Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Kiss Kiss Kill Kill! (show)

Quite conveniently, a show concerning Cold War spy films is being staged in the college gallery. This relates superbly to my current context of Practice project about James Bond.

Many of the films portrayed come across as quick cash-grabs off the tide of success that the Bond films brought in. But obviously, their legacy is much richer than simple 007 clones. 

The aesthetic of the posters bring their own context, some of which were highly evocative of Polish book covers.


 Many have the wonderful 60s pulp-fiction-like painterly aesthetic, but employ use of colour to a higher degree.




This piece appears to be using as many colours as the budget could handle.






In reflection of my own project, I would certainly like to pursue the creation of a series of posters, each of which reflecting the stand-out decades of the Bond franchise... These posters are significant of the 60s period of spy thrillers, I shall definitely refer to them for palette and typeface.

Leeds Zine Fair

During the weekend several of us attended the Leeds Zine fair. I found the stark contrast compared to larger events was quite palpable. While at Thoughtbubble the majority of work was regurgitated popular culture references, the zine fair had a strong contingent of politically motivated practitioners. I was most surprised to see genuine subculture representation from active vegans, punks and mild anarchists. I most enjoyed a short publication called 'Fuck Steampunk' as it re-affirmed my disillusionment with such subcultures (the fixation with commodity festishism in place of actual ideals).

















We also contributed to a collaborative zine created using a risograph machine, which was a fantastic piece of kit, meaning that any attendee could have their designs next to practitioners such as Kristyna Baczynski.



































My contribution was a single zombified skull because I had the unfortunate luck of only having a single battered brush pen with me.









Sunday, 16 March 2014

Study Task 6: What is Illustration for? (Part 1.5)

For further reflective purpose, here are examples of the following items that have appeared in my research:

A Book









Star Wars: Incredible Cross Sections
A bold title, worthy of it's use of syntax. Superbly dense illustrations detailing the fantastical vehicles of the original Star Wars trilogy.

A Magazine Article















A succinct stab at condensing history, it serves the article excellently!
A Website that uses illustration















An interactive blend of animation, illustration and info graphic.
An Agency / Illustrators website







Tyler Stouts website is a visual roller coaster of information geared toward selling his prints.
A 3D object that contains illustration












Peace Tea
Visually dense and technically impressive product design, containing historical characters associated with social reform and peace.

Study Task 6: What is Illustration for? (Part 1)

In reflection of the previous tasks and general undertaking of research, it would be prudent to form a more condensed and lucid investigation of the illustration discipline.

What is Illustration?










Makani

Content

Illustration is deliberate sequential imagery used to convey a narrative, it may or may not additionally attempt to convey emotions and other such subjective themes.




















Tyler Stout

Commercial

It is also the visual communication of information, with the purpose to convince the recipient to purchase a product or buy into an idea.










Ralph Mcquarrie

Concept art

Additionally, it is the tangible visual investigation of concepts and design.












John Holcroft

Editorial

Illustration is the illuminating accompaniment to external information, such as text.





















Lorin Wood

Character

Furthermore, illustration concerns with character, the investigation of concepts, emotion, narrative etc.


What is illustration for, what is it's function?











Hergé

Entertainment

Through sequential imagery illustration may take the form of escapist or illuminating fiction.













Mirko Ilić 

Message

Illustration takes the form of persuasive imagery used to convey a cause or belief.











Rost Graphics Berlin

Audience

Illustration appeals directly to audiences of varied aesthetic tastes and ever changing obsession with disposable popular culture.















Adam Haynes

Advertise

Illustration is used to perpetuate commodity fetishism and convince the recipient to desire the consumption of products.














Dyna Moe

Symbiosis

Illustration works with other media such as type and animation to clarify and expand upon.

Where do you find illustration, in what context does it exist?











Editorial 

Illustration is found in tandem with literary information in newspapers, magazines etc to inform, amuse and illuminate.











Posters

It appears on wall-mounted posters in various locations, attempting to sell, inform etc.













Apparel and other such Commodities

It appears on innumerable t-shirts to spread puns and exclusive jokes. It is extensively used in packaging design and point-of-sale.













Concept Development

Illustration is used to communicate internally between development teams.








Animation, moving image

It often delves into other disciplines to a point where the separating differences aren't so clear, I find that as technology progresses the lines will blur even more.

Who are specific audiences for illustration?













The Readership

Groups of people who are drawn to illustrators that create webcomics etc in response to a particular genre, subculture etc.













The politically, socially, or morally inclined

Illustration catalyses and provokes the average layman to a certain sentiment.










The consumer

Illustration convinces the consumer at point-of-sale marketing.











The development team / art directors

Illustration takes the form of concept art in order to communicate visual ideas









Indirect editorial

It also supports the literature of newspapers, magazines, public information etc, meaning that it responds to and illuminates predetermined information and opinion. It attempts to match the tone of the article etc in order to address the audience.

Saturday, 15 March 2014

Photography and Lighting Workshop

In this full day workshop we were given a thorough explanation of the available facilities and equipment in the photography department. The induction is a mandatory requirement in order to borrow items, though I was further motivated by general curiosity.
Each student was given DSLRs to experiment wildly with. The quality of the photos far surpassed my own point-and-shoot digital camera, not the mention the varied amount of settings available.





Sunday, 2 March 2014

Study Task 5: Vector Illustration


Promotional















Matthew Griffin

Fantastic use of starkly contrasting pockets of dense detailing and broad shape. The primary illustration appears to be vector based with subtle texturing added afterwards.













Amy Beth Christenson [?]

This series of propaganda posters were created to promote the upcoming Star Wars: Rebels show. They aim to show the Galactic Empire as a heroic force by using the now nostalgic aesthetic of American WW2 posters. The clean vector imagery was used to develop initial thumbnail designs.













Karl Dukai

Though Russian constructionists obviously predate vector tools, their aesthetic is generally made from mathematically precise shapes and line.













David Sossella

Near seamlessly blended use of vector to create the impression of depth and tone.













Saul Bass

Again, this piece pre-dates vector, but the core aesthetic is shape and line based, with two colours on stock.

Character Design 


Dyna Moe


Harkening to a now nostalgic and fashionable era of design, minimal use of tone creates the impression of layered shapes.




















HR-FM

Spectacularly dense vector imagery, making use of great anarchic colouration.

 

















javieracalde

Borderline sterile aesthetic, dirt and minimal texturing has been added in photoshop.















Brandon Ragnar

Harmonious colour balance, and impression of depth.















  
Orlando Arocena


Subtle use of gradients to create the illusion of material properties.


Packaging





















Timba Smits

Banking on nostalgic packaging design by deciding the dense text-based information with simple quadrangles.











Sandra Isaksson




















Isabela Rodrigues

 








James Stewart

 

 









Charles S. Anderson Design Co.


Publishing

















Ada Buchholic















Dick Bruna















Steven Marking





















John Parot












Owen Davey

Editorial
















Paul Blow














Marco Goran Romano












John Holcroft









Alexander Wells










Matt Johnstone