Thinking about lighting.

At our critique in Texas last week there was some discussion about lighting and the mood it can create. There was one picture in particular- a woman standing outdoors at night. She was lit from the front, but also from behind- with a cooler light. This was called rim lighting- it is a device used over the years to beef up the drama in illustrations. Rim lighting was totally overused in movie posters in the 70's and 80's.
It got me thinking while I worked on this picture this week. It is an early morning scene but I am wondering if I could play up the back lighting a bit. I may have to make Ralph put on all of the Amish clothes and reshoot this pose.
I have been working on this picture for the last two days and am currently too close to it. I am going to take a break from it and work on another. I will open it again later in the week.

Illustration or Design?

I am required to write a reaction paper about one of the artist lecturers we met in Texas last week. I have it narrowed down to two very talented artists, Linda Helton (b. 1959) or Bart Forbes (b. 1939). The images above are by Helton, created in traditional media. Though their work is very different from each other, both artists appear to be succeeding in today's tough market.
During her presentation, the work Helton showed us varied in style, technique, and media. It is colorful, upbeat, and appealing to a wide range of markets. It was fantastic. I was impressed by her work ethic and attitude toward being a freelance artist. In researching her online, I've found she's done a wide range of stock artwork. Each image is simple, beautifully designed, and could be used in many different ways. In the last five years I have watched the commercial art market change rapidly. I find that I have to reinvent myself and approach to the industry. I wonder how this stock artwork approach is working out for artists.
I also find myself asking what makes an image an illustration or when does it become a design? Does it depend on how much of a narrative theme a picture contains? On how simple or complex the image is? I hear some of my friends describe themselves as designers rather than illustrators even though they draw pictures of living things, sometimes in the context of a story. When do these images stop being designs and become illustrations?
At this point I am seriously putting off work. I will have to ponder these issues after my paper and thesis are done and I am posing at Starbucks with my artist peeps.

Back From Fort Worth.

AFTER THE CRIT (I think it is better.)


BEFORE THE CRIT


I am starting to recover from the week of fun and sun in Fort Worth, Texas. I presented my homework there, a picture depicting the character of our November contact period, Pasadena, California.
Southern California is such a diverse place. I had a bunch of ideas and it took a while to decide on just one. In the end I decided to recreate a retro-style citrus crate label. I had an ulterior motive- I want to hang it on the wall of my kitchen after we finish the remodel (that we haven't started yet!).
The picture was well received at the critique. The main criticism it got was that the shade of purple in the sky background didn't go. The instructors felt an orange hue of darker value would work better.
This is difficult for me. I tend to throw as many colors in my work as I can. I need to learn to limit my color palette and stop making work only crows would like. I am going to keep this in mind as I finish my thesis in the upcoming weeks.
The instructors felt the value of the sky behind the figure was too bright. I didn't intend this to be the case. It was the way the picture was printed. Doug gave me some suggestions for calibrating my screen, but I think I've already done them. I am going to redo the settings in case, and ask for a proof at the printers next time. Aggh. I bet even the early cave painters had technical difficulties from time to time. Keeping up with this stuff is a full time job in itself.
The next homework assignment is another illo, this one portraying Texas. I LOVE painting cowboys and horses and bulls, but I think I have to do a companion crate label to go with the Pasadena picture. I am hoping to have a big kitchen after all.
I am thinking it will be "Lone Star Apples" with the Fort Worth Stockyards rodeo queen on it along with the Texas flag. That's a lot to get into one little graphic. The horse has got to be piebald like the real one at the rodeo.
We got to go back to the Stockyards rodeo. What a lot of fun. I don't know what it is about rodeos, but they always bring out the secret cowgirl in me. I have to get a couple of horses when Ralph gets out of the Air Force and we stop moving around. We have the space now.
It was a riot- the rodeo queen's horse did a great job until they started up the smoke machine during the national anthem. He wanted no parts of the rolling cloud of smoke coming at him, but the rodeo queen did a great job of keeping him from panicking. LOL, that scene would be a great illo as well, along with the mutton scramble, seven-year-old barrel racer, and calf ropers. Then of course, the bulls and cowboys. Sigh. What a lot of fun. We have bull riding in Ohio, but it just ain't the same.