1.      Ranking as 8th in the world, Manchester School of Architecture is where I want to be. The combination of traditional lectures with project-based learning will suit my learning needs greatly, as I thrive when applying my knowledge to real scenarios. Additionally, this dynamic city boasts a variety of old and modern architectural buildings that represent all the different cultures within Manchester. The future prospects of Manchester also excite me, with five new skyscrapers being added to its skyline over the next decade. With the innovative ability that Manchester continues to develop as a city and the unified support from Manchester School of Architecture, I feel confident that the resources and workshops available will enable me to accomplish a long-term ambition of becoming an architect.

 

2.    During a family trip to Belfast, we visited the Titanic Museum. The exterior of the museum was architecturally distinctive giving the appearance of the bow of a ship along with reflective windowpanes which produced the illusion of an iceberg. Whilst on the historic tour, our guide showed us some plans and pictures of the museum from a bird's eye view, informing us how Eric Khune (the architect) wanted to recreate the 4 points on a compass. Khune designed an inspirational building that linked all aspects of the historical events behind the Titanic. I was fascinated by the architecture and attention to detail. Khune’s even designed the height of the building to be the same height as the Titanic which allowed me to get a perspective of its size. The museum building is an iconic landmark to Irish history and tourism.

 

3.   My favourite architectural building design is the Burj Al Arab. Nestled along the shores of the Persian Gulf, Dubai has grown to become a global centre for trade and innovation. The Burj Al Arab, self-described as a global icon of Arabian luxury, incorporates these factors as well as the heritage of Saudi Arabia, in order to provide its guests with an unforgettable experience. The design and materials used pays homage to Dubai’s Sea Heritage by resembling a ship’s sail. Additionally, how they managed to create a hotel consisting of almost two and a half million cubic feet of concrete and more than nine thousand tons of steel on a secluded artificial island (which has to battle the elements of the Persian Gulf) is ingenious. 

 

4.   One iconic piece of architecture I would like to visit is the former monastery ‘Le Mont-Saint-Michel’ in Normandy. Described by the website ‘Explore France’ as ‘a magical island crowned by a lofty medieval monastery,’ this build is a prime example of a design that is unique and sympathetic to its environment, highlighting its picturesque surroundings without appearing intrusive. 

 

 

Produced: 14th February 2021

Inspiration for this drawing:

Growing up near Manchester, its constantly developing skyline has provided a continuous source of inspiration for me to work towards a degree and career within this field. I selected an angle that portrayed both the Tower of Light and Beetham Tower. These modern samples of architecture are both iconic and relate to my specific interests in architecture. The Tower of Light promotes being sympathetic to the environment, described by Councillor Angeliki Stogia as 'an impressive new landmark for Manchester and a symbol of Manchester’s aim of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038 at the latest.' Beetham Tower on the contrast is completely unique to the area and possibly the best-known example of architectural integrity in Manchester.

Equipment used to produce this drawing:

1 300mm ruler; 

1 exam standard (Black) rubber;

1 HB pencil;

1 B pencil;

1 3B pencil;

1 6B pencil;

1 Sharpener; 

1 A4 sheet of Sketch Pad Art Paper;

1 damp cloth for textured 'cloud-like' background.

 

Produced: 19th December 2020

What was the inspiration for this drawing? 

As an iconic figure, with a unique and identifiable appearance, Freddie Mercury provided a tremendous challenge and opportunity to demonstrate not only my ability to draw, but also bring my work to life with shading. I used shading to enhance factors associated with his appearance and dissociate from a simple two-dimensional angle as portrayed by most artistic impressions. How did I produce this drawing? I began by researching numerous examples of high-quality photography and looking for consistencies in Physical structures of Freddie’s Appearance, for example, his eye shape and mustache length. From this, I produced several small sketches of these factors on a sheet of paper, using this as guidance for The final sketch and its shading. I then proceeded to draw a hollow outline of Freddie's face, almost producing an abstract line drawing of his basic features. I then layered this with more detailed components, such as hair small hair strands. Following this I began to shade, starting with his eyes which I felt provided a space for contrast, using three layers of shading to make up the Pupil, Iris and surroundings. The shading Was built up until it resembled Freddie and his defined facial appearance. 

Equipment used to produce this drawing: 
1 sheet of 100 gsm sketch pad paper (A4); 
1 HB pencil; 
1 B pencil; 
1 3B pencil; 
1 6B pencil.

