Study Task 3 - Applied

What does it mean to say that illustration is an applied art?
-It portrays a message and serves a purpose
-It is the bridge between an idea and an audience
-You work for people/with people
-It is a tool for story telling and meaning making
-It answers a brief

Application defines illustration 

Examples of illustrated products

Mike Cortada



I chose an A Day to Remember album cover. I really like drawings with perspective, mainly because I really struggle to do it. I think this one really works well as an album cover and I really like how to title is incorporated into the whole design. I really like the limited colours used and the bright colour used for the title, very eye catching. 

Nick Sheehy

This is an example where an illustration has been applied to something functional like a t shirt. I guess its a success for a functional illustration as we all need clothes but I dunno I feel like an illustration like this works better on paper just to be admired, because his skill is crazy.
Punky Pins

I love these pins I keep seeing everywhere and people wearing on their jacket or bag, its like carrying a little illustration around with you 24/7. I especially like this Wednesday Addams because it speaks to me, its how I feel about darkness and black and I like that there will be different pins for different people.

Alan Lee

 I love everything by the fantasy illustrator Alan Lee. I feel it takes such talent to read words, imagine a fantasy world and then translate that into images. I especially love this book cover because it only shows part of a dragon rather than a whole dragon, making me want to read the book to find out more.

Simon Lewis

I saw this print at the Leeds Print Fair last week and I just love everything about it. I think the colours work so well, in that they are brighter around the performers so the eye is drawn there. I just think a gig is a perfect moment to capture in an illustration and Simon Lewis has captured the moment perfectly. It would work well on a wall just as a piece of art and I would love it on my wall but too expensive :(

Leeds Print Fair

I went to this print fair on Sunday, I had never been to one before and it was really exciting to see different kinds of artists sell their own artwork. It had a really nice atmosphere, felt like everyone was there for the same reason, that they were passionate about illustration etc. Kind of how I feel at a gig when there a lot of die hard fans like me knowing all the words to every song; a great atmosphere. I saw some techniques and ideas that I hadn't seen before which I want to steal for my own work. For example I saw a student selling her work that was all black ink work of forests but then splashes of coloured ink and it looked sick. Was too expensive to buy though :( Would be cool to sell my own work at a print fair.

Study Task 2- Practice

What is practice?

Before today's group chat about what an illustrators practice is I would have said their finished pieces, their portfolio. But after today and thinking about it in depth I'd say it is the illustrators process, their trials and errors, their inspirations and imagery, the techniques and mediums they use and the reasons why they're making the work whether it's a client or to sell as a piece of work.

Nick Sheehy

I first came across Nick Sheehy on Instagram. I instantly fell in love with his work and since then I have looked at his website, twitter and read a few interviews. I would love to buy his work but it's quite expensive and I'm a poor student.

This a quote from him: 'I like the idea of a skull embedded in a pineapple- kinda evil and absurd at the same time'

This is a quote about him that I feel really sums him and his practice up:

'Nick’s work, drawn and coloured by hand, is meticulously crafted and wonderfully executed'

Why do you like their work?

I love how unpredictable and silly some of his work is but also quite badass using a lot of skull imagery. I read that he doesn't like to explain his work and leaves it up to the views interpretation which makes it mysterious and interesting. There is definitely something mysterious and compelling about his work.

How do they make their work?

His work is drawn and coloured by hand. His weapon of choice is a graphite pencil. He might add acrylic or photoshop but he says that he is much more satisfied by analogue than digital. You can definitely see that his drawings are hand crafted with great care.

What do you think is central to their practice?

I read that his inspiration is walking, museums, natural history, film scenes, discovering new music. I can really see this reflected in his work. With all the skeleton and wild life imagery that he would find in natural history musuems or on walks.

Who have they worked for/where does their work exist?

His work has existed in a lot of exhibitions all over the world. And then he has also worked for selected publications such as magazines and books.

How does their work relate to what you do/would like to do?

I love this his work is so obviously handmade and not digital, I love that his work is so weird but works so well. I love that his work uses restricted colour and when he does use it, it is so effective. I want all this in my own work. Basically I wish Nick's work was my work. This is exactly the kind of thing I want to make -evil but absurd.

'Discovering new music makes your brain vibrate. Ideas seem to evolve out of random sketching'

Louise Lockhart Lecture

This talk from Louise Lockhart was so inspiring. It made me feel better about life. She was just so down to earth and I love that she just created what she likes to create and it worked out for her. I like that even after university she didn't know what to do or how to get a job that she wanted but it still worked out for her after a lot of hard work. It really does show that hard work pays off. She mentioned she even used to sell things through print all over me and society 6 and also enter competitions which she has inspired me to do just as somewhere to start. I felt like the talk was really personal and not things you could find out about her on the internet. On the internet you can only see where she is, the finished products and not how she got there, which can be a bit overwhelming. I need to remember that all illustrators started where I am now.