let me tell you something
A.K.A.
EDUARDO CORRAL
IDEA BOOK
BY:
let me tell you something
this book is a visual summary of eduardo corral a.k.a. tlaloc’s first year journey in the mfa in illustration practice program at mica
ARTIST BIO EDUARDO CORRAL A.K.A. TLALOC ’14 was born and raised in the mountainous city of Monterrey, Mexico. After eight years working as a professional illustrator, artist, graphic designer, as well as four years as an undergraduate-level professor, he decided to refine his lifelong and ongoing passion for illustration. A Fulbright Scholar holding a BFA in Graphic Design from the Universidad Regiomontana, he decided to pursue his Master’s degree in the United States. Eduardo’s primary interests are in illustration, fine art and graphic design, and he is fascinated and excited about the growing consciousness that increasingly connects these different creative branches. He is especially interested in themes related to mundane objects, monsters, ordinary people, human behavior and the fascination with the unknown.
-“Sheesshhh!”
1
WORKSHOPS LETTERPRESS WORKSHOP PAPER ENGINEERING WORKSHOP
BOOK BINDING WORKSHOP
SEWING WORKSHOP
SEMESTER
PROJECTS THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT IMAGE HARVESTING PROJECT
SELF-PUBLISHING PROJECT 3 WORKSHOP REACTION PIECE
MICA’S ANNUAL ART MARKET
EXHIBITION MFA IN ILLUSTRATION PRACTICE
1ST SEMESTER EXHIBITION
EXTRAS JAMIE’S BABY ALPHABET BOOK
MÖBIUS STRIP
WORKSHOPS
LETTERPRESS WORKSHOP The letterpress workshop was the first workshop we had in the program and It took place in the Baltimore Print Studios. We created a piece of artwork and printed it to a polymer plate, which serves to transfer the image to paper. This process is possible, thanks to the embossing characteristics of the image transferred in to the plate. This was a great introductory workshop, as it helped us understand the general aim of the program.
sewing WORKSHOP The sewing workshop, was focused mainly in the technical and functional qualities of an industrial sewing machine that the Illustration program conveniently acquired for the studio. At the same time some complementary basic patterns and folding techniques were taught in the length of the workshop. This opened our creative focus to new possibilities based on the acquired sewing skills to create illustration.
book binding WORKSHOP The bookbinding workshop taught us the basic skills for creating books from scratch and understanding the process for creating its simple structure. The workshop focus on perfect binding, saddle stitch and japanese stab binding techniques, which are the standard basic methods for the creation of books. This skill became a simple but necessary tool to start and create larger projects based on a book format perspective.
Lightroom workshop The lightroom workshop, was a very straight forward tutorial of how to use Adobe Lightroom 3. This tool was useful to create a fully organized database of our artwork and at the same time, an easy way to create metadata and simple color versions of our illustrations.
paper engineering workshop The paper engineering workshop was a very interesting seminar that showed us the many creative possibilities coming from such a simple material. The main topics covered a wide range of folding techniques that focused mainly on pop-up books and decorative patterns, meant to enhance illustration.
idiots books workshop The idiots book workshop focused on understanding the possibility behind self-publishing books. This workshop allowed us to see the many possibilities of self-publishing and marketing our own book materials.
PROJECTS
the sketchbook project
“MEMOIR” Graphite, golden ink pen, acrylic paint.
the sketchbook project This was the opening act for the semester. The project consisted in filling the blank pages of a small sketchbook with a specific “theme” for each student to be included in the permanent collection at Brooklyn Art Library, which currently holds over 26,000 sketchbooks from 135 countries around the globe. The concept behind this project consisted of swapping our individually assigned sketchbooks with the rest of the students in the program. This created different content related to each person’s theme. In the end this project resulted in a creative exercise that let us explore new methodologies and artistic processes, for each sketchbook. The project could be found here: http://www.sketchbookproject.com/ The theme of my sketchbook was “MEMOIR”. I depicted an anthropomorphic creature melting himself in to the same book where he is writing his own memoirs. This idea is trying to illustrate the way to transcend a person’s thoughts beyond the body and into the paper. sketchbook theme list:
Dwellings Strangers Diagrams Lists Creatures Dinosaurs Mystery
Travelogue Memoir Atlas Chronicle Chapbook Documentation
other sketchbooks (SELECTED ARTWORK)
“MEMOIR (INTERIOR PAGES)” Acrylic and gouache (LEFT) , blue ink pen (RIGHT)
“LIST” Acrylic paint, archival ink
“DIAGRAMS” Archival ink, oil markers.
