Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/25/2007 @993 | edit post

Approach to the Artistic Illustration With this title, the great illustration´s Master Oscar Chichoni give a class the past days for me and others 100 sketchers to my province. About Oscar Chichoni First of all, who is Chichoni? Here´s a biography of the great artist: By Daykan Born in a small town in central Argentina in 1957, Corral de Bustos, to the south of my own town, to a talented family of Italian origin, Oscar started drawing at a very early age and was encouraged at home especially by his father to develop his natural aptitude. Self taught he embarked on the long and arduous learning path of classical academia studying human anatomy, resolving technical problems of representation such as the behaviour of muscles, proportion, composition, use of colour, depth and transparency combined with a detailed observation of light and nature. Aged 17 he had his first professional work published, comic strips for Record Editorial in Buenos Aires alongside the most famous comic artists of the time, like Alberto Brescia, Juan Gimenez and Juan Zanotto. During the two years invested in fine arts at the atelier of Alvaro Izurieta, he experimented with different mediums and started developing the distinctive technique he is famous for, known worldwide through his illustrations for covers reproduced many times over, first published by Fierro magazine and Minotauro in Argentina. By Daykan During the eighties he moved to Europe and worked exclusively as illustrator of covers for books and magazines mainly for SF editions for Mondadori Editori in Italy, Metal Hurlant in France, Heavy Metal and Bantam in USA, El Pendulo, Minotauro and Nova in Spain. His art ranks amongst the top in the genre of Science Fiction/Fantastic Realism having won the most prestigious international awards in his filed such as Mas Allá, best Argentine Science Fiction illustrator, Caran D’Ache, best illustrator at the International Exhibition of Comics, Animated Films and Illustrations at Lucca, Italy, Best Illustrator Award Barcelona, Spain, Best Cover Award Barcelona, Spain, Rotary Award for his contribution to Science Fiction, Italy; Best Illustrator of the Year XIV Eurocon (European Science Fiction Meeting); Best SF Artist of the Year, Fancon, Courmayeur, Italy; Best Fantasy Illustrator, Italcon, Republic of San Marino. Its work is reunited in a 80 pages book, called MEKANIKA. By Daykan The style he is so well known for combines technique and meaning, intricate textures of dense rusting metal contrasting with the transparency of flesh; machine with live body. His pictures require an active participation suggesting stories that engage and intrigue; like snapshots of a complex narrative the observer is compelled to guess; infinitely detailed surfaces demand a closer look, to discover colour, depth and transparency inside the many layers of texture, reminiscent of a delicate mechanism that compel the viewer to find out how it works. Many artists from all disciplines define the purpose of their art as communication. Oscar’s art fascinate and inspire an enormous international audience, young and old, male and female; his exhibitions in many countries are always packed and his name on any search engine will generate some 40.000 references. In addition to his individual work, Oscar set up in 1994 a partnership with Isabel Molina, a practising Architect (UK registered) dedicated to conceptual design, architecture, computer games industry and films collaborating with some of the most outstanding production designers in Hollywood, such as Oscar winner Eugenio Zanetti (Restoration, The Haunted), Oscar nominated Bruno Rubeo (Platoon, Devil’s Advocate), Oscar winner Rick Heindriks (Sleepy Hollow), Simon Morton (Space Truckers). Knowing this, go to the study. Three fundamental elements Ok, people, all this are words by Chichoni, all the concepts and ideas, i´m just going to transcribe this ideas taking during the class. In order to obtain a good illustration, there are three things to consider that we must study and develop to the maximum • Draw. The line, outline, style and definition of all the figures. • Composition. The most hardest for study. • Technique. artistic medium with which we carried out the final idea (acrylics, oil, pastel, pencil, ink, photoshop) We´ll go to know everyone of this points, and give a short explanation. After this long introduction, tomorrow i´ll continue with this little thing that i hope can be a help for someone.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/27/2007 @059 | edit post

