Exercise: Sending Messages
- Abbie Vidler
- Mar 6, 2025
- 3 min read
This exercise is all about reflecting on what I previously researched and create a piece from my last few messages on my phone or my emails, I must select on message and create a simple image wich illustrates the message.
I really liked the charcoal look of the 'Careless Talk Cost Lives' poster, so I think I might use this as inspiration for my own illustration.
Last message
My last message was “I’m in the bus bay” which I will use as the topic of the illustration.
Thumbnails
Colour Thumbnail
Next Step
After using charcoal and yellow pencil, I realised that the piece really wasn’t strong and resembled too much like the inspiration. So, I wanted to just try out and play around with previous thumbnails on my tablet.
Digital Thumbnails
Digital Process
Since I was playing around with this exercise on my tablet, I ended up creating something that I really liked, I started with sketching out a car and a bus bay and adding text; then I was struggling with a colour scheme.
My Dad said “Why not have any colour?”, and we discussed how we could create a strong simple image when we said “why not black out the background” and “invert it”.
From there, I added a tarmac-like texture to create a grounded feel.
Final Piece
Evaluation
The aim for this exercise is to create a piece of propaganda based off my last message or email, I decided to do a text message which was “I’m in the bus bay”. I wanted to challenge myself with perspective a little with this piece too and so I played around with the thumbnails with that.
Ultimately, after attempting a traditional piece and revisiting the brief, I realised that the brief asked me to create a simple illustration for the poster. I tried out using my tablet again after I had been drawing on it, I did some thumbnails and it worked out that playing around ended up with me making a final result. Asking for advice helped, my dad saw me drawing and gave a few tips on how to improve it and I ended up completing the illustration.
The design is simple but effective, it has a lot of space and with the white you are more drawn to it than the black. I also wanted to give an effect of it being on tarmac so I added some charcoal overlay to give that result. I’m also really happy with the perspective of the car, I’ve always struggled with perspective so knowing that I can produce something like this makes me happy.
Compared to the inspiration there is a lot different with it, although I do think that it has a lot of texture like it. It would’ve been cool to work on something with people in it, however I really like the concept. The previous traditional piece was interesting but it was too complicated to be used as a final piece represented as “propaganda”. It was also way too similar to the inspiration and would probably be considered as plagiarism.
Overall, I am very happy with the outcome of this piece, I like how it feels quite modern and sort of abstract and I am really happy with the composition. I’m glad that I worked on the advice of others to help build a stronger final image…
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