Charles Hively

During my visit to New York, I was also invited along to Charles Hively's house in Brooklyn. Hively is the design director and publisher of the 3x3 magazine which he describes as "the first magazine devoted entirely to the art of contemporary illustration. Published in the United States and distributed worldwide, we are interested in what’s shaping international illustration." - Hively. 

The 3x3 magazine studio was part of a living room full of books, and 2 girls remained busy at their desks working, as he sat and spoke to my group.


Hively was focused on illustration as a business and told us that we are entrepreneurs the moment we graduate. He said that illustration students are rarely aware of how to be successful after graduating or how to make a business, and that as people, they are usually timid and shy.

If we want to be hired, then we need to be CONFIDENT and PROMOTE ourselves endlessly.



He also made an interesting comparison between illustrators and photographers, in terms of how much money each makes. Photographers know what price to charge when approached by a client and so the amount stated has to be agreed upon because there is no real variation amongst the different photographers. This does not happen within the illustration industry and many will take a job for a lot less money than they should; and why?

'Because they love what they do and they want others to like it too.'

We can't just do anything for any price and definitely not for the companies who have tons of money. Don't just give it away.



I have taken some great advice from Charles Hively and many of the points he makes are a cruel reality, although I did find his view on websites and promotion a little narrow. Perhaps this could be a difference in culture or job role as he is of course a design director. He said that a website should only contain final images and no information about yourself or the work, and so I asked, "Are you solely interested by the look of an image rather than the reason behind it?".  I wanted to know whether he hired any illustrators because of the way that the think or perhaps because their personal interests reflect the job he needs them for. He was very quick to respond by telling me that he is not concerned with why or how you have done something and that he just picks whatever he likes the look of.


It was hard for me to come to terms with this statement because I am writing my journal surrounding the argument of illustrators lacking content in their work. Yet it seems as though this is really not important to some art directors whatsoever.

I have always spoken about my belief that an illustrator can be recognised and hired because of how their mind works and the unique voice that they use, and Andre Da Loba was the essence of this notion.



"Illustration is more about the way you think than the way that you do things"- Andre Da loba

NY

So much to blog about after an amazing visit to New York, Manhattan.
It's Fun To Stay At The YMCA

I have just recovered from a thrilling and exhausting trip to New York with the rest of my illustration/surface design group. After a 17 hour journey from Stockport in Manchester, we finally arrived at JFK incredibly excited for the week ahead. As we approached the bridge over to Manhattan, we could see the oh so famous view of the skyline ahead. The YMCA on 63rd Street was our first stop so that we could drop of our luggage before heading out to explore. 

Communal showers and toilets were a temporary shock, though we didn't dwell on the hostel facilities for too long as we stepped out in to the city and realised we were surrounded by gigantic buildings and the blissful central park which was just around the corner.

On tuesday the 6th of November we took the subway over to Brooklyn to visit Andre Da loba's studio. We could never have hoped for more! He welcomed us in to the building and let us view the current exhibition at ground floor level before taking us through a 'secret route' via a huge lift, to the 2nd floor where we could go and see his actual studio space. We were given permission to explore thoroughly picking up objects and rifling through papers, before we were led up to the top floor where we were joined by Oliver Jeffers, and Andre Da Loba held a mini show for us. He passed around some of his 3D creations whilst explaining the stories behind them and amongst this he unintentionally provided us with some really useful advice.

Left: Me    Second  left: Oliver Jeffers   Second from right: Bryony Hopkins    Right: Andre Da Loba

Many of his illustrations used stereotypes, which he told us were useful because people will always recognise them and be able to relate to them, it's also fun to play around with ideological charachters, they don't always have to serve for much.

He spoke about how 'it's all about the story' and how you must always be willing to fail. When referring to some of his illustrations he said, 'most of these things are failures. It's a big part of being an illustrator.'

