Final Major Project Reflective Journal

M AJO R PROJECT

t h i r d

h a n a

y e a r

i l l u s t r a t i o n

h i t c h m a n

( 1 6 0 0 3 7 5 )

c o n t e n t s

1-2

starting points

3-4

nature

5-6

birds, small mammals and trees

7-8

entomology

9-10

research methods

11-12

sketching

13-16

oxford & london trips

17-18

existing art

19-20

survey results

21-22

interview (lepidopterophobia)

23-24

inspiration

25-26

sketches

27-28

photographs

29-30

experiment

31-32

embroidery

33-36

previous work

37-38

reflection

29-40

experiments pt. 2

41-44

journals/booklets/leaflets

45-48

final pieces and evaluation

49-50

reflective summary

My starting points were a little vague to begin with; however, I thought this was good, I wanted to explore a number of avenues before I focused on a specific one.

This would allow for adequate research of a number of topics of interest for me, allowing me to choose something which I will enjoy and will learn from, as well as something which will sustain development.

s t a r t i n g

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p o i n t s

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Nature—birds, insects, mammals, trees.

small

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Fantasy art—video games, concept art, landscapes, mystical creatures.

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Portraiture—intimacy, ness,

unique-

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n a t u r e

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Nature has forever had a massive impact on my life—from spending every summer helping out at my grandpa’s allotment to going for daily walks in wildlife while observing all the creatures that scuttle, waddle or fly past. I’ve always loved animals, bugs, flowers, trees and plants.

I knew this would be a great starting point for my major project as it would sustain my attention and enjoyment and therefore, would retain a steady level of development and eagerness to learn more.

But where do I go from here? Nature is too broad and I knew I couldn’t focus on flowers (one of my favourite parts of nature) due to having included them in a previous project.

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b i r d s / s m a l l m a m m a l s

I think the depiction of birds, smaller mammals and insects is overshadowed immensely by the larger mammals, such as cows, deer, pigs, etc. Why do we view bigger creatures as more worthy of conservation?

Why are they often portrayed as more important or just focused on to a larger extent in general?

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t r e e s Trees are the behemoths of nature—depicted in media as various things one example being large and powerful tree-ents in Lord of the Rings.

They are important and getting more and more sparse as the years go by.

I often find myself hugging, or wanting to hug a tree—especially the larger and wider types which stand strong and tall. As if to say—”I’m sorry”.

There are so many different types of trees and they vary so greatly from place to place; all with different coloured and shaped leaves and trunks, some with many branches, some with few. Yet when we think of a tree, the first image that comes to mind is likely that of an oak tree.

Why is this? Why isn’t the general public more aware of different types of trees and the fruits and berries it can bare? Have we strayed so far from nature that children can now only name “Christmas tree” as a type?

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Out of all the topics within the subsection of nature, the one that calls to me most are inverts—spiders, moths, mantises, beetles, bees, wasps, ants; the creatures that are often feared or not given much thought, yet are arguably the most important.

Numbers and averages vary from 20 million to 2 million, however a common consensus is that there are over 5.5 mil-

e n t om lion different types of insect species, far outnumbering all other living beings, yet spoken about and known about the least.

Only approximately a million of these are named and identifiable. I find this statistic alone so interesting. Paired with the fact that most people don’t seem to understand the importance of inverts and are often scared of them or actively avoid them is quite shocking.

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I feel incredibly strongly about this topic already, even without as much knowledge as I’d perhaps like to have, and therefore I know that this is an avenue I’d love to explore further.

So, how do I do this? What can I do to gain more knowledge and insight into the magnificent world of inverts?

Some ideas: • Visit insect collections and speak to the people who own/ take care of them.

l o o g y • Read and watch documentaries, books, magazines and journals related to inverts.

• Sketch lots of insects, both from memory, from research, from real life, etc.

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Conduct interviews and surveys on people’s opinions on insects.

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Research, research and research!

