'All About Eve'

A feminist Zine with the intentions to educate on feminist issues past and present as well as spread positivity and confidence to all its readers. It is a magazine aimed towards young women aged between 18-24 that contains various illustrative pieces, as well as a pull-out poster to keep.

The page featured on the exhibition covers the recent #reclaimthesestreets movement and contains real opinions from other young women on the issue.

'Imagination into reality'

In this project I was trying to capture the city of Leeds and its people from my imagination and perspective. The photograph was taken from the Town Hall, capturing the tiny section of the street and the buildings present.

When I look at Leeds as a city, I look at it as a painting, and that’s what I made sure this image looked like. The buildings and the road have a high contrast and reveal more small details and vibrant colours. Now you might be wondering why aren’t there any people in it? Well, it's because when I look at Leeds, I don’t usually look at people since I ignore them due to my anxiety of being in large crowds, which is why you won’t see any people here. I also specifically chose this location because it shows iconic British architecture blending with the modern world around it.

'If Objects Have a Spirit'

@amu_126773

My final project is about if objects have their own personality then what will happen in their world and how do they live. 

My project started with my fascination with nature regarding how it positively influences my mindset and my interest in the science behind life in combination with fantasy. This led to my project concept: ‘what if we evolved differently?’ and the narrative of if the Earth’s history was altered and due to a freak storm it remained as one supercontinent and a range of different biomes were created by different freak weather episodes and new creatures and their habitats emerged from these weather phenomenons.

My Gecclepog creature design is modelled to represent extended evolution of red lake currants for a forestry biome. The concept is intended as an interactive VR experience with full body motion tracking tech, in high realistic graphics, and consists of surviving and problem solving to complete the index of discovery and map (creatures and environments), and name the supercontinent whilst establishing living quarters to evolve to and develop new life within the strange new world. The game functions in real life regional time and your game state is determined by your real life actions so you have one life just like real life, so if you die in game there’s no respawning, just start over.

‘Exploring Northern Youth Culture in Rural Environments’

This project aims to hero the diversity and creativity of the individuals that make up Northern youth culture in England.

I wanted to do this as I personally feel as though the majority of art and media that explores culture and more specifically youth culture from both in and outside of the UK has a majority focus on the South of England and London itself. I wanted to make a change to this and show the world (through my collages) what the North has to offer in the form of cultural diversity from the South.

After extensive research I realised that one of the main differences between the North and South of England was the vast rural environments across the north. I have attempted, through my work to utilise this idea as a visual means of showing, one, the difference between the Northern and Southern culture but, two, the evolution that has taken place from the ideals of traditional Northern culture (symbolised by the rural environment) to the more contemporary and diverse individuals that are a part Northern youth culture of today.

@phoebebatescreative

I have produced an A6 board book visually communicating the transformative and healing power bodies of water have over us. This is because many people do not realise how beneficial spending time near water is. The abstract comics and narrative of the book are informed by my own experiences of being around water.

During the pandemic it is evident that people are generally feeling increasingly anxious and stressed. Being outside, specifically around water, has been proven to provide a sense of calm and escape from the hyper-connected, over stimulated state of modern-day life. Wallace J. Nichols, Ph.D., a marine biologist has said water actually lowers stress and anxiety, increasing an overall sense of well-being and happiness, a lower heart rate and breathing rate.

My aim for this book is to prompt people to take advantage and recognise the life-changing benefits of water, particularly during these challenging times. I want those who flick through it to think of it as visually appealing and stimulating. And those who read it to intuitively develop their own understanding, and approach water with a new or refreshed perspective.

'How Do I Meditate?'

Meditation has been a key factor of my life over the past two years as it has helped me both grow as a person and gain a different outlook on life. The idea of helping those who are either struggling or are generally interested in learning about the practice, inspired me to create this short book.

The aim of my project is to educate those wanting to learn about the practice of meditation. This simple step-by-step guide includes six key techniques used within mediation which I think are the most important when starting your practice. The accordion book can be read both ordinarily (flip from page to page) or it can be opened up to create a chain of pages.

‘What is the perfect cup of tea’

@chaibora2021

I began this project wanting to create some personalised, lighthearted pieces of design based on how individual people take their tea. I created a questionnaire for people to fill in on social media, and I was going to select a few of the weird and wacky methods people had to make tea and make a design campaign about it. However my focus shifted when I began my secondary research into existing brands and I stumbled across the sustainable/ethical sections on their websites. This shifted my focus and the more I researched into it the more I wanted to know, so I decided that I wanted to create a fictional tea brand whose core focus was to operate and encourage its customers to behave sustainably and ethically, whilst still making great quality tea.

