I wanted to share here my process of illustrating an article for children's magazine "
Einayim".
My experience in an illustration area isn't very large, every time I work on illustration I feel like I'm inventing myself again and again.
The article was about so called “social justice revolution”, which happened in Israel during the last summer.
My first references for the illustration was some sketches I drew earlier at the "tent city" at Rothschild:
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| I also found some photographs |
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| I did the pencil sketch and started to work on final illustration, trying to keep the spirit of spontaneous sketches |
I liked it during the process, but at the end... the spontaneous feeling is disappeared. Maybe I should stop earlier ;-)
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| final illustration in the magazine - click on it for a bigger size! |
I would love hear about your process! What are your references, steps, techniques, feelings and etc.
Dear Marina, Thanks for sharing the process! very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI love your final ilustration, but I can see what you mean, that part of the freshness of the sketches is gone... I love the middle stage (shown in the photo of your desk). I think the contrast between the colors and the white paper is good for your art, and maybe when you filled all the painting with color, the contrast was gone, and the drawing lost some of its power.
I also shared once about my illustration process on my blog: http://www.mirileshem.com/archives/1293
Miri
Miri, thanks a lot for your comment! Yes, I think the key is to know when to stop. In addition, the ugly title that they put is competing for attention ;-)
ReplyDeleteI loved to read about your process! After all it is the most exciting part of our job!
maybe you should design the title as well
ReplyDeletealexspaces - same thought here
ReplyDeleteהי מרינה. סליחה, אין לי כח לכתוב באנגלית. לדעתי האיור יצא מאד מוצלח, חופשי וקליל. אני חושבת שבשילוב עם הטקסט נוצר קצת עומס, וזו בעיה שאני מכירה היטב ומזדהה איתה. לפעמים צריך לוותר על חלק ממה שרוצים לבטא באיור, לטובת העיצוב הכללי של הכפולה, וזה קשה.
ReplyDeleteאני לא מרגישה שהלך משהו לאיבוד, אבל בכל אופן לדעתי זו מלחמה אבודה - סקיצה מטבעה היא יותר חופשית, מצד שני היא גם פחות מדוייקת ודורשת עיבוד.
מרינה איור מעולה, לא איירתי לגיליון הזה, כך שלא יצא לי לראות את האיור מודפס ותודה לך על כך שאת חולקת עם קהל המעריצים שלך את פועלך המופלא. יש באיור הזה, את כל מה שאנחנו מדברות עליו, לגבי שימור התחושה הראשונית והספונטנית שיש לרישומי הרחוב שלך. מצוין ביותר.
ReplyDeleteלתגובתה של רחל, יש משהו נכון בדחיסות הזו לטעמי היא ממש משקפת את האווירה של ההפגנות ועיר האוהלים.
ReplyDelete@Alex and Guy - I'm not sure I can do it,it's the job of magazine's designer, but I'll ask next time.
ReplyDeleterachel and doron - תודה רבה על התגובות המעודדות ומפורטות ;-)
Hi Marina,
ReplyDeleteI am an enormous admirer of the freshness, quirkiness and originality of your journal art. I do agree that the final illustration is not your finest artwork. It is quite normal to "choke' as they say in America, when you get your first illustrations assignments. The expression comes from new professional baseball players who grip their bat too tightly when they are under pressure. I remember doing the same thing, and having an art director look at my work and say: "but we like YOUR style!".
I cannot offer any particular advice, except to say we all have to go through our own process of learning how to embrace the spark that is within us. I've been illustrating children's books for a number of years and each book is it's own process of coming to make the material my own. I, like you, tend to reinvent myself with every assignment, because I feel the stories each call for something different. But at least with a book you are given some time if you are lucky to work through your process and make the material your own.
Your work is so very original, I would like to see you writing your own material.
Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for your detailed comment!
Happy you like my sketches.
You're right, I feel a kind of pressure with my every commercial illustration. I guess it's factor of experience and there is no shortcuts to invent your own style.
I love your children books illustrations, they have a different style from your journal sketches, but keeps your expressive line and wonderful characters design.
Hope I'll get an opportunity to illustrate a children book.
thanks again, really appreciate it.