This exercise requires me to purchase a newspaper and study articles that contain illustrations. I must select one headline from a provided list, before finding/writing and analysing text related to the heading, recognising any focal points. Next, I need to brainstorm my ideas and create visuals. Finally, I must translate my visual into final artwork.
Boot Camp For Your Brain
Fig. 1. Boot camp for your brain.
Fig. 2. Boot camp for your brain.
This article offers tips and tricks to keep the brain healthy, suggesting exercise, being sociable and continuing to learn throughout life may help to prevent dementia.
Andy Ward’s illustration features some of the main points of the article: cartoon characters running, playing badminton and reading. The characters are spread across a large empty field, recalling the ‘boot camp’ headline. The forefront man is holding a dumbbell level to his head, perhaps suggesting mental strength. Scattered across the piece are subtle references to the brain: amongst the clouds and trees, and printed upon the man’s polo shirt. The drawing is bright and colourful, featuring turquoise tones, as well as complementary shades of yellow and purple; contrasting with the intimidating boot camp themes. The fresh colours draw your attention towards the article, showing that the piece is positive and constructive; not threatening as the large army-styled headline may suggest. The comical wooden sign furthers this point, reading “queue to be cleverer here;” using humour to lighten an ominous topic such as dementia. The purpose of the illustration is to decorate the page, encouraging viewers to read the article.
(Very) Modern Manners
Fig. 3. (Very) modern manners.
The article describes Anita Rani’s skincare habits. The Countryfile presenter creates face masks with the contents of her fridge, while her spouse finds it bizarre.
The decorative, black and white illustration features a man in Victorian attire. It is small and straightforward, suiting the trivial anecdote. The figure’s traditional clothing contrasts with the headline; his raised eyebrows suggest old-fashioned minds would find the presenter’s habits very peculiar. Both the headline and the artwork imply that such beauty methods are incredibly modern.
Helsinki for Under £100 a Night
Fig. 4. Helsinki for under £100 a night.
This page advertises a ‘budget break’ to the Finnish capital, tempting readers with places to go, stay and eat, and advising how to get there. In the centre of the page is a colourful map of the location, highlighting some of the main destinations talked about within the article. Phil Argent’s diagrammatic illustration is informative, featuring photographs and drawings of the landmarks. The image is colourful and bright, painting Helsinki as a vivid holiday stop. From a critical perspective, I think the illustration is quite confusing; arrows, text, roads and pictures all squeezed together. I think resizing and rearranging elements, and choosing a much-simplified font would have made the piece more intelligible.
Untitled
Fig. 5. Untitled.
This untitled anecdote explains the division between Bake Off judge Prue Leith and her husband, John Playfair, over Radio 4’s ‘The Archers.’ The article describes Playfair’s aversion towards the soap: “He has to leave the room when he hears the theme tune.”
The paired illustration depicts the scene: Leith joyfully humming along to the radio while Playfair runs elsewhere, with his hands flailing in the air. Although the subject matter of the illustration is very literal, the exaggerated features add a sense of humour to the piece. The artwork is colourful and decorative, drawing the reader’s attention towards the article. The simplicity complements the brief length of the story.
We Must Not Forget the Dads Who Have Lost Babies
Fig. 6. We must not forget the dads who have lost babies.
This pressing article discusses the pain experienced by men who have lost babies shortly after birth, or due to stillbirth. The story highlights the societal pressure for men to hide their emotions and protect their partners, revealing the mental health risks that the “big boys don’t cry” mentality has created. The article also informs readers about Sands: the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity, providing helpful advice to those who are struggling with the death of their young child.
Neil Webb’s illustration depicts two men, each shedding a tear over a child’s body. In the background, the mother is grieving, perched on the end of a hospital bed. The positioning of the mother reveals the focus of the article. It is not clear who the two men are; perhaps one is the father of the child, and the other is a relative. Alternatively, the two men could be in a relationship while the woman is a surrogate. The ambiguity is inclusive and open-minded. Each character acts as a reminder that everyone involved will be devastated by such events. The cool shades of blue instantly show the sombre-tone of the article. The purpose of the illustration is to decorate the page and tell a story of such tragic situations.
How Green is Your Food?
