Exercise: Giving Instructions - Diagrammatic illustration

For this task I decided to select the title "Making a cup of tea" to base my diagrammatic illustration on.

I had a search on the internet at other examples of diagrammatic drawings/instructions and for information which would help me to break down the tea making process into its components/ steps.



Online image Esquire online http://www.esquire.com/features/essential-skills-0508 [Accessed October 2nd 2012]



Online Image http://www.behance.net/gallery/Illustrated-Instructions/4735735[Accessed 2nd October 2012]

I produced a few mood/ reference boards gathering images of tea making and looked at the work of other artists/ illustrators. Including Johanna Kindvall who uses simple and minimal illustrations many of which are food related.

 

Johanna Kindvall Online Images http://portfolio.johannak.com/ [Accessed 2nd October 2012]

I found a site which detailed the process of making hot chocolate http://www.clickstart.org.uk/page/view/cat/2965 and I thought the tea components would be similar.

I found a great site with loads of examples of illustrated recipes some of which were produced in a diagramatic way to outline key steps. http://www.theydrawandcook.com/

One of the key thigs I was picking up from the diagram illustrations I'd looked at were that they were trying to get a message across and the drawings themselves were often quite simple to break down the process and stand out, many of them from a plain background.

To get a more accurate record of the steps I got my mum to make a cup of tea and documented the steps with my camera.
I found these along with my mood/reference boards useful to work from.

I considered and experimented with various styles of illustration and considered how best to paint/add colour. I did some sketchbook work around this and then decided to add some shading/ detail with colour pencil but in a sort of sketchy way based on a sample I produced which I thought worked quite well.

I produced my images then set about adding a background and arranging in photoshop.











I worked in my sketchbook and on paper and photoshop experimenting with compositions.
I tried thinking about what way the image would be read and how to draw the viewer into the image and naturally found that my eyes worked across the page from left to right.
I also tried one which was a clockwise style illustration but I didn't find this as appealing to look at or logical.



Trying to add colour red, amber green go - idea

I tried some different background and colours - red, amber green idea above, but remembered that in my last assignment my tutor mentioned trying to use colour palettes and pick out key colours which worked together and then have small sections of other colours which are not as complimentary.
I selected a colour palette based on this image.



I tried adding some numbers - wasn't sure if these were needed.

 

 

 

Adding some coffee stain marks to frame and bring reader through the stages.

 

 



 

I think the image above is the most successful. I showed it to my friend and mum who could clearly follow the stages and thought the illustration was pleasing to look