Concept Art Report

Introduction

Concept art is the visualising, design and creation of imagined fantasy and futuristic scenes, backgrounds and characters. Where did this art form originate and why is the demand for it so high? Is it because of the human desire for escapism, whether in the form of a book, movie or game? Is this why the realistic nature of the illustrations is paramount to the genre? Dolores Phelps, University of Gloucestershire has likened it to Romanticism. This idea is supported by, the concept artist, Kirsi Salonen who describes the German Romantic painter, Caspar David Friedrich as a significant influence on her work (1).

Casper David Freidrich - Wreck of the Hope 1823-24

Something prevalent in the work of the Romanticists and concept artists is the use of light for creating dramatic effect. Producing convincing scenes by generating atmosphere and setting the mood. As well as the use of scale and shiny surfaces; particularly in the technology and clothing of Syd Mead's work.

In order for your future to work you have to have familiarity as a hook...thats why I always put people in my illustrations(2)

Syd Mead: U.S. Steel Interface - a portfolio of probabilities, 1969 - Race at the Megastructure

Syd Mead

As a child Syd Mead never stopped drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, he says he was 

Fascinated with scenario...I was creating my own world. (3)

Mead is a Visual Futurist and Concept Artist who began his career in the automotive industry in the 1960s. Mead attended the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, from 1956-1959 (4). He worked as a designer and illustrator for 20 years with Ford Motor Company and US Steel. Then following a job to design the V'ger space ship for the first Star Trek movie(5), he was asked to work on the concepts for the film Tron (1982) and then to design the vehicles for Ridley Scott's Film Blade Runner (1982). As the film production progressed he became involved more and more involved with the concept design for the rest of the movie(6).

Syd Mead - US Steel, Space Age Concept Car 1961

Syd Mead - Blade Runner (1982)

With a successful career spanning more than 50 years, he continues to design. Still using traditional drawing and painting methods, preferring gouache and working on a relatively small scale 20"x30", so that he can reach it(7). Mead says he admires anyone who can understand and master the digital process favoured by conceptual artists of today(8). Linda Hales said of Mead's work on Blade Runner that, 

He mixed a stew of historical styles into what he calls “retro deco.” ...the fantasy looks strangely plausible.(Hales, Linda article)

Mead says that design has to begin with a picture so the people who cannot draw can acquiesce about what it is they are going to produce(9).

Richard Taylor, Effects Supervisor for the movie Tron (1982), says of Mead's work 

It reminds you of something you've never seen before(10).

Syd Mead: U.S. Steel Interface - a portfolio of probabilities, 1969

Nathan Haines 

With the demand for digitally proficient illustrators and a distinct lack of professional training in the field(11), Conceptual Art career vacancies are many and as varied as are the industries that employs them. From architects and car manufacturers to films and gaming the industry is set to boom(12).

Nathan Haines - 45 minute sketch 2014

Notice how Haines has manipulated the first image, stretched it, changed the colour and lighting to create several quite different images (fig.)

Nathan Haines - Transporter 2014

Dolores Phelps and the second year BA(Hons) Illustration of University of Gloucestershire interviewed Concept Artist Nathan Haines, who graduated a year ago from the same University and has been pursuing a very promising career, within the rapidly growing industry of concept art. Working digitally mostly with Adobe Photoshop and can produce very effective images in a meter of minutes. He says it is a demanding environment to work in due to limited timeframes; sometimes as little as 45 minutes: and there a long hours due to the shortfall in qualified and talented personnel. He told us that in a recent search for a new artist to join their team, they were unsuccessful in filling the position.

Kirsi Salonen

Kirsi Salonen - Promotional artwork for fantasy film screenplay "Cockfighter", created by Remington Scott.

Another promising career looks set for digital artist, Kirsi Salonen. During an interview with Its Art Magazine(13), Salonen said that her main influences lie in the fantasy realms of author R.A. Salvatore, films such as The Dark Crystal and Predator, and artists Larry Elmore, H.R. Giger, Christophe Vacher and Dave McKean. (14). She also takes inspiration from the Finnish myth and folklore, Kalevala (15). Salonen says that she endeavours to make her work look conceivable without being too feasible(16) Alongside her busy work schedule as a freelance artist producing cover art, illustrations, comics, cards, concept art for games and movies, commercial and graphic design, she is writing and illustrating her own graphic novel, Ordera.

Kirsi Salonen - Promotional artwork for fantasy film screenplay "Cockfighter", created by Remington Scott.

