Tutorial

I was really happy with how my tutorial went today. I got both critical and encouraging feedback. It's great that I'm on that right track and when I've written reads well but I'm also glad Fred told me what it else it needs. I feel so close to the end now it's amaaaazing! Can't believe I'm actually going to do it! I never thought I'd manage to write that many words haha.

What to do next:

- Add appropriate images for references
- Take out some words
- Take out some headings
- Make clear chapters
- Write introduction and conclusion
- So What??? Keep linking back to question
- Add to consumerism bit-Store cards-credit points

Store it Right When Money's Tight

I've just done the artwork for the card above. I really like the title for this one haha. I tried drawing food that weren't already on the other cards because the same foods kept coming up when I was researching. I still need to add the text, but I'm happy with the illustrations. 

However, I'm starting to worry that although it's good that the info cards work as a set, they're looking too similar. I don't really know what else I can really do though. This would be good to ask at my next tutorial. It's good that I'm questioning this now rather than later.

I drew this yogurt pot (yes it's supposed to be upside down). I think this is a much better drawing to the yogurt pot I drew on the smoothie card so I think it'll be good to go back and draw a better yogurt on the other card.

Looks Aren't Everything

This info card is on 'ugly' fruit and veg and how it's fine to eat!

I first thought I'd draw a variety of different of fruit and veg I started to think that the cards where all looking the same. I looked back through my sketchbook I found my wonky carrot page. I decided to strap the other veg and just draw lots of carrots. By doing this, I think it illustrates the message better by showing they can take many funny forms.

Throughout the module so far I've seen a big improvement in the way I've been using my sketchbook. In previous modules I've neglected my sketchbook and didn't feel it's importance as much as I do now. During this module I've used it as a tool for thinking and development. Instead of drawing refined work, I've loosened up my practice and had fun with it. This has then translated in to my later work as I've used it to refer back to when producing my final illustrations.

Top Tips for Foody Tricks!

During my research I found a few tricks on how to save and use up food. I already knew the trick to see if an egg was ok to eat (drop it in a glass of water and if it sinks it's fine), but I didn't know you can make lettuce crispy again by putting in ice water. There's a few tips that people wouldn't have thought of so I think it's a great card to include.

I also just wanted to put it a close up of my bowl of lettuce because I liked it so much haha. I really like the composition of it with the shape it makes and the simplicity of it. 

One of my favourite bits so far!!!

It's a Breeze to Freeze

Here is my second information card. This one is about freezing and how it acts as a pause putting and saves your food for a later date. When I went to the 'The Big Freeze' event I found out I can freeze eggs which I didn't know before! I found last year you could freeze cheese too. 

After speaking to people at event they informed me that people are surprised with what you can freeze, so I thought this card would help inform those people.

I also found this font and thought it was quite quirky and fun. I don't know whether it's too much and if it goes with the imagery, so this will be one of my questions for my next tutorial.

Getting Organised! - Print slots

There's going to be a lot of people wanting to print when I get back after christmas so I thought I'd be organised and book a slot nice and early. I decided to book one just before christmas break and one the week back to spread it out. That way I can get some of the stuff ready before christmas (maybe my box) and then work everything around that cake and format. I'm then also not building everything the day before the final crit. I'm so happy I won't have to go to drop in!

Cheesy Tag Lines

I thought it would be fun and amusing to have cheesy tag lines and titles for all my info cards to make it more appealing. I had a little brain storm and came up with a few. Some aren't that great but there's a few good ones.

• Top Tips for Foody Tricks (little tips and tricks)
• Looks Aren't Everything (about wonky food)
• Save Waste, Think Small
• Watching your Waste Line (portion control)
• Stock rotate to watch your date (keeping an eye on dates)
• Taste it, Not Waste it
• 5 a day, your soup your way (using up soft veg for soup)
• It's a Breeze to Freeze (freezing and saving food)
• Preserve and Serve 
• Store it Right, When Money's Tight (storing food correctly)
• Blend it, don't bin it (using up fruit for smoothies)

Using the Freezer

The next info card I want to work on it one on the freezer. When I went to 'The Big Freeze' even last month I found out you could freeze eggs which I didn't know before. I thought I'd look in to what food you didn't know you could freeze. I found this website.