Second part. DRAW To know how to draw is an instrument to upset in a paper which we have in our mind, a tool to express our ideas This was a really ideals words for me. To obtain that what we thought with the head we pruned it to do with the hand. For made this we MUST TO KNOW ANATOMY. It´s the only thing more difficult to learn. All that we can draw after of learn anatomy would be very easy!! This is because any error which we have in drawing the human anatomy can be detected by any person, although nothing knows to draw. Why is it?? Because all we see the people constantly, all the day, all along, we even have a reference in we ourself. Any error can be detected, or at least, people see something that bothers to him, that is not as it must be. We can draw horses and only an expert could say if we have made the neck of mustang in the head of an Arab horse, but the great majority of the people does not detect that and is a good drawing of a horse. In anatomy only we can study, and practice for learn to do a perfect work. This is a great link with the GREAT MASTER ANDREW LOOMIS bibliography: http://www.fineart.sk/index.php?s=0&cat=15 Here we can study Anatomy (human figure) and Expression ( body language). Ideal body have the next proportions: 8 heads repeated in the body. EVER, ever that we start a draw, we must to do the skeleton, this must be we start point. Image taken from the Andrew Loomis Book. We can draw 1) the head, 2) the spine, 3) the coxis/pelvis – like a axis of two wheels – 4) legs, 5) arms, 6) the thorax box, and finally 7) the contour of the body. In this step we must let in clear the movement and pose of the figure. the best thing is to treat than the drawing still in a single figure can be reduced to main lines, to simplify the reading. Image taken from the Andrew Loomis Book. Image taken from the Andrew Loomis Book. All that we can do it´s TO PRACTICE, learn anatomy, study , and MANY EXERCISES! Now, we can use (and really we MUST use) studies of book anatomy, like the one of Loomis, or any other reference of muscles, even live model or PHOTOGRAPHIC REFERENCE. In order to obtain a good representation of an image of alive model or being used a photography like reference, we must previously know perfectly the form muscles, how they move, length, etc. To use a photographic reference is not bad, but a good exercise is NOT TO COPY the photography. We see the image, we worked without the reference and soon, to make the finished work, we return to the photography, only for correct some details. Here are a good link for models: http://www.female-anatomy-for-artist.com/?id=15 Our memory distorts the images in the memory, if we obtained this distortion in our work, the mind thanks for it, aid to favor the reading of that work. this we will see it more ahead in the language of the illustration. Knowing the anatomy perfectly, we can do everything what it is happened to us with a personage. Some samples: Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni All the Chichoni´s work you can see in www.chichoni.com Ok, like a homework, made a great amount of skecths raising only the skeleton and the pose of the figure that we want to do, beginning to recognize the form of muscles and the bones in each part of the body. Next step, we must work in a scene, to do that all the lines take to the main figure, although it is not in the flight point. This is a fundamental element in composition, the next point. See you in the next! [Message edited by MePhIstoZoR on 08/27 @355]

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Madster | 08/27/2007 @753 | edit post

What an excellent thread! Thank you for creating this, I'm looking forward to the next installment! ~M

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/27/2007 @851 | edit post

WOW! There are someone interesting in this thread!! Thanks for comment Maddy!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/28/2007 @054 | edit post