“DOCUMENTATION” Color pencil, archival ink, oil markers.
image HARVESTING PROJECT
“EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD” Golden ink, screenprint
image HARVESTING PROJECT The Harvesting project consisted of “harvesting” 10 ideas and concepts from previous personal artwork in order to re-visit and reshape its direction. The intention was to generate new art using just an excerpt from old artwork as a catalyst. In this project we were encouraged to experiment with different media as the project didn’t had any restrictions about the process or materials to create the artwork. Finally we were asked to create sketches of the intended proposals to create a visual catalog. We did this in order to keep track of these ideas in order to revisit them in the future. This project was very significant for my first year in the MFA in Illustration Program. I was able to work with an idea that I was eager to create for a long time. It was an extension of “Elgreen Project,” and the artwork consisted of a linework focused illustration of “Strangely familiar artifacts.” The problem with this selected project was the technique chosen to create the illustration. The artwork was envisioned as a 24”x18” sheet of black paper, screen-printed with golden ink, but at this point I didn’t have any knowledge about screen-printing. After many complications with the limited access to the screen-printing facilities, and several problems with the actual printing methods and materials I decided to outsource this project. Lesson learned! The final artwork looked unbelievable, but I still wanted to create a different version of this artwork on my own. In the end, this was my reason for enrolling in the Graduate Screenprint Studio course for the second semester. I wanted to create a new and more successful version of this artwork (now created as a pattern) on my own.
Lesson no.2: Re-harvest until you get it right!
“
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Lesson no.1: Outsource if necessary (on time).
10 IDEAS SKETCHES (selected projects)
IDEA 1 “Everything that glitters IS Gold”
EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD One of the most important and recurring principles in my artwork is focused on creating a sense of beauty in the unknown. I mask it, almost hiding the source of its splendor to create an indirect sense of it. I tried to create a more deliberately indirect approach to beauty by combining it with common ideals that certify beauty. “Gold” works as the catalyst to give shape to this statement because it is a color that symbolizes wealth, power, sophistication, and beauty. In this project, as the title implies, Everything that Glitters IS Gold, I’m using a screen printing technique with golden ink to depict the line work of strange objects and artifacts on black surface. The image aims to allure the viewer using its sparkling and shiny properties, which distracts from the deeper content of the artwork. This is deliberately intended to demonstrate the power that the color “gold” has on the customer, and what it symbolizes in society. The full composition was created in conjunction with a side project from the most elaborate “Elgreen project”.
“EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD” Laser print over Gold stickers
IDEA 2 “FOODIES!”, The Supercute Phenomena
“FOODIES!”, The Supercute Phenomena
harvesting project (take 2) FOODIES! was a project developed under “The Supercute Phenomena” project. An umbrella brand previously created, focused in creating ongoing collections of cute, anthropomorphized characters with funny background stories. These characters were inspired by food and inanimate objects. The project consisted in creating premium quality printed stickers of 25 foodinspired “Foodies” The project was developed after our final critique presentation, as an addition to the Harvesting
Project to match the credit requirements of the program. The Foodies! was a very fun project. The extensive pondering of characters and ideas, the simplified shapes for its creation, and finally an unexpected collaborative brainstorming process with friends from another disciplines, made it a very fun and exciting experience. This proved the success of the brand and the many possibilities behind this project.
self-publishing book
“ELGREEN PROJECT CATALOGUE” Laser print.
publishing project pitch The Publishing Pitch, was an essential element for this project. The assignment centered on understanding the book’s main appeal and contents in order to identify its main audience.
self-publishing book The Self-Publishing Book Project, consisted of self-designing and publishing a small printrun of at least 20 books, based on a personal theme of interest. For this project, I created a visual catalog of strange and unknown objects, apparently forgotten in time. Each artifact was accompanied by simulated (mock) text describing it’s year of creation, “purpose” (interpretation of their practical use) and general description. The focus of this book, served as an extension for my core thesis that centers in creating an ongoing growing universe of strange objects that borrow heavily from the people’s collective conscious of everyday objects.