Fig. 7. Your Food Choices Affect Earth’s Climate
I chose the headline ‘How green is your food?’ from a list of 8 titles provided by OCA. I proceeded to search the internet for an article that could complement my chosen heading, looking for something that explores the impact of food – the production, packaging or waste of food – on climate change. I selected an article by Science News for Students titled ‘Your food choices affect Earth’s climate.’ The piece questions which diet is the most eco-friendly, providing research and statistics. The article argues that the processes used to make up that of a meat-eaters diet contribute nearly double the capacity of greenhouse gases compared to that of vegan-diets. However, it concludes that far more research will need to be conducted to measure this statistic accurately. I liked this article because it provides answers and arguments to my chosen headline – as if the questioning title starts a discussion on the topic. Most people fall into one of the four groups that the article investigates: meat-eater, vegan, pescetarian or vegetarian. Therefore, the word ‘your’ in the headline can indeed apply to any reader.
I read the article several times and highlighted points that I felt were essential; perhaps my chosen extracts provided shocking statistics that could draw people in, or they summed up the meaning of the article within a single sentence. Some lines include key phrases such as greenhouse gases or carbon footprint, presenting the main themes of the piece.
Visual Brainstorming
Next, I visually brainstorming some of my ideas. I annotated each sketch to help inform my final decisions. I chose to add a quick wash of colour to each drawing to get a brighter sense of how the pieces could eventually look.
I had three preferences. The first being the upper right sketch that plays with the term ‘carbon footprint.’ The illustration would decorate the text and help to explain the findings of the research visually and metaphorically. Positioning the ‘vegan’ footstep ahead of the ‘meat-eater’ footprint offers an opinion: that reducing the intake of meat would be beneficial and move us in the right direction – a point touched upon within the article. The grotesque appearance of the large, meaty footprint, compared to the appetising, colourful plant-based track, may encourage people to elect greener eating habits. I think the illustration would appear quite odd to those who are casually flicking through the paper; perhaps their curiosity would urge them to read the article.
Another design that I considered features Earth, packaged like a piece of meat – as if we slaughtered it and now plan to cook it. Wrapping it up like a product, pretending we can repurchase it when it’s too damaged. This conceptual illustration reminds readers to act upon the issue before it’s too late. The plastic coating symbolises the Earth’s atmosphere, showing the consequences of greenhouse gases. Meat is so firmly packaged to prevent anything from getting in or out. In this case, the packaging forbids the sun’s rays from escaping, hence causing climate change. The backing plastic could be black, similar to the infinitive nature of space. The label could provide statistics and values related to global warming. Alternatively, the label could look generic and straightforward; used to make the subject of the piece evident to casual readers as they flick through the paper. The illustration would reference the main topic of the article: the impression that food-related processes have on planet Earth. A well-known climate change-related issue associated with diet is packaging, mostly plastic packaging. The article mentions that the scientists considered each process of food production “from farm to fork,” so presumably this includes the packaging process. The illustration would be decorative, conceptual, and successfully reference some of the main issues explored in the article.
My final preference features weighing scales, metaphorically measuring plant-based foods compared with meat-based products. The meat-products are heavier, referring to the weighty carbon footprint that meat-eaters supposedly carry. I am assuming that animal-related products would be more weighty than plant-based products in actuality, also. As well as being relevantly food-related, the scales could refer to the ‘scales of justice,’ perhaps offering an opinion that a vegan diet is far more justified; judgementally questioning the morals of meat-eaters and those who don’t actively fight against global warming – or don’t believe in it! The scales are also suggestive of the back and forth debating within the text; the article never reaches a definitive conclusion.
After asking my peers for their opinions, and weighing the pros and cons myself, I finally decided to take my first preference forward: the carbon footprint design. I thought the ‘packaged Earth’ design may be difficult to describe accurately due to the layered textures; sandwiching Earth between smooth black plastic and shiny transparent film. Though I do enjoy the concept of this design the most. I liked the ‘scales of justice’ idea, though the judgemental aspects are not something I stand for. My chosen idea was also the preference of those around me, which I think is a good sign since a newspaper illustration would ultimately be viewed by a similar range of people. During this stage, I decided I would alter the design slightly, sculpting the meat and plant-based products to fit the shape of the footprint.
