Visual Exploration 1 - Paige Wheeler

Week Five 'On/Off' For this day brief, we were tasked with creating multiple thumbnail ideas for two images that correspond together with the theme 'On/Off'. We were then told to create the two images, based off of our best thumbnail. It took me a few goes to choose which thumbnails I liked, having to make a mind-map to help me generate ideas. In the end, I decided to go with my diver idea, as it is very colourful and different to other ideas. I created the final piece with my iPad on Procreate, using multiple brushes and colours to get two very different images. (Sketch up for my final piece ideas)

 Week Four 'Composition' For this week, we were given a set of three words (a person, an animal, and an object), and to create multiple compositional images with only these three words. I was given Dancer, Dragonfly, and Magnifying Glass. I decided to take this task in a minimal way, exploring a variety of different details and abstract ideas without using many colours. Although I could have darkened the pencil drawings more so they're easier to see, I really love how it all turned out. The colours are all on a similar palette and all tie together, whilst the variety of different materials (inks, acrylics etc.) push the differences and gain multiple different finishes. This task was really fun to experiment with, although I did find it hard at first to mix the three words together to create nice images.

Week Three 'This is not a tree' For this week, we were tasked to choose and research about a tree and make multiple different outcomes with a variety of materials and techniques. I chose the Pine Tree as my tree, as it is by far my favourite tree species put there. Between its beautiful aesthetic and structure, to its symbolism for Christmas, I think the Pine tree is the perfect pick. For my first page, I chose to start with the simple shapes and significant pieces of a Pine tree. The needles are easily the most noticeable identifying feature, along with their pyramid-like shape, seed bearing pinecones, and their reddish-brown, or gray bark.  I chose to show these features with a mix of soft charcoal, HB pencil and a graphite pencil. These are some of the materials I am most comfortable with, so I chose these to start as a warmup, and to also give deep details to the images. I then chose to move onto colour with water colours, focusing on softer images and colour rather than an...

Week two 'Cathedral' Part 1 In the first few tasks, we were asked to create multiple different works based on a cathedral, using three mark making techniques we used on our sheets last week, and with no reference photos to help us.  2 1  4 3 Putting all of these pieces in order of creation, I can definitely see the growth in confidence as I tried more materials and enjoyed creating rather than worrying if my work would be accurate or not. Having not been in a Cathedral for a long time, I found this task difficult without reference photos. However, I quickly began warming up as I allowed myself freedom to create rather than being picky and precious with my work. I like my last three pages, as one shows a deeper, potentially spiritual symbolism, whilst the other two were loose and fun to create and look at compared to the first two. In my mind, cathedrals are very beautifully created architecture, as I am not religious it doesn't mean to me much in any other way, so if I were...

 Alex Dos Diaz Alex Dos Diaz is an American illustrator I found on Instagram last year, a true inspiration to my work. He is a traditional and digital illustrator from North Wales, Pennsylvania. He is inspired by nature, science, old folklore and fantasy, much alike me, so I took to his work immediately. He has worked in/with multiple big companies like DC comics, Hasbro, The New York times etc, and featured in many galleries. I love almost everything about his work and style, from his variety in subjects and symbolism to make a powerful piece, to his use of colour and brushes to fit the theme of the work. I also love his style when creating pieces on animals, animals being a key interest for me when creating. I would love to use his work for inspiration, and to learn some of his techniques to develop my own work. Work — ALEX DOS DIAZ art and illustration

Initial Research One of the most recognizable Victorian illustrators of the age, prominent in the end of the 19th century.  Born on the 28th of February 1820, in London. He was an Illustrator, graphic humorist and a political cartoonist. He is known mainly for his incredible illustrations in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland trilogy and being the political cartoonist for Punch magazine for over 50 years. Lewis Carroll chose Tenniel not only for his talent, but for his 'grotesque', his ability to add disturbing senses to his art. He would deform and add violent changes to the real world, adding animal heads to well-known human forms. His most popular 'grotesque' would be the Jabberwock in Alice. He died on the 25th of February 1914, at the age of 93.       

 Week One Mark Making For my first mark making sheet, I used a HB pencil to create as many marks as I could think of. I began very precious and unsure; I naturally try and keep my art neat and as tidy as I can, so I really had to push myself out of my comfort zone. In my second sheet, I found more confidence whilst using a graphite pencil and charcoal, even with my strong dislike to charcoal. I enjoyed created dotted marks and scraping the charcoal across the page, smudging it to see the effects. This confidence only grew as I used paints/inks, enjoying switching between a dry and wet brush to get multiple different effects. I specifically like the mark in the middle at the top of the page that creates a 3D effect. For these two sheets, I used multiple different objects and materials to create a mixed media piece. For the first sheet, I enjoyed using Ink and a graphite pencil along with multiple objects (like a sponge, card, rolling pin, my hand, string etc.) I particularly like th...

  Meet the Illustrators task During the summer we were asked to create a character based on ourselves and something we love. I chose to show myself through my love of minimal, dark fashion and my love of books. I kept it very loose and sketchy, choosing to experiment and enjoy drawing myself rather than focus on the little details.