MY EVALUATION

This project has been like an enormous roller coaster ride. It started life as a completely different thing and morphed through many phases until it reached its present incarnation. Through all the experiments and investigations I've made, I've learned some invaluable Photoshop skills, gained more knowledge in the use of colour and tonality and begun to understand what makes a great composition. I chose to do this set of 9 drawings as a series so that I could sell the prints either as a collection (in which case the set could sit symmetrically on one wall as a unit) or individually.

As far as the finished product is concerned, I've found that although I'm pleased with the images as drawings I'm not convinced they were all completely successful within the series. It was an eye-opener to discover that although each image was conceived in the same way, this did not necessarily translate as cohesion within a group of images. I think perhaps having couples in with the single figures hasn't worked as well as I would have liked and the Hip Hop Jag character, although from the same era, does not suit the more light-hearted theme of the others. I would say, however, that on the whole as a group of images this project has pushed me and I'm really pleased with the outcome.I have a professional Facebook page and have been uploading the images as they were completed. I was interested so see that there were some stand out favourites and it's been a great way to work out what has been popular and to try and work out why. Among other market research, it's also been a useful way of finding out who my audience are and how broad a range - from early teens to early 50's. I would also say that my audience is limited to people who show an interest in the Creative Arts as a whole but not beyond that niche. I've realised that as long as I keep building up my profile and manage to maintain and grow my fanbase then I will be able to sell my work at Book Fairs, Art shows and online fairly steadily. It will take a lot of vigilant marketing though!

I assumed that when the project was over I'd be happy to leave it behind, having worked on it for so long. What I'm actually finding is that this project far from being finished has proved itself to be more of a launch pad. I've learnt so much doing the Menagerie, practical solution finding as well as honing the more artistic skills I started out with. I'd really like to carry on exploring the anthropomorphic theme and I'm interested in doing more work as a series. I'm looking forward to a continued exploration of this theme, this project may have only just scratched the surface...