The U ARTS ELY Senior Thesis Experience

All 4 Finished Senior Thesis Projects, printed, matted, and ready for the final mark up for corrections...

Ever since I first saw the Senior thesis show as a freshmen, I had high expectations of what I would have wanted to do for the ely. I had a lot of ideas, but many weren't that great to begin with. I wanted to do CD covers, but as the years went by, I settled for doing my senior thesis on Record covers. While CD covers are a wonderful thing to create, I find that the images are to small when they are on display on the wall, and don't attract much attention. Also, the markets are shifting for the record industry period and records tend to outsell CD's.

Before I started my senior year I talked to a few of my friends whom have graduated from the U Arts illustration department for tips when approaching the Ely. One friend suggested that I could either go above and beyond what was necessary for the project or go with the standard amount they are asking for to save me time and headache. Another friend of mine gave me the solid advance that I shouldn't view the project as the end of means or a masterpiece or the piece that will break you into a career, but instead to view it as another project and just put in enough to make a great piece your proud of. I guess the thought of this advice was to suggest that I shouldn't worry to much going into the project but to look at it as a nice piece you are working on.

When it came down to proposing my project, I threw in several ideas I wanted to explore. I wanted to screen print all of the Ely Projects, use metallic inks, die cuts and create mock ups. After the first senior thesis piece was created, it was clear that in the 4 month period we were all given that none of these things I would have wanted to do for the final would fly. It just wouldn't have worked out with in the time I had or with the economy I had to work with. So it is sad to say that my pieces are just pseudo digital silkscreen prints matted on a wall. I even wanted to silk screen on top of my digital prints but due to the satin heavy weight quality print I am using, the ink wouldn't have sticked.

A lot of what the teachers say about the ely is true. You make leaps and jumps in the way you draw and paint images, and watching my peers grow along with yourself was an amazing experience. Now almost four years later, I reflect upon how my artwork was and I am glad that I choose to go through the University of the Arts to learn how to become an illustrator. With the advice I was given and the books I had been suggested to have read, I am confident even more so that even in the hard times, I will make it through.

Here is the first Ely Piece that I worked on 4 months ago. It went through one round of sketchs and NINE rounds of revisions.... So it is safe to say that there maybe no changes to this ely, but I won't hold my breath.

Sketchs

Full Spread - Click here to enlarge

Detail Shot - Click to enlarge

I will post all the Ely's the day after the show's reception with shots of it hanging.

Cheers!