Reflection

My first year of university was completely different from what I expected it to be. I never thaught about how much research you need to do before designing a certain look. Now I understand why in college teachers asked us to always do more sketches, more drawings, but back then I didn't really understand why. I had the idea in my head, why do I need to create more ideas? But now I get it and I really like expetimenting with different looks and creating the final one. This course brought back my creativity, that I lost in college, and made me love drawing and art again.
I always had good grades in history, but I found it very boring, probably because you mostly learn about wars. Our tutors, on the other side, made the Elizabethan and Victorian eras so interesting and really motivated me. Photography, on the other side, is just not my thing. I did try to do my best, but I just don't like it to be honest. What we learned from Chris was very helpful but I just don't see myself going in that direction.

The one thing that I was really scared me was blogging. I am a very open and talkative person when it comes to my social life, but when it comes to my work I get really shy and insecure. I'm worried of what people will think and I'm worried they will judge me. So to have others to see my work online; my sketches, process of thinking, ideas and research all online really made me think; OMG do I have the courage to do this? Turns out, I do. 

In our first semester I worked really hard. I'd wake up early, tryed to be as organized as I can, I made a lot of 'To do' lists  and tried to complete them by Sunday evening. I didn't go out, not even for freshers and I tried to be as focused as I can be. I was quite happy with the feedback that I got from the tutors and decided I would do even more next semester, try harder. Maybe I've put too much stress on myself trying to do as much research as I can, create loads of facecharts (which take me a long time to create), but I ended up having too much work and not enough time to get everything done, and I can't function when I'm under pressure. I even ended up deleting about 20 posts because I didn't like them or just didn't have the time to do further research. 
The Easter break came and went in the blink of an eye. My boyfriend came to London for a visit and I ended up doing nothing for about 12 days (apart for using him as my model, which didn't go very well either). Being a very slow writter that I am, these 12 days had set me back so much, but I managed to get everything done in time. I wasn't expecting to get really high grades, but I wasn't expecting them to be lower than the ones I got for our first semester. 

When it comes to practical side of our projects, I know I shoud have practiced more, but I stayed in the studio a couple of times after the lessons, with my partner, and I did it on myself at home. There was no one I could practice on in my house as my housemates refused to be my models. 
I would say that I was very slow at doing make up at the beginning of the year. When I get stressed my hand starts shaking and it makes it very tricky for me to do the lips, for example, or eyeliner. I try to get the look done as perfectly as I can, so I go over and over until it looks how I imagioned it in my head, but no one is ever going to wait 3 hours for me to get the look done, is it? I got my first timed assessment done just in time, and I can say that I am quite proud of myself. But yes, speed is definitely something I have to work on. Of course I have to work on my make up application, too.
You can see on these photos below how much I have improved from the first practice to the final look. The looks I chose to show here are one from our first project, the New Elizabethans, and one from our last project, where we had to create characters for a horror series, the one I chose was In The Flesh.

Practice

Contemporary Elizabethan - Lady Gaga inspired

Makeup Artist: Antonela Coric

Makeup Designer: Greta B.

Model: Greta B., age 24

(Nov 17th 2014)

Practice

Contemporary Elizabethan - Lady Gaga inspired

Makeup Artist: Antonela Coric

Makeup Designer: Greta B.

Model: Greta B., age 24

(Nov 24th 2014)

 Final look  from the assessment

Contemporary Elizabethan - Lady Gaga inspired

Makeup Artist: Antonela Coric

Makeup Designer: Greta B.

Model: Greta B., age 24

(Nov 26th 2014)

When it comes to the second semester, I think I actually did a better job when I practiced the look for Quentin, than for my final look. It looked more realistic, expecially the blood.

Practice look

Quentin

Makeup artist: Antonela Coric

Model: Vedran Mihelcic

(look created on: April 4th 2015)

Final look look

Quentin

Makeup artist: Antonela Coric

Model: Vedran Mihelcic

(look created on: April 9th 2015)

Moving on to hair... 

I am was never good at doing my own hair, as I could get it looking the way I want it and therefore, most days I would just give up, take all the pins out and do nothing with it. Now, I could actually make an effort with my hair, but I don't have the time (haha). To be honest, I hate when people do my hair as often they're not very gentle and I end up having a headache afterwards. Having bad experience with hairstrylists, hairdressers etc. made me not have a lot of confidence with doing other peoples hair. At the beginning of the year I was very gentle, tried not to pull hair, I'd let other people brush their hair, just because it took me ages since I was so scared. But then the more I practiced the more confidence I got, expecially with the doll head that we have. This is one of the reasons why I decided to go for Wig Work and Postiche as my option this year, I wanted to be more confident in hair and I think that is the area where I should really improve my skills in. Also, I don't find myself being as creative with hairstyles as I am with makeup designs, and I really want to change that. 

