I had forgotten I’d looked at these lovely books at the beginning of my FMP. I find these small books very interesting and I like the use of different papers, and how Rotchford has mixed different papers within the same book. I think they almost look like natural forms, and have a rustic and raw feel to them. I do love a good concertina!
I love Paul Hogarth’s work. It has such a distinctive style and is a bit wonky like my own work. His use of colour has made me want to to see what my pen drawings look like with a bit of colour on.
Just a few of my reference photos. Nothing exciting. Was a sweltering hot day last summer when these were taken! Useful references for both Research project and FMP.
Absolutely love John Piper’s work. I think he manages to capture a lot of dramatic atmosphere with his mixed media work. Whether this reflects his personal feelings about the building he is drawing or he is trying to reflect the general personality of the building I don’t know, but these are things I would love to be able to achieve at some point with my work. I would love to try out some mixed media experiments too, as up until now I have only been working in pen and water colour for my buildings.
Sara Midda
Midda’s work has inspired me for a long time. I love her tiny intricate paintings and the way that working in this size makes her images more precious and interesting. I think it forces you to take more time and look more closely at her work, which is what I would like my audience to do with my work. Like Wainwright, Midda uses hand-written text.
I also feel that her work has a sense of calmness about it and is, in my opinion, timeless. Part of what I want my audience to do is slow down and notice the buildings I am drawing.
Useful Mathematical & Physical Formulae.
This book is very similar to what I am aiming to produce. It’s very small, has small illustrations and is printed on lovely paper which is recycled. The book is informative and visually interesting. I like looking at it even though I’m not particularly interested in the content.
Wainwright Walking Guides.
People buy these classics even if they don’t intend to do the walks, as they are interesting in their own right. In my opinion, they are guides to collect and keep to treasure, which is something I would love to achieve with my guides. Wainwright uses his own illustrations, hand draws maps and uses hand-written text, also things I want to use in my own work. His passion for drawing the Lakeland Fells is similar to the enjoyment I get from drawing buildings, and then using my drawings to inform people.
Pubs of Oxford and Oxfordshire.
This guide was the only one of two pub guides available in the tourist information centre. I think it has a very out-dated feel and I want my guide to be a better alternative to this one. My guide will include a map with routes/a route rather than just a straight forward list of all the pubs in Oxford. My guide will also only concentrate on the pubs in the centre of Oxford.
View high resolution
Creepy hands. This map of Summertown has a much more friendly feel, something I want to achieve with my maps, although I don’t think they will be as detailed as this.
I hate these tour guides because you see them everywhere and they are not designed to give tourists anything new or give a feel for the specific city the guide is for. I find them far too busy, garish and boring. I also dislike the amount of different fonts the leaflet has. I don’t want my guide to be anything like this.
The Public Art Map (top) is a fairly complicated map as it covers a large area and i find it quite boring to look at. I want my map to be a bit more engaging, more like the Abingdon on Thames map (bottom), which includes tiny illustrations of the buildings.
The map on this Oxford Ghost Trail leaflet is probably the most similar to how my map/maps will look; hand-drawn, with arrows and hand-written text. My map will also show a clear suggested route for my audience.
Top 2 Images: Modern Oxford, a Guide to Modern Architecture.
Images 3-5: Illustrated Guide to Oxford’s Churches, Chapels, Cathedral.
Most of the guides I have looked at are illustrated with photographs rather than drawings and seem to be overloaded with text, which I’m not sure tourists would want to read while on the go. I think I want to make my guide more succinct and since I’m aiming them to be more route-based, I will want to include a clear map and a detailed drawing of each pub included on the map. I also want my guide to include a bit about the history of each pub.
I hope my guide will stand out from all the others because I am aiming for it to be more visually interesting and have a more personal feel to it. I think that the more effort I put into to the look of the guide, the less likely people will see it as just another guide to use and then discard.
The Oxford College Guide.
Uses a mixture of old engravings and new illustrations and includes an old fold-out map, something which I might want to include in my own book(s). I think the illustrations are quite similar to my own and I intend my illustrations to be black and white like in this guide.
