I've always known I'm far more inspired by concept and the story behind things, rather than the things themselves. So though I do like the work of many illustrators, it is on a superficial level, as I don't feel there is much more of a concept than an exceptional use of mark-making, composition and colour... and here lies my problem.
Though I'd say I am a confident drawer, I feel I have more conscious of my 'style' and therefore more disliking of anything I make which does not do it justice, in terms of mark-making, composition and colour. So I don't need inspiration to be overwhelmingly obvious in this part, but if I analysed more what I liked about an illustration or design for it's face value, then hopefully I can identify ways to improve my own work (and I'm sure lots of concepts will spring into my head later, as they do in the mind of an over-thinker.)
'Interior Curation'/ Styling
Ok, ok, I know this isn't drawing in any sense, it is photography (or in real life). But I absolutely love looking at interior/ styling porn; with their immaculate layouts, gorgeous juxtapositions, mouth-watering colour palettes... Although I love the real life versions (by which I mean in shops - and which have a lot more to do with my project), there is something so effortlessly perfect about a photograph which captures everything with the right light and at all the right angles. It is such a skill, and one I ought to practise more! I draw compositions from real life situations from which I pick elements I like and 'style' them on my page. There is a lot of concept to be had here, but I do think looking through images like these and realising what works, is one way to help me recreate the skill in life and on the page.
Blocky Things
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| Kitty McCall |
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| Tom Pigeon These relate quite heavily to my interests in 'pleasing geometry' and 'geometric patchwork'. I like the cleanness of the lines, but there is still something quite tangible about them, like the effect screen painted fabric has compared to digital. I suppose these technique would be well mirrored by collage, but using hand painted paper, and even then I much prefer the lines, texture and colours achievable through paint and pen on paper. Hand drawn style illustrations (digitally printed) |
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| Agata Krolak |
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| Charlotte Trounce |
I think these illustrators sum up the direction I want my style to take. They are fun and playful visuals, using pattern, colour and composition perfectly. They work well on white, but would work equally well on colours. Though I like these as illustrations, I feel my work would take a more abstract turn, playing further with scale
Painterly things
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| Laura Slater |
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| Sarah Kelk These contrast to the 'pleasing geometry' presented earlier, but I still really like these pieces. I think for me it is imperative to balance the angular and measured with the relaxed and unexpected. Mark Making |
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| Hannah Waldron As well as playing to my love of all things linear, I feel that Waldron's lines are particularly inviting and as they have a hand drawn quality about them. It still resembles something quite collaged or patch-worked - this concept of cities and patchwork printed fabric gives me so much inspiration! But I need to work on my drawings first! Overview I have a great idea for a new sketchbook format; working on layers of tracing paper to build up my images, in colour creating layers (which could be scanned in and editing on Photoshop and illustrator) - being inspired by the hand-drawn illustrations, The drawings themselves I'm sure would have interesting effects too - being able to put in extra layers with shapes - like the blocky prints. I could play with compositions they way one might when styling. I could also play by adding in painterly textures and marks. I love having great new ideas - it helps so much getting out of my own sketchbook to do this! |
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