So...Why Pointillism?

In this blog I aim to keep you informed about my latest projects but I shall also attempt to provide an insight about how my ideas develop and take form as they become a final, printed product - whether that be as a poster, a greeting card, a mug or a T-shirt.

I have been drawing all my life and pencil drawing has always been at the very heart of my artistic endeavour. Pointillism, or stippling, is really just a development of an already well rehearsed technique of shading, which after so many years has become second nature to me. 

Although I had been aware of stippling or pointillism in some format or other for a number of years, it was at school that I was most impressed with an older students pointillistic drawing of Prince from his Kiss single cover. It was quite a famous image at the time and this student had captured a very striking resemblance.

This, I thought to myself, is something that I could do...

Subsequently, after not giving up after a single, failed attempt, stippling became for me, rather intuitive rather quickly.

As a result my approach is rather basic. After drafting a rough pencil design that I am happy with, I will then begin to apply the dots in ink. This is often a precarious stage of illustration as one doesn't want to commit injustice to a faithfully rendered pencil draft, and as a general rule the more dots you apply to one area of illustration the more dots you'll be obliged to apply to another in the name of tonal balance.

Untitled. Pencil, pen and ink of unfinished work.

Evolution of a Dotty Idea

The progression from an idea to a finished illustration can be an interesting one. Often these images won't evolve in isolation and instead expand upon an already existing idea or series of ideas. In the world of music I have heard this expressed as 'conceptual continuity' and I very much like the notion that an 'idea' doesn't necessarily have to be restricted to one incarnation or platform. 

One of the first drafts of the Fey at Play illustrations.

The pencil rough can go through a variety of permutations before it settles on a form that for a number of different reasons, I'm happy with as can be seen by the examples here. These variations can often be dependent on design efficiency, layout and, of course, time. Just because I have settled on layout and design does not necessarily mean that the inked work will be something that I'm happy with as in the inked example below. 

In this case two issues with the work frustrated its completion. The facial rendering I felt could be improved but chiefly I was unhappy with the almost greyscale appearance of the ink owing to its' ultra fine nib. I hade chosen to experiment with the finest nib I could get my hands on. So fine, in fact, that the black failed to deliver full 'blackness' coming across almost like graphite. 

Another very early Fey at Play, Bouzouki Player draft, pencil.

As a result I had to reattempt this piece not once but twice. However I serendipitously accrued further ideas along the way.

Fey at Play first Bouzouki, pen and ink draft.

If you like my work then drop by the shop for a print or greeting card. Get in touch if you have an alternative media in mind like mug or T-shirt.