Image Research

Image Research - Sustainability

The expression sustainable art has been promoted recently as an art term that can be distinguished from environmental art that is in harmony with the key principles of sustainability, which include ecology, social justice, non-violence and grassroots democracy.

Sustainable art may also be understood as art that is produced with consideration for the wider impact of the work and its reception in relationship to its environments (social, economic, biophysical, historical and cultural). (wikipedia)

Image Reseach

Image Research - Racism

I chose these images to use as inspiration for my flag design. A common link between all these images is that they show that we are all human, not matter what race. I want to also use that in my flag design as I think it is a strong message of truth.

Image Research

Image Research - Political Textile Pieces

I've chosen these textiles pieces to inspire my own textile piece as they show different techniques such as, sewing with various materials, embroidery, dress making and print making. I would like to use either embroidery or sewing with various materials in my artwork as I really like the look. 

Image Research

Image Research - Bullying shown in Art and Photography

I've chosen a selection of 5 images that portray forms of bullying and how bullying affects a variety of people. A common link in all forms of bullying is words, I will also being using the theme of words in my piece as I want to show their effects in the destruction of peoples lives.

Unit 11 Personal Statement and Evaluation

Personal Statement

(I am not applying to university so this personal statement will act as a CV for future job prospects. I’ve based this personal statement on applying to a job as a prosthetic makeup artist but I’m not completely sure what I want to do as a job in the future)

I am applying for this job because prosthetic makeup artistry has always captured my imagination, the process in transforming a person to become entirely unrecognisable amazes and inspires me. I have attended Plymouth College of Art for almost 2 years and in that time I’ve been improving my skills and learning drawing, painting and moulding techniques which can be reworked and adapted into prosthetic makeup techniques.

This job interests me because there are many chances to be creative and inventive with products and designs. I do although understand that a lot of patience and great time management with long hours is required in order to succeed and I believe I’m ready for that. Another skill that will help me thrive in this job is my ability to pay close attention to detail; in a lot of my work I strive for perfection which is great for when I draw portraits or when I take photographs.

I believe I am suitable for this job because I never tire of it, I really do love exploring the ranges of products and specialist techniques; so choosing something that I love as my career path is really important to me. This job will present me with the ability to adapt and improve my current skills as well as teaching me new ones. During my time at College I have learnt new techniques useful in all art and I’ve also studied a lot about the human form, everything from life drawing, to portraying emotions to portraiture all of which have benefitted my skills as an amateur prosthetic makeup artist.

When I realised I wanted to be a prosthetic makeup artist I began experimenting with various homemade methods to achieve looks, I used a lot of PVA glue, tissue paper and foundation and as I developed my skills and styles I also began creating looks on friends and family, one Halloween I made my older brother into The Joker – that has probably been the highlight of being an amateur prosthetic makeup artist, it was fun and authentic and it really allowed me to grow from being someone experimenting for fun to someone doing a somewhat important job for somebody else.

In secondary school I achieved eight GCSE’s ranging from A*to C, this was a great achievement for me and although secondary school wasn’t necessarily a place I wanted to be or enjoyed I still managed to succeed and get everything I needed. I persevere in many aspects of my life and when I get knocked down I struggled but I do always try my very best not only to get back up but to keep going, I will use this perseverance in this job and I will always try my very best in all areas.

I believe that I’m a responsible person, as I’ve grown up I’ve has to be more mature in order to be a good role model to my two younger brothers, they are thirteen and fourteen years younger than me  and I as their big sister have to be fun but yet still responsible. I know I can translate this quality into my work.

A big influence on my work is pop culture, more specifically, TV programmes. Two programmes in particular are Doctor Who and The Walking Dead, these two have been extremely innovative in the ways they use prosthetic makeup, I believe they’ve set new standards in the prosthetic makeup world and my goal is to reach those standards to achieve the skills and absolute brilliance they have.

Overall prosthetic makeup is truly a dream of mine and I believe that given the opportunity, I can achieve it and be the best I can by giving my all in a career close to my heart.

Megan Chilcott





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Evaluation

Unit 11 is all about helping people to get into further education, this however does not apply to me as i'm not participating in any further education after Plymouth College of Art. Instead i'm preparing to get a job, Unit 11 has helped me with this as I've written a CV and researched jobs that I would potentially be interested in. I'm not looking for anything major that experience is needed for, just something to earn some money and gather some experience in a different environment. After I've saved enough money I plan to go travelling and after that I'm hoping to become an apprentice in make up artistry, Unit 11 has helped me with this as I now know whats needed for me in an interview and what information I would need to include in a CV.

