5th October

This week I am going to talk about understanding the various practices of illustration will help to progress and advance your own practice. Originally an illustrator’s roll was to illuminate and clarify text through the use of visual communication. This generally would be hand rendered, but as times gone on illustration has become a much broader meaning. To keep at the top, illustrators today need to be able to use all sorts of media to create their work because as time has progressed so have digital aids. By trying out different mediums such as drawings, photographs, aids from a computer such as adobe’s creative suite, sculptures, it gives the illustrator a chance to take risks. Sometimes these risks will not pay off, but exploring different ways to create your image will make you a stronger artist. As well as experimentation another key point to gaining a more fulfilled visual vocabulary, is to be constantly be evaluating yours and others work. This we help you de-piece how to illustrations are put together and which things such as layouts and images will work for your brief, as it will help you understand your audience, which is a very important thing. With this in mind I think to excel you need to explore different mediums, find what suits you and your briefs best. Although I believe trying new things will help better your visual vocabulary, I also believe to become the best illustrator one can, they need to look at past work and evaluate it as there is also things you can learn from understanding why someone used the choice of medium they did or what the meaning behind their works are.

The next point I am going to write about is the notion of inspiration derives from constant inquiry, based on research, observation and experimentation. To me this is about never take the first answer you are given, there’s always a sub text to that and the more you inquire the deeper understanding of different paintings, for example you will gain.  If you don’t ask questions then you wont advance. Even if the questions are based inwards at yourself, asking what it is you like to do and how such things can be incorporated. I believe asking yourself questions will help you find inspiration as sometimes you’re set a brief that doesn’t inspire you, but introducing aspects be it subject content or the medium you use will make your brief a lot more fun and thus you will be more inspired. As well as being inquisitive, you need to research, as generally the first idea you might have will not be your strongest. As well understanding different peoples takes on similar topics will help you create a wider picture than your own idea, as researching other ways could open a door to an option which you may not have originally thought of. Another way to get inspiration is to look at things going around you and observe them, look at the way people interact, how different cities have different vibes for example. By recording these things either with the use of photography or taking the time to sketch what you see, you will get more inspiration than just sitting in a room all day. Go out and explore, experiment within what you’re doing, not everything will work, but some will and this will help to keep your work inspirational for others that may research your work later on for example.