Week 5: Contemporary Illustrator

Which Contemporary Illustrator To Choose?

Last class we were assigned to choose a contemporary illustrator. It can be anyone, and I need to interview them. Eventually, we will give a presentation to the class, and what we learned about the illustrator we choose.   

Sheila Hicks

Instagram: @ateliersheilahicks

Olimpia Zagnoli

Email: olimpia.zagnoli@gmail.com

Instagram: @olimpiazagnoli

Anita Kunz

Email: akunz@anitakunz.com

Phone: 212-229-2805

Malika Favre

Instagram: @malikafavre

Sara Andreasson

Email: s.a.andreasson@gmail.com

Instagram: @saraandreasson

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/sara.wienermelange

Possible Interview Questions

1. Tell me about getting your first client after graduation?
2. Where do you find your sources for inspiration/concepts?
3. What's your process?
4. How did you get started illustrating?
5. What're your favorite tools to work with?
6. How do you promote yourself? Were there any ways that didn't work?
7. What inspired you to become an illustrator?
8. How do you price (or negotiate) your illustrations?
9. How do you make sure no one steals your work?
10. How do you protect your work?
11. What's your favorite illustration you did?
12. Who inspires you?

Interview Questions I Asked

1. Have there been times when you were falling behind on a project? If so, tell me what you do in that situation? Did you ask for a time extension, submit an OK piece of work, or stayed up all night trying to finish it/refine it? 
2. When you work with other illustrators or Art Directors, how do you deal with different opinions. and then come to a conclusion on how to illustrate a concept?
3. Tell me about your favorite piece of work in your portfolio? Why did you make it?
4. What resources and techniques did you use for that piece?
5. How do you get inspired?
6. How do you overcome a creative block?
7. What qualities do you think makes a good illustrator/designer?
8. What kind of illustration projects are you most interested in?
9. In your opinion, what are the most difficult things about being an illustrator/designer? 
10. Tell me about  some ways you get your name and artwork out there? What methods were successful and which ones were unsuccessful, why do you think they worked or did not work?

Response From Olimpia Zagnoli (Email)

1. Have there been times when you were falling behind on a project? If so, tell me what you do in that situation? Did you ask for a time extension, submit an OK piece of work, or stayed up all night trying to finish it/refine it? I usually ask for a time extension. There’s almost nothing that can’t be postponed for a couple of days. 

2. When you work with other illustrators or Art Directors, how do you deal with different opinions. and then come to a conclusion on how to illustrate a concept? I hardly work with other illustrators.

3. Tell me about your favorite piece of work in your portfolio? Why did you make it? I don’t have a favorite, everything is always OK to me, not fabulous or incredible. It’s just a step in the longer journey of my creativity. 

4. What resources and techniques did you use for that piece? I mostly use Adobe Illustrator, sometimes pencil and collage. 

5. How do you get inspired? I read books and go to museums. 

6. How do you overcome a creative block? I keep working until something comes out or i go to the bar with a sketchbook and usually it helps.

7. What qualities do you think makes a good illustrator/designer? Being as smart as you can be, finding a way to express your point of view not others’. 

8. What kind of illustration projects are you most interested in? Social works of any kind, where people can be involved in my work without knowing much about art or illustration. 

9. In your opinion, what are the most difficult things about being an illustrator/designer?  Being able to combine creative moments with very boring but necessary ones like paying the bills, fill invoices, paying taxes, talk to the accountant etc...

10. Tell me about  some ways you get your name and artwork out there? What methods were successful and which ones were unsuccessful, why do you think they worked or did not work? When I started social media didn’t exist. Nowadays i have a feeling the best way to get your work out there is to make good work. If you make good work and put it on social media or other platforms people is going to recognize that is good work. 

Response From Anita Kunz (Phone)

1. Have there been times when you were falling behind on a project? If so, tell me what you do in that situation? Did you ask for a time extension, submit an OK piece of work, or stayed up all night trying to finish it/refine it? I've never fell behind on a project. That is something you will learn the hard way if you do. It looks very unprofessional, future employers and clients may not hire you, and it shows that you have poor time management, which is valuable to have as an illustrator. 

• How many projects do you work on at the same time? It honestly just depends. If you're well-known you may have 5 to 10 projects to work on. I'm always busy with work so, I've never really kept count.   

