How do Illustrators amplify the ‘meaning’ within a message?

Being an illustrator allows you to convey your message through medium, text and different types of media. A simple image can convey a hidden meaning. For example you can find out about technology used at the time, culture influences and what was happening in the world at that time. 

Looking at two types of media of the same subject can make my point clearer. For example Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was originally written in 1964, and since then has been adapted many times. It has been made into two films with and illustrated countless times. But the most famous Illustrations are by Quentin Blake. These illustrations were made in the 70’s and show a freeness and self-expression. The images are very loosely drawn and the characters are very animated and quirky. This gives it a more playful feel, so it appeals to its target audience of children more. He has painted the images using watercolours to give it a more handmade finish. This shows the use of media at that time.

In contrast the most recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film has a completely different look and feel to it. It is more vibrant, colourful and overtop; a typical Tim Burton style film. Also his signature dark gothic style is also their; with some of the characters and set. The film also shows the use of technology, with the use of props and CGI. But this film also caters to its target audience of children with the settings and staging, Children will wish they were at the Chocolate Factory.

Both versions are great examples of how illustrators can interpret their own meaning within in a message. 

What are the platforms that Illustrations are used to affect the communication?

Being an illustrator you no longer have to restrict yourself to pieces of paper in order to communicate. Your illustrations can be applied to a variety of mediums reaching more people and communicating the message more effectively and efficiently.

I have been looking at graphic designer/artist Keith Haring who died in 1990, and how his work is still living on in different forms. His signature bold lines and active figures have been applied to everything from trainers to art installations. All the time his art is still communicating to people, and delivering his message of ‘unity’ and ‘active life’. 

This shows how an illustrator can be adaptive and promote their self’s through other forms. Whilst he was still alive his pattern was applied to many things and used in different contexts. In 1989 it was used for the paintwork of a BMW. This was one of the most famous examples of his art taking on a different platform. This was a good way for him to promote himself, and get his art out into the wider audience.

 Most recently his art [background, costume] were used in the music video ‘Rude Boy’ for Rihanna. It created a stunning, simple visual experience and exposed and communicated his art to a whole new younger audience. Rihanna has also been pictured wearing a Jacket with Keith Haring's signature print.

Keith Haring’s art is still living on many years after his death; this is due to his self-promotion and his art taking on different platforms but most of all coming up with a timeless piece of art. 

Show how an example of how video information gives visual form to hard facts

As a graphic designer I should look at more interesting ways in which I can visual data. We shouldn’t restrict our self’s to pie charts and bar graphs in the way we show hard facts. We should think out of the box, and experiment with different types of media and look at the context in which the data is collected. We can also look at the audience for the gathered information, and how we can make the data more interesting so it can appeal to them even more. 

Whilst researching how hard facts can be given visual form, I came across a digital cartographer called Eric Fischer. He has used data from the latest US census to create visual maps of different States, which shows the racial divisions in the US. Each dot represents 25 people and each colour a different race. White people are represented by pink, Black people are represented by blue, Hispanic’s represented by orange and Asians by green. These maps are very visually striking and also very clear. There is a clear segregation between the colours, and this clearly represents the racial divisions in the US. By using the colour dots it makes the information more clear, and gives it more visual realisation. If the collected data was in a bar chart, it wouldn’t work as well and wouldn’t look as visually stunning as these images do. You also wouldn’t get a sense of what the information represents.

This data has inspired me to be more creative when I’m giving visual form to hard facts.  I should also think about the audience for the data and try and use different media.    

Identify a three act structure in a recent film

After learning about the three act structure which is used in most films, the first film which came to mind was Batman The Dark Knight. This film uses a three act structure well, with a clear beginning, middle and end.

 In the beginning of the film we establish the background and carry on from the previous film. Gotham is in a state of equilibrium; the ‘bad guys’ are off the streets and crime rates are going down. Batman is identified as the protagonist and has joined forces with Lieutenant James Gordon, and the new district attorney Harvey Dent. At that moment everything is going well and they seem unbeatable. Then the crisis in the middle begins; The Joker enters the frame with his psychopathic criminal state of mind and upsets the equilibrium. This then leads to series of events which form the main part of the film. The Joker is identified as the antagonist, and as a result has forced the protagonist to make a life changing decision. Batman has to either reveal his true identity or risk hundreds of people being killed. As a result this forces batman to act in ways, in which he has never done and the audience see him stray between the lines of good and bad. The film also features an inner story which is a love triangle between Batman (Bruce Wayne), Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent. Rachel Dawes thinks that the only way she can be with Bruce Wayne is if he stops being Batman, and let the police take care of Gotham.  Bruce Wayne knows this can never happen, so decides that she would be better off with Harvey Dent. At the end of the film the crisis is resolved. The Joker is captured and Batman is seen as a criminal and is on the run. The crisis/antagonist has caused Batman’s life to change as he is now seen as a criminal. But order is also restored with Gotham back under control.