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b o o k s •

Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

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Bee Quest by Dave Goulson

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Buzz by Thor Hanson

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The Good Bee by Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum

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A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson

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A Buzz in the Meadow by Dave Goulson

p l a c e s / eve n t s

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Oxford University Museum of Natural History

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Natural History Museum—London

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The Linnean Society Treasures Tour—London

m a g a z i n e s / j o u r n a l s •

Buglife biannual magazine

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Bulletin of the Natural History Museum—Entomology

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Bulletin of Insectology

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European Journal of Entomology

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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies

o t h e r s •

Useful websites such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and any affiliates.

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Other organisations that promote insects/wildlife

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s k e t c h i n g

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A few sketches done over the last few days based on different things. The bee is from memory, the scorpion is from an image found online and the bugs below are observations from preserved insects in glass that I borrowed from a family friend after visiting their home and being in awe of how amazing they looked. I feel as though I am definitely better at observation as opposed to drawing from memory, however, I’m able to draw bees quite well now due to having been drawing them a lot from observation in the past so I am hoping that practising will help me draw more bugs better from memory!

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X

F

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R

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I had the opportunity to visit the entomology collection at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and spend time observing, taking photos of, and drawing dozens of insects. This experience was not only incredibly fun, but eye-opening and educational.

Their insect collection boasts approximately 1 million specimens, which is impressive and overwhelming—it was difficult to select a good range of insects to photograph and observe in the time limit I had to work to.

I really enjoyed being able to sit down and sketch the beetles I had chosen, however, I wish I had more time to be able to sketch other types of insect (I did, however, get enough reference imagery of lots of different types so will be sketching from those too).

While in Oxford, I had time to spare and therefore decided to visit the Botanic Garden in hope of finding some late-winter, earlyspring insects. Unfortunately, I was not successful in my adventure, however, I did find some interesting plants that may be of some visual use (as well as some carnivorous bugeating plants!)

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L

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D

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This kind of desk-space is my dream and I was so happy to be able to occupy it for the day.

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My trip to London ended up being much different than what I had initially planned/expected. I was supposed to visit the Natural History Museum until lunchtime and then attend a tour at the Linnean Society (specifically for their insect collection), however I had such a warm welcoming at the NHM and was given my own desk that I made the difficult decision to spend the rest of the day there instead. I do not regret this as I could spend hours observing and drawing lots of species of insect.

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w h a t a l r e a d y

There is a lot of insect art created in a really interesting and visually pleasin their own unique look and I think it’s ists in order to either fill a gap in a mar

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a r t e x i s t s

a range of mediums, all of which are ng. Each and every one of them has important to assess what already exarket or make a difference.

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s u r v e y

I decided to conduct a short survey about insects and sent it to as many people as I could (all ages, genders, backgrounds). The results were interesting. Although just over 50% of participants claimed they either love insects or like them for the most part, a lot of them stated they’re scared of certain types and a few would kill any insect intruders in their homes.

(Link to full survey results will be provided).

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r e s u l t s I suppose these findings shouldn’t surprise me, however I wanted to figure out why people have fears or phobias of certain bugs. It’s easy to entertain the idea that people would prefer butterflies to spiders (even though the UK doesn’t have any really dangerous spiders), but what about the people who are scared of butterflies?

On the next slide, I conduct a short interview with someone who has lepidopterophobia, the phobia of butterflies and moths to attempt to understand what evokes the fear and look into ways to overcome it.

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a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h V e r o n i k a Do you have any insect phobias or fears, and if yes, what are they?

Describe where you think your fear/ phobia started, or what is it about the butterflies that triggers the fear?

I remember always having been scared of butterflies, I have no clue when it really started because I don’t remember my life without it. I remember just riding my bike with my dad when I was small and even then being super panicky whenever I crossed paths with a butterfly. But no one around me knows when this started. It’s in their wings, the way they flutter—I don’t know why they bother me so much but it’s I guess the fact that the movement of the wings is so quick and sudden, plus it reminds me of someone tickling me. I don’t really like looking at realistic drawings of butterflies but that’s been getting better, but whenever I see a photo, or especially a very zoomed-in photo, I have to just look away asap.

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l e p i d o p t e r o p h o b i a

I a m te r r if ie d o f b u t te r f l ie s — lepidopterophobia. I’m not fond of certain other insects however I wouldn’t technically call my relationship with those ‘phobias’.

