Orientation: Bloomsbury/Clerkenwell

We were left to explore the streets of London on our orientation project. One of those days where you get to roam around and draw all day! Perfect! And the weather was good too. 

Our first stop was The British Museum. I really like how both exterior and interior are equally as breath taking. The building itself is huge and the outside possesses quite an old traditional look. The inside however boasts something a little different, a spectacular roof top. I love how as you walk inside you would not expect this type of roof. It works really well,  allowing so much light in,  it creates a clean, fresh open space. 

The Cartoon Museum was very nearby.

Even though I have been a Londoner all my life, I have never been to Neal's Yard before. It's such a cute place! I loved how the walls were colourful and plenty of plants and flowers hung on walls or occupied window sills. I liked this creation on the walls of slam city skates. I also liked how there was a place which sold 20 inch pizzas omg! I'll put a link here, because I know I will neeeeeeeed to get my pizza fix there one day! We also headed to Magma books and The London Graphics Centre. Not too far from Magma books was also St Paul's Cathedral.

Illustration, Art & Design

Illustration

Growing up, Anthony Browne's children's books were always a classic on the book shelves. The Gorilla books in particular included incredibly detailed illustrations. For example in the picture above, each strand of hair has been delicately illustrated. Even though, this illustration was made a while ago, the Gorilla books actually possess something quite modern about them. Maybe it is because of the gorilla featuring in such a traditional setting.

Gorillaz really showed me how illustration could be taken to all sorts of levels. The fact that this band was created by pure illustration and animation is quite amazing. I love how it's tested the limits of illustration and animation and also how it shows how diverse it really is. It gave the music industry a twist during the time Gorillaz were big. The design of each character definitely harmonised with feel of the band and its music. The dark, rough looking characters very much matched the badass music Gorillaz produced.  It was something new and something different, but it really worked! The reason I think it was so successful, was because the details of each character and music video were thought about well, in order to match the sound of the music produced. I'd love to see how illustration and animation could be pushed even further!

Arthur Rackham

I particularly like this illustration called The Fairy by Arthur Rackham. The colours, especially the indigo dress stands out boldly against all the earthy colours surrounding it, giving the image a pop and a central focus. I do really like how Rackham's lines are able to capture the natural textures of wildlife so well, such as the branches of the trees and delicate stems. Arthur Rackham's work influenced me a lot during A-levels.

Art

Definitely one of the most iconic art pieces and artist in London! Street art is a big part of London culture, especially in the east. I enjoy the fact you can see art pieces at almost every turning. It's a great way of brightening London's streets. This piece above, I used to see a lot since it was not too far from where I lived. Although, graffiti was always about, Banksy was an eye opener for different styles of graffiti out there, one that does not involve plain old tagging. After looking at Banksy's style of work, I discovered more artists who did a similar thing, such as Miss Van and Fafi. I liked how they drew images on the wall rather than write stuff. Then from there on, I was led into the world of illustration.

Ben Wilson paints over chewing gum on the Millennium Bridge. I walk on this bridge frequently in order to get to work. At first I was really confused to what these bright colourful patches on the Millennium Bridge were. It was only until I saw a sign that I realised it was painted chewing gum. Chewing gum on the floor is really common in the UK. Ben Wilson, has somewhat made the gloomy speckled bridge, brighter! We do not have the cleanest walk paths in the world, but it is really nice to see how things like this can be transformed into something beautiful and pleasurable to look at.

One of Anthony Gormley's most famous works is the sculpture of the Angel of the North. I studied Anthony Gormley in sixth form and was intrigued by how his works were so simple but literally had a breathtaking effect on the audience. I think what makes his work so successful and so breathtaking is his clever use of space.

Design 

William Morris' floral designs are iconic when it comes to traditional english designs and prints. He was a big part of the Arts and Crafts Movement which produced incredibly beautiful detail designs. Highly detailed ornaments, prints, you name it, were the 'it' thing in the Victorian times. William Morris' floral designs has definitely been an influence on my journey of exploring illustration. I am a crazy fan of detail and as you can see from the example of Morris' work above, he is a master at it and his works will always be a best friend when it comes to inspiration!