Continue COMPOSITION I THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IN AN ILLUSTRATION IS THE COMPOSITION, STILL MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE DRAWING AND THE TECHNIQUE. This is the hardest point. We must take care about primary and secondary elements, how all the elements connect to create a single image, that reading we give to the image and that vision of the people will have when see our work. It´s very important to consider the glance of the spectator, to see if the idea expressed in our drawing is understood. A good exercise is to leave for a moment our paper of producers and to take the one from simple spectators from our own work. We must train our mind, to be able to know what is what we see and how to read an image How can we train our mind?? Looking! Of course, we need look images, not only draws, we must see pictures, landscapes, buildings, publicity, books, movies… all the world it´s the site where we must train our mind. When we travel in the train, see how the perspective is lost in the corridor, in a stroll by the city, in a visits to the field, look the horizon, how the colours they lose its graduation in the distance, how they turn in blue, study why it is. All this is necessary for learn to train our mind to see how one becomes or how it is a good composition. Now, How can we build a nice composition? First it´s to try to reduce all the main lines to cause that they agree with others, that are continued in another place of the same structure See this little sample: image by Chichoni Look like all the lines seem to continue in elsewhere of the body, agreeing and facilitating the reading of the image. We can make the forms geometric, in first sketch, and later soften the figures to take them to the realism. if we know the ANATOMY perfectly, we will have more freedom to work But it is not only applied in geometric or hard forms, also we must do it in drawings that have a constant curve, a continuity. And not to forget to reduce the forms to a simple structure. TO SIMPLIFY THE LINES When we have to do a work for publishing, we must take care with the titles and text that will be put over our image. At the time of making our composition, we can resort to the classic formulas, the construction of elements in block (this we will see developed it more a little more ahead). Some classic composition can be: A triangle: Image by the Great Master Leonardo Da Vinci Image by Chichoni in cut diagonal: Image by Chichoni or parallel planes: Image by Chichoni in this case, we must take care and to find an element that always cuts both flat, something that interrupts the skyline. To raise objects. And never make the skyline by half of the paper, always in one third or fourth part. It´s all for today, tomorrow we´ll see the use of the lines in a composition, point of flight, development of the creativity and other little things. [Message edited on 08/28 @059]

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
kittyKat | 08/28/2007 @117 | edit post

this is really great maybe some how some way Brett could add this as a GFX TUT of sorts? shoot him a PM thank you for posting all this

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/28/2007 @815 | edit post

Many thanks for your really kind words Pam! If you think this, maybe can be possible when i finish it. Really thanks!!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/29/2007 @966 | edit post

There we go again. COMPOSITION II Ok, we have already seen how make a classic work of composition, in a simple block that later we filled of details. We can compose respecting these blocks for makes our image of easy reading, beyond the details. HOMEWORK! Composition’s exercises! 