Methodologies In Political Cartoons (Steve Bell)

Illustrations within political cartoons are often based on satire as visual metaphors and usually uses symbolism to describe them. Other methodologies includes anthropomorphism (arguably the most common to use) as a metaphor to portray people, whether it’s for their characteristics, behaviour or political gesture and acts as a source to predict something about that person or movement.

Steve Bell, a political cartoonist uses anthropomorphism as a visual metaphor to show the characteristics the politicians were being viewed as by the public, or just in general from his personal view as a cartoonist at a satire level, mocking politicians for their appearance, gesture and moment during political debates/speech, as told in an interview (1) “There is something fox-like about Jeremy Corbyn. He got these eyes which quite slanted and quite sly looking in a way.” Bell primarily uses facial features to depict animal-like qualities that shows the embodiment of that animal in relation to that person’s current motivation or of recent acts/rumours that would otherwise paint themselves a bad image to the public. 

Karl Marx meets Beatrix Potter: Steve Bell Draws Jeremy Corbyn

An experiment using some of the methods of Steve Bell of anthropomorphism by implying the theme of Greed as an object (a pot) that symbolises the ‘pot of gold’ where bankers and politicians have their wallets fuelled with taxpayer’s money as depicted being poured into their heads, as a metaphor to visually capture that the minds of politicians are being consumed with greed and power from within their position in society.

A general experiment depicting manipulation, using objects or themes as visual metaphors. Politicians using one another as puppets and proxies in order to gain political control over views, opinions, sympathies and power. Anthropomorphism deals directly more with personas, while visual metaphors are more focused on the greater subjects that is being played out that will have an impact in our society, such as the artist and printmaker, James Gillray who primarily uses visual metaphors to visually depict moments in time.

John Bell taking a Luncheon, James Gillray, Etching 1798

Gerald Scarfe, an editorial cartoonist who has worked for the Sunday Times Newspaper, uses traditional methods with ink to depict the violence and the horror of real world problems. The methodology of this is to make the image appear as aggro, while trying to maintain it as satire, though the sheer amount of violence as being depicted overwhelms the sarcasm, and can become quite disturbing for the viewers, even though it is an attempt to mock what is happening that is not far from being the truth. 

I saw a Baby Die Today. Gerald Scarfe

An attempt to depict as violently as possible using brush strokes and use of colour to give off a disturbing vibe, though this however loses its sarcasm in a way that it comes as disturbing than being satirical.

A depiction of Tony Blair using lines and be as aggro to make the image look violent in order to paint a bad image and to mock him for his reputation as prime minister.

References

(1) Healey, 2015

Bibliography

Healey, A. (2015) Karl Marx meets Beatrix Potter: Steve Bell Draws Jeremy Corbyn – Video [Online] [Accessed: 4 Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/sep/30/karl-marx-meets-beatrix-potter-steve-bell-draws-jeremy-corbyn-video

Images

I saw a Baby Die Today. Gerald Scarfe - [Online] [Accessed: 4 Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.geraldscarfe.com/shop/discount/i-saw-a-baby-die-today/

John Bell taking a Luncheon. James Gillray [Online] [Accessed: 4 Nov 2015] Available from: https://orwellwasright.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/the-satirical-cartoons-of-james-gillray/

Methodologies In Editorial Illustration (Eric Fraser)

The definition of ‘editorial illustration’ is to translate the article within journalism, from newspapers or magazines, into a visual image. The images that are being used are there to give visual summary and commentary to the readers, and to draw attention towards the article itself.

Depending on the topic of the article, whether it is of fashion, recipes or horoscopes, artists will need the ability to reflect the appropriateness of their own style or visual code, and needs to be formal, to fit with the subject of the topic, otherwise, both the article and the style of the illustration including it’s visual language would conflict with one another and could draw in confusion on the readers, potentially misleading the readers’ view and opinions.

Artists Eric Fraser and Aude Van Ryn uses human elements and often silhouettes including abstract shapes to create some ‘conceptual’ pieces of illustration to reflect some themes that are of sensitive topics such as business, health or violence. These themes are generally hinted and are often difficult to visualise these problems in an appropriate manner, hence Fraser and most commonly Van Ryn uses abstract shapes and elements that we all recognise. 

(1) Aude Van Rye

An experiment using very little detail and involvement to produce a ‘conceptual’ image using black and white and shapes. Was a little difficult to visualise the theme as it supposed to represent time remaining on earth, which can be scary and a sensitive topic to talk about, though the appropriateness of just using those shapes and human elements and everyday objects helps to simplify the translation of the article/text or topic into a visual image/language, rather than producing a fully detailed coloured illustration that would otherwise convey the same message.

The methodologies in editorial illustration are vaguely similar to one another in terms of using abstract forms and identifiable elements, however the visual outcomes can vary, some appear more surreal and abstract than others, especially with Eric Fraser’s works, whose illustrations are of surrealist elements such as lines, humanoid figures and grey tonal textures. 