Footnotes

1. para. 8, http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/\
2. 4min 30sec Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 1 (BBtv) - YouTube
3. 4min Montalvan, Joaquin. Visual Futurist: the art and life of Syd Mead - YouTube
4. 55sec Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 2 (BBtv) - YouTube
5. para. 4. Hales, Linda. Film: Visual Futurist: The Art and Life of Syd Mead, and more. Architect, The Magazine of the American Institutes of Architects
6. 3min 15sec The Real Blade Runner: A Conversation with Futurist Syd Mead - Autoline This Week 1732 -YouTube
7. 2min15sec Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 2 (BBtv) - YouTube
8. 2min Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 2 (BBtv) - YouTube
9. 1min20sec Montalvan, Joaquin. Visual Futurist: the art and life of Syd Mead - YouTube
10. 2min 3sec Montalvan, Joaquin. Visual Futurist: the art and life of Syd Mead - YouTube
11. Phelps, Dolores. November 2014
12. Haines, Nathan. November 2014
13. http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/
14. paras. 5,6,7,8,9 http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/
15. para. 15 http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/
16. para. 17 http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/

Bibliography

Haines, Nathan. November 2014
Hales, Linda. Film: Visual Futurist: The Art and Life of Syd Mead, and more. Architect, The Magazine of the American Institutes of Architects
http://www.itsartmag.com/features/kirsisalonen/
Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 1 (BBtv) - YouTube
Johnson, Joel. interviews Syd Mead: Part 2 (BBtv) - YouTube
Montalvan, Joaquin. Visual Futurist: the art and life of Syd Mead - YouTube
Phelps, Dolores. Lecturer, University of Gloucestershire. November 2014
The Real Blade Runner: A Conversation with Futurist Syd Mead - Autoline This Week 1732 -YouTube

Simone Lia Report

Introduction 

From my Visual Analysis essay: Anthropomorphism is the humanising and/or the personification of gods, animals or objects. 

Simone Lia's work depicts every day existence in the comic format frequently using anthropomorphism.

After leaving Brighton University, she was intending to follow a career as an illustrator(1). However, when this did not pan out for her; she spent some time clearing tables at Gatwick Airport(2); Lia decided to continue her studies further at the Royal College of Art. At the RCA she met Tom Gauld, who awakened her to the possibilities of comics as an expressive art form, something, although she liked them, had not considered as a path for her own illustration(3). 

During a live Skype interview with second year Illustration BA Hons students at University of Gloucestershire (23rd October 2014), Lia discussed the choice to self publish with Gauld, and set up Cabanon Press, giving her the freedom of authorship. 

Fluffy

Fluffy, her first graphic novel; self published with Cabanon Press between 2003-2005, in four parts; to spread the cost (4); and subsequently published by Jonathan Cape 2007; tells the touching tale of a young bunny, Fluffy, and her human owner, Michael, who she thinks is her daddy. It is humorous and sensitive(5). 

'Fluffy' a graphic novel, a story of a bunny in denial. (6)

Simone Lia: "Fluffy" 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

Simone Lia: "Fluffy" 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

Lia's pages are innovative and varied, giving us long shots, freeze-frames, tense pauses (not an easy thing to draw).(7)

Sensitive Subjects

As well as exploring human frailties, Lia likes to explore sensitive and controversial subjects in her works, such as domestic violence(8). Lia interviewed...

...parents, grand parents, barristers working in the family courts, a social worker and an MP...(9)

...for this personal project about forced adoption:

It’s a controversial and emotive subject and one that has not had too much attention in the media, for the protection of the children the process is shrouded in secrecy. My desire was that by using comic art I would be able to give all of those involved a voice by changing their identities in the drawing. (10)

Simone Lia: Forced Adoption - Personal Project "Bad Mother" 2013

Laying herself bare with her next graphic novel, Please God find me a Husband, was a risk she was prepared to take in order to develop her interest in...

...exploring how to draw unusual relationships (11).

One of the difficulties she faced was

...how to communicate with someone who doesn't believe in God?(12).

Her solution: to do it without explanation. The story is autobiographical, following being dumped by her boyfriend via email, she felt the need to have

...an adventure with God...(40sec Interview with Simone Lia YouTube)

It takes the reader on a meandering spiritual and physical journey, along the way staying in a convent and travelling to Australia in what Lia describes as an erratic fashion(13).

In a review of the book, Rachel Cook of the Guardian suggests that the reasons Lia has succeeded with the story is that it's witty and curious without being too righteous or crazy(14).

