The aspects of this module l enjoyed most were discovering,
on an academic level, more about a subject which really interests me. I enjoy the challenge of academic writing and
the research which goes into it to form strong arguments. I was surprised to find so much material on
the study of images; and wordless picturebooks in particular on educational and
emotional development. It was
interesting to learn just how wordless picturebooks can be used in the
classroom environment and benefit those with special needs as well as those
from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Cross-over books interests me greatly and, as
l intend to create my own work within this genre, this study has been a great
benefit to me and the outcomes l will produce.
The easiest part of the module was setting up the blog, as l
have created one before, but l also found it interesting to use this as a means
of recording information and clarifying ideas, which l hadn’t done
previously. I feel this approach as well
as adding posts telling the viewer something about me personally, has a wider
appeal than just posting pictures of my latest work, which l have done before. l will continue with this and share my posts
on Google + and link the blog to my website.
Although this aspect of the module was insightful and useful l found the
academic research: the most difficult
and time consuming aspect, the most interesting and enjoyable. Although it could be frustrating and complex,
l enjoyed learning about my area of main interest which will help me in the future. I also found it challenging not to write too
much: l had to reduce my essay down quite substantially from the initial draft,
as l had included too much information.
I suppose this is just because l am very interested in the theme and
didn’t want to miss anything out; though the word count limitation did help me
to hone in my writing and critical skills; l had to be ruthless and identify
areas where l could link up sentences or paragraphs to reduce the number of
words, make statements in shorter sentences or remove parts which may have been
saying the same thing l have said elsewhere but in a slightly different
way. I printed off my essay a couple of
times as l found l was able to identify these issues more easily than just
looking at my computer screen. I also
find it more productive and easier to navigate when using books as opposed to
online material; maybe this is a result of being in Generation X.
l feel one of my strengths is being able to identify relevant
information quite quickly by scanning, which saves time, but my weakness is
arguably writing too much which l always manage to do. Reducing, of course then takes time but l
feel it is also important to include all the information l need so that, when l
do reduce it there is a higher level of relevant and highly referenced
material. Previously l have made the
mistake of including assumptions and opinion and l now realise that this is not
acceptable without being backed up by evidence so l keep this in mind
throughout the writing process.
I feel l used my time well and sourced all the information needed
for the essay, which is something l could expand upon at a later date should l
wish to do so. For example l would be
interested in finding more out about cross-over books and the contexts they can
be used in; seeing them being used in educational or clinical settings. I feel there is a lot of potential for this
genre of books to be used productively for adults with issues such as abuse,
childhood neglect and depression for example.
The images can be interpreted by each individual in different ways
depending upon their experiences and each person can take something different
from it. This is an area l would really
like to be involved in, as l am working on my own wordless picturebook based on
one of these themes at the moment. I am
interested in pursuing the area of emotional problems in adults as a result of
childhood experience as this is something which personally resonates with me so
feel l would be able to reach out to those who have suffered similarly.
My plan now is to continue exploring my own visual language
and developing my skills in storytelling using emotional elements to reach out
to audiences while continuing to research the genres of interest. The wordless picturebook offers many
opportunities for illustrators; even benefiting publishers who don’t need to
get them translated into different languages.
Looking at historic examples of visual storytelling which go back
thousands of years as well as the more contemporary examples of wordless
pciturebooks such as The Snowman has
been very helpful. Lacking written
explanation, it is even more important for images to speak to the reader; they
also give readers a voice as the voice of the author is lacking (ideal for
abuse sufferers). My current work on FMP
has been inspired greatly by the examples l have studied and in particular the
emotion conveyed in the wordless book The
Arrival, the tackling of difficult issues in Why?; the success of subtlety in image as seen in Rainstorm, the insight and humanity of
the child in Footpath Flowers; and
the information about sequential narratives in Mac Cloud’s Understanding Comics. They
have been extremely useful in affecting how l produce my own visual sequences
and recognising the importance of each element; something l knew very little
about a few months ago. With all l have
learned l feel equipped in tackling sensitive subjects and confident that l can
achieve this. As well as producing my
own work which is what l am passionate about l am also working on commissions
and will seek illustration work upon graduation as well as apply to agencies
once l have tailored my portfolio. This
is an area l need to build on after completing this course, as much of the work
l produced in previous years is not at the standard l am happy with. However l feel l am now moving in the right
direction and am confident about my ability to produce high standard
professional outcomes based on all l have learned on this course.
Bibliography
Briggs, R., 2013, The Snowman. London: Puffin Books.
Lawson, J, Smith, S., 2016, Footpath Flowers, London: Walker Books.
Lehman, B., 2007, Rainstorm, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company Boston.
McCloud, S.,
1993, Understanding Comics: The Invisible
Art. New York: Harper Collins
Publishers Inc.
Popov, N., 1996.
Why? New York: North South Books Inc.
Tan, S., 2014, The Arrival, Sydney: Lothian Books.