It was also reassuring to hear that he is a believer of illustrators ideas being more valuable that the way the produce a piece of work and he told us that we need to be confident and find where we are in the world. We shouldn't think we're not good enough; someone has to get the job....so why not me?

And finally...

'Mash things together in a way that you understand the world. Train and train until it becomes second nature, just like a footballer does'

My illustration work in books.

The 8x8 Anthology launch took place at 2pm on the 24th of October at The Anthony Burgess Foundation. Many came to see our presentation as part of the Manchester Literature Festival, where the creative writing students included in the book went on stage to read small sections of their stories, and some of the illustrators went up to answer questions prepared by our tutor Joanna Spicer.

I worked with Laura Brown and her story; 'As It Was' and was asked about how I chose what to put in to my two illustrations.

"Jo asked Jadine Butler about how she set about the task of designing something to go with Laura Brown’s As It Was, and she explained how she “tried to pick the two most symbolic moments in the text”, which includes a half-eaten piece of toast, which, indeed is very representative. Robert says of Laura: “She’s very good at leaving it entirely to the reader to work it out, using the little tiny things to say a lot more.”(MLF Blog 2012)

It is great to see my work in context and actually published in to a book (even though the main image sadly got cropped). We all managed to keep a copy for ourselves, and mine now shares a shelf with all the other illustration books I have purchased over the years.

I have also being printing my 'Female Facade' summer project work in to a zine, after having several book binding workshops with Lucy Wilson. This was another great opportunity to see how my work would look when presented in a book. A zine is a way to put a small amount of your work together in to a tangible object for the public to look at, almost like a hand out. They have always been something quite disposable for me, but Lucy taught us that the process of book binding can be just as important as the content and both can inform one another. So my final product holds more value to me now. It feels special, and I hope that this will make it stand out amongst many others.

I chose coptic binding to hold the book together because the pattern which forms down the spine resembles a platt, which of course has female connotations. I also doubled the thread I used (which was already incredibly thick) so it was very difficult to stitch, but worth it, because the pattern is much more noticeable. The images inside portray the story of adam and eve and how the female was initially created from a physical part of man, and how from the moment she picked fruit from the tree, she has been seen as a deviant.

MlF Blog [Online] Available at: http://manchesterliterature.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/sweet-sixteen.html
See Lucy Wilson's Website here: http://www.elizabethsheart.com/

Pick Me up 2012-Somerset House

Last Thursday the 22nd of March I travelled down to London with a few friends from University, to enjoy the big city in the sunshine, and head to the National Portrait Gallery and the Pick Me Up Contemporary graphic art fair.

The entire trip was very inspiring and we spent a lot of time sat in the sun filling our sketchbooks, appreciating the beauty of iconic scenes of London, such as Trafalgar Square. The main focus of our trip was of course; Pick Me Up. There were bundles of exciting illustrations, and some additions for my list of inspiration, yet I did feel as though the event felt like a large shop.

There was a lot to look at, and buy, but I didn't feel as though I knew anything about the illustrations, nor did I know who had even produced them some of the time. The first thing that came to mind was the creative review article I had read recently by Lawrence Zeegan, and how it can appear as though there is no real content behind all these 'pretty pictures'; not that I believe that it does not exist. Perhaps it is just the way illustrations are showcased. The idea of a 'shop full of eye candy'. Of course I still found myself in awe of particular images, perhaps just for the way they looked or the successful application of methods. Some of the names I came across were:

SARAH BEETSON

Although at first glance I didn’t think these illustrations were my ‘cup of tea’ I ended up spending lot of time inspecting them closely. There was a large range of media being used, something I am always keen to experiment with. I am a huge fan of college and stitching.

Beetson’s images are striking, with use of bold colours and busy compositions.

SAM BREWSTER

I picked this image out because of the use of line. The black lines that describe the buildings are ‘real’ lines, no use of a ruler and no worry for mistakes. The colours compliment each other well, greens pinks and grey-blue remind me of Edward Bawden.