My next step in finding a job is getting my CV in order. In my CV I would include my Unit 11 Personal Statement, contact information, experience, education and qualification as well as references. To make a good first impression I will make sure that my CV is clear and concise as well as my spelling and grammar checked over. It's important to come across well in a CV as its the employers first experience of you and if they aren't impressed there wont be an interview so it's imperative to have a structured and well written CV.

During an interview I will compose myself with being confident and not cocky. Clear communication with the interviewer is really important and I would like to come off as knowledgeable and passionate about the job so that the interviewer can see i'm ready for the job yet willing to learn.

Previously I've only ever been to one interview so I don't have much experience when it comes to what I can expect, but I do know that I want to improve on my last interview as I was very nervous and shaky, it wasn't great but I know that if I work hard to be confident and clear I can get some self improvement in being an interviewee. This could be shown in my body language and being more structured in what I say.

Overall Unit 11 has taught me how to handle myself in an interview with confidence and composure, I now know that body language is really important as it shows the level of enthusiasm you have about the job. Also, writing a great CV can really help your chances in getting a job, its important to be structured and clear about yourself as well as having perfect punctuation and grammar as first impressions are very much the key thing in getting an interview. 

Megan Chilcott

Evaluation - Design to Sell

Evaluation - Design to Sell

Henry the Chimp

As stated in my project proposal my initial idea was based around a canvas I created over the summer, this canvas was a black and white chimp painted in acrylics. I wanted to make a black and white pop art slash art deco inspired image but due to the way I painted and the colours I used (which gave me a lot of highlights and low lights) the chimp became more realistic than when I first pictured it. Overall this change in style worked well as my other paintings followed suit and they all fit together as an ensemble. I chose to work in black and white as I have done before in previous projects because i'm almost magnetised towards towards it, I understand things better when they're in black and white, as if the lie has gone and you're seeing something raw and exposed. In my opinion colours project feeling and emotions on to you (eg. red = anger, yellow = happiness) which isn't a bad things in some situations but once they're gone it's as if you can perceive it how you wish to.

Black and White Animal Canvases

Overall I achieved what I wanted to achieve, I created canvases with animals on painted in black and white acrylic paints. There was never really a message behind the animal element and why I chose for animals to be my subject matter but I felt drawn towards expressing these animals in my own way and I believe I have achieved that. As I talked about previously I initially wanted my first canvas to have a very different look (pop art/art deco) but this didn't happen because as I was painting with the black and white I was mixing to make shades which created shadows and highlights which brought the image out to be more realistic. So I learnt that to create different styles you have to think about shades ad colours as well as their placement. I also learnt that texture was important in my art work, I used heavy body acrylics which are thick and although my canvases don't have a lumpy and abrasive feel they layered in both shape and colour.

Vincent Van Gogh - Two Crabs

The artist that inspired me most in this project is Vincent Van Gogh. His brushwork is so beautiful and he knows perfectly how to use it to create something impeccable. I tried to emulate this somewhat as I thought it'd work well for what I wanted to create. Similarly I used short and layered brushstrokes to transform into a realistic image. In contrast to Van Gogh I used a very limited colour palette, I focused on taking the colour out and creating a bold and impactful yet emotion free image.

A problem I faced during this project was the pressure from myself and the work load. I felt as though I needed a huge quantity of work, lots of canvases and lots of evidence and research and as a result of this I panicked. To overcome all of this I decided to focus more on quality rather than quantity, I painted a few canvases that I was proud of whereas previously when I was panicking I painted canvases that weren't to the best of my ability. I learnt from this to keep calm and focus of the things that are important and doable in the time limit and that is what i'll try to improve for better success of the next project.


Megan Chilcott

Design To Sell Project

-THE START-

Unit 9 - Virtual Shopping

Unit 9

Virtual Shopping

Virtual £500 to spend.

These set of images are £200. I like it because it mixes rich bright colours with grayscale images, the affect of that is really beautiful, the offset each other well, also I like how they're evenly positioned so that there is four on the top and four on the bottom, it makes you look at them as if they're fighting against one another while still being complimentary to each other. I would display this work in an office environment, I believe it is subtle and wouldn't distract anyone from their work, it also brings a sense of reaching for the top.

This artwork is £60. I really love this piece of work, its beautiful colours and mix of angular and softly rounded shapes reminds me of childhood. The colours clash with one another but in an intriguing way, it's almost like they invite you in and then push you back in a playful way. It's also fun and gives a real sense of movement, I imagine it being a background and the shapes jumping about across the screen. I would display this artwork in a drama studio, I believe it could inspire people to release energy and act confidently just as a child does.