1) made a magician, in her castle, and a big army it comes to its encounter. The magician it´s little, insignificant, but he is the main character, and the leader of the army it´s to its side. He is a great soldier, powerful, but it´s a secondary character! (this was the first composition´s exercise that we do in the class, you can see more ahead) 2) made a little child, it sees for the first time an old magician or alchemist working in his laboratory. The child it´s the principal character, alchemist it´s secondary 3) draw a an explorer, in a mountain, watching a great waterfall or a village, followed by all its assistants who load the luggage. Now, that to do when we cannot resort to the classic composition’s formulas ? Ever we must take clear to do a image of easy reading, and try to do a great image, with much visual impact, but without excessive details that can create confusion for that is seeing our work. when our work is for a book´s cover, drawing must to summarize the general concept and to give an information about who is the main personage, what he do, the scene on which it is developed, etc. The scenes of the interior of a book however can lose that impact, and must do it, for not to reduce importance to him. But if they were images for the interior of a magazine, a unique image which we must do and that will appear between many others, we must manage to hit, to visually strike the spectator, to cause that one stops in our image. For this, is ESSENTIAL to know about COMPOSITION!! THE USE OF THE LINES IN THE COMPOSITION How to emphasize a personage or a special part in our image? When we do not have a central image or many personages in a same scene and must emphasize only one, the USE OF LINES is fundamental. Also we can use color to manage to emphasize a determined area, but the color is nothing else that a RESOURCE OF the COMPOSITION and not always we will have it of our side. Then, how we used the lines? Causing which all converges towards where we want to emphasize, although he is not the flight point of the scene. We must have much care, in all composition, of not cutting the central image. Well, you saw the first exercise, the one of the magician and the army? This was the first scene that we had to do. My first idea was draw the magician in front of its great castle, and the army with its general at the top surrounded it. Everything an error. If the protagonist is the magician, the angle of the vision of the plane in general we put it behind him. The castle we make it very simple, and with straight forms. The use of air lines gives the solitude, rest, calm, calm sensation us. (green lines) To the army we do it in a single block, without many details, in circular form of line, these lines give the sensation us of movement in the scene (yellow lines). Finally, all the circular lines, or straight lines, finish in the main personage, to whom we want to emphasize. Thus, although our point of flight in the scene is in another place, all indicates to us towards where to direct the glance, it guides towards where we want to take to us to the spectator (blue lines). See the exercise, corrected by Chichoni, made for me. By Daykan Something that we must very consider is the coherence in our image. We don´t have to recharge in details only an area and to undress the rest, we must take care of not developing the strongpoints excessively and not paying attention to the others. it is necessary to obtain an integral formation of the image. We don´t have either to choose nothing the chance, everything it has to do with a concept, must be relative. In any project, the elections are not at random, if not based in one general concept. See this sample, the use of air lines gives a great sensation us of solitude. The history of which this image comprises is of a single boy in a stable, where he lives. The undressed scene of details and plenty of air lines aid to reinforce the image of solitude and calm in the place. And all the main lines take to us towards the protagonist, the boy. Image by Chichoni In this other scene, where the protagonist is another boy, but in a much more dynamic scene, we see the use of lines that aim at the protagonist who is totally outside the flight point. As well, there is a second point of interest, that is towards where watches the boy, the soldiers who come marching. See the lines, and all the elements in the composition: Image by Chichoni And it´s everything for today. Tomorrow I believe that I am going to write a little to them sobe development of ideas, definition and the fear to the failure.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/30/2007 @060 | edit post