All images were taken at the Pick Me Up fair. Websites are linked in illustrators names.

Special Collections MMU

Today I payed a visit to the special collections in the Sir Kenneth Green library at Manchester Metropolitan University with the rest of my illustration class. Although I was not looking for anything in particular, I came across many books that caught my eye. I also noticed that the library would be a great source for particularly old books, in comparison to many libraries which seem to throw books away when they reach a particular age.

Here are some of the books I found interesting:

It was the compositions and variations in scale within this particular Jabberwocky book, that tickled my eye. Composition is often something I struggle with when approaching an illustration so I am always open to finding some inspiration.

The characters in this George Forwell book reminded me of the mark making I did in the first year of my degree. It was all about creating lines that weren't so obviously rendered with a pen or pencil, but lines that would describe an adjective supporting the subject. The ink splatters in these illustrations describe the movement and nature of these characters beautifully.

Krakow

I have just got back from poland and the amazing city of krakow! It was ever so cold and I've never worn so many pairs of socks but it was a fantastic trip. There were so many beautiful buildings, and around every corner there was something truly magnificent to look at.

Can I go back now please?!

The churches in Krakow were particularly interesting, the intricate patterens in the wallpaper and the architecture kept my eyes wandering for quite sometime. It was impossible to take everything in because of the scale of the buildings, but one thing I did manage to focus on were the stain glass windows. They rely on the light in order to portray there message so they are usually rather high up which ironically makes them harder to see, yet still so beautiful!

St. Mary's Basilica

Below is a window we all got a little too excited about. I was actually one of the few to get a clear photograph of it simply because it was so far away and the light was too bright to pick up any of the detail. Thankfully I found that 'sunset' mode on that old banger of a camera of mine, and it managed to get an image as good as this.

And of course as an illustrator, it would be a crime not to go and visit a polish poster gallery! And so we spent a good hour or so browsing a very small poster gallery called Galeria Plakatu - Poster Gallery, not far from Krakow city centre. There was about 20 of us crammed in to a room that only looked big enough for 5 eagerly browsing through the collection. One in particularly managed to catch my attention and after examining it's qualities for far too long I decided to make a purchase and now it is mine!!

The marks used to describe the men's beards/stubble are so appropriate, and the detailed little bugs on the background are gorgeous when you look at them up close. All the textures put together make it so successful and it was said to be 'definitely a Jadine poster'.

Auschwitz Friday 19th November.

A visit that we felt we had to make when visiting Krakow, and can I say I am 'glad' that I went? It was an experience I will never forget and it made everything real which I felt was extremely important because these horrific events really did not happen all that long ago. I don't really have anything else to say, it was an emotional day and I couldn't really speak when I got back to the hotel, here are some images.

Jonny Hannah

I have been a fan of Jonny Hannah's work for quite some time now. I became aware of him through the work of Mark Hearld, who I studied during my foundation degree in York. I attended a small 'illustration &writing' exhibition of his work on the 3rd of November at the MMU. It was so refreshing to see work so 'raw' without frames or someone's explanation alongside.

With it being the opening night, it seemed as though socialising was the main focus of the event, so it was quite difficult to get a good look at the images.

I spent a long time trying to get a good look at them, I could see the amount of detail and the textures from the printing so clearly. The hand rendered type really added character.

Some of the images appeared to be printed on the outer pages from a paperback sketchbook, they reminded me of postcards. One of the final expectations for my current brief is to produce a vignette on an A6 format, this images will be perfect to use for some inspiration.

Although Jonny Hannah has is own visual language, all of his work remains very different, perhaps this is due to what or who it has been commissioned for. Some of the illustrations completely filled the page, some where floating central in the composition, and some were displayed on shapes cut from wood.

What seems important is that he is completely engulfed in his own world, and you can clearly see all of his influences!

"A passionate music lover, and sharp dresser (correspondance shoes and bow-ties are de rigeur) Jonny’s work is inspired by whatever he’s listening to… which happens to mostly be Jazz."

