Thomas Harrington - Loxodonta africana

These images are taken from my Research Methodology unit. When given the choice of which animal to pick for me it was a very simple choice, the Elephant, more specifically the African Elephant. These are the mightiest of mammals and as I discovered through this project their scale is incredible. I enjoyed using soft, sketchy lines to convey their peaceful slow existence. 

A 2 minuet sketch with ink and dip pen of a baby elephant.

A close up study of the eye using black ink and a brush

Fine liner drawing of a mother, sister and calf.

Drawn with a soft graphite stick

Digital drawing comparing the scale of the animal to doors for children. 

Rachel Jinks - Peacocks

From my Research Methodology project, I took an immediate interest in the feathers and eye like shapes within the Peacock species. I loved the colours in the feathers, the way they would change in different lighting, pinks, purple’s, gold’s all shimmering in the sunlight. The eyes on the feathers are used for a number of things including, initiating the mating process.

Drawn with a fine line black pen, painted with water colours.

Abstract look on the Peacocks tail & feathers, drawn with a fine line black pen.

Portrait photography, high saturation, white screen background. An eye for an eye.

Portrait photography, high saturation, white screen background, edited on photoshop to show the different and unique colours. (Final Piece)

Ivanova Pretzel - Koi Fish

Wood panel laser etching

Experimentation on different designs
and skin patterns

Water colour and cutout
experimentation

For the Research Methodology unit I looked at the koi fish. I have always been in awe of the beauty and grace that the koi portrays and wanted to explore and learn about my animal more. In my research I discovered that there a literally hundreds of koi fish types and skin/scale patterns (some that have still yet to be discovered!) and it led me to want to explore the colouration of the koi fish. I also learnt about the meaning of the koi in symbolism and myths and found that depending on the pattern the koi holds, defines its meaning, for example an all gold koi represents good fortune in money and work. I wanted to truly capture the vibrant colours that the koi fish sports and their meanings in my project and so i concluded my project with making 3 silk satin hangings, each sporting their own design and meaning different things.

Adversity, Ambition, Overcoming challenges
and Energy.

Struggle, Determination, Inevitable success and
Strength.

Balance, Peace, Connection and the zodiac sign
of Pisces.

Amy Hogg - The Penguin

For my Research Methodology project i chose to focus on Penguins, and in particular the Rockhopper Penguin. There are many breeds of penguins, however i was drawn to the Rockhopper penguin as its one of the smallest species of it's kind, growing up to only 20 inches tall.

                                    (Plasticine penguin models, photos taken on Southsea beach)

Whilst researching the penguin, i found that the species are consistently used in children's media such as books and films. I decided to use this as a focus point for my final piece, i wanted to find out what made penguins so appealing to children and why they are subject to the idea of anthropomorphism so much.

(Oil Pastel drawing on black paper)

(water colour painting on card)

(Acrylic and watercolour painting)

    For my final piece I created a life size image of a Rockhopper penguin, and a children's book inspired image of a penguin colony; this overall image was inspired by the children's book 'Wheres Wally?'

Alice Fox - Anaconda

For my Research Methodology project I chose to study a large predator, the Anaconda snake.
I found out that they are very smart creatures that need a lot of skills and strength to survive, yet they are portrayed in most cultures and stories to be a sign of evil. I wanted to show that there is more than what meets the eye.

 (bull point pen & water colour)

Snakes depend on their strength to catch their prey. They suffocate their victims using there body by wrapping around and squeezing. I wanted to show the skill and technique used for their survival.

 (chalk & charcoal) 

(pen & ink)

 One of the most interesting research I found was the story of Adam and Eve. Although I wanted to avoid portraying the animal as a evil predator, it also showed how cunning and smart it was.

 (pen)

After sketching many ideas I came to creating 3 different motions of a snakes head. Trying to show the strength within the snakes jaw. I used symbols of strength from different cultures highlighting my aim. I did this by screen printing in the colours of a Anaconda and block black to bring the symbolism forward.

Sonia Ogbebor - Chimpanzee

For my Research Methodology project I looked into chimpanzees. My 5 words were entertaining, smart, used, strong and protective. For my final piece I really looked into the word used and how chimps are used in entertainment and for testing. I decided that for my final piece I would create a distressed looking chimp entirely out of makeup to connote the abuse.

