Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Addition!

EXTRA ADDITION: I didn't specify this in class, but you'll probably have to order your Illustration Now: Volume 2 book from Amazon.

I just wanted to note that I've sent out all the invitations to be on the blog! Also, your favorite food doesn't have to be drawn realistically, it's up to you.
Have fun!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Homework/Blog Assignment 1

Here's the info for the 5 sketches due next week:


*They can be in any type of medium, as long as we get an accurate sense of what the final will look like.

*They must illustrate the concept of your two words, in any way you like. (but the viewer should be able to tell what's going on)

*Keeping the sketch sizes around quarter-page to half-a-page is a good idea. Too big and you waste too much time, too small and you can't see anything! DRAW A BOX/RECTANGLE around your sketch, DO NOT let it just bleed off the side of the page.

*Horizontal or vertical format, your choice.

*Must have a foreground, middleground, and background! No floating characters on a blank page.

*Bring your 5 sketches to class, plus any thumbnails or reference material you think is important.(MAKE COPIES before class, or tear them out of your sketchbook!)

BE CREATIVE and find a way to make the assignment fun for you!

For the blog:
Take an 30 mins to an hour and draw your favorite food (or foods) in in a medium you've never used before! (French Silk Pie is one of my favorites) It can be scary trying out something you're not good at, but don't worry about how nice your end result looks, hopefully you'll learn something in the process, good or bad! You have to draw a lot of bad things before you draw good things. Post your Favorite Food(s) to the blog before class next week.


Next week we'll be going over the sketches and working on using COLOR! Bring in color supplies & materials for in-class work!
Have a good week!

Good Sketches--a great place to start!

Hey guys!
To get you all started on your first assignment, I've gathered some examples of how to do good sketches, and what I expect to see from you next week.

I will be showing examples of my own work below, but first here's some other great illustrators with informative blog posts about their process:

Yuko Shimizu, the awesome illustrator I introduced in class, put up a great article on her blog about her work process. It really is the best way to work as an illustrator, and to read the whole thing, go here. I recommend reading it and exploring the rest of her blog/site when you have the time.

John Hendrix is an award-winning professional editorial/book illustrator and a whiz with watercolor. Here's one of his blog posts talking about his process with an illustration for Entertainment Weekly!

Sam Bosma is a talented illustrator we'll be bringing into class later in the semester, but he also does very in-depth process posts for his illustrations, you can check out one of his most recent for PLANSPONSOR magazine. (his thumbnails are gorgeous!)

SO! First, you'll probably want to start by drawing some thumbnails-- rough, tiny, really-quick sketches to help you generate your ideas for your image. The more the better! You don't even need an eraser with these, just keep doing them until you have a few you like.

Look at reference! Sometimes you'll need to look at reference before you do your thumbnails, sometimes after, but it's almost always helpful. Besides the internet, Decker Library is a great resource and photocopies and scans are cheap! Reference may be anatomically related or stylistically related to your image, but remember not to take too much from any one image. The worst thing an artist can do is copy someone else's photo or illustration and try to pass it off as their own.

Next, pick several (5 for this assignment) of your best ideas and take more time with your final sketches. These sketches should be clearly readable to the viewer and communicate approximately what you want your final to look like. In the professional world, these are the sketches you send to your client, and in my class these are sketches you bring to class!
Here's some examples of my own thumbnails/sketches/finals that I have used for professional assignments. You are not required to add color or tone to your sketches like I have chosen to, and you can do them in whatever media you prefer.

Vegas Magazine-- Scorpio horoscope illustration:
thumbnails--for my own benefit.

sketches I sent to the client

final image

PLANADVISER-- header image for "Hot Off the Press" article:
thumbnails--for my own benefit

sketches I sent the client

final image

LA Times-- Spring Makeup trends article:
sketches I sent the client

final image

When you come to class, please bring in the thumbnails, sketches, and any reference you feel was important! Seeing all the different steps you've taken in your image helps improve the quality of critiques and lets me see how much you've been working on the assignment (even if you feel you are having trouble with it.)

I'm looking forward to seeing your blog homework and your sketches in class next week! Experiment, and don't sweat it!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK and let me know if you have any questions!