Illustration 1: Key steps in illustration- Part 1: Getting Started-Exercise 2: Getting the gist
Choose an editorial from a newspaper or magazine. Read it for information or pleasure as you would ordinarily. Read it again and this time highlight or underline key words which you think are important to conveying the meaning of the piece overall. You may find that you are choosing a single word per sentence or that your selection is dispersed throughout the text and denser in some areas than others.
Read the text again. You may well find that your understanding of the text changes as you re-read it. This time focus specifically on the words that you have already selected. With a different colour, jot down the words that summarise the meaning of the entire text. Depending upon the nature of the content, this may be one single sentence or a string of words. This process of distilling and condensing the text will help focus on the message that needs to be communicated.
The words that result from this process are your starting point. You can now say to yourself “I’m going to create an image about….”
Now have a go at an illustration for your text. Try a number of different ideas or variations. Keep the drawings together with the text so you can refer back to them.
I chose an old newspaper I had at random and then looked for an article with a title that could be interesting to work with. I began by highlighting important sentences within the text, later breaking them down into words I felt represented the feel of the article.
I then went onto breaking the words down into the most important of them, until I reached a singular word that I felt defined the whole article. The word that I reached was ‘search’.
Focusing on the words I had written down, in particular ‘search’ I looked through various magazines, old and new for imagery/type/colour. I went onto collaging the items physically, scanning/photographing them and reprinting, adding further texture/mark making.
I tested with physically/digitally applying paint marks and decided to use the digital version. I felt that the concept captured the ideas within the article but I wasn’t very pleased with the end result, I felt it looked non intentional and incomplete.
I moved onto creating a digital design combining images found previously. I wanted to create an abstract landscape as sketched very roughly in one of my thumbnail sketch ideas.
I referred to the top left thumbnail sketch and played around with different layers/textures. I printed/re-scanned the illustration to add texture, I feel that this may of been too much and appears unintentional as opposed to adding to the image. Looking back, perhaps different textures/compositions/imagery could’ve been tested with.
After Tutor feedback:
In the work on the right ‘Michelle Thomspon: 1’ the illustration interacts well with the text. The text has been considered and fills the negative space of the illustration. The image of Big Ben works around the text and the texture of the background is a similar tone/hue to the black of the text. Even the collage material on the right is aligned with the text on the right, balancing the negative space at the top of the page. Moving forwards with future designs I should consider the context first when planning, considering colour and composition not only to add meaning but to apply to the context of the design.
Nazario Graziano’s illustrations work very well within an editorial context. Graziano’s style becomes very clear when collating some of his editorial work. When looking at each design individually the smaller details of encompassing text/colour/composition prove to be very sophisticated.
I particularly like the work on the right. The design feels complete and flows as the text is encompassed within it. The blues for the sky at the top of the design are continued onto the text, which itself then acts as part of the sky. The white text within the blue boxes not only stands out but acts as a part of the clouds. The red logo is included at the bottom which balances the red of the woman’s face and from the blood on the knife. I really like the flow of this design and how it’s expressive yet functional.
The work on the right has a relatively simple layout, especially when compared to that of Grazino’s illustration above (which combined text and image synonymously) yet is still very considered and sophisticated. The use of negative space here is really interesting. The collage on the left bleeds into the black background and so does the black text on the right which is placed on off-white blocks breaking it up into columns.
‘Spend time exploring typical design aspects of editorial Illustration. Add in some examples of Illustrators who work in editorial, discuss their personal approaches to format, colour, design and content. Consider how the image might interact with the text.’
I began by looking at Michelle Thompson, an illustrator who’s work I have followed for a long time. When looking through her website specifically at editorial work, I noticed that her style resonates across the work, but also changes dependant upon the context/format.
Chris Burnett is a multi-disciplined artist which is massively inspiring. Working in collage, music production, clothing, photography he has an individual, interesting style. Burnett’s collage style illustrations really interest me. They appear chaotic and eye catching, yet still containing and conveying meaning. I went onto looking at his editorial work.
This allows the 2 pages to feel a part of each other and interacts with one another. The subject matter (police brutality in the US) is brilliantly matched with the flag shape including colours; red, white, blue, black, white, representing racial issues, violence and American culture.
My tutor spoke about considering how the image would sit alongside font and how it would interact with what’s around it. They suggested creating a mock up.
I took the original photo taken of the article and quickly added my final design. I immediately noticed how the text I had used within my illustration appears as if it is part of the newspaper article, which could be a problem. This also almost blends in with the article, taking away from the illustrations impact.
This served as a good reminder to me to always consider the context of the design and to not get carried away with an initial idea. The illustration worked better standing alone (white background) but when placed near other text it does not work very well.
