Long story short, my head of illustration, the illustrator Peter Lloyd gave me the go ahead. (Fully?) embracing my proposal. Though he did voice certain concerns.
Teachers are resources and although their opinions may and often do differ, they're still valuable. Within reason. Most artists have an artistic biases. Its rare that you meet one who can be objective and look at something and judge if for what it is and instead of what whether they like of not. You have to walk a thin line between taking advice on board because their advice and criticism is valuable will can improve your work, and taking advice because you want keep lecturer X happy. I've seen way too may young illustrators whose work are carbon copy clones of their lectures. Copying the surface, without understanding how and why things work. Nothing but third rate clones. It's sad that so few lack the courage of their conviction, nor are able to look at their own work critically and work to make their influences less apparent. But these thing take time and more importantly education. A critical eye had to be taught and honed. Very few can be objective out their own work, because they're too close to it. But then some people are too critical of their own work. I guess its all about balance.
Yes, I know, I went waaaay off track didn't I? Where was I? ah yes.
Anyway. the ball is firmly in my court. When I informed Peter that I was intending to render all my images in pen and ink instead of a brush pen it was suggested that I reconsider. I told him my reasoning for this was two fold.
Right o. That took far long that I thought it would. Back to work.
- Firstly, I told him that I was planning to redo the majority of my 2nd and 3rd year as I felt it wasn't and accurate representation of what I am capable of. A artist portfolio of work should contain work that is all of the same standard and i am not pleased with either the level of quality or the amount of work I've produced. You only get one opportunity to make a first impression.
- Secondly, and rightly so, he voiced the concern that I had been working almost completely in isolation and that he hadn't seen any of work and thus had no idea what I was working on. I responded that I didn't feel that I had anything worth showing yet so there was not point in me setting foot in uni. Which is a bullshit reason truth be told.
Teachers are resources and although their opinions may and often do differ, they're still valuable. Within reason. Most artists have an artistic biases. Its rare that you meet one who can be objective and look at something and judge if for what it is and instead of what whether they like of not. You have to walk a thin line between taking advice on board because their advice and criticism is valuable will can improve your work, and taking advice because you want keep lecturer X happy. I've seen way too may young illustrators whose work are carbon copy clones of their lectures. Copying the surface, without understanding how and why things work. Nothing but third rate clones. It's sad that so few lack the courage of their conviction, nor are able to look at their own work critically and work to make their influences less apparent. But these thing take time and more importantly education. A critical eye had to be taught and honed. Very few can be objective out their own work, because they're too close to it. But then some people are too critical of their own work. I guess its all about balance.
Yes, I know, I went waaaay off track didn't I? Where was I? ah yes.
Anyway. the ball is firmly in my court. When I informed Peter that I was intending to render all my images in pen and ink instead of a brush pen it was suggested that I reconsider. I told him my reasoning for this was two fold.
- I have far more control over a the outcome of a line using a dip pen that i did using a brush pen. (As when using a brush you're at the mercy of many factors. How hard you push, the direction you're moving the brush in, how you hold your hand, how much ink you have in brushes feral, etc, etc.) Where as with a dip pen, you have full control over your line weight and the distribution of ink to the page.
- I want my work to look like the artists whose work inspires me. The great golden age illustrator such as Joseph Clement Coll, James Mongomery Flagg, Charles Dana Gibson, Howard Chandler Christy. And modern illustrators who continue the pen and ink tradition: Arthur Ranson, Mark Schultz, Tim Bradstreet, Gary Gianni to name a few. I want to follow in their footsteps, to continue that lineage. I find something very..arousing artistic in the application of their technique. The use of hatching, cross hatching to create shadows and texture and weight. Sure, they all used a combination of the pen and ink and brushwork but their primary tool of choice is a dip pen. I want to bring into my work what they have. I'm under no illusions that technique without and understanding of structure and what makes a good drawing make for poor artwork, but I desperately want to bring back- single-handedly if need be- those traditional values.
Right o. That took far long that I thought it would. Back to work.
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