Reflection 3

In my final year I have learnt so much about my practice and how I enjoy image making. One element that coming into my final year i wanted to improve on was giving my image making and work much more context. To achieve this effectively i decided to do a few collaborative projects this year see how my illustrations would sit if involved them with animators, graphic designers and other illustrators. This is such an important skill in the real creative world and i wanted good experience of it so i feel more set up for life as a creative when i leave.

Collaborating on an animation:
this was a live brief for Hostelworld i did with Christopher Hore on animation. I have known Christopher for a while and knew that his animation style was fun, lively and he too was also interested in involving humour within his work. Therefore, i knew he would bring my drawings to life effectively.
In order for Christopher to animate my work easily and well i knew that my quick line drawings would be the most flexible to work with. I filled 2 sketchbooks full of characters and narrative concepts as a base for him to go off in terms of the characters. When it came to working out the idea it was much easier to do this collaboratively as ideas flow much better when you discuss them.
While he was busy animating my chosen characters, I got to drawing the backgrounds. The backgrounds i drew and then coloured them in digitally as this was easier for the fun aesthetic of the animation and better to work with for the animator.
This was one of my first big collaborations and i am very happy with how it went both my illustration style and Christopher's loose and lively animation style came together fittingly in an animation. To make a final outcome that is a fun fluid and amusing advert for Hostelworld.

Collaborating on a magazine:
This project excited me as it was a perfect opportunity to work with graphic designers who are strangers from a different country. This experience was something that really made me realise how a team of creatives can really come together on a project. Working with graphic designers was great as they did all the elements i usually didn't like such as the arrangement and text.
This collaboration really helped see my work work within a publication to which was rewarding to see. I was worried that my messy child like drawings wouldn't fit with the clean graphic design but thanks to the graphic designers they arranged my drawings throughout tastefully and even let me do my own comic on a narrative of someone falling in the puddle outside the broadcasting tower.

Collaborating with an illustrator:
This project started very casually with my friend and housemate Jack Grieve posted illustrations on A4 paper under my door daily for me to finish off. Even though this collaboration at the start didn't feel like a project after we did about 20 we realised how charming, amusing and original these drawings look. The 2 different illustration styles meeting on a page to create a narrative makes it look ridiculous and fun. we've now done nearly 50 and plan to colour them and craft them into a collaborative publication.
This project is one that i enjoyed the most as it really let me be playful with the narrative of the drawing which is something i like to think strongly about in my image making.
From doing A few collaborative projects i see the benefits in other creatives using their skills to help give my work more context and life within the future of my practice.