Chapter one: so you want to be an illustrator?
Summery: this chapter discussed what an illustrators do and how it is different from fine art. Both an illustrator and an artist do good work and make art that they are proud of. Both a fine artist and an illustrator will (hopefully get paid for their work) but unlike a fine artist, an illustrator is creating something specific for their clients that conveys the message that the client wants. It has to be able to be understood clearly by the viewers. That is it’s purpose. Fine artists are also trying to communicate with their audience, but it can be a lot more personal, abstract, and open for interpretation than an illustration.
My thoughts: I think that it is interesting that there is such a distinction between fine art and illustration. I would have described it as an art form more than a different thing. In my head I thought illustration was a specific art style that was more cartoonish and handcrafted, but now I know that it is really a whole different thing. I especially liked the illustration example with the vultures that the author did, but I did not get the message that he though he was clearly conveying until I read that part of the text.
Chapter two: what are illustrations?
Summery: This chapter talked about the nitty gritty details of illustration. It fist discussed what an illustration’s purpose is. The purpose is to “convey a concept, or help convey a concepts” the author then goes on to explain that even though a lot of illustrations will be used to enhance an article or words of some sort that will add context to an image, the viewer should still be able to understand what the illustration is without reading the article. The book then goes on to explore the different genres of illustration, “...editorial, fashion, technical illustration, comics, and graphic novels.” The author mostly does editorial illustrations.
The basic idea of illustration remains the same no matter what genre you are doing, it should still convey or help convey the ideas that the client wants. The chapter then pauses for a moment to warn the reader to DON’T DO STUPID STUFF. It discusses how you have to work hard and you should not shoot yourself in the foot when working with potential clients because you’re making dumb mistakes that you should know better than doing.
The chapter then discusses narrative vs. conceptual illustration. The difference is that one tells a story while the other is more ambiguous to catch the viewers attention and make them want to see more. An example of narrative would be if a Star Wars poster had Luke and Darth Vader fighting. A conceptual illustration would be a Star Wars poster that had a green and red light saber crossing each other with the words “its time” underneath.
Next, the book talks about stand alone vs. sequential illustration. A stand alone illustration is like a one and done image. It can be viewed without seeing other images and make sense, a sequential image is like a comic book where you need multiple illustrations to understand the meaning that the illustrator is trying to convey.
The book then talks about how illustrations need to be interesting and eye catching while still getting the information across. The image should not be in conflict with the message. A home made crafting competition’s poster should not be industrial and colorless. But an illustrator should always remember that they are trying to convey the message to the viewer and get them to buy the product, attend the event, or gain more understanding on their article.
Lastly, the chapter discusses the difference between illustrators and graphic designers. The book states that the difference is that graphic designs are usually a lot more focused or stark. An illustration can have lots of details and be busy. A graphic design should be stark and eye catching, but more simple to the viewer because they’re used for logos and things where simplicity and memorability are key.
My thoughts: I think my favorite genre of illustration is fashion because that is what I like to do, but I don’t like the illustration that was used in the book very much. Often, a garment piece will be rendered in an illustration and given to a team to be constructed so it has to be very clear and detailed. I like the illustration that Deanna Staffo did for Flannery O’Connor. It reminds me of a memory because of the sketchy background and faded and transparent colors. I an not a big fan of the authors illustrations because I don’t like his rendering techniques very much, but he is still talented. I also do not think that his illustrations are as clear as he thinks they are out of context. I tough his computer confessional was going to be about something religious, maybe a new malicious policy that had been written, not about the anonymity of the internet. I definitely like narrative illustrations better than conceptual illustrations, especially for book covers. Everyone always says not to judge a book by it’s cover, but really you have to when deciding what fiction novels to read. I would be much more likely to read Dracula with the Alex Innocenti’s illustration than the author’s illustration. Maybe it’s because I’m a romantic and Dracula looks less intimidating in the first one though.