 

Produced: Autumn of 2019 

What was the inspiration for this drawing? 

Unfortunately, as Herman was my mother's dog, prior to my birth, I was unable to meet him in person. That being said, my mother’s passionate description of his beautiful personality and appearance inspired me to replicate his presence in a drawing, of which I could present to her. This drawing provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate my ability to use grid scaling and shading to produce an accurate portrayal of something I had no physical contact with or the ability to research. This taught me to be adaptive within my skills and reflect on emotion as a guidance of art- not just a picture from online. 

How I produced this drawing: 

An original photograph was captured, however, the image of Herman was very small. I scaled up the image to get the correct proportions then used pencils to complete the correct shading. 

 

What inspired me to produce this sketch?

 This is a simple sketch of a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder. Its unique shape, incorporating hexagonal features, creates an immediately recognisable design to any automobile enthusiast, even when observed in small sections of the car. Lamborghini has ensured that its product cannot be confused for anything beneath its consumer's expectations, or cars produced by its competitors. This results in extremely fine details, which contribute to the greater beauty of the car as a whole. The design not only pleases any admirer of the appearance of sports cars but is also built for purpose, which is an important skill in architecture as not only must a building represent it’s owners desires, but it must also be safe and practical for commercial or domestic use. The Lamborghini Huracan is a truly inspirational design concept. 

How I produced this sketch: 

I drew this simple sketch from a model I had of this car. I used simple lines to form the shape of the panels which give this car its unique angular design. 

Equipment used to produce this drawing: 

1 sheet of 100 gsm sketch pad paper (A4); 

1 HB pencil; 

1 B pencil; 

1 3B pencil; 

1 6B pencil; 

1 300mm ruler; 

1 model car.

 

Produced on the 12th of January 2021

Inspiration for this Piece:

Having been an aviation enthusiast all my life, attending the Royal Air Force Air Cadets where I took control of a Grob Tutor G115, I have always been thoroughly captivated in interest for the collaboration of physics and art, exhibited by the production of Aircraft for their unique purposes. The F-14 Tomcat provided a perfect opportunity for me to reproduce this passion in analysis of its various components, which allow it to surpass the velocity of 2.34 Mach at altitudes of 3000km- a true exhibition of the capabilities of design and engineering. Its unique structure, maintaining streamline and pressure tolerance, is immediately recognisable, this provided a challenge when drawing, to accurately demonstrate my ability within angular sketches, showing a 3 point perception whilst being careful to not lose the F-14’s iconic features.

How I produced this sketch: 

Having physically witnessed a display from the F-14 Tomcat, I used my recollection to determine which features made this aircraft iconic, sampling rough sketches of wing structures, including positioning of ailerons and tail alignment with the fuselage and engines. I then collected the ideas I had produces from these sketches and compared them with stock images online to measure consistency and ensure accuracy in my final artistic impression. From here I used a HB pencil to sketch a faint outline of these features, connecting them with a B pencil and layering the drawing with shading, using other varieties of pencil. I also used a faint brushing motion of the rubber to replicate the reflection of light on the wings. 

Equipment used to produce this drawing: 

1 sheet of 100 gsm sketch pad paper (A4); 

1 HB pencil; 

1 B pencil; 

1 3B pencil; 

1 6B pencil; 

1 exam standard (Black) rubber.

 

Produced on the 28th of January 2021

Inspiration for this piece:

Taken from a hotel I stayed at in Phuket, Thailand, the architecture of this resort encompassed my full passion for designing buildings that are sympathetic, yet unique and of contribution to their environment. The Hotel was secluded within a natural jungle surrounding, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. This free aesthetic treasure was an optimised feature, considered thoroughly by the architects. The waving foundations of the building not only represented the aquatic turbulence from tides ahead, but also allowed residents to feel as though they were not surrounded by manmade structures, but taking a leisurely swim in a natural water setting. Moreover, another feature I admired within the architecture of this hotel was its ability to collaborate traditional Thai building features with modern demands for simple yet effective designs.

 How I produced this sketch: 

This image was taken from a photograph I took whilst on holiday. I used pastels to create the colour and give a sense of the panoramic view that the architect achieved when designing this building. 

