1. Artistic Identity
The relationship between
Illustration and Narrative.

2. A Definition.
Illustration- to illustrate- verb [with object] provide (a book, newspaper etc.) with
pictures.
The origin of the word ‘Illustration’ is derived from the late Middle English word
‘Illumination’ which refers to a spiritual or intellectual enlightenment.
Gustave Dore

3. Book Illustration
Book Illustration originated in 15th century ‘block books’, in which the
text and the illustrations were cut from the same block.
In the late 16th century, Lithography, the art of printing using
smooth surfaces like stone or a metal plate, greatly influenced the
production of illustrated books, which was exploited by early
Illustrators such as Gustave Dore, Honore Daumier and Paul
Gavarni.
Since this change in the development processes of book production, in
order to supply much more product for a larger audience,
Illustration has always closely followed the development of printing
processes, including copperplate engraving and etching which
eventually replaced woodcutting techniques.

4. Gustave Dore
“‘Illumination’ which refers to a
spiritual or intellectual
enlightenment.”
During the 15th-19th Century, Artists
such as Gustave Dore were living
in a time period, and culture of
religious authority. Therefore, with
the help of new printing
processes, there was a demand
amongst the new editions of the
Bible, for illustrations within these
new versions of scripture, which
would enlighten the audience
spiritually and intellectually, in a
visual manner.

5. Dore is one of the grand
masters of illustration, but
due to the fact that the
popular narratives in his
culture were biblical stories
and historical fables, his
portfolio of work consisted
of deep, dark subject
matter with morbid
undertones.
Dore’s most famous works
involve the illustrated
editions of ‘Dante’s Divine
Comedy’ which frequently
depicted his drawing
subjects under profound
suffering.

6. ‘The Golden Age of Illustration’.
In the late 19th Century, the art of lithography was eventually replaced by
photomechanical processes which allowed a wide variety of painting and
drawing techniques for artists such as William Morris and Norman
Rockwell, who exploited this new printing process to great effect and
reproduced many of their artworks.
Thus began ‘The Golden Age of Illustration’ in America which lasted from
the late 19th century to the end of WW1, but led to some of the most
iconic illustrations in recent history. Books, magazines and newspapers
were then the primary media source for public consumption, which
required Illustrations to coincide with narratives they contained. This
increasing demand for more illustration within American culture led to the
emergence of another grand master of illustration, Norman Rockwell.

7. Norman Rockwell
One of the most profound
illustrators and familiar to
millions through his work for
‘The Saturday Evening Post’,
Rockwell perfected the use of oil
techniques for reproduction. By
working on relatively large
surfaces, the almost
photographic clarity of his work
could be retained in
reproduction when it was
considerably reduced in size, but
still manages to reflect
American Culture during that
time period.

9. Contemporary Illustration
British Illustrator Liz Hankins explains that “The market is changing.
Illustration has been ‘out of fashion’ for years, taking second place to
photography, but at last illustration is coming back. There is now a serious
market for purchase and original illustrations as exhibitions, which were
denigrated as ‘not real art’.”
Illustration is now involved in various elements of popular culture, not
only in books, magazine and newspaper, but it has become increasingly
popular in the film industry. This billion dollar industry has led to the
emergence of companies such as Mondo, which highlight the work of a
diverse range of illustrators who now visually interpret the narratives
being used, in innovative and interesting ways due to the development of
computer technologies.

10. Olly Moss

11. A contemporary Saul Bass, Olly
Moss is an Illustrator who
specializes in both modern and
traditional movie posters. His
minimalist style is refreshing,
and it executes his innovative
concepts efficiently, as the artist
experiments with transforming
negative space into images of
their own. His work with
narrative is unparalleled, as he
enlightens the reader with
references which offer a brief
insight into the elements that
drive the story within the film.

12. and
Ralph Steadman

13. Ralph Steadman is a British Illustrator best
known for his work with ‘Gonzo Journalist’
Hunter S. Thompson. He produced a front
cover and produced several illustrations
for his book ‘Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas’. The book features heavy drug use
and warped hallucinations that allowed
Steadman to experiment with his
illustrations, and offer a visually exciting
interpretation of the contents of the
narrative. In contrast to Norman Rockwell,
who primarily used rosy, cheerful imagery
when referencing American culture,
Rockwell was able to connect with Hunter
S. Thompson more personal experience
into journalism subjects, which allowed
Steadman to illustrate more honest
subjects.

14. Pre-Production Film Illustration
Concept art is an important process within the film industry, and it has been
dominated by the medium of digital, tablet art. Concept art allows directors,
animators and 3D graphic designers to begin to visually map the narrative, and
base the whole aesthetic upon these initial designs.
Dylan Cole

15. In-Film Illustration
A popular aspect of post-modern film making is eclecticism. The variation of
materials and methods is essential for directors such as Quentin Tarentino.
The image below is a screenshot of a scene from Kill Bill vol. 1, which uses a
popular eastern category of illustration called ‘Manga.’ The type of illustration
was wisely chosen to tell the story of a Japanese character within the story.

16. Book Covers
Right: David Pelhams iconic book
cover for Anthony Burgess’ ‘A
Clockwork Orange’
Left: Sheppard Faireys digital
illustration. A simple yet effective
design which highlights the theme
of the book

17. Graphic Illustrator ‘Jock’, experiments with a variety of materials and
techniques including screen-printing. The demand for illustration for
post-production and advertising elements in the film industry portray
the strong connection between narrative and illustration.

18. Ken Taylor
Ken Taylor is an illustrator based in
Melbourne, and is primarily
known for his work with music.
However, Taylor also works
within the film industry, and
produces a wide range of work
based on popular television
shows and blockbuster films.
Many of his work is used for
the promotion of the films/ TV
shows so he uses his skills as
an illustrator to make the
narrative more visually
appealing.

19. Some of my own Illustration
work. A prototype film cover
for Zack Snyder’s ‘Watchmen’,
orginally a comic book by Alan
Moore.
A digital illustration,
referencing a key event in the
film, whilst depicting the most
visually memorable character,
the anti-hero ‘Rorschach’.

21. Thank you