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To extend my research i took to the library to look at some Magazine’s. Magazine’s unlike books are current showing on trend themes and styles providing me with ideas that our out in the market today. After reflecting back on my previous research imagery, i felt best that i utilised the Graphic communication and Illustration subject guides in order to find magazines with a more accurate style that i am looking for.

CREATIVE REVIEW

Creative review is a magazine listed on both the Illustration and Graphics subject guides. I selected their latest magazine to see what imagery is on trend and out in the market today.

I was drawn to this imagery as it reminded me of aliens and elements of different species all smashed together. The wide daunting mouth and random growths is something i can use to inspire my own work. I particularly liked the illustration in the middle on the bottom right because of the tentacles growing out of the face, this very much reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean or Doctor Who. I think this design would there for appeal to my target market as they will be at the age of watching these programs.

Although the imagery was inspiring the medium is not what i am looking for when thinking about the style i want to depict. These illustrations come across aimed at a more mature audience. I want my style to have a much more graphic twist so the designs pop out of the page which will appeal more to my target market. As well as this i want to use a greater variety of colour within my own work. Birthdays are a time for celebration so i feel a wider array of colours will help represent this.

COMMUNICATION ARTS ILLUSTRATION ANNUAL

This magazine was listed under the illustration subject guide. I wanted to try and get a balance between illustration and graphic texts so i could find a broad array of inspiring imagery.

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These images appealed to me because of their fun use of colour and extravagant body shapes. Within my own work i will be trying to mutate the human form so anything with figures that are out of proportion or isn’t quite normal really suits the look i am going for. As well as the general miss matched body parts i also like the angular figure in the bottom left corner. All the artist has done is used the inspiration of a squatting position and extended it’s form. Previous i have not thought about the weird positions humans can make and if i can distort this even further within my own illustrations. This is something i would love to play with when it comes to my drawing.

The colours within the images are bold, bright and contrasting much like in the work of Jon Burgerman. However, within these pieces the hues are on an edge of sickly because of how much they do contrast. Although the colours were one thing that attracted me to the work i will want to use a more refined colour pallet in this in order to appeal to my market.

IDN

IDN was a magazine listed in neither the illustration nor graphics subject guide; however, i still decided to have a look at it. Overall through many additions it was certainly the most successful for research.

This edition of the magazine focused on illustration in pattern making which was perfect for what i am trying to create within my project. It was the colours, pattern and general weirdness that drew my eye to this double page spread. Thinking about the designs i have been researching and the look i want my drawings to start off with the top left image and bottom right hit the nail on the head. Although i do enjoy the imagery within the other patterns it is the extreme lack of negative space that gets me excited.

It is clear throughout all the images there has been use of a simple block repeat. Although the designer has done this seamlessly with no evident lines throughout the pattern i feel the work could be even more exciting in a half drop or brick repeat. I believe this would add even more complexity to each design and help with the idea that the pattern continues forever.

I think this all over continuous pattern would very much suit gift wrap, sheets and bag. For a card and gift tag i could extract certain key elements so they are still in keeping with the collection but differ from an all over design.

These patterns really stood out to me because of their colours, style and imagery used. I feel they would really appeal to my target market because of these factors. One thing i will really take away from this double page spread is the exploding head in the top right corner. The artist has managed to depict a very groosom event; however, with the cleaver use of colour and style it presents a much softer image than it would have done otherwise. With the thought in mind that it would be parents buying the gift wear i think the purple blood creates a much more pleasing toned down look which the parent will find acceptable; however, the child will still enjoy its disgusting nature.

The hues are definitely similar tho those i want to include within my own work. They are bright and stand out; however, are softer in tone so the overall image does not seem to be so much of a kaleidoscope of colour.

These designs i selected because i enjoy how the figures have been used to fill the page on the top right design and two designs on the left, (one white with black figures and the other black with white figures). The long flowing limbs from a distance could be mistaken for flowing lines; however, up close it becomes more obvious they are people. Although the figures themselves are not detailed enough to suit exactly what i have been looking for it was this clever use of flowing lines and angles that caught my attention.

The black and white designs on the left hand side create the impression of a coordinating collection. I like how the colours have been inverted but also the angular rigid limbs from the top design are converted to flowing shapes on the bottom design. Despite these differences the two designs still work together because of the line weight and imagery used.

