Visual Communication

Recently, we were introduced to visual communication. This includes graphic design, illustration and animation. I've found that I like this taster the most so far as everything we have done in visual communication has been enjoyable. We started off exploring what is involved within graphic design, illustration and animation and what jobs/careers require them. It was really interesting to see the amount of everyday things you interpret all three into.
 Afterwards, we began experimenting with single line drawing of objects, in this case our shoes, in a limited amount of time over a double page spread in our sketchbooks, without looking at what we had drawn. It was brilliant to see how the drawings turned out and how the simplicity and roughness of the drawing is still clear enough to represent what you can see.

 Using A2 pieces of card, we folded them into 4 A4 sections and created grounds using various materials such as brown paper, newspaper, tissue paper, paint, ink and emulsion which would soften the block colours of the paper so they wouldn't stand out. Then, using random objects and various drawing implements, we drew a single line drawing of a different object for each section. The picture above is how my piece turned out. I think the ink drawing of the glasses and the brown oil pastel drawing of the shoe turned out the best. These types of media seemed to work best with the grounds I had created and the texture of the emulsion. The glove drawing didn't work out well as the graphite didn't seem to show up well enough to stand out, but I think the ground was also too dark and needed more emulsion as not to distract from the drawing. To improve I think I mainly needed more practice making grounds as I have not done it before now.

 We then started researching typography, how they're used in logos and how artists interpret them within their work such as books, cards, etc. Like before, we created grounds, used different objects and used various media. Again, the ink and oil pastel drawings have turned out the best whereas the felt tip and graphite are very faint. I think with this piece I made the grounds a bit too busy which could have contributed to how the drawings didn't show up well.
 Even though I think I could do with a bit more practice, I am pleased with how they have turned out overall for my first time.

To prepare for our final pieces, we had to research and test different types of typography and logos from products and other objects that we could find. We also had to search for quotes and lyrics which we had to narrow down to 3 or 4 words. The picture above shows the double page spread I did of all the logos and types that I researched. I really enjoyed doing this and find that some of them really stand out, especially with the bold colours and various shapes.

Here are some grounds I tried out. I like how they turned out, especially with the colours I used, however the PVA glue must have still been quite wet as the pages stuck together so some of the yellow ended up on the blue and vice versa.

I noted down the quotes and lyrics which I had researched and unlined where I would narrow them down. In the end I used the lyrics 'Surreal place to see' and 'Whisper a quiet tune' and so did a mind map for each writing down what colours, shapes and type would best relate to them.

I then did a second mind map for each of the lyrics in which I developed my former ideas and started to draw examples of the type I would use for the words.

This is my one hour drawing of the inside of my cupboard. I enjoyed parts of doing this, although I think I rushed most of it and made it look scruffy, so to improve I would take my time in making sure I've got the shapes and right detail for the objects such as the labels and logos. It's something I've never done before and I think it's something I would quite like to practice a bit more at.

This is the first of my final pieces for Visual Communication. For the ground, I used sheet music which I printed out with the page on the right being the song that these lyrics are from. I also used a light blue and white acrylic. I'm pleased with how the colour has turned out and think it really shows the softness and breeze-like flow of the piece. For the type, I used a fine liner pen. I'm happy with the way the type worked out, although I am still a bit unsure about how I did 'tune', but I still like it. The smudging on 'quiet' was at first accidental but I like how it turned out and think it fits in and looks quite effective.

This is the second of my final pieces. I used graph paper for the ground and added a few cut outs from the spare sheet music I printed for my first final piece. I thought it might fit in with the sense of something being surreal. I also used yellow and white acrylic. I was unsure at first about which colour would best suit "a surreal place" and decided with bright yellow in the end. I think it worked quite nicely although maybe I could've used another colour. For the type I used fine liner pen. I'm pleased with how the type turned out and I think it suits the lyrics well, however I think it should be a bit neater.

Overall, I think the visual communication taster has really shown me how things like graphic design, illustration and animation is used in far more everyday objects and environments than what I thought, for example tissue boxes and homely ornaments, and it has made me observe these things differently. 

There has been an array of artists whose type of work are very different and quite a lot of them I have found inspiring, such as one that has stood out to me since researching his work in my previous blog; Noma Bar. I love how his work seems to be minimal yet it is clear he has thought a lot about how he is going to present his work. I find it really fits in with the phrase 'less is more'.

Out of the 3 main disciplines of visual communication, so far illustration is standing out to me the most. I've really enjoyed drawing various typography and I'd love to explore it further. However, I'd also like to try out animation to get more of a sense of what it would imply and because I've never really experienced it before.

Visual Communication is something that I've enjoyed the most out of all the tasters and I think it suits what I am wanting to take on this course. It is definitely one that I'm going to consider.

Research for Visual Communication

Noma Bar

Looking through Noma Bar's work was really interesting yet at the same time amusing but in a good way. 

 You can see how he has thought about his designs. For example, in his piece Spock, he uses primary factors that would relate to the subject of the image such as the basic shape of Spock's head and hairstyle, the Vulcan salute - which has been creatively put in place of an eye and the trademark eyebrows - and the blue in the background which is the colour of his uniform in the series Star Trek.

This is another example of his work. Again, it is simplistic yet effective and recognisable as the character Popeye. In this he has used factors that capture Popeye's image such as his hat, pipe, shape of his face which has been cleverly represented by the fist, and the muscles in his arm. I wasn't sure what the yellow in the background represented at first, but after researching it is clear that this is the colour commonly used for the comic strips.

 In his work it is clear he uses a limited colour palette which works well and doesn't over complicate his work. For more of his work click here.

Olivier Kugler

I find Olivier's work very interesting because of how the drawings seem to start off being like doodles of where he has been and what he has seen. With them being single line drawings they are neat and really give character to what he has drawn. Once he has finished drawing he seems to fill most or all of the objects in the picture with solid colours. I love how he draws them in real-time, for example the picture below shows the man will appear to have more hands or heads that aren't attached to the main body because he has moved from his original position. He also writes in little quotes of what he has overheard from the person he has drawn. It really gives life to his work and makes it feel like a still-life video.

You can see more of his work here.

Illustration article - Katharine Pyle - Tales Of Folk And Fairies.

Katharine Pyle.

I have chosen an article by Katherine L Miner and Margaretta S Frederick from the magazine 'Illustration' in which they have examined the life and work of illustrator Katharine Pyle.

Katharine Pyle was born on 22nd November 1863 in Wilmington, Delaware to William Pyle, who founded and owned a leather business, and Margaret Churchman Painter Pyle, who had some success writing for fashion magazines and newspapers. She is the younger and only sister of the successful illustrator Howard Pyle.
 I was particularly interested in this article after seeing the pictures of her artwork. For instance, on the second page I love the bottom picture of a young girl playing an instrument with a peacock stood on the wall. I love how the drawing is simplistic yet detailed. It has no other colour added to it yet it is clear that it is not needed.
 In the article it states that she had a lifelong love of animals which undoubtedly influenced her delightful stories Six Little Ducklings (1915), Two Little Mice (1917) and Three Little Kittens (1920). In the bottom right corner of the fourth page, there's a picture of one of her illustrations from Three Little Kittens. Personally I love animals too, especially cats, therefore this image stood out to me because of this. However I do really like the qualities of this image; the background is fairly simplistic and neutral as not to distract from the subjects being the kittens which stand out with their bold colouring. The eyes of the black kitten also give more life to the illustration.

 I find that all of the illustrations in this article are inspiring to me as her work seems to be minimal yet intricate in the areas that need to be which I could learn from because I am used to drawing pictures which are detailed as a whole.