Kate Beaton

I just bought Kate Beaton's book, Hark A Vagrant, which I've wanted for ages. She draws funny comics about historical figures and literary characters, so I've recently been using her as a huge inspiration for the Persons of Note brief in Vis Com.

I love her work because it's not 'perfect', which is something I struggle with. I always want my work to look neat and perfectly drawn, but I think especially with Beaton's work, messy lines can actually have a more humorous effect, which is what I also try to achieve.

There's more energy synonymous with the humour and movement of the characters in her lines and the textures and brushstrokes help to complete this. While there's not a lot of obvious detail and depth in her work, the comics are carefully composed - the positions and expressions of the characters carefully thought about.

There is a much larger focus on the humour and messages rather than careful crafting, but the comics definitely have the intent to make you laugh and succeed in doing so, without being meticulous and pretentious in their design.

Ellen Forney

Because I've started trying to read before bed instead of watching TV, and because I mentioned this graphic novel to my flatmate who also struggles with depression but doesn't read books, I started re-reading Ellen Forney's graphic memoir Marbles.

I read it a couple of years ago after reading an article in The Guardian about graphic memoirs. Writing and illustrating a graphic memoir is a much more personal way of sharing experience compared to plain text or even film, as the work is in the author's own hand, so there is a sense of realness and relatability that doesn't come across in other mediums. The work is accessible too - the drawings are simple and there's not a lot of text to overwhelm the reader, especially when addressing such a serious topic.

However, not only did this personal account of Forney's own bouts of depression and her struggle with bipolar disorder provide a sense of solidarity for me, it also discussed how Forney coped with her depressive episodes and methods to combat negative thoughts - some of which may be helpful for me?

This one I thought was particularly interesting: 

I've not done a self portrait in a while, but I have in the past sketched myself in my diary when I'm feeling upset. I don't use my diary often, only as a tool to vent when I'm particularly angry or upset and don't feel I can talk to a real person for whatever reason. Drawing myself does help transfer some of the negative emotions out of me, as well as writing my thoughts and feelings. Kind of like a dream-catcher's supposed to catch nightmares, a diary/sketchbook can trap negative feelings.

I might start drawing more self-portraits when I'm upset, and take a page out of the Visual Language book and draw lots!

Self-improvement!

I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago about my depression. The first time i've properly sought out help for it. I had my follow-up mental health referral this week and I think I'm starting to get better.

Since my last appointment I've started doing things or will start doing things over Easter to try to improve my life and mind!

These are:

• Eating healthier
• Getting enough sleep
• Cut down/quit smoking
• Exercise
• Meditate
• Thinking positively

Eating

I noticed leading up to and after christmas I was letting myself go a bit. I started the year cooking (healthy) meals from scratch for myself, and I very rarely buy unhealthy snacks like chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks etc, because that's just what I'm used to - we never really have them at home. Plus, I'm more of a savoury deli indulger, like cheese, salami and olives. And I always have fruit (apples, oranges, grapes, mango) in, even if nothing else. But the novelty of cooking my own meals wore off a bit and I lacked motivation to take care of myself.

I want to:

• Stop buying takeaways
• Stop binging on chocolate
• Eat 5-a-day (and include more fresh vegetables, not just fruit)
• Snack on nuts, fruit and rice cakes
• Pack lunches for myself the night before
• Eat breakfast

The way I see it - even if i don't complete any or enough work for uni in a day, if I cook a meal from scratch myself, I've accomplished something! Woo!

Sleep

I am a bad sleeper. I stay up late and sometimes have trouble waking up on time. My friend told me about this app clued Sleep Cycle, which tracks your sleep and wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase. I've started using that and trying to wake up earlier than normal, at 7.30 instead of 8.30, so I have time to leisurely get ready instead of rushing - packing my lunch and eating breakfast!

I've also started trying to go to bed earlier, at 11 or 12 instead of 2 or 3. Also, reading before bed instead of watching TV. I used to read a lot, and kinda stopped, telling myself I didn't have time, but now I've started to value it again. Also, looking at a screen before bed is supposed to be bad for your sleep!

Smoking

I have started increasing the amount I smoke since being at uni, kinda socially and kinda from stress. I used to be on around 4 or 5 and now it's probably more like 7 or 8 on average. I've decided to cut down to no more than 4 a day to start with and then further once I can manage that. I'm keeping a little post-it note chart of how many I have so I can see when I reach my limit.

Exercise

I already walk to and from uni every day, which is up a hill, so that's a teeny bit of exercise. I used to do workout videos in my room, which I'm going to try to start doing again, maybe set a goal for jet an hour a week to start off with. When I go home for Easter I can go on walks and maybe a run or two with a friend or alone around Whitstable.

