Ernst Haeckel

Ernest Heinrich was a biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist his art forms of nature are particularly note worthy. They started in 1899 an this style is frequently shown in science and biology books to this day. In each of his works there would be a variety of the same species grouped in one area perhaps with a plain white background or with the environment you would often find these creatures belonging in. There is a cluttered feel to the image at first glance but there really is a strong order to it the more you look at it. Spaces between the drawn forms of nature is all equally sparse, the size of creatures are all typically the same unless the creatures are meant to have a visible size difference. Along with this the colours are strong and relatable to one another, none of it can be viewed as out of place. 

Heinrich shows that art can be involved with all the other work fields by doing this, that there is a strength to using art to get the message across with visuals such as these. All of the pieces drawn have helped in establishing the forms and diversity of each of the species drawn. They all display the contrasts and similarities between what you would normally group together and how everything is unique with its design, especially what you find in nature. 

By Helen Barnett

Glen Keane

Glen Keane is undoubtedly the face of Disney animation, when we think of those large eyes, the free flowing body movement of a Disney character it probably had something to do with Keane. Glen Keanes art has been recognised especially after the movie hit 'Tangled' but it should be noted that he worked to bring about the 2d style to 3d animation rather than being a newly introduced artist with good concept art. 'The Little Mermaid' is where he first began and all the Disney characters since then in the films have kept largely to this art style. 

 In all the images of his art the lines are bold and have this strong sense of movement and expression. All the characters drawn have something striking about them that can make it all eye catching to the viewer. This has obviously been used well by Disney as a whole.

By Helen Barnett

Exhibition - Jameel Prize

The exhibition of Jameel Prize is all about exploring the style and movement of Islamic tradition, ranging from the usage of colours, pattern and design. The V&A contributes to one of the largest collections of Islamic art from the middle East and this collection has dated back from the 1850's. It began the exhibitions of Islamic work in 2009 and since then there has been three, including this one.

The fundamental idea of the Jameel Prize is gathering an understanding of various cultures and to take inspiration from them and their working practices. The V&A exhibition also helps in promoting diversity and allowing the chance for the public to explore parts of culture you may rarely see in Britain without such exhibitions. The Jameel Prize all creates a very modern and refined appeal for art that is typically associated with a more ancient themed style, it's an example of how the contemporary Islamic art still continues to be used to this day.

Opening times for Jameel Prize
11 December 2013 – 21 April 2014

Daily 10.00–17.30
Friday 10.00–21.30
Exhibition closes 15 minutes prior to the Museum closing

Closed 24 – 26 December 2013
Closed until 12.00 on 7 January 2014

By Helen Barnett

Luke Pearson

Luke Pearson creates comics and illustrations and all his work that's been featured has this clean and crisp appearance. There is something about the works by Pearson that all seem incredibly fluid, nothing feels misplaced and his colours are often limited to a strict palette, enough to make them eye catching in a pop art and comic way.

Friends with Benefits by Luke Pearson and Erin Wallace 

Pearson has made some simplistic pieces but has also done many clustered works that make a collage. The collage images are assembled in a very stacked fashion sort of way that compiles mainly of human faces and characters. These drawings limit the palette again to two colours on average as the works are very busy. 

By Helen Barnett

James Gurney

James Gurney illustrated for a book series known as Dinotopia but did craft work like making masks, kites and puppets. Gurney has an understanding of many mediums as a free lancer who experiments with all the art specialist areas. His interest with crafts have quite possibly made all the illustrations appear three dimensional with the depth of shading, he's taken parts from all areas of art and combined them to make the illustrated pieces more projected.

James Gurney knows about realism and how well you can manipulate it, the drawing in Dinotopia appear similar to perhaps the bible illustrations at the beginning, with their lines, contour and colour which goes with the theme of Dinotopia. Gradually the art begins to lean towards an extreme style of realism, to recreate this world with his art rather than depict it.

By Helen Barnett

Introduction To Illustration

Illustration is one of the first thoughts that usually come to mind when mentioning art, like the portraits of people and any life drawing, which can easily be described as both fine art and illustration. The subject illustration covers an extensive range since it has everything to do with sketching and idea making. A good example of where illustration gets used is the concept art that went into making an animated movie. They range from expressions to the portrayal of anatomy. These steps are vital as they cover what the core of this subject is all about.

Concept art on facial expressions by Glen Keane for the movie Tangled; Character Flynn Rider.

The composition of the illustration is what matters most for any finalised piece created. As stylising is heavily involved in for whole process and it gives the piece a more engaging and creative appearance.

Sketched faces by Vince Low; Samuel L. Jackson, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio 

By Helen Barnett