Day One :
drawing from life.
Where do ideas come from?
Are they handed down or given?
Do you need to search carefully, dig deep, leave no rock unturned?
Might they be stumbled upon, found by accident, by happenstance?
Are they just around the corner, just out of sight, over the next hill?
Do they slip away, fleeting, hard to see, or fade away soon after they appear?
Are they from your experience, your life, the past … the now?
Maybe they’re something you’ve noticed, observed, or seen?
Can you recognize them?
show, tell, and create
It’s easy to become so focused on the act of making art that the act itself becomes the art – art for art sake as the saying goes. But for visual communication the visual is only the first word, communication is the second. Perhaps it’s because learning to make art is straight forward, we put in our 10,000 hours of critical study and we’re good to go.
But creativity seems more ephemeral. Harder to identify, and to grasp a hold of. But what if the art of coming up with ideas is perfected the same way as making art? Through critical study, and practice. Achieved by a straight forward process of learning to make ideas from what we see, feel, and experience in our everyday living.
The video below is an example of this creative process. (5 minutes 25 sec)
critical practice
Critical study is a term you may be familiar with from your academic studies. A variation on that concept which, from the perspective of a practicing professional is perhaps more relevant, is critical practice.
Becoming familiar with the concept of critical practice – and putting it directly into … practice, is in my experience what is the defining characteristic of transforming the dream of making art – into a reality.
The video below discusses an example of critical practice. (3 minutes)
into the deep end
A short deadline for this project reflects a real world project timeline and is to transition students from an academic to a professional creative mindset. Students will have to use time effectively and make decisions quickly.
Deliverables:
PDF digital file / 300 dpi / .25 inch bleed
17 inch x 11 inch spread (two 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages)
Choice of any B+W medium including digital and/or traditional
must include text (avoid gutter)
Due in 2 weeks
week one – comprehensive rough
week two – finished art
It’s not all kids stuff
From a professional perspective a colouring book is a strong and viable illustration medium. Publishing for children remains a healthy market for illustrators as digital experiences have been unable to replace the intimacy of the analog experience.
And colouring books as an illustration medium can also be used in other communication industries. Advertising, corporate, nonprofits, and others use this technique to communicate to young audiences all the time.
Because black and white drawing fees tend to be lower, working quick and efficiently is important. The video below discusses some digital techniques that could help. (4 minutes)
