Creative Review - The Illustration Issue

 spreads from the 'Someone to Watch Over You' feature

February's issue of Creative Review is an Illustration Special!
Our Senior Agent Victoria Pearce took part in a round table discussion along with three other Illustrator's agents resulting in a five page article entitled “Someone To Watch Over You". Covering topics such as the state of the industry, how illustrators can develop their career and what agents look for in new talent, the pages also show work from Judith Van Den Hoek, Jacqueline Bissett and Chrissy Lau.  Chris Gilleard & Nuno DaCosta are also mentioned in the feature. See the Creative Review blog for more...

Anne Wilson in Mac User

Anne's feature in Mac User

a selection of Anne's art used in the article

January's edition of Mac User Magazine features an article on the wonderful Anne Wilson. Experiencing the industry in times before our digital world, Anne talks of the changes, her illustration education and inspirations with some sound advice; " just do what you do".

The article:
I have been practicing as an illustrator for the past 15 years or so...the time seems to have flown past so fast at an unbelievable rate. During this time the technology I've experienced has evolved tremendously. One of my very first commissions for example was completed through to the finals stage using a fax machine! Email now is second nature, and the format now in which discussions on projects tend to take place in the main, to the point where now I cannot remember the first time I began using email! It has always been a highly competitive industry and unless, for the most part, illustrators keep an eye on the technology available to them and embrace it in their working practice, those around will most likely have the upper hand.
I love the global feel of the industry, now more apparent than ever. Often I get work via the USA and recently I have completed a few jobs for various clients in Korea. The days of hiking around London with my portfolio focusing in the main on UK based clients, has passed and evolved into an exciting mix of cultures, opportunities and inspiration on a world wide basis.
On the one hand there seems to be a constant barrage of fightingly good illustrators graduating and entering the industry today, bright eyed, fast paced and full of imagination, which is both wonderful and overwhelming for me. But on the other hand it provides a pool of fantastic inspiration which serves to keep me well on my toes year after year. As this career tends to be a rather solitary one, the reality of the competition for commissions is important, a good reason I feel to take the time and energy to enter industry led competitions when ever possible. They serve as a good tool to sharpen your creative processes and a bench mark for where you are at within the illustration world.
New creatives are certainly one source of inspiration. More and more creative collectives are appearing such as the illustrator led groups of Ohh Deer and No Brow, but global culture in the main endlessly fascinates me, from intricate details, patterns, textures, colours and beliefs people possess and live their lives by.
What would I be lost without? Well the traditional side of me would undoubtedly opt for my Swan Morton scalpel, with blade 10a, and the current side of me would say my Wacom drawing tablet and pen (teamed up with my Mac and Photoshop.) I think it is important to embrace both sides, to pick up a pencil, or my dip pen and ink and commit to a drawing, or make marks with mono prints and any other mixed media I might care to throw at a surface in the moment. Neither are seen as a separate entity and when the two working methods are brought together, exciting things evolve from their meeting. I enjoy the physical process of colour mixing and mark making according to what might be suitable for the project I am working on. These results then get scanned and imported into Photoshop to create a final image. Increasingly it is my Wacom pen and eraser tool which becomes my scalpel.
I certainly don't even pretend to be remotely wise, but if I had a little wisdom to share, I would say keep it all positive, be 'can do' in your communications with clients and get plenty of fresh air!
I have always felt compelled to draw and create something on paper or whatever comes to hand. I loved picture books as a child and as my reading progressed I would still look for the pictures! I think since school I had in my mind that creating pictures to tell a story or describe something was what I wanted to aim for, just to see if maybe I could give it a go, and maybe I might be able to keep doing it, and just maybe, if that happened I could make it my job! The funny thing is, that I still don't feel I have a 'job', so in an obscure sort of way that makes me a very lucky person!
So I progressed as follows; school, (start drawing) A levels, (keep drawing) Art Foundation course, (more drawing) Degree - BA Honours at Bath, (definitely some drawing here) and then I went to do an MA in Communication Design at St Martins College of Art in London a few years ago, where I was lucky enough to get a Distinction, (masses of drawing stuff went on here!) There was no other obvious career paths for me, in my mind it was simple, I love drawing and creating images, so all I have to do it keep creating and I felt that one day I would become a professional creative of some sort - illustration fitted the bill nicely.
Some of my favourite projects have been children's picture books, I have completed several for Barefoot Books, but other recent clients include The London Transport Museum, The Independent On Sunday, The BBC, Mojo Magazine, Francis Lincon, Feast Creative, Beam, Crocodile Creek and Save the Children.
So that's me in brief! I would add though that one thing I have learnt through time, frustration, joy and the general madness my creative world involves, is that you can over think things to the point where you just can't see...my answer, is to take a deep breath...and just do what you do.

Turner's Heroes

When the Sun Goes Down

Fluorescent Adolescent

Brianstorm

NME Magazine has commissioned pen master Ben Tallon to illustrate an article called 'Turner's Heroes'. The special edition of the weekly magazine features the band 'Arctic Monkeys' and looks at the characters created in their songs written by Alex Turner. Ben supplied artwork for the tracks 'When The Sun Goes Down',  'Brianstorm' and 'Fluorescent Adolescent' and the feature coincides with the launch of the band's 5th studio album 'AM'.

Pratique Des Arts

John Walsom is very pleased to have been featured in the French art magazine "Pratique Des Arts". Focussing on his oil and acrylic landscapes, the magazine has given John eight pages of coverage aswell as using his painting of Barcelona on the cover.

