I am exploring the world of illustration, looking at different artists work to understand what it means to be an illustrator.
A commercial illustration for the New Yorker. I love this example of David Hughes work. The portrait, although appearing simple, is highly detailed using lots of lines to build up the image. It gives the man lots of character to his expression.
But what I find most interesting is that the illustration is not purely drawing; collage has also been used, including cut outs and an old photograph. It demonstrates the variety available in illustration and also breaks up the look of image nicely.
His illustrations appear to be a combination of print and collage, there are very few hand drawn lines in his finished work. I think that because of this they appear more logical and analytical. There are no rough edges, everything is smooth and precise with no random element making his work seem more like scientific diagrams.
It is also another example of the variety in illustration.
Liza Corbett has a more traditional style of illustration using media such as pencils, inks and watercolour with stunning detail. Her work is very intricate with strange symbolic content. I really like the quirkiness of her illustrations, they transport the viewer to a world beyond. The expressions of her figures are also striking and gives a lot of personality to her characters.
I chose to look at Jonny Hannah because of the extreme amount of typography used. In this case the text has become the illustration rather than just an accompaniment, the myriad of text demonstrates the variety of Shakespeare's work. It is an interesting style that engages the viewer by tempting them to read all the text in the illustration.
Simon Pemberton uses a broad spectrum of media and specialises in recreating textures. As such each piece is unique and very distinct. His style is something that I would not normally implement myself so by looking at his work I can generate different ideas for my own and hopefully experiment with processes I would not have used other wise.
Lucinda Rogers
This is another style that is different to how I would usually approach things. Lucinda Rogers wanted to record buildings or ways of life that changing or disappearing and it reflects in her work. With a combination bold and fine lines, her work looks as if it still 'under construction' and could be changed at any time. Colour is minimal and shows that less can be more.
Edward J Detmold
My personal favourite, having read the Folio Society's Fables of Aesop as a child I adore vivid colours and striking composition. His illustrations are simply beautiful and really brings to life Aesop's characters. Print making was among the techniques he used and it is something that I also wish to explore.
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