Xmas Wrapping Paper

The Christmas tree is a frequent illustration on Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas cards. Coppeplate script is also very popular at this festive time - it is an elegant script style which emulates handwriting and as such imparts a personal touch.

The use of tartan in these Reindeer illustrations is appropriate for wrapping a gift from Scotland. Note how one of the illustrations is used (reversed) in a gift tag. Red is a colour associated with Christmas - it features in holly berries, Santas costume and Rudolf's nose! Here red is used in the gift tag thread and in the reindeer illustrations.

Xmas Cards 2015

Magazine Illustrations

Wildlife Illustrations

Book Cover Designs for WAR HORSE

 This selection of book cover designs for various editions of War Horse by Michael Morpurgo shows a variety of different approaches to cover design. Some make use of photographic images such as from the characters in the motion picture and others contain illustrations.

Of these I think that the cover with the horse design decorated with poppies is the most original and eye catching. This edition was produced for the centenary of WW1. The last example, with the horse's head and reflection of soldiers in the eye, is also a very strong design. This was borrowed from a poster advertising the stage version of War Horse.

The editions making use of watercolour illustrations are perhaps the most 'child friendly' these would be more suited to the younger end of the 9 to 12 years target age group range.

Posters

Exhibitions

Hand Lettering

Compliment Slips

Business Cards

Book Covers: Text & Illustration

For Research Point 3.3: Typography & Illustration interplay I looked at a variety of book covers to compare how the designers had integrated title and author's name with the cover illustration. The examples below successfully integrate text content and image. I particularly like how the designer has used the magnifying glass to interplay with the 'A' in the title of 'A Medal for Murder', and the use of speech baloons to integrate subtitle and author with illustration in 'Pictures & Words'.

‘A Medal for Murder’ by Frances Brody.

‘Pictures & Words’ by Roanne Bell and Mark Sinclair. Cover illustration by Tom Gauld.

‘As Large as Life’ by Quentin Blake

‘Fungus the Bogeyman’ by Raymond Briggs.

‘The Grapes of Ralph’ by Ralph Steadman.

David Howells

I like how this artist uses the same tool to draw with as he uses to write with. This ensures compatibility and harmony of text with illustration.

Hogarth

 I looked at the work of William Hogarth (1697-1764) to study denotation & connotation (Research Point 3:1)

Gin Lane engraving by William Hogarth 1751.

Beer Street engraving by William Hogarth 1751.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

 The images below are from my research into illustrations used in the various editions of the book 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka, first published in 1916. My research was conducted for Research point 3.2: Illustration & Narrative in part 3 of my Illustration Level 2 course.

Cover of the 1st edition of Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis) published written by Franz Kafka (1885 - 1924) in 1916. Illustration by  Ottomar Starke. Starke honoured Kafka's wish to not have the transformed Gregor illustrated.

Illustration for ‘The Metamorphosis’. 1946 Illustration by Hans Fronius (1903 - 1988).

 ‘The Metamorphosis’. An illustrated version of Kafka’s famous story, illustrated by Peter Kuper. Published by Three Rivers Press, New York, 2003. ISBN 9781400052998

This is a still taken from the film animation 'The Metamorphosis of Mr Samsa'. The animation was created by using the technique of sand drawing.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 2006, Penguin Books. Cover illustrator not identified.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ published 30th March 2005, by Prestwick House, paperback, English edition. Cover photography and design by Larry Knox.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ Released 20th March 2014, by Fingerprint Classics, English version. Cover illustrator not identified.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st Jan 2000, Penguin books. Cover artist Andrew Davidson.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st March 1972, by Bantam Classics. The cover illustration is a detail of the painting ‘Family Picture’, 1920, by Max Beckmann.

‘Family Picture’, 1920, oil on canvas 25 5/8′′ x 39 3/4′′ by Max Beckmann, in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st June 2011, by Blackshone Audio Inc - Audio book English version. Cover illustrator not identified.