Persoinal Investigation Research Pages

Before you attempt these pages you must read articles about your subject to gain an understanding. You should be able to discuss the wider context of your page. I.E. if your page is about Photomontage, you should be able to discuss the main practitioners, key pieces, contemporary practitioners, historical elements and maybe attempt an example or two. 

Please, please use your Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers and Hollis' History of Graphic Design. They are perfect for this task.

The pages in the presentation above are great for the following reasons:

• they relate to the first project as the student came across the elements during case studies and analysis
• Beth discusses Beatrice Alemagna's work process rather than just historical events
• there is a mixture of drawn, printed examples and written note taking
• layout is busy and shows a 'working out' thought process
• the consecutive pages have a flow to them. e.g Beth's Beatrice Alemagna page discusses mixed media. She then goes on to do a page on mixed media and photomontage. This could then lead in many directions - Dadaism, album cover design, Hockney joiners etc.

Beginning the second piece and written study

Objective

To begin to formulate your focus for your second piece and written study

Task

Produce a set (at least 10 pages) of sketchbook investigations into interesting starting points that  have been generated during your initial project.

The pages must include: small drawings, simple copies, thumbnails, written thoughts, connections to other artists, photos, screenshots of films, magazine cuttings, quotes etc etc.

The pages should be full to brimming, surprising and informative. 

Presentation

Photograph them clearly and post to your blog.

Checklist for assessment

10 starting points, researched with enthusiasm. OMG! 10!!

Deadline

TBS

Annotating

Coursework Annotation

When you write, either about or for your work, make sure that you are not just describing a process. Description may be part of your annotation but it will always be part of explaining to make a point.

You could:

• use written notes, in conjunction with drawing, as a means of recording observations and demonstrating that you can respond to an experience as part of your investigations
• ‘demonstrate critical and contextual understanding’ though a case study of a particular designer, artefact or movement
• evidence ‘relationships between practical working methods and outcomes, as well as demonstrating ongoing critical review’ . This can be done by explaining where things have gone well or not so well. What are the reasons for this and what you can do to improve
• explain the meaning to your design choices and to evaluate you working processes

When you have sketchbook pages or other examples of experimentation, you may wish to discuss how the process could (or is) helping develop your work. As an example, you could discuss how the cyanotype process allows for unexpected results and that the markings or rendering allow you to express the water in in your story. Cyanotypes also lend themselves to montage (multiple images) and this allows you to represent the locations, characters and other specifics in a single manner.

Always place your experimentations in the context of your story. E.G. Make a cover or internal illustration out of your cyanotype or endpapers or title page or page illustrations.

Use THIS helpsheet to structure your annotations.

Component 1 Evaluation (AS only)

Link to the presentation is HERE

Objective

To conclude the units of work by evaluating your completed work for Component 1

Task

Copy the presentation (above) and scroll through the slides for instructions.

Presentation

Embed on your blogs. Post title - Unit evaluation for Component 1
Embedding tutorial HERE

Checklist for assessment

Relevant screenshots of work, insightful observations about the completed work.

Elements of a dust cover

Story Illustrations in Context