Graphic Design : Illustration

Level 6 Graphic Design BA student. This blog documents some of my work, and my research throughout my degree.

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Procon 3

This is thr work of Bryn Perrott, an artist who I have looked at a lot in the past year. She is an amazingly talented lino cutter who also works in the style of traditional tattooing. I really liked lino when I tried it and Bryn’s work inspired my second piece, of the cat. I am impressed with her ability to tame line widths in this medium, as it is really difficult to master such a strange act of physically carving out linework. It is very satisfying when you do create a perfect line - but then all too easily one slips and the line becomes broken, or you carved too deep and now it has a blow out on the line. It is really important to focus when lino cutting and its actual print process is really fast and satisfyingly easy. In 1 minute you could roll up to 4 prints when you get into the swing of it! Lino printing is a great process I hope to be able to use again one day. 

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Pro Con 3 

Kenji Alucky is another artist which I looked at for designing this project. He focuses a lot of geometric designs and shape, which I find extremely interesting - but again it was more his technique of gradient achieved through pointillism that I found interesting and helpful to reference. It is difficult to create shading with dots - if I were to redesign the project I would have used a smaller nibbed pen for the pointillism designs I put forward. 

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Pro Con 3

These tattoos by Delphine Noiztoy are an example of perfect “dotwork” or “pointillism” work. I used this technique for 3 of my designs for the series and they were heavily inspired by the works of such artists as delphine. I looked at her work because her gradients are perfect, I could not achieve such a specific spread of dots to create a perfect shading effect. It definitely requires patience to draw like this as after an hour of dots, your eyes start to hurt.. 

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Pro Con 3

Whilst designing for this project, one of the main artists that I would look to for inspiration is the work of Joe Frost - one of my favourite tattoo artists. I was looking at his work for this project as not only does its style resonate deeply with me, and influence my designs, but his linework and colouring style is one that could easily translate to print processes. Heavy linework, and very bold colouring makes his designs loud, and these components could be easily applied to print processes like screen printing. 

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Pro Con 3

Screen Priting is a process I would like to use again for the paper bags which I will be putting all of the work into. I want to use more than a one colour screen print to show that I am capable of this. Looking at the designs of Alex Frazer - a contemporary artist in Manchester who created via this process often - I can see they are accustomed to designing for this process. The way they use different colours for the outlines of an image is unique, and works really well. These deceptively simplistic designs, once closely inspected are in fact very detailed and precise. The aesthetic of simplistic design within illustration is actually not easy to achieve, but is very effective. These are things I can take from Frazer’s work to apply to my own ideas on this project. 

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Sasha Unisex - NMP Research

I have been researching artwork for my NMP Portfolio Project, to try and learn what makes tattoo designs stand out. I have chosen to look at Sasha Unisex's work because she has a very individual style. In the tattooing industry, artists who choose not to utilise any lines in their work are expostulated because it is the foundation of a design, which is one of the main components of a tattoo that allows the faded colours and time-worn line work to still be legible as a piece many years after its completion. It is believed by some that no line work means that the tattoo will not be readable in thirty years time. Sasha Unisex is a perfect example to demonstrate that no line work can still make a beautiful tattoo. The bold edges and shapes in her designs are very harsh, but this sharpness is balanced and complimented by her colour palette (utilising unrealistic colours in the design, or vaguely following the palette of the original subject matter but intensifying it for aesthetic effect). Although the shapes are quite simple, it is the way she choses to break up the elements of her subject matter into an almost abstract image, but still completely recognisable as what is was supposed to represent. I am not sure of the name for this style of work, but it is incredibly awe inspiring; If I were to heed knowledge from her work to improve my own, it would be that simplifying subject matter can be an advantage, and not to be afraid of intense and bold colour palettes. 

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Miss Juliet - NMP Research For my NMP I am creating a hand bound portfolio. In the tattooing industry there are already well established styles and subject matters that potential employers will expect to see. Like any other job seeker I am required to make my work stand out from the crowd, and for this something new must be brought to the table. I am using this artists work in my research because I feel that she has not only immaculate technical skills, but also have unique and original subject matter. The tattoos she creates are stunning, techniques I can use from her work to improve my own would be to focus on how to combine unusual imagery but in a way which flows and compliments the design.

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A Monster A Day Today's monster, that's ok I didn't want to sleep tonight anyway...

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A Monster A Day Yesterday's monster is not much of a threat, it's the evil little bird you want to look out for...

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Drew Millard - Nmp Research I have chosen to highlight these illustrations because I think they are unique both in style and in subject matter. I have been looking for inspiration for my NMP side project 'a monster a day', but I also feel that this particular artist should be noted for my Portfolio NMP project. The reason for that, is that I have been looking for illustrators and artists that do things people haven't seen before. When I create my portfolio I don't want it to be full of roses and anchors and skulls because potential employers will have seen it a thousand times. Something new must be brought to the table and for that to happen I need to be inspired. Drew Millards illustrations are completely unique and fantastic, one of the most outstanding things about his work is his choice in colour palette. One thing that I have rarely seen in tattooing is an outline that isn't black, Millards illustrations feature outline colours that work well with the pallet of the rest of the image.

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A Monster A Day Wouldn't want to catch this guy hiding behind your curtains

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A Monster A Day Today's is closely inspired by John Kenn's illustrations, I applied certain techniques such as the sky fading from black, and the waves.

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John Kenn - NMP Research

These images by John Kenn are absolutely amazing pen & ink illustrations. I have been looking at his work which has inspired some of the imagery in my daily monsters. I have also looked at some of the textures achieved in his work by his mark making techniques and applied some of them to my own drawings. I think the dark tone of his illustrations is unique and powerful, and his use of background is always well thought out and flows well with the images.

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A Monster A Day This monster is from yesterday. I used to have the biggest fear of my wardrobe.

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A Monster A Day Today's monster takes a bit of a darker tone... 'i like kites'

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A Monster A Day Today's monster 'shuffling death'.

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Procon 3 For professional contexts I am creating a goody bag, and spent today in the print room printing up some of my products. I am really happy with how they turned out, there was one part of the jumper print which was creased, and didn't print!!! So I had to fill this in by hand, however I don't think anyone would notice unless I pointed this out. Had it been on paper I would have just reprinted it but jumpers don't come cheap so I hope it's unnoticeable enough to pass me! Very productive day 👌