Visuals
I proceeded to create visuals, digitally drawing my ideas using an application called SketchBook. I used Google images to collect ideas; this helped me realise which food products could fit into each section of the footprint. I experimented with different colour options, where I could. I wanted the plant-based print to be colourful and appealing, compared to the large, gory ‘meat-eater’ track. I chose fruit and vegetables that could be vivid, ensuring the colour palette was extensive. I altered the non-vegan illustration, changing the egg toe prints to pieces of salami after someone reminded me that eggs could be a part of a vegetarian diet too. I think this alteration adds to the slaughterous idea – further pushing the motive that a vegan diet is more justified, not only for the environment but also for the animals.
Creating My Final Piece
Initially, I wanted to use a hands-on approach, such as collage. I thought the handmade element would suit the illustration. I later realised that the more intricate details within the design (the sweetcorn, rice, or meat fat, for example) might be difficult to describe using the medium. I experimented with a few different digital methods, finally employing Photoshop. I moved my visual to the programme, isolating the shapes using the lasso, magic wand or quick selection tool, before painting within my selected area. I would finish each section by cleaning up the edges and adjusting the colours, positioning or size to my liking. Admittedly, despite the project recommending I use familiar techniques, this method was experimental.
Final Illustration
Newspaper Mock-Up
After creating my final illustration, I used some of the newspaper pages I previously scanned to produce a mock-up. I replaced the headlines and pictures with my own. My drawing is a relatively similar size to Fig. 6 We must not forget the dads who have lost babies. I used a font called ‘Mermaid’ (see Fig. 8), which I downloaded from the internet; I thought it was similar to those I had seen in the newspaper. I chose a page with an extensive article as I thought it best matched the article length of Fig. 7. The cut-up text was initially paired with Fig. 1 Boot camp for your brain, so makes absolutely no sense with the headline and illustration!
Fig. 8. Mermaid
Final Thoughts
I am pleased with the outcome. The different textures and colours look attractive and effectively describe some of the characteristics of the food products. I think the illustration works well with the article – though perhaps doesn’t show the ambiguity of the closing paragraphs. It decorates and adds vibrancy to the piece, while metaphorically explaining the results of the research.
Although I am pleased with the outcome of my technique, I think there may have been ways to make the edges cleaner. Perhaps if I had initially drawn the visual using Photoshop or Illustrator, the process might have been more straightforward.
I think the illustration would have looked better in a publication if there was less blank space. I’ve noticed that newspapers will use every slice of space available, squishing stories onto each page. Perhaps the transparent background wouldn’t fit this format. Alternatively, if the drawing was much smaller, it may eliminate this issue; though significant articles seem to be paired with large illustrations or pictures. I believe the page may have been more striking if I had used much bolder colours. Particularly altering the lightest shades such as the yellows and pinks.
I related most to conceptual illustration; I like that they are often smart and open to interpretation, or offer new insight. I also enjoy pictures that are decorative and perhaps provide a sense of humour; they brighten up the article and cause me to feel more inclined to read the article. Though I do think the type of illustration depends largely on the article. Perhaps anecdotes, such as Fig. 5. Untitled suit a decorative piece, whereas something like Fig. 4. Helsinki for under £100 a night is best paired with something more diagrammatic. Ultimately, whether or not the piece complements the text appropriately is what will make me relate to it positively.
Sources
- Fig. 1 & 2. Jandial, R. and Ward, A. (2019). Boot camp for your brain. Daily Mail, pp.48, 49.
- Fig. 3. Daily Mail (2019). (Very) Modern Manners. p.31.
- Fig. 4. Crosson, R. and Argent, P. (2019). Helsinki for under £100 a night. Daily Mail, p.68.Fig 1 & 2. Jandial, R. and Ward, A. (2019). Boot camp for your brain. Daily Mail, pp.48, 49.
- Fig. 5. Daily Mail (2019). Untitled. p.31.
- Fig. 6. Mooney, B. and Webb, N. (2019). We must not forget the dads who have lost babies. Daily Mail, pp.42, 43.
- Fig. 7. Raloff, J. (2014). Your food choices affect Earth’s climate. [online] Science News for Students. Available at: URL [Accessed 27 Jun. 2019].
- Fig. 8. Simpson, S. Mermaid. [Font] Available at: URL [Accessed 9 July 2019].
Marianne Williams 