Self Evaluation and Project Proposal

Self Evaluation

What have you discovered about research 
over the last 2 weeks?
It can be active, going out there and experiencing it for yourself. Collecting things counts as research!
It can be people's opinions and not just FACTS.

Which approaches to research did you 
struggle with? And why?
Internet and library - very limited info about How Hill. Listed under various named 'Herleshow', 'Mickelhow' etc.
Speaking to people - nobody knows anything about it! It's a mystery!
Site - couldn't get inside the building. Would love to see the view from the top.

Which approaches to research did you 
find beneficial? And why?

Ripon Archive had information specifically about the city's history, so was a great place to find anything related to our heritage and the old buildings around.

What could you have done differently 
during your research period?
Talked to more people.
Gone into the building.
Taken rubbings from the stonework and bricks.
Done more drawing on site.

What kind of media, skills, tools and processes 
are you going to explore?
Watercolour, ink, model-making, paper cutting, needle felting, Photoshop, photography

Project Proposal

Picture book title or theme: 
The House on How Hill

Idea: what is your picture book about?
The journey to the tower through the woods and how the monks would light a candle in the North window to direct/guide pilgrims through the dark night.

Intent: What are you trying to achieve 
with the tone and atmosphere of the artwork?
Ethereal, emotive, quiet, a journey, remoteness, abandonment, being lost, natural, organic,

Structure: How might this book function 
in terms of format, layout and sequence?
A long concertina book of a landscape panning from woods to the tower on the hill. The tower should be right at the end of the book.

These ideas are based on my research into...
The history of the chapel, pilgrimage, How Hill, John Aislabie

In order to develop these ideas, 
my research over Christmas will be...
Pilgrimage, woodland, elm trees, monks, churches, candels

I don't want to regurgitate information

I want to express a feeling

and a notion

of being alone

of being so high up

of being so utterly lost

and so comfortably home.

First Roughs, my opinions and the responses given by my peers:

Idea 1:

A scene of the hill through the ages, focusing on the changing appearance and purpose of the tower. From Chapel to farm house to Edwardian gaming house.

I explained to the group how I wasn't sure about this idea, since I have no reference to what the chapel used to look like. Suggested solutions to this problem were: finding existing images of SIMILAR buildings, making it up myself or demonstrating the time period through the attire of people walking past/living there.
I don't want to be dishonest to the tower and I want to be as accurate as possible. I think this idea relies on reference which I can't get hold of, so that is a weakness of this concept for me.

I'm a little disappointed in myself for not putting enough time into these roughs. They aren't visual representations of my ideas, they are just quick sketches on paper. I need to make a second round of roughs with fully articulated decisions as to which media I use and how the composition will lie on each spread.

Idea 2:

A pilgrimage to the tower. Still undecided whether to feature monks and pilgrim characters or just show scenes of the journey, with the vantage point of the chapel getting larger on each spread as the reader gets closer to the tower.

I had a go at conveying tone in this rough with coloured pencil. I like the colours because they mimic a cold, dark night, but I don't think pencil is the right medium to use - it's too flat and simple. I'm looking for something with more depth and mystery.
Bronte used ink blotted paper, which turned groovy shades of blue and yellow on the tissue. She added layers of drawing on top of this, which was a lovely way of creating a background.

Idea 3 Scrapped Idea:

A linear history of the people of How Hill. Beginning with the Cistercian monks and ending with urbex photographers, the history of this place allows for a huge expanse of possible characters.

I don't like it. These people, though important, are no longer here. The tower, however, still is, yet that has been forgotten. That is what I want to focus on. I want to hint at the ghosts in its walls, but not spell out each and every individual who passed by, because I could so easily miss somebody out who was just as important. It's the footsteps, not the faces that matter to me.

Idea 4:

A concertina landscape of the forest and the tower. Animals and trees leading up through this journey to the destination at the end of the book.

I was worried that this might be too boring and not adventurous enough, but my peers seem to like the concept. I'm considering merging this with the 'candle' narrative as a pilgrim's journey through the eyes of the reader.

I used water colour which made a lovely swamp-like image, but again was too flat to represent my deep, dark pilgrimage.

Things I saw from my peers that I want to consider:

Bronte's concept is really personal. She has a great emotional connection to her project which is obvious in the way that she tells her story. Her drawings are fueled by her own experiences.

Lizzie's book didn't require any words at all and made complete sense. She has a great skill in visual storytelling. Whilst I've managed so far not to use words, I worry that I will fall back on language as literal storytelling is something I really enjoy.

Megan's interest in her subject is evident. She has found something that really interests her and continued to find inspiration to motivate her making.

Alija's characters made me giggle. Authorship is valuable and Alija is already making succeeding in making something which is noticeably her own creation.