RESEARCH PROJECT
---REPORTAGE/TRAVEL --- BIRMINGHAM --
---- RECORD/INFORM/ENGAGE ----
I will investigate how reportage illustration can be used to communicate an understanding to an audience of the complexities of an urban environment in a minimalist way.
I will analyse and deconstruct the works of reportage illustrators, to help me attain a better understanding of how they have portrayed and the visual approaches they have used and why they have used them, to then in able me to communicate the complex situations that exist in real terms within my own urban environment.
My aim is to take elements from their work which are particular to their style and apply them to my own work, thus creating images that communicates, but reduces complexity of the urban environment in a reportage way.
This will give me the opportunity to experiment with different techniques and mediums in order to produce a wide range of work that portray the complexity of the urban environment in a minimalist way.
PROFESSIONAL OUTCOME -
-To produce a wide range of reportage work that is made up of different elements creating a unique set of images which are of a professional standard for my portfolio
CONTENTS
*RESEARCH
-PHOTOGRAPHS
-INITIAL SKETCHES
*DIGITAL ANALYSIS THUMBNAIL
-ILLUSTRATORS WORK
-MY WORK
*HAND DRAWN ANALYSIS THUMBNAIL
-ILLUSTRATORS WORK
-MY WORK
*4000 WORDS
RESEARCH
ILLUSTRATORS - ANALYSIS
VERONICA LAWLOR/ MY WORK
What I found from analysing and deconstructing Veronica Lawlor's work and applying the two main elements, which are the mediums used and how colour was applied, was how the complexity of an urban environment can be portrayed from using these elements thus creating a minimalist style to what is considered to be incredibly complex.
JESS DOUGLAS - COMPOSITION-EXTERIOR
JESS DOUGLAS/ MY WORK
Analysing and deconstructing Jess Douglas's work inspired and motivated me to approach the exteriors of buildings in an urban environment and present them in a minimalistic and stylistic way. I found this a great way to portray the complexities of urban exteriors as it allows the audience to understand and communicate more with the image.
What I have learned from Douglas and will incorporate into my own work is to focus on a particular area in great detail and leave the surrounding areas in a fine outline. This helps balance and centre the image and draws the audiences attention to the most important part of the image which enforces communication and understanding.
OLIVIER KUGLER - VIEW POINTS-TEXT
OLIVIER KUGLER/ MY WORK
From deconstructing and analysing Olivier Kugler's work it has given me more insight and a deeper understanding for when i illustrate and present my own reportage work with the use of view points and text to communicate the complexities of the surrounding area.
Incorporating these elements in my own work has allowed me to present my own pieces of work, which help communicate a complex environment with using different view points of a place and involving text. This not only helps with communication, but also allows the audience to become more engaged.
LUCINDA ROGERS - COLOUR-LINES-MEDIA- LAYOUT
LUCINDA ROGERS/ MY WORK
After thoroughly studying the work of Lucinda Rogers and applying elements from her work to mine I feel more engaged and have a better understanding of how to communicate the complexities of an urban environment in a more effective and engaging way. I feel more open to incorporating different medias into my work i.e pencil crayon, ink, paint. What I also want to be more involved with, as I have found it to create an engagement with the audience more, is presenting my work on coloured paper. The coloured paper has a way of carrying the complex characteristics from the environment and creates an atmosphere of that place which helps communicate with an audience more.
What I also found with Roger's reportage work, which is a great format when creating a communication with an audience is the use of bold and fine/faint lines juxtaposed against each other. This and Roger's brush and paint marks placed behind or over particular areas of the composition are a great way to break up the complex areas of an image allowing an audience to engage and understand more.
FINAL IMAGE- INCLUDING ALL ELEMENTS
This experiment consists of all individual elements that I have analysed and deconstructed from the four reportage illustrators. I have taken these elements and applied them to one final experiment, in order to see how they work with each other which executes how reportage illustration can communicate to an audience the complexities of an urban environment in a minimalist way.
I have used Olivier Kuglers view point element have incorporated that into this experiment by overlapping each image - also keeping into consideration with how this balances the image.
I have also incorporated the brush strokes and black and fine line work from Lucinda Rogers and have also used an off white background.
I have used how Jess Douglas composes her images in regard to them being central and compact. I have also tried to show this with the use of vanishing lines - lines don't connect - are free standing.
I have taken the colour from Veronica Lawlor and have chosen to highlight particular areas in the experiment, which balance and compliment the image as a whole.
OVERALL CONCLUSION/EVALUATION
The purpose of this research project was to analyse and deconstruct works by reportage illustrators such as Veronica Lawlor, Jess Douglas, Olivier Kugler and Lucinda Rogers, in order to see how their reportage style is used to communicate an understanding to an audience of the complexities of an urban environment.
By analysing and deconstructing these images I was able to apply elements of their work to my own experiments.
After producing my own experiments with these chosen elements I managed to combine them together to create one final image, which I felt portrayed how reportage illustration can communicate to an audience the complexities of an urban environment in a minimalist way.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
All images obtained for Google Images
Olivier Kugler
1.Alison Flood. (2011). Travel journal wins V&A Illustration award.Available: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/07/travel-journal-wins-v-and-a-illustration-award. Last accessed 7th feb 2015.
Websites
Oliver Kugler. Available: http://www.olivierkugler.com. Last accessed 8th Feb 2015.
Lucinda Rogers. Available: http://lucindarogers.co.uk. Last accessed 6th Feb 2015.