Discovery of Gouache

I decided to try using gouache after it was recommended to me by multiple people on my course and I am so glad that I took their advice. After mark making on a separate sheet of paper this was the first result of me playing around with gouache. I found the process so much fun! Textures can be created using dry brush but also I discovered that tone can also be blended with the addition of a little bit of water. I have been looking for a method to use without constantly reaching for the ink all the time. Using a brush instead of a pen to create different thickness's of line is something I have really been enjoying and want to incorporate into my work more.

Edward Gorey - Process

The World of Edward Gorey

Whilst browsing the library I came across this book which highlights the way in which Gorey works and how he gets from an initial idea to a final outcome. I found this very interesting as I often find myself trying to resolve ideas too quickly and become too bogged down in making a drawing look good than with the experimentation.

These pages in particular informed my own practice. Gorey's work is very crafted and detailed aesthetically, so I was a bit surprised to find that his sketchbooks actually contain a lot of naive drawings and very quick annotated ideas. 

I feel that I am getting better at loosening up and becoming a bit more free in the way I work. Seeing established practitioners' sketchbook pages has reassured me that I can be a bit more experimental. I am starting to realise that the way in which I tackle a project by trying out materials and roughing as much as possible is integral to the final outcome.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcianddeth/sets/72157623540530883/

http://www.webworksgallery.co.uk/iw-edward-gorey-prints.php

Matt Rockefeller - Purpose

http://www.theconceptartblog.com/2015/09/25/bonitos-trabalhos-no-portfolio-de-matt-rockefeller/

This illustration by Matt Rockefeller actually made me feel quite sad about future generations and the childhood they will have in comparison to the older generation. We now live in a world obsessed with technology and the simple things we enjoyed like jumping in puddles in wellies are pushed aside for fancy games consoles, apps, television and films. 

Although I think these have a place within entertainment, the way Rockefeller shows the discarded console highlights the simplicity of having fun with friends. It takes me back to a time when technology wasn't as present in any of our minds. A fun day with friends meant playing outside building 'birds nests', climbing trees, getting stuck, falling over, digging holes in the garden and just generally exploring nature and the incredible world around us. Childhood usually contains some of the fondest memories in someone's life and I worry that with the development of technology, future generations wont have anything to remember but a computer screen.

Our imagination was always active in the games we played together. Whilst playing a game on-screen there seems to be an absence of mental participation, everything is decided for you and the entertainment is provided with minimal effort from the viewer.

Kevin Keele - Drawing

http://beawesome.blogspot.co.uk

I really love looking into other practitioners' sketchbooks, it gives me so much insight into the process of how an illustrator works. Kevin Keele's work interested me due to the use of texture and tone on a neutral coloured paper. I feel that sometimes just using a white background can be restricting and would like to try more ways of producing tone in a more constructive way. The characterisation demonstrated on this page is something I was also intrigued by, the dramatisation of features such as teeth, chins and noses work well in describing an expression. I am making a conscious effort to look at a variety of ways in which illustrators produce characters in the hope that some of this will rub off on me.

Heywood Wakefield Ad - Context

http://rogerwilkerson.tumblr.com/post/95737045941/comfort-is-our-business-detail-from-1951-heywood

I found this Ad by Heywood Wakefield transport a really clever way of promotion. The people surrounding the train seems disorganised and chaotic in relation to the people inside the train. 

This would appeal to different types of people. At this time (1951) women would have had to most likely look after the children while the men went off to work. The idea of this dynamic is clearly represented in the imagery within the picture, there is a business man and a mother and son sat calmly on the train. The way the characters are portrayed on the outside of the train is clearly to represent the stress of early morning travel. Even the man in the car outside the carriage looks angry and confrontational, therefore contrasting and suggesting the ease of train transportation. Composition is key within this image, something I want to consider more when planning my own work, particularly editorial and advertising briefs. Here it is quite simple in the way the sections are separated, but effective nevertheless. The message of the illustration is subtle but conveying a message almost subconsciously to a passer-by.

The Monster Project - Content

http://www.brwnpaperbag.com
Marie Bergeron

http://www.brwnpaperbag.com/page/2/

Melanie Matthews

http://www.brwnpaperbag.com/page/2/

Zoe Persico

I really love the idea behind this project. Children have such a great crazy imagination, a carelessness and freedom when drawing. There are no inhibitions when it comes to proportions and mark making. Bringing the notion of this to life in a well crafted final image is quite humorous and nostalgic to a viewer. It combines a child's imagination with adult craftmanship.

Looking at the children's drawings made me remember the joy I had as a child and the excitement of finding out what my final picture would look like. I see this enthusiasm in my little sister now, something I like to encourage, creativity is a great outlet and gives people a unique way of looking at the world. To be honest I don't think that feeling has ever left me which is why I ended up on an Illustration course!

Daniel Danger, Guy Davis and Guillermo Del Toro - Product

http://screenrant.com/crimson-peak-mondo-posters/
Daniel Danger, Guy Davis and Guillermo Del Toro

http://geektyrant.com/news/2013/8/15/take-a-look-inside-guillermo-del-toros-sketchbook#0ktFk5pBpzji8eIr.32
Inside Guillermo Del Toro's Sketchbook

For a few years I have had a keen interest in film/theatre posters and concept art. This interest was encouraged through my job working at an arena and theatre back home in Nottingham where I get to see a lot of advertising and artwork for the promotion of the shows. I recently took out a book from the library of Guillermo Del Toro's work, as I am a fan of his work in films like 'Pan's Labyrinth', where the imagery produced is very imaginative and atmospheric. In contrast to Del Toro's films being enhanced by stunning lighting and naturalistic visual effects, I was quite surprised to find his sketch's quite lo-fi and expressive.

There seems to be a running theme that work produced to an exceptional standard that demonstrates a vast amount of craftmanship starts off as a simple sketch. I have learnt a lot through looking at work which shows this kind of process and have a new found confidence when working through reflective ideas in my sketchbook.

Yukai Du - Aesthetic

http://www.yukaidu.com/Illustration/Dinner-Time-Nobrow-9

I have recently familiarised myself with Nobrow Press as I keep finding myself being very intrigued by everything associated with them! Yukai Du's illustrations, 'Dinner Time', for Nobrow 9 really caught my attention visually. The considered symmetry and careful composition is satisfying and pleasing to the eye. Simple shapes and colours have been effective in creating a sense of light and characterisation of the people.

Looking further into Du's work on http://www.yukaidu.com/ I have found the ways in which shape is used to create animation and simple movements within an illustration fascinating. I would like to try straightforward animation at some point during the course.

Hisashi Okawa - Image Making

http://pon-chan.tumblr.com/post/111356436306

I was particularly drawn to Hisashi Okawa's work due to her use of repetition and pattern to create an image. Collage is something I want to try more of, whether that's digitally or by using cut out paper and creating my own textures. Trying these methods in my Visual Language projects has been very useful.

The bold lines and monochrome colour scheme make different elements within the image stand out and draw your eye in. A limited colour palette that contains light and shade really works for this piece in particular.

Jon Klassen - Illustration

http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2013/03/review-the-dark/

http://joannalurie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/jon-klassen-visual-development-and.html

Jon Klassen is one of my favourite Illustrators at the moment, ever since I discovered him when researching way to characterise a figure. I especially enjoy the way he uses light within his imagery to create an atmosphere and a sense of depth to a story whilst not over-complicating the detail.

The way in which the narrative is being told within the images is simple yet an effective in conveying a message to an audience. Subtlety is something I am very conscious of, I really want to work on the concepts and ideas behind a piece of work before jumping ahead to concluding a project in my mind.