Ape on the Moon: Contemporary Visual Culture » Linear Illustration

Isometric Line Work Worlds from Stephen Chan

Alex Mathers — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:18:28 +0000

UK-based Stephen Chan makes intricate vector illustrations with a strong attention to carefully planned line work with engineering-like precision. His work has been featured in several exhibitions, including a major project for Tiger across Asia this year.

You can definitely sense the inspiration he has drawn from his studies in product design, but also his interest in Asian art and anime, with a lot of his work appearing like blueprints for various inconceivable worlds filled with imaginative characters.

I interviewed Stephen so as to garner some more insight and wisdom from his life and process…

What is your background, art and non-art related?

I was born in the UK, but my parents are from Hong Kong, so I was heavily influenced by both cultures during my upbringing. I could watch a lot of eastern and western cartoons during my childhood 80′s/90′s, (the source of all creativity) like Inspector Gadget, Tom and Jerry, Ren and Stimpy, Disney…but also Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, Doraemon, GeGeGe no Kitarō and Studio Ghibli (long before it became popular in UK/US).

This has played a huge part in shaping my thinking and approach to design and illustration.

I graduated from a product design course, but felt that this wasn’t really my calling. I was confused about which direction I wanted to go for quite a while. I did about 4-5 months of placements at several different local media and design studios after graduation.

I helped out on a variety of projects, ranging from branding, web design, graphics and illustration, plus learning how to use macs, photoshop and illustrator during this time (yes, I had no idea how to use a mac until starting work). I ended up mainly focusing on illustration, partly because of meeting Jon Raffe at the last company I worked at, the brains behind Thunder Chunky.

How would you describe your work?

My work is mostly character driven, and often involves large, isometric detailed landscapes and scenery. I try to put my own spin on the isometric style, because illustrators like eboy and Rod Hunt have already established themselves at the top with this style, so it’s hard to stand out.

I like to mix in more organic shapes, like clouds and smoke, or soften the sharp edges of the vectors with textures and rounded objects sometimes. I also like to create patterns from time to time, if the appropriate project and idea form in that way.

What is your technique and what tools do you use?

I’m mainly a vector artist, so Adobe illustrator is my best friend – finished off with a touch of Photoshop.

Can you give me three things that inspire you the most?

I don’t have many hobbies other than Art and design, so anime and movies are my second love and where my inspiration stems.

I think nature, everyday objects and things that you didn’t really notice, (or that didn’t really have any effect on you before) can suddenly inspire a great idea. It depends on the current project you’re working on, and current frame of mind.

Lastly, maybe talking to and listening to other artists and designers. Learning from each others experiences and knowledge. Sharing ideas and developing them, watch the sparks fly…

Cosimo Galluzzi’s Detailed Watercolour, Bustling, Alien Scenes

Philip Dennis — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:33:10 +0000

It is almost impossible to look at one of Cosimo Galluzzi’s illustrations without wondering more about the world his characters live in, how they got there, and where they’re going.

His work depicts scenes that would not be out of place amongst stills from science fiction and fantasy films. We like his backgrounds, which are perfectly painted in detailed watercolour. But, it is the multitude of exotic characters that fill these places that really spark the imagination, each with their own crazy little lives going on, and alien business to be getting on with.

“At first, I see abandoned cities, temples in deserts, solitary mountains—but slowly figures begin to populate them. Execution is largely dependent on time, the less there is the more things happen inside the computer. I prefer ink and watercolors, the rest is patience.”

Vikki Chu Drawing Epic Scenes Full of Detail

Philip Dennis — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:51:44 +0000

Virginia-based Vikki Chu’s illustrations remind me of my favourite kind of picture books as a child, the ones that would have you endlessly searching for hidden items amongst the details. And, her work is very detailed. There’s so much going on and to see.

It complements her choices of subject well, where she often depicts epic scenes of curious lands, perfectly enchanting for children with a sense of adventure. She tells us more.

Drawing is definitely the most important and enjoyable part of my illustration process. I love working on any project that involves a lot of drawing, which is probably why I enjoy making large scenes so much. Architecture and people are my favorite subjects.

I usually use either a rapidograph or a mechanical pencil and then Photoshop for color. Occasionally, I will dabble in watercolor. When starting an illustration, I usually like to dive straight into the drawing and build from there. My sketches are very loose, which I like, because it keeps me engaged in the drawing process.

The Fun and Colourful Work of Illustrator and Designer, Maxime Francout

Philip Dennis — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:05:25 +0000

Maxime Francout is a French illustrator and designer, and moves seamlessly between the two disciplines. We like the attention to simple shapes and placement in his more design-inspired work, but also the fun, characters elements in his illustrations.

Here are a few examples of his work, including a poster for a world cities-themed series by Human Empire and an illustration inspired by the African footballing legend Salif Keita.

His other projects include T-shirts, zines, books and exhibtions, and have been for clients such as IdN Magazine, Toyota and Urban Outfitters. When he’s not creating, he spends his free time in Montreal skateboarding, playing ping pong and enjoying Chai Lattes.

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 a 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.

Benjamin Murphy Creating Black and White, Cryptic Murals using Electrical Tape

Philip Dennis — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:33:38 +0000

When thinking of new materials to experiment and work with, electrical tape may not appear on the top of your list. Somewhere down the line, it did for illustrator, Benjamin Murphy. Since using it, he has proved it to be a creative and versatile material, especially in translating his black and white, atmospheric style.

