Editorial Illustration - Monday 26 October

What is Editorial illustration?

See the Editorial tab for a breakdown of this fortnight's task!

Eric Fraser, illustration for Lilliput magazine, 1930s

"The essence of editorial Illustration is visual commentary. Its principal function is to be symbiotic with journalism contained within the pages of newspapers and magazines. "

- MALE, A. (2007). Illustration: a theoretical and contextual perspective. Lausanne, AVA Academia.

Qualities and Functions of Editiorial Illustration:

To translate

…the ability to bring the essence of the story, its concept, but also values and intent, all beyond the text, into pictures that the reader can understand.

To reflect

…the ability for the audience to see their values, their codes reflected in the image in their magazine, and at the same the illustration as a reflection of the ideas of the illustrator and publisher.

To materialise

…the ability to use material and style to give meaning and presence, not just within the picture, but by using and exploiting the technologies that are dictated by the carrier, be it newsprint or pixels.

To engage

Engagement, the ability to grab the audience and deliver something

thought provoking, whether through a personal socio-politically statement or through formal impact is understood as a core quality of the editorial illustration.

From: Hoogslag, Jeanne, 2015, Thesis, On the Persistence of a Modest Medium The Role of Editorial Illustration in Print and Online Media PhD thesis, Royal College of Art

So what's the assignment then?

Assignment notes for AD 5508 “The Illustrator”

This assignment will be completed via blog posts, in no less than 5 stages, over the course of the module. Each subject heading discussed in the seminars will focus on the named illustrator or artist studied during the topic lectures and exercises.

You will compose a referenced blog post of words and practice-based visual experiments investigating the practice of at least 5 of the offered topics/artists. Each of the blog posts should be uploaded as soon as possible after they are completed.

For each of the 5 subjects e.g.Chris Ware you will produce:

1.     Chris Ware

FOUR visual experiments/explorations of methodologies

Each with written caption and Harvard reference/s

2.     Sara Fanelli and Oliver Jeffers- Children’s Book Artists

FOUR visual experiments/explorations of methodologies

Each with written caption and Harvard reference/s

3.     Self Published Artist/Editorial Illustrator TBC

FOUR visual experiments/explorations of methodologies

Each with written caption and Harvard reference/s

4.     Concept Artist Stephen Cooper

FOUR visual experiments/explorations of methodologies

Each with written caption and Harvard reference/s

5.     Political Cartoonist Steve Bell / Martin Rowson

FOUR visual experiments/explorations of methodologies

Each with written caption and Harvard reference/s

All work to be uploaded to a blog by 7 Dec with email link sent to both George and Dolores, with backup PDF or Word copy uploaded to Student Records.

Assessment and presentations of your work to be held on the Monday following the deadline.

www.sarafanelli.com

Using Absurdity, collage and textural interest: : Worksheet for Monday 19 Oct

1) Using Fanelli’s technique of photographed and photocopied eyes on colour backgrounds, create a simple collaged image of a strange person or creature, designed to appeal to children.

- You can add simple brush drawing in gouache or ink, add quotations, notes or words, or punctuation marks.

2) Nonsense drawing generator

Photocopy some drawings from your sketchbooks. Fold the photocopies so that only part of the drawing is visible. Lay one drawing over another to create a surreal combination and either trace or photocopy the result.

Create an absurd drawing by using the surrealist game “Exquisite Corpse”.

Fold a piece of paper horizontally: one fold for each person playing the game.

Draw a design in the top section and just over the edge of the next fold.

Fold your drawing under so it is hidden, pass the paper to the next person, and ask them to repeat this step.

When a round of drawings has been completed, open the paper to reveal the composite drawing and display it.

Sara Fanelli methodologies

Photocollage using eyes: This references avant-garde art, and also adds a recognizable human element that acts as an “anchor” to what might be too cold and abstract a composition – Remember the “adding an eye to a blob” trick

Textural interest: By using found materials that have their own semiotic messages, Fanelli adds narrative depth and also makes the image more interesting

Scribbles and notation : Using apparent changes of mind, thoughts, notes and scribbles, Fanelli references many contemporary artists. Such artists and illustrators include Sigmar Polke, David Shrigley, Paul Davis, Donna Muir and Su Huntley, Ivan Chermayeff, Sue Coe and Oliver Jeffers.) By doing this Fanelli makes her work both more accessible to children, (who appreciate mistakes and imperfection and can relate to these aspects in their artwork, schoolwork and rough books) and adults who find the imperfections and avant-garde feel give the work an air of postmodern sophistication.

Absurd anthropomorphism - like Edward Lear

By anthropomorphising unexpected things like chairs and cutlery at a sophisticated level - (of detail and behaviour, not just making them talk)

Fanelli delights children by surprising them and being absurdly (unconventionally) funny.

Monday 12 October - Sara Fanelli

This new two week topic is the Children's Book Illustrator
and we will be analysing the work of the artist Sara Fanelli. The following week we will try some practical explorations and experiments based on her identified methodologies.

Image from Pinocchio
Walker Books, 2003