Yuko Shimizu's lecture

Again for editorial illustrator!
The lecture from Yuko Shimizu (Talented Japanese illustrator) from CCA illustration lecture. If you don't know her, you can visit her works at http://yukoart.com/

She talked about the overview of illustrators, reflecting her attitude about arts and illustration. Mostly will focus on the book and magazine work. The process of works, things to concern and things to give them most precedence. She also show her works in various type of illustration since the printed until the installation and also in advertising. You can see that the illustration can be in anywhere to support things surround them. It depends on the creative when it comes to meet with the art elements.

Also she talked about her background.. her Japanese culture and the it's attitude which it happens in many countries in Asia. This is another problem to Asia child but she can found herself in a right way. Another issue same as Brad Holland clip below.. she talks about Art school. until the way in working in the real industries. Her experience can gives me many attitude in a business of illustrators and interesting things in there.

It's quite very good lecture and many knowledge to know, think and learn from this experienced illustrator. :)

workshop with Brad Holland!

"Technique is how you use your art materials, and style was how you use your personality."-Brad Holland

Very nice video for the illustrators, especially editorial illustrators.

A work shop with Brad Holland, an american illustrators of Op-Ed page. 

It reflects his thought in arts and illustration and the important thing is his attitude about the process and how to works in illustration.

Sébastien Tellier "Look"

Cool illustration and motion. It suit and sync perfectly with the music. 

Vitamin P

Vitamin P : New perspective in drawing
Today's book recommend is "Vitamin P" contain loads of painting works. It presenting the work of 114 outstanding contemporary painting in an order of A-Z sequence. It demonstrate the medium in painting, their techniques far from being conservative to the outmoded. Includes new form of art such as installation, video and performance. There're the artist from all parts of the world. Some of them have already had their works shown in museums and some are still unknown. This is also related to the field of illustration because many of illustrators are using same medium as the fine art artist. I think an important foundation of illustration is fine art so that it can not break away for these two field. If you could know more art elements, art direction and many techniques, the more skill you will get and fill them into your works. The best illustration can happen from the attractive final outcome as same as the brilliant concepts and ideas.

• Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd; New edition edition (Sep 2004)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 9780714844466
• ISBN-13: 978-0714844466

illustration now3

Today I'd like to recommend this book "Illustration now3"with outstanding hand drawn illustration style on a cover. It features worldwide of illustration arts. This is the latest volume of "Illustration now", which the illustration fans who follow it since the illustration now1 would love this! It presents a completely selection of 150 illustrators from around the world with their various techniques and style. 

Each page of each illustrator will contain an information of their profile, contact information, their website and lists of selected exhibition. And the interesting is it shows their phrase that can show their opinion about illustration or in the other way some are the motto or the epigram from their mind about works to shows their identity. 

At the back shows lists of illustrators

This book is perfect for the illustrators both professional and a illustration student. Includes of graphic artist or the creative professional or anybody who's interested in art or visual language. It gives me many inspiration in technique and gives me examples of a good selection in art direction. Because it's very inclusively in contemporary art for every style.

Information of this book
Title: Illustration Now3
Publisher: Taschen GmbH; Mul edition (15 Oct 2009)
Language French, English
ISBN-10: 9783836514873

• ISBN-13: 978-3836514873

Banksy Bristol

Last month I also went to Bristol, it is a harbour side town, party city and nice weather. In Bristol there're many graffiti and a street art all over the city. When we talk about the Bristol in terms of art, surely that the famous artist that pop up in my mind is a British graffiti painter; Banksy. He is very popular in the street art, stencil paint and the controversy behind it or the issue that he creates. The Banksy's graffiti was painted all around his hometown. Some located beside the street, some on a boat and some on a public building wall. Those painting placed in different area and surface, which make me wonder about the process he made. And mostly of Banksy's art creates a story and have a relationship to that location it was on. I walked around the Bristol, looking for Banksy's art, which is quite different from other graffiti. 

