PERSONALPROMOTIONPROJECT

By Sarah Burgess

Contents

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Initial Ideas + Brainstorming

Secondary Research

Deciding on Illustrations

MoodBoards

Digital Developments

Screenprinting Processes

Label Design

Photographing the Finals

Reception from Blog

Reflection

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Initial Ideas + Brainstorming

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The Above Works:Personal Illustrations that hold significance to every day conversa-tions and ”Strange Occurances”. This is a project of Self Promotion as an Illustrator. To me, each illustration tells a story, a conversa-tion, a train ride. However, getting this across to my audience is where I struggle. This project is my way of developing my per-sonal illustrative style.

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This Illustration was produced whilst living in Hong Kong. The Parks in Hong Kong are so crazy compared to those in England, they have ap-paretus that you can exercise on, childrens built jumping equipment for athletic types and the lights of the Parks are left on every minute of the day. This Illustration was my interpretution of this environment and its wonderful happenings. The lanterns display the never sleeping lifestyle of the city.

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Sketchbook Scans and developments

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I began to consider a series of posters aimed at a niche market. Possibly a book format or a scroll layout.

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After a crit with Stephanie, she told me that for this project I needed to find the purpose of these drawings, what was the story behind them? and who could I aim these towards. These were areas I took into considera-tion here on after, I decided my work did hold content, but in order for it to be understood, it may need a quote or sentence within the illustration for it become a question, or an understanding. I used the illustration above as a tester, by placing “Why do rainbows always cry under the illustration, I then took to the silkscreen studios for testing.

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SilkScreen Test OneThis silkscreened illustration was a tester for what I had in mind for this brief and its final outcomes. I was very happy with this final illustration so I decided to explore more on the sides of print.

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SilkScreen Test TwoWhils testing for the previous il-lustration, I thought as this is a self promotion project, why not try a little welcoming sign for a website of something for the future.

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SilkScreen Test TwoThis was a short artwork I decided to give a go, it was a very quick one day piece whilst I was develop-ing more ideas for this brief.

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Brain-storming I carried on brainstorming old il-lustrations Ive wanted to work on for years, discovering the reasons behind my drawings.

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After the Brainstorming process, I decided I was going to explore a vari-ety of illustrations. I narrowed my favourite sketches down into a folder of ten, from there I narrowed down further until I had four final Illustrations to work on for this brief. Here are a number of examples that were se-lected for the final four, However, one illustration held so much content, I ended up using one illustration and developing four final illustrations pieces from this, as individual works.

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Small developments from the previous page illustra-tion. Attempting to define each illustrations possible contents and previousreasoning.

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Depiction I scanned in the drawings, and moved on to using digital software to pro-gess to a final illustration. Here I depicted three definate illusstra-tions which held strong meaning.

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Depiction I started to play around with what each illustration could have meant to me at that exact time. I recall where I was and what I was reading, finding its mean-ing is beginning to make sense and add up rather well.

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Breaking down the Illustration - For this illustration, I recall it getting dark in Po Lam, Tseung Kwan O Playground. I came home from school and went to the park to draw, There is so many people in the parks of Hong Kong at night; running, walking, playing music, tai chi, it all comes to life at night, its a constant buzz of excitement.

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Continued development for this illustration of“Balloon Party”

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At this stage, I realised I was doing developments but not defining my exact final works and outcomes. I took a step back and decided to chose the illustration I would use for the final outcome, in order to not waste time and confuse myself anymore.

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Secondary Research

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Looking at a variety of printed poster works, really inspired me for this pro-ject. Silkscreen Print has lingered in my mind from day one, so this will be one of the processes for one print. I’m thinking a tshirt or Poster format.

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The idea of a t-shirt design excites me! It is a question of whether this format will be suit-able for the final i l lustrations.

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Deciding onIllustrations

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I began by drawing over the scanned image.

