Whitnie Barnes
22 September 2016
Art 3460:
Illustration
Training to be an Illustrator
There
is a clear difference between fine art (art for art’s sake) and applied art
(creating art with an intended message or purpose). An illustrator is all about
creating a visual message with an intentional purpose. Illustrators are so
different from any major legal profession because they have to come up with
creative new ideas and solutions to design problems every day. In other words,
there are no definitive set of rules telling them how to create whatever
they’re creating. The job of an illustrator is to study and gain an
understanding of the subjects of the visual message they are building and build
it in such a way that is uniquely theirs yet meets the intended purpose.
Illustration
is codependent with graphic design. Receiving its title shortly after WWII,
graphic design is the integration of words and images and is found pretty much
anywhere in any culture. Graphic design spans everything from illustrations,
typography, photography, to advertisement design all for the “purpose of
identification, information, instruction, presentation, and promotion.” Though
pictures and words are two very different subjects, if combined well, they can
effectively communicate a message.
There
are a series of steps that many illustrators and designers follow in order to
solve a visual project or problem, like the six thinking hats and seven stages shown
below:
The White Hat – to gather information
The Green Hat – to explore and generate
ideas without criticism
The Yellow Hat – to assess the strengths
and benefits of each alternative
The Black Hat – to assess the weaknesses
and dangers of each alternative
The Blue Hat – to maintain an overview of
the progress and focus on the whole process
The Red Hat – to express intuitive and emotional
views that have no defined rationale
Stage 1 – Defining the problem
Stage 2 – Gathering the relevant info
Stage 3 – Generating options
Stage 4 – Evaluating the options
Stage 5 – Selecting the best option
Stage 6 – Implementing the chosen solution
Stage 7 – Monitor and evaluate outcomes