3 WORKSHOP REACTION PIECE
“M’R’US HIP EDITION” Laser print.
3 WORKSHOP REACTION PROJECT 3 WORKSHOPS: PAPER ENGINEERING + LETTERPRESS + BOOKBINDING
The 3 Workshop Reaction Project consisted in selecting 3 out of the 4 workshops that we attended throughout the duration of the semester. The end goal was to combine them in one unifying project reflecting a direct and functional application of the cultivated skills. I developed the assignment as an extension of a personal project called M’R’US (Monsters ‘R’ Us). The main approach for this idea is to portray the “inner monster” in people --the trace of personality hidden beneath the external appearance. This was a very challenging project as the common thread between the 3 workshops, always converged on creating a “book” of some sort. It is important to mention that creating books is far away from my area of expertise and personal interests. However, after two attempts focusing on delivering this piece, the final outcome was incredibly successful. In my first attempt to create the booklet I focused directly on the core ideology of the first semester in the MFA in Illustration Program aimed to “experiment with new materials and methodologies.” Following this line of thought I decided to create the entire piece with oil color markers, which became an integral and trustworthy tool for experimenting with my work in the first semester. The end result was successful and well received, but I revisited the project regarding the craftsmanship of the product. Finally, on a second revision of the project, I decided to work entirely digitally (using Adobe Illustrator, in which I’m very proficient.)This time I created a more polished and successful final version.
“
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Lesson no.3: Experiment, but try to stick to your tools of expertise when delivering final projects.
“M’R’US HIP EDITION” ver. 1
“M’R’US HIP EDITION” ver. 2 (final version)
MICA’S ART MARKET
ART MARKET MFA Illustration Stand
Art market Creative Brief The art market creative brief was a very helpful tool before the art market took place. It served as a comprehensive guide to understand and identify the right audience and potential buyers for the created art.
MICA’S ART MARKET The art market was a very interesting opportunity to sell our artwork and to have the chance to have direct contact with people interested in arts. It allowed us to experience first hand the unique interaction between the artist and the consumer.
EXHIBITION
MFA IN ILLUSTRATION PRACTICE EXHIBITION
FOX 3 GALLERY MFA Illustration Practice Exhibition
MFA IN ILLUSTRATION PRACTICE EXHIBITION This exhibition was the first opportunity we had to show the artwork that represents us the most. It was a collaborative effort from the MFA in Illustration Practice department. The artwork showed in this particular exhibition was able to reflect the different backgrounds of our multidisciplinary program merged together to create a single visual statement.
EXTRAS
JAIME’S BABY ALPHABET BOOK “i”, is for an immense iridescent imp
ALPHABET MONSTER (letter I). The letter “I” was selected for creating the artwork, related to the monster in the Alphabet.
Möbius strip
“MÖBIUS STRIP” Artwork created for Director’s Whitney Sherman book project.
SEM
EST
ER
2
WORKSHOPS/ PROJECTS HANDLETTERING PROJECT / FrAnKeN PoEtRy EXHIBITION PATTERN/LICENSING WORKSHOP
MADE & SOLD WORKSHOP WORDS ON WHEELS PROJECT
STOP MOTION WORKSHOP
PERSONAL PROJECT IDEA BOOK PROJECT
EXHIBITION 1ST YEAR MFA JURIED
SHOW-PART TWO EXTRAS MoCCA ZINE PROJECT
&PROJECTS WORKSHOPS
HANDLETTERING PROJECT
HANDLETTERING PROJECT The Handlettering Project, was the first assignment for the second semester, and it could be described as a very interesting exploration in illustration and graphic design principles. The assignment was created to explore the possibilities of illustration applied directly to typography, extending our illustration scope to creative areas related to graphic design. This project was a reminder of creative processes that I used to use as a kid. It finally served as a reminder for my graphic designer skills that I have acquired through time from my former undergraduate major.
FrAnKEN PoETRy
FOX GALLERY 4TH FLOOR Laser print.
FrAnKEN PoETRy FrAnKEN PoETRy, was a gallery exhibition that resulted directly from the Handlettering Project. The concept behind it consisted in carelessly arranging the handlettered words previously created into the wall of the 4th gallery space. This let the words create random “poetry.” The result were nonsense “poems” and a strangely whimsical installation.