Some foods you may not know you could freeze:

• Cake
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Bananas
• Potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Yogurt
• Milk
• Pesto
• Pasta
• Wine
• Bacon
• Lemons
• Rice
• Buttercream
• Herbs
• Nuts
• Garlic
• Butter
• Cookie Dough
• Flour
• Jam

Testing Card

After trying out the box net last weak with rough paper, I decided I needed to start trying out different thicknesses of card and test production methods. Below I tried quite a think card/paper so the box wasn't strong at all. I also found that I didn't take as much care with the measurements and folding so it didn't look well put together.

I next went from one extreme to the other and used a really thick card. This is the same one that Aggie used to make her box last year. After I measured and cut it all out I found I couldn't fold it together to back the box as the card was too thin. I need to find suitable card to work with.

Shopping Lists and Meal Planners

                  Follow Rebecca's board Meal Planners and Shopping lists on Pinterest.

Shopping lists are apparently 'out of fashion' and people tend to buy on impulse so I thought it would be a good idea produce a shopping list and meal planner to go inside my pack. I started by looking at some contextual references on Pinterest. It wasn't overly helpful.


I remembered that Rifle Paper Co produced some meal planners and shopping lists so I had a look at them. I love the colourfulness and how they've played with shape and used the format. They've turned something quite boring in to something pretty that you would want as part of your stationary. This is what I will aim to do also.

I had a quick go playing with block shape around the list. I first cut out a shape of a lemon which proved to look a bit boring.

I actually liked the shape of the milk bottle as it went well with the format of the list and page. However, I still felt it looked a little simple and like I hadn't put much effort in to it.

I went back through my sketchbook and picked out some of the favourite sketches and redrew them better digitally. I carried on with this black textured theme as it seemed to working well. I like that this design shows more effort and skill and drawing. The small emts of detail against the textured black work really well and also sit well around the list on the page. However, I do wonder if they look too randomly placed like I haven't thought about the format and just made them fit.

I am Happy with the progress I'm making. I'd like to have a similar design with 

the meal planner so the work well together.

Practical Response

Here is practical response form ready for the crit. I'm tried to be specific as possible.

Don't Bin It, Blend it!

Today I felt like I got to a point where it was time to stop working in my sketchbook and start making towards my final outcomes. I wanted to start working on the imagery digitally and have a go at one of the information cards and get an idea of what will work and what won't. 

I chose to produce the smoothie info card first simply because I've been drawing so many blenders in my sketchbook, I needed to actually draw it properly to stop myself. It also seemed like a fun thing to draw and it was! 

Overall I really like the image. The textures and colours work well, and I've started adding a little bit more detail than last year like shown on the banana. I'm unsure about the font so this is something maybe I should mention to Fred. Also, the apple juice drawing isn't great is it, let's be honest. It's just a bit bleh and simple isn't as good as the other illustrations. 

I've noticed a few mistakes too so I need to fix them!!

Yummy Smoothies!

Smoothies are a great way to use up over ripe fruit. I have a smoothie maker and I love it and since using it, noticed that I waste less fruit. Because of this I think this would be a idea to include as a info card for my practical. Not only can you use up soft fruit but also, frozen fruit, out of date yogurt and wonky fruit. I also really want to draw a blender, I think the imagery could look really cool. I think this is great and easy way to avoid some food waste and it's healthy too! Smoothie making is a bit of a trend at the moment so I think it would appeal to loads of people.

Progress Crit Feedback

Comment on the initial relationship between the Theme and the proposed Subject?
Strengths 

• You've literally become the solution to the problem bigger than you and although it might seem daunting to some-it's ver ambitious-but educating people is a great way to go about it.
• Think educational is a good route. A lot of people want to but don't know how to reduce waste.

