24th March- Today I have gone to looking at Florian Nicolle as I feel that the work i had completed so far was not thorough enough, so i decided to complete a composition digitally. By using photoshop and experimenting with layers and including new textures like news paper.


After completing this piece i have realised that i have not brought anything new to the piece simply copying the style and applying it to a very similar subject matter. I will go onto applying this style and combining it with those of "words are pictures" design group. With their different styles from standard typography through to more imaginative styles. And ally it more directly to new subject matter like objects relating to the secrets or items that relate to the different subcultures instead of just portraits.

22nd March- Continuing with the idea of the media controlling what we see and hear. This illustration simply shows what the TV really does to us. I have cut out the letters to show that there are some of us that can see past what they do and into the real life. These people are often classified into alternative subcultures. people that shy away from the "norm" and show their own personality and try not to be "infected" by the media's control!

21st March- letterpress header "censorship" This page outlines the effects of censorship on life. How we are told what our views should be, what we watch, and what is right and wrong. The media has a alot of power in this area. And because of this life is getting more dull. Everything is being calmed down and watered down. What we view see and hear is very rarely the real thing!

16th March- I am now fully into the concept of censorship and how it effects out lives and questioning why it does so much. Not wanting to go too much into the idea of identity as I feel that has been done far too many times. But the page full of profiles is to illustrate the fact that no matter who we are we all want to fit into some category...

15th - I have realised that my intention has changed slightly. I have worked out that "Pet Hates" is too limiting so I have broadened it out into censorship how in society today we feel like we need to think about what we are going to say and often stop ourselves from saying it, not because we risk offending people but we do not want to risk not fitting in to which ever "group" we belong to. I feel this this new avenue of investigation will allow me to create a more for filling project. I am also going to start looking into subcultures and their "rules" that occur in the different social atmospheres. While flicking though an old economist magazine came across one of their advertising campaigns called "Black campaign" (developed by typographers/designers/illustrators Non-Format, Geoff McFetridge, Mick Marston,Matthew Green, Seymour Chwast, Fine ‘N’ Dandy.) and loved the effective use of typography. so i adapted it for my theme. Using cut out paper and paint to create this instead of being digital. 

14th - Continuing research into Russ Mills and Florian Nicolle, this time incorporating type. In this image i tried to give it a dark side. something slightly sinister - as after all it is about hates no matter how small they are. I enjoyed blowing this up making it a big deal because to that individual it is. Included increasingly mixed mediums, this time including fabric on top of paint, ink, collage and pens. I like the tactile qualities of this piece but feel that the image is somewhat lost between the type and the dripping paint. it needs to be larger and come first before typography.  

12th -  From research collected From the artists Florian Nicolle & Russ Mills.  

I have produced two portraits inspired by their style, the First (the monotone one) for me is the must successful! It has a strong composition and has a good balance in tones and colour. the second i can learn from the photo is too small and therefor the balance is off. I have taken mixed mediums which are usually associated with fine art and moved it into visual communication. I intend to take this forward and start adding typography still related to the theme of pet hates and hidden thoughts and relating back to my questionnaires and primary research.

11th - Continued work on typography, double page spread starting to include imagery within the type. For example here i have tried to show hand like form surrounding a centre of light, almost grasping at it. This was to extend the meaning of the quote "people stealing my ideas". i feel that this has been largely successful, the typography is not too simple and it looks natural and free, almost alive this works well with the hands at the ends.

10th March - After watching the film "blow up" it has made me look at things differently. The main character was very eccentric and obsessive. especially with the main scene, the one photo where he took sections of the photo and kept blowing them up and sticking them to the wall of his studio ding this over and over, creating his own version of events. I really like this concept, i am going tow take thins further with peoples pet hates, take the raw data and create more of a story around it, add my own context.

Started working in my sketch book creating mostly freehand typefaces for a number of peoples pet hates. I have tried to use a large number  of different styles from formal to informal and from cut outs to some detailed pieces. I have tired to make the typeface emphasize what the words are saying but do not think i have been wholly successful. I need to develop this further design the type face better for each quote i take from the questionnaire...

8th March - Wrote out my questionnaire got people from my course to answer the simple questions of: :what were your pet hates?" and "where do you find they occur most frequently?" the answers were very interesting. Most pet hates are to do with other individuals. From this data i've collected i am going to experiment with different typefaces that are appropriate with their pet hates.

7th March - I finished preparing surfaces in my sketch book, and by chance a really interesting quality occurred. Due to the way in which the book was printed (back in the 1930's) when i acrylic paint with a roller and really worked with it till the paint went tacky it then started to peel up certain parts of the image... leaving a really nice effect - looking much like a mono print. I then decided to develop it further and continue and do this on purpose to selected areas of the page. This one came up particularly well.

28th February - I had a range of different topics and from that narrowed it down to one specific one, Which i was then able to expand on it and start looking final outcomes.

1st March - Had general group discussions in which i feel i got a lot from, talking to other piers about what they are going to produce in response to the topic and designers that are going to influenced their work also helped, let me to looking at the work of Tim Marrs.

- Also started working on SOI, found it hard but once the ket points were down it was allot easier. After starting to write this statement of intent i feel that i have allot more direction to my work. i know what i am going to produce and what materials and techniques. 

3rd March - completed SOI, and continued with research into designers and artists.

- www.postsecret.com has become a major influence. All the short stories or tales that the anonymous person illustrates are really simple but get the point across effectively. This relates to my work as it is all about the things you wish you could say out aloud. Post Secret is a way of doing this without having to divulge who you are.