I've also started trying to incorporate yoga in to my routine! I managed to wake up at 7.30 today and yesterday, so did a 20 minute quick routine to start the day. I'm going to try and keep up with this.

Meditation

Just 10 minutes a day - start with the app Headspace recommended by the mental health worker.

Thinking

The doctor in the first appointment told me to start thinking or writing a list of 3 things that I'm thankful for every day, which can be as small or inane as deodorant. I've started doing this and it's become sort of a ritual - wake up, write down my 3 things and start the day!

My mum's also always been a big help with my bouts of depression. She photocopies passages from books and articles to get me thinking positively and is always there for a chat.

OUIL404 Visual Language evaluation

1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?
·         As in the last modules, I’ve continued to develop my use of roughs, particularly towards the end of this module with the screen print fan art brief. I enjoyed figuring out the elements and placement of these elements within the frame just in quick pencil sketches and/or simple colour. ·         I’ve developed my confidence with elements such as shape and texture that I wasn’t previously that confident or interested in. the simple tasks focusing on these elements encouraged me to re-think my stances on such elements, and encourage me to consider employing them in the future. ·         As well as developing skills in elements I wasn’t so confident with, I’ve also had to develop my skills with elements I thought I knew very well. I often stick to using black line, and this module has forced me to consider not only other ways of image-making, but also the quality and value of the lines I use. ·         I think my growing confidence with using colour shows as I progressed through the module – beginning with black and white line drawings and finishing with a bold pink and blue screen print.
2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?
·         The most valuable theories and principles I’ve learned from this module came from the second brief. Although I’ve been told fleetingly of the elements of line, depth, value and frame throughout school, we’d never done such deconstructive tasks specifically focused on each element, and these studies really helped me to think about the composition of my work and how it influences and affects the viewer. ·         The use of studying the key elements of composition have particularly influenced my work in other modules, especially the vector brief in Visual Communication.
3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how did you capitalise on these?
·         I think my strongest point within the module is the fan art brief. As it was a topic I could choose myself, I was obviously very interested in the work I was producing and spent a lot of time planning the final artwork using roughs. ·         I think roughing and planning in general has started to become a strong point within my work and practice. I still do have a lot to develop, particularly starting to incorporate colour into my roughs more often, but over the course of this module and others I’ve definitely learned the value of planning an image. ·         I’ve started to think more analytically about how my work is composed, and this translates across to other modules, using elements such as line and depth. ·         I actually really enjoyed this module. I didn’t really realise until I started to evaluate it, but I’ve actually learned a lot and have started to inform my practice with the elements of visual language, and I think I’ve developed as an illustrator from where I was at the beginning of the course.
4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?
·         I mentioned struggling with depression in my last module evaluation and on my blog, and so there is also a chunk of the module within the first brief where I haven’t completed as much work as I have wanted to. However, despite this, I’ve tried my best to catch up on tasks and keep blogging about what I’ve learned from this module. ·         Some tasks, like the collage task, I could have spent more time on composition and crafting. However, even some tasks where I wasn’t 100% happy with the final outcome, I still learned a lot from and had fun playing around in the development and planning stages, such as with the texture task. ·         Particularly at the beginning of the module with tasks such as using line and mark-making, I could have tried harder to include a broader range of attempts and experimentation, but I think I have improved on my commitment over the course of the module.
5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)? ·         In terms of my own work, I found the second brief particularly helpful in being critical about my own work, and started to learn to view my image-making from an outside perspective. ·         I certainly find it useful to think about images in terms of how the are planned and composed, as good composition can really make or break illustration, depending on the brief. ·         Attempting to deconstruct other artists’ work is useful in working out the meaning and purpose behind the image, and learning how I can also create similar meanings within my work, or how I can present my purpose. ·         I have definitely gotten better at deconstructing and analysing my own and other practitioners' artwork, and my Pinterest account has also encouraged me to do this - I now try to think about elements such as depth and line of sight as well as aesthetic qualities of the visual signature and how these elements portray mine or another practitioner's intent.
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.

Sarah Andersen

This is also kind of on the back of the mental health article I found, although Sarah Andersen isn't mentioned in it. I've known her work for a while, from seeing it on Facebook and Tumblr.

She, like Rubyetc and the other illustrators mentioned in the article, also frequently discusses mental health issues like anxiety and depression, but also more subtle manifestions of these feelings, like just general procrastination and mild paranoia/anxiety that most people experience. Again, her simple black and white comics help to portray the idea and humour rather than get bogged down with a very analytical composition, and the simplicity makes the comics accessible and easy to read by all.

