Welcome to the Graphic Design & Illustration portfolio created by:
Kerry McHarron
Over the last 18 months I have carried out work as a student with the OCA: The OCA is an Open University studying the arts.
The degree I decided to focus on is BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. Mid 2025 and nearly two units into the course, I realised I enjoyed what I was doing and felt I would benefit more with a hands-on approach and that the possibility of applying to study at a bricks and mortar University might be a possibility.
While I do like to study on my own, I realised quickly how much more I could learn / benefit from face-to-face conversations, the ability to discuss a topic and get almost instant feedback if I’m on two minds about my work.
What started off with the idea of completing a degree for myself, for self-gratification and the desire to learn, is now turning into possibilities…
I still don’t know what I am doing or where I want to go with this, but I do know I’m open to ideas as well as the obvious and finishing a degree.
Below I have added work from the degree so far. I have tried to pick work that met the learning outcomes or that I feel may be relevant with certain areas of learning.
Following on from that I have added a section for sketch work and then finally finishing with other work. Each section explains what it is and hopefully will be easy enough to follow.
My first year is split into 3 units 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3:
The work below is mainly from units 1.1 and 1.2 (I'm still studying unit 1.3.)
The brief was to create an exhibition poster. I picked a museum from the list provided.
We needed to add the title and subtitle as – Metamorphosis, the Battle Ground.
We were expected to break down the brief, use the knowledge we had learnt through research and exercises about the grid and golden section to layout the poster.
The task in hand is to create a visual alphabet for the ICAO. I carried out research tasks and exercises which enabled me to create a set of my own.
The brief was to create 3 music guides related to a genre of music that we chose from a list provided and relate it to a city that is known for that type of music.
Use the genre and the city to design the guides. In my case I chose Soul music, New York, Memphis and London.
Click below to see the break down and reasoning behind my design.
Hi ....
This was an exercise we did on photomontage. We carried out research on different practitioners nad then we had to come up wit our own photomontages on current events, I think it was.
I decided to work on pollution and the environment to create my photomontage which hopefully speaks for itself. Click below to see more on the process and more images.
Here you will find a selection of print making images. from two exercises.
this was about learning new techniques or methods of printing from in and around the home then editing them on photoshop.
We had to pick a song, break it apart and create an album cover for that song. I chose a song I didn't. know, nor did I now the artist.
I broke it down and came up with a selection of covers. Click below to see the working out and other images.
Create a Place card with regards to typography. We needed to find imformation with regards to typeography whetehr its for or agasint it ans use that to make the card.
Click below to see the break down and further images.
This exercise was about redesigning a book cover and taking it away from the orginal covers. Using the knowledge we learnt through rearch task exercise.
For this exercise we was learning about Logotypes. Click below to my workings out and futher information.
We where learning about animation and stop animation. We where asked to create a GIF using a piece of fruit or vegetable, this was an exercise we had to complete.
I have added a GIF if it doesn't work after the initial page loading, please reload again and scroll down.
Create a logotype for a cycling club in your logo area, including the name (dont offer think the name) and be sure to incorparate the greenwheel collective logo in the project too.
Please click below for further details and images.
This assignment we focused on packaging sustainability and considering branding, all packaging needs of a take away food business, I chose to focus on a food truck at a festival.
Please click below for a full run down on the assignment with a back up logo, packaging and apparel mockups to.
Focusing on deliverables and the materiality of the deliverables, we where asked to create a poster for a circus. We needed to pick the area it would be set in, as well as create our own brief.
Using the knowledge we had collected from the previous exercise where we took rubbings and images of material objects, we needed to consider this in the assignment.
The full brief can be found on the first image once you click read more below.
This project was based around deliverables and the materiality and an introduction to prop making through research, exercises and this assignment.
Inspired to create
Sketch work compilation
Sketch work
My creative drawing ended in high school and while I did pick up a paint brush from time to time it was mainly for business reasons. I would draw and paint cartoons using acrylic paint, I don’t think I had the patience’s to do anything other.
Fast forward 20 plus years, and with the idea of applying for this degree I knew I needed to come up with some sort of sketches.
So, over the last 6 months I have managed to collect some work together, drawing a selection of different things in the hope it fits what you’re looking for.
Grid Work
I recently learnt about the grid and the benefits of using it and initially I thought it sounds like cheating and felt that it wasn’t a route I wanted to take if I was trying to build new skills, little did I know it’s not that simply and using the grid is a skill. I flew through so many drawings and found something I knew I would like.
