ink and watercolor review

Ola! Every time I pretend to do something with analogue media, I start to get really scientific about it. I love doing color-charts and tests and most of the time get lost in the colors instead of doing actual drawing. This time I finally did all the color-charts (except for black inks. I need a special system for this).

2. Completion

(the label "the learned" collects things that are important insights for me and changed the way I go about creating artworks)

2. Unfinished forever...
Are carefully arranged, insanely detailed illustrations really that good? What about the viewer's space?

Artwork is not finished, until it has been discovered and "completed" by a viewer. To control every last line and to tell everybody, that the illustration can serve but one purpose, might work in many cases and should work if it is wished in the briefing, but... if you find the freedom to let chance take her turn and invite the viewer, everybody should win. Even better, if one can reach an audience, that is willing to open up for the art.

The Stone Slab

I've been thinking about this for some time. There are many situations where I arise from a drowsy imagination-ride because I heard something from which I really, really, really can learn. During my schooltime I made huge notes of those things and plastered my boarding-school room with it. At least my half.
This list was never very restricted. It has inspirational quotes, interesting thoughts and ideas for projects... but why just keep that to myself?
Many of these things are open for discussion... So, under the label "the learned" I will collect the things I feel are "insights" now.

1. Support Imagination
If you want to illustrate a story, don't draw what the text says, because the reader is not stupid and has his/her own imagination. Nurrish that imagination, support it. In most cases, illustrations should be the servants of the text  it. 

Don't draw the strong detective that solves the case - maybe draw the housekeeper finding his carelessly thrown away cigarette buds or the two different shoes he left back, because he was so eager to solve the case. If that fits the character.

(There are tons of exceptions, of course. For instance if you are commissioned to draw an illustration so close to the text that there is no room for speculation left.)