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.

Professionalism & depression

As a professional practitioner I definitely need to work on my time management skills. This has been evident across most briefs and modules - most notably OUIL405. Although I will admit during that period I was struggling with depression a bit, but I didn't get the help I needed to pull myself out of it and get the work done that I needed to.

I'm aware that I'm not the only one that goes through these issues, and some practitioners manage to function perfectly well and produce a high standard of work whilst juggling personal issues alongside, and I need to find ways to maintain my professionalism in trying times. One main issue I identify is my sleep schedule becoming a problem - staying up later than I should and not getting enough sleep or essentially becoming nocturnal, which isn't good for my brain.

During summer months I usually find myself feeling happier, possibly because I'm getting enough vitamin D from sunlight. I generally eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and cook myself proper meals, so I usually get enough nutrients from that.

I also sometimes struggle to talk to people about my feelings and motivation problems, because I feel like a burden to my friends and family when I know they all have their own issues too. So that's something I need to work on too. I could also try talking to people who are impartial and talk to depressed people for a living! I'm just a bit scared sometimes, but I need to push myself, because I know that I can create a high standard of work, and the work I do whilst I'm depressed doesn't reflect the majority of my practice.

Getting 48% in the OUIL405 module has really opened my eyes a bit to the fact that I need to work harder at getting myself better, so that I have the motivation to progress through the modules at a higher standard, as I know I'm capable of it. I got 71% in the OUIL403 module, so going from a first to a third within the space of a few weeks isn't acceptable to me or, I'm sure, to my tutors. So, I'm trying! I'm trying to try harder.

Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is one of my favourite directors. He's a visual designer, art director and interior decorator among other things, as well as a film director.

All his scenes are carefully composed and constructed down to the last minute detail, and everything is thought about. The visual elements of frame, composition, line and depth are all thought about and employed well. There's always a strong theme of symmetry in his cinematography, and colour schemes and patterns/textures are thought about and pieced together beautifully. There's a childlike naivety as well as vintage and retro visual themes running through his work, and although Anderson is not an 'illustrator', each scene and composition of set tells its own narrative without even needing the characters.

I really admire his ability to tell a story through set design - it's not all about the characters and the people - the context the characters appear in must be considered too. His colour palettes are always beautiful and I often look to him for inspiration, as well as because his films are amazing!

Big Heads - Glyn Dillon

The main thing I took away from the session with Glyn Dillon was the hours of work he mentioned. Getting up at 9 and working until 3. It sounds so exhausting and daunting to think that that lies in my future. It's scary. It's hard. This kind of stress kinda makes me shut down.

Even when I KNOW I can do something, I put it off because of how much work it seems like. I've definitely been there at 4AM trying to finish something for a deadline, and functioned off little sleep in the past. I'm doing it now! When my depression flares up though, it is harder to function on 4 hours or less sleep. It's a very impractical life but if I love what I do, I should be able to do it, right?

I need to find better methods of coping with stress and find ways to make the work fun and not seem like work. Sometimes making lists and planning in my notebook and diary helps me, but sometimes I forget to look in the diary at notes I've made. 

Ah stressstressstressstressstressstress, this is hard