This photograph costs £120. I'm encapsulated by this image, the soft and pale skin of the woman in contrast with the beautifully made and textured scarf gives for an angelically rugged image. The restrictive brace like scarf holds the woman as if in a cage, as if she's a bird wanting to be freed, the scarf colours mimic this feeling of flight and wanting to go. I would display this image in a school because I believe that this images encourages thought which is what schools aim to do.

Displays

I drew a variety of ways that people had presented their artwork in the show.

They way that this display is set out gives a very organic feel to the artwork. The way that everything is for sale makes every part of the display accessible. 

The way that the artwork is placed on a blank white wall makes the eyes attention go to the art. It makes the colourful artwork stand out by not over complicating the background. 

This display is interesting as it brightens the film, image or artwork and presents it in a crisp and unique way that can't be achieved through hanging a piece of art on a wall,

Buisness Cards

This artists business card uses a well known painting image of a
paint chip to promote their work as a painter. This gives a clear
message and it's very obvious what the card is for. To improve
this business card the word 'PAINTER' could be written in
darker font because from far away you wouldn't be able to see
it well.

This business card uses a unique style in order to promote their
business. The pop-up image gives an edge to this business card
making it stand out among others. To improve, their could be
more information as to what the business is as its currently unclear.

This business card uses artwork and bold, bright colours to
promote their business. This gives a clear indication of the
sorts of things the company does, despite this, the card could
be improved by adding more information, currently it's fairly
sparse and the writing on the back is small and hard to read
from a distance.

This business card is extremely unique and looks very expensive
the beautiful cut out pattern on the worn down wood makes for
a business card that will stand out. I'm sure many people would
be attracted to the business card for its beauty but the expense is
probably quite high, also there isn't much information at all which

would be quite confusing. 

This business card is clever as it could be attached to a lot of
things meaning people are unlikely to loose it. The tag style of
the card is innovative and pretty, sadly the downfall of this card
is the fact that the design on the card itself doesn't stand out, it's
not unique or eye-catching.

This business card is very fun and uses an extremely well known
motif to promote the business. This works very well and I can see
people holding on to this card as it's interesting and innovative and
they may feel excited by the prospect of showing people this unique
and fun card. I don't think this card could be improved. its brilliantly

thought out and executed and I'd be happy to own it.

Designing my own card.

Megan Chilcott

A Day in the Life - Evaluation

A Day in the Life - Evaluation

My initial idea was based around emotions and the variety of way that they're expressed.

I was inspired by my two younger brothers, Max and Tommy. I watch them experience an assortment of emotions every single day and was interested in what sorts of things cause these bursts of emotion and how they're able to show the emotion they're feeling. Through this idea I was able to analyse my 'A Day in the Life' photographs of my brothers at a park. I looked at the brightly coloured environment that they were in and how that affected them. I also looked at the way that they were expressing themselves and I came to the conclusion that there are two main elements to expressing emotion, these are, body language and facial expression. I also found that something that makes us express these emotions are colours. From this I came up with the idea of using colour, body language and facial expression to show a diverse range of emotions in my final piece.

To help me understand more about the affect of colour on emotions I researched Colour Psychology. I came across a few pages that talked about the affect that colour has on people when placed in strategic areas such as hospitals and offices to give a sense of calmness. I also found websites that showed how advertising and marketing companies use colour to help send the right message with a product, an example of this is Coca-Cola, they use the colour red as according to colour psychology it gives a sense of boldness and excitement. Despite the fact that this was very interesting I didn't seem like the sort of colour psychology I was thinking of, I have an image that I took in my backgarden of the sunset and it made me feel a whole range of emotions and to me that's what Colour Psychology was, i feeling you get when looking at an image, so I decided to interpret Colour Psychology myself.
I found that the four psychological primary colours are red, blue, green and yellow so with the information I decided to state what the four colours mean to me. I came up with this (see psychological primary colours picture). These are the four colours with a reference to emotion that I decided to use in my final piece.