Simone Lia "Please God find me a Husband"

Lia draws most of her inspiration for her short strips from eavesdropping. She carries a notebook and writes everything down to use later when drawing. It is mundane daily occurrences, such as dialogs on a bus trips(15). She chooses to depict these with inanimate anthropomorphised characters such as Chip and Bean, Sausage and Carrots.

Simone Lia: 'Shepherd Chip and Shepherd Bean'. A story commissioned by the Guardian on the theme of Christmas, 2006.

Simone Lia: 'Sausage and Carrot' selected weekly strips for The DFC.

Since pursuing her career in comics Lia has had commissioned work from the Tate Modern, where she also exhibited, and has commissions from the Guardian and Independent newspapers and advertising work form Transport for London(16), to name but a few.

Simone Lia: Commissioned by the Tate Britain. Images 1 and 2 for inclusion in 'Rude Britannia', 2010.

Simone Lia: Good Fruit Bad Fruit painting 2012

Simone Lia: Worm Harmony painting 2012

Simone Lia: Various Trees

Footnotes

1. para. 4. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton

2. para. 5. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton

3. 5min 35sec interview with Simone Lia YouTube
4. Live Skype Interview University of Gloucestershire 23rd October 2014
5. para. 2. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton
6. Lia, Simone Website Portfolio/Fluffy: http://www.simonelia.com/portfolio/fluffy/
7. para. 3. O'Grady, Carrie. Fluffy Book Review, The Guardian 10 February 2007: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/10/featuresreviews.guardianreview18
8. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
9. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
10. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
11. 1min 55secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
12. 3min 04secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
13. 57secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
14. para. 2. Cooke, Rachel. Please God find me a Husband! by Simone Lia - Review: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/25/please-god-simone-lia-review
15. Live Skype Interview University of Gloucestershire 23rd October 2014
16. Lia, Simone Website Portfolio: http://www.simonelia.com/portfolio/

Bibliography

Barton, Laura. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton

Cooke, Rachel. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/25/please-god-simone-lia-review

Gosh! Comics Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube

Lia, Simone http://www.simonelia.com

Live Skype Interview with second year Illustration BA Hons students at University of Gloucestershire (23rd October 2014)

O'Grady, Carrie. Fluffy Book Review, The Guardian 10 February 2007 http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/10/featuresreviews.guardianreview18

Shaun Tan Report

Introduction

John Holt says in his book, Teach Your Own (1997), that human children have an innate sense of curiosity. (1) Shaun Tan says in his essay, Picture books: who are they for?(2), that teenagers and adults still maintain this natural sense of curiosity and wonder when experiencing a picture book, in the same way that they might enjoy other visual stimulation, such as a movie or a painting.

Fig.1 Shaun Tan: The Arrival 2006

When Tan creates a picture book his main objective is to convey the narrative, with or without words (Figs.1 & 2), and with no particular target audience in mind. Tan uses the environment of the image to communicate and tackle some difficult, emotional and sometimes disturbing narratives, which, with their surreal characters and lack of text crosses physical and psychological boundaries worldwide.

The crossing of boundaries is, after all, fundamental to storytelling.(3)

Fig. 2 Shaun Tan: The Arrival 2006

The Red Tree

The darker regions of the emotions are more visually stimulating for Tan and he explores these feelings in The Red Tree. The book follows a sad little girl, not necessarily sequentially, through various moods, such as hopelessness and despondency.  (4) (Fig.3) However, there is hope and a smile in the end, when the little girl finds the red tree. (5) (Fig. 4)

Fig. 3 Shaun Tan: The Red Tree 2001

It was interesting to show this book to my seven-year-old daughter, who experiences these feelings due to living with learning difficulties. First she read it alone, then we discussed it and read it again together. It enabled her to acknowledge these sentiments in a safe and beautiful way. She was happy to find that someone else cared enough to produce the book, that they understood how she felt and that she was not alone. The surreal imagery proved an effective mechanism for communicating as it allowed her to experience her negative emotions in an experiential, rather than cognitive manner. It does this by disassociating them from the usually painful sensations, as in art therapy, (6) and as discussed previously, eliminates boundaries between audiences. The red tree picture, below, was her favourite and when asked, she was able to recognise and explain what it represented.

Fig. 4 Shaun Tan: The Red Tree 2001

The Rabbits

The Rabbits looks at colonisation, and again crosses all demographical and cultural boundaries (Fig.5),

A rich and haunting allegory for all ages, all cultures. (7)

Tan uses anthropomorphism to accompany John Marsden's telling of the history of the British colonialism of Australia. Just like the anthropomorphic representations of cartoons past and present (8).