Overall what i have gathered from these designs is an alternate way to fill the space other than the previous designs i have been looking at. Where as the other designs suit themselves to a hero design because of their broad colour pallet and maximal detail, these designs lend themselves more so to a secondary design as they include more negative space and limited colour pallet.

Looking through magazines has once again expanded my ideas and brought new patterns, themes and designers into my knowledge. As all these artists/ designs are within current magazines i know they are on trend and what the industry is currently looking for. From here i really want to crack down on the exact age range of my target audience so i can start to put some moodboards together with the images i have found. As well as this i want to take a closer look into Sam Taylor as i feel his work would really appeal to the age and gender i will be looking into.

In response to my online research I took to the library in search for street art that could relate to my chosen theme. On metsearch there were a variety of texts available so i decided to look at the area of street art in general instead of going after a particular text.

GRAFFITI NOW

HELL’O MONSTERS

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These particular artworks i selected because of the imagery used and also the portrayed style. The group Hell’O Monsters is a collective of 3 artists who combine their ideas to create an imaginary world occupied by jumbled up characters. The imagery contains a range of things however focuses on monsters with multiple eyes, mutated animals and humans with their heads split open. It was this inventive style which caught my attention along with their over arching style.

GATO

Gato’s work normally portrays soft fluid shapes in swirling patterns much like the ubove image depicts in the bottom left. This piece i selected not because of this however becuase of the imagery on the right. I thought it was intresting how the figures seem to be coming out of what look like two valves to the heart. When drawing complete figures i often find it tricky to figure out how to place them without it seeming as if they are sitting randomlly in the middle of the page. This work has given me some inspiration about how i can make my own work more exciting and the composition more experimental.

DUKE

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THE ART OF REBELLION 2

These piees i selected by Duke beacuse of the way he combines imagery with text in his work. I felt this could put an intresting twist on classic typeface which would make text seem more applealing to a youth demographic. I would like to combine imagery with text within my own work and have previously looked at an artist who does this; however, their illustrations stick within the boundary of the text. I think it would be intresting to see how i can base text around imagery instead of imagary around text.

GALO

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This artist i selected because i enjoy his simple use of line to create graphic and inventive shapes and figures. The bold black lines sometimes combined with colour create a bold graphic illustration.

It is the style, imagery and layout that i find inspiring. I want to try to recreate this simplistic but effective look within my own work. The composition of the artworks are usually busseling with line work and one image flows onto the next through the use of line weight.

JON BURGERMAN

This piece in the top right by Jon Burgerman stood out to me because of its graphic use of colour and shape. By refining his colours down to only 3 he has been able to create a bold piece through the use of negative space. I enjoy how every figure is seemly simplistic, however is so different in their features. I want to be inspired by the lines he has managed to create in order to create a piece that is relatable to my target market.

KID ACNE

I was attracted to this top piece by Kid Acne because of the composition used. Unlike many of the artists i have looked into this piece plays out almost like a story. This is something i as of yet have not concidered to include within my own work. By creating a story line to follow this may inturn inspire my own illustrations.

STREET LOGOS

CHA

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I selected Cha as i find it inspiring that he can recreate a cat in so many abstract forms. This idea of stripping an animal down to its bare minimum and then building it back up again is something i aspire to do within my own work. This should help my own work feel connected to one key theme, however provide variety within my imagery.

One thing i struggle to enjoy about this work is the varity of different marks made within his work. Although this overall will create his personal style i feel my designs would benifit from something that feels alot more connected and wholesom than these designs.

PEZ

What really attracted me to Pez’s work was his use of bold line and colour. The use of black line with white highlights and block colour really makes the design pop out of the page. Once again Pez’s is inspired by animals, this time fish. Much like Cha he uses the same concept and recreates it in a variety of different forms. Within my own initial illustrations i want to be inspired by his use of bold line and block colour.

Overall looking into Street Art has proved worth while as i have encountered many artists i can draw inspiration from. Despite this i feel i need to look more into my customer and mainly into the stores my products will be sold before i can make a definitive decision on what style my work needs to take. From here i will continue my search with books into Pop Art to see if i can draw any more inspiration from that particular movement.