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With this one Il lustra-tion I realised there was a number of Il lustra-tions within it, that held relevance to my year in Hong Kong, I spent a lot of time in the Playground outside my Tower placed in Po Lam, Tseung Kwan O in New Terrotories, HK. All of my inspiration dur-ing these drawings are sourced from my times spent drawing around the city. Please bare in mind, this project is a Personal Promotoion of my Il lustrative style. In occordance to my year of living in Asia, this is my interpretation. These are not meant to be lead by a concept unless they did at the time of drawing. Living in a city of constant buzz in the atmosphere is extrodinarily inspiring to my work.

Decision, decisions...

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Breaking down into Individual Illustrations

The reason for the name of this piece, is in relation to the Lights in the Parks being on all twentyfourhours a day. The chinese never stopped, they would stroll through at all kinds of hours ust for a walk. It was as-though Hong Kong was never on a clock. It was constrast movement. This illustrates that movement through the parks

In Po Lam, Tseung Kwan O playground outside my tower, there always seemed to be so many children playing this game. In the parks there was a lot of atheletic equipment, I think the Chinese must en-joy this kind of “playtime” activity. This illustrates the parents and children of the playground.

24hour Lanterns}Illustration

&Jump Illustration

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Whilst Studying in Hong Kong I made a lot of friends from Kyoto in Japan. A boy named Sei ryu became one of my best friends whilst I was away. He lent me a book by a Japanese writer named Haruki Murakami, This book was called Sputnik Sweetheart. I feel this illustration tells the story of K in the story. He loves Sumire but she becomes obsessed with Mui, I feel this drawing sums up that feeling of the unknown when in love, I feel a quote in the book, “Dream. Sometimes I feel thats the only right thing to do” Is the drive behind this drawing at that time.

MurakamiIllustration

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MoodboardChildPlay

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- swings- skyline- outdoors- happiness- childish- adventurous

Hong Kong Dragon

Copy of Hong Kong

Park Playtime

Chinese Garden

Flower Garden

peaceful play get-away

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MurakamiMoodboard

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Cherry Blosson Japan

Home in Japan

- dreamy- welcoming- lost - incomplete- home- comforting- blossom- delicate heart

Ukiyoe - Utamaro

Sakura

Japan Blossom

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Final Murakami Colours

MoodBoardAnalysis

Final Playtime Seies Colour

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Digital Developments

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Lantern Developments

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Please refer to the digital developments folder on the attached CD with this project. The quality of this imagery is not great. I began to work more on the lanterns work, with the colour moodboards all planned out, I did try other colours, however, I returned to the final choices afterall.

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Developments on the idea of a t-shirt. Developing this image was easier because it foundations were already drawn.

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The Final T-shirt Design

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As I decided on t-shirts, the process would have to be screenprinted so after each design was done, I put each layer into order for black ink printing preperation for the acetate

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JumpDevelopments

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The Final T-shirt, Poster Design

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Here again is each layer in order for black ink printing preperation for the acetate.

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MurakamiDevelopments

I decided to base this piece on the people walking in the parks in Hong Kong. I feel it drove the illustrations drawn at that time.

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After producing the moodboards for this piece and its concept behind it of Murakami, the Japanese writers work. I considered the composition of the illustration itself, It had to feel dreamy, but also relatr to Ja-pan as its origin. A circular composi-tion, fitted perfectly.

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“I dream. Sometimes I think that's the only right thing to do.”

- Haruki Murakami

“I dream. Sometimes Ithink that's the only right thing to do.”

- Haruki Murakami

“I dream. Sometimes I think that's the only right thing to do.”

– Haruki Murakami

Working outside the framework of the circle had a nice twist to the illustration. Asthough, looking over, or from above, it felt dream-like in itself. I fell in love with this composition and decided to stick with this from here on.

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Working with the colours in relation to the moodboards.

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Final T-shirt Design

“I dream. Sometimes I think that's the only right thing to do.”

– Haruki Murakami

Here is the final t-shirt and poster designs. They are both the same illus-tration but can be used in two formats. Whether you want to wear it or have it on your wall in your bedroom or studio space!

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Final PosterDesign

“I dream. Sometimes I

think that's the only right thing to do.”

– Haruki Murakami

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Getting Carried Away with the imageryAfter working on the lanterns in the Murakami composition, I started to play around with this aspect of home, the feeling you get from home and how it can be put in to possibly another piece of work for this brief.