Suggestions

• In relation to question one-try targeting families with students in them. If you target the next generation it makes sense as it's our planet but parents need to know it to teach it too. 
• Maybe include recipes and how to eat good food cheap as a secondary purpose-makes it more accessible: look at agirlnamedjack. 

Comment on the appropriateness, scope and ambition of the proposed outcomes in relation to the subject

Strengths

• The Scope of the work seems significant in it's bulk but also manageable as you've done a promo pack. 
• Something that is functional and can change peoples opinions is one of the primary functions of illustrations and you're nailing it!

Suggestions

• Speak to the real junk food project 
• Look at veg out too and Grub and Grog

Comment on the visual investigation and development of ideas in response to theme and subject.

Strengths

• So much visual investigation!
• A lot of playing around with line, shape and texture which is great.
• Makes your final decision well informed
• 3 sketchbooks is exhaustive and wonderful

Suggestions

• Colours-it's a dark topic lets keep it light with some pretty colours like your contextual references and visual drawings
• Digital and textures smashed it. But even be quicker to produce.
• Possibly begin to have in hone in on a process to stick to so everything works as a set

Comment on the choice of media/format/series etc. in relation to the outcomes

Strengths

• Media is good-shape, line and watercolour is beautiful because it's what you do best
• The digital/textured stand out more. Colours are eye catching I'd like to see wonky textured strawberries
• I love all your use of media especially ink and pen
• would appeal to student audience 

Suggestions

• Size and dimensions of pack. A4?
• in relation to question 2- How about 'date opened' stickers so people don't waste food thinking it was opened a long time ago.
• Choose a way you will produce your imagery-perfect it

General Comments

Look at places like the real junk food project

Create leeds-feed homeless

Seagulls-recyele paint

Green society- lees uni

Emmaus-homeless charity 

Definitely do the pack, it would to helpful.

more and more students are becoming conscious of food waste and environment. Things like composting and sustainability would be helpful 

My own thoughts:


I found this crit to be so much more useful than the last one. Both Zarah and Lauren were really positive about my work and the direction I was taking it. It's made me a lot more confident in what I'm doing and they gave me some extra ideas on how I can add to it. Lauren gave some suggestions on more people I could contact which is super!! I came to the crit with a lot more what and having made more decisions so I feel I got more out of the crit because of that.

TV Chefs feeling the food waste problem

I've been looking in to media driven consumerism. Some TV chefs try to highlight the issue but there's a theory that they actually make the issue of food waste worst by encouraging viewers to buy interesting ingredients they'll never use.

Digital Play-Shape and Texture

Last year I did a project that involved illustration of local nature and wildlife. On the inside of the pack a printed a repeat pattern on some gardening tools. I want to carry that idea through to this years project by producing a repeat pattern on kitchen utensils rather than food. I will be drawing enough food inside the pack, so it'll be nice to draw something different.

Follow Rebecca's board kitchen utensils on Pinterest.

I drew some lovely utensils above and kept them simple. In the past I've made my repeat patterns through a different method that didn't really scatter there images well enough. I've seen some of my peers making patterns this way below and I think it's worked pretty well! 

Adam Smith Talk

I just got back from a talk from Adam Smith (co-founded of the Real Junk Food Project) at Leeds University. I almost forgot about it too be honest because I got my ticket so long ago. Good job I got an email reminding me! Too be honest I was a little worried it would be a bit boring like other lectures, but it was so interesting!! It was so thought provoking.

I made some notes in my notebook but they're a little vague up put on here. What was interesting though is what he had to say about 'Hugh's War on Waste', a programme that's been on recently.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall actually contacted Adam Smith to interview them for the programme but Adam said no. He then went on to contact the other RJFP cafes instead.
A lot of what happened was actually staged. Adam said that they wouldn't have done that with all those parsnips and that wouldn't have been the chase. He only talked about Morrisons because they were the only supermarket to respond. Hugh was actually paid as a consultant from Tesco, in to staying quiet about telco's food waste!!! How awful!

