Ape on the Moon: Contemporary Visual Arts » Ink Illustration

Digital Collage Illustrations of Thomas James

Alex Mathers — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:14:48 +0000

I’ve been watching our friend at Escape from Illustration Island, Thomas James’ illustration style evolve nicely over the last few years. His work exhibits an clever mix of realism, digital and traditional techniques that create something very distinct to the Portland, Oregon-based illustrator.

I’ve been focusing lately incorporating more digital collage elements into my work, which helps me to communicate difficult concepts in a much more effective way while developing a style and approach that is more unique to my true creative vision.

Warm Tones and Inky Brushwork by Illustrator Joel Benjamin

Philip Dennis — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:26:49 +0000

We really like the brush work and warm palette being used in these ink illustrations by Norwich-based Joel Benjamin. Originally from Suffolk, he grew up with a love of the outdoors, which can be seen in his drawings and their soothing, rustic tones. A great use of ink and watercolour, scanned in and reworked for a modern edge to a traditional medium. He tells us more about his inspiration.

I work with Indian ink to create sensitive, figurative images. Largely inspired by man and beast’s relation to the great outdoors. Sometimes showing concern for the progress of the modern world and its distancing from nature and traditional cultures. That said though, when I let myself relax, I just like to do anything related to fixed gear, skateboarding or modern girls.

People, faces and clothing are my favourite subjects, so I try to incorporate as many of those things into my illustration as possible.

The line work is drawn using pencils, then Indian ink with a fine brush, putting a lot of emphasis on creating contoured lines of even thickness. I use Photoshop to colour and shade, then add some painted textures from a folder full of scanned-in watercolour washes I’ve collected.

My main influences include classical art, good comics (and some bad ones), folklore, skate vids, fashion and ancient cultures/

Detailed Linear Illustration from Agnese Bicocchi

Philip Dennis — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:45:25 +0000

I love the simple linear work of Tuscany-born illustrator, Agnese Bicocchi. It’s descriptively clear and stands out but also has an elegance in the smoothness of the marks. Although her images can be stripped back and reduced to a few key colours, they can also be highly detailed and intricate.

“When I work I like to build narratives in my head.”

“These narratives are personal to me and don’t necessarily find their way into my finished work as stories, but they do help me to connect with the characters I draw and the scenes they inhabit.”

“Technically, I tend to approach my work in varied ways as I don’t want to feel that I am limiting myself to a few specific tools and techniques. I try to be open to what feels more natural to the project I am working on.”

“However, at the basis of my work there is always pencil on paper.”

“The feeling of the paper is quite important. I particularly like Sennelier sketchbooks and more recently an Italian brand called ‘Skizza e Strappa’. They produce big pads of office paper, very delicate. It has a quality that I can’t seem to find elsewhere!”

One of Agnese’ favourite places, an area near where she was born.

Dark and Inky Drawings by Anthony Wislar

Philip Dennis — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:15:01 +0000

Some lovely, energetic, inky marks now, coming from Anthony Wislar aka Saint Puce. Although he also does a lot of painting, I like his ink work, especially the slightly dark, almost sombre element to it.

“I went to school to be a painter, so I primarily come at projects with those instincts. The tactile experience of manipulating analog materials seems to be something I require as an artist.

I develop ideas using a sketchbook first or spontaneously in oil, gouache, ink, and collage in the physical world, with some digital fine tuning. The majority of my work is done on either treated paper or polypropylene surfaces, but sometimes on wood supports.”

A Wonderfully Varied Ink Drawing Approach with Phil Hall

Philip Dennis — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:15:26 +0000

Going through Phil Hall’s portfolio of work, it’s easy to see the flexibility and range that he has said he enjoys having. I like that there are some pieces that feel so different in juxtaposition to one another yet you can get an overall sense of his style and what he likes from his loose and free drawing approach. There are times when his pen creates detailed, bustling images, and times when it is quick and intentionally simple, which I think works really well.

“Left to my own devices my work would probably consist of scribbles, wood and dead things in forests… although I’m dubious as to whether I’d get anywhere commercially, most of my work tends to spark from little exciting bursts of thought that I’ll convince myself needs to be realized, I think that drives me to make work.”

