imagine
magic
This new magazine is especially made for individuals who are, just like me, crazy about fine arts and graphic design. Creating this magazine was a whole new experience that I enjoyed getting. It was fun, but it also was a hard task to make it in such a short time. I’m glad with how it came out and hope that you like it as much as I do. In this issue you will find authentic artists with their own styles like Ryan Humphrey which I, as editor in Chief, loved and wanted to share with you. I hope that you enjoy it and remember: always Imagine Magic to save you as an artist, because eventually it will.
In this issue:
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What is art? What is art? There are many answers to this question and most answers are right. Not many people will call it art when I make a few little drawings in my sketchbook, but it really is. Art is being creative with visual recourses, but also with words and devices. Art has a wider meaning than you probably think it has and that can be really exciting. You might be doodling somewhere and even that is a form of art to me. But not everyone can make art, right? Oh they can. Art is all about thinking out of the box and giving yourself space to make mistakes. At art academy they told me it’s not bad when something goes wrong. Making art is a learning process and we all know that you can barely learn without making mistakes. So practically; mistakes are very good to make and also very much needed to develop yourself, don’t be ashamed of them when you make them. Think of mistakes as a positive part of art making! But how do you start? That’s a question I’ve asked myself many times. Starting with an abstract painting or a portrait drawing; where is your starting point and what is the point where you know that it’s time to call it quits? When wanting to make art you just have to start making when you want to make it happen. When my dad told me this I was curious to how someone could just start making art. I had no idea, but I did follow up his advice and just started. It actually seemed to be how it works. Just start and see where you will end, just like I said before: art is also making mistakes,
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its a process that you have to follow through. And believe me, it can be fun, even if your artwork isn’t what you wanted it to become. Just grab a canvas, some painting brushes (like on page 5) and paint, put on some old comfy clothes and get started. Because believe me: you won’t regret being an amateur artist.
Fun art supplies The Spanish design agency Culdesac developed these weird looking paint brushes with surprising results for the paint company Valentine.
With a pencil in hand Ryan Humphrey, a London based artist who is currently doing an MA course in Illustration on the Camberwell College of Arts is an artist I found maximum half a year ago on the big wide website called Tumblr. When I first saw his art I was amazed at how different it was from everything else I’d ever seen before. From that day on I started following him and the process of his works. So when making this magazine I thought: why not interview him? So I did.
How did you discover that art was the one thing you wanted to do for a I’ve always been drawing and making images since I was young, it living? was more appealing to me than reading. I used to create my own images and
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they were my stories. During my time at high school I drew characters for friends (graffiti drawings) and I kind of enjoyed that. I failed a majority of my exams, so I thought I would have to focus on art to get me by, because I liked looking at artwork and paintings and throughout my times in school, from doing a levels to a BA I started to feel more confident with myself and thought; this was the only thing I want to do
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How did you develop It took me around 6 years of constant drawing and mark making to your own style? find out a way of drawing that I liked. Before I used to do cross hatching a
lot, and I found that this got tiring in time. I limited myself to the same shading mark, because it felt like I could cover detail more easily than before. And then there was the odd drawing where I felt ‘yes, this is how I want to draw’.
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What is your routine I tend to prefer making art after lunch with a full belly for around 4 when making art? hours each day. Sometimes I work more during the weekend. Before, I used to work solidly during the week but now I feel more confident and I just work whenever I feel like it. I never have any ideas for drawing, it all comes natural and I take some time to put down each mark on the paper.
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What is art in your eyes, what does it do?
Art for me is an emotional experience that makes the viewer think more about themselves and their surroundings. Art should engage with all your emotions, no matter how good or bad. If artwork can do that with you, then I feel it's successful.
Do you have a message that you want to tell I always work from images anyway, more than observational drawpeople through your ings. It just makes things easier for me. I would say there isn’t that much of pieces? a message through my work, just that people can look at them and imag-
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ine what is going on for themselves. I want people to bring their own story towards the images and that makes me more happy. It’s more a visual experience than a deep hidden meaning.
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A typical question, but: Have you got some advice for people who’ve just started making art?
How does your environment react to your art?
Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
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Haha, I like that question. What I would tell people who are creating is to enjoy it and to constantly make work. That way you will improve in yourself and your ability. Everyone can draw, it’s just having patience for it and to not be so beat up about yourself with it. Look at lots of artists that you love and do studies of work and it should take off from there.
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I would say pretty well considering I mainly put work online on my blog. Because I work in sketchbooks it makes it more of a personal experience when people in real life see my books. They tend to be amazed at how I treat books very carefully and with deep thought. I feel the environment of the internet is a big help for me because a lot more people can look at my sketchbooks with a few clicks online.
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I still see myself doing work in sketchbooks but hopefully be much better. I would maybe like to work in a gallery, as I have done exhibitions and I like that environment. I might do some publications here or there, hopefully this MA course can help me decide what is best for my ability.
For more info on Ryan and his work go to: http://ryanhumphrey.co.uk
“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.� ~Oscar Wilde
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Art swaps Many artists want to share their art and get art made by other artists. That’s why someone thought someday: “Let’s exchange art via snail mail!” And so they did, years after that moment it seems to be a quite popular activity amongst amateur artists. “I remember the first time that I found out about art swaps” Ashley says. “It was a very exciting and new thing, it’s a way to get art by giving art. That’s what I liked most about it, you practically get an assignment and people will hang your art on their wall if will you do the same with theirs.”
“I got a reasonable collection of art by infamous artists, which I like a lot.” Ashley tells me, “There are so many people that make art, who will probably never be able to sell it. I am glad that a part of these amateurs do these swaps.”
Arman Turgut
When I ask people about art swaps I barely hear a bad word about it. Sometimes swappers complain about people that don’t send them something back which I totally understand. But that’s part of exchanging art with people you don’t know. There will always be the ones that don’t do what’s been agreed to.
“What I love most about these swaps is that most artists make artworks of the envelopes they send their work in. In that way I always notice that it’s an envelope full of art when it falls on the mat. It makes me curious about the content, I get all excited like a child on christmas morning.”
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John Fellows
Moleskine entries When I write down inspiration or create stories in the analog world I love using my moleskine, just like Ryan Humphrey (Pg. 6/11) does. Here is a selection of some of my Moleskine entries that I still enjoy watching. These notebooks get my inspiration going and this is how I put my feelings on paper.
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Colofon:
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Illustrations
Ilse Meijer Ryan Humphrey John Fellows Arman Turgut
Wording Photography Design
Ilse Meijer
Ilse Meijer Culdesac Ryan Humphrey Ilse Meijer
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