Well then, we have already a general idea about how to make a good composition, or at least, of how constructing a composition that is of easy reading and pleasant at sight. Let us see how continue. DEVELOPMENT OF ONE IDEA In us it´s the most powerful tool of all artist: THE IMAGINATION. Now, it´s necessary to remember something essential, and is that BEFORE DRAWING IT IS NECESSARY TO DOCUMENT ITSELF! As well as we studied anatomy, if we want to obtain a CONVINCING image (that it does not mean that what we draw is perfectly functional and logical, only that who sees it IS CONVINCED that what we have done is well To cause that the objects although are of fantastic cut and they do not work if they existed in the reality, in our drawing we must obtain that IT SEEMS that they work. This idea we will develop a little more ahead to it). To know the anatomy is going to give the form to us so that the human figure is CONVINCING, we will give more relief him to the body if we know what there is underneath the skin. Let us watch this image. How to obtain that the muscles in the back is real if we do not know to the structure of the spine and muscles in the back? Image by Chichoni Image from the Book of Loomis LEARN ANATOMY! To learn the form of muscles and how they move is going to us to give one better preparation for the final result. To document themselves, to study, not only anatomy if not everything what we are going to face. How we can make a real battle airplane if we never saw one? How we are going to do ferrari or lamborghini if we do not know which is as? A weapon is much more convincing if we have a reference of the same one when drawing it. Let us see this design of arms of Chichoni. Really these arms as Chichoni says, are safe that in the reality they are not functional, (a pistol with thrower of grenades, wow) but as we see them, IT SEEMS THAT THEY WORK. That is the important thing. Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni Thus, using the logic and designs that give a realism sensation us, we can make designs which although they do not work, SEEMS THAT THEY DO IT. Let us see some vehicles, all designed by Chichoni for the Rough-Justice project by Revolution Software. Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni Image by Chichoni A vehicle still being nonexistent, can give the sensation us of real if we managed to recreate perfectly material existing (steel, receives, aluminum) But they remember: to use photographic archives is legal, to study an image, to take its reference is a totally permissible resource, NOT TO COPY the FIGURE SO AS IT IS, if no, simply, to have it of reference. the exercise had commented them to take a photography from a person, to see it, to study it, to see its characteristics and soon draw WITHOUT HAVING At sight the PHOTOGRAPHY. At the time of making the last adjustments, we return to the photography to correct the details. When using a photographic reference, we must have much taken care of of the scene in which it is going to be located the model. Generally, almost always, the model in the photography is going to be unemployed on a smooth surface. And in a scene of action or a place outdoors, hardly the character can have the feet on something smooth, if not rather in an irregular land. The vertical vision of the model clears dynamism to him to the scene. Let us remember always east point at the time of using a photographic reference for an action scene. We must raise the idea and consider the composition later and the model, to only perfect the drawing that we will do. It is a good task, so try it. And they do not come to me whereupon they cannot obtain a decent photo of a dragon! CREATIVITY AND USE OF THE IMAGINATION To our three fundamental elements of the Illustration, DRAWING, COMPOSITION and TECHNIQUE, we are going to add a always present element to him in all the stages that take to the creation of a good illustration: CREATIVITY. To which we can call the CREATIVE PROCESS we will divide it in three parts. 1) Initial moment, of free and Intuitive Interpretation. The Sketch, a light drawing of fast loose lines. They are the "roots" of our illustration. If the root is good, if the beginning we raised it correctly, the nonsingle rest will be easier, also we will obtain that the final result is far better. this one is a little while intimate and personal, where it appears the primitive MEMORY, even though we are making a scene futurist we resorted to the file of the memory. The language of the memory is an interesting point that we will see a little more ahead. in this stage we threw four or five lines on the leaf to establish the first idea. It is the genesis of the work. 2) Now the REASON enters game and the LOGIC. Appears the GLANCE Of the OTHER, we took off ourselves of our own work and we put ourselves in the place of the spectator. They remember what I said to them before on the matter? To stop being the author to be a simple spectator of our work. It is in this point of the work which an ingenious idea becomes image, and the image in LANGUAGE. Appears the person to whom is destined (the other, the public.) And they appear the rules. Perspective, direction, point of flight, balance, good style of drawing, etc. It appears the DRAWING. 3) The final phase. It is when the drawing bases becomes ILLUSTRATION. Here it is where we applied all the knowledge to be able to maintain the freshness of the other two previous steps, taking them to its evolution. It is the most artisan and arduous and, as well most important stage. In this third phase the illustration CHANGES and appear other things. Like artists, we must ACCEPT that our image is going away to be transforming. Here we put at sight of the spectator everything what we must to emphasize, TO HIT IT. To use the lines to guide it on the scene that we have created. Points to consider in this stage: the style, the lines, the point of flight, the coherence in all the work.- Not to totally make zones with end taken care of in all the details, leaving undressed others. We must find a point, an equal style in all the work, or only one illustration or one series of them.- We must make details to mark the scale of the objects, to give to recognize the references of time (future, past, present) and size. To recognize details and Textures. How we can develop our creativity, the language of the memory and the fear to the failure we will see it in the next one. [Message edited on 08/30 @062]