Hugh's Tv programme acts as just a 5 minute solution, where by the Real Junk Food Project is lasting solution.

Update!

My recording worked:

(Don't know why there's a big photo of me)

Digital Experimenting

As I've previously stated in older blog posts, I really liked the illustrations I produced for my thoughbubble zine using block colour, subtle texture and white line. I've started playing around with the same method and trying out some different colours. I realised my sketchbook had a lot of onion drawings, so I thought I'd start there!

Contextual References - Subscription Boxes

As I have said, I want to produce a box full of information and activities based on food waste. I knew of a few boxes that were already out there such as Graze and Woof Box but I wanted to see what else there is. Through this research I have discovered that subscription boxes are very on trend so my idea would fit in well. There are sooooo many out there that I just had to pick a selection to put up on here. However, this blog talks about a few more.

I think people love them so much as it feels like opening a present. People love receiving lots of little gifts, it's something for them to look forward to.

Here's a few I've found:


Graze

• Graze box is full of interesting and mostly healthy snacks.
• simple design
• includes pockets for food.
• simple design
• no illustration, one single photo
• box fits through box box
• possibly a bit too boring

Green Kid Crafts

• 'Green Kid designs and delivers hands-on eco-friendly Discovery Boxes, Creativity Kits, and STEAM Kits (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). Here you’ll find information about our kid's subscription program, our best gifts for preschoolers and kids ages 3-10, our favorite kid's science experiments, plus craft ideas for kids.' - Website
• Box is appealing to children
• Activity based learning 
• Full of fun this to do
• Box sticks to colour scheme
• Illustrated design on packaging

Buddy Box 

• Buddy Box is a care package for kids’ faith that gets them excited about growing their relationship with the best buddy of all—Jesus!
• Designed for kids age 5 to 10-years-old
• box packaging is really simple 
• Has inner paper packaging
• Activity based learning

         



Birchbox

• Receive 5 luxe beauty treats, delivered straight to your door every month!
• Has a different box pattern design each month
• Hase colourful, illustrative packaging
• Has interior paper packaging 
• Targets a particular audience 

       



PawPost

• Suscription for pets (there really is a box for everyone)
• Simple box design-bit boring
• Interior paper packaging with repeat pattern-I like
• Has a really stupid advert where the cat's called Steve and the dog runs home from what looks like miles away, then answers the door, talks and accepts the box from the postman
• "cmon Steve!"
• targets a whole new audience 

                    

Utensils

I don't just want to draw food for this project. I'd also like to illustrate a repeat pattern based on kitchen utensils. Last year I drew gardening tools, this year it's kitchen tools! I thought it would be beneficial to draw all the possible utensils/tools I could think of, in various styles. I will use this sketchbook pages to inform my final outcome.

Nell and Mary

I found this work on pinterest and love it. Isn't it lovely?

Nell & Mary is a Portland, Oregon based design studio with a passion for textiles. What I first liked was the intricate details on the oyster design. That lovely think line work against the colour really stands out yet it's not overpowering the images. I also really like the use of black against the pale pastel colours. The limited colour palette is beautiful and the slight texture from the paint gives it a lovely hand made aesthetic. They produce a few different prints across different products as well which interests me and that is something I'd love to do.

I've looked at this work in relation to this module as although I'm digitally printing, the shape, detail and colour is something I am considering in my own work.

Testing Box Nets

I've started tested different box shapes and nets so see which one is most appropriate to use. I chose to try this one because it's already used for other food boxes such as Graze boxes and although other designs are more associated with food, this one is a good shape for posted through letter boxes. This would make it easy to send out to people if I was to propose it as an actual thing.

This box shape went well and I think with better measurements, I'd be able to but it together easily. I need to test it with thicker material as the paper I used was only rough paper to test with. I want my pack/box to be bigger and stronger than last years, so it needs to be made of thicker card.