define what an illustrator is versus a painter?
susan
Anyone have any comments on this? thanks.
susan
This address has been changed to avoid spam. To reply, please
remove the s at the beginning and zzz at the end. Thanks.
mark webber
On Sun, 17 May 1998, susan wrote:
> Anyone have any comments on this? thanks.
> susan
I usually think of the difference between a journalist and a poet.
Mark
Marilyn
Well said.
Marilyn
LLoturco
>define what an illustrator is versus a painter?
When one claims they are an illustrator, it tends to mean that they create work
to fill a purpose. Their skill, be it in the imagery or technical ability, is
being called upon by someone other than themselves to creat a work. They can
be painters or draftsmen. It is not illustrator vs painter, for an illusrator
can equally be a painter. It is where and how the work is used that classifies
one as an illustrator and one can be a journalist or a poet in their work.
Larry Seiler
Well.....I do both. I do my fine art painting, and to make ends meet, I do
illustration work.
For example, I have painted wildlife art for about 20 years.....and it
opened doors to do "images" for silk-screeners. I've done illustrations
for Roma Pizza...and various accounts, where the client wants a specific
image that represents a product. Such things as aesthetics, composition
etc., have lesser value to the client.
Illustration can simply be taking a photo or resource and duplicating it
with minor changes. It takes at times great skill or talent, but for one
thing it is for me a job and my intuitions as an artist, my license to
experiment.....to be creative is held at a minimum or "hostage".
A painter paints what he/she wants.....an artist becomes an illustrator
when less and less of what he/she wants to paint is controlled by what
someone else wants, whether they are familiar with art and aesthetics or
not.
My fine art is done- for me, with full artistic energy free to engage and
respond...trusting in my instincts as well as my technique/knowledge
without concerns of whether or not a client would necessarily approve. It
allows anticipation I stand to LEARN something rather than needing to prove
I've already arrived!
The magic is when you develop or find a niche where what you do finds a
market. Illustration begins to happen when that market starts saying, "you
know, our records show prints in predominantly blue hues sold this last
month, and by enlarge wolves.....three wolves, no less.....but no more than
five and at least one howling or in an agressive position...if you could do
one of those for us!" Then you are constructing what someone else thinks
will fall into an acceptable piece, compromising your own sensitivities,
your own expertise.....for a buck.
I do some wildlife art competition stuff still...but my fine art at the
present is my focus on land/waterscapes. It is a turn around completely.
Some of my wildlife art has 200-300 hours of detailing and layering.....but
60% of my landscape paintings are done with a palette knife or large brush
and finished with smaller brush stroke dabs and take about 12-14 hours for
a large one....or 2 hours for one in the field or "en plein air" (as is
vogue to say). Very painterly, yet realistic.
I find those much more satisfying flowing from within me, whereas the
wildlife images are labor filled "tasks".....
I'm excited that galleries are interested in my landscapes, and that
wildlife art by enlarge is now passe.
check out my gallery....go to "Gallery" which brings up a Java Applelet
with seven genre areas.....clicking onto "Landscapes" as the others brings
up thumbnails which can be enlarged twice. They appear realistic....yet
are just pure fun to do. Saying more with less!
peace...