Whilst researching into some of the leading companies, I noticed that none of them were addressing anything to do with water wastage. Now some could say that it is ironic, a company whose product mainly interacts with water preaching about water wastage, but I wanted to address the amount of water that is wasted within the tea community every day, and encourage people to reuse their old kettle water for something useful, such as cleaning or cooking pasta, rather than just chucking it away.

I set out to create a reusable tea tin for my brand to reduce the amount of packaging wastage, and so my customers could stock up on tea bags, by refilling the tin at a sustainability store, for half the price of competitors as they aren’t paying for unnecessary packaging. I wanted my packaging design and my animation to be shocking as well as educational, so people can learn about how they can do better and reduce their wastage. Each individual taking action and reducing their water wastage adds up to a big difference.

en.kurosawastudio.com

I am an artist and photographer from Hong Kong. The theme for my final project was 'shows in isolation'. 

The work that I present here is my final piece. Although it doesn’t have that much of an impact, it shows the testing and experiments, ideas and background work from the project. Where I learnt new skills, I applied them in this final piece.

At the start of the project, I had the vision to capture a certain amount of isolation locations and items, and use them as a reference to create a different emotional feeling to the word isolation. After some consideration, I realised that might draw a limit on the development of my work, so after a chat with my tutor, I swapped my focus to using editing skills to recreate the depth and moody isolation feeling from random shots.

I hope the work will be shown in a café where people can slow down, take time and enjoy the moment they are having. This links to my work isolation by taking time slower and isolating themselves from a fast-paced life.

sites.google.com/students.leeds-art.ac.uk/lcollinfmp

My final piece was inspired by a long-standing fascination with insects, which inspired me to explore the similarities between eusocial insects (insects that live in colonies, such as ants and bees) and human society. This prompted me to ask the question, “what would happen if insects took over?”, and from there I worked to develop an imagined reality in which this scenario came true.

Through various media and different designs, illustrations and animation, I eventually developed a short film (link above), which ties together a lot of the work I've made during the project. I’m most comfortable working with digital media, but this project really pushed me to work more broadly with unfamiliar techniques and methods.

ad297109.wixsite.com/website

My project consists of exploring the beauty of natural hair through illustrations. Hair has a strong cultural and social significance not only for women but for men too, it is part of who we are and with it, we can show our personalities and express ourselves. I have chosen to explore this subject not only because I am fascinated with my own hair but also because I've experienced what most young people struggle with, the pressure that the beauty industry put on people to feel like they are not part of the same group, then going through accepting this part of you and understanding that it is beautiful the way it is.

My initial aim was to show how natural hair has its beauty and value through powerful illustrations that brings that feeling of wanting to cultivate self-love whether by starting with a part of your body or as a whole. Therefore, I created a series of illustrations where powered women display their natural hair feeling beautiful and happy with themselves.

'How Funky is Fungi?'

@bestlaidplns

Fungi is a rather odd subject to base a project around, which is probably why I did it. This project was a fun opportunity to further my interest in pursuing concept art and a fun excuse to mess around with some weird designs for mushroom based beasties. My outcome for this project ended up being a concept for a game called “Best Laid Plans”, a survival game centred on a mouse traversing his way through a world that is slowly being eaten away by giant mushrooms.

'Word of Mouth' Magazine

A 32-page magazine guide of where to shop, eat and drink in Leeds. Celebrating my favourite independent businesses in my home city, through photography and graphic design.

'Goodbye Childhood'

Moving to university can be filled with excitement until the responsibilities pile up and you realise you’re not a kid anymore. There comes a time when you have to say goodbye to childhood, a loss everyone must face, but this isn’t the end.

My project focuses on the transition from childhood to adulthood, a blurry line which is a different experience for each individual. I take the angle of moving to university because I have the most experience with this aspect as do my target audience of students. My book is for anyone who has grown up and forgotten that their inner child is still with them, they just need coaxing out.

I’ve developed a graphic novel based on all the new responsibilities that come with going to university but with a twist. In this world, you can speak to your childhood, your childhood companion. What would you say to your experiences if they were standing in front of you?

Goodbye Childhood is a story about growing up, friendship and loss.

