Integrated Theory and Practice - Research and Development from an Illustration perspective
Chosen principles, Understanding the Various Practices of Illustration & An understanding and Knowledge of an Audience can Enhance and Focus the Communication
This weeks itap lecture was all about research and development from an illustration point of view. I will carry on with this exploration from this point of view, however this can be transferred and relevant to other practices such as Graphic Design and Photography. The first principle I am going to talk about is that by ‘understanding the various ‘practices of illustration’ one is able to progress and advance one’s own practice’. Traditionally illustration is thought to be the art of hand rendering and hand drawing. An illustrators traditional role was for illuminating, clarifying and elucidating text and narratives. They would create pictures and images to visually communicate the meaning of the word. However nowadays, illustration can mean a number of things, hand drawings, photographs, paintings, etchings, collages, sculpture, anything. What I think that this principle is trying to get across to us is that, to progress as an illustrator in this day and age you have to explore and dabble and take chances of other mediums of creating. For example, you have a brief which asks you to produce an image of a strawberry, it would be easy to go down a traditional route and hand render this, and although you can add your own stamp or style on drawing of a strawberry, to progress as an illustrator in modern times you have to explore the mediums. For example you could add textures to the piece of paper, you could make a textile model, you could take a photograph, digitally enhance it or physically add things to this. With this principle and theory, I think whilst studying this art, if you have a go at being brave, being different and straying from the norm, even if it doesn’t work out how you wanted or look as good as you wanted, by doing all these you will look back and realise why you are successful at what you do now. You explored, you tried and tested and you got a hell of a lot better!
Chosen principles, Understanding the Various Practices of Illustration & An understanding and Knowledge of an Audience can Enhance and Focus the Communication
This weeks itap lecture was all about research and development from an illustration point of view. I will carry on with this exploration from this point of view, however this can be transferred and relevant to other practices such as Graphic Design and Photography. The first principle I am going to talk about is that by ‘understanding the various ‘practices of illustration’ one is able to progress and advance one’s own practice’. Traditionally illustration is thought to be the art of hand rendering and hand drawing. An illustrators traditional role was for illuminating, clarifying and elucidating text and narratives. They would create pictures and images to visually communicate the meaning of the word. However nowadays, illustration can mean a number of things, hand drawings, photographs, paintings, etchings, collages, sculpture, anything. What I think that this principle is trying to get across to us is that, to progress as an illustrator in this day and age you have to explore and dabble and take chances of other mediums of creating. For example, you have a brief which asks you to produce an image of a strawberry, it would be easy to go down a traditional route and hand render this, and although you can add your own stamp or style on drawing of a strawberry, to progress as an illustrator in modern times you have to explore the mediums. For example you could add textures to the piece of paper, you could make a textile model, you could take a photograph, digitally enhance it or physically add things to this. With this principle and theory, I think whilst studying this art, if you have a go at being brave, being different and straying from the norm, even if it doesn’t work out how you wanted or look as good as you wanted, by doing all these you will look back and realise why you are successful at what you do now. You explored, you tried and tested and you got a hell of a lot better!
The second principle I am going to talk about is that ‘an understanding and knowledge of ‘an audience’ can enhance and focus the communication.’ I believe this one is pretty self-explanatory however it is extremely important. This is also heavily transfers into other practices as any piece of art/graphics/photography/typography will have an audience, even if it’s yourself! Many things in a piece of work can determine if it does indeed catch the eye and suit the audience that the piece is aiming at. The factors include colours, patterns, type, layout, texture, interactivity, style, detailing, mediums and media used and the list goes on. What you really need to keep in mind when factoring in your audience in the design process is that an understanding and knowledge of an audience can enhance and focus the communication. Something every piece of work should be aiming for.
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