Fig. 5 Shaun Tan: They came by Water, The Rabbits 1998

The seemingly simple narrative contains complex references that most obviously relate to the contemporary, contested notion of colonisation... (9)

The Rabbits has been an immense success, being used in the National Curriculum of Australia's secondary schools and has won numerous awards, (10), as well as being translated and produced worldwide.

Working Practice

Tan's illustrations are usually paintings that he produces with the intention of reproduction, unlike his works for  exhibition which will be viewed on the wall. (11). Tan says his ideas begin with free associative, "doodly" sketches. He noticed, in his sketchbooks, that a common theme of two close characters in an immense landscape was recurring and suggests this may have an autobiographical association. (12). He doesn't often set out with a particular theme in mind, this usually evolves through the drawing. He then begins with small pencil sketches (Fig 6), then coloured pastel drawings (Fig 7), followed by more detailed pencil drawings (Fig.6) before the final painting.

Fig 6. Shaun Tan: Study for The Rabbits: they came be water

Fig. 7 Shaun Tan: The Bird King and artist's notebook 2010: Summoning

Fig. 8 Shaun Tan: The Bird King and artist's notebook 2010: The Lost Thing dummy page

Practice as Research

Brief:

1. Use some old technical drawings (provided by tutor) to produce a fantastical landscape. If anyone recognises the skyline I used, please feel free to put a note in the comments. (Fig. 9)
2. Find two unrelated characters from your sketchbooks and juxtapose them to create a new picture. (Fig. 10)

I combined the technique of varied line width I have been practising in the Advanced Drawing Module to create a sense of perspective. This was a very useful exercise that I will certainly use in future projects, a very simple idea that can be particularly effective.

Fig. 9 Kitty B: Fantasy skyline

Although the characters do not sit well with the background (not part of the brief, but I tried it, just to see), I think that it is an interesting way to develop a new narrative. Again, I will seriously consider this concept for future story generation.

Fig. 10 Kitty B: Juxtaposed Winged Woman and Sophia

Footnotes:

1. pg.1 Holt, John. Teach Your Own. Lighthouse Books. 1997
2. para. 5. http://www.shauntan.net/essay1.html Picture Books: Who are They For?
3. para. 1. Tan, Shaun. STRANGE MIGRATIONS, IBBY Conference Keynote, London 2012 (http://www.shauntan.net/comments1.html)
4. para. 26. http://www.shauntan.net/essay1.html Picture Books: Who are They For?
5. para. 27. http://www.shauntan.net/essay1.html Picture Books: Who are They For?
6. pg.102 Johnston, Susan S. M. Family Therapy: The Journal of the California Graduate School of Family Psychology. 1997, Vol. 24 Issue 2
7. Back cover. Marsden, John & Tan, Shaun. The Rabbits. Lothian Children's Books 1998
8. pg.132 Gravett, Paul. Graphic Novels Stories to change your life
9. para. 2 McGlasson, Dianne. A Toothy Tale: Themes of Abjection in John Marsden and Shaun Tan's Picture Story Book, The Rabbits, The Lion and the Unicorn Volume 37, Number 1, January 2013
10. para. 1. McGlasson, Dianne. A Toothy Tale: Themes of Abjection in John Marsden and Shaun Tan's Picture Story Book, The Rabbits, The Lion and the Unicorn Volume 37, Number 1, January 2013
11. para. 2. http://www.shauntan.net/paintings1.html
12. Tan, Shaun. 4min 37sec Shaun Tan talks about Rules of Summer - The Origins and Ideas - YouTube

Bibliography

Gravett, Paul. Graphic Novels Stories to change your life
Holt, John. Teach Your Own. Lighthouse Books. 1997
Johnston, Susan S. M. Family Therapy: The Journal of the California Graduate School of Family Psychology. 1997, Vol. 24 Issue 2
Marsden, John & Tan, Shaun. The Rabbits. Lothian Children's Books 1998
McGlasson, Dianne. A Toothy Tale: Themes of Abjection in John Marsden and Shaun Tan's Picture Story Book, The Rabbits, The Lion and the Unicorn Volume 37, Number 1, January 2013
Tan, Shaun. Shaun Tan talks about Rules of Summer - The Origins and Ideas - YouTube
http://www.shauntan.net/paintings1.html

http://www.shauntan.net/essay1.html Picture Books: Who are They For?
Tan, Shaun. STRANGE MIGRATIONS, IBBY Conference Keynote, London 2012 (http://www.shauntan.net/comments1.html)