Ruby Elliot (rubyetc)

I've seen Ruby's work before, but that article about mental health and illustration reminded me of her!

She does make a lot of comics about mental health, but she also does some kinda general life ones, like the matching underwear one.

Ruby is a perfect example of how carefully composed images are not necessary to provoke a response. Ruby's comics are still heartfelt and humorous whilst being drawn in a low-fi, messy way. There's no colour or background in most of her drawings, and there doesn't need to be - her prime goal is humour and to be relatable. By making her character fairly nondescript it is easy to relate to as a fellow human being, especially girls in a lot of her comics.

She makes very gestural lines and emotive expressions which I aim to do more of in some of my work instead of considering 'perfect' lines. I need to be looser and more free in my application of drawing materials sometimes!

Illustration and mental health

Leah showed me this article:

Mental health week: How drawings on social media are changing the conversation

It talks about how people who feel isolated or struggle to find ways to express their feelings are finding comfort, support and a voice through drawings and illustrations about mental health issues.

These first two are done by Robot Hugs. Their simplicity and nondescript characters enable the audience to project themselves into these situations. The second one in particular will resonate with a lot of people who've struggled with depression, as a lot of the time mental illnesses aren't treated the same way as physical ones. Diseases of the brain are just as valid, and these comics widen the audience and the conversation about mental health, as more and more people share them. Sharing the comics and drawings on social media also provides an easy way for people who are struggling to ask for help without feeling like a burden.

Robot Hugs says they're e-mailed a lot by people saying when they share the comic, they're saying 'this is how you can help me'. He also says that comics are a much more accessible way to talk about mental health, as although there's a lot of writing about it, a lot of people don't have the time to read it or don't want to, but 'everyone's got ten seconds to look at a comic'.

This one by Sylvie Reuter is very simple with no dialogue, but through the pictures and composition alone, it is a very accurate and universal portrayal of what depression can feel like. A lot of people don't understand the ups and downs of depression. It's not just feeling sad all the time, you can have happy periods and still have fun, but it's always just kinda sitting there on your shoulder, waiting.

Reuter also adds that sharing things online anonymously can be a big pressure lifter, similar to Robot Hugs, whilst also getting some validation and support for your feelings.

Rubyetc adds to that by saying that drawing is a way of connecting to people and seeking support without leaving the house or talking to people face to face, which can be a hard task when struggling with depression or anxiety.

All the artists agree there needs to be a broader discussion on issues besides just depression and anxiety, as although these are probably the ost common, many people are still scared of talking about the scarier mental illnesses or symptoms, such as OCD, schizophrenia, bipolar and psychosis for example. 

One artist not mentioned in this article is Ellen Forney, who did draw a graphic memoir about her own experience with having bipolar, which touches on the scarier aspects of it, but as it's a graphic novel and not strips or a cartoon, it's less accessible. I may write another post about it at some point.

Again, this illustration by Lauren Reis touches on the idea that these images should translate across different cultures, class levels and languages by creating the character Selfie. It's pretty nondescript, so it's a good character to project your own feelings on to.

She also says that much of the writing on mental health doesn't touch on the actual feelings and emotions of mental illnesses, and drawings add that more human, personal and relatable touch.

3 Posters - session

In the most recent PPP session we were tasked with creating 3 posters just using type in 20 minutes each. One to advertise ourselves personally, one professionally and one as a superhero with a costume, a sidekick, a superpower and Kryptonite.

We based these on qualities we came up with in the session relating to our personal practice and professional practice. For example:

Personal qualities:

• Experimental
• Observant
• Inspiring
• Humourous
• Open-minded
• Reliable
• Organised
• Dedicated
• Passionate
• Ambitious
• Positive
• Self-confident

Professional qualities:

• Innovative
• Perceptive
• Creative
• Presentable
• Punctual
• Flexible
• Available
• Committed
• Hardworking
• Recognisable visual signature
• Confident
• Experienced

So here are my 3 posters:

Personal

I decided that the personal quality most important to me is humour. I didn't think too much about the crafting and composition of this poster.

Professional

Again, humour coming through, but with a basis on my ability to generate ideas, and a bit of self-assured confidence.

Superhero

This one isn't as related to illustration, but I really like to cook my own meals from scratch, so I incorporated humour into the idea of me as a super-chef! I'm not an amazing cook but I do alright for a student.

Our next task is to create another 3 posters which CAN use image, advertising ourselves personally, professionally and instead of a superhero, our ambitions. This task has remindad me of my ambition to make people laugh! Primarily that's what I aim to do with my work, more often than not. I also like to create stories, so making comics seems like a natural progression.