Lockdown Learning

although my first month at the university of Portsmouth hasn't been the typical first year experience i have enjoyed it. my whole class has had to adapt and adjust to the current situation of the world.

i always struggle with change and adapting to a new routine but with the added covid situation its been even more stressful.

my major in college was Music and i decided i didn't want to study music at university. i waited until i found a course i knew i really wanted to do. i haven't been in education since i left college in 2016 so its going to take some getting used to being a student again!

before i started my first week at university i purchased an iPad and apple pencil. i had never tried any kind of digital art and its the best thing i have ever bought. i feel its taken my art to the next level and i love learning new styles and media.

i have learned so much on my course already. the one thing i have struggled with is not being such a perfectionist. one of my lecturers loves quick and sketchy pieces and my art style is very different to that. i now realise as an illustrator i don't have to fit into a perfect little box. i can make mistakes, i can explore, i can have fun!

i have also been learning about the colour wheel, typography, different illustrators and how they make a living, how to find work as an illustrator, using different medias and learning how to use photoshop and other adobe software, and so much more. there is so much more to being an illustrator than i thought there was.

one thing thats a positive is how good social media is in my generation. i have access to my teachers and fellow students online and although it is different its manageable. me and the other students on my course always communicate with each other, give each other feedback on our work and support each other the best we can! the teachers give us feedback through padlet and face to face on our Thursday tutorials and thats always helpful.

in conclusion i know my first year is not like the others before me but i am still learning. i hope that i will be in the studio soon and be able to meet all the other students going through the same thing as i am.