Develop a small self-published book based on an idea from your sketchbooks. Produce a small, photocopied fanzine or a one-off artist’s book. Look at your sketchbooks for ideas of work that could be developed into a self-contained narrative or collected together to form a publication. For example, it could be a character you have developed,… Continue reading Exercise: Self-publishing
Category: Part 4: Contemporary Illustration
Research Point: Self-publishing
Do some research into self-published comics, graphic novels, artist books or fanzines. Find examples that you find interesting or entertaining. Think about the form of this work. How has it been produced and what material are used? Can you find examples of inventive use of paper, binding, folding or printing? Before undertaking this research task… Continue reading Research Point: Self-publishing
Exercise: World Affairs
Working with a contemporary news event, create an illustration that comments on it from a satirical perspective. Think about how you structure this image. What information do you need to give the viewer in order for them to understand the context in which this image should be read? In other words, how do you connect… Continue reading Exercise: World Affairs
Exercise: Caricature and Character
Barry Fantoni’s portraits of 70s and 80s television celebrities, while exaggerating facial features and expressions for comic effect, are centred on being able to represent the character accurately. Contemporary illustrator Thea Brine works in a similar way, hinting at caricature, but remaining true to the character. By comparison, the work of contemporary cartoonist Martin Rowson… Continue reading Exercise: Caricature and Character
Research Point: Contemporary Caricature
Find examples of contemporary caricature and identify the elements of the drawing that help with the character recognition and where the caricature takes place. From the information contained in the drawing, how do you know who this person is? How has the illustrator exaggerated or embellished this visual information to provide caricature? What are the… Continue reading Research Point: Contemporary Caricature
Research Point: Political Satire in Illustration
Steve Bell, the contemporary political satirist who produces the If… cartoon strip and other editorial pieces for The Guardian, regularly makes reference to political satire of earlier times by re-working it with a contemporary twist. By doing this he is also making satirical references to the past – making a link between the contemporary moment… Continue reading Research Point: Political Satire in Illustration
Research Point: Online Social Networks
Find online social networks that connect with your work or present content that you are interested in. Find a range that covers commercial opportunities, professional networking, archived work, learning opportunities, or discussions around illustration. You might want to join in on some of these forums. What did you find out and how does this inform… Continue reading Research Point: Online Social Networks