Otto Blotter Bird Spotter

Written & Illustrated by Graham Carter

 

ISBN: 978 178344 745 9

 

Published by Anderson Press

 

Reviewed by Karl Andy Foster

 

Publishers website https://www.andersenpress.co.uk

 

Graham Carter Website http://www.graham-carter.co.uk

 

Graham Carter’s Agent’s Website http://arenaillustration.com/portfolios/graham-carter

 

Pitch

Otto Blotter is a fearless explorer whose curiosity takes him far and wide. As for his family they are obsessed with bird watching and rarely leave their house that has been converted into an enormous Hide. They haven’t much time for our hero not when there are beautiful birds that need spotting. One day while out adventuring Otto makes a discovery that changes his life forever.

 

Review

Otto goes on an adventure that ranges across a fully formed environment habituated in places by mostly passive human characters, he is the exception. This highly detailed illustrated book alive with textures and vibrant imagery is from the hand of artist and printmaker Graham Carter. The main excitement comes from his spectacular bird illustrations. The vivid colour and dynamic shapes helps to drive the narrative and grabs our attention.

 

Otto discovers and ‘rescues’ a tiny bird that he secretly feeds and comforts. A bond builds between them but as time goes by the bird becomes enormous. Just when Otto thinks his secret is about to be revealed the bird decides to display its unusual and delightful powers.

 

The energy in this book shines out from the artwork as Carter uses every square centimetre of the pages to reveal new surprises and give the story depth. The digital paintings are quite dark with the colours being very sophisticated for the intended age group however the palette selection comes into its own once the bird’s final special power is on display.

 

The cover of this hardback book uses varnish and embossing to make a tactile statement. The bird at the centre of the cover is subtle and stylized into the shape of an arched window. A window that leads to indigo end papers that give us some clues as to what the story is about. The narrative gives me the sense that this is only the beginning. I would really like to see a series about the Blotter family and their unusual location.

19 August 2019

My Book Review for The Power and Influence of Illustration by Alan Male

The Power and Influence of Illustration

Written by Alan Male

ISBN: 978-1-3500-2242-3

eBook: 978-1-3500-2411-3

Published by Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Publishers website 

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/search?q=the+power+and+influence+of+illustration&Gid=1

Authors website 

https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/content/professor-alan-male

I am an academic, writer and image-maker. When I read the title of this book I was somewhat taken aback. This is because the discipline of illustration has been undervalued and decried for years. Ignored by the public at large and dismissed as merely whimsical by the overinflated purveyors of fine art and graphic design. With the exception of the political cartoon it’s almost invisible to policy makers and economists. I wondered if it was possible to establish exactly how illustration has influenced societies and whether that influence could be attributed to real power. 

This book is organized into 4 chapters, the writing style flows well and is very engaging. This book will help the uninitiated and those contemptuous of the practice to appreciate the complex manner in which illustration reaches its audiences. There has always been a vast array of topics tackled by illustrators over the centuries but these tend not to be collected into one source as has finally happened thanks to Male’s work. I also note that the author quotes his own previous scholarship throughout. This may lead the reader to explore the subject to a greater depth. 

Alan Male’s arguments are most persuasive when set against the origins of art as part of human cultural expression. It is clear that illustration played a key role in the development of education and how we make sense of the world around us. From magical caves to mystical temples, from divinity in stained glass to sacred scrolls; illustration has been employed in the attempt to link our minds to the Gods. 

When he riffs on geopolitics and how todays social media might influence the rise of subversion this is where his thesis gets exciting and I would have liked to read more about this specific part of visual communication. When the artist creates propaganda for regimes just what are his responsibilities? Is anonymity acceptable when your work does potential harm. It is asserted that we must not work in a vacuum and that social and ecological concerns should always impact our decision making. He shows that he appreciates that illustration can be 2D, 3D, 4D and even AI. These technical developments are to be embraced rather than feared. In the latter part of the book he refers to how collaboration has made illustration more visible and this helps to maintain its links to the world of science and technology. His selection of specific images proves this point. The collaborative work of Anna and Elena Balbusso features heavily in these chapters as does that of Paul Davis particularly his #No More Black Targets work. 

I think this book is a compelling addition to Male’s early output and that the new graduate and committed design student would benefit from the knowledge within. The design of the publication shows some improvements on the last book I reviewed by this author but again some graphic vector-based artworks that would work well at the size of a postage stamp were shown at a scale that disadvantaged more delicate linear work that features complex text elements. 

This book contains a broad range of approaches deemed illustration and explains how this work impacts on the wider society. Some of the selected work is beautiful, refined and gives one pause for thought. There is an international selection that adds to the diversity of images on show. I’m still not fully convinced that this book will have a major impact beyond those directly involved in the production of illustration but it is good to see such ambition. Male looks forward to a time when we all become natural polymaths. Power to the people yes but also power to this book.

My Book Review for Reportage Illustration - Visual Journalism by Gary Embury & Marcelo Minichiello

Published:	11-01-2018
Format:	Paperback
Edition:	1st
Extent:	176
ISBN:	9781474224598
Imprint:	Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Illustrations:	200 colour illustration

Gary Embury and Mario Minichiello have produced a book that works for me and this is why:

It reminds me of my own experience of producing reportage drawing during trips to Barbados, Barcelona, the Greek Islands and New York that is strongly backed up by the editorial tone of this book.

It contains some excellent case studies on artists who know how to capture the live scene. These artists are working across the globe and finding fascinating projects to engage with.

The many interviews attempt to discover the secrets of this skill and explain time and again that preparation is everything. Efficiency in planning is the most important thing we need to consider.

I have seen that Bloomsbury Visual Arts and Bloomsbury Academic books can be weak in page layout and the design front but this time they get it right. I commend them on this and urge them to continue in this vein. This book features some stunning examples of reportage work and the captions help build on the overall message. For me the highlights of this book come through the words and work of Olivier Kugler, Lucinda Rogers, Anne Howeson, Jenny Soep, George Butler and Sue Coe.

This book presents an effective guide to visual journalism. Contextualisation is something that we work hard to help our students to understand so they are able to create useful and original conceptual and practical outcomes. This book gives us a history and evolution of the subject and it respects illustration as an important part of our culture and appreciates that it is at the heart of visual communication.

I really like the reportage exercises in the book and I will soon use these with my illustration and visual media students. It also reminded me of the importance of direct observation drawing. This is a skill that takes focused concentration and application to achieve credible results.

This book makes clear the strong case for when observed drawing is superior to photography, cinematography and written journalism.

This book will be useful for academics and those who understand the reason for ‘dirtying the paper.’ It also explores the meaning of image making through the use of historical and contemporary examples. Reportage is an enterprise that has remained relevant and important despite the preponderance of 24/7 news (fake or otherwise) and our changing social interactions. So, go on location, start drawing and count how many people interact with you. They usually talk about their own lapsed drawing practice. I say take every opportunity that you can to get people talking about the making of art.

Karl Foster Monday 26 March 2018

Heroes Part 5

Heroes Part 4