Module 1, Chapter 10: Zigzag Book, Completed

ZIGZAG BOOK, COMPLETED

Ta Dah! My Zigzag Book, 'A Celebration of Blue', is now complete!

Evaluation of Zigzag Book Celebrating the Colour Blue

Does it fulfil your own expectations? Yes – it’s more or less exactly what I wanted. If I'm disappointed with anything it's my own lack of ability. I managed to incorporate many of the techniques covered on Creative Sketchbooks Module 1, and tried to work with a number of different blues, rather than just reaching for the tube of ultramarine, which is always my first choice. I tried to get something different for each page, and think I succeeded in making it not only a celebration of the colour blue, but also a celebration of things I like. I wanted it to represent things that mean something to me, rather than just paint on paper, and I think it does.

Perhaps you feel you have extended yourself and achieved beyond your expectations? To some extent, yes. I feel I've learned a lot. I've experimented with all kinds of techniques, improved my planning, and finally learned not to be scared of the sketchbook!

Did you develop your ideas fully in the design and planning stages? For this project, which was really a fairly simple brief, I think so. However, any of the individual designs could have been developed further, as an additional, independent project. I might take one of the pages, and have a go at developing the design further, for an embroidery perhaps... I'd like to do something more with that stained glass window...

If you made it again, what changes would you make? I'd try to improve my techniques. And I would definitely do something different with the stained glass window - I'd stick to my original idea with a diagonal design, using triangles as well as diamonds. I could see the potential, but didn't carry it through, and I regret that.

General View: I've absolutely loved working on this. I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted to do, but wasn't sure how to achieve my vision without experimenting, and that's why I used a small A6 notebook and tried to plan things out, and do little samples, and use lots of the techniques covered on the course, and somehow everything seemed to gel.

I’m sure other people have produced zigzag books that are more colourful and more artistic, but I really feel as if this mine – something I’ve thought about, and  created, all on my own, using things and artists I like as inspiration.  As it began to take shape I felt really elated.  and there's a real sense of satisfaction in having developed my ideas and created this, which looks very much like I hoped it would! And I don't think I'll ever again be scared of working in a sketchbook - my little sketchbook for Chapter 10 may not have been part of the brief but it's helped enormously with my approach to work, and I'm thrilled with it, because it's such an individual record of what I've done.