On The March

I recently went to the People's History Museum in Manchester to view an exhibition of Ed Halls campaign banners, in response to my new university brief. Although he originally studied architecture, Ed became the UNISON convenor of the Borough department and then brach secretary for lambeth, during the 1970's and 80's. (Unison is the public service trade union)

Ed Hall makes banners for causes he believes in and 'says he could not make a banner to promote something he does not support.

And many of his designs often show his love for architecture and landscape.

The banners are made up of applique and usually a central image, which are painted on to fabric using fabric paints and dyes. They are made to be eye catching and use contrasting colours as well as simplistic typography- which is usually placed at the top of the banners so it can be read without being blocked by the crowds. Preliminary sketches were displayed at the exhibition of his work, to show us how he plans out his designs.

I watched this video whilst at the museum and it shows you the exact process Ed goes through to produce these banners, and he puts MANY hours in to them.

I have been asked to produce my own banner for a topic I feel passionate about, and it didn't take long for a subject to pop in to my head. Something that already aggravated me even though I thought it would not directly effect me, has now gone on to cause problems for my fellow classmates and I.

THE INCREASE IN UNIVERSITY TUITION FEES.

The previous government pushed teenagers at the age of 16 and over to go into further education in the hope that they would go on to study at university, and now we have been faced with a huge increase in the price of university fees. The coalition has broken its promises after the Lib Dems refused to support the proposal during the last election.

The prices have effected the decisions of those waiting to apply for university but have now gone on to cause problems for those who are already half way through their degrees. My college is one of many that offers a degree supplied by another university, but due to the rivalry between universities, my degree will no longer be issued to be by LJMU who are trying to protect their 'brand'.

Leeds Art Gallery

It was a beautiful morning this morning! I got up early and travelled to Leeds art gallery with Cat. We Found a beautiful painting which we were both mesmerised by. It has also been voted as one of 'Yorkshire's favourite paintings'. (click to view more)

When you walk into the gallery it is one of the first paintings you see, it is placed directly facing the front doors and is absolutely huge.

Adelsteen Normann

The Sognefjord, Norway

1885, oil on canvas

We took a seat directly in front of this image and felt instantly overwhelmed by the enormity of the mountains. We were sat at the same level as the tiny boats and houses which have been exaggerated to look ridiculously small against the towering rocks. We began to discuss where we would rather be within the scene, would we rather be at the top of the mountains?, at the bottom having the view across the water? or over on the snow topped mountain in the distance.

This was one of Normann's favourite spots and in 1890-91 he had a summer house built on the fjord, he visited each year from Berlin where he lived until his death.

We are now beginning to think about a landscape/view that is special to us, what it is that makes it so powerful and how we can emphasise that.

And the preperation for 2nd year begins.

I often forget when living in York, that there is actually an art gallery here. I am so used to travelling further afield and thought I would have a little visit there today after receiving the new summer brief.

'You are to arrange and meet together at an art gallery and

1. select and agree on one piece of work that you see

2. read about the information about the piece and understand its' context

3. what is it about?

4. what was happening in the world at this time?

5. discuss the work and observe what interests you about it.'

There is a william Etty exhibition ongoing at the moment with an extensive collection of his works.

25 June 2011- 22 January 2012

I would not have described myself as a huge fan of Etty, most likely because I have never really studied his work in great detail nor have I had the opportunity to see it in a gallery.

What really 'struck' me, were his paintings of the female nude. The figures were voluptuous which caused controversy during his time as they were seen as 'improper', but it is refreshing to see the attention he has paid towards the texture and tones of the skin.

Standing Female Nude circa 1835-40

Oil on canvas

Although my friend Cat and I where in ore of the paintings, none of them really spoke to us.

A visit to a different gallery tomorrow is in order and perhaps even a revisit to York gallery too. We are waiting for the moment when we will both walk up to a piece of work and and say "wow look at this!!"