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I thought about mak-ing this in to another t-shirt idea, but then later thought of the work load and the time I had left and it didn't seem neccassary in the end.

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Instead, I turned it in to a poster for the final. I thought it could also be holding rel-evance to me being so far from home, whilst living in Hong Kong.

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no place like.

Final PosterDesign

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home.

Final T-shirtDesign

Although this is not going to be a t-shirt as a final outcome, I thought having the illustration of it here would be fun! The final print will just be the illustration on the tshirt now.

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ScreenPrintingProcess

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Acetate LayersI have done silkscreen printing before, and I thoroughly enjoy this process, it becomes very addictive. At this stage, I am printing, cut-ting and preparing the layers for each individal final design. By this stage I had already prepared my screens and got an excess imagery off them, and placed the emulsion on to dry in the oven, whilst set-ting everything up and the emul-sion drying, I take my screen and layer all the imagery out to see if the layers will fit, after this I go do the exposure in the dark room, after the first one was complete, i then went and did the three oth-ers screens ready for illustrations. With the Murakami screen I faced a large problem, the image un-derneath had exposed through, so I had to start from the beginning

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Murakami MistakesHere is the Mu-rakami piece all layed out ready for exposure. I had a major problem with this screen as the dark black circle intended to be behind the entire piece, would block out any ink to go on top of it. This meant, my whole composi-tion was kind of, a mess now. Unable to use this colour, meant a whole rethink of the layers and other placements that were intended to go on top.

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Highlighted below in pink are the colours all prepared and mixed with the material medium for the tshirts.

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Printing BeginsFrom here onwards, I have pho-tographed a short journey of my silkscreening process with the tshirts

Jump T-shirt.

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Jump T-shirt and Poster

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Lanterns Tshirt,the first two layers printed

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Lanterns Tshirt, gone wrong, however, my favourite from the bunch.

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Repeat, repeat...I produced around four tshirts with this one illustration, the colours for this worked better than the others I had chosen to use with a silkscreen process. One aspect, I have learned is the layers and thier importance to this process. Because of my lack of attention to this area, this illustratin to the right here, is the only one, i felt happy with for a final piece.

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MurakamiUnfortunatly like mentioned above about the layers, the Murakami piece was one that just wasn;t going to work for a tshirt design, so I resorted to a poster design instead.

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Learning CurveThe section just shown on the Silkscreening process was a major downfall for this project. However, I discovered that my work lends well to screenprinting, and I thor-oughly enjoy the hands on feels to the medium. It is a shame that my attention to the layers and the colours wasnt well observed, how-ever, I had realised it is a process I could see myself learning from, and doing again and I have learned, an enormous amount from just be-ing in the print room itself with all other areas of print available that could give a fresh direction to my illustrations.

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Label Design

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Last .minute The designing of a label was infact a last minute decision. I hung my t-shirts up to inspect for finals once all the screenprinting had been done and I realised the one part that I felt the tshirt needed was some kind of label giving informar-tion on who this was designed by, like they have in shops. I thought it would make the piece look more complete and also inform anybody seeing my work, that it is mine.

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Final LabelsIn Print

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The Final Tshirts

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In Context

Here is the final T-shirt, I took a photograph of the t-shirt on a friend to get a grasp of how it looked actually on somebody.

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With a great response from my Illustration page on facebook, I have had more requests for t-shirts in Hong Kong and UK. Very Happy, many more will be getting printing in Semester Two at this rate!

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Overall ReflectionOverall I have thoroughly enjoyed this project. I feel it has opened up many old memories of times in Hong kong and also given me chance to work more on illustra-tions I always thought would be left untouched for many years to come. However...

Failures -

I seemed to come across many hiccups in this brief, a major failure from the screenprinting side of it, because of the colours Id chosen to use it was hard for the illus-tration to work in the process of silkscreening. This is something that next time, will be top of the list.

Success -

I have also had some great success within this project too, I have sold t-shirts and posters via my blog and Facebook Page. Which for me is a great achievement. I also feel colour is something this semester I have really tried to push and I am becoming a massive fan of moodboards and their importance through my work.

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