Archive for the ‘Illustration’ Category

Blair Thornley at the North Park Parking Garage

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

I spotted these illustrations as soon as they went up. Granted, that was a couple of months ago, but I wasn’t feeling well for a couple of months.

The illustrations are by Blair Thornley, one of San Diego’s many talented local artists. Thornley teaches illustration at San Diego’s City College and supports herself otherwise as a fine and commercial artist. Of her commercial endeavors she has done some very endearing animations for a Neiman Marcus Christmas campaign. You can find this commercial and her “Underwear Stories” animation at the animations section of her website. If you have 3 minutes, it’s worth a look. You’d have to hunt hours to find something so delightful on youTube.

I look Thornley’s simple line art approach. It the richness of her imagination and the confidence in her approach that make them work. It is certainly something I aspire to.

The World of Illustration – Magprint

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

As what I want to do most in the world (besides be a great person to the people I love and to human kind in general) is to be an illustrator, I thought I’d start compiling some illustrators that inspire me. I hope it serves as a source of research and a way to categorize and learn. In organizing and bringing this information to light, I also hope it helps me in deciding the style I want to pursue as an illustrator. As with any endeavor they say one of the best ways to learn is to study those who have gone before you. If you want to be a writer, read. If you want to be a photographer, look at photographs. If you want to draw, look at drawings. The name of this blog, after all, is look… see. The process of doing may begin with looking.

That does not excuse, of course, a lack of doing. I see this as a journey. One that will eventually lead to more examples of what I’ve done for other people to look and see.

So here are some beautiful rocks that I look and saw. They remind me of an illustrator who goes by magprint on etsy. This person is obviously inspired by the natural world, but has also done a series inspired by quilts that also have a rock like quality to me. What I enjoy is the pattern and texture and that comes out in the choice as lino cut as a medium.