My aim for this project was to create a body of work which gives the public a chance to step into the culture of skateboarding and have a look around. I based the interviews on the largest discussion within skating ‘How has social media affected skateboarding?’. As a skateboarder I wanted my work to be authentic - something that takes the audience into a world they don’t know or necessarily understand.

I want my audience to have a connection with the collages in some way, in order to help them understand why skaters love what they do. I wouldn’t say I have a target audience, I would welcome anyone and everyone to read my magazine. It doesn’t matter to me if you skate or not, you most likely have social media in your pocket or hand at this very second. Social media affects everything not just skateboarding. You and I are strangers. We may have no common interests. But our phones, our social media accounts, these bond us together and affect every community and sub culture. I hope you take what you want from this body of work, as the last thing I intend to do is shove a bunch of opinions down your throat.

Here is an excerpt from a 5-page comic I created about the positive and negative impacts that virtual reality could have on our future. In this page the protagonist is exploring how the education system could be altered through simulation-based classes such as being immersed in the cosmos during an astronomy class.

I based my final project on the topic of mental health and ‘what is normal?’. Throughout this project I have found the answer to my question and learnt there is no normal, especially within mental health. Everyone experiences different things, nobody's minds work the same, and nobody can tell you what's going on in someone else's mind. So throughout the final project I have tried and experimented with different ways to visually show different mental illnesses and different experiences people have with each of them.

'How are we killing the coral reefs and what are the consequences?'

My project has been intended to raise awareness of what is happening to the coral reefs due to climate change and over fishing. As the corals bleach and die and the marine life too, sea urchins infest the ocean floors. This is a still of a larger animation displaying the anger of this situation.

The concept of my project was to highlight issues within the R&B community surrounding feminism and stereotyping. My aim is to encourage young women to be inspired by R&B artists by showing that they are powerful, intelligent and godly, but also to express to young men that women should not be objectified as many female R&B artists are. I want to encourage these men to express feminine attributes and question toxic masculinity through highlighting issues in idolising male R&B artists who speak about drugs, sex and violence (which are attributes of toxic masculinity), and instead highlight male artists who express feminist views, thus making these men a focus for inspiration and encouraging change.

I wanted my final design to encourage self-expression, identity and equality - this is rarely highlighted within the R&B genre. Many of these artists are idolised for the wrong reasons such as looks, wealth and promiscuity. I have achieved this through graphic design in the publication, 'Fire'.

@artbyvictoriah_

My project focuses on sleep paralysis which is something that affects 4 out of 10 of us, sometimes without us even knowing. I wanted to find a way to communicate this unseen strange experience to someone who hasn't gone through it before. This illustrated comic depicts the feeling of what it's like to go through an episode of sleep paralysis.

My aim was to give the audience an insight into what it's like being paralysed and stuck with no ideas of what is going on. In this story it shows a character who is a lock, he resembles the idea of when you're in an episode of sleep paralysis, you are locked in both your movement and your head. Although what happens feels like its real and the feeling of confusion, isolation and terror are playing on you mind, it's all just locked in you head.

I have always had a fascination with folktales, as it was the original form of storytelling, and has allowed endless people to access a world of supernatural beings, creatures, magic, spirits and gods, that we otherwise are blind to. I used illustration to visually interpret three German folktales; ‘Legend of Paracelsus’, ‘The Alraun’ and ‘St. Andrews Night’. The series of illustrations are inspired greatly by the folktales, however are intended to remain visually ambiguous, so that the viewer may interpret the story however they wish.

Folktales for centuries were passed down by word of mouth, each story transforming slightly to fit the storyteller's personal experience, environment and imagination. This way the stories changed and adapted naturally, which is why so many different versions of the same tales exist in different cultures all around the world. These tales were never intended to be frozen in written word, so I made sure that my illustrations honoured this, and the viewer can use their own imagination and interpretation of the drawing to create their own, new, folktale. 

'Counting Down to the Gyms Reopening'

www.sophjh.co.uk/portfolio

I set out with the intention of exploring the impact of fitness on different people, physically and mentally. I carried out a survey and saw just how clear it was that exercising can help people to feel happy and healthy. Exploring this further, I progressed to look at ways of keeping fit during lockdown. I wanted my end result to be interactive and engaging. One way to achieve this was creating a ‘moving gallery’. The digital post-it notes from my first idea can be dragged around the screen, revealing different notes beneath them.

