Matt BoakEnd of semester 2 Porfolio

Overview of the semesterType of brief: I responded best to a more “open brief” where I was able to go my own way and put my own spin of the topic. I responded better to these briefs because I enjoyed them more, with a heading to put my on the right path I could explore and choose the direction I wanted to go.By doing this I found myself producing more interesting work and picking up new techniques to work with.

Integral elements: During this semester I have generated some of my better work uses elements such as pen and ink drawings and edited colour and composition digitally, this is something I have enjoyed doing and is pushing my towards work I am being more and more proud of. Creating my own imagery this way has show me what I would like to develop I would like to become more confident in my pen work, creating bolder marks and increasing my drawing ability. I plan on developing my digital skills such as photoshop an illustrator to colour my illustrations.

Problems: My problem at the beginning of this semester was confidence, I was confidence in myself and my work so I started off hesitant to the first few briefs which ment I wasn’t producing to type of work I wanted. I overcame this with my Reportage project, I enjoyed sitting and drawning in the workshop and used issuu for the first time, once I edited some of my illustrations and played around with composition I uploaded my first issuu book and with this I ended up getting some good feedback, this boosted my confidence and I feel more comfortable producing work. I became proud of what I was doing.

Success: My strengths come from drawing from first hand primary sources, I feel like it is something I am confident in and with that experiment with, It is something I am going to continue to progress with and practise. My biggest success has been creating issuu books from my work/briefs, which was pushed my into becoming more confidence in my work and has completely changed my view of my work and way of working.

Personality: My interestest come from a wide range of influences, I have always been interested in comics and people such as Mike Mignola, but in thissemester I have experimented with lino printing and screen printing and it is something I want to progress with, I need to practise and become more knowledgable about. But I in interested in becoming an illustrator and putting my own mark on everything or anything I want.I feel that coming to the end of this semester I have started to show more of myself in my work and I know I have started to move in a direction I want to continue.

Everything is Broken Book Covers Collection

Reportage

Meltdown PosterOccult

Heroes

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Investigated

Shaped

Refined

Personal Development PlanHow will you develop and broaden your technical abilities?

My plan is to start my own briefs, continue my sketchbook work and look for live briefs. I draw everyday but I want to start using my blog as a everyday tool to end each day and get my work out there. I will broaden my digital abilities, by weekend Photoshop and illustrator tasks/tutorials. I want to get a tablet and learn how to use it to benefit my work, using pen and ink has become a element in my work but it is something I need to continue to be-come more confident.

How will you develop and broaden you knowledge of contemporary practice in relation to your own interests?

I follow blogs and websites which keeps me updated with contemporary and I bookmark everything I am interested in, I have started collecting magazines such as Juxtapose and Digital Arts, I know how important is it to immures myself in illustration and design, I want to keep on top of the new treads and technics but not to join the crowd but to challenge it.

How will you nurture and develop you current strengths?

By creating my own briefs and enjoying what I do I hope it will come natural to me to develop and mature as an illustrator, from this semester I know I want to make it as an Illustrator and that comes with the commitment and hard work. I will continuously strengthen my techniques though practice, there are plenty of other techniques I want to develop and I plan to use my time over summer to enhance these skills.

Where do you need to strengthen your game and more importantly how are you going to make this happen? What action needs to take place?

I need to make faster decisions with my work, and try multiple ideas, compositions. I want to come back into my 3rd year to end each day with a post on my blog and updating my website regularly. I need to chern out drawing after drawing and try new things.

mattboak.com mattboak.tumblr.commattboakillustration@gmail.com