RESEARCH : TONE OF VOICE : LEGIBILITY : VISUAL HIERARCHY.

Legibility


In visual communication, there are certain elements that are key to success. There are many things to bear in mind when creating a piece of work, such as the target audience, the message you want to convey but more importantly, how you want to convey it. There is no use in writing the most interestingly informative piece of writing if no one is going to read it. The trick is to draw attention to it, that’s where legibility comes in. Large letters, bright colours, different fonts…these are some of many tools a visual communicator utilizes in order to effectively relate his or her message.  

The image on the left for instance, is an issue of The New York Times from 1908. We can see seven columns with single spaced, small type text. Granted, the article headings are bigger than the articles themselves but all in all it is a compilation of words, which doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you want to be squinting to read first thing in the morning.


This more recent issue of The New York Times however (on the right), gives clues as to what you’re about to read, using images as well as different font sizes, clear article separations, using italics to stress something in particular.

Nevertheless, we must make a distinction between Legibility and Readability. There are some mistakes to be found where it is impossible to read something or it is downright annoying. It is obvious though when it is done on purpose; many typefaces aim to create a typographic statement, or to blend with the spirit of the piece.

In short, type must be legible to make it readable, but making type more legible doesn’t necessarily increase readability.

Researching the Practice

There’s no way to enter the world of visual communication (or any other for that matter) clueless and start working at random. There must have been something, someone that inspired us to embark in such or such field. It is that spark which ignites our curiosity and our thirst for knowledge expands. We start by liking the idea of an artist, the style…then we wonder how they did it, and we start scouring for answers via the internet, books, everything. It’s because we want to be like them, or at least a unique version of them. This then becomes part of our working routine – to research. 

It is vital to know a lot about our field as well as about particular projects. It enables us to be as creative and original as we can be, and opens our minds to all kinds of possibilities! Instead of just one solution to a problem, why not dozens? Why not more even? Only by searching and finding and trying all sorts of things can you have a real choice.

By doing a lot of research, whether new techniques, new ideas or new sources of inspiration, you define yourself as an artist; finding what you like and what you don’t, you create your own style.

David Carson made a name for himself by manipulating type and photography, twisting them together in order to confuse the message, but in reality drawing attention deeper within the composition.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION.

By understanding the various ‘practices & processes’ of illustrators, designers, photographers one is able to progress and advance one’s own practice.

Art is born from pretty much everything. Most of the time, artists are inspired by the simplest of things, and manage to create something extraordinary from them.

Our zest to practice art usually kindles from our love of another’s work. To admire an artist is to admire all of their work, which has defined the style that has made us want to “walk in their shoes”. Of course we want to imitate that style in order to create our own. After all, our tastes and experiences define who we are, both as people as well as artists and therefore the ones we admire are a part of who we are, which reflects in our personal work.

Natchez, Mississippi - 1947
Henri-Cartier Bresson

However, what was it about the art of those we appreciate that urged us forward? Curiosity. How did they create something so simple yet so brilliant? Curiosity is crossing the line between spectator and artist. If inspired by a photojournalist’s work such as Henri Cartier-Bresson for example, you’d want to know what camera he used, what he got his inspiration from and how he executed his ideas. It gives new insight to ways of working that you couldn’t have thought about otherwise. 

 "For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression." 

This quote teaches us that to create something doesn’t have to be a meticulous calculation, that sometimes we have to stop thinking about what we want to do, just do it, and you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find! Therefore it is worth looking at how different artists think and work because it inspires us to push our own boundaries and personally thrive.

The application and evaluation of drawing and media experimentation    is key to the development of a ‘personal’  Visual Vocabulary.

It is difficult as artists to have a distinct and unique style as we set off in the world of art, and most of the time, we don’t have one from the very beginning. It all starts when we learn how to draw, the basics. We are introduced to different materials and techniques that enable us to tell apart what do and don’t like; perhaps we trust the pencil and prefer creating black and white images, or maybe we would rather freely use plenty of colour using watercolours.

"I couldn't draw very well, so I had to stick stuff down." - Lizzie Finn

However, we may not be strong drawers altogether, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have what it takes to be an artist. If anything, art is about communicating visually, no matter how.

Ken Carbone’s sketchbooks consist mostly of collage and his manipulation of existing images. By collecting words, paper, and his own experiences, he has created a name for himself without needing to create a painstakingly detailed drawing. 

All in all, there is no way to develop our own style unless we’ve tried it all and decided on what we like and what will make our name as artists. It becomes our identity and the way we communicate with the world, our own visual vocabulary.

CONNECTIVITY

Cultural Context within your chosen medium.

Art is the most personal practice there is. Whether you look at music, paintings, or photographs, the artist always reveals a part of himself in his or her work.

The main source of inspiration of artists is, first and foremost, themselves. The final work can either be a reflection of their opinion towards something, their protest, their feelings or any number of things; that said it is always a reflection of one particular moment in time, event or circumstance.

