This blog hosts updates on both course related projects and personal projects I am working on throughout my time spent at college; as well as a showcase of my interests and a portfolio of the work I am most proud of. It will also contain a record of my progression in Art & Design and any other opportunities I have partaken in.
About Me
I first chose to apply for a Digital Arts course in 2017 as I enjoyed the subject while at secondary school and have had an interest in photography, film, illustration and animation ever since I got my first computer. I find satisfaction in creating artwork from just an idea and seeing it grow in to a finished piece of work. I also enjoy researching what makes a piece of work powerful and exploring the different mediums and techniques artists use and trying to replicate them myself. I then chose to move on to a Art & Design course to further my knowledge and skills learned in Digital Arts, with the hopes of being an established creator. Art & Design has given me much more freedom than I had in Digital Arts, mainly in size and materials, which has given me the ability to be more ambitious with my work.
For a while, I was creating logos and brand designs for friends that wanted to start
businesses. I would take their ideas and any reference photos and create a logo or design based on that, which allowed me to expand my creativity and learn how to work with clients’ demands. Since studying Art at college, as well as teaching myself, I have gained skill in creating digital artwork, mainly portraits and logos, as well as photography and Photoshop which I expect will help me get a career in the field.
After completing my course, I would like to get an apprenticeship based around creating digital art or designing. This means that I would be able to apply my expertise I learned throughout secondary school and college, and be able to understand and develop my career. In addition to this, I could also become a freelance designer and illustrator; this would give me freedom within my job, but with the possibility of career and financial instability.
Level 3 Digital Arts Final Major Project
For my Digital Arts Final Major Project, I decided to study Pop Art and link it to technology. I created a set of illustrations based around problems and scenarios associated with technology, to which I was awarded a Distinction level. I enjoyed this project very much as it allowed me to relax and use mediums and techniques that were appropriate for me, which resulted in images that I am very pleased with.
Digital Portfolio
This is a small selection of work I am most proud of, and would use to show my skills and techniques in the field.
Previous Freelance Projects
During my time between school and college, I had a friend ask me to create some logos for him and his business; which I was excited to try as it would be new to me and would give me a change to try freelance work, earn some money and work with clients. The first design was a logo for an eSports gaming team he owned, so he sent me some reference images and gave me an idea of what he wanted and I got to work. I used a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator to create a bold logo, complete with lighting effects, which he was very happy with. Throughout the process I was giving the client updates on my progress and seeing if he wanted anything changed, which made the whole process go very smooth and enjoyable.
A short while later, my friend informed me that he was starting up a business and came to me again to make him a logo. He wanted a design of a personified chilli pepper wearing headphones that would be the main mascot of his business, as this was a more basic image, I mainly used illustrator to make it. He was very pleased with this design initially, but thought it would look more impactful and represent the brand more if there was fire surrounding the character. So I updated the image with this addition and sent it back to him, which he was very satisfied with. After these successful commissions, I would say that freelance work does interest me as I felt good knowing that I had created something personal that someone else is using, as well as earning some money and gaining experience.
Professional Talk – The White Cube and The Royal College of Physicians
Prior to Christmas, we took a trip with the class to London to visit some galleries and art shows that focused around some of the practitioners we had researched. One place we visited was the White Cube who hosted a show on Anselm Kiefer, as German painter and sculptor who creates paintings about German history and events. His works are interesting as they aren’t just flat paintings, but rather three-dimensional canvas sculptures that show the connection between civilisation and destruction. We also learned how he was born in to the chaos of post-WWII Germany, and wanted to explore painting as a medium to show the struggle of rebuilding such a broken place.
While we were in London, we also visited the Royal College of Physicians, a show of art on the other end of the spectrum, mainly looking in to historic medical practices and anatomical drawings. I found this much more fascinating as the guide was teaching us about key medical practitioners of different time periods and their thoughts on medical practices, and it was intriguing to see how they have changed and been disproved as time moves forward. Before this talk I didn’t realise how important art is in the medical world, but now I see how it is useful to have visual aids to help illustrate a point or discovery. I would say that some of my work in the past has been quite anatomical, and I would like to use knowledge gained in this visit to help with any future projects as well.
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Foundation Art - Adam Boxall 