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Research by doing experiments

Definition: Making things, sketches with different mediums, to see what works and what does not

Sketches of different characters, using different shapes, body constructions, proportions

Making collage with cutting different objects from pictures to create background concept

experimenting with ink, for background development in 3d project

1. Try out the first ideas that comes to mind, make things without overthinking all the details

2. Reflect on the results, what worked and what doesn't

3. Set a goal what you want to achieve with experimentation, for example give some limitations like "draw something ugly", "something opposite from your previous design", "draw something using only one line" etc. This could give some results, that you wouldn't normally achieve.

Visual research

Definition: Looking at art, made by different artists, collecting inspirations, reflecting what you like from certain art pieces, what you could use in your own projects, what you would do differently.

Collecting images that I find inspiring by certain style, color choice, shapes etc. Creating moodboards

1. When out of ideas, experimentation might give some inspiration

2. For trying out new things

Reading, searching for information in books or articles online

Definition: Looking for more information of the subject that I need to know more about

Searching information about Port of Rotterdam for my educational animation online

1. Look for a pictures, that have specific style that you have in mind, see what you can use in your own work.
2. Look at good artists work compositions, colors etc, to learn from it.
3.

Observation

Definition: Observing people or environtment from real life to understand better certain movements, different people characteristics

For creating a character I went to the park, looked and sketched different people

1. Go to public spaces, sketch characteristics of certain people to later use as a reference

1. When you want to understand certain movements, is good to start by looking at it from real life

1. SImplify broad subject into the theme that you want to focus on, and search only for that specific information, so you won't get lost in all the information sources you found.
2.

Interviews

Definition: Talking with people that knows about the subject you want to gain more knowledge

Last year during the commercial practice my group had to do project about one neighborhood in Rotterdam. We had to interview some people who lives in that neighborhood and ask what are they thinking could be improved and how they feel living there.

1. When needing people personal experiences, opinions
2. When

I think interviewing is nice especially for art projects, because it gives really personal opinions or experiences from people, that you couldn''t find in some articles online or in literature. I am not experienced in it and find it not very comfortable to come to a stranger and ask some personal questions.

I am using experimentation as my research method a lot. Especially as my starting point, when I do not know what exactly I want to do, but have some unclear ideas in my head, then I am trying to sketch it out and to get some inspiration from it. Also experimenting with mediums you do not work that much, can make you realise

1. When needing inspiration
2. When wanting to find something new
3. When feeling that something in your art is not that good, it is useful to look at "master" artists work and to learn from it.

I am using visual research often, I always looking at artists that I like, gaining inspiration from it, thinking what parts from their artworks I could use in my own works or what I could do differently. When I want to improve my composition, color or style I always search for some artworks to analyse it and to learn something from it.

1. Formulate specific questions that you want to ask, then go to the street or some place that is needed for a project and ask questions there

I think I could use this method more often, as it is always helpful to analyse people or environment from real life at first. As when you have a better understanding of it then it's easier to make a good design, animation or illustration.

I still find hard to do a good research, while searching information online or in literature. I usually get lost in all the information I find and do not know how to
select only the most important information, as when I find a lot of different sources everything seems important.

1. When needing some fact based information
2. When it is not enough only your knowledge and you need to go into the subject deeper