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Zazill | 08/30/2007 @309 | edit post

Ohayo Daykan, i sent u a PM about this. I don't have alot of time to read at work, that's why i'm asking if i may print this to read at home. Now i finnally kinda understand what they mean by composition (still have to read part 2 though ) ThankQ for sharing this.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
ARTOONATOR | 08/30/2007 @849 | edit post

Good work Daykan. And yeah, that Chichoni guy really rules!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 08/30/2007 @872 | edit post

Thanks Vilyjem and great MASTER Arnee!! Yeah, this guy really open your mind. Many thanks for interesting in this!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/04/2007 @958 | edit post

Before nothing, I must thank for my friend Silvia Cerino, a great professor of art of my city, that took notes from this part, because I could not attend the day of this class. Thanks Sil! Very well, the previous thing already we can yet to develop a very good composition. We know how to arm the scene, in blocks or with lines that help the reading, that there is to learn anatomy and to document themselves TO KNOW the secondary or primary objects in our illustration and thus to obtain a greater realism, in order to convince visually who is seeing the work. We are going to extend a little some points already mentioned. HOW TO DEVELOP THE CREATIVE BEING To create is an inherent faculty to the human, the brain is made to explore, and as this one is a daily human activity, our mind is developed with the use. Of course, that also can relegate that development and is areas on which we did not pay attention and thus we lose that knowledge. The CREATIVITY is optimized with training and this one we must do it like a daily work. In order to be able TO CREATE we must find our period of time where we can be felt calm to develop our imagination. Many artists prefer the night to create, she is explained because there are high levels of the oxygen that circulates in the atmosphere and low organic movement. But it is question to find our own time and space to develop the creativity, to see that it forms our mind receives the greater stimulus to create. The INSPIRATION is fed with the stimulus of the OBSERVATION. It must come from our interior, and like so, from our sensations, our feelings and experiences. Returning to the work of Chichoni, it passed his childhood near a station of trains, and of he recognizes much influence in its work there. Image by Chichoni The creativity begins like a game, resorts to the memory of personal memories. Another source of inspiration is SORT OF ILUSTRATION (Police, children´s book, science fiction, heroic fantasy, etc) But take care! If we created our images in the field of science fiction, he is INJURIOUS to read single stories of Sci-fi, or to see films of that subject solely. It is important to nourish themselves of other sorts and to develop them to avoid that the work becomes "to standar" or rigid and repetitive, so that is nourished of other sources. If we are strong in only a sort, we are only strong partially. Since artists it is necessary to develop all the scopes because if we did not finish being professional weak. Time for homework!!! We must analyze our own work and we control our strengths and weaknesses. Let us control that and we expand our area of development. SEARCH AND TENDENCIES Like people, we tend to look for in natural form and to underestimate the language that we must develop. At the time of finding an image all we began deep subjects and it fills to us of prejudices at the time of creating what finally it causes that we lose ourselves. WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE SCARED TO MAKE GREAT PROJECTS, even though it seems impossible to us, it is necessary to document themselves and to risk. We do not have to be scared, even though we fail in several attempts, we continue trying to obtain the our possible most faithful image to since we have imagined it. Often it is the judgment of our own reason the one that takes to us to choose "important" subjects. The reason is ephemeral, we used what we felt, which we have in the PRIMARY MEMORY, in our heart. An image fixed to the childhood still fascinates to us, captivates to us. But these images arrive distorted to us. For example, when we were young and we saw our teacher or our mother, we saw it enormous, LIKE A GIANT. Of greater, it is possible that that same teacher is still more small who we. Image by Chichoni So that of this distortion of the images we will see it when we develop the LANGUAGE OF THE MEMORY. Like exercise, we work in our sensitivity, we try to recover the fascination of when we were small when going out. THE IDEA The idea to develop in an illustration must be forceful, must much more have impact that in a painting, that is a quiet representation of a scene. We must know the space that is going to occupy to have one better idea of like developing it. For example, the illustration in the cover of a book and a drawing in their interior are very different. First it must HIT, the second is more relaxed. If the drawing is for the interior of a magazine, between which there are many images, we must obtain that between the all of them spectator it stops and it watches our image. But the idea CHEATINGLY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FORCEFUL. An ingenious idea, that it stands out on the others will stand out still more that using a resource of color or brightness. Or to draw a man beheaded and full of blood or a naked woman. The idea must be ingenious, forceful, but noncheating. Image by Chichoni For my this is one of the best works of the Chichoni Master. See all the details, in special, the fallen angel. THE FEAR TO THE FAILURE The failures also teach our then profits to us, we make of the failure an ALLY. When we face an illustration, often the fears, mainly the one are reflected to shape in a leaf in target our LIMITATIONS, to still demonstrate them far from which we want to show. Then we must relax and raise what leaves. To leave simply our idea flows. And since we are approaching lands where the difficulties are demonstrated to surpass, WE ACCEPT THE FAILURE LIKE ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE ELEMENTS OF OUR DEVELOPMENT. From the accepted failure the successes come. The frustration is the sum of the failures. The self-criticism is necessary, but it does not have to be overwhelming. The lack of inspiration is not a failure. But that we will see it in the next one. [Message edited on 09/04 @960]

