Personal Portfolio

When compiling my portfolio of illustrations that would be used to promote myself, I chose art that best described the elements and qualities of my art style, while showing a range of production methods that I specialise in, such as digital and pen illustration. By limiting the colour in this range, I can show that I prefer to work in black-and-white, and this is also prevalent when paired with my promotional items. This personal portfolio shows what I am currently capable of as an illustrator, and I believe it does this well by presenting a variety of images and contexts relevant to my practice.

Rorschach whiteboard illustration

The first image in my personal portfolio is a whiteboard rendering of the character "Rorschach" from the Watchmen comic. This illustration puts an emphasis on the dark, gritty details that reflect the aestethic of both the original comic and the character. This is an effective portfolio piece because it shows how detail and sharp line can add a dynamic sense of realism to an illustrated character.

Star Wars digital illustration

The next image is a digital illustration for the collaborative project that was a part of this module, and portrays my interpretation of the character of "Darth Vader" from Star Wars facing his fear, in the form of a dragon. This is an effective portfolio piece because it is a more symbolic take on one of the most iconic characters in film history, and shows how I can interpret these icons in my art.

Lord of the Rings pen illustration

Next, I have put a pen illustration of the elven realm of "Rivendell" from The Lord of the Rings, which was one of the images I used in my research project. The illustration is successful in portraying depth and detail through the thickness of the pen line. This is an effective portfolio piece because it demonstrates skill with the traditional medium, as well as showing the importance of the composition of elements in an image.

Thanos digital illustration

The following image is another digital illustration, this time focusing on the Marvel character of "Thanos" in an authentic comic style. The use of limited colour and a black background not only balances the image, but also blends the new and old depictions of the character together into one illustration. This is an effective portfolio piece because it shows depth and appropriate use of line in the image without focusing too much on the visual detail of the character.

Moltres coloured pen illustration

The next image is a coloured pen illustration of the creature "Moltres" from the Pokemon games. By using a single colour, I was able to render this creature accurately and depict its fiery wings with differing lines. This is an effective portfolio piece because it shows how limited colour can be used to illustrate a subject and bring its personality to the forefront of the image.

Master Chief pen illustration

The final image is a pen illustration of the character of "Master Chief" from the Halo videogame series - an image used in the publication for my professional practice module. I divided the level of detail into sections to show the visual construction of this character, as it becomes more complex towards the top of the helmet. This is an effective portfolio piece because it is a unique deconstruction of a highly detailed character into simple line, using a mix of pen and pencil.

While these images are successful in presenting myself as an illustrator, I believe that there are not enough illustrations to truly explore the depth of these skills. As a personal portfolio, it will naturally grow and expand as I develop more of my best work, but it would have been more efficient if there were more initial images to show. This shows that I need to work more on my authorial practice and the projects that I wish to pursue outside of university, which I plan to do in the coming months.