(2) Silence in Heaven, Published 11 March, 1949, Eric Fraser

Another experiment but not as complex as the first one and is supposed to be more surreal in terms of shapes and humanoid forms and elements, although this one is somewhat lacking visual translation and thought provoking engagement, as it does not convey or reflect as much meaning compared to the first experiment, which it supposed to visually convey ‘the creation of intelligent species’, hence the larger being originating from a sphere creating life (the other two silhouettes resembling people).

Adding colours can be impactful to visually communicate particular themes and ideas, as colours (or each individual colour/hue) also represents different elements of emotion, values or meanings in our society.

Images

(1) Heart [Online] [Accessed: 3 Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.heartagency.com/artist/AudeVanRyn/gallery/1

(2) The Guardian, Illustrator Eric Fraser: Radio Times legend – In pictures, 2013 [Online] [Accessed 3 Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/apr/11/eric-fraser-radio-times-in-pictures

Methodologies In Concept Art

Concept Art is more of a ‘design’ practice than an illustrative one, where artists must showcase their ability to create non-existent objects or characters to fit in an imaginary or semi realistic world. The methodologies of Concept art can vary, some are more illustrative than others, while some are approached with more of a practical/design point of view. Triple A titles and high profile projects in games, such as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed to name a few, often have their Concept Art look ‘semi realistic’ to give an impression of realistic immersion into the world they are creating and to make them all look believable.

However not every concept art needs to be at a skill level of ‘semi-realism’, most concept art are often stylised, stemming from the Artist’s own style. Some projects usually seek out artists whose style seems fitting for the world they are creating, but that’s not necessarily true, a lot of these things can vary greatly, such as the timing of getting that job, self-promotion and artist exposure.

The methodologies within Concept art are ranges from illustrative visuals to practical designs, or perhaps both. Concept artist Feng Zhu, who has worked on many high profile projects, has a unique style of painting his images. He generates a painterly feel in his illustrations while adding in a slight touch of semi realism. A lot of artists like Feng Zhu in the concept art community would often use photographs (known as Photo bashing) as a quick way of nailing down roughs and to approach the image with a semi realistic feel to it, although they would generally paint over these cropped photos as they are usually used as a starting point, not for the finished visual, unless they had modified the photos to the point of being unrecognisable.

One of Feng Zhu’s visual landscape illustration

One of my early works when starting Photoshop. A Photobashing experiment using multiple photographs I had taken to generate a scenery.

Finished illustration using the method of Photo bashing.

While Photo bashing is a method considered as a norm within the practice of Concept Art, there are other ways in producing work, most commonly the artist’s personal way. You can approach Concept Art in any way or form, and generally artists who uses digital medium as their primary tool can approach it however they find comfortable, whether that’s painting traditionally on a digital platform, in which most current digital artists do instead of photo bashing. Concept art isn’t really all about how the design works, they are to communicate a visual idea of the imaginary world to the viewers, whether its storyboards, scenes or characters.

Using a method of painting a scene and characters with a more traditional approach of painting from scratch on Photoshop instead of Photo bashing. One of my earlier works in using Photoshop. It is considered a slow process compared to photo bashing where concept art are generally produced in a quick fair amount of time for efficiency and it is mostly to show the idea rather than being visually appealing, although the two does need each other in order to produce effective outcomes.

A method of approaching Concept art from a ‘design’ point of view. It usually involves subjects that are of vehicles, or futuristic mechs/robots (a popular subject matter within Concept art at the moment, or perhaps, now becoming cliché as we see it too often in the entertainment industry). Most concept art in this area are generally to show different colour schemes, the functions and the practicality of the object, and are often less illustrative and more architectural. However you can still be illustrative so it can be visually appealing, while demonstrating the idea behind the subject, this includes mostly in concepts of characters if they have or carry a practical object, i.e. weapons, gadgets or armour.

Digital painting has become the industry standard of producing work for entertainment, film and television, product design and now there are very few, if not rare, artists who are working with traditional mediums with concept art. However the methodologies that most concept artists uses are of techniques and methods that they had learnt from studying the works of the old masters. Learning the art from the past especially the renaissance can help to develop skills in painting characters and creatures, including surrealist techniques that would help to generate unusual and surreal outcomes for the artists’ visual communication of the world they are trying to introduce the audience to.

Max Ernst, a traditional artist and surrealist, uses a technique known as ‘Decalcomania’, a process of applying thick paint on canvas and covers it with a textured material. The cover is then removed, revealing the smeared paint with the texture imprinted within the paint on the canvas, generating a textured piece of colour, that looks otherworldly surreal.

The Harmonious Breakfast, Max Ernst

A quick experiment using the technique of Decalcomania where I produce a sample and then digitally reusing it as textures and environmental objects to produce an otherworldly alien environment. While we may not see this kind of style and method in Concept Art of today, it was considered as important to look back into the works and methodologies of surrealists and by those in the time of the renaissance, as they too, in some way, tried to visually communicate imaginary worlds, including to learn the understandings and importance of anatomy, colour and lighting, in order to produce convincing artwork that we can all visually immerse ourselves into. 

Bilbiography – Images

Feng Zhu – [Online] [Accessed: 3^rd Nov 2015] Available from: http://fengzhudesign.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/fantasy-landscapes.html

Max Ernst - [Online] [Accessed: 3^rd Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.spamula.net/blog/2004/02/decalcomania.html