Description:
This project consists of editorial illustrations created by Graphic Design first year students on the theme of dreams sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The illustrations become visual manifestations and interpretations of personal experiences influenced by the subconscious. The COVID-19 context meant that people were increasingly accessing digital platforms to engage socially, for entertainment, to study and work, even for the most personal expressions of grief and love. This project require our students to delve deeper into their own experiences and explore symbols and metaphors by means of creative mark-making techniques for the illustrations. In industry, a concept illustration is often commissioned by an editor or art director of a magazine or news channel, for the purpose of printed and/or online display.
The project progressively developed into a complete digital illustration. Once briefed, students were required to create a moodboard from relevant examples of editorial illustrations and graphic techniques they desired to draw inspiration from. Thereafter, the students generated ideas through recognised ideation techniques, such as mind mapping. After this stage, students planned visually by creating multiple thumbnail sketches for visual exploration. They needed to explain how the concepts are carried by the visuals. The most appropriate and effective sketches were then selected and further developed into at least one detailed map drawing which contain the essential linework and edges for a seamless transition to digital rendering. This enabled further stylistic explorations, working to the format ratio, a chosen colour palette, and gamut range in the design software. The editorial illustration was applied to a design layout project for this Digifest exhibition.
Artist: First-year students
Affiliation: Department of Graphic Design, Durban University of Technology
Country: South Africa
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