Integrated Theory and Practice - Reflective Visual Journal
Chosen principles, Utilise your Creative Brain & Developing Visual Language
During this weeks itap lecture we looked at the RVJ (Reflective visual journal) and elements of our thinking and way of work that can help improve this and in the end, improve our work. The first principle I am going to talk about is that of utilising our creative mind. As you probably know, our brains are in two half’s. The right brain is like a child playing. it’s spontaneous, likes adventure, it’s innocent, sensitive, experimental, playful and most importantly curious. We use this side of our brain when we just sit and create. As you can see from the examples below, the more messy, fresh and raw looking illustrations are from a person who is more right brain orientated. Although yes, some of this comes down to factors such as skill and style to what the piece of work turns out like, they also are ultimately controlled by which side of the brain you are inclined. ‘My 4 year old could do that’ may be a phrase that springs to mind, but looking deeply it helps you understand a lot about the artist and where they are coming from. The colours tell you they’re vibrant, excitable and carefree, when I look at a piece of design or illustration I always get a feeling, and this makes me feel good, bubbly and happy. Much like what the right brain is inclined to help you do.
Chosen principles, Utilise your Creative Brain & Developing Visual Language
During this weeks itap lecture we looked at the RVJ (Reflective visual journal) and elements of our thinking and way of work that can help improve this and in the end, improve our work. The first principle I am going to talk about is that of utilising our creative mind. As you probably know, our brains are in two half’s. The right brain is like a child playing. it’s spontaneous, likes adventure, it’s innocent, sensitive, experimental, playful and most importantly curious. We use this side of our brain when we just sit and create. As you can see from the examples below, the more messy, fresh and raw looking illustrations are from a person who is more right brain orientated. Although yes, some of this comes down to factors such as skill and style to what the piece of work turns out like, they also are ultimately controlled by which side of the brain you are inclined. ‘My 4 year old could do that’ may be a phrase that springs to mind, but looking deeply it helps you understand a lot about the artist and where they are coming from. The colours tell you they’re vibrant, excitable and carefree, when I look at a piece of design or illustration I always get a feeling, and this makes me feel good, bubbly and happy. Much like what the right brain is inclined to help you do.
Artists n/a
The left side of the brain is more like an accountant. Whilst our right hand side of the brain is busy scribbling down, doodling, painting etc, it’s our left brain that is organising, clarifying, quantifying, editing, selecting and classifying the things that we are actually doing. Our left side of the brain is like our inner critic. It is possible to tap into these two parts and utilise them to the best of their advantage. If you look at the llustration’s below that you can see it’s more skill orientated, intricate and if extremely life like to the object of the illustration. The colours are still colourfull but unlike above, are intertwined and delicate, there isn’t block of solid colour. This kind of illustration makes me feel content, happy, slightly serious and reflective, again, a lot like the characteristics of the left side of the brain.
Artist: David Bray
The key to utilising the brain is for them to work in harmony, be child like, create, go mad. Take a break. Come back to it and using your left brain characteristics, criticise it (but not too much) and ask ‘What is this bit’, ‘Why have I done that’, ‘What could this be’ and let your right side out on it again to develop it, then the left side to critique it and continue the cycle and eventually you will have a stunning piece of work.
The second principle I am going to talk about is that of developing a visual language. Thinking and working visually is completely different than thinking in words. Visual language enables us to make complex ideas that would take pages and pages to explain and that wouldn’t really do them justice anyway, it takes these ideas and makes them comprehensible. As Visual Communicators is it important that we develop our own visual language as habit rather than always using textual language.
Artists n/a
For some people, as shown below, this comes in the form of using your day to day diary or journal to develop this language and use to develop your creative mind. For example in the first piece, a person has been out that day and instead of just describing the day, they’ve expressed it visually, giving the piece of text more meaning than it ever could if it didn’t have the visual to go with it. The diary entry would be just as comprehendible if it were just titled ‘Day out.’ The following pieces are just written in a normal diary and range from using a fair bit of text such as the banana and orange ingredients list to just a sentence with the lunch and cinema day out, by just looking at the burger and the cinema image, you know what he did on his day out. Using visual language opens up a range of creative responses and a different way of thinking. Visual thinking isn’t just limited to working with images, you can organise text visually. Such in the examples below of Tony Buzan (a master of the mid map) he uses different weights, colours sizes and types of text to get his point across in a more free, visual way. He also uses images to compliment his words.
Artsit: Tony Buzan
Bibliography (photos-top to bottom)
Image 1:http://version1.itsnicethat.com/index.php?month=2007-06&pg=2&s=blog
Image 2:http://www.lostateminor.com/tag/denver-illustrators/
Image 3: http://omydog.wordpress.com/
Image 4: http://www.amanobooks.com/blog/category/visual-journaling/
Image 5: http://blog.journalcraft.co.uk/index.php/2008/12/07/the-smoothie-dave-terry/
Image 6: http://danclark.wordpress.com/
Image 7: http://www.brianmicklethwait.com/education/archives/001297.htm
Image 8: http://www.mindmapinspiration.com/top-10/
Image 2:http://www.lostateminor.com/tag/denver-illustrators/
Image 3: http://omydog.wordpress.com/
Image 4: http://www.amanobooks.com/blog/category/visual-journaling/
Image 5: http://blog.journalcraft.co.uk/index.php/2008/12/07/the-smoothie-dave-terry/
Image 6: http://danclark.wordpress.com/
Image 7: http://www.brianmicklethwait.com/education/archives/001297.htm
Image 8: http://www.mindmapinspiration.com/top-10/
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