In this first assignment, I was asked to introduce myself to a tutor through a ‘greeting card’. This is my chance to share my passions, what drives me, the materials that ignite my creativity, and my aspirations for what I hope to gain from this course.
First and foremost, I need to carefully consider what I want to convey and make sure to document the process in my learning log. These notes will provide insight into why I chose to depict what I did, the elements I included, and even those I left out. The artwork can take any form and size, using drawing or painting materials, collage, or digital production.
Research
This is the third unit I’m completing for my degree. I’ve noticed a pattern in the previous units where the first assignment involves sharing about ourselves, our personalities, or our interests. In the Core Concepts unit, I created three postcards about the country I was born in, my hobbies such as art and ballet, and my travels. While I felt my postcards were okay, they didn’t turn out exactly as I had envisioned. I did my best, but being new to the course, they looked a bit amateurish. For the Creative Book Design unit, I designed a fanzine about my passion for books, and luckily, it looked more professional. I view these initial assignments in each unit as personal projects, where we have the chance to express ourselves uniquely. However, these assignments are also quite challenging as they require self-exploration and the creation of our own path. I find it a bit daunting to talk about myself and highlight my valuable points, which is akin to self-analysis. Nonetheless, I’m determined to make this assignment enjoyable by implementing the ideas I have in my head to introduce myself, and I hope they will work out well for my project.
Mind Map
To begin this assignment, I first created a mind map focused on myself. Initially unsure about the direction for my project, I believed that the mind map would assist in generating ideas. As I explored the mind map, I began to identify potential solutions to incorporate into the design.
I consulted with my friend, who is an excellent creative director, and she suggested that I should create a card representing my multicultural background. I was thrilled to receive validation for my idea. Since I was born in Middle Asia, moved to Ukraine at the age of 6, lived there until I was 31, and then settled in the UK, I felt it would be meaningful to combine the different aspects of these places into one card. I identify with the cultures of these countries, having grown up surrounded by their unique features. For example, Uzbekistan with its distinctive language, history, traditional attire, mosques, and delicious summer fruits; Ukraine, where I spent most of my life, is known for its rich nature, including vast sunflower fields, the Dnipro river, city center churches, traditional clothing, and the Orthodox Religion; and the United Kingdom, where I currently reside and regularly explore new areas, such as London, museums, and the Peak District. I previously attempted a similar design for my first Core Concepts assignment but didn’t fully develop the idea. I aim to create a collage that encapsulates all these countries and truly reflects who I am as an individual. Below, I’ll outline some ideas for the card.
Card idea
I’ve taken this card as an idea to play around with my pop-up card. I liked how complicated it was, with generous illustrations popping out of it, and was quite intriguing to examine this idea, I thought I can produce something based on this card, but probably not as multilayered, obviously, the amount of different images sticking out of it, the card becomes richer and more complicated, but I thought I will stick only to the few layers for my card.
Sketches
I have reached the stage of designing my card, and I have some sketches. I want to create a pop-up card in the shape of a suitcase, incorporating traditional features from the countries I’m from. The suitcase represents my life story and is significant to me. I have made notes next to each sketch. The main challenge is figuring out how to create the pop-up element. I am considering two options: making an actual suitcase and adding traditional features inside, or creating a foldable pop-up card that can stand on its own. I want to keep the design simple and focus on the illustrations. I am thinking of a card with three layers, representing Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and England. Each layer will showcase the landscapes and features that inspire me. The original ideas are presented below.
Card Mockup
After generating card ideas I went to the next stage of designing the card. I created the body for the suitcase, which would be the base of the card from the outside. I stuck the sheet of paper in the middle, so I had three layers of card altogether. For the first layer, I was going to use the locker of the suitcase and hand, on the second layer I was going to design a Ukrainian girl who is looking ahead of her, through some traditional village of Ukraine, Uzbekistan Mosque in the city of Samarkand, and for the last layer, I was planning to place London city merged into the Peak District. That was an imaginative collage from me, with some features of countries that joined within me, and which are personal to me. I thought that the idea of the card is quite original and described me as a person. On the back of the suitcase, I placed three postal stamps, with original features from each country, like sunflowers from Ukraine, The Queen-like symbol of Monarchy from the UK, and a smiling Uzbek girl with sweet melons. Those images were joined into the vintage suitcase I’m carrying around me, if I could say, that suitcase symbolising my soul where I locked traditions and history of three different countries.
Card Design
I used natural watercolour shades for a colourful touch on the card. For the layer featuring Ukrainian traditional houses and the Samarkand Mosque, I mainly used yellow and sand colours, while I used colder shades with some blue and brown for the UK. The girl in the card represents me, holding a bunch of sunflowers as a symbol of happiness and hope, with yellow and blue ribbons in her hair, representing the traditional colours of Ukraine. The suitcase has a retro look, with some red and brown tints, reminiscent of vintage suitcases from the 80s, around the time when I was born.
I think the postcard turned out quite well. I loved the idea of the three-layer pop-up card, which best describes my multicultural background. The images are merged to show my admiration for different countries, their cultures, and traditions, shaping me as a person. This greeting card also showcases my love for creating original card shapes and forms, as well as my passion for traditional watercolour techniques. This assignment is just a small introduction to the course, and I’m glad I could demonstrate some of my skills. I hope I’ve taken the right direction, and I look forward to many new experiences and knowledge ahead.
Mockup
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