect them or start again. I also felt I showed great development throughout my work as I tried to experiment with different medias and processes. If I were to go back and improve, I would think about doing a few more observational sketches to help develop my style and confidence. I would also like to develop some of the activities adding colour and working on them digitally. However, overall, I felt I was really successful with this project.