Love Cheat by Banksy

The name of this work is "Love Cheat" which it means quite directly to the story he creates. This work he shows a sense of humor to a plain building canvas. The work is on a wall of a sexual health clinic, it demonstrate an excited situation, which somehow it can reflect someone's moment in life. When talks about the principles that can effect to street art such as size, color or the position compare to a whole building canvas. Banksy can did it absolutely in a practical done. The size is average to be a window of someone's room because the street art should not be exaggerate or any surreal, it should look real and has a dimension to see that its really happen because it play with a real location. The color convey a light and shadow from a real environment and certainly the position is on a centre and can be seen easily when walk pass. Because I also don't know where it is, just follow the street and walk along, which it's very outstanding so I won't missed it. 

Artist's signature

His work placed in a very high position from the ground. The building located beside the street and it can be seen from the opposite view as well. 

Banksy police sniper and boy

Banksy reaper on the Thekla

This work I think it is a special one of Banksy's because it painted on a bottom of a big boat named Thekla, a music venue on a boat. As I went to see it since in April, 2011 this work was created many years ago in 2006. The image of Death is based on a 19th century etching illustrating the pestilence of The Great Stink. 

Banksy reaper on the Thekla (Internet)

 The work painted on the waterline of Thekla. As you can see compare between 2 pictures above. This one is a better photo from the internet I have researched. The work look so fresh and full in details of a ship. But my photo was took last month, it looks a bit changed and the the flood tide make lost of a ship details on a bottom. His works at Thekla are both painted inside and outside of a boat. The outside one is not obvious but you have to look at it from the opposite bank of a river. From the first picture you can see the scale of work compare to the whole size of a boat. It is very small but however it is not sink into the whole image of the boat. 

The Mild Mild West

This piece, The Mild Mild West is a good representative of Banksy and the Bristolian people. it depicts a huge, smiling teddy bear with a Molotov cocktail in his paw, facing three policemen holding up riot shields.

"People here are fond of that particular piece," says Steve Wright, author of a new illustrated book, Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home. "Maybe because it's a kind of comment on an aspect of the Bristolian character - a laid-back cider-drinking hippy who can nevertheless be roused into action. Fluffy but defiant." His art can represent the identity of artist and also his character represent his city as well. Bristol sits in a brilliant isolation, with its own distinctive view of the world and a particularly strong sense of its own humour and identity. Not so surprise that I was fascinating with this lovely color building and the art can be seen everywhere in this city. 

 Banksy's ad at Stroke Croft Street

other artist's graffiti at a Stroke Croft Street

You can find more information of Banksy's art at this website:
http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Opposite editorial page

This is another approach for illustration invented by New York Times. They creates a page in a newspaper letting illustrator to fill in a clever illustration and also leave a blank for the audience to fill in.

The op ed style allow open attitude for everybody. The illustrator doesn't need to make work under the editor's word or follow the article but made work from its theme, which will be more long live recognize than a topic. The illustration can be totally opposite to the text or in any point of view but the message is how people interpret them through visual and text. What message that they would receive and how are their opinion to that particular theme, this is the most important. The illustrator can so best in make visual to lead the new ideas and make people to interpret by their own way or by their experience.
The famous illustrators such as Brad Holland, Paul Kolsti, etc.

Op Ed has many principles to learn from. This style of illustration is clever and meaningful. I think this is an approach that can be adapt in other media efficiently.

For more details in Op Ed style,
You can watching the video on NY times website below:
New York Times: OP ED at 40

Margherita Manzelli

Here's my favorite Italian painter, Margherita Manzelli. I first met her by my Taiwanese friend, she's studying in Fine Art which is a major that I quite interested in. I fascinated with her works so much! And my friend can guess.. that I'll like her as well. I really like the way she compose and especially her imagined figure which it makes me amazed. Most of her works placed in a solid color or blank canvas that makes her creature looks a lot outstanding and catch the eye. Many of her painting looks creepy even she didn't fill any harm or horrible object but I feels like her character is starring and have something really attractive.

Here's some of her works

Eggmag Competition

Im attending Eggmag Competition. The brief is about to create an illustration which shows in your own style why it is important to grow greenery and flowers in our towns and cities. This has to be the positive and green vision of illustration which I think I have a few of works in this genre. -_-''

You can see the details here: http://www.eggmag.co.uk/illo.html

So I've come up with many ideas for the example:

This one is a kind of decorative illustration. It combines many objects of greenery, flowers, garden, green city and living things. I think this one can gives a feeling of good and positive vision of the green city but it doesn't convey the key message as much as it should.