“It’s been about a year since I started working on the computer, coloring-in really, mainly because it’s easier to adjust things. I hope that my illustrations have a common underlying trait other than the ‘style’. I work in ink pen, coloring pencils, mainly scan and edit in the computer; although I feel I need to step away from that a bit or find a better way of hiding the Photoshop look.”

“The picture I include, although not a studio/workspace per se, is a good place to go when I need to leave behind some of that grown-up conditioning and adopt a more playful feeling in my brain box.”

Discussing Digital Vs. Analogue With Illustrator Daniel Mackie

Philip Dennis — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:13:39 +0000

I love Daniel Mackie’s combination of warped figures, pattern and delicately rendered water colours. Interestingly, up until last year, his work involved a much greater use of the computer and the switch back to hand-crafted, analogue means was a thought-out, conscious decision. We were able to grab a little time with Daniel to find out a little more about his work and this change in technique.

You mention on your site that you abandoned Photoshop in 2010. What brought on this decision?

The first thing that led me to question using Photoshop as an illustration tool was that, like many other illustrators, my line was hand drawn and scanned in, but the colour was flat. Even scanned in textures take on a sort of Photoshop flatness! It was only when I started painting with watercolour that I realised how much short cutting and corner cutting I was doing working with Photoshop.

When using watercolour the drawing has to be spot on before you start painting. Watercolour is easy to put on, but dreadfully difficult to paint over or rub out! With Photoshop I found I never had to make a solid decision because with “control z” I never had to. I have found that making solid decisions makes for better illustrations.

How has the move into analogue influenced the look of your work?

I have discovered colours I would have never used, cobalt turquoise, quinacridone gold and permanent rose to name a few. My work has also become more stylised. After I decided not to use Photoshop anymore I sort of paused for breath and went through quite a long experimental period to find out where I was headed.

Have there been the kind of benefits or drawbacks you might have expected from choosing not to use digital means anymore?

Benefits, as I mentioned, are that you have to be bolder in your decision making. The down side is when you make a bad decision you may have to start again! I have to confess I do miss “control z”!

A lot of your figurative illustrations incorporate body art. Is this something that has always interested you?

Tattoos have crept into the mix really as a way of telling a story or as a smaller part of the narrative that is going on in the main idea of the illustration.

Have you found the inclusion of testimonials and a description of your process on your site beneficial?

I think third person endorsement is good, having someone blow your trumpet looks a lot better than blowing your own! As far as the “process” goes, most commissioners know the score but it helps build confidence I think.

Have you got any upcoming projects or plans that you’d like to share?

I’m currently working on a job for Mens’ Style in Australia about playboys …

‘Signature Line Method’ Strokes by Illustrator Ryan Haywood

Philip Dennis — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:39:32 +0000

For me, Ryan Haywood’s work is a good example of how it can be simply the way in which someone moves their brush on the page that stimulates you as a viewer. You can feel the energy put into every one of his marks on the page. I think it’s a very honest way of approaching drawing, looking like he keeps a very loose reign on the brush and allowing it to move wherever it wants without restricting it with too much consideration or over analysis.

One of Ryan’s favourite places is revealed at the end of the post.

My work revolves around drawing. Good painting is good drawing, and different materials just extend my hand in different ways. I like the versatility that crayons and gouache give.

When I draw, I employ the ‘signature line’ method. The theory being that you do not hesitate when you sign your name, you just do it— it’s automatic. Working like this makes your drawings highly identifiable (see Joe Ciardello, Lynn Pauley, Robert Weaver). I try to make as many mistakes, and have as many accidents during this process as possible.

Roman Muradov’s Illustration and Comic Strips

Philip Dennis — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:25:34 +0000

Energetic, emotional brush and ink work, beautifully drawn characters, and thoughtful, dark humour, are some of the elements in Roman Muradov ‘s work. I love his illustration work on its own but his comic strips really pulled me in. Wait until you have a little time to spare for being drawn in, then head over to his comic site, where he post all his latest comic strips. Here, he goes into his work in some detail.

