Biannual Update - Summer 2025
Finding that Illustration Style
My aim at the start of the year was to create a portfolio of work and start contacting potential clients, but I was hesitant. It became clear that I needed a clearer understanding of my illustration “style” and I was still unsure what I was going to illustrate.
After tying up a few loose ends I began evaluating the work of Illustrators I admire. Firstly Arthur Rackham. An English book illustrator that was prominent during the golden age of illustration. Secondly, Yoshitaka Amano. A contemporary Japanese illustrator, costume designer and character artist. He is known for his work on the Final Fantasy video game franchise, Speed Racer and various other projects.
I am interested in continuing the practice of traditional art and I'm inspired by these artists as well as many others. For the sake of pinpointing a specific style, this seemed like a good place to start. Using the 7 basic elements of design I noted the consistent themes, symbolism and techniques of each artist. The aim was to recognise certain aspects of their work, assess their success and consider if I would implement them in my work. I also took note of each illustrator's subject matter, what their illustrations are used for and targeted towards.
Google docs has proved useful for this research too as it allows me to document my findings, store and update them in the future. I will return to my findings when I need them, want to refine them or if I become interested in different styles.
The Origins of Fantasy
Discovering more about the artist's influences and their chosen subject matter raised many more questions. The question of what I should illustrate has long been a puzzle to me. Growing up I always imagined being a fantasy illustrator would be an amazing job. I would look in awe at images of concept art and fantasy landscapes. It seemed like the artists had elusive skills that would always be beyond my capability. Such was my respect. But I was curious to know. What is Fantasy in a modern context? I began to look for answers.After tying up a few loose ends I began evaluating the work of Illustrators I admire. Firstly Arthur Rackham. An English book illustrator that was prominent during the golden age of illustration. Secondly, Yoshitaka Amano. A contemporary Japanese illustrator, costume designer and character artist. He is known for his work on the Final Fantasy video game franchise, Speed Racer and various other projects.
Google docs has proved useful for this research too as it allows me to document my findings, store and update them in the future. I will return to my findings when I need them, want to refine them or if I become interested in different styles.
I came across an article titled, “Fantasy and our modern world”. In the article, the writer explores the profound impact of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work on the fantasy genre. From there I searched for more details about Tolkien. I was specifically interested in a reference to an essay by Tolkien called “On Fairy Stories”, in which he discusses Fantasy, the concept of sub-creation and secondary worlds.
My interests were starting to merge and I began to feel excitement and a sense of direction. However, I was getting ahead of myself. Before I could venture any further it occurred to me that perhaps I didn't really know anything about fantasy, other than common tropes, movies, games and bedtime stories. So what is Fantasy? Naturally I arrived at the definition of fantasy.
Fantasy - The faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things.
Put simply, before all else, fantasy is the ability or action of imagining impossible or improbable things. Something that has existed since the birth of consciousness, imagination and humanity. Maybe even sooner. Who can tell? Fantasy is a broad range of mental experiences, mediated by imagination in the brain, and marked by an expression of certain desires or necessities. Whether Fantasy is born out of a fundamental understanding of a base reality, how it has developed from the beginning of time or its psychological relationship may be subjects for another time. In short, Fantasy is imagined, regardless of how you got there.
We could go back 140 million years and consider the very first involuntary fantasies in the dreams of mammals but that would be speculative and unnecessary for the purposes of this investigation. Despite being an interesting deviation. What interested me was how Fantasy came to be perceived over time and through history. What relationship, if any, does fantasy have with mythology, religion or our heritage. By now mention of fairy tales, legends, myths and other stories was becoming more frequent and they needed clarification.
Though not strictly considered fantasy, there’s no escaping the fact that Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, Fables, Myths and Legends all contain fantastical elements. They could be considered a sub-genre despite other characteristics. However, there is some considerable overlap between each and some explanation is required in order to understand their purpose. I took some time to identify their characteristics and kept a record of each.
Fantasy has become a broad genre in art, music and literature. It consists of many sub categories, including Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi Fantasy, Steampunk, Sword and Sorcery. Each of which have their own set of characteristics. The scope of this subject is huge especially when considering its long history. I’ve come to appreciate that folklore, nature myths, and stories were passed down through generations through oral tradition. This rich history of language and literature has shaped English and European culture for thousands of years.
