Applied Illustration: Initial thoughts + Study Task 1

Initially we were given the task to gather as many examples of contemporary illustration we could relating to each category. To complete the task my group decided to split into smaller groups and focus on one genre- some books I found in the library relating to various elements of Publishing & Book Design:

Orla Kiely 'Shapes'



Collection of Various Artists 'The Ark Project'

Thames and Hudson 'Fanzines'

Stephen Collins 'The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil'

Lotta Neimenn 'Walk This World'

When searching for material, I had a focus more on Contemporary publications. 

Other Genres/themes to look into: 

Zines, Books, Concertinas, Greetings Cards, Page Layouts, Fonts, Embellishment, Presentation, Spine design, Book Covers, Sleeves, Wrap Arounds, children's books, graphic novels, comics, pop up books and interactive publications (AND MORE)

Publishing Houses

Nobrow

Tate

Penguin

Otto Press

Questions Raised from my Research
How do I push my ideas to make something that's fresh and original?

What is the process of getting something published?/Is it an easy process for an unrecognised artist?

What makes a successful publication? 

Study Task 1

5 Contemporary Illustrators whose practice inspires me;

Tom Clohosy Cole

Screenshot from http://www.tomclohosycole.co.uk

'Wall', and 'Space Race' by Tom Clohosy Cole

This particular artist is one of my all time favourites. His work is often really atmospheric and heartwarming, which is a quality that really inspires my practice. I find his work to be very easy to look at and engage with, which may be because of his beautifully colourful, yet cartoon like style. I am unsure of his method of production, however I know that printing is a significant part of his practice. I really admire the quality in his work that is created through his methods of printing and feel that a really authentic quality is created. His work is also very narrative based, of which he has published a number of books, including The Red Prince, and The Wall. Some of his published works I think are created digitally, which is another element that I am really interested in, however his use of texture etc still maintains an authentic quality in his work. His practice as an illustrator is incredibly diverse, in which he has created book covers, animations, and advertising, each of his works demonstrating an experimental use of digital, and analogue texture. 

His work has also been translated into really effective gifs, which I find really inspirational. His use of colour and the way he draws his characters works perfectly in print and animation. 

 

I am also aware of a music video that he worked on as a background designer; 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVz6TCT5Bjs

Screenshot from She & Him - Baby It's Cold Outside

In terms of the new module, I am really interested in exploring animation as a platform as I have really enjoyed each animation project I have completed on the course. 

Michael Driver

Screenshot from michaeldriver.co.uk

Michael Driver is a London based freelance contemporary illustrator who has recently graduated, yet has been flooded with commissions. His work is often editorial based and does a lot of work for various magazines etc. I love his charming use of character and once again texture, an element i am beginning to identify as something that inspires me a lot, aswell as the use of shape. He is also quite digitally driven, however still maintains an experimental aspect in terms of using texture. 

Some examples of his editorial work:

Once again his images have been effectively translated to animations, which is something that is very up and coming especially for publication websites such as the guardian.