Do you hope to fully recover from the phobia someday? What do you think would help you recover from this fear?

Since it doesn’t bother me on a daily basis, I don’t have a desire to fully overcome it, at least I don’t think about it like that. It’s not super important for me because I don’t come in contact with butterflies too much and when I do, I just run away or take a different route. If I ever decide to invest time to overcome it, I think looking at the photos would probably be a good place to start.

Do you think insects are important? Why? Of course they are! The planet needs them for the ecosystem, they play one of the most important roles in nature. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. They’re probably much more important than people to be perfectly honest.

What insects do you like, if any?

I love beetles, especially stag beetles, because they’re just stunning and beautiful and look like they would be your best friend that you can chill on the couch with and watch TV. Other than them, I’m quite fond of bees and wasps, but I also like the look of ladybirds, although unfortunately I’m a bit scared of those too. Oh and I don’t mind spiders or ants that much!

Would you be willing to help with conservation efforts (be it through donating, volunteering, installing an insect hotel in your garden, etc) of insects despite your phobia?

Yes of course, absolutely! An insect hotel sounds amazing and I’m always willing to donate to help the nature even just a little bit. I don’t hate any insect (unless they’re pests who hurt my plants) and it’s not their fault that I’m scared of them, it’s truly just my own fault and if I can help them and nature I definitely would.

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i n s p i r a t i o n

eve r y w h e r e

I seem to be stumbling upon insects and arachnids alike everywhere! Books, jewellery, booklets, actual bugs landing on me/people I’m with, artwork, products/merchandise; it’s never-ending, which is really great for inspiration and motivation for this project.

Seeing all these critters everywhere really makes me think about what I want to accomplish with this final major project and the fact that I want to do my best to attach a profound meaning to it somehow to do these small creatures justice.

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s k e t c h e s

Some sketches based from the images and insects at Oxford and London. I love the loose style of drawing as well as the more detailed version. In terms of appearance I think I want to aim for somewhere between these two styles. I don’t want perfect symmetry as this seems too staged and unrealistic, hence why I am drawn to slightly asymmetrical versions and enjoyed sketching the separate dismembered limbs.

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I acquired so many (hundreds) of photos during my trips to London and Oxford and will definitely be using these as inspiration and general observation. Here are just a few.

There are so many insects and seeing them all was a fantastic experience that I would love to do again in the future. Ideally, I’d like to visit as many insect collections as possible as each one is different and houses their own special species.

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e x p e r i me n t

I wanted to attempt some experiments that are entirely out of my comfort zone and style just to see if the results were suitable for my project and what I want it to represent.

I messed around with some wire and made a small bee model which looked interesting and seemed to make me think of the relationship between bug and man (natural versus manmade), but this wasn’t exactly what I was going for.

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I tried to move on by creating a wing shape out of the wire which I then placed onto a large piece of paper and stippled colour onto, moving and adjusting it so that I created petal shapes that then formed into a flower.

I preferred this to the bee model, however, I feel that I liked it purely due to aesthetic reasons which isn’t enough for the kind of meaning I’m wanting to put into my project.

Although I am moving on from wire, I’m glad I tried it and will keep the results in mind.

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Embroidery and sewing have always enthralled me, yet I never thought I was any good at them. I was always in awe of the people that knew how to draw with thread, and after a long time of avoiding it, I tried my hand at it properly.

My first proper attempt was the simple bee above.

I think it looks fine, but a little too neat and unrealistic due to how polished the lines are.

My next tries were opposite, the emperor moth and the tiger beetle, both of which I much preferred, especially the moth! It encompassed the ruggedness of nature, yet was soft and ‘gentle’ enough to show its vulnerable side.

e m b r o i d e r y 31

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p r e v i o u

( d u r i n g

m y

t i m e

A few pieces/development work from the last year or so that I th specifically include insects and are all different styles of working age but reflects a darkness. The realistic moth drawn in black bi included in my flipbook which is what the development work wa and image poster task and I’m beginning to see a pattern with m dress the slow destruction of our planet and how we can make t future & the album ‘Wasteland Baby!’ by Hozier heavily influenc and some music really just speaks to me to try to make the worl

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s

a t

w o r k

u n i v e r s i t y )

hink are visually interesting & link to my current major project. These g, white on black is interesting as it gives a whole new depth to the imiro is one of my favourite drawings I’ve ever done and yet it was never as for. I like the fluidity of the flying moths. The last image was a text my work. Wherever I am able to make decisions for myself, I like to adthings better. There’s an odd serenity in the apocalyptic visions of the ces this kind of work. Song and image are very intertwined in my mind ld a better place however I can through my art or just as a person.

