Illustration Newsletter
Half way
to enhancement week
& Easter
33% of the semester - DONE!
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That's right folks. The semester is 33% over.
4 weeks done. 4 weeks until Easter. 4 weeks left after that! We’re not sharing these mathematical factoids as a countdown to Easter break - far from it! We’re sharing them as a wake-up call. Semesters have a way of vanishing faster than Easter eggs, melting through ink-stained fingers before we even realise it. If you’ve got big plans for your creative development - projects you’ve been meaning to push further, skills you’ve been telling yourself you’ll refine soon, improved time management habits you keep meaning to adopt - don’t wait. Soon has a habit of becoming too late. The best way to make progress is to start now. Experiment, push yourself, take risks, and use every studio session, every sketchbook page, and every opportunity to sharpen your craft. The clock is ticking, but there’s still plenty of time to make this semester count. So, whatever you’ve been putting off - get on it! |
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The Week Ahead
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yr1 ILLU4050 | am UCIA4020 | pm |
Yr1 ILLU4050 | am Independent Study |
Yr1 UCIA4020 | 10-12 Independent Study |
Yr1 No Delivery Independent Study |
Yr1 ILLU4050 | am Independent Study |
| Yr2 ILLU5050 | am Independent Study |
Yr2 Independent Study Independent Study |
Yr2 ILLU5060 | am Independent Study |
Yr2 ILLU5050 | am Independent Study |
Yr2 Independent Study ILLU5050 | pm |
| Yr3 Independent Study Independent Study |
Yr3 ILLU6050 | am ILLU6050 | pm |
Yr3 Independent Study Independent Study |
Yr3 Independent Study ILLU6050 | pm |
Yr3 Independent Study Independent Study |
Edinburgh
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As I mentioned in the intro above, we’ve only got four weeks of teaching left before Enhancement Week and Easter arrive. We also know that many of you like to use Enhancement Week as an early Easter break - so we wanted to give you a heads‑up now.
As part of Enhancement Week, on Thursday 26th March, there will be a free bus trip to Edinburgh, and we’d love to see as many of you as possible join us. The day is yours to spend however you like, but alongside the shops, cafés, and delightful tourist‑tat emporiums Edinburgh is famous for, we’d really encourage you to make the most of its brilliant galleries and museums. They’re fantastic places to explore, get inspired, and - most importantly - draw. So before you book your trains and buses home a week early, have a think about joining us for a day in Edinburgh first! |
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Speaking your language
It often turns out that the conversations we have with one year group are just as useful for everyone else. Recently we’ve been talking about “defining a language” or “speaking a language” - not in terms of words, but in terms of how you decide to execute an illustration or a whole body of work.
We’ve explored how things like choosing a toolkit, settling on an approach, committing to a palette, and setting some boundaries all work together to create a specific visual language. A language that:
We’ve explored how things like choosing a toolkit, settling on an approach, committing to a palette, and setting some boundaries all work together to create a specific visual language. A language that:
- suits the brief,
- can be generated consistently by your hand, and
- is realistic within the timeframe you’ve got.
'Drewscape' or Andrew Tan Tsun Wen has a wonderfully natural drawing style which can be seen on his instagram feed and youtube channel. Working across a number of outputs including comics and urban sketching, his work is gestural, lively and playful. I'm always inspired to reach for my own sketchbook after spending some time looking at his work.
Instagratification
For your viewing pleasure