Post 90

I've continued to work on my 'recipes' in the attempt to find a style. I've decided to go with the elements I used in an image on my AOI portfolio (road, mountain, car, to the left) which has had to most hits, even though it was only added a few months ago. So the recipe is:





1. Hand drawn elements using a rotring fine pen (or the mitsubishi fine liner). These are cut out and stuck on.





2. Mainly plain, uniformly coloured background. Can also do this in photoshop and print out.





3. Collage





4. Image is scanned and then reworked in photoshop.








I'm going to keep my work consistent and stick within these parameters in the attempt to create a consistent 'look'.





I'm also getting a friend to find illustrated articles from The Guardian, cutting out the image and presenting me with the task of illustrating from the text only. I'm going to give myself time limits on these projects, so I'll be able to continue the dream series and my final project of Under Milk Wood.





The article this week is from the 'family forum' section under the title...I'd like a 3rd baby, but would I regret it? i've started by producing some pencil sketches...freeform on an A3 sketchbook. I moved onto some simple thumbs and looked at the composition etc. Then I moved onto the computer and did some google image searching and drew an A5 image in pencil. I'll make one thats 'contrived' and try another copy of that in a looser style.

The image above is the first draft for the Guardian image. I'm going for the potential of the baby as the innocent puppet master in waiting. I was thinking about some kind of 'third coming' take. In the case of the article this child is a kind of question mark, the future in waiting, other worldly.



I've got the child sitting or hovering over a blanket of cash. I ythink the general feel of the article is one of caution. Here is the question mum poses to her agony aunt readership:

I have two wonderful daughters and a very happy family life, but would like another baby. we live on a lo0w income and I am a stay at home mum. Would my children lose or gain from another sibling? If I decide not to have a third baby would I be happy in the long term?

So the article a question...there are suggestions made by the readers, but ultimately the decision lies with the parents. I think its sometimes best to start with the intuitive response and perhaps check out other aspects whilst going through the process. I also think that a more intuitive response will enable me to try and avoid literal responses, although this is illustration, not fine art....that's a debate for another day.