Equipment used to produce this drawing: 

1 sheet of 100 gsm sketch pad paper (A4); 

1 HB pencil; 

1 B pencil; 

1 3B pencil; 

1 6B pencil; 

Coloured Pencils; 

1 Sky blue Oil Pastel; 

1 Lime Green Oil Pastel.

 

Produced on the 2nd of February 2021

This Piece of Abstract Artwork was requested to me by a family member. Given his iconic appearance, I gladly accepted the request and decided to make it abstract in order to replicate Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones- using a simple modern concept to make a detailed and complex, yet traditional piece of artwork- a portrait. 

Produced on Canvas, this piece of work demonstrates my ability to create a recognisable and detailed representation of a person or object, whilst only using minimalistic lines. Firstly, the process began with a basic sketch, using a HB pencil, which determined the characteristics people could associate to Jeff Lynne- for example: the dimensions of his face; hairlines; body language and expressions. Once adjusted to a distinguishable level, using a grid for scale, it was replicated on a thicker piece of card, with definition applied using softer and darker pencils, such as 3B. This enabled me to recognise critical lines and those which were not necessary for the minimalistic nature of line drawing. I then carefully used a Stanley knife to cut along critical lines, producing a stencil from my second sketch. This stencil was then traced with a sharpie marker, reproducing the critical lines onto my piece of canvas. Once the entire stencil had been outlined, the card was removed, leaving an abstract image.

 

Produced on November 23rd 2020

Produced on Canvas, this piece of work demonstrates my ability to create a recognisable and detailed representation of a person or object, whilst only using minimalistic lines. 

How I produced this drawing:

Firstly, the process began with a basic sketch, using a HB pencil, which determined the characteristics people could associate to Conor McGregor- for example: the dimensions of his face; hairlines; body language and expressions. Once adjusted to a distinguishable level, using a grid for scale, it was replicated on a thicker piece of card, with definition applied using softer and darker pencils, such as 3B. This enabled me to recognise critical lines and those which were not necessary for the minimalistic nature of line drawing. I then carefully used a Stanley knife to cut along critical lines, producing a stencil from my second sketch. This stencil was then traced with a sharpie marker, reproducing the critical lines onto my piece of canvas. Once the entire stencil had been outlined, the card was removed, leaving an abstract image.

 I added a few simplistic hair structures to help assist in directing the spectator’s thought process, ensuring they understood which features they were looking at and allowing them to identify the presented icon, without disturbing the beauty of simplicity in abstract art. 

 

This slide aims to demonstrate my innovative ability, used to produce a practical yet stylish product for a specified context. It shows my artistic ability is not limited to an aesthetically pleasing hobby, but also has the foundation of an ability to demonstrate the construction and use of a complex item. 

The scenario I was provided with was the need to design and manufacture a product, used to enhance the experience of festival attendees. I immediately researched common issues experienced by my target consumer, finding a niche which had scalability for mass production and demand. I realised that few individuals were fortunate to physically see exhibitions, due to the large crowds which accumulate at festivals. In response to this, my design idea was a stool which featured both extendable and compact legs, allowing for multiple levels of use. At its full extension, the stool provided a comfortable seat. When partly retracted, the stool offered a standing platform- suitable for the average weight of an adult. The legs could then be fully retracted to flatten for practical storage. 

The drawings above provide an exploded diagram of my product. This allowed me to appreciate my own objectives during construction- providing guidance on how the product should be assembled and function when completed. Thanks to these simple drawings the construction was a success, the product exceeded my expectations and I was awarded a Grade 9. 

Produced 30th January 2021

My inspiration for producing this drawing:

Based on the view from my bedroom window, this drawing displays a familiar influence on my architectural interest.  It encompasses the historic beauty of Georgian architecture within modern society, whilst demonstrating awareness of the aesthetic luxury found within nature, ensuring the architectural contribution does not intrude on the green scene of fields located at the end of the road. Used to model the construction of new domestic buildings in the local estate, each quarter of houses on my street provides a uniformed attempt at achieving a unique use of the land provided, whilst maintaining a symmetrical shape and colour scheme of bricks. 

Equipment used to produce this drawing:

1 sheet of 100 gsm sketch pad paper (A4);

1 HB pencil;

1 B pencil;

1 3B pencil;

1 6B pencil;

1 exam standard (Black) rubber;

1 300mm ruler.