The reason behind a piece?

[roosketch]

Hello, I draw because I love to draw... I enjoy the satisfaction of a finished piece and especially more if the drawing came straight out of my mind.

Lately I've been questioning myself a bit because I want to get onto a foundation degree course next year. My folio tends to lack any real direction or purpose... I don't feel like I can talk about my work and the reason most of it is done is simply because I like drawing. I draw a lot of trees/leaves in various compositions because I like the way they look.

I know that in a uni interview I'll be asked questions about my pieces and I don't want to feel like I don't really have a reason for them.

One thing I will say is that I like working to a brief, and having made some logos for a few clients I can talk about what each part means and why I did something a certain way... but with my own work I'm stumped!

Anyone else had this problem and how did you resolve it? I really want to make it as a graphic designer/illustrator... I feel I really need to find my own reason for drawing.

[Seedling]

The big question here is what sort of degree program are you heading into? If you are heading into a fine-arts program, then yes, they’ll likely want you to have all sorts of deep reasons for making what you make. But it sounds like illustration is your thing, in which case, that fine-arts gobltygook about having some deep meaning behind every mark will at best be a minor distraction from your education (and at worst, completely hobble your efforts to become an illustrator.)

As an illustrator, your work must explain itself. So, a picture of leaves with an elegant composition: does your audience also see a picture of leaves with an elegant composition? If so, you have succeeded.

If the school you are applying to finds something wrong with this attitude, then seriously consider transferring to another school.

Though in case you are wondering, as an illustrator, your art certainly can have deep meaning to it.

[roosketch]

So it seems I was doing right all along anyway ;)

I'm looking to do a graphic design program with some sort of Illustration minor in London, UK. Thing is, I've got no formal qualifications with any relevance and the Uni's I'm interested in require potential degree students to have done a foundation degree in art & design.

Thanks for the input Seedling, that's made me feel a lot better about stuff! What do you think they would like to hear from a potential student during an interview? If you're not into all the gobbledygook behind art... do you just talk about the composition and why you like leaves?

I think I should write my own briefs and follow them for my own pieces... I might have some better luck that way!!

[Seedling]

Thanks for the input Seedling, that's made me feel a lot better about stuff! What do you think they would like to hear from a potential student during an interview? If you're not into all the gobbledygook behind art... do you just talk about the composition and why you like leaves?

Glad to help!

There are still all sorts of honest things that you can say about the art that you make even if you are “just” making images of leaves. For example, you can say that you find beauty in every-day objects and your goal is to share that beauty with others. You could say that you are using simple subject matter to better learn how to make strong compositions. You could say that the base of any representational image is everyday, “boring” subjects, and you are learning how to have fun drawing such things.

I suspect it’s hard to go wrong if you mention that your goal is to learn something. :)