As I've mentioned, I started out my career as a commercial artist, long before personal computers and the current multitude of clip art services. Non-artists often assume that artists conceive off the top of their head, when in fact most professional artists (designers, sculptors, architects, et al) are both careful observers and good researchers. As I was doing commercial jobs, I relied on my own photography as reference, and family and friends often modeled.
I also used a large collection of Dover books. Dover Publications has been in business since 1941, and for decades it's been of great use to designers. That's because it publishes, in paperback form, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century art that is now in the public domain and copyright-free. One can incorporate antique elements into designs with great effect, and now Dover is further providing their wares in digital form.
I have to add though, that as a commercial artist I seldom used clip art in its raw form (as is commonly done today). For me, Dover books - and any other art references - were a starting point, a point of departure. Here's a great example:
I was commissioned to design a logo for a local non-profit foundation that does good deeds, really a bunch of angels. I found this delightful engraving in a Dover book, and I thought it fit the bill. The engraving is French and dates to the 1600s. I'm not enamored of the drawing itself - the anatomy is not quite right - but I love the idea. I find it delightful that cherubs and angels might sow and reap, even as we do. The foundation liked the image and association, too.
Here is my final design. I refined this many times in pen and ink on paper, and then redrew my final design (which at that point included pieces of paper pasted together) by computer.
I very much enjoyed and learned from this post.
ReplyDeleteI often paint birthday and holiday cards for friends and family, and I go through a similar design process. Your post is a simple, clear, but very useful lesson that was better than anything had in high school or university. Clear and logical, but creative.
Mark, you have been awarded the Stylish blogger award here is a link to my post to see what it is all about, pgt http://allthingsruffnerian.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThank you for this bit of valuable information on Dover books. I learned something today by just visiting you, which is always a delight. The drawing is perfect.
ReplyDeleteNice solution, Mark.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I have several Dover books, I look through them for research and solutions, but always get frustrated and wind up drawing my own design. I guess they serve as a spring board for all of us.
Found you via little augury - congratulations on being passed the baton. Love your charming interpretation. I worked for a publishing house for years and our logo was the sower, albeit not as charming as this one!
ReplyDeleteFor many years I have used Dover Books when teaching Historic Tile Painting at our local college. We re-draw the images onto mylar and then transfer the design to bisque tiles. They are then painted with Italian pigments and finally fired in a kiln.
ReplyDeletequintessence, thank you for visiting, and thanks to everyone for the comments. Milton Glaser speaks of each of us having a "visual vocabulary," and there are many images from Dover books that are now part of my own visual vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to pgt of little augury - look for my next posting!
I loved reading this post about your work process. And the end result is a great Logo Design.
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping by, Elizabeth! I know I'll be spending a lot of time visiting your postings and the community of accomplished photographers that you feature.
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