Instructor's Examples:
2003 2007
Previous SAU Student Examples:
For this project, the student will use the extremely time-consuming, but highly-effective "pointillist" illustration technique. The stippling, or pointillist technique is one that has been used for centuries. Knowing this technique will not only strengthen your own illustration abilities, but it will also help you to better appreciate artists of the past who have used this technique, such as Rembrandt and Albrecht Durer. This is a technique that is still commonly used by today's illustrators. It gives your illustration a sense of warmth and importance, if even for the obvious amount of time it takes to complete.
Your image must be comprised purely of small dots (not streaks, hatches, curves or solids). You will achieve value shifts by controlling the density of the dots you apply. Fewer dots mean a lighter area, more dots for a darker area. You should also be able to clearly communicate texture with this method as well. I have chosen a seashell for the motif, a biomorphic form that is perfectly suited to this illustration technique. I will show you examples and give a technique demonstration in class.
Specifications:
Within a 8" by 8" sheet of Bristol board, you will produce one finished pen and ink, pointillist rendering of a single seashell. The model shell will be provided by the instructor, but the student is free to use a shell that they may already own. The finished illustration will then be mounted to black matteboard or foamboard with a 1/2" border all the way around.
Instructions:
Begin with a thorough observation of your subject. Take a few minutes to understand the object's form and texture. Take special care to denote the play of light upon the surface of the object, as this will be one of the determining factors in producing convincing texture and volume.
Next, lightly sketch your object with pencil. You should produce several studies of your object before you begin on the final illustration. Use these sketches to assist you in determining correct placement of light, shadow, transitions and textural effects, as well as placement of the illustration on the page and correct reproduction of the form itself in correct perspective.
Begin your final illustration with another light pencil sketch on the actual Bristol board, lightly indicating areas of value shifts. Once you have a general ideal of your form's attributes, and you are satisfied with its placement on the page, you may begin stippling. Begin with the dots far apart. You may want to stipple a vague outline of the form to help you determine the scope of your project.
Gradually darken areas by adding more dots, careful to take note of subtle transitions of value. Stippling, when done correctly, creates a soft, pleasing effect to your illustration, and this effect is dulled by harsh value transitions. Some of your areas may be extremely dark so that little if any of your paper substrate shows through. This is fine, as long as the final illustration shows a composition of dots.
If done well, this piece stands an excellent chance of being included as a portfolio piece.
Instructor's Examples:
2003 2007
Previous SAU Student Examples:
