Art & Design
Other people's ideas - the internet - your journal's 'look'
Your work journal should include primary sources (your own work) and secondary sources (other people's material from books, magazines, the internet, etc).
This Revision Bite will explain more about secondary sources, and show how to use them to make your work journal look good.
Drawing from secondary sources
Secondary sources are images that have already been created by someone else. They will help your observational skills, and develop your understanding of a theme, subject or artist.
Secondary sources can include photographs and other images. Just like drawing from primary sources, drawing from secondary sources will develop your observational skills. However, this time it is about examining sources created by another person.
The work of artists
No matter what your coursework or examination assignment is, there is a very good chance that other artists have already explored the same themes. Use their works of art to develop your observational skills, to deepen your knowledge and understanding and to create your own ideas.
Don't forget that different artists will interpret the same theme in different ways. If your theme is landscapes, then there is a huge difference between the photographs of Ansel Adams and the paintings of the Impressionists. Look at as many examples as you can and make a note of the differences between them.
Click on the image to see a bigger version. (If you have Flash, click Magnify to see the detail - to remove the viewfinder just click Magnify again.)
Using books and magazines
Examples of secondary sources
Books and magazines provide a lot of interesting materials that you can include in your work journal. You can cut out images from magazines or photocopy pictures from books.
If you are taking images or information from a book or magazine try to annotate it. Explain what you find interesting about what you have chosen to include in your work journal. Make a note of where you found the information and images as well, as you may wish to pursue this stream of thought at a later date.
Using the internet
The web is a huge resource for research material to include in your work journal. However, there is so much material on the internet that you could waste a lot of time looking for something that you can use in your work journal.
Watch
Reema talks about how she conducted her secondary research on textile artist Rachel Howard.
Before you go onto the web always be clear about exactly what you are looking for. That way you will be able to find it much faster and you can then use the time you have saved to work on other things.
Copying text
If you are going to include text from a website, do not just copy and paste. You should be using your own words to express your ideas and experiences. Read through the text on the website that you are looking at and make some notes of the most important points. Then you can write these main points in your work journal, in any way you like.
Don't forget that if you just copy and paste from a website, you are not selecting the information you really need. On top of that, the examiner who looks at your work journal will want to see your work and notes. Copied text from websites is very easy to spot.
Copying images
You can also find vast collections of images on the web that you can include in your work journal. You can save these images by moving the cursor over the image you are interested in, clicking on the right button of the mouse and then scrolling down the menu to 'Save image as'. If you are using a Mac, then just hold the mouse button down until the menu appears.
How to save images
| PC- right click | Mac - hold mouse down | |
|---|---|---|
|  Copyright © BBC |
Be aware of copyright
The images of artworks that you research on the internet cannot be included in your final artworks unless you get permission. There's more about copyright later in this Revision Bite: Secondary Sources: Copyright
To find out more about how to search for copyright free images, which you can use in your artwork, visit Bitesize DiDA's Revision Bite: Web Research.
Cropping images for your work journal
If you are photocopying images from a book, cutting out images from a magazine or using an image you have found online, think about whether you need the whole image or just one or more of the details in it.
If you only want a few details, then you should crop the picture by cutting out those sections you want to include in your work journal.
You can photocopy or print the image out and then cut out the details you want. If it's an online image you could use the cropping tool on any image-editing software, or print it out and then cut it up.
The cropped photo
For instance, in the photograph above there's a llama on a mountain over-looking Machu Picchu in Peru. You could crop this image to cut out the backdrop so you have the llama only, as shown.
Don't fall into the trap of just collecting lots of images to include in your work journal because you can. Before you use any images think about why you need that particular image. Only include an image if there is a good reason for having it.
Visual appeal in your work journal
You should also try to make your work journal visually appealing, so you could use scissors with different cutting edges to create a variety of effects, make use of different coloured pens and so on.
Work journal with relevant images and source text
In this student's work journal Sharmin has used secondary images of models to model the clothes and patterns she has designed. Remember that the images you create (primary) or use (secondary) can be manipulated, overlaid, annotated and built upon.
A word of warning
Don't use secondary images too much - it might look as though you are just trying to fill space. There must always be a reason why you have included something in your work journal.
Make notes
When making use of a secondary image don't forget to read the text that goes with the picture because it will certainly contain information that you can include in your work journal. If you are taking images from a newspaper, then read the news item that goes with the picture and make a note of the important points.
Copyright
Artists and writers own the copyright for anything they have created. They are protected by copyright law - this prevents other people from copying it without their permission.
Copyright law protects anything you can copy - whether it is images or text from books, magazines or the internet. You are allowed to copy images and text for your own private use as long as you do not plan to use it in your own artwork or make any money from it.
If you are including secondary sources in your work journal then that's fine - but do acknowledge where you got them from whereever possible.
If you are planning to use somebody else's work in your artwork, then you must get permission from whoever owns the copyright. The copyright details are usually included in books and magazines on the front page. For TV programmes you may need to contact the production company. Websites usually have copyright information at the bottom of the webpage. For example if you look at the bottom of the BBC Schools website there is a link that says Schools Copyright (bbc.co.uk/schools/copyright/).
Even if you do not need copyright permission, it is always good practice to acknowledge where your images or text come from. It shows the range of sources you have used.