Reflection

So here I am at the end of the course. I can't say that it has been easy but I do think I've learnt a lot. Although I have always liked illustrative images I often didn't really see them. I think that many good illustrations disappear into the background. It is almost that the better the illustration the more likely it is to be ignored as it works so synergistically with the text.
I am much more aware and more likely to be impressed by a good illustration so the course has expanded my horizons. I am trying to be more aware of how text fits into context but again good typeface blends in, only bad choice (or multiple choices) of typeface scream out.
Although I look at other illustrators work (not that I am presumptuous enough to call myself an illustrator) I am guilty of not documenting my research so this is in some way an apology and an attempt to make amends.
Where to start? There have been so many influences and the Internet makes it possible to make fleeting visits into other peoples worlds and admire their creativity and ingenuity.
The French illustrator  Sandra Dufour does inventive work with textiles

On the same theme Debbie Smyth does amazing pin and thread pictures.


The website http://www.thisiscolossal.com was introduced to me by my daughter and is a constant source of diverse and interesting ideas
We went to the Degas exhibition which I really enjoyed but what can I write that hasn't already been said?

I would like to go to the Lucian Freud exhibition but I'm not sure whether time will permit. I enjoyed looking at the reviews in the papers anyway.

Andrea Joseph is always a source of inspiration. I don't know how she manages to be so prolific and creative, and she sketchcrawls with Lynne Chapman who is one of my heros along with the other correspondents of the Urbansketchers blog. Check this out for amazing use of light...

She's not an illustrator but Celia Smith's wire sculptures of birds are both artistic and illustrative.

I love other student's blogs. Working in isolation it is lovely to be able to check how other people have reacted to a project or exercise. I try not to peep until I've come up with my own ideas but when I'm really stuck its been great to get me started.
Jereme Crow and Rob http://bertslearningblog.blogspot.co.uk/ have helped enormously. Thanks guys!
Jereme's blog introduced me to the work of Jacky Fleming who can draw and be funny at the same time. Very clever.


I have also been to the Whitechapel Gallery and seen the Government Art Collection which was suprisingly diverse, Mike Silva's "Pathway through Park", John Virtue's "Landscape No.664"and John Wood and Paul Harrison's "Ladder, Handle/Rope, Map, Lean, Slide and Platform" all stood out.

The White Cube had the Gilbert and George Exhibition which is a very interesting concept but somehow very scary when you're in the room with the posters. I hate to be critical but I think the posters were too busy when you put pictures (of Gilbert and George amongst other things) behind them. There was a sculpture which I'm guessing was by Anselm Kiefer though I can't find any information on it.

It looks like it's made from old books and I love it (this is my attempt to draw it, it's so complicated it would take weeks to do it justice)

Just because I have finished the course I won't stop drawing and posting so please pop back from time to time to see what I've been doing, I've enjoyed your company!