Secondly, I combined techniques used from earlier in my project, such as animation. Having learnt that a lot of young people go straight to Instagram to search for information, I chose to display my second idea on a proposed Instagram feed. Due to my findings of others’ enjoyment of exercise, both of my ideas encompass a similar prospect to advent calendars and have been produced with the idea in mind of ‘Counting Down to the Gyms Reopening’.

'A journey into the unknown-migration through the eye of the beholder'

@nadas_jpg

My final piece explores the many nuances and complexities of migration and the transitory journey that so many make for the promise of a better life. I wanted to present the migrant experience and to introduce a perspective that some might not have considered before, broadening your empathetic view and your scope of consideration. What would you take with you if you where suddenly stripped from your home? What do you value most? What are your most prized possessions? These are just some of the questions my exhibition wishes to address. The suitcase, a vessel which encompasses the life and identity of the absent migrant.

Migration has always been an integral part of the human experience but why is someone judged simply by pieces of paper by fragile ephemeral matters. This exhibition aims to inform and erect empathy within its viewer showing them a perspective and journey in search of opportunity and the items the character chooses to take with them.

We seem to allocate sympathy and empathy we subconsciously designate humanity to specific groups deciding who deserves our sympathy and who doesn’t. This piece of work navigates and tackles our desensitisation and indifference to the struggles of others. The sentimentality and the rawness and fear and uncertainty and painful melancholy is palpable and tangible within the confines of the exhibition the viewer leaving with a newfound perception and consideration of migration.

'The Queen'

This is a comic depicting a segment of a story called The Queen. The main character, Queen Kashi, has had a long and tedious day, but unfortunately, she has one last task left to complete. A soldier from the war had been invited to receive honours from her as recognition for his valiant efforts. Annoyed, but keeping her stoic expression, she heads to the throne room to complete the ceremony, as the soldier awaits her arrival. Little did she know who she’s see before her, and that it would cause her to have such an emotional reaction. It had been years, decades even. He was said to have died and yet he stands before her. The rest of the comic series starts from this point, as Queen Kashi is reunited with her lost brother, Kavi.

@sugarheartart

My name is Claire, and I’m a mature student about to process onto an undergraduate degree in Comic & Concept Art so that I can better tell my daft stories in visual form. I like drawing cute things, characters, pretty girls and experimental whimsy. This project was a fun detour from my comfort zone and I’m excited to take what I’ve learned into my next adventure.

My project was an exploration into the world of monster and creature design. My protagonist - a man who claims to be a real life wizard with a tinfoil-lined star hat - claims to have a perfectly rational explanation for just about everything.

Rock in your shoes? Tangled headphones? Misplaced keys? USB not going in the right way the first time? That’ll be the Flufflefoot. Tiny, sneaky, very naughty, but pretty harmless. The others? Not so harmless. Best to avoid.

'End Fast Fashion'

Online shopping apps like eBay and Depop have always been my go to for purchasing clothing amongst other things online. During the pandemic, I found myself spending more time than normal on these sites and decided this would be a good starting point for my project.

My video is based on fast fashion and the impacts that big conglomerates within the fashion industry have on the planet. This project has been a great experience in which I was able to branch out from my previous projects and learn a range of new skills. The video has some lighthearted undertones and hectic visuals but does come with an important message.

'How to be Happy'

graceartportfolio.photo.blog / @grace_art_art

Due to the pandemic, most of the populations lives were put on hold. It felt like everything which makes us happy had been taken away, we were forced into a situation to entertain and spend time with ourselves. I wanted to make a project about learning how to appreciate what we have and to find the pure moments of happiness that in our busy lives we may not notice. Based on a survey I made asking the question ‘What made you smile today’ - I made a series of small animations illustrating the answers submitted.

@mmargo_art

I've been passionate about illustration for a year now, give or take a month. As cheesy as this is going to sound, I followed my heart when choosing illustration. My ideas and drawings always seem to be illustrative and so here I am! My work mainly begins as random ideas that pop into my head, either in the shower or when I’m trying to get to sleep (not the most convenient), so I just jot them down on paper and go with it. My style is usually minimalistic, although I haven’t tied myself down with a specific style just yet.

Speaking of mediums, the image above is created using drawing inks, which I decided to use for the first time in my final project with only a page worth of experiments beforehand. Bold move. I also decided it was a good idea to create a whole children's book for my final major project - what can I say, I’m ambitious! My book illustrates the TRUE story of when moss piglets crash landed on the moon! Have a look at the full book on my insta linked above.

