This exercise was an introduction to the history of illustration over the past 5o years. I was asked to select two illustrators, one from a list provided and another contemporary illustrator of my choice, and then compare them with regards to the style, production methods and historical and cultural context.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately I had not heard of any of the illustrators on the list, but after viewing examples of their work online, I found that three of them appealed to me the most: Edward Bawden, Kathleen Hale and E H Shepherd (whose work I did recognise). I was initially going to choose Hale, but after further research I found the that the images I was going to emulate (Orlando the Marmalade Cat) used lithography and I have no experience with this way of working. Similarly, I also really liked Bawden’s Linocut prints and the fact that I have no experience with this technique did initially put me off attempting to replicate the style. However, after further consideration I concluded that I should use this course to experiment and learn new techniques. As a result, I chose Edward Bawden as my first artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In terms of choosing a contemporary illustrator, I am quite ignorant at the moment as I generally just know what appeals to me rather than being able to name particular artists (I am addressing this by becoming more aware through reading and visiting exhibitions). However, one example of an illustrator whose work I am drawn to is David Roberts. I first came across his work in the book series The Bolds by Julian Clary. I particularly like character illustration, especially those which anthropomorphise animals and which have some humour in them – Roberts work ticks both these boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I found this short documentary about Edward Bawden on Youtube, featuring an interview with the artist himself, which was gave an excellent insight into his ways of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\nChoosing the Artists<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Edward Bawden: A Brief Biography<\/h4>\n\n\n\n