2. When you work with other illustrators or Art Directors, how do you deal with different opinions, and then come to a conclusion on how to illustrate a concept? I don't really work with other illustrators, however I do work with art directors. For me, they are my communicator to the client, and we discuss about the business aspects (i.e. quotes, deadlines) of the project.   

• Do you also talk face-to-face with the client? No, I rarely talk with the client. A lot of the wants and needs of the client are previously discussed with the Art Director.

3. Tell me about your favorite piece of work in your portfolio? Why did you make it? Oh gosh, I honestly don't know. I've made hundreds, and can't remember all of them. I guess I don't have a favorite because I cherish all of my work. They're like my babies, you know? 

4. How do you get inspired? I get inspired by many things -- movies I watch, artwork at museums, and the interactions I encounter with people. There is never a time when I haven't been inspired by something or someone. Inspiration is all around us.

5. What kind of illustration projects are you most interested in? There aren't many magazine illustrations anymore. I used to work on covers for TIME magazine. Anyway, I would say I like creating book covers. Right now I'm working on a cover for a book relating to past female artists.  

6. Tell me about  some ways you get your name and artwork out there? What methods were successful and which ones were unsuccessful, why do you think they worked or did not work Definitely through social media such as Facebook. Any social media has drastically changed the way artists can make their work noticeable. 

Week 4: Article Illustration Feedback & Revision

Peer Feedback

As I discussed my 2 illustrations to my peers, they gave me some feedback to improve it:

• get rid of the escalator, and maybe put golden bars to represent rich people
• don't use the weight and chains like other people have used
• highlight the shredded paper on the cover using Photoshop

My Thoughts

As I pondered these ideas from my classmates, I was thinking of simplifying this illustration. Instead of using all these images in the collage, I could use a pile of books and have the silhouettes climbing up to represent them going through life, debt, and college. I will definitely sketch some more ideas.

Revised Illustration #1

Revised Illustration #2

Revised Illustration #3

In this one, I made the ruler slightly thinner so that it wouldn't stand out as much. I've gotten
feedback that the ruler seemed liked the center of attention.

Week 3: Article Illustration

Purpose

For this project, I read an article talking about student debt and how it's impacting American families. I wrote down some notes to gather my thoughts, and did some quick sketches of illustrations to portray a general concept in regards to the article I read. 

Sketches

Here are several of my sketches for the student debt article

Notes From Student Debt Is Transforming the American Family... 

• "The cost of a degree—and the “open future” that supposedly comes with it—has become one of the defining forces of middle-class life." ~ Hua Hsu
• Many middle-class families make financial sacrifices (invest, save, not racking up too much debt) for their children who're going to college. Even though there are loans students can get, depending how much money they borrow their debt may not ever go away.  
• The challenge of paying for college has become one of the organizing forces oof middle-class family life.
• Poorer families are able to receive Pell Grants, but that's still not enough to cover the entire college tuition. 
• Middle-class families who make approximately $50,000 or more are unable to receive Pell Grants.
• Richer families are able to "easily" and "smoothly" payoff their college debts.

The Results

This is the second illustration that's using a different medium (crosshatching, and pencil on paper). I know it looks like a quick thumbnail sketch, but it's supposed to look more cartoonish, and flimsy. Most of the images in the collage were difficult to draw so, I did my best to simplify them in a way that people could still know/understand what it is. I tried my best outlining the main parts in the photos, but there are some that could be improved. I was also considering actually ripping out similar items displayed in the collage, and use that for the second illustration.

My Thoughts On This Project

This project was really difficult for me. I wasn't really sure what medium to use for my second illustration since we had to display it in two different ways. I'm pretty sure we'll have to revise one of them or both for next week so, I'm not too worried with how the second illustration turned out. It's obvious the first one is much better though. If we have to improve both illustrations, I will try the idea of ripping out similar items in the collage and glue/tape/etc. onto the paper. 

My Trip to the Brandywine River Museum

The reason I went to the Brandywine River Museum was for a school assignment. I've never went to an art museum before, so this was an interesting experience for me. There were tons of drawings and illustrations from several different artists throughout history, and paintings created from different mediums. As I think about it more, a majority of all the artists' artworks were made from oil mediums. 