Chimps often have a sad expression on their face.

JUST BECAUSE ITS PRETTY DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT - Final Piece

Naomi Price- Kingfisher

 For my Research Methodology project, I decided to look at Kingfishers, a small breed of bird that live by running water. They have a vibrant orange and blue colouring which makes them incredibly distinctive. Despite this, although they are not endangered in the UK, few people you ask have actually spotted one in their lifetime.
Whilst observing their behavioral patterns I became increasingly interested in the kingfisher courting process. The male will feed the female of his choice a series of dead fish head first, which I started to refer to as 'the engagement fish'. My visual experiments from this point became about dead fish as a romantic symbol.

Fish as a Romantic Symbol

Experimenting with hand prints

Jaguar experiments and poster series

For the recent Research Methodology project, I looked at the Jaguar. Whilst trying to get an understanding of the animal, I had some fun with white charcoal on black paper. Obviously at least some of the appeal of working in this way is the immediate novelty- a simple line drawing is an inverse of a pen or pencil on white paper. Beyond this though it's interesting that in tonal drawings you'll only be creating areas that are lighter than the background. So if you intend a conventional image the negative space will become shadow. This makes you think a bit about the surface you're working with, and mixing up working from a light, mid tone or dark surface.

In the end I looked at the significance of the Jaguar to Aztec people, prompted by the difficulty it has in surviving alongside humans today. I produced a series of posters to provide a basic overview of the relationship between Aztec culture and an animal they respected and admired. 

Helen Sepehr - Red Fox

For my Research Methodology project I decided to look at the Red fox. I've always had a soft spot for foxes and I really wanted to explore the controversy between how people see foxes. I found that many people see foxes as pests and vermin and are portrayed in a bad light. Although others see the much gentler, cute side to foxes which is what I see. I also found that foxes can be trained just like dogs and there are people who actually own foxes as pets. Towards my final piece I decided to research more into what 'fox' as a word actually meant which then lead me to the words 'trickster' and 'joker'. I wanted to try to then show the 2 sides that people portray a fox to be, the Trickster/vermin and the Cute/gentle side. I illustrated this onto wood to create a sort of 'joker card'.

 Here is a link to the stop-motion animation Tegan Meredith and I made called 'The Fox and the Hedgehog'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdPIe0i9G-U&feature=youtu.be 

Wire and plasticine fox model I made for 'The Fox and the Hedgehog' animation.

Charcoal on paper drawing of creepy fox

                                                        Lino print ideas for 'Joker card' 

My final piece, acrylic inks onto wood joker card. 

Danielle Hackett-The Moth

For my Research Methodology project, I looked into moths, a misunderstood type of creature with many fascinating qualities. My main focus was the comparison between light and dark, as whilst researching the moth I noticed that this was a common theme that kept appearing, such as the way they mainly dwell in the night, but have a deadly infatuation for light. I also discovered two moths that had an interesting contrast with one another. One was the Luna Moth, a beautiful green insect with an almost luminescent quality and delicate wings, the other, a Death’s Head Hawk Moth, the subject of much hatred and a sign of a bad omen, with drab colours, a heavy body, and of course, the infamous markings of a skull on it’s thorax. I then started to investigate in to how I could portray this comparison, and experimented with bleach and ink, black and white, and eventually came to the art of shadow puppetry and theatre. This art form along with inspiration of the surrealist film movement, led me to my final stop animation.

My Final Animation

Dehanka Waddell -Peacock

 

From the beginning of the Research Methodology, I knew I wanted research the peacock. People usually associate the Peacock with beauty and pride and I thought I would explore this direction before taking the project further. By researching the Peacock in depth I was able to understand the animal, both metaphorically and physically. It is a very inspirational animal which is presented throughout the media and by looking at people's opinions. I developed my concept of beauty and ugliness.

The Peacock is a very beautiful animal from the from, but once you look at it from the back it is very hideous and scary and I wanted develop this idea and combine it into one image that portrays both the beauty and ugliness of the peacock. Additionally, by looking into the fashion industry and their idea of beauty, I decided that I would make a magazine and exaggeratedly air brush my image to illustrate the media's perception of perfected beauty. Is beauty something to be perfected or is it something that comes naturally? 

My illustration for the magazine cover, and the digital air brushed version

Final Outcome