Stylist Portraits

Montana Forbes was honoured to be featured in the first ever all-illustrated issue of Stylist Magazine.
Alongside iconic illustrators such as David Downton and Patrick Morgan, the brief was to create 16 portraits of the magazine's contributors, including Joanna Lumley and ex-Mulberry designer Emma Hill.

Milk X

Lucia Emanuela Curzi appears in Milk X Magazine.
A monthly print magazine, published in Hong Kong and Taiwan and 'dedicated to providing the most up to date news on international Fashion, Lifestyle, Design and Art', Lucia was interviewed about her work and included in the 'Everyone has a Kid Hiding Inside' feature. The issue is out now....

Illustrator's Notebook

Christopher Corr is featured in the Summer 2013 edition of Illustration Magazine talking of the importance of his sketchbooks.  As an artist whose work is so influenced by all around him, the sketchbook remains an integral part of his illustration process.

Christopher says in the article "I’ve been using sketchbooks since I was an art student. I keep some for working out ideas for projects and I use others purely for making location drawings and paintings and observations. I don’t mix them up.
A sketchbook is so personal: I write down conversations I overhear, graffiti I see and like, headlines from newspapers I notice as I’m drawing, in fact anything that strikes me as important or noteworthy when I’m out and about. On location I’m selective about what I include in my picture making. I am not a camera and so I draw the things I like or dislike, anything I can use later on to recreate that scene.
I work in books of all sizes, some very tiny and others huge. On a trip to China I bought some concertina-type sketchbooks and I used these to paint long panoramic scenes. I bought some beautiful books in India that I’ve used as sketchbooks, red and quilted-cloth covered, tied up with a string. They are made for debt and rent collectors so they can raise eyebrows when you take one from your bag.
You can do whatever you like in a sketchbook. You have total freedom. You make the rules. You can experiment and try out new ideas and work with new and different materials.
I always carry at least one sketchbook in my bag or pocket. They are so useful when you have time on your hands or when you see something remarkable. Artists have been using them for hundreds of years and I like that sense of continuity. It’s an unconscious record  of your thoughts and feelings.
I moved recently into the City of London and I have been drawing my new neighbourhood in a big black book. I want big paper to note down the new skyline and tall structures around me. Skyscrapers need space to be seen."

Open the Front Door

 

detail

Gail Armstrong works wonders with this editorial commission for Thriving Family Magazine in the US. The article focuses on how families should try to see the world as one of possibilities, rather than one to fear and to be protected from. Gail says "I wanted the piece to focus very much on the world beyond the front door and to make it look very warm and inviting, in contrast to the all white interior scene - as though the family would only be fully completed once they step over the threshold. A bit like those film scenes in "The Secret Garden" and "The Wizard of Oz"; when the film changes from black and white to full technicolor...."

Shopping in Paris

Katharine Asher uses her loose fashion style to create these spreads for ADP Magazine (Paris Airport Magazine). Commissioned by Jean Marc Dupuis, the art appears in the shopping section.

Russian Zodiac

Chris Ede's illustrations of the zodiac for Elle Russia are published now, and looking mighty fine!

Pretty Nostalgic

Victoria Scott's recent commission for Pretty Nostalgic magazine illustrates an article on the rise of the Pop Up Supperclub, her happy art features in this month's issue.

Mortal Business

Richard Phipps creates fabulous spreads for France's 'Liberation Next'. The story entitled Mortal Business is set in the future where people with terminal illnesses sell their life insurances to make money. Richard's classic work looks wonderful in this popular magazine.

Hunger

There was good news for Paul Holland recently when he was selected and then won 'HUNGER' Magazine's competition with this submission of Lisa-Marie Presley. The illustration competition has run for the last few publications for which there is a cash prize and the opportunity to illustrate from Rankin's celebrity photographs. Paul says "I will be in pretty good company as Von & Oriol Angrill Jorda have previously been selected winners and featured". Issue 4 which is just out, features Paul's commissioned illustrations of Derek Blasberg, Labrinth & Elle Macpherson.

Rosie in Country Life

A recent edition of Country Life Magazine saw a full page photo of Rosie Sanders at work on one of her enormous paintings. The feature, which talked of other botanical painters alongside Rosie, gave a short interview with our talented nature artist.

The Art Of Winning Awards

BoomArtwork was featured in Computer Arts recently and the issue is now online. If you'd like to read about BoomArtwork's Dieline Award for his DrNo Effects designs go here .

Hemispheres Magazine

Working in a new style with a gorgeous palette, Stuart Holmes produces a cover illustration and several spots for 'Hemispheres Magazine' - United Airlines inflight magazine. Stuart says "... I have since found out (it) is the largest airline in the World – which I'm very happy about!"

Sports Illustrated

Chris Ede has produced this stunning graffiti cover art for Sports Illustrated which has just hit the shelves in the US. Featuring Deron Williams, the issue dives "into the history of Brooklyn sports, as seen through the eyes of a writer who covered the borough’s basketball scene in the 1970s." You can also see an animation of the cover here.

Beaux Arts

Zoe More O'Ferrall does some delightful drawings for Beaux Arts magazine in France. 'Are these Museums for sale?'

Mega Sandwich

Steinar Lund's stomach must have rumbled when he created this 'mega sandwich' for The Mail on Sunday at the end of last month.  Used in the newspaper's 'Live Magazine', the image was to show the top fillings for sandwiches in the UK. Steinar says "I photographed all the various fillings separately, a few bread slices then compiled them in Photoshop. The client wanted an illustrated look so I went over the artwork with a digital brush to get the desired effect." Mmmmm...