OUIL 402 End Of Module Evaluation

Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION	Level	04
OUIL402 Personal & Professional Practice 1	Credits	20
End of Module Self Evaluation

NAME

Joe Baker

1.  What learning have you inherited through this module and how has it impacted on your own understanding of professional practice? Consider yourself as a student at University as much as an illustrator
I have learned how to put down in a visual way the things that inform my work, starting with a mind map and eventually ending up with a finished piece of illustration to describe myself, I have never really thought about how many different things inform my work in this much depth before. I have learned how to get on with a brief and complete it much more independently without to much aid from my tutors. I have also surprised myself in being able to do all the practical work whilst having so much worry on my mind about doing a presentation, this has given me a bit of reassurance that I will hopefully be able to cope with the stresses that might come with being a professional in the creative industry.
2. What approaches/ types of research have you found most valuable over this module? Why did they have such an impact?
I would say researching different artists has made the biggest impact on my work in ppp, mainly because I find it’s a great source of inspiration if im ever stuck for ideas or not really in the mood for drawing, looking at somone elses work that I like to look at will encourage me to make art which I want to look at. Also watching videos about other illustrators on youtube I really enjoy and has had a big impact, it gives me an insight into how different professionals adapt certain skils in image making and makes me want to be experimental with new media and techniques of creating art. One video in particular was the david hockney documentary, I found it very interesting and it has given me a new perspective on looking at the space around me and taught me that you can create the illusion of time within a drawing. It has also inspired me to try and make my work less representational and more how I want it to look.
3. In what way has PPP informed the way your work in other modules and your illustration practice as a whole? It has encouraged me to try and develop my own visual signature which I now believe is pretty key when it comes to leading a successful career as a creative. Despite the fact that ive always been a slow worker, this module has helped me realise that I should never rush my work and always try and make it the best quality it can be. If a client can see you have a consistent high level of quality through out your portfolio it will make you more employable, and to create a reliable income from illustration is the ultimate goal for me. It has made me consider that I need to start focusing on what I want my work to say, weather it be happy, funny or strange etc.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your PPP submission and how will you address this in the future?
Again I think I am lacking experiments and ideas in my sketchbook, this was partly because the last brief overlapped with COP which I was really behind on and trying my best to get finished, also because ive been worrying about the presentation so much ive found it hard to think about anything other than standing and talking in front of a big group of people which is my worst nightmare, its had quite a negative impact on my ability to concentrate and my motivation to draw. The only way I can think to address this is to somehow get over this fear so it wont have such a big effect on my performance next time round. Another weakness is I don’t think that my poster has enough concept and doesn’t relate to my mind map that well, im really happy with how it looks I just think it needs more meaning rather than just being a picture of different versions of me doing different things, I will address this by organising my time better and spending more time in my sketchbook and thinking of ideas rather that just going for the first thing I think of. 5. What communities of practice and professional contexts do you intend to investigate further as you approach level 5? Why do they appeal to you? I will try and get more involved within the creative community around Leeds like going to thought bubble and just generally try and be keener in terms of making art, I think this will be easier whilst we have a break because I won’t have a work load/ deadlines to knock my positivity and motivation. Another example would be going to exhibitions and galleries whilst on holiday over summer, I believe this will inspire me to create work and it will give me an insight into different sorts of modern design.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas: (please indicate using an ‘x’)  5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance			x
Punctuality			x
Motivation		x
Commitment			x
Quantity of work produced		x
Quality of work produced				x
Contribution to the group		x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.