@amarah_art

When you compare the vastness of space, you tend to feel part of something much larger and therefore your pains, anxieties, feelings and as a whole, feel more insignificant. The context and scale of that larger part can range from members of society, to within this planet or the universe as a whole.

Within my series of books, I explored our cosmic significance that takes you on a journey through the different scales from the familial, to local, national, global and, eventually, to the universal. Events that once seemed significant begin to loose quality but in a universe so vast, it can be difficult to comprehend our value realistically. But we all possess value and if we are alone in this universe then nothing else has value.

As an illustrator I enjoy working with images and occasionally incorporating my typography into them. I work with a range of media both traditionally and digitally with an interest in print and ink based media as well as paper craft. During the Foundation Diploma, I’ve explored a range of outcomes from typography, mental health campaigns, character design, illustrated zines and books, pattern and packaging design.

‘Gazza The Ghost Hunter’

@georginaoldknowart

I love storytelling. Be it painting, illustration, or animation, it always comes back to the story behind the art. When I start new work, I explore how to portray character, context and story. Questioning; who is the subject? Where are they going? What are they about to do? Stories shift the way we see the world, immersing us in new worlds or impossible places. I love to bring stories to life and am enthused how through collaboration a tiny idea can grow into something amazing.

For my final project I chose to explore the phenomena of ghosts. I have always been fascinated by this concept, which is controversial and casts a different perspective over life and death. Creating intrigue, which leaves us questioning mortality and faith. I researched various hauntings and was particularly fascinated by tales of haunted roads in the UK. The stories were unique, not like conventional ghost stories. This inspired my story ‘Gazza The Ghost Hunter’ - a light-hearted trucker by day, a deadly ghost hunter by night. I’ve relished letting my imagination run wild, with the narrative, character and animations of this project. I am delighted with my final outcome.

My final piece is two digitally made screen prints that showcase the before and after of the collection of letters from a postbox, and are aimed at an audience between 16-30 year olds. Throughout my project I have researched the significance of handwritten letters and why I anticipate the replies to my own letters as much as I anticipate sending them. I came to the conclusion that a heartfelt letter doesn’t only carry your words or feelings, it actually carries a piece of yourself that you share with the recipient and vice versa. I feel happy whenever I read a letter that a close friend sent to me, and I continue to feel happy as I write out a reply.

So for my project, I set out to visually show how important this form of communication is by personifying letters and showcasing them at different stages of their journey. In my final piece, the first digital print shows the letters waiting at the postbox for the postman to collect them, and the second shows the postman collecting them as they wait behind him to take the lead. Each of those letters are pieces of people that have been sent to be given to someone else; they hold the time it took to write out the letter, the thoughts and feelings embedded in their words and the anticipation the recipient feels knowing that a reply is coming soon. I think this is a very special and intimate form of communication and I wanted to show how I see it through these digital prints.

'Hungry Ghosts'

@yaainng

This is one of four illustrations as part of my final project 'Hungry Ghosts' where I look into Chinese mythology and food. As my final outcome, I explored storytelling through a series of illustrations, portraying the mundane life of the ghosts (inspired by Chinese folklore) working at a takeaway in the Underworld. 

@wikartwork

The featured page presenting Fairyland is a part of a collection of illustrations in the format of a fairy tale with a twist. This self-written and self-illustrated story showcases a fantasy fulfilled publishing, describing the devastating human impact on the environment and four magical characters that force them to pay for their actions through a series of mischievous pranks.

The story was written with the aim of educating modern readers about the historical development of the interpretation of fairies, which was significantly influenced by modern literature and cinematography. Furthermore, the narrative raises awareness about contemporary environmental issues through the playful plot, initially inspired by thorough research. Check out my Instagram (link above) to see the full collection.

I have produced five excerpt illustrations of a book that includes transformative behaviours with the use of dreams to visually communicate that these behaviours are part of the circle of life; like a frog. This is because actions that happen in life from others such as friends and or parents can alter the way people grow and think as they grow into adults.

My aim for this book was to attract an audience that would be surprised and/or shocked by the illustrations due to the childish and playful style that is contrasted against gruesome scenes that are incorporated. I want the audience to interpret the story as their own as I only have incorporated some of the main scenes while thinking about what they’ve gathered already; questioning about what’s next?