There is never a random piece of art; at least not one that is worthy of the name. It may seldom be obvious to those who see the work, but there is still a story behind it and it is the context in which the piece was created that brings a whole new perspective to it.

The cultural context is crucial in both understanding a work of art, but also in the making of it; talent is one thing to possess…what matters more though, is the emotion that went into the work, and why.  By understanding the cultural context he’s in, the artist creates a connection with the audience that is powerful and goes beyond simple aesthetic appreciation.

Helen Wilson, standing by one of many paintings depicting
the aftermath of the Rwanda Genocide of 1994. Having met
survivors and visited the genocide sites, she revealed
through a series of paintings both the beauty of Rwanda
and "the resilience of its people in the face of a massive
human tragedy"

For example, if artists don’t know in depth the cultural background of what they’re depicting and get facts wrong in their final piece, it ultimately reflects poorly on them as creators and perhaps even nullifies their work. 

Pastiche, Synchronicity or Conceptual Appropriation

There are so many amazing works of art: photographs, paintings, illustrations, sculptures, and even films. When an artist pastiches another artist’s work, there could be several reasons for doing so:  he or she wants to make meaning by merging motifs or techniques borrowed from other sources, pay tribute to the original creator, or perhaps merely for satirical intent. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery...

David Tribe's adaptation of Paul
Cezanne's "The Card Players",
transformed into a cartoon
by the addition of the speech
bubble. 

Sometimes, it is obvious an artist has based his work on a particular creation of another. Other times, the work is inspired by the original artist’s style, which is defined as Conceptual Appropriation. The question is: where do you draw the line between inspiration and theft?

When a piece of work is actually duplicated, instead of noticeably followed the distinct style, then it is thought of as theft whereas when only certain shapes or techniques are borrowed in order to create a new and original piece of work falls into the category of imitation.

Be that as it may, there may be extreme situations where the similarity between two productions is purely coincidental. When you think about it there are scores of artists around the world whose minds always wander in thought of new and unique ideas but coming up with a completely unrepeatable one is near impossible. 

All in all, though it may be difficult to tell the difference between original, pastiches, conceptually appropriated or synchronized oeuvres, the artists always leave us clues, whether it is the date of creation or a simple brushstroke for us to find.

Van Gogh's Sunflowers.

Homage to Van Gogh: Sunflowers, by Jane
Elizabeth Perkins 

DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE THOUGHT AND STRUCTURE IN ILLUSTRATION AND GRAPHIC ART

Developing Ideational Fluency

Artists are defined as those skilled enough to create what is considered a work of art. Art in turn can be a great many things, from a photograph to a sculpture and beyond. However, originality is what tells artists apart from simply talented drawers or amateur photographers for instance.

When looking at certain famous works of art, such as Picasso’s line art, it is easy to say: “Anyone could have drawn that camel with just one stroke of the pencil”. However, the artist is the one who thinks, but also does. He or she finds inspiration in the unlikeliest of places, and manages to make of it something extraordinary.    

This however is merely the result of Ideational Fluency. Art can be described as a language that, like any other, has to be learnt in order to be understood. Ideational fluency is the path to success in art; one allows ideas to be unleashed and allow all kinds of possibilities to surface instead of discarding options just because they may seem too basic or perhaps even idiotic.

Making lists is the simplest, most common way to create a train of thought, or train of ideas. As one makes a list, images and ideas come to mind that we hadn’t contemplated before. Nevertheless, being able to translate them into images and immediately generating visual ideas is what ideational fluency is all about. 

Jill Calder, an illustrator since 1993, always carries a sketchbook to record her thoughts whenever, wherever. She combines words and images to formulate her thoughts, which in the long run, may or may not be part of a final piece of work. 

Anything and everything should be recorded, however exceptional or banal they may be. In the end, ideas pop into our heads all the time, but we usually don’t take the time to put them on paper…for all we know, those ideas could have been the source of something amazing.

Managing a Creative Environment

Any type of work is always paired with a particular environment or surrounding. At his desk, the accountant always keeps his calculator and equipment close, the plumber carries his tools in a box, and artists surround themselves with just about everything. If anything can be a source of inspiration for an artist, then anything can be used to bring that idea to life, to attribute image to thought.

My own personal workspace during a project...
Tidying up is always useless in the end!

An artist’s environment is a reflection of that person: who they are, what they like, collect, hoard over time. It enables him or her to work without having to interrupt their creative flow because of a lack of materials for instance.

Generally, it is hard to find an artist whose working environment is perfectly neat and tidy. Most tend to find clarity and order in what usually appears to be a complete and utter chaos of a studio. Nevertheless, the clutter is filled with things that define us, they are there because we want them to be. At some point, that clutter will be a part of the touch that makes the work our own unique creation.

This photo is of Irish-born British figurative painter Francis Bacon's studio, filled with over 7,500 items. He said: "It's much easier for me to paint in a place like this which is a mess"