Study task 2 : 5 inspiring illustrators
ZEBU Who is zebu? Zebu is an illustrator and art duo from Berlin, working across a number of different contexts, such as murals, zines, print and textiles. Why do they inspire you? Its their murals that especially inspire me – I am in awe of how effectively they install their images into an environment, especially with their larger scale pieces. Their work They mainly work with shape and vibrant block colour, abstracting and exaggerating figurative subjects to create this quirky and playful tone of voice. How do they produce their work? I think they mainly produce their work either through painting or print making (screenprinting) because this lends itself both to their fields of creative practice and the shapebased quality of their images. How do they promote themselves? They have a website, which acts as a formal portfolio, and then an instagram which is more regularly updated with current projects, both personal and professional, and then an online shop to sell prints, zines, tshirts ect. They also take part in solo and collective exhibitions.
Screenprint These are some of Zebu’s screenprints featured on their shop. They have really used this print process to their full advantage – overlapping colour to create a third within the print. I also really like the way in which they divide their images into separate layers and blocks, making them more dynamic and emphasizing the shapebased quality of their work.
M u r a l s , M u r a l s , M u r a l s … My main focus in Zebu’s practice, is looking at their creation and installation of murals. I think the simple, shapebased quality of their images is what makes them so effective and transferable to so many different scales. These murals (to the left) they did in ‘Huge London’ offices particularly caught my eye. I found it a really interesting idea to do murals on a number of different surfaces, giving them almost increased interactivity with in the space. I think this would particularly be a really effective way to decorate a space for an event.
Zebu x Zuczug, ‘JimiJimi 2017’ Due to the vibrancy of colour and simplistic nature of Zebu’s images, they also work really well as graphic symbols or motifs on clothing, on a number of different scales.
ATELIER BINGO Who is atelier bingo? Atelier bingo is a creative partnership made up of, illustrators, surface pattern & graphic designers Maxime Prou and Adele Favreau. Why do they inspire you? I think they’re a great example of abstract/nonfigurative illustration being successful within a number of different commercial contexts. This being said, they place their work within contexts that do not require mass communication but more decorative imagery – such as murals, textiles, clothing and paper products. I aspire to work with some of the clients they have done recent collaborations with, such as wrap magazine, gorman clothing, tictail... And many more. Their work I really like their focus on simple composition, colour, texture and geometric shapes, taking inspiration from practitioners such as Matisse and art movements like Memphis design. How do they produce their work? They have a strong emphasis on handmade process’ and use computer software sparingly. They particularly enjoy using screenprinting to make their images – using it as a creative process, building their images up layer by layer. How do they promote their work? Instagram, facebook, online shop, agent representation – ‘La suite’. They also have taken part in a number of solo and collective exhibitions.
I really like how Atelier Bingo uses screenprinting to build up their images, giving a feeling of spontaneity to their work. Process as apposed to ideas seems to be more central to their practice and the purpose of their images, leaving the colour, shape and textures to create this kind of visceral and expressive form of communication.
Atelier Bingo’s lack of figurative form in their images, and just creating pattern or image through texture, colour and simple, geometric shape leaves their practice unsuitable for communication contexts (such as editorial etc), but very appropriate to be applied to textiles, clothing, murals, paper products etc.
T h e i r w o r k , h o w e v e r, a l t h o u g h n o t c o m m u n i c a b l e o n i t s o w n , d o e s w o r k v e r y w e l l w h e n c o u p l e d w i t h t y p e t o c r e a t e a f u n k y, dynamic and fun tone of voice. I think part of why this is so e ff e c ti v e , i s b e c a u s e a s n o n - fi g u r a ti v e i l l u s t r a ti o n s t h e y d r a w a tt e n ti o n t o t h e p o s t e r / a d v e r ti s e m e n t b u t d o n o t d e t r a c t f r o m the message, leaving focus on the type.
Charlene Man Who is Charlene Man? Charlene Man is an illustrator that works and lives in both Hong Kong and London. Why do they inspire you? I think Charlene Man’s work is often fuelled by really great ideas and concepts, but she also always injects a feeling of play and fun into her work. I think in many ways she pushes the boundaries of what illustration is and what it can be, in both the production of her images and the range of professional fields in which she places her illustrations. Their work Within her own practice she focuses on character and figurative subjects, that often have a playful tone of voice and an occasionally childlike naivety. Her work is very diverse and flexible, working within a number of different contexts – editorial, publications for adult and child audiences, animation, 3D & environmental illustration and illustrative products. How do they produce their work? I think the method through which she produces her work changes according to its purpose and context. How do they promote themselves? She has a range of different online portfolios – a website, tumblr, twitter, facebook, instagram. She also has an online shop, has taken part of group exhibitions and most recently had her own solo show. She
‘Downtime’ exhibition These are a part of a series of gouache paintings Charlene Man did for her solo exhibition ‘Downtime’. I think they have a really lovely application of colour, and show a good understanding of composition. I also really like how her images are figurative, but not entirely representational as they’re simplified down to minimal shapes and
The fun and playful tone of voice to her work, and character based images, really lends itself to illustrative products – like pins, tshirts, stickers etc. I really like the enamel pins – there something so simple, but seem really highquality and wellcrafted.
