The Barker Proud Love window art brief required an eye catching illustration to be feature on a window of a diss-used shop in the Queens Arcade, Leeds. Its purpose would be to promote shopping in Leeds and attract potential retails to the empty lot. Set design can extend to retail shop front displays and therefore I thought this brief could supplement my practice by potentially giving me the edition of another employable skill. Although I have never illustrated on a window or made a mural before, I felt that this was something I would be capable of. I also chose this brief as the prize money was £300, therefore partially a financial decision.
After having read the brief carefully and considering my audience, I began developing a design. To implement this design I would use window markers and therefore kept my colours to a minimum. Through exploring with a chunky marker and black pen I developed a final design idea. I hid Leeds retail based imagery within the design and thought about which businesses the lot is being advertised to: potential hair dressers, coffee shops etc. I aimed to create something expressive, fun and busy that would not only catch the eye but also force the view to move around the image in search of the shapes and forms- slightly like an optical illusion.
The design and illustration took approximately two days to develop and finalise. Therefore, if I were to charge for a similar commission I might charge for three full days, two to design and one to translate onto the window. Therefore the £300 prize money was roughly correct for my time spent.
However, my submission was not successful. Despite also submitting design variations, perhaps I created something that was too busy, verging on being unclear. Additionally, to elevate my submission further I could have presented the images in a more appealing format such as a well designed PDF book. This could have encompassed a concept of how the design may look on the window by superimposing the image. Perhaps this higher level of attention to detail would have won me the breif. Regardless, I am very happy with the outcome, enjoyed the process and explored drawing in a new style. It was great practice working to a brief and creating ideas surrounding a specific topic.
From this brief I have learned about pricing my work. Estimating prices is something I struggle with greatly therefore this exercise proved that my rough estimation was correct. Additionally, this brief helped me realise my interest in design for retail. This could be a great addition to my set design skills and expend my employability options. It helped me notice a skill that I feel capable of.
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Sketch Book Development
What I submitted:
Design Variation Sheet:
Final Concept:
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