In the spirit of UX Teardowns, I’ll be looking at contemporary illustrators that catch my eye, and try to analyze what makes their work so compelling. Please note that all illustrations hereinafter, unless stated otherwise, are the express work of the artist I’m reviewing; I do not take any credit for their works! Also, I will try to be careful to post links back to the artist’s site — so if you click their image it will link through.
Conceptual Devices
In order to put emphasis on an element (make it a strong focal point), one device we can use is anomaly—a technique many conceptual illustrators employ with amazing skill…
Shape Manipulation
Cast shadows can deviate from their original owners, one object can morph in to another, all resulting in an anomaly that makes you say, “Gee, that’s pretty clever!”. Let’s look at some examples.
Vanessa Branchi—The hair’s curve becomes the focal motif and takes over the background
Steffen Kraft — The front of a church can be a pencil
Impossible but not inconcievable
Our minds are quite nimble when it comes to imagining an act of defying physics. But the fact that it’s not actually possible to do something just adds to the nice tension such an anomaly brings.
Vanessa Branchi—we can see immediately, that the hand is somehow carrying the flame through the index finger, hand, and then little finger, as if they’re acting like an extension of the candle wick.
This becomes that
One device is to make a thing become another thing, or, using physical metaphor.
Vanessa Branchi—the house is the inside of a brief case, and the curved document is the hill of a landscape, and the bottom line of text is a rope that the figure is pulling. It’s pretty great the number of times she was able to use this device without causing confusion! Perhaps the plain green background gives the emphasized elements enough “isolation” to pull it off.
David Doran—Two of the arcs of this bridge become a woman and a businessman
Andrew Nye—The cast shadow deviates from the body as it becomes it’s own secondary focal point with beautiful geometric and ornamental shapes.
Steffen Kraft—Do you see the cat?
Mark McGinnis — the stethoscope becomes a question mark
Steffen Kraft — a pencil becomes an octopus :)
g_o_n_o_h — An Orthographic projected table has the silhouette of a paper clip
Andrea De Santis — this illustration delivers the message clearly that we should “love thy neighbor”, and perhaps also that “good fences make good neighbors”.
Ellis van der Does — It’s not just shadows that can take on new form
Thought provoking
We love an artist that’s daring and takes risks (well, if they match our political points of view I suppose haha!)
Brian Stauffer—Illustration for the persistence of segregated housing. For me, this disturbing image cleverly has the more privileged boy getting higher up on the swing, ostensibly, because of unfair advantages and the like; yet the top of the swings are connected as if to imply just how close in proximity they are yet a world apart in opportunities afforded. Simply a brilliant illustration.
Found Objects
Diego Cusano — Remember the focal point principle of anomaly? It’s something that deviates from what is standard, and that’s what we get here, as he combines “found objects” (the hat and button) with a lovely ink drawing that surprises.
Plain ole’ sillyness
Sometimes the sheer ridiculousness of an illustration is just what the Dr. ordered. Here’s an example of this from yours truly:
Rob Levin—Sushi-ya. Sushi Man .. “I only use chopsticks only ma’am”
Concluding Thoughts
I’m sure this just touches the surface of the many techniques an illustrator can employ to come up with a clever illustration concept. Let me know which techniques I’ve forgot or missed in the comments!
Rob Levin is a freelance illustrator. Portfolio: https://roblevin.myportfolio.com/ For illustration work enquiries, collaboration, or to say hi: roblevinillustration@gmail.com.