I’m an illustrator/cartoonist and I mainly draw with brush & ink. I try to keep my brush lines light and minimalistic with plenty of variation in line weight, density and dryness. For lettering and more static comics I sometimes use tiny pen nibs.

Every now and then I draw with pencils or directly in Photoshop/Illustrator to practice and expand my range. My major influences at this point at Nicolas Nemiri, Chris Ware, Jason, Aubrey Beardsley, Seth, Pierre Bonnard, Daniel Clowes, Raymond Queneau, Christophe Blain, Alfred Jarry and many others.

After finishing my inks I scan the b&w pieces and color them digitally. I’m pretty anal about coloring and I can often spend the whole day picking and mixing two spot colors, redoing everything a thousand times and trying to find the right balance between linework and colors. I prefer gentle, muted shades that compliment brush lines with a soft dreamlike ambiance.

For illustrations I usually do several quick & loose sketches to figure out composition and overall look, then pencil it very lightly, often limiting myself to just overall shapes and forms. I find that brush inking comes out far more dynamic and charming when the underlying sketch is less detailed. Of course it’s much easier to screw up with this approach, but that’s the price you pay for trying a sketchy, effortless look.

As for comics my process varies from story to story and page to page. Most of the time I start with a general idea, shape it into a page/number of pages and write dialogue separately. The text goes through a lot of changes and tweaks up to the inking stage, usually losing 90% of the drivel I write initially.

In short there’s plenty of improvisation and I end up redrawing entire panels and pages pretty often if I’m not happy with timing, dialogue or visual rhythm.

Light and Uplifting Illustration by Nolan Pelletier

Philip Dennis — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:19:53 +0000

Toronto-based Nolan Pelletier‘s work is light and uplifting. As explains below, the different textures and types of line that he uses in his work is very considered, looking for just the right kind of materials in old books, he manages to add the particular character he wants to achieve. I’m glad he has found it, it’s the right kind of character to start your day with or put a smile on your face.

My work is inspired by old Graphis magazines, the color white, and cheap commercial printing. I work in traditional media, either gouache and ink, or pen and ink with hand color overlays.

I like to stay loose by using lots of dry brush, and varying my line with different brushes and nibs. To finish the final image I separate the colors digitally and add some subtle custom textures that I’ve sourced from vintage Charlie Brown paperbacks. My main goal is to create an image that is charming, slightly awkward, and fun.

Drawings and Inks of Kingston Graduate Nina Cosford

Philip Dennis — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:00:32 +0000

Here are some examples from recent Kingston University graduate, Nina Cosford‘s project, ‘Museums for Kids’. The bright and engaging design is perfect to grasp, inspire and encourage kids in their experiences at museums.

I think it’s also a lovely combination of nicely structured layouts and her much looser drawing style. Nina took a little time to tell us a little more about herself and the project in depth.

I’m a freelance illustrator, having just graduated from Kingston, London. I’d describe my main work ethos as seeing colour, humour and narrative in almost anything. I particularly enjoy playing with themes like anthropomorphism in order to communicate ideas/information in a whimsical, lively and accessible way, appealing to a wide range of people.

My work process is centralised around the mighty mechanical pencil (I go nowhere without it) which I use to scribble with, often over bright blobs of colour (applied with watercolours, promarkers and oil or wax pastels). I use Photoshop mainly to compose, construct, experiment and overlay elements to make many of my finished pieces. I love my Wacom graphics tablet and use it to add loose handwritten type. I enjoy screenprinting too when I have the chance.

A recent self-initiated project of mine was titled ‘Museums For Kids’. The aim was to explore and expand the appeal and involvement that children can experience in museums. This is an area of great interest to me, as history— and indeed education— are vital ways for children and adults alike to relate to the world.

The interactive nature of my museum guides are designed to place the individual within the context of history in a way that transcends how they access information as they become a part of it themselves. For each museum, I selected key elements of the display/content and structured a route via which the child can take in the information and play around with it at the same time.

This is an example of how I like to use motifs, themes and characters in my work to communicate more complex things in a light, fun way. It’s one of the most challenging yet illuminating tasks I’ve done.