Part 3: Giving Instructions


Exercise details

I felt inspired to do two of the illustrations stated in the handbook. First I attempted Getting to my house.  The second illustration, Making a cup of tea, was a more substantial investment in time and effort. 

Illustration 1 - Getting to my house

The final illustration is below.  The artwork is produced in Photoshop from a digital composition/manipulation of 2 of my drawings. Overall, the illustration is an abstract representation of an aerial view of the area from Polegate to north Eastbourne, covering part of the South Downs on the edge of town.    The instructions for getting to my house are straight from www.bing.com/maps route directions (from Polegate to Brodrick Road).


Process of producing the artwork

 I started by doing some visual research and I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by what I was finding.  It was mainly cutesy little drawings and images surrounding a windy path to a destination.
I then reviewed other student work from Illustration 1. One student's work in particular I found to be a captivating and inventive interpretation of the exercise:

Source: http://ink-on-paper.wixsite.com/illustration, 12th February 2017
I particularly liked that it was taking an abstracted aerial view of the student's home area in Tehran. Although a fascinating artwork, I felt that as an illustration for giving instructions, the drawing didn't seem to meet the central brief - it couldn't possibly work as instructions to getting to his house.  The highlighted "streets" didn't make any sense - just a haphazard highlighting.  The student stated that the calligraphy is stating park areas, so these weren't giving instructions either.

I felt inspired to do a similar artwork.  However, I wasn't going to be using a street map, I was going to use aerial photography because I wanted to render some the colour of fields and wooded areas on the South Downs.  The aerial view shows such interesting variation of subtle greens:

source: www.bing.com/maps, 12th February 2017

I produced one main drawing, and one quick secondary one to use as an overlay/blend (in Photoshop):




When I took these into Photoshop I experimented with layers. I had the intention of creating interesting blends to achieve a patchy and grainy look.  I had the vision of wartime aerial photos that have been age-worn and perhaps spoilt by water-damage.

Seen as though I was using something as formal as a map, it seemed a logical (and interesting) step to go with very formal computerised route instructions - from bing maps route finder.  The instructions are almost robotic in their precision.  I decided to place around the edge because I felt this would provide more visual interest compared to a linear list.  Leaving out the instructions felt like an option, but in the end I didn't feel the drawing wouldn't work. Giving instructions is integral to the exercise.

The whole image somehow amuses me. As though it is some kind of snap-shot showing a deranged sat nav system from hell!    

As a critique I would say that I've rushed this illustration a little. I could have further developed the drawings, providing greater accuracy to the actual road network and geography. I could have also been more subtle and varied in use of snippings from the real aerial view.  The single chunk of photography I've used is perhaps a little heavy handed and jarring.

I've "tested" my illustration on several people, and they all agree that the instructions for getting to the house are very clear.  But I've also had raised eyebrows at the relative strangeness of the illustration. But most of all people seem to be interested in it as a map; there has been plenty of intense scrutiny of roads and fields with comments such as "Is that the lane leading up to Butt's Brow and the car park...?  Does that line represent blah road...."    

- - - 

Illustration attempt 2 - Making a cup of tea

I love tea. I love the ritual of making tea.  I felt compelled to have a go at it.  I also wanted to linger on the drawings.  I saw this as an opportunity to enjoy drawing things that I like. Teacups.  Teapots. I anticipated a lot of pleasure in producing the illustration.   I'd consider this to be a pure leisure drawing.

Developing ideas:


I started to collect a few images and examples of instructions and illustrations related to making tea. This was useful.  

However, many of the instructions/illustrations online seemed either:
  • Charmless and mechanistic (like aircraft evacuation instructions)
  • Too Scientific (boil the water to 97.65 degrees then steep the tea for 3 minutes and 21 seconds)
  • Hand-drawn twee (crazy-dipsy teabag characters)

I started to visualise something like a poster in a teashop.  Something classy and village-fete in mood and charm.  Instructions and tips on making the perfect brew.  I set myself a success criteria that this artwork should look perfectly comfortable hanging on the wall of a teashop or a cottage-style kitchen.

I felt that objects drawn in coloured-pencil or watercolour would suit the theme best.  These media were most likely to give me a "classic" illustrated poster look.   I was also interested in producing the title in hand-drawn lettering.  

I used my sketchbook to explore and develop ideas, and free-associate:

   
Final illustration:

The final illustration was composed in Photoshop.  

I am aware that I've slightly veered from the exact exercise detail.  I didn't want to make step-by-step instructions for making tea.  I wanted to keep with my tea-shop poster success criteria I set for myself: 


As I anticipated, I immensely enjoyed producing it.  The challenges in this piece of work felt incredibly varied.  However, I'm not sure that the illustration is entirely successful visually.  Perhaps it is a little disjointed and the drawings don't necessarily work - in combination - as a connected whole.   But despite my concern, I'm pleased with the artwork because I've pleased myself.  I don't mean that in a selfish way - I mean that in a sense that I've done something which has been challenging and I've felt rewards from doing it.

I've tested the illustration on a number of people and they are have said it is a "nice" image and they liked the fact that it was advice on making the tea, rather than mechanistic step-by-step instructions.

Most of the drawings were fairly quick and sketchy, however the rose was a more substantial drawing in itself own right (shown in full below).  I debated whether or not to include the rose, but I found that the poster with the rose included had more "tea shop character".  I felt the illustration without the rose was slightly weaker.

Media used: Ink and Polychromos coloured pencil

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