My final piece is a video advert compatible with social media. It was made to fulfil my brief of ‘how to bring back the soul of Leeds after quarantine?’. I did this by making a music festival in Leeds called M-fest. Then I made this film to advertise it and get people back interacting and having a good time.

'Witchcraft'

@lily.becca_art

In this project I wanted to explore witchcraft, the history, the religions, and the practice of magic. I was interested in how acceptance towards witchcraft has changed - witches were once executed for practicing magic and now it is widely accepted. I created a narrative which follows the story of a young girl, Beatrix Dawson, who lives in 1400s England and practices witchcraft, the storyline is narrated with dialogue which turns out to be a reincarnation of Beatrix living in the modern world. I was interested in showing the contrast between the two time periods, where in the past witches had to hide, they now come together and celebrate who they are, and don’t have to hide.

Nostalgia zine

What does Nostalgia look like to me?

“Nostalgia makes us a bit more human.” - Dr. Sedikides

I’m sure we can collectively agree that nostalgia is something we’ve experienced more frequently this past year. With the constant change of what we can and can’t do, I have looked to nostalgia to counteract loneliness, boredom, and anxiety. My final project is inspired by this concept, and focuses on the nostalgia I have felt towards films that have creatively inspired me. I wanted to explore how I could visually represent nostalgia, and hoped to portray it in a way that could resonate with the experiences of others; even though our associations may differ.

My project proposal developed into a mixed media zine, featuring both illustration and animation, structured in a layout that reflects a memory scrapbook. The zine takes you on a journey of reflection, providing a personal insight of what nostalgia looks and feels like.

@brads_art_and_stuff

I created a 50-second animation in response to my project proposal of depicting horror through an animated format. I illustrated a cyclical plot depicting a man eating a spider and the journey through the stomach, I based this narrative on the belief that humans swallow six spiders a year in their sleep, so I looked at the possible effects this could have especially when there is an element of karma as it was an intentional act.

I chose to use close up shots with swift movements to create an element of discomfort and claustrophobia building up tension throughout. I also used dark earthy tones to depict a distorted realism and express the dilapidated surroundings through the limited exterior shots I had.

'Monster Mash' Game

For my project I decided I was going to base it around monsters. While doing my research I decided to focus my project on children as I felt it would allow me to be more creative and have more of a fun approach, I looked at drawings of monsters from children which helped inspire my work. I wanted to create something that was fun and exciting for children and made monsters into something that are still rather than scary. Through my research and development of ideas I came to the decision I was going to make a children's game. I wanted it to be unique to other board games out there and I wanted it to push the children's imagination and creativity. I’ve made the game bright and colourful as children are drawn to them as they look more exciting. I made sure that all of the components of the game were cohesive to make sure it had a professional look.

‘NORMAN IS SCARED OF CHEESE’

‘NORMAN IS SCARED OF CHEESE’ follows the story of the protagonist: Norman, who struggles with a phobia of dairy products. Which is inconvenient considering his profession as a security guard at the local cheese factory. I completed a shortened ‘teaser’ version of the story for my project, which I will develop into a full length picture book later this year.

'Letters of a Lifetime'

@niamh_spink

My final outcome is an illustrated book that tells the story of Flea, an adult with reading differences who is unable to access the letters she is sent, leaving her isolated. Around 2.4million adults in the UK alone struggle to read; a statistic I was shocked by, having never met anyone represented as illiterate before. The book aims to raise awareness about adult illiteracy by telling an illustrated story that hopefully allows a person of any reading ability to enjoy it.

The story is inspired by responses to “what do you think the worst thing about not being able to read would be?” with many responding that they would be unable to build a career or read for fun. But the response that struck me was one that said they would be unable to receive messages from loved ones. I hoped a story inspired by something overlooked by most would highlight the need for support for those who may struggle and a need for greater awareness of illiteracy.

I always enjoyed reading about different mythologies and religions and how they always had these mighty gods and magical crossbreed animals that had different abilities, personalities and traits. So for this project I decided to combine my love for mythology and personality quizzes together, making supernatural tinder.

It’s basically a choose your own adventure story in which you are going on a date with someone from your supernatural dating app, you will have different choices to make and based on your options it works to determine your personality using the alignment system from dungeons and dragons. So it determines your alignment and you may be asked other questions but at the end the result you get is what your unidentified date becomes and you match with them as your personality is alike to that supernatural being.

The actual quiz itself is only in concept and not a complete product, but when you get your result you get an illustration of them and also a fact file where you can learn more about that supernatural being from their appearance to their traits and abilities and what you both have in common.