Below I have added incomplete drawings done using the grid method as well as a further drawing of a pencil pot design I completed.
All the images have a description and a link for you to click on to see further related images. Please click the images to enlarge and scroll.
Penny Wise
Tazmanian Devil
Penny Wise... seem wuite fitting for me to draw Penny wise since I have made several cakes on him. I orginal picture his hand was on the floor and there isnt a boat these are elements I added.
This felt quite a technical drawing for me, and I was on the brink of quitting, but I persevered and was impressed by how well the grid method worked for what I was doing.
Another piece unfinished but I would like to finish this with water colour and pencil at some point.
Nothing technical to see here, just a few grid drawings of cartoon charachters that I did to practice the grid.
I created them from reference photos. I did start teaching myself how to colour using the coloured pencils as you will see with one of the images but unfortunatly my nephew like it to and wanted to add his signature.
I like the idea of learning how to draw hyperealistic and retro items like weighing scales, bubble gum machines, skates and well a telephone. I wanted to see if I could do a similar method as I did with the pencil pots to draw the phone without using a full sized grid.
Resizing the phone, coming across problems and then successfully sizing the phone up in scale to create a large phone on a A3 piece of paper (Starting with a A4 sheet of paper).
Learning quickly I realised the method I chose to create the first image of the phone from the reference is of course not the most ideal but it did teach me more than I could of learnt trying to draw the image from eye.
Valuable lessons like this as well as all the sketching as shown me a new way to draw. I have been used to eye balling something and now I'm realsing how much shapes come into it.
Retro Telephone
I wanted something to display my coloured pencils, but I also wanted the design to show my love for baking, as well as being able to use my hands to make it - as in sculpting. (I haven't made this, but I have every intention too.)
The idea of this was to learn a new method of drawing up a design as a set and making sure each design is the same on each page (size and shape).
This is something I wouldn't normally do, but now I have done it, I feel it’s an efficient way to draw the same repeated image with accuracy and there for reducing frustration and time.
Click below to see further images.
Pencil Pot Design
** Please note since I do not have any other self directed Graphic Design or Illustration work I added a previous hobby / job in relation to that.
Cake & Bakes - The hobby
While this isn’t graphic design related, I do feel many lessons were learnt that are transferable: Three years ago, I decided to close my business as a self-employed cake maker / cake shop owner.
Many years were spent building a business, a following of happy returning customers, or people who generally just wanted to see me do well.
Starting off with two jobs, making cakes before and after a 12-hour shift. Prepping and time management was a huge commitment, with the need to produce fresh and most of the time, complex cakes.
The constant communication with the customer or sometimes but rare, lack of (which creates its own problem) The need for direct communication with clarity are all transferable skills.
Most of the cakes I made started with an idea and then a quick sketch (rough) this followed by sometimes months of messages, and on occasions, last minute cakes which don’t have that opportunity… so you need to be precise and clear within days.
Then usually, the cake regardless of the size, would be cooked, made and picked up within 3 days ready for the event.
I went on to open a shop selling freshly made bakes - open 5 days a week then eventually 2 days, when I realised, I couldn’t do it all by myself. The time and skill that went into these bakes was challenging and yet each time I had the desire to learn and succeed which I did. The shop had a five-star rating and was mainly run by myself with the help of my daughter.
I do like the sculpting side of making cakes and this can be shown in my work. I like a technical challenge, like making a face out of chocolate or the perfectly balanced macaron, a donut or the perfect éclair…. I always put all I can into the work I complete.
That is why I’m here today and going outside my comfort zone and challenging myself to do this course – I believe since starting the Graphic Design Degree with the OCA that I have a lot more to give, I feel like I have an opportunity like I haven’t before, there is no pressure to earn like all the creative tasks I have done before, this time it's for me.
Old cake Sketches
This was not something I kept but I did find a few cake sketches that I was able to add.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to look through my website, as well an apology in advance if there seems to be one to many cake pictures above. I’m proud of what I have achieved with regards to the cakes. It was hard to pick, so I may have got a little carried away.
I do hope all the links and pages worked ok and that there weren’t any issues.
Thank you
Kerry
Doll on a rocking
chair
Be it a floating hat, a dog that waggles its tale or a face made of chocolate. Maybe something that stands a little too tall, something cute or something that will scare you in the night! Something pretty or weird or balancing not quite right... that is what I did.
Internal structures or something basic it didn't matter, if the customer said do you think? I would always find a way to make it possible. (This cannot be done in all areas of work but with the cake business it was ok)
How about a cake doll on a chair that rocks, with lights? Yep... I got you!