Illustration is fascinating, and progressive. Ever since I began to hold a pencil/brush as a young boy, I was captivated. Endless hours drawing and painting enlightened me further, and fuelled my interest in everything. I was, extremely observant, and I remain so today, nothing passes me by, especially if it has a marked aesthetic that appeals to my personal taste sensibilities. As I matured, and my knowledge expanded through high education, I began to understand human biological and emotional responses to beauty, and the mechanisms by which aesthetic appreciations could be utilised, to inspire, through design.
My enthusiasm to experiment with every conceivable medium I could find, has never wained. I have literally used every traditional media known to man. In the late 1980’s when the internet first made an impact, I began very slowly, (because my personal circumstances, saw a drip feeding of computer technology over a number of years) to further my experimentation into the world of digital illustration. Many growing pains ensued, believe me transitioning from traditional media to digital took some time for me, both personally and technically. eventually, I found acceptable ways to produce the work, and actually found great advantages in the digital medium. Nowadays, I utilise both traditional and digital techniques individually and collectively. In fact, As long as the desire to create is there, It doesn’t matter what media is used, as long as the end effect is realised to its fullest potential.
In the 1990’s I gained an illustration agent, and over a two yearly period, produced multifaceted commercial illustrations for national and international clients. My speciality at the time was oil paintings subverted for advertising, although, I also produced hundreds of vignette illustrations in a multitude of mediums. Later, after the agency closed down, I specialised in 3d digital work, employing apps such as z brush, modo, and the Adobe suite to realise my visions and to also supply a new client base.I have since added many more apps to my knowledge and skill base, namely Corel painter and Autodesk sketchbook, and I will be adding new digital methods probably for the rest of my life, so that it is totally ingrained into my creative stream.
Illustration will never die, its presence throughout history, has never dwindled, society has always embraced the medium, and in many cases illustration has contributed to and fundamentally changed the culture and design of many of societies paradigms. Illustration has a fascinating history Illustration has never been more popular than in todays western culture. It is everywhere. The digital revolution post 1980, has enabled new exposure for illustrators, (and all artists) Illustration is very much part of design, and the two disciplines interact freely within almost every design project. Illustrations are in constant use within all printed material, website design, animations, UI and UX, in fact, into every conceivable design. Whether it is 2d, 3d, vector or bitmap, diagrammatic, or infographic, it is used by businesses cross platform, to generate visual branding, and to promote business at every level.
One of my own personal ventures in illustration was within the children’s book genre. I followed a style that reflected a traditional approach. Namely, utilising traditional media such as graphite, watercolour and acrylics. I then intermixed each piece with digital input, using a Wacom tablet. (mainly Adobe photoshop) I have written 2 and illustrated 3 children’s books. Two that where self initiated, and one for a client. Crum is still open to enquiries for children’s book illustration. Here is a link to the work I produced at the time. Crum can facilitate any style of illustration, 2d, 3d, vector, bitmap, traditional. Crum can emulate any style, provide us with a sample style, that you would like us to emulate, to fit into your project seamlessly.
I am both a designer and an illustrator, both are interrelated, both have there own individual nuances, however the various principles within each are fundamentally the same, for example, design. An illustration is composed, utilising the same design principles as a purely graphic design piece, the same principles of space, value, colour, and composition, are exactly the same. Nuances aside, It is a short trip from graphic design to illustration and back again. I have qualifications in both separately, they are not dissimilar. Animation has the same reasoning, its just the technical aspects that set the discipline apart. Once an individual understands the fundamentals of art and design, everything else is just a matter of aptitude and the determination to learn.
Illustration today is marked by a flat vector style. However, 3d is also an enduring style, and with the advent of new technologies, is becoming evermore advanced. In business, every conceivable style of illustration is used for everything from packaging design to purely web based. Businesses understand that illustration in all its guises, promotes services and products like no other commodity. It is scientifically proven that images are 70%more likely to engage, and promote conversions than any other method, aside from video and animation. Crum offers all aspects of the visual repertoire, we are proud to be able to offer a multi disciplinary service. http://www.crumltd.com
