Self-Evaluation

      Throughout the course of this unit I feel like I have progressed as an Artist, learning more about various digital painting techniques and more about the design process in general. I think that all three projects have been a success, although looking back over them, if they were going to be extended I would do more work on the character sheets, as I think that I still need to figure out how to approach them as dynamic, minimalist pieces of work.

      The first task, designing an insect was something new to me, as I hadn't done much creature work before, digitally or traditionally, and while it was new territory for me, I still enjoyed it and I feel like if I were to be asked to design another creature of some description, I have a good grasp of what it is exactly that I need to do to complete the task.

      The second project was much the same as the first, I’d done still life drawing before in my traditional work, and only a very small amount as practice in my digital work, but I feel like going through the entire design process like that has helped me to understand how items and weapons get designed, and it’s boosted my confidence for the future, although next time, I think I’d try something a bit more obscure than a staff, like a pendant, so that I could get better at painting the small details and other materials, like metal.

      Finally, the third task has really got me to experiment with different methods and styles, ranging from a photo-realistic view of the character to a very stylised and cartoonish look that can be seen in the clothes designs. In the future, if I was working for a client, I would most likely stick to one style of working, but I think that in this learning stage it is good practice for me to be trying out as many different styles and techniques as I can, much like the one that I used in the final piece, which I am very pleased with as a more expressive and loose piece.

      I think that I need to focus on my anatomy, and my digital drawing, as it still feels slightly wrong or overly hard to draw and paint the figure without making several errors that then need to be corrected afterwards. It would speed up my workflow greatly if I managed to get figure drawing down properly. Life drawing is helping, and I’m getting back into sketching which will help to improve this, but I need to practice. Another thing that I feel I could improve upon is the contrast and detail in my paintings. I can see it with some of the materials, and it reminds me that I need to improve upon the work that I've already done. I also feel as though I need to get better at detailing my work. Perhaps not in the early stages of the design process, but definitely in the later stages such as the model sheet and the final render of my designs. In order to stop my work from becoming too illustrative I think that I need to focus on a single area that needs focus, and then draw attention to it by rendering everything else with less detail.