A2 graphics essay

Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

A2 Graphics Design Essay How have changes in available technology influenced the development of Illustrative Design?

The twentieth century is renowned for giving birth to the information age, opening up completely new dimensions in the technology industry and even more possibilities within the design industry. From the invention of colour photography in the early 1900’s to the dawn of the World Wide Web in the late 1990’s, the world has defiantly experienced some great technical achievements in the past century. Social Media is a prime example of this, playing a rather large role in the influence of design, both stylistically and conceptually. Being so connected to the world has exposed us to more than ever before, inspiring more cutting-­‐edge, controversial and provocative work.

In my Unit 3 Coursework I have explored this concept through the form of narrative design. Though simply defined as an image that ‘tells a story’, through this project I have discovered that narrative design is so much more. To me, a narrative image is a powerful and direct form of communicating a perspective of an event, concept or ideal. A great deal of information must be presented within a single frame, meaning that designers often have to be strategic with visual aesthesis’ to ensure that the entire message comes across clearly. Illustrator and concept artist, Nathan Aardvark is the perfect advocate of this 21st century approach to narrative design. With the aid of sophisticated design software such as Photoshop and Illustrator, Aardvark’s portrayal of fictional characters and worlds, is created with very strong realistic impressions.

Although his work covers a large number of concepts, there is a mystical underlying tone throughout his portfolio that is strangely compelling. This is comparable with the work of renowned Illustrator and Painter Norman Rockwell (the second designer I will be looking at) as they both seem to have underlying social themes that diverge from the main piece of work. Though separated by over 50 years this link is strong, making the notion that technology has heavily changed illustrative design seem less likely; contemporary designers may have altered techniques and styles, but ultimately the ideal of using illustration to communicate serious issues has not.

When applying this to the graphic design industry, it would be surprising if these advances had no visible effect. These technological advances have reshaped and broadened what we now recognise as narrative and illustrative design.

Another illustrator who contrasts with both of these designers is David Foldvari (the final illustrator I will be analysing). His work stylistically is very different from the two above, being bold, iconic and symbolic. Though similar in a sense of his choice of political and dark themes, Foldvari’s overall tone is very powerful as he limits his use of colour, often only using one, and displaying all characters in a crisp silhouette form. I would like to explore Foldvari’s work further than my coursework as I feel that there is much to learn from his cleverly thought out use of representation and humour, unlike both Aardvark and Rockwell who go for a more visually poetic feel.

Ultimately I feel that all of these designers will help me explore the influence of technology on the illustrative design industry both visually and conceptually, while also providing insight into how much or how little these factors have changed over the years.

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Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

Norman Rockwell (1894-­‐1978) is an American Illustrator and Painter who became well established in the 1930’s -­‐ 40’s. Though remembered for pioneering the age-­‐old process of preparing scenes and using photographs to make charcoal drawings and colour sketches, Rockwell was mostly recognised for his hyperrealistic oil paintings. With this medium he was able to reach a level of realism eerily close to that of a real life scene or photograph. Although this is something that is easier to do now with the use of digital design software and graphic tablets, during his time this style was a more intricate and time consuming process. The reason I have chosen to look at Rockwell is because he is a perfect example of how well designers were able to visually represent stories, before the introduction of computer generated imagery.

Hyperrealism is a form of painting that would have included a lot of prep for the final painting; Rockwell did this by physically constructing each scene from scratch, by acknowledging every element of the scene – props, poses and costume included. In order to create pieces that accurately represent his scenes, Rockwell firstly would create fully sized detailed sketches, on architect’s paper. Before transferring his works to a canvas using tracing paper and fill in the scenes using oil paint.

Although he did eventually alter his process, following the introduction of new technology like the photographic projector, Rockwell’s technique remained relatively unchanged.

‘Freedom from Want’ (shown to the right) is one of the 321 covers Rockwell produced during his 47 years partnership painting with the Saturday Evening Post. I feel this piece best represents Rockwell’s early work for various reasons. It purposefully captures a notable moment in American culture, Thanks Giving, both realistically and beautifully. As a narrative, it is possible to interpret this piece in different ways; on one hand this scene could represent the unity and tradition that America was still trying to uphold while on the other hand, there could be an underlying message referencing the falseness and unattainability of these ideals.

The composition has been very carefully constructed with all but one character’s eye-­‐line directed away from the viewer and Freedom from Want 1943 towards each other, as if to truly immerse the viewer within their Oil on canvas conversations. The overall tone is light-­‐hearted through the 116.2 cm × 90 cm (45.75 in × 35.5 in) perceptive, theoretically placing the viewer at the end of the table. Rockwell also very subtly uses the rule of thirds to guide the viewer up the table and along the sides of the table. He seems to make the turkey his focal point, heightening its representative significance, as a figure of bringing together, a key factor associated with Thanks Giving. This is supported by one of Rockwell’s well known quotes where he states that "as [he] grew up and found the world wasn't the perfect place [he] had thought it to be, [he] unconsciously decided that if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be, and so painted only the ideal aspects of it" In 1959, with great influence from the people around him Rockwell, ended his relationship with the Saturday Evening Post and began painting for to Look magazine. This was a significant change for the designer as it ultimately changed his focus and artistic outlook. Contradicting his earlier work, Rockwell started to paint illustrations that directly, highlighted social issues facing American society. This drastic change in context brought attention to important issues such as poverty and race in 20th century America, enviably dismissing the ‘ideal world’ he was so famous for painting. ‘The Problem We All Live With’ and ‘Negro in the Suburbs’ (shown below) are examples of Rockwell’s support for the Civil Rights Movement (1954–1968) which was a

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A2 Graphics Design Essay

large social uproar moving for the eradication of segregation and racial discrimination against African-­‐ Americans.

