Ticking upload boxes on portfolio sites, such as the Association of Illustrators in the UK and the Directory of Illustration in the US is always problematic for me. Nearly everything these days ends up digital. If you just scan it in and send it to the client, I guess it is hand made. Anything added and it could be deemed digital. On the other hand, visibly digital is quite different from using digital means to an end (isn’t it completely obvious who has used Illustrator or some special Photoshop brushes?). So what are art directors expecting if they key in…
Category: thoughts
A raft of flowers
I like this sort of project because there is a rhythm to adding the next illustration all the time. I did them over a recent week after my father suddenly died. It was therapeutic as much as anything. He loved his garden. I also like working with a soluble ink pen. I have two Rotring ArtPens in Fine and Extra Fine. They work a treat for sketching in the image and then wetting it judiciously to make the tones. I often use a Derwent water brush for this part, because a real paintbrush can often hold and release too much water. The…
Mixed skills needed!
Editorial illustration demands so much more than just being an artist. Not only do you need to keep in mind the basic art requirements of composition, content and values – which includes checking it reads in black and white plus leading the viewer’s eye to the most important thing – but some element of “up-to-date-ness” and perhaps even an ability to use an essence of cartooning, for example. I find this variable set of add-on needs stimulating. For instance, I was depicting Donald Trump and his declared “USA first” ideas and how they might deter people who would choose to go…