 

This idea is about a girl breathing the green city, nature and environment into herself. The main concept is to convey the message of to living in green city surrounded by nature will gives you a better quality of life and everyone need this. But also the disadvantage point in this artwork is the act of breathing can be see as to have a stuffed nose, sneezing or illness.

This idea is containing the message of "Massaging". It is the representative activity of relaxing, having a good health and happy. So I used this posture when you're having massage for this context. As to living in green city with flower, jungle and nature will make you relax and help us to breath a clean air good for our health. But also the outcome may seen as she got too much weigh on her back from the buildings, the city.

 

So finally, I've come up with the idea of city in a big tree.  The first draft is the rough idea, many things; buildings, flowers, animals is on a tree but it still cannot be the final outcome because of the unfinished composition of elements and each objects. The second one is the final outcome. I put a big flower to be a hierarchy for this and the artwork needs to be place in 2 pages so I've to compose the elements only in a both side because it will be lost in a centre.

For the medium, I used the mixed media of ink for draft outline then I painted it in digital but also used watercolor texture from my old works, just need the texture of watercolor then adjust it to be the color that I wanted. The outcome of these mixed I think quite nice because the flat digital color make work looks more modern plus with watercolor make it looks not too digital and soften the image as well.

ps* This work is the most sweetest and positive image I've ever made! as I have to adjust my work followed the brief as much as possible :)

distance between us

This is an artwork from mindless and no briefs. It happen many times for me as I done it without any concept but just throw them out of my brain. That could see the result of reflecting my status at the moment. I think its good to free yourself with some activities and it can make you proud as well.

 24 feb 2011,, distance between us

watercolor,  acrylic color and Indian ink

Monotype printmaking

Today I've a chance to join Monotype printmaking. Lots of my work contain lots of detail and object, character.. I never try this kind of printing before but I've found new version of my works from this with transformation and unexpected outcome...! lets see..

Psychology of Bitching

Last week I've got the brief from Guilty Pleasure Magazine call for illustrators in contributing magazine project. They gave me an article about "The psychology of bitching"! Have you wonder of how rude its going to be. I've sketched so many ideas about bitching and wonder of how they bitch, hows the bitchy looks like, what activities I should create a story to them. There are several ideas but they told me the description about the girls whispering and look down to each other. That could scope my imagination a bit, I haven't read the real article just got the title of it. so its quite open for me and ok let me guess the mood and tone of it. Finally it success! they like it and I think its different what I've practice that I'll read the whole article and try to understand the key from author and communicate it out. This one come from the title but its also work out!.. quite good :)

 This one is using of ZIPS to represent the way of gossip/whispering. Even they can close it but it isnt the way of bitchy does. The costume and appearance also reflect to the bitchy girls

I'd like to make it simple and convey meaning directly to the article, and what they need for as well. The magazine is a kind of lifestyle and fashion so I made this to looks like a fashion illustration. use opposition color to attract and mood and tone of this kind of girls.

This is quite different and extend meaning from the first two. It shows the girls look down to each others and also keep chatting upon one's head. Which I think the head is the most highest and definitely its the part of respect and honour. The girls is gossiping with so much saliva on her head. It looks quite funny but I think it shows obviously the dirty and rude of this kind of girls.

For those outcome, I still feel that I should develop more in another medium. Using of watercolor is looks soft and gentle but I made it more strong but contrast with black thick outline. Somehow I should make another version with more appropriate medium!

Alice in Wonderland

My version of Alice in Wonderland. Honestly I never watch it and this illustration created from the unknown idea and story in my mind.. thats not so good but it gives me more open ideas and imagination. My Alice is a bit surrealistic, her big hand and a poker leg, other elements in the story added in my version which is different from the real Alice. And maybe my Alice will be changed after look up the real one.

 

I've seen many version of Alice in Wonderland illustration. It has been apply in many artwork, music and films. The one impressed me is a film by Jan Svankmajer. He is one of my idol who's influence me in many actions. His stop motion film is unique and a bit disturb with his surrealistic world. 

Jan Svankmajer Alice

Check out his films at: http://www.jansvankmajer.com/

I recommend his stop-motion: Jabberwocky, Meat love, Dimensions of Dialogue, Food and so on