Study Task 2; Reflective Practice & Professional Contexts

Products// Contexts// Functions of Illustration

NOTES

- Physical and conceptual contexts can be attributed to illustration

- Can anything be illustration? // What can illustration be?

Drawing - Image making - Illustration

DRAWING; process, research, exploration

IMAGE MAKING; shape, composition, colour, visual language, consideration

ILLUSTRATION; context, communication, solving problems, function

-Illustration is a broad term, can mean a lot of different things

-What is illustration to me? // What do I want it to be?

SIX STARTING POINTS FOR THE CONTEXT OF ILLUSTRATION IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTIES

- Publishing and book design

- Editorial and Reportage

- Character and Narrative

-Product and Packaging

- Retail and Merchandise

- Object and Environment

Three examples of contexts of illustration within the creative industries and possible products, contexts and functions

TASK

PUBLISHING AND BOOK DESIGN

The Dark; Children's Book by Jon Klassen

Monologues for the coming Plague; Graphic Novel by Anders Nilsen

Nobrow 9 'Quiet'; Collection ft Various Artists//Illustrators

Dear Self; Own Zine to be sold at Thought Bubble

Oh Comely; Interview with Illustrator Kaye Blegvad

PRODUCT AND PACKAGING 

IKEA 'Tree Bark' Noteblock

Charlotte Mei 'BRB' cap

Lize Medding wooden pin bought at Thought Bubble 2014

Scottish Shortbread tin from M&S 2013

Mibo 2015 calendar 

CHARACTER AND NARRATIVE

Mingjue Helen Chen's Monkey King as featured in the book LOVELY; Ladies of Animation

David Colman character sketches for his Character Design book 'Bears

Concept art for Disney's Rapunzel by Glen Keane

Face Sculpts for Laika's Paranorman

Amelie Flechais' book Le Petit Loup Rouge

EDITORIAL AND REPORTAGE 

Sam Taylor for NME Magazine

Laura Carlin for 'Inside a Rape Trial' by Barbara Toner

Anna Kövecses for Diagnosis, The New York Times Magazine

Louise Rosenkrands: Choice of Education

Withdraw from Tim Brown on Vimeo.

Big Heads; Kyle Webster

Big Heads; Kyle Webster

NOTES

Based in North Carolina between the mountains and beach

Traveled a lot as a child

Illustrated annuals opened his eyes to what an illustrator was

Society of Illustrators; got him work in 2003

Realization he could create work then find a market for it// didn't have to wait for brief's to come in

Figure drawing//life drawing was very important to him; a lot of time spent on it

Adaptable and diverse; confidence in drawing important

Considers himself "a working man's illustrator"

Being open minded can make for a longer career

Brushes used by over 100,000 people

Success of brushes largely because it was what artists wanted; something more analog 

"You have to be able to draw properly to utalise your tools"

WHAT MAKES GREAT ILLUSTRATION

"If it goes beyond simply decorating a page"

ADVISE

"Pay more attention to colour theory"

"Stay late to be better at drawing!

"Learn more about contracts, rights, fair fees ect"

Sarah McNeil

Peach Spell Zine

SARAH MCNEIL

- Lovely use of print for both limited edition run of risograph prints and zines

- Strong use of colour

-The juxtaposition of text and image works very emotively, something I want to try to do more of in my own work

- Feels very personal and hand crafted

- Self initiated work sold on Etsy; making personal things assessable and relatable

- Abstract story telling

- Nostalgic 

http://400pencils.com

Sleep Zine

PUPS Zine

Made You Look

Made You Look from Look and Yes on Vimeo.

Recently myself and a few of my peers went to Hyde Park Picturehouse to see Made You Look. The viewing also contained an post screening Q&A discussion with current practitioners, Leeds based Colours May Vary owners and a co-producer of the film.

I absolutely loved this film, the discussion between digital and analog and the dependency of one on another was a debate I was very interested in hearing about; the renascence of analog illustration in the current industry was also comforting to hear.

What really struck me about this film however was that illustration can be MEANINGFUL! Although there is a very strong sense that illustration is highly commercial, what I liked about this film was that illustrators were being commercial successful whilst SAYING SOMETHING with their art. A lot of the practitioners talked about the importance of the real world and doing things on their own. It really got me thinking about my own practice and what I want it to be. I want to feel as though my illustrations have a sense of real world authentisitcy about them rather than just being a replica of the 'in' style of illustration. 

Study Task 1 - Who am I? Why am I here?

STUDY TASK 1

IDENTIFY 5 THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED SO FAR ON THIS PROGRAMME 

- Bad drawings are useful drawings

- It's okay to struggle

- Things are easier if you're enjoying it (don't force things//do things last minute)

- Blogging through problems can be extremely useful

- Illustration isn't just 'pretty pictures'

IDENTIFY 5 THINGS YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

- Ceramics (process and production)

- Illustrators as 'graphic artists' 

- Self publishing and branding (own zines//merch ect)

- Working as an illustrator (pay//taxes//business ext) 

- Developing my tone of voice

IDENTIFY 5 SKILLS YOU THINK ARE YOUR STRENGTHS

- Being passionate

- Self discipline

- An eagerness to get better//push myself

- Be honest with myself about my work (ciritical)

- Craft

IDENTIFY 5 THINGS YOU WANT TO IMPROVE

- To push my skills in craft to a more proffessional finish

- Make sure I stay on top of blogging and manage time well

- Being more exhaustive in research and scamping//sketch booking

- Translating more imidiate and expressive mark making that comes across in sketchbook play into final work 

- Putting my illustration into new contexts and products

IDENTIFY 5 PRACTITIONERS THAT DEMONSTRATE YOUR INTEREST IN ILLUSTRATION

- Charlotte Mei

- Babs Tarr

- Sarah McNeil

- Lizzy Stewart 

- Hellen Jo

IDENTIFY 5 WEBSITES//ONLINE RESOURCES THAT DEMONSTRATE YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST WITHIN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

- ItsNiceThat

- Instagram

-Varoom-mag

- Oh Comely

- Etsy