“COCO
PATTER N”
PATTERN/LICENSING WORKSHOP
PATTERN/LICENSING WORKSHOP Led by the talented illustrator Julia Rothman, this was without a doubt the workshop that represented a complete breakthrough for my artwork. Through simple and basic principles in pattern design, the exercises guided me to experiment and reshape my artistic way of thinking. In this workshop I challenged myself to enter to a completely different realm of my area of expertise. I decided to create playful and elegant patterns focused for the fashion industry. As a result new ways of thinking through: color, shape, form and line became new tools for my artwork.
PATTERNS AND APPLICATIONS
H “P
N”
ER
TT PA LIC AL
“YONIC PATT ER
N”
“EXTRUDERS
PATTERN”
“HIIGH-END
PATTERN”
MADE & SOLD WORKSHOP
“K” Letter for the Willkomen 3D lettering Wood, Maylar, and purple spray ink
MADE & SOLD WORKSHOP This workshop was led by the talented creative director Tomi Vollauschek owner of FL@33 Ltd multi-disciplinary design studio for visual communication. Tomi’s experience in the creative field was an invaluable asset to our creative process and methodologies.
WILLKOMEN MFA in Illustration Practice Program
MADE & SOLD WORKSHOP ARTWORK+ BUTTON WORKSHOP
The Made & Sold workshop was a progression of assignments that were aimed towards the creation of products. Day 1: The first assignment was to create an open themed illustration representing a personal topic of interest. Day 2: After creating our personal artwork, we were asked to extract small details of the final image in order to create a series of button badges for “Sterohype,� which is a company division run by Tomi. Day 3: In this final stage we were finally asked to design packaging and applications for the pieces we created.
The Sugars Monsters Battle - Negative version. The artwork can be seen in 2 different ways encouraging to the viewer to take photos with a negative filter.
WORDS ON WHEELS PROJECT
Me with Poet DeShaun Dorsey at the MTA Bus
WORDS ON WHEELS PROJECT This workshop was a collaboration between schools in Baltimore, MD, and the MFA in Illustration Practice. Young students from diverse schools in the Baltimore area created personal poems that were illustrated by the MFA in Illustration Practice program students. The artwork was created was to be displayed in every MTA bus in the city. This workshop gave us the opportunity to have more direct engagement with the community, showing us the value of art and illustration for the people.
Me with Poet DeShaun Dorsey at the MTA Bus
Words on Wheels Posters Poems: Wisteria, Black
stop motion WORKSHOP This workshop was led by second year students; Lisa Perrin and Sara Barnes. They had created several stop motion animations using the hardware in the studio and were able to present techniques to the class for us to utilize in our upcoming assignment.
animation WORKSHOP
IMPROVISED SET-UP FOR THE ZIGGO ANIMATION Ink jet print/ cut paper
stop motion WORKSHOP This was the last workshop of the second semester, and It was directed by talented artist Melinda Beck. The workshop was focused on creating stop-motion animations with cut paper. This was incredibly influential for my artistic formation, as for the first time, I had the chance to see my work in motion adding another dimension to it. The animation I created in this assignment was based on “Elgreen project.� It shows a strange object with a cryptic function, apparently laying an egg of its own self. This was an animation meant to be a strange ride to randomness.
ZIGGO Animation Stills
personalproject
“WHAT IS IT?” Screenprint. CMYK
EXHIBITION
1ST YEAR MFA JURIED
exhibition show (PART TWO)
“M’R’US HIP EDITION” Laser print.
1ST YEAR MFA JURIED
exhibition show (PART TWO)
The work in this annual exhibition was a selection of the best submissions from the 1st Year MFA students. Students from all the MFA graduate programs were eligible to submit work for consideration including work from Community Arts, Graphic Design, Painting, Illustration, Photographic & Electronic Media, and Sculpture.
EXTRAS
MoCCA ZINE PROJECT
“M’R’US HIP EDITION” Laser print.
ANIMATION WORKSHOP This was a collaboration among all of the students in the program. The theme was “opposites attract.” Every participant had a spread with two pages to represent opposites in their own style and voice. Kevin Valente and I worked together to design the cover inspired by the same theme. We determined “candy” and “drugs” to be opposites. I enjoyed the working process of creating the cover. It inspired us to collaborate on future projects. The zine was available for sale at MoCCA fest in NYC.
GRACIAS!