Practice on the my partner

Hairstyle for Miss Havisham, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Model: Rachel Stonock

(Hairstyle crated on Feb 17th 2015)

Practice on the doll head

Hairstyle for Miss Havisham, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

(Hairstyle crated on Feb 17th 2015)

Final look

Continuity assessment; first time

Miss Havisham, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Model: Rachel Stonock

(created on Feb 19th 2015)

Final look

Continuity assessment; second time

Miss Havisham, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Model: Rachel Stonock

(created on March 5th 2015)

There are many things I'd like to change in my designs as well as my preformance in the assessments. But I wouldn't do it again if I had a chance. The looks I've created last year are good to look back at and see how much I've improved my skills. I learn from my mistakes and now I know what to do and what not to do next time I create something like this.

This year I will definitely do more practice and try to be as creative as I can when it comes to designing the looks. Also, I would really like to start collaborating with other students and start to build up my portfolio.

Introduction

My name is Antonela Ćorić, although in english you don't have the letter Ć (it is pronouced as ch but very softly), and I don't mind people pronouncing it the wrong way, you can just say Coric. Anyways, I am 21, Croatian and live on the west coast of Croatia. Our summers are extremly hot, but just like here in England, we get a lot of rain. 

I always loved art and was very creative as a child. That is why I decided to go to an Art and Design high school (or college as you call it here), and in my second year I decided I wanted to do graphic design, so that is what I graduated as. I decided to take a gap year, just to see if I actually want to do graphic design at university, or maybe something else. So I spent that year working, and also watching a lot of fashion and lifestyle networks. My favourite programmes were makeover shows, but also Keeping up with the Kardashians, and other shows regarding their crazy family. Every morning the family had a crew that would do their make up and hair and I would always think, "Well that's such a great job to have, to be able to make someone feel pretty and help them be more confident about themselves!". And I loved make up, since I could remember. Lipstick was actually one of my first words (although I couldn't say it correctly for a long time). I asked my mum what she thaught about me becoming a make up artist and she was thrilled. 

We started researching, but, sadly, there are no universities for beauty and makeup in my country, so I knew I would have to find something in the UK. We have family friends living in London, so that was always an option for me, to come and study here, maybe even work. At first, I just wanted to do a three week course, or a few shorter ones. So I came to London to have a look around, and as my friend was applying to university at the time, her mother handed me the papers and told me to write a presonal statement and choose five courses I liked. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be where I am now. I was so excited when I applied, but the first three replies actually said I was declined. Solent was the last university to reply and I was over the moon. After my interview I decided I didn't even want to have one with the university in Birmingham. 
I took the TOEFL exam in October 2013, before I applied to any courses, just to have it. I would've taken IELTS, but to take that test I had to go to either Slovenia or Italy, I coudn't take it in Croatia at the time. But people who I've spoken to at Solent told me I'd need that exam to be able to start this course, and by that time, it was summer, so everyone who worked at the place where I could take it were on holiday, and I had to make a quick (but not very cheap) trip to Southampton to do it there. This was very stressful for me, but hey, I got in! Things started to get complicated again when the website where we had to pay for our accomodation wouldn't let me do the payment, so I gave up and decided to find a house to share with strangers, but in the end it turned out fine. I actually prefer living where I lived (and still live) as I realized I could do my homework and blog without any distractions. 
Another thing that I found very difficult was getting the money to pay for all my living expenses. Croatia doesn't give out student loans, and I, as an international student, can't get the maintenance loan from the UK Government. I did have a scolarship from my hometown, but the first payment comes in January, so I had to rely on my mum to send me money every month, and I didn't want to start working before I get settled, get to know the town etc., and university is my first priority, too.

When it comes to uni itself and the briefs we were given, I found them very interesting, but also very challenging. I didn't have much experience in doing other peoples' makeup, let alone hair, but the tutors here are very patient with us, showed us everything we asked them and were very helpful. 

I've never been away from home for that long and I guess that was the hardest part for me - adjusting, and learning how to live on my own. It was all so new to me. I knew how to cook (well, kinda), but I didn't know how to do my laundry and other stuff grown-ups do (haha!).  Being in a long distance relationship is pretty nerve wracking, too. But I knew that in time, things would get easier and that I would get used to this way of living. It took me a whole year, but now I can say that I've overcome a lot, made amazing new people, grown and changed, in a good way. 
I am looking forward to start my second year here at Solent and all the great things and experience this year will bring me.