Museum Questions

1. Who is N.C. Wyeth and why is he important to the world of Illustration? Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) was considered one of the most famous and influential American artists in both illustration and fine art during the Golden Age. Many of his works are influenced by Western culture and adventure books such as Treasure Island, The Last of the Mohicans, and King Arthur. Furthermore, Wyeth also created painted advertisements for companies and illustration covers for magazines. He is important to know because he was a major contributor to visual culture. 

2. Select an illustration from the collection in the Museum that has the most impact on you and tell why? Take a photo of it if you are permitted. Be sure to note the following: 

Artist Name - N. C. Wyeth
Where was the illustration published or created - 
Charles Scribner's Sons, NY
Medium and Size - Oil on canvas, and is 102.1 cm × 76.5 cm
Date it was created - 1918

Wyeth's Captain Nemo illustration is a fictional character based from Jules Verne's books Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island. This stood out to me the most because of the peacock in the background. It appeared elegant, calm, and majestic. Anything with Asian characteristics, objects, or historical backgrounds I tend to take more of an interest in. Furthermore, I've never read Verne's books (listed above) before so I had no idea who Captain Nemo was until I did some research. Turns out Captain Nemo is an Indian prince, and the peacock alludes to his Indian background. 


3. Overall how would you describe the compositions of the piece you selected in question 2? 

• In the background there is a good amount of negative space.
• Captain Nemo's clothes have some value to show there is some kind of light source, and that way his clothes don't look flat. Additionally, Nemo's face also has shading underneath his eyes. 
• Despite the illustration being very simple, it portrays Nemo well because he is an old man - looks calm, wise, and slow-moving. Everything he does or says seems to have importance.   

4. How would you describe the color pallet and tell why it was effective for the piece
you selected in question 2. This illustration seemed to have cool colors being displayed throughout the entire piece, along with some complementary colors (i.e. the red flowers behind the blue peacock). The composition is nice for Captain Nemo right away draws your attention since he is in the center, and then the peacock helps you to continue to view the entire piece. There is a good amount of negative space in the background, but that is probably for the best. If there were too many flowers or other animals in the background, the illustration would feel lost. People who have read Verne's books might not be able to connect the man to Captain Nemo since not much is written or said about him, except the Indian prince part.

6. What have you learned from visiting the museum that pertains to the course? As I walked through the museum the question: what is the difference between fine art and illustration stuck with me. I tried to figure it out, but I needed to do some research. A very simple explanation is that fine art is an idea that's brought to life, while illustration is a representation of an idea. I will definitely go back to the museum for I wasn't able to take a tour of N.C. Wyeth's house.

5. What is the Brandywine School of American Illustration and what illustrators were part of this group? Name the illustrators and the pieces you were able to see in the museum. The Brandywine School of American Illustration was founded by Howard Pyle (1854-1911), a prolific illustrator and the mentor of N.C. Wyeth, in 1894. Today, the school is now Drexel University. Some of Pyle's other students included Clifford Ashley, Anton Otto Fischer, and Violet Oakley.

  

Week 2: Compound Word Peer Feedback & Revision

Feedback

• Either have a solid background or a gradient
• Have the snake sitting on a rock

I received feedback on my rattlesnake, and for homework I need to revise my illustration. I don't have to apply all the suggestions, but I will probably put a colored background in.

Revision Process

This is the original drawing.

#1 Revision (Final)

#2 Revision

For the revised illustration, I used Adobe Photoshop. I added a rock for the snake to sit on, a blue sky, and a shadow underneath the snake. Both revision illustrations are the same, the only difference is the color of the sky. In the #1 Revision the sky is darker, while #2 Revision is lighter. The darker colored sky provides more emphasis on the snake for both the rattle and snake really pop out. Also, it is kind of difficult to notice but there is a slight texture added to the sky. In Photoshop I added a filter (distort) to the sky and it made it look as if it was painted on a canvas. 

Week 1: Illustration of a Compound Word

Project 1: Compound Word

The instructions for this project are very simple. I can choose to illustrate a compound word from the given list or come up with my own. I can use any type of media and/or mixed media to create my word.

Thumbnails

Here are some sketches I did when I was trying to figure out which compound word I should do. 

I was stuck between two.

 

Can You Guess the Compound Word?

If you said rattlesnake, then you are correct. I am very happy with the results of the snake. I used gouache paint and colored pencils as mediums. I also included some value which is more noticeable on the rattle than the snake. Furthermore, there is some texture being shown because of the scales on the snake, and you can tell that that rattle is smooth.