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/06/2007 @030 | edit post

Well, arrived at this point we will use what we could call the "technical language", before explaining the one of the language of the memory. THE OWN GLANCE AND THE ONE Of THE OTHER Since already there are saying, the illustration is a language. The artistic language could be divided in two: SEMANTICS And SYNTAX. The SEMANTICS is the CREATION. It is the individual part, the own glance. Here we created for us. We looked for the sense of which we want to represent. We resorted to the images that come from the emotions, of the memory. The SYNTAX is the rules and conventions. The collective language, which we must do so that the others can understand the language our. Here appears the GLANCE Of the OTHER. Like artists, WE MUST OBTAIN the BALANCE between these two parts. To make an illustration perfect, balanced with all the rules, DECAYS the emotional sense and it does fries. And if we did it the other way around, loaded of our emotions, surely they would not understand the others to it. By this, we must obtain the balance between the two parts. To draw and to compose well for the others, but to consider which we felt. We do not have either to make it so easy for the spectator, but if the work has a great emotional content, too much expressive force, the PUBLIC IS NOT GOING TO ACCEPT IT, no matter how hard you are of perfect composition. In a work by order the balance also is taken into account between which the client wants to see and what we want to express. Image by Chichoni Personal view of Chichoni of a group of workers. One of the most difficult points without a doubt is the following one. SACRIFICE AND RESIGNS They remember the exercise of the magician? By Daykan If to the castle we had not simplified it until representing it with very few lines (RESIGNATION TO THE DETAILS), had finished being a DISTRACTION ELEMENT. Sometimes we put so much in a single sector of the image that finally distracts to us. Then it is necessary to make the worse decision: TO ERASE IT. To paint over that we have done with as much effort. Already in the land of the technique, we must take care of that the details, the colors and brightness, do not distract the form to count the idea. If we tried to save all that work, adding details in other sectors, we waste much more time and the final work is going away to see worse. And while more details we do, more difficult the sacrifice becomes. Without a doubt our castle in the scene of the magician would be seen very pretty, but the attention would distract that must have the small magician next to him. When we see something that is EXCESSIVE, a true personal profit as artists are going to be to erase it, ALTHOUGH NEVER WE RETURN TO MAKE SOMETHING SIMILAR. We must develop to the taste and the artistic creativity and sacrifice what as much costs to do. That difference between which it has the sacrifice capacity and other that haven´t, is what a good illustrator does. To manage to fit us to the glance of the other, that is simultaneously ours. It is probable that to be able to make a perfect castle, with all his details, he is something that many applaud it, but we are going to see something that is bad, when we learn to see these subtle details. And to leave it bad is to collaborate badly to the taste of the others. The glance of the other it´s also that we must develop too! TECHNIQUE As we said, the third point in a good illustration is the TECHNIQUE. But this one is the most personal part, the touch that each one will give the image, the seal that will identify as own and will mark it our style. Each artist must find his own technique, with which she feels comfortable. They can be acrylic, pencils, watercolors, ink, pastels, oils, photoshop. We must obtain an alliance between the images of the mind and the means that we must to manage to visualize to the outside that image. The color is obtained through one of these techniques, but we remember that the color is an element of the composition. A good resource is to paint with neutral tones and to leave the brightness in the end (the highlights), in the rights points and respecting the composition. In order to obtain a good technique, we must know the material that we are going to use, to manage AFFINITY with that material. And to remember and to have property in possession THAT IS A MATERIAL FOR EACH ONE. To try to develop a unknown technique or little worked can take to the failure of the work. Let us study each one of the materials and develop that with which we felt more comfortable, without feeling anguish or anxiety to know or not other materials. Like additional, Chichoni now works everything in photoshop, but in principle its technical was: to paint with inks of colours the base (of the predominant colour), used oil pastel to give to textures and acrylics for the brightness. In the Artwork section of his site are samples of this. Now, just left one more part, the end. See you!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Wallace | 09/06/2007 @042 | edit post

wow Daykandude, this is tremendous Really awe-inspiring artworks from Chichoni. Together with some really helpful basics. There is a LOT to read excellent!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/06/2007 @057 | edit post

Thanks for view it VinceMaster!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/06/2007 @829 | edit post

Thanks Plasticine!!!! You know the reason!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
plasticine | 09/07/2007 @387 | edit post

quote:  Daykan wrote on 09/06 @829 Thanks Plasticine!!!! You know the reason! I'm glad I could help mate =)