‘How far would you go to be beautiful?’

Throughout history women have been expected to fit into constantly changing and unrealistic beauty standards, and this pressure from society has led women to engage in some harmful, sometimes even lethal, practices. My five illustrations have been created as a documentation of some of the beauty practices that I was most drawn to during my research. I felt the need to document them in an illustrative way because when doing my research I found a lot of the other recordings of these practices were comedic or mocking - making light of the danger women were putting themselves under and reducing it to them just being egotistical and ‘stupid’.

I hope my illustrations encourage people to consider how much women have been affected by societal expectations to look ‘beautiful’ throughout history, and how that pressure is still around today.

‘Dance of the Zeitgeists’

danceofthezeitgeists.cargo.site / @nick.tindale

How do we perceive the future?

A zeitgeist refers to a dominating force that defines world history. It translates to ‘spirit of an age’, which I have used literally to create ghost-like figures that guide the viewer through the illustration. They protect them from future’s corruption (our anxieties and fears). These zeitgeists represent possible ages to come.

This is an interactive web comic that the reader navigates by clicking on the doors and rooms.

@dontpetthetiger

Animals have always been a constant passion of mine, particularly the protection and conservation too. I love to weave in my interests with illustrative works as I believe it brings them to life. I am also fond of storytelling; all ages can engage with immersive plots and countless pages of colourful fun. Nothing excites me more than incessant ideas to be created from the stroke of a digital pen.

For my project, I have chosen the area of tiger conservation, particularly focusing on roadside petting zoos. I am aiming to bring awareness to a subject of mass ignorance and neglect visually so my art can persuade the attention of many others. I have allowed myself to engage in various wildlife articles, documentaries and snippets of videos to truly step into the 'paws' of a tiger in their cruel environment.

My target demographic is young children aged between 5-10, so creating an educational yet fun piece of resource is my main target to achieve. I have included various activities, colourful and vibrant stickers and a 14-page engaging story. I have pushed the boundaries of my capabilities to create a professional and sleek book that I am truly proud to present.

'10 things I hate about chick flicks'

'10 things I hate about chick flicks' is a zine which examines 1990s/2000s teen movies through today’s lens, in a fun, slightly critical way. Its main aim is to get lovers of these films to question the messages behind these movies and encourage them to wonder what these films teach us, whether that be good or bad. For women, it’s about whether films marketed towards them are really made for them. Are they told via the female narrative? Are the women in it stereotyped and sexualised? Do the female characters have good quality conversations that are not about guys?

@wigg.owt

In my work on this project, I have consolidated an expressive, sensory visual language through experimentation with synesthesia art, graphic illustration, collaboration and Hip-Hop media in order to develop an emotive moral narrative relating to my own personal experiences with rap, as well as empowerment and diversity which it can stand for. Targeting young teen audiences within the context of family and spoken reading, I encourage togetherness and anti-gate-keeping morals to connect Hip-Hop and spoken word illustrated books to for a new generation of music lovers to celebrate broader creative genres, personalities and even culture for a closer, more familial creative future.

Combining sweeping life-drawing-inspired line and intimate facial and expressive detail (inspired by artists like Molly Mendoza and Shantell Martin) with historically, instrumentally and dance inspired character types of bold watercolour, coloured pencil and inks layers, I have worked hard to create a diverse genre-based illustrative process. Meanwhile, experimentation with repeated patterns and type, using templates and tactile rugged acrylic paint mark-making in schemes inspired by various sub-cultural albums like ‘Madvillainy’, ‘The Chronic’ and ‘Blurryface’ as well as rhyme scheme analysis and rhythmic writing, have been cornerstones of my musical illustrations.

@wilkinsonillustration

In my final project I was exploring how music influences memories and feelings. The comic reflects personal memories. I became interested in how music has a connection to everyone and in this project, I explored my connection with music. When I listen to certain songs I get flooded with memories of past experiences, I showcased these memories in the form of a narrative comic. The title and artist of the music is written at the top of the comic so that the audience can listen to the music and get a more personalised understanding of the story.

The Circa Waves comic is a representation of a road trip I went on with my friends around England and the Logan Bowden comic represents a more personal state of mind, one that you may only access when you feel complete. I feel most at one with myself while running so therefore I told the story of me running. This was a personal project, but I wanted to showcase it in a way so that the audience would also connect to the story, and each person can form their own opinion whether they understand the comic or not.