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was Britains main representatives of the Art Nouveau Movement, which also happens to be my favourite art movement. It is also said that he is the one that actually started the movement. As a designer he took inspiration from the natural aspects of the Arts and Crafts movement and combined them with Japanese influences. I really do like the organic, simple forms and whip lash lines that play a common design within this period. One of my favourite artists also fits into this movement, Gustav Klimt.

Within fashion design, one of the most famous looks Britain is known for is the punk rock flair. Vivienne Westwood is one of the main designers known for introducing this style and design. I love how the edginess of punk rock have continued to stay in parts of London such as Camden Town. Aspects of punk rock always manage to seep in to the 'London Look'.  The rebellious side of the punk rock culture has definitely played a big influence in London fashion, resulting in mixtures and combinations of designs and styles creating a fierce, effortless look. 

10 Images I Find Interesting

Bubble Gum Boy: What I like most about this photograph is how the boys expressions are captured so naturally and effortlessly. I do like how there is a sequence of photos rather than one as it makes the photograph as a whole more humorous and enjoyable to look at. 

Eimi Murayama: I stumbled across Eimi Murayama on Instagram. This is one of my favourite images of hers. Although it is not the actual finished piece, I like how the lines and colours are in their raw-est forms. Eimi captures the whole kawaii, stereotypical Tokyo girl vibes in her illustrations. They all scream Japan, which I love! The essence of the typical Tokyo harujuku girl is captured by the use of fuchsia pink and the manga style characters. 

Einstein and his furry slippers: What really drew me to this photograph is the complete contrast of the two subjects of this photo, a genius and a pair of furry slippers. It's funny because we would never think about this side of Einstein, or even if he ever did have a side to him which wore furry slippers? The slippers do sort of match the Einstein hair. I wonder what colour his furry slippers were. 

Janice Wu: The details on each object are insane! Right down to the text on the receipts! I like the composition of these items against the plain background, it really brings them out. Most of all, it's interesting to see how everyday, easily thrown away/eaten objects are illustrated with such time and care. 

Mexican salt lakes: The picture as a whole is quite breath taking. I like how this photograph is broken into clear sections. The pink lake followed by a thin white horizontal strip, then the clouds which brake up how linear this photograph is. I also like how the clouds separate the royal blue sky from the pink lake waters.

Shaun Tan: The worlds Shaun Tan is able to create are amazing. It's like concept art but without the digitalness they possess. I admire Tan's ability to draw out these lands from another world just like image above. I like how the deeper you look, the more unusual things you can find, such as the mythical beasts and flying spaceships. The smoky tone of the illustration fits the theme of the piece, I think they really enhance each other. Rather than imagining a clean futuristic world we are often used to seeing, like in Futurama, you can imagine this place to be a tad more mysterious and polluted. 

Moonrise Kingdom: This image is from the film Moonrise Kingdom. What I find interesting about this photograph is the amount of symmetry within it. the islands, the children, the objects in-between and next to the children. It all works harmoniously. I think the great big space towards the top of the photograph, definitely adds emphasis to the details at the bottom. I also really like how the islands gradually disappear into the sky, making the place look mysterious and magical, somewhere you'd definitely want to explore.

New York: I love how powerful this image is. The tall linear buildings are interrupted by the smoke and the fancy writing, which is displaying a hardcore message. The text is right in the middle of the image and is placed within the smoke clouds, which makes it flow and interact with its surroundings. I also like the perspective of this picture and how it's taken at a slight angle. 

Suite Charlie: The colours really draw me into this piece. I like how this painting is made up mostly of reds, whites, blacks and yellows. I find the expression on the woman interesting, its like a mix of an evil/sultry look. The colours within the piece match the expression and add to a dark atmosphere. The plain black background and hair are balanced well by the detail of the geometric cloak and headpiece she is wearing. 

Vintage Photograph: Again, I love the colours in this photograph. The warm pinks, purples and yellows match the country this photo was taken in, which I'm guessing is India. Other than the colours, I like how much detail feature in this photo. There is the beautifully painted elephant which is also decorated with embellishments, the detailed architecture in the background, which are covered in delicate carvings and then there is the details and colours of the guards uniforms.