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During my ALevels I created work that paid tribute to bees due to my long-term fascination with all things insect. I wanted to show that bees were dying at a rapid rate.

I did not know much in the way of differences between honeybees and bumblebees and my pieces lacked something.

It’s important to look back on them as stepping stones especially because there are some similarities between the projectss I feel as though my style has shifted a lot since this, as well as my desire to research a n d g a i n knowledge on every subject I depict.

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p r e v i

Made with acetate and layering as we acetate resembling petals of a flower d did in much the same way (used piec while I splattered paint). This process

o u s

w o r k

p t . 2

ell as paint and using objects (rocks) as barriers between the paint and dispersing. The above have honeycomb and brick backgrounds which I ces of card cut into hexagons and rectangles to create negative space needed a lot of layering and waiting for paint to dry on the acetate.

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I have attempted to experiment with a number of materials, colours and ideas. But I’m still not exactly certain what route I want to take next. A few questions keep coming up in my head that I will attempt to answer to the fullest here.

How do I want to depict the insects?

I want the final images to be somewhat simple. Not overly detailed (photorealistic), yet not so loose that they are unrecognisable as I want them to be used as an educational tool.

Am I including arachnids (spiders)?

I would love to include arachnids, especially as a lot of people completely hate, are scared of, or misunderstand them which is something I want to change.

Are there any materials or tools that stand out to me as of yet?

I’ve tried wire, acetate, pen, pencil, different types of paint and embroidery. Some of these were fun to experiment with and were important to try out as they pushed me out of my comfort zone so that I could more fairly assess what works and doesn’t work well for me.

I am always drawn back to the beautiful simplicity of a black pen (be it biro, fine-liner, or sharpie), but if I am to use this method, I will need to think of something more creative as a background to draw in the viewer.

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What do I want people to take from the final product?

How am I going to pick just a small handful of insects do depict?

I’ve been debating perhaps just portraying some common, yet underrated British arthropods. Ones that people may not know much about, or don’t expect to be residents of the UK.

r

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I hope that my work helps people understand that not all bugs are just creepy little things to swat away or kill. I want people to understand that there is beauty in every small critter that walks the earth, not just the bigger, fluffier counterparts. This better understanding will then hopefully

f

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I have this idea that I’ll make a few separate pieces with a different insect/arachnid on each one.

Because this idea is somewhat ‘simple’, I want to provide the viewers with an accompanying booklet of some kind with some background information on the bugs. This will hopefully work well as the illustrations will be aesthetically pleasing enough to draw people in, and the booklet will provide some much-needed knowledge to help make a change.

t

What is my current vision of the final piece(s)?

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e x p e r i m e n t s I decided to buy some wooden and cork circles after seeing them be recommended to me on Amazon due to a previous purchase.

My idea was to experiment with drawing on them to see how an insect would look on a background that wasn’t just a white paper square/rectangle.

This definitely is one of my favourite experiments yet, however I found it very difficult to use paint on the rough cork surface and therefore would consider using just pens for better accuracy and results.

The result reminded me of a coaster and made me consider making smaller coasters for coffee mugs with insects on one side and some information on the insect on the other side to sell at a possible exhibition of the work. I did definitely want to try this out for this project, however due to Covid-19 I was unable to purchase the required materials to make this plan come into fruition.

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b o o k l e t s / j o u r n a l s / l e a f l e t s .

A few leaflets, booklets and journals I’ve come across or accumulated during the course of this unit.

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b o o k l e t / l e a f l e t

After looking through the booklets, leaflets and journals I have accumulated or seen or researched online, I put together my own while trying to encompass elements of each of them.