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/11/2007 @041 | edit post

Reaching the conclusion, we close the last points that will take to us to obtain a good illustration. We spoke of inspiration, how taking advantage of all our resources to develop our work. What happens when the inspiration does not arrive? THE LACK OF INSPIRATION LIKE NONEXISTENT DRAMA The artistic language is a motivation of the spirit, is a necessity to express to us and that it goes more far that a simple expression, that a idea. But there is a limit. Sometimes that motivation does not come. And we have the necessity to find a language to communicate to us with the others. When we did not find that language or that form to communicate, we must see if in fact there is something to count, or simply are in a while for being watching. And nothing else. But if this persists, it is necessary to correct it. THE CREATIVITY AND THE IMAGINATION ARE DEVELOPED. When we did not find that to say, he is better NOT TO SAY ANYTHING. If the lack of MOTIVATION persists, we can decide on periods of technical illustration, nonconceptual, CREATE, but without having great ideas to develop. Image by Chichoni For a long time Chichoni has not been developing great illustrations, but is dedicated to create personages and elements for videogames. To work with ideas of others, to develop objects, to study new techniques (colors, pies, oils, acrylics. Design of personages. It photographs) Image by Chichoni for Restoration Movie (Oscar winner for this work). Image by Chichoni for Batman Return´s Movie. Image by Chichoni, for Michael Morcook´s Silverhart. And we always can make works of smaller creative load. If there is nothing no to say BY SOMETHING IT IS. We don´t have to become distressed, not to do anything is a respect act towards the public in any case. THE LANGUAGE OF THE MEMORY Towards the principle of this thread, i spoke of the language of the memory. The mind rejects the perfect forms, the air lines, the photographic images. Exercise: Let us observe something, an object or an image, we let see it and after minutes we try to draw it. In our memory the image will be different, a distortion of the reality. It is necessary to leave is a distortion somehow, in the light, the form, the color of the represented objects. The Only perfect thing in the mind is THE PRESENT. Any image is something of the past, like a memory. Still in a representation of the future, we used the memory, the memories in our mind to represent that future. ALL IMAGE FIXES IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE PAST, IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED. Thus, it would have to undergo the same distortion that we have in the images of the memory. The language of the memory distorts. And an image thus, the mind thanks for it, understands it better. How to represent that image? Exaggerating or diminishing, expressing the idea to the maximum, transmitting the sensation that it gives us in our mind. For example, if we want to represent a person that we know and that he measures two meters, and we as soon as we have a meter and means, will make it much more great, as if he measured two meters and means. Image by Chichoni When we represented an image, we must use the language of the memory to give calidez and transmit greater sensations. Let us observe a photography. Image by the Master Madanapale, Serenidad by  Madanapale THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE GREAT TEACHERS NEVER IS A FLASH, SEEMS A GREAT MEMORY. A good technique is the resource to present/display the image in black and white, to help in that "to undress to us of the present". Although a photography does not have the capacity to twist the reality like an illustration, SEEMS a dream, a memory. A product of the memory. That is everything. I hope that it serves to them as a little help for your works. Thanks for the commentaries!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Mert | 09/11/2007 @327 | edit post

Great tut, bro. This's gonna help a lot of us.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/11/2007 @915 | edit post

Thanks Mert! Really i hope that someone read this and can tell me that was a help. Thanks Maddy, Evan, Pam, Vilyjem, Arnee, Vince, and specially Tere for your comment and support.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Madanapale | 09/14/2007 @894 | edit post

Hey Matías.....this is a great subject!!....congratulations for putting all these together! Excellent work!!! And thanks for including one of my images even if I am not a master like your teacher Chiconi......(I feel honoured) Felicidades amigo!......excelente trabajo....muchas gracias por ayudarnos a mejorar!!! Carlos [Message edited on 09/14 @896]

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/15/2007 @838 | edit post

Gracias Maestro!! Es un honor!

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
vishmt | 09/24/2007 @369 | edit post

great Really got to learn a lot...thanks Keep em coming....would like to read more of what you got

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
Daykan | 09/24/2007 @900 | edit post

Thanks Vishakh! Now Plasticine it´s working in a new version of this, maybe we post a one-shot tutorial, more easy for read.

Re: Approach to the Artistic Illustration
jawine | 09/27/2007 @618 | edit post

Great stuff, thanks for posting