By applying, cutting away, and using negative space, he produces large murals on walls and windows. His work has been gaining a lot of interest from cafe and bar spaces, so keep your eyes peeled for his tape drawings around town!

In his own words, Benjamin describes what he does, “I use black (and sometimes white) electrical tape to create large-scale drawings on walls and windows. My work is often slightly cryptic and sinister, with hints of narrative that is never fully explained”.

“I use the strips of tape to create line drawings, often cutting the tape to different thicknesses to create built-up and detailed images.”

Illustrations from the Eye of an Architect with Vigilism

Philip Dennis — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:06:58 +0000

With a constant play between digital and analog techniques, Vigilism creates beautifully gritty, imagined cityscapes. Born in Nigeria, now based in Brooklyn, he employs both his architectural skills as well as his eye for urban aesthetics to create these intricate and textural pieces.

I’m a Brooklyn-based artist/architect who splits my time between my emerging art profession, ‘Vigilism‘ and my design practice, ‘Freeform+Deform‘.

I have always had a fascination for creating visual narratives, architecturally-inspired futuristic dystopias, and urban-mapping strategies. From the outset, this work has been characterized by exploring the relevant potential for a variety of digital media, when combined with traditional methods of representation, in the field of architectural visualization. As a result, my illustrations which are typically outputted digitally, possess a textured and painterly quality.

My process includes combining hand-drawn sketches with photos I’ve taken of industrial textures and deteriorated paper surfaces with 3D models both designed by me and ones I’ve downloaded from the internet. There is also a constant interplay between the digital and analog in my work as I often print out digital images, sketch over them by hand, scan them back in so they can be modeled in a 3D software or retraced digitally, and then finally I degrade the integrity of the sharp digital lines thru inaccurately ‘vectorizing’ the image in Illustrator and layering on textures in Photoshop.

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.

Highly Detailed Imagined Worlds from Mike Schley

Philip Dennis — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:32:03 +0000

Here are some of Mike Schley’s incredibly detailed imagined worlds. He creates these fantastical maps full of tiny details. He took some time to tell us a little more and show us both his digital and traditional studio set ups.

I usually begin with sketches on paper. Once I have some ideas flowing and I’ve rounded up any reference materials I need, I then start building a few compositions. Rough thumbnails usually get jotted down in my sketchbook while more finished concepts get worked out on crescent board or some other strong archival paper. Once I have a good idea of where I’m going with the piece, I will then scan the pencils into Photoshop and start thinking about things like surface, color, and visual flavor.

I typically use a Wacom Intuos 4 tablet in combination with Photoshop CS5, but occasionally I’ll use Corel Painter 11 since it’s brush and media emulators are better at surface blending and wet paint simulation. For an ink & wash piece like a map or The Frog Price, I usually brush my inks over top of my scanned pencils and then paint my color layers in a loose watercolor manner underneath the black line work.

If I’m taking a more painterly approach, on the other hand, then I’ll build my brush strokes in a manner similar to the way I use traditional paint. I tend to fixate on naturalistic textures and as a result try to emulate traditional techniques while benefitting from the speed and plasticity of the digital environment.

Noma Bar Interactive Show Starting this Saturday at ‘Outline Editions’

Philip Dennis — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:36:05 +0000

With a client list as impressive as his manipulation of forms to create double meanings, it’s more than likely that you’ve seen some of Noma Bar‘s instantly recognisable work. Noma Bar’s skill lies in the communication of his ideas with perfect clarity and a touch of wit by reducing images down into simple shapes.

From this weekend, you’ll have a chance to take home some of his work, take part in workshops, enjoy some live drawing, and have a play with his brand new paper-cutting installation, ‘Cut It Out’. From this Saturday the 17th to the 30th of September, a new solo show will be at ‘Outline Editions’, the graphic art gallery and shop in Soho, London. Check out the Outline Editions website for more details.

“Noma Bar was born in Israel in 1973 and graduated from Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in 2000. He moved to London in 2001 but it was during the first Gulf War that Bar developed his trademark combination of caricature and pictograms: while staying with his family in a shelter in Israel he sketched the likeness of Saddam Hussein around a graphic symbol for radioactivity that he found in a newspaper.

Since then Bar has published over 1000 illustrations for magazines and books worldwide, including upwards of 60 front covers. His clients include The Economist, Wallpaper*, The New York Times, The Guardian, GQ, Esquire, IBM, Sony, The V&A and more. He has also released two books of his work, ‘Guess Who – The Many Faces of Noma Bar’ and ‘Negative Space’, to widespread critical acclaim.”

“Outline Editions first opened in 2010 as a pop-up space off Carnaby Street. This gallery/shop has since emerged as one of London’s leading destinations for new-wave graphic art and illustration, with a reputation for its striking window designs and ongoing showcase of specially commissioned work from the most exciting and innovative artists of the moment – whether it be fast-emerging talents such as Sarah King (Evening Tweed) or internationally established stars such as Anthony Burrill and Kate Moross.

Outline Editions now has a permanent space on Soho’s Berwick Street Market, and continues to pursue its aim of bringing the best of graphic art to the widest possible audience. Work from Outline Editions’ artists can also be seen and purchased via its online store at www.outline-editions.co.uk. Prices range from £15-£300.”