Beowulf and Tolkien on Fairy-stories
I bought some of Tolkien's works for further reading. I read the Hobbit many years ago but never the Lord of the Rings series. So I ordered the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I also ordered a copy of the Silmarillion that is considered by some as his most important work. I have yet to read these but with so many books to read and time at a premium I intend to read these at my leisure. There were two other Tolkien books I bought however that I felt needed immediate attention. These were “Beowulf - A translation and commentary” and “On Fairy-stories”.
Tolkien greatly admired the Old English epic poem Beowulf. It had a profound effect on his academic work and creative writing. As an Englishman I was excited to read Tolkien's translation and almost felt a sense of duty that I never felt before. I must add that everything I'd been working towards also seemed to be coming together. As if by fate.
Beowulf is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. Though the text was translated it was still a challenge to read. Often the sentences read as though written back to front. This took a bit of getting used to. I found that a quick read through of the poem first of all was better than trying to dissect every line. Once I had done that I returned to the beginning and read it again with more care. The book comes with notes on the translation of the text which are extremely useful and shed light on some many more avenues for investigation. In addition to that two lays and a short story of Beowulf written by Tolkien in the form of a folk-tale called “Sellic Spell” are included.
“In human art Fantasy is a thing best left to words, to true literature. In painting, for instance, the visible presentation of the fantastic image is technically too easy; the hand tends to outrun the mind, even overthrow it.” - Tolkien On Fairy-stories
The book On Fairy-stories is absolutely fascinating and the fact that I was questioning whether I should buy it or not is criminal. This seems to me like essential reading for any aspiring writer, artist or fairy tale enthusiast. Similarly to Beowulf the text is numbered for easier reference, with notes and commentary included afterwards. I have read the text two or three times and still gleaning information and a clearer understanding of the details. And I'm still going through the notes too. The book is filled with references for further reading and rabbit holes to dive into. I still have not finished this book which also includes reports, manuscripts and bibliographies on the essay. J.R.R. Tolkien's On Fairy-stories is his most studied and most quoted essay and a personal statement of his views on the role of imagination in literature.
Art Study
I continue to make progress with my practical art studies. Primarily focused on pencil drawing, ink and watercolour. This keeps it simple and accessible. I have plenty of resources and materials so I have no fear of running out. I have refined my resources somewhat over the last six months though. I bought various drawing pen nibs that I selected after testing many. Some sepia ink that I will experiment with. And more paper and small sketch pads for studying and full projects. Once I get into a flow I may share what I use and why. Then again I may keep it a mystery.
My approach to studying and managing my time has changed. I did have a schedule that I had aimed to stick to but as things turned out it wasn't very successful. I felt as though the schedule was overbearing and too strict. At the moment it seems there's a lot to do with little consequence and shifting priorities. I am having more success getting stuck into tasks almost spontaneously. Well note quite spontaneously but at least daily or weekly. Studying around work days and general life tasks it works better for me to keep moving and loosen the reins a bit.
It's been good to start using traditional materials more often. I have rarely used my tablet to sketch if at all over the last six months. Thinking about developing full narrative illustrations or scenes made me revisit compositional techniques and styles. That's another subject I could evaluate and break down but I don't currently have plans to do that. I've also started recording the different flowers and plants in my garden. It allowed me to do some watercolour studies but the weather hasn't been great recently and this really isn't a priority.
Most of my practical study time has been devoted to animal studies. Once I get to grips with some fundamental animal drawing techniques then I will be able to start producing work. Once I start I expect things to move quickly. I'm slowly sketching my way through lessons and I'm pleased with the few simple studies I've done. I'm looking forward to creating full illustrations with a more refined technique.
Other news
Sadly at the end of January our cat had become blind and was unable to walk. With a heavy heart we decided it was time to let her go and had her put to sleep. I still expect her to greet me as I open the living room door and sometimes catch a shadow in the corner of my eye but no doubt it's just my mind playing tricks. It was a shock to find out my dad was rushed to hospital following a blood clot found on his lung. Fortunately he made a full recovery but it's a reminder how quickly things can change.
I managed to squeeze some decorating in between trips to the dentist and a new cooker was installed too. I took some time out from other tasks to study the highway code, road signs and take part in some mock tests. This enabled me to pass my driving theory test. I've yet to have any lessons but it's on my to do list. So all in all I'm happy with my productivity.
Summary
I was sceptical about writing this update. I didn't think I had done enough since the start of the year but it fairly mounts up when you look in retrospect. It almost seems like fate that mythology, fantasy, my heritage, illustration, writing and current events in the UK are converging and I feel like I'm on the right path.
If you would like to know more about anything I’ve discussed or would like to share your wisdom, feel free to leave me a message.
Thank you!
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