The Problem We All Live With Negro in the Suburubs 1964 1967 Oil on Canvas Oil on canvas

The painting ‘The Problem We All Live With’ visually sums up the story of the school girl, who began integration in the New Orleans school system, Ruby Bridges. This piece resembles both the struggles of African-­‐ Americans in America even after the initiation of integration and the resilience of a race. The girl, though not centralized, becomes the significant subject of the painting through Rockwell’s lighting, choice of colour and perceptive. Viewers are heavily yet subtly impacted by the neutral, muted colours Rockwell has chosen; there is a balance between presenting a realistic impression of how the light reacts to material and manipulating this to bring focus to the girl. The clinical white of the young girls clothing is made even harsher by this lighting. It is possible that Rockwell deliberately used this shade of white to signify the innocence of the girl remaining untarnished by the discrimination she receives, as unlike the stained wall she walks past her dress remains not just clean but untouched. From this perspective the viewer is a bystander, close enough to interpret the situation but completely unable to intervene. This is an element Rockwell uses to evoke sympathy and emotionally impact viewers.

To contrast Rockwell with a more contemporary designer, there is no better contender than London-­‐based, Emmy Award Winning Illustrator, Concept Artist and Painter Nathan Aardvark, even with half a century separating the two. Aardvark takes influence from more traditional designers like Rockwell both stylistically and technically, often using a similar process before going into his actual practical digital work.

The reason I have chosen to look into Nathan Aardvark is because with his extensive experience of more than a decade in illustration and concept art, he embodies a modern illustrator very well, in relation to his choice of equipment, technique and concepts.

This Illustration of a cyborg bear is a perfect example of just how much technology has influenced design in almost every aspect. Visually, this piece in particular does not reflect the same depth of Rockwell’s hyperrealistic work, which is surprising considering the advance in equipment. However being a designer

Illustration made for a book cover about droid bears 2014 Photoshop

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Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

from the post-­‐ modernism period Aardvark is more abstract.

In this piece, (above) Aardvark explores modern perceptions of today’s technology, more specifically highlighting what we now recognise and associate with it and how it is effecting our outlook on the world around us. As a narrative, I think this represents more of a concept or issue than a story. In relation to design, this is quite a modern mind-­‐set. As software’s and devices have made it easier to achieve realism, contemporary designers seem to have resulted in less realistic pieces and have delved into iconic, representative and symbolic pieces. Aardvark defiantly has elements of this, though he also continues to use features such as backgrounds and settings, as any storyteller would. The atmosphere of this piece is eerie and cold at first sight, however his use of light in streaks from above provides a small glimpse of warmth and life. The background remains relatively dim, without consuming the dominant figure of the bear, which is cleverly aided by the spread of light across the bear’s fur. There is a vague sense of vulnerability presented by the fact that part of the bear’s face is left showing, which … compassion from the viewers as well as curiosity.

Aardvark is probably best known for his Emmy Award winning title design for the television program ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’. In this animation he has created each frame with a tonal, artistic unity that flows very well.

Similarly to the ‘droid bears’ illustration, this piece also has a dark and mysterious atmosphere and although a series of images rather than just one, Aardvark is still able to keep the story largely representative and ambiguous. The colours remain muted and limited throughout, which adds to the tone but I personally feel that his decision to vary his textures makes the biggest impact. It is likely that each frame was created with different types of brushes, to effectively resemble movement, and emphasize the significant object/figure in the frame. There is softness with Aardvark’s use of layering and typography; the type is not used with the purpose of being read (as it is illegible) but to act as an indicator of the time period. The typeface seems to resemble that of handwriting, a feature that can be viewed in today’s society as an out-­‐dated form of type.

The program is in fact set in an archaic time period rather than a modern setting. This is something Aardvark works hard to ensure that the viewer can assume for themselves, through subtle hints in addition to the text. These include a faint image of the famous Mona Lisa and glimpses of technical drawings of old inventions (e.g the crossbow, flying machine, three barrelled canon)

Illustrations for title design on Da Vinci’s Demons Emmy for “Outstanding Main Title Design” 2014 Photoshop

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Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

Considering he is a modern illustrator, I think Aardvark handles the context of his pieces very well. He rends his style to suit the pieces individually, even if the concepts are centuries older than him. If I had to classify his style I would label him as a modern designer who takes a lot of direct influence from older designers combining both Digital and Traditional methods. Both Norman Rockwell and Nathan Aardvark, have a similar ability to create pieces that impact on a viewer, Aardvark with his dark yet thought provoking illustrations and Rockwell with his astounding accuracy and elaborate staged scenes.

