2020-2021: The Year of Illustration
How might I leverage the year-long series of "Independent Study" classes offered in my degree program to explore and develop skills in illustration, which is one of my passions? How might I strategize my learning to give each quarter in that year a meaningful goal?
Project 1: Editorial Illustrations about Guerilla Gardening
My goal was to improve my illustration skills by engaging in the specific challenges and tasks involved in illustration for editorial design. Ex: creating 26 spot illustrations related to a particular topic, ensuring an appropriate mix of representational and conceptual illustrations; and expanding three of the spot illustrations into half-page, full-page and spread versions. I chose to create editorial illustrations about guerilla gardening, a movement that attempts to mitigate urban decay, motivate city-dwellers to engage with their environment, and build community.
Project 2: Portraits Varied By Medium and Style
I wanted to expand the range of my illustration-styles by making portraits of the same human/animal in a various styles, such as Al Hirschfeld-style caricature; modern flat illustration; linocut; midcentury cartoon; watercolor; art nouveau, and folk art. One of my portrait series featured the well-known graphic designer and nun, Sister Corita Kent.
Project 3: Explore the Aesthetic and Style of the Sixties
My goal was to strengthen my illustration skills and understanding of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop by researching the aesthetics of a particular era and creating a set of designs for products from that era. I wanted to convey the same retro style without replicating the products. I chose to create props for a fictional 9-year-old boy in a sixties movie. The props would flesh out the boy's personality and interests, while also making references to key events and cultural trends in the sixties.