Part A 250 Words: Image and Text
Editorial illustration is not a topic/area of illustration I've looked into much- but I didn't exactly have a fond opinion of it at the beginning of my research. At first it was a simple distaste of the illustrations that appeared in common editorials. They felt so lifeless, and although I know why certain trends, like the simple bold text forming images or the double meaning illustrations are persistent, as they are simply good at visualising a text's meaning/message, I didn't, and still don't like that particular corner of editorial illustration.
So, I took a more generalised look at editorial illustration to challenge my preconceived notions. Looking for examples of editorials that allow the illustration to take up a larger role in the article/experience for the viewer. I also tried to not just pander to my personal interests, and took a look at examples that I would not think to illustrate myself, such as political or environmental issues. This approach allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the way illustrations are used all over the editorial field as a whole.
Despite finding a large range of editorials featuring illustrations pertaining to topics I initially wouldn’t have researched, I couldn’t find an example of an illustrated editorial that focused on a little niche of mine, the connection between illustration and game art. The closest I got was IDN Volume 26 No. 4. However I did find a wonderful range of image making techniques through my research. Such as risograph printing and the combination of digital and traditional mediums.
Although I don’t feel as if my stance of not particularly wanting to do editorial illustration as a career in the future has changed, this research stage has certainly enlightened me on the scope and variety that the field holds. I'm still a little confused as to what the second half of this project actually is, but I think I’ll be going into it with the concept of creating a response that bridges the illustration-game art editorial gap, however that may be.
