PROJECT AUTHORIAL PRACTICE - Your own work

Most of the work you’ve created so far has been as a result of specific exercises with clear

objectives defining the outcome. However, every drawing, every mark, every image you

produce belongs to you and, as your property, has a potential value beyond the satisfying

of a brief or exercise.

Go through the artwork you’ve created so far for this course. Review your sketchbooks,

notebooks, working drawings and sketches as well as the more ‘resolved’ or finished

pieces. Use post-it notes to identify the images which have elements that you enjoy. Try

to distance yourself from each image’s original function, and its success as measured

against your original intentions and goals, and make your selection purely on whether

you enjoy the image aesthetically or conceptually. Photocopy or scan a selection from

these images to make a ‘gallery’ of pictures, fragments of illustrations and drawings.

Choose from one of the areas of authorial practice and select an image from your gallery

that would be appropriate for that area. Remember that you also need to identify an

audience for your work within the area you’ve chosen.

If you can, implement the choices you’ve made and actually produce the artefact. There

are many companies on the high street and on the internet offering services to help you

transform your imagery into commercially viable or appealing objects. If you choose to

implement your design be aware of the cost implications and investigate at least three

alternative suppliers before committing yourself to a particular supplier.

Gallery

As I reviewed the artwork and illustrations I created in this module, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of work I had accomplished and the progress I had made since the first assignment. It felt like I was gathering a collection showcasing my drawing journey.

Here is my gallery of artworks and illustrations from this module.

After gathering my artwork and illustrations, I discovered that most of the pieces I selected were watercolours and sketches with black fineliners. My style also incorporates patterns and textures, predominantly featuring a blue and green palette.

Areas of authorial practice

I challenged myself by doing something different and using my pattern for decorative illustration. I chose to hand-paint ceramics (a bowl). I wanted to create something that reflected my unique style, something that was pretty and made a statement. I chose my illustration from assignment one, "Say hello". (Below)

I didn't want to copy all the patterns from the artwork, so I concentrated on this section (below).

Process

In South Africa, painting ceramics is a popular hobby, so I purchased a bowl to start hand-painting my pattern onto it. In the past, I have created many ceramic pieces, and I developed a unique way of etching the pattern into the bowl using a quill. I used a quill because it was the strongest material and flexible without losing its shape. I have used instruments such as toothpicks, but after a while, they splinter and break.

This was the best method for me to get a clear, vivid white line without having to paint white ceramic paint onto a dark colour, which doesn't have the same effect.

Underglaze paint and a quill.

This underglaze is actually a dark blue colour but looks lavender before glazing.

I etched the pattern using a quill to create a vivid white pattern, which is hard to achieve with white paint.

The inside of the bowl.

The finished bowl

Once glazed and fired, the colours become more vivid and bold. Below is a bigger version of the bowl. The bowl above shows a smaller bowl at the un-fired stage, which I haven't finished yet.

I like how the two colours contrast, and I can still create texture with a brush on the inside of the bowl.

Underneath the bowl.

Inside the bowl.

Close-up of the pattern.

Reflection

Choosing an artwork for this exercise was difficult because I didn't want just to put a random image on a mug. The artwork had to have meaning and appeal to a specific audience if it was for sale. Creating detailed patterns on ceramics isn't very practical; it takes time and dedication. However, seeing one of my patterns on a bowl was satisfying, making it a unique piece I can enjoy for many years. If I had created a stencil and inverted the colours, it might have worked out more effectively. I'm not sure how a mass-produced version would look.

Overall, this exercise was an eye-opener. It made me realise that my designs could be good enough for creative projects such as fashion, accessories, or prints. I will definitely keep this in mind in the future.