There are two forms of Illustration. Literal and symbolic.
Literal illustration
portrays the specific details of a story. If different artists were asked to do the same magazine article and portrayed it literally—only lighting, composition and camera angle would be different but the elements of the pictures would be the same.
Symbolic illustration provides many different solutions to the same story. You can include elements not contained in the article but communicate the idea of the article. This type of illustration is used mostly in editorial work and Brad Holland was the illustrator that made it popular. When doing symbolic illustration understanding the target age group you are trying to reach is
important. Pick symbols that the audience understands.
The
editorial market is diminishing, and it pays less. The editorial work is what wins the most awards because it is the most creative. Editorial work is only about ten percent of the market.
Ninety percent of the illustration market now is in advertising.
As illustrators get to know graphic designers. They are the ones that will be using your work. Schools need to network advertising students with graphic design students and illustration students.
Paperback book sales have increased lately and pay more. They
offer a style that you can transition to when different markets close and open up.
Movie posters no longer use illustration. They now use photography exclusively. Fred
Otnes introduced color key when he did the movie poster for O
fficer and a Gentleman. The movie industry wanted tighter realism.
Many illustrators have moved into children's books. Children's books get advancements on royalties and you get other royalties after the book is published. With children's books you get a great deal of time to do the project and freedom to paint in any style you enjoy. Children's book market will not thrive for long. The trend tends to be going to the youth market.
Nickelodeon, MTV, cars designed for youth, games, music, shoes, etc...
The market is also turning to the baby boomers. Women with high expendable incomes around 40-60 years old. These people are used to the illustrators they grew up with. Markets are cyclic—everything repeats itself. We will have a realism based market next. Companies like
DreamWorks,
Pixar, Lucas,
Rhythm and Hues 3-D need people who can draw and paint realistically and think conceptually. They need people who can envision something that does not exist yet. There will always be a need for
realism, but it must be tight. The market is 90% realism.
Genius is 10%
inspiration and 90%
perspiration—Thomas Edison.
On a more spiritual note, there is no difference between the spiritual and secular to the Lord. We have to work hard to develop our gifts and achieve. To know whether or not you can do this you need to have faith in yourself and desire! You can't do it on work alone or just desire alone. You need both! You need to sacrifice what it takes—hard work and desire. The promise in the Book of Mormon applies to our work too.
You will need a style that will transition from one market to the next. The better you draw and paint the better off you will be. Right now the game industry is strong. The game industry needs a lot of concept art. You can't ignore the computer—it is a tool.
You can get illustration jobs by doing fine art. With fine art there is always some
speculation when someone will buy your art. People who deal in fine art like a looser style and illustration needs a tighter style.
To find your own style entertain yourself. Experiment. When you find something that works incorporate it into your style. You need to evolve and keep current. Constantly evolve. Mark English started painting with asphalt because of its beautiful amber color. Entertain yourself and hope that someone buys it.
How many pieces do you need in your portfolio? There is no magic number. Only show them the good ones! You are judged on your weakest pieces.
Every illustrator needs to do some landscape work. You need to understand aerial perspective—as you go back shadows get lighter and bluer.
You will also need to learn how to pull all
nighters to meet deadlines. That is why artists have highs and lows and get moody—because they are pulling all
nighters.
Reference—we are competing with the best you need really good reference. Students spend 10% of their time getting reference and 90% of their time
struggling with bad reference. Professionals spend 90% of time getting great reference and 10% of the time pulling it off. Go to the same extent as the professionals.
Every illustration you do needs to have a place for type to go somewhere. That is what makes your illustration marketable. Type is part of the composition.
You need to create illustrations of the right proportions. 30x40. 12x16, 11x14, 24x36.
Color is used to create emotion. Most color schemes don't work because they
are based on light. Light bends–paint doesn't.
Mark English taught himself to paint by copying old masters. Control your color-all color plays off of each other and influences the other. Andrew
Loomis understood color and explained it in his book
Creative Illustration. There are times you can paint the color you want to see rather than what is really there. Entertain yourself!
Every artist is trying to create atmosphere. Season, time of day, temperature. Paint so that the viewer feels it. You have got to move the viewer.
Galleries love illustrators, because they can meet deadlines and take criticism. You can also have money coming in all of the time if you teach, do illustration art.
Lecture given by William
Maughn, January 18, 2007, Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library
This is a great blog to look at for an insider's insights into the children's publishing business. This is the blog of an anonymous children's book editor who tells it like it is (meaning, sometimes a little crass, oh ye tender cougars beware if your ears are sensitive!) and has interesting things to say and plenty of pointed points to make.