When it came to making my final piece "The Psychology of Human Emotion"

I didn't have any major problems. The background went well, it had a chalky smoke vibe to it which is what I was looking for, for me it symbolises the confusion of human emotion in the brain but I didn't want to influence peoples emotions with the background, I wanted it to be neutral which is why I decided to make it black and white. The foam board is where I had a few issues, I couldn't get the lines to be straight. I ended up cutting and cutting but then I just had to stop and leave it otherwise I would be doing more harm then good, but I don't think that it's too distracting to the piece. The splatter pattern on each foam board represents the feeling of seeing a static image, static can be irritating but I've found myself just staring at static with no emotion which is really what I wanted to emulate with its speckled pattern. With the images I decided to transfer them onto acetate, peel the backing off thus making them translucent, I then pasted coloured card onto the back giving them a worn filter feel. To me this worked out very well and is exactly how I envisaged. I believe the colours work harmoniously each other as they're not bold enough to drown each other out. To add, the sketch pictures of the body language where made to enhance the emotions on the canvas, I think that they do that, the angular converging lines creates emotion and physical depth and their monochrome colours makes space for personal interpretation without being influenced by Colour Psychology. Overall I am very happy with my final piece, I think that the softness of the diffused black and white on the background contrasts again the sharp lines of the pictures and foam board which gives a conflicting emotion feel to the whole piece which is what I was initially aiming for.


One of the successes this project have been the experiments, I've really enjoyed making new images especially with some new materials such as bleach. I used bleach to draw the colour out of black paper and a variety of tissue paper and despite the fact that I didn't use it on my final piece I would definitely consider using it again as it gives a really unique look on black paper. I've also enjoyed the fact that my project is unique to me and it's very personal, it involves my family and confronts emotional issues that I and many others face everyday. Having looked at my successes one thing I have recognised that I would go back and change if I could would be to research  more artists, I think that if I'd have had stronger influences then maybe I would have been inspired to try a lot more new things. Targets that I need to set myself to enable further development are, being more precise and think about what I'm by planning more, I think that if I had planned more about how I should spend my time I could have been more precise, not only with my final piece but also with all of my book work. To conclude I am satisfied with my final piece but had I have planned more and thought more carefully about how to spend my time, then all my work would be considerably more coherent and improved.


Megan Chilcott.

Colour Psychology

To help me understand colour and how it effects our emotions I decided to do some research.

Psychological Properties Of Colours

There are four psychological primary colours - red, blue, yellow and green. They relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three.

I don't necessarily agree with all of my research. I think that a lot of information related to colour psychology is based on marketing and advertising but I want my interpretation of colour psychology to be more personal.

The four psychological primary colours give me different emotions.

 Red - I would usually associate red with anger and a loss of temper.

Blue - I would usually associate blue with sadness and a sense of loss.

Yellow - I would usually associate yellow with happiness and joy.

Green - I would usually associate green with jealousy and vulnerability. 

I will use these three colours to express these emotions in my final piece. I believe it will really exaggerate the emotions and give them more depth.

Unit 9 - Progression Opportunities in Art and Design (Session 2)

Unit 9

 Communication in Progression 

1.

Careers that use Art and Design, Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills

• Set Designer
• Tattooist
• Courtroom Artist
• Prosthetic Make-up Artist
• Prop Maker
• Animator
• Florist
• Costume and Fashion Designer
• Jewelry Designer and Maker
• Web Designer
• Fine Artist
• Cake Decorator
• Ceramics Designer and Maker
• Graphic Designer
• Architect
• Photographer
• Illustrator

2.

London College of Fashion- Lime Grove Campus (image)

In session 1 of Unit 9 I chose a college and a university who offer two very similar full-time courses, these were a  BA (Hons) Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics course at London College of Fashion at the Lime Grove campus and a Foundation Degree in Media Make-up and Character Design course at The University of Bedfordshire at the Luton campus. There are lots of pros and cons to each course, a main one is the fees. The course and living fees for the Luton course is significantly cheaper than the cost for the London course. The overall price for one year at Luton was £14,400 whereas one year at London including course and living fees was £24,120. This is a huge difference of £10,000 (a lot of that price is down to accommodation as my Nanny lives in Luton so i'd be able to live there as opposed to London where the prices are the highest in the UK and i'd have to rent)  and seeing as cost is an important element of choosing my course, the London one is at a pretty big disadvantage.

The University of Bedforshire- Luton Campus (image)












The content of each course is fairly similar but the London course seems to be a lot more focused on the prosthetic side of make up which suits me better than the Luton course which covers a wider range of make-up this includes prosthetic make-up, which sounds good but as my vision for the future is heavily influenced by the prosthetic side I feel as though the London course is more suited to my needs.
This is on The University of Bedfordshire's page for the Foundation Degree in Media Make-Up and Character Design, it explains the wide range content covered on the course.