Juxtaposing both Rockwell and Aardvark in technique and style, I have decided to look at another London-­‐ based designer, David Foldvari.

Foldvari is a contemporary Illustrator who is well recognised for his distinctively dark and humorous pieces.

Featuring in anything from the Guardian to the Observer, his work mainly centres around socio-­‐political concepts and issues similarly to both the designers I looked at previously. The reason I have chosen to do a more in-­‐depth analysis of David Foldvari is primarily due to the uniqueness, boldness and general slick, modern feel of his illustrations. Though he ultimately aims to visually communicate to viewers, much like Rockwell and Aardvark, Foldvari differs his style and visual representation. Instead of purely relaying a scene, he uses his creative prowess to produce representative and iconic imagery. It is possible that Foldvari uses this visual form in direct correlation to his clients and the seriousness of the issues he is personifying. By analysing his works, I hope to establish if this minimalistic form of illustration stems from the introduction of new design technology.

The Illustration ‘Meat’ (To the right) is a piece that accompanied an article about poverty and hamburger meat. I have chosen to look at this as an example of Foldvari’s work as it depicts the disturbing and grotesque imagery he is renowned for using. In this piece Foldvari presents a head mid-­‐way through a hand mincer machine.

Although I am not personally familiar with the article this piece would go alongside, the image of the mincer is automatically linked to the ideal of both meat as a food source and as a symbol of death. The expression on the decapitated head assures the audience that the tone of the piece is lighter than initial appearance suggests. The unsettlingly, humorous atmosphere of the piece is enhanced by Foldvari’s limited use of colour, as he Meat attempts to highlight his chosen issues of focus.

2013 Illustration from an ‘Observer’ article about London, The red used is particularly harsh despite its tonal poverty, gentrification and hamburger meat. tints and shades, especially in contrast with the blocked shades of black. This shade of red is not a

representation of blood but more intense, potentially acting as a method of dramatizing the image. In addition this piece also demonstrates how Foldvari uses composition and negative space. Most of his pieces are centralized, with the surrounding canvas remaining neutral colours. This is a feature that draws focus to the image and also deliberately heightens the tone of the piece.

Occasionally, Foldvari uses a restricted amount of typography within his work. This is not something seen in many narratives, however considering the complexity of his issues and the type of humour of his pieces, 5

Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

typography is an element that only benefits his works. An example of how Foldvari uses this graphic element is in the ‘Untitled’ Illustration below. This piece accompanied an article that links junk food to a lower IQ and effectively explains the incompetence of a nation. Here Foldvari uses a hand written typeface in an unlined speech bubble. There is a witty air to this piece that is starkly different to that in ‘Meat’, despite the fact that they are stylistically parallel. The only visual dissimilarity in this piece is the use of the pencil like texture created through the shading of the characters facial features.

Untitled 2012 Illustration from ‘The Guardian’ article titled ‘Burger and chips: the real reason behind our national incompetence’

In conclusion, I believe that advances in technology has ultimately altered modern illustrative design but to an extent. By looking at these different illustrators I have been able to understand how much the availability of technology influences design, stylistically. It seems that more archaic narratives, aimed towards representing aspects of culture realistically through perspective and composition. While on the other hand contemporary narratives are very broad in terms of style, however the simpler and more minimalistic the piece, the more modern it will appear. Through this study I found that many modern illustrators still use the generic method that designers like Rockwell used (e.g. developing a final piece from photographs and detailed base sketches) however it is noted that advances in technology have made this process easier as well as, allowing broader possibilities in terms of what a contemporary designer can visually display.

Conclusively, Rockwell, Aardvark and Foldvari all share a drive to emphasise the social and political issues that affect the society of their time. Each and every one of these Illustrators essentially create their work with the purpose of communicating these issues, though their outcomes differ. To conclude, I think that the development of technology, has had a major effect on Illustration and how we interpret a narrative, however in regards to context and the issues that we choose to express through a narrative, less has changed.

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Nafi John

A2 Graphics Design Essay

Bibliography http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/publishing/articles/121403.aspx http://www.aiga.org/guide-­‐whatisgraphicdesign/ http://www.designishistory.com/ http://www.citrinitas.com/history_of_viscom/modernists.html http://web4students.montgomerycollege.edu/facultyFTPSites/gyouth/CMAP272/student_examples/mark_f rederiksen/process.html http://www.biography.com/people/norman-­‐rockwell-­‐37249#synopsis http://www.ehow.com/info_8486809_materials-­‐did-­‐norman-­‐rockwell-­‐paint http://nathanaardvark.com/post/57824041176 http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/02/norman_rockwell_and_the_civil.html http://crackmagazine.net/art/david-­‐foldvari/ http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/07/fast-­‐food-­‐iq-­‐british-­‐stupidity-­‐david-­‐mitchell

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