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Rebecca Haywood Independent Practice First Year, BA Graphic Design, UCA 2012

IntroductionIllustration is a subject I have wanted to explore more extensively for a long time. While it may have been the intended main theme in my independent practice, I wanted to thread in another.

This eventually took over the project.

I wanted to spread a message, to make people smile or just look twice. The images I created hopefully portray the good that can be found in the bad, whether it’s in a dead tree stump, a vulnerable girl, or accidents and messes. By the end of this semester I felt I reached my goal. While I do wish I had more time to put my work into application, I did reach out to the public and got many positive responses, even if may have breached the law in the process.

I hope you enjoy looking at my portfolio as much as I enjoyed making it.

After testing out different fonts I eventually decided to use Edwardian Script ITC and experimented with lines flowing out of the letters to create an intricate pattern similar to the style of Si Scott. I planned to use this on a model like a tattoo.

For this piece I wanted to try my first live photo shoot with a model. Cecilia Lindström patiently let me paint the message on to her back with black acrylic free hand in the style of a tattoo.

I encountered a lot of issues with focusing the Canon 50D SLR manually while wearing my glasses, but after a lot of trial and error I managed to get the shots I had in mind.

Cecila Lindström was a perfect model for what I wanted to achieve. I hoped to capture the vulnerability of the model, but in turn the beauty and confidence she emanated.

I wanted to create an image that would reassure anyone who was feeling exposed or defenceless that ‘Everything will be okay’

For this piece I wanted to make my own mark, something people might remember or come back to in the future.

I searched a long time for the right tree stump, and I found it in the park opposite UCA Epsom’s campus. I went at night so that I wouldn’t be interrupted and wouldn’t have to worry about using sharp tools around children. I did however overestimate my carving abilities with a chisel and hammer. While the lettering didn’t come out as neatly as I had hoped I feel it has more of an impact in bold capitals.

While chiseling away late at night I did attract an unexpected audience. The vibrations caused a large amount of snails and slugs to gather around the tree stump, and two decided they wanted to feature in the piece. Thankfully though no police came.

The next morning I came back to inspect the damage I had inflicted, and was surprised by the details in the wood I had released.

I succeeded in making my mark in Epsom, and have so far had no repercussions

Carne Griffiths’ work with ink inspired me to let go and play with ink, throwing it at the paper and seeing what patterns are created. By using masking fluid I was able to install a little control, blocking out the ink to let the message be undisturbed by the mess.Here I wanted to emphasise that mess and lack of control can lead to good things, like the beautiful work of Carne Griffith.

Experimenting with inks and masking fluid lead me to making a birthday card for my sister. After a great response I made some more which I was told we worthy of being sold. This gave me a lot more confidence and may be something I pursue more over the summer.

The ‘OK’ hand sign is recognised in many cultures across the world, and while it may have more than one meaning, it is traditionally used in this country to let someone know you’re okay without words.It also inspired me to explore oher forms of communication in more unconventional ways. Morse code is often associated with the message ‘SOS’ or ‘Save Our Souls’, and is a form of communication that most no longer use. So I decided to use my message ‘Everything will be okay’ in the form of morse code on a poster, along with a key, to encourage people to give it more recognition. Also I found the message stuck more in peoples minds after having to decipher the message, as opposed to it being written in plain english.

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During the 24 Hour LAB I used the Screen Printing facilities to try out my design on different materials.Having previously had the full introduction to the print studios I was really looking forward to using them for my own work, and I’m really pleased with the result. I was even encouraged to put my design onto two of the plain t-shirts that were given out.

While there wasn’t a huge turn out to the exhibition after the LAB, it was satisfying to put my work up for more people to see and has given me more confidence in my printing abilities.

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As our campus lies directly opposite a home for the blind I decided putting my message and a key in brail would be a nice idea. As a vital way for the blind to recieve information it should be given more attention.

After completeing keys for morse code and brail I decided to do something a little more difficult. Hands are notoriously difficult to draw, but practice makes perfect, as well as a little refining on Illustrator. Potentially this could help some people learn a new valuable skill.

Alphabetti spaghetti is incredibly cheap and not very nutritious, and could be percieved as the food given to children when times are rough. I made a short animation to make it appear as if the food it being eaten and the message is revealed.

I underestimated how difficult it would be to find all the correct letters in a single can of alphabetti spaghetti, but I did it still worked in the end.

When life gives you lemons...

... make something of it

Marie Louise Carlsdatter kindly agreed to stand in the town square holding the large sign, while often a shy person she was happy to jump up and down brandishing the message. Unfortunately not many people were in the square at the time, but we did get a lot of positive responses off the few people who passed.

While walking through Epsom into the town centre with this large cardboard sign I made several people smile, many did a double take, and a few people gave me a thumbs up and a pleasant remark. What did surprise me was that I was approached by a small group of children who after recognising my message asked me if I was the same person who had carved it into the tree in the park. I smiled and said no, moving on quickly. While I am not looking for recognition, just a few children remembering the message has made it all worth while.

A few weeks later I came back to the tree stump I had carved into to find litter surrounding it and broken glass embedded in the letters. Not quite the public response I had hoped for, but at least it hasn’t been ignored or reported.