This is on the London College of Fashions page for the BA (Hons) Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics course, it shows the focus on prosthetic make-up.


The facilities at London and Luton are very different.

London College of Fashion:
"London College of Fashion offers students specialist facilities, equipment, tools and resources across six London sites."

Some of the facilities include:

• Sewing rooms
• 3D Modelling Labs
• Cosmetic Science Labs
• Visual Merchandising Suites
• Make Up Studios
• Biggest Fashion Library and Archive in the UK

These things would probably help boost my creativity although due to my chosen course i'm not likely to use all these facilities as only one is suited to my prosthetic make up course.

The University of Bedfordshire:

Some facilities include:

• £46 Million state of the art Library
• Art & Design Studios
• In the Center of Luton
• Harvard Style Lecture Theaters

These are all very helpful points, they'll make my experience a lot easier and seem very suited to help the course.

Taking the useful facilities of each course into consideration I believe that although there is a lot of creative facilities on the London course, the Luton courses facilities will be a lot more practical in helping me succeed at the make up course.

Overall the positive points for the London course are the course itself, it's extremely suited to my needs, it focuses on my focus - prosthetic make up. It also is in Central London where I'd love to live and explore, I think it would be inspiring. The negative points are the very high course fees and living costs, this would be very difficult as I don't think I could justify spending £10,000 a year more for a slightly better course and to live in London. Also despite the amazing facilities I don't think they'd be very practical to me as I don't think I would use them much in a prosthetic make up course
In comparison the positive points for the Luton course are the price, the fact the my Nanny lives nearby is helpful and puts the price difference between the courses at £10,000 per year which is pretty substantial. Another plus point is the practicalities of the facilities, not only is it in the center on Luton which is amazing for exploring a new city but it has an incredible new library. Some negative points are that despite Luton being a new city for me I think I'd much prefer to study and explore London, it is our capital city and the prospect of living in it really excites me. Also the content of the course isn't great either, it doesn't have a huge focus on the prosthetic make up side of make up but it could be good to learn new things. To conclude, the course I believe is more suited to me is the London course, when I started the research and I found out the fees and costs I was sure that I would pick Luton but the London course focuses on my passion and is in one of the most art filled eccentric cities in the world and I don't think you can beat that.

Portfolio, Interview and Presentation Research

Show diversity
"Include a variety of work / media in your portfolio: drawing, collage, print, stitch etc. Including a variety of styles within an area (e.g. drawing) is good plus a variety of scales (large, medium and small scale work)."
First Year Visual Communication Student | Arts University College At Bournemouth

Choose work you're proud of
"You need to have pride in the work you’re showing the tutors, so really think about what to include in your portfolio. If you include something you're a bit wary of, or think that you could have executed it better, they will sense this when they ask you about it and they will ask you about it."
Second Year Fine Art Student | Norwich University Of The Arts

Presentation is key
"Use thick black or white card and keep it the same throughout. Try to avoid plastic wallets as tutors like to have a clear look and sometimes feel the work, especially if it's material or for a subject like textiles."
First Year Fine Art Student | Norwich University Of The Arts

Start and end with the best 
"Starting with a very strong page is clearly a sensible idea and then finishing with a page that also has an impact will leave the reviewer with a positive final impression."
Fifth Year Architecture Student | University Of Dundee

Get a fresh pair of eyes on it
"One big tip before submitting your portfolio is to get an art teacher, artist or someone who has gone through the process before to look at your portfolio! After staring at your own work for so long, it's good to have somebody else to look through it!"
 Third Year Animation Techniques Student | University Of Dundee

... but make sure it's an expression of you 
"Do the portfolio how you see best; if it's not a representation of you, it won't be the best you can put together. I had a bundle of sketchbooks and canvases while the girl before me had a plastic wallet pristine A1 portfolio. Mine suited me and hers suited her."
Third Year Fine Art Student | University Of Portsmouth

University Website

Arts University Bournemouth

Due to the helpful side menu the website is very easy to navigate. Everything is set out in a thought through design that makes browsing the courses and relevant information easy. When clicking on the courses menu a list of a variety of diplomas and degrees appear, this way the course is found with more ease as appose to a website with lists and list of uncategorized courses. The design of the website is very appealing, it has soft, diffused colours which gives a sense of relaxtion, the website makes you feel comfortable by using this colour scheme. An improvement which could be made is that you're not immediately shown pupils work. I think this could better the website and give more of art university feel as appose to just a normal university which in my opinion, it is doing now.

Megan Chilcott