3D & Environmental illustration Its also interesting to see how she has transferred her illustrations into different environments, and 3D work – like this mural, window design for Topman and Topshop, and 3D bunting decorations for an event at the V&A. For me I think the most effective 3D aspect of her work is the flamingo bunting – I think this is a really fun and inventive way of decorating a space using illustration as a discipline.
Charlene Man is also Cofounder of Playology Two interactive illustrators trying to communicate complicated subjects to children through interactive play.
The most impressive thing I think playology has achieved so far is this giant digestive system. I love the idea of pushing the boundaries of illustration as a discipline and making something interactive and tactile, through which to communicate complicated ideas.
Anna Kovecses Who is Anna Kovecses? Anna Kovecses is an illustrator and designer, recognized by her minimalist shapes, bold block colour and touches of naivety. Why do they inspire you? I think she is one of the few examples of artists, Laura Carlin being another one, that achieves childlike naivety in their work, whilst still maintaining a highlevel of crafting. I also really like how she uses her graphic design abilities to pair type with her images in a really playful, yet functional way. Their work Her work features figurative subjects, but using minimalist shapes and bold colors, with a strong sense of composition and layout. Due to this her work is really appropriate for an editorial context, book covers, album covers and poster design, as well as publications for both children and adult audiences. How do they produce their work? Its not clear how she produces her work – I think mainly through painting, but the nature of her images would also lend themselves really well to cutpaper or illustrator vector work. How do they promote their work? She is represented by YCN talent agency, and features her work both on tumblr and instagram.
BBC 500 Words (aimed at children 013) The bold and simplistic nature of her images, born out of her use of shape and block colour coupled with her naïve and playful tone of voice makes her work really appropriate for a child audience.
EDITORIAL
Diagnosis column, New York Times magazine The bold, minimal and shapebased nature of her images, mean she can be very direct and immediate in her communication of ideas, making her practice really suitable to an editorial context.
Graphic design & illustration She has a strong sense of layout and good typography skills. I really like how she pairs these graphic design abilities with her illustrations, creating a really playful, but functional relationship between image and type in her work.
This dual set of skills in both graphic design and illustration, makes her a very diverse practitioner, and her work very appropriate and effective with in contexts such as posters, album covers, book covers and both children and adult publications.
Geoff Mcfetridge Who is Geoff Mcfetridge? Geoff Mcfetridge is a jack of all trades, illustrator, graphic designer and animator. Why do they inspire you? I think one of the things I like the most about his work is his investment and belief in really good ideas and concepts. His technical abilities across a range of different disciplines, also makes him a very diverse creative practitioner – and this is how I would aspire to be in the future. Their work His images are very shapebased and graphic in nature, but are always rooted in and originate from drawing. He aspires for his images to be very direct and immediate in their communication, by using universal language and creating imagery that we can all understand. How do they produce their work? I think the production of his work ranges from project to project, obviously being such a diverse practitioner he needs to be flexible in this way. How do they promote their work? He is so wellknown, that I believe he probably gets approached to do projects much more than he seeks them out – but he does have a website to act as an online portfolio, as well as being present on social media such as tumblr and instagram.
I t h i n k w h y h i s w o r k l e n d s i t s e l f t o s o m a n y d i ff e r e n t c o n t e x t s i s because of the shape-based, graphic nature of his work and how he aims to make his images instantly readable. As a form of imagemaking its so malleable – to make into graphic logos, editorial or a d d m o r e n a r r a ti v e t o m a k e i t a p p r o p r i a t e f o r p u b l i c a ti o n s o r a n i m a ti o n . T h e i d e a s b e i n g t h e m a i n d r i v i n g f o r c e o f h i s w o r k , I t h i n k t h i s i s w h a t m a k e s h i m m o s t a tt r a c ti v e a s a c r e a ti v e – n o t j u s t t h e a e s t h e ti c s o f h i s fi n a l o u t c o m e s – b e c a u s e h e i s a b l e r e i n v e n t h i m s e l f o v e r a n d o v e r.