The last week of Design

Although I started off not enjoying design, im pretty sure it wasn't the design process that I didnt enjoy but more the lack of organisation of the elective itself. It was a bit scattered and disorganised and I feel a lot was thrown at us with very little help or explanation.
After the white card model and hearing what the lecturers had to say about my design and the positive feedback that I got I felt a lot more at ease and a weight was definitely lifted off my shoulders. This week iv really enjoyed working in my own time at home where I have no distractions and making my model come to life and adding textures and making chairs and tables and organising my folder of costume designs and props and technical drawings. Im really happy with what i'v produced and when I popped into uni yesterday and saw how little everyone else had done on their model I felt a lot more at ease again because I was clearly much further ahead than the rest of them.
I have enjoyed my time in design in the last 2 weeks, the first 2 I didn't enjoy quite so much but once i'd got my heard around it and time managed all the other work that was to be done for other modules, I started to relax a bit and made lists and priorotised what was the most important and have managed to get to today and only have a couple of things left to do which are easy and im not stressing about.
I think I have learnt a lot in my time in design. I've learnt how much work it involves and how important it is to research a play so you get a feel for the characters, the set and you are able to create the atmosphere and produce a set that tells the story itself.
I've learnt that it is a very stressful thing to do and there are a lot of areas to take into consideration. I know that the 4 weeks we had was not a long time and that designers usually get longer but I think it was good to be rushed and have to create your own timetable and be able to manage your time well, as well as trying to juggle all the other modules and workloads. I think its really important to be able to manage your time, especially as a designer.
Although I worked without distractions at home I did make sure I came into uni at some point every day even if it was just for an hour, so that I could see how the others were getting along and talk to the lecturers if I needed anything.
I know i'v been a bit of a moan, but its just because when I get stressed I get run down really easily and when im run down I tend to get ill which makes me a bit deflated and irritable. Which has happened. But I suppose it also made me sit down and make lists and priorotise what was needed, and in doing so like I said above, i'v got a ahead of myself and im beginning to enjoy myself and what im doing.
At the end of the day though...Im still glad to be an applied artist and cant wait to get back into scenic after Easter!

So much to do, so little time.

I made a "To Do" list today. It was pretty long....its still pretty long. I feel like my head is going to explode the amount of work iv got to do by Friday. Its horrible.

I think i'm possibly not hating design as much as I was when I wrote my last blog. I enjoyed making my model, although I did find it a little tricky as I wasn't sure where to start (as a model making class was scheduled the day before our white card model was due in. Sorry but that's just bad planning!) so I kind of just started making things using the little knowledge I have of model making from college. 

The white card presentation went well though and although I think my design was the simplest, it seemed to have the least said about it, as it was a model that was able to work, so im glad I managed to think about all the relevant areas whilst making my design and therefore not having any design or structure faults. It did ease my mind a little once the white card was over. 

Still got a shed load of stuff to do for the final presentation on Friday as well as all our PP5/6 stuff and our CCS 5/6 stuff, whatever the hell that is. Don't even know where to start with that!

So im a little bit stressed out which has resulted in me being run down, which has in turn resulted in me getting ill, so along with all of what is due in I feel like crap, have no motivation and my concentration is limited. So im finding the last few weeks of term pretty tough and I cannot wait to have a holiday.

On a more positive note I am loving Corel painter. I thing its a great program to have and it has helped me so much with my costume designs as I cannot draw people to save myself (yes Jamie I know I need to practice more drawings!). It also makes it not seem like work which is quite good and I enjoy using it. Some of my drawings are probably a little bit funny and may have dodgy arms or wonky feet but hey, it gets the message across!

I need to start painting again, I've been away from it for too long. I got some inspiration the other day after watching 'Memoires of a Geisha' and have chosen a picture I'd like to attempt.

I've also been thinking of trying to get some work experience in a theater over summer. Just so I cant get a little more experience and hands on and keep up my skills.

Elective- Design

So this is the 3rd week of my design elective this week. I'm not going to lie i'm not enjoying it. I want to be back in scenic or costume. I like hands on, making stuff, always having something to do. Design is too much research, the process is long and draining. I get home each night completely and utterly mentally exhausted.

I know its a good experience to see what the designers go through and how a design is made and the processes it involves, and I have learnt a lot in the last 2 weeks.
But it's definitely not for me, i'm very glad I chose applied arts. I'm not even enjoying the freedom, I like structure and guidance.
I feel like were being thrown in the deep end a little. I know a bit about set design from college but that was only the basics. We seem to be expected to know how to go about the whole design 'process' which I personally don't. It seems like there is an awful lot expected of us in a short period of time. I am really looking forward to going back into scenic after Easter.