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.