I wanted it to be simple enough for anyone to be able to pick up, read and understand, while still including images (both drawn and photographed by me).

I like the way that it turned out, but perhaps next time, in order to improve, I could put together a dozen or so different covers and conduct a quick survey asking people which one draws them in the most, etc. I’m finding out that surveys are really useful!

I’m fond of the colour palette I used as it lends itself well to the subject and remains neutral enough to be liked by a lot of different types of people.

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f i n a l

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p i e c e s

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e v a l u a t i o n

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My final pieces turned out much more interesting than I had envisioned, they are subtle, yet stand out as a combined whole.

I like the hexagonal shapes I ended up using as the circles were too simple and the hexagons allowed for a honeycomb-like puzzle which can then be rearranged or added onto. After making these four, I had the urge to keep going, however it was too late in the unit to order more hexagons to come on time and get more done.

This is something I would improve—plan ahead better and encompass a larger range of types of insect. Perhaps I could have done a butterfly, a normal fly, a centipede, etc.

The possibilities with this set-up are endless which really excites me as I could add onto it in the future.

I definitely prefer the black pen as opposed to the paint as the latter seems a little too realistic when employed and the simple black pen allows for the eye to wander from hexagon to hexagon.

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r e f l e c t i v e s u m m a r y Throughout the course of this Final Major Project Unit I feel as though I have evolved as an illustrator. I have figured out that the kind of work I like creating revolves around nature and the desire to help it thrive however I can, whether this be through the spreading of information with my work or contributing to conservation efforts. Depicting nature realistically is important to me as it allows me to learn about the anatomy and other aspects of nature which then helps me convey a message across to any potential viewers.

This unit therefore, allowed me to gain knowledge on a topic I have been interested in for a while: entomology. Based in nature, I was able to research dozens of insects and arachnids and gain a better understanding of their existence and better portray each one. Choosing a topic that I was already passionate about has allowed for an incredibly fun and exciting learning experience with lots of experimentation and reflection of previous work. I was able to look back on work that I was not proud of and take the better aspects of it forward and develop in order to create pieces that reflected me and my illustration style far better.

As always, I am convinced that there is never ‘too much’ research and that I am always able to improve upon this aspect of any project I complete. However, the extent of my research for this unit has definitely been elevated as I have read countless books, articles, journals, websites, etc. and visited places that have helped me gain a really in-depth understanding of the topic while conducting surveys and interviews. In fact, I feel as though I may have overshot my research and taken away from some of the development or process work of the actual illustrations.

This could also be due to the fact that I know I often struggle to draw as much as possible because of an odd fear of not achieving perfection. I attempted to surpass this fear by aiming for a more ‘sketchy’ look than I am used to in my final pieces, which I think I definitely achieved, however, my sketchbook could have used a few more illustrations to aid my overall development.

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Experimentation with materials is always something I feel I fall short on, however, I attempted to gather as much of this as I could during this unit but feel that more is always better as I could discover something really interesting that helps me express my idea in a near-perfect way.

Overall, I am content with my final pieces, but am fond of looking at things critically and therefore think that I definitely could have made more hexagons with more insects to create a full wall of honeycomb pattern and dozens of bugs for people to learn about. It has been a little bit difficult to navigate some aspects of the latter half of this unit due to Covid-19 which has caused me to be unable to order more of the hexagonal cork boards (or anything similar) that would have come on time after realising I would have liked to create more as well as being able to visit a few more places for inspiration and research.

If I had an infinite amount of time and resources, that would be the most ideal, along with perhaps printing some of the insect illustrations onto mug coasters for people to buy with money going to charities that help with the conservation of arthropods (again, I looked into the possibility of getting at least a few printed, however, nowhere was able to fulfil my requests within the allotted time). Alongside this I would then also perhaps make more leaflets on each individual insect with easy to digest information.

Despite how frustrating the effects of Covid-19 have been, I am more sympathetic towards those dealing with its consequences more harshly than I. Nevertheless, this unit has been stressful, but I am proud of the angle my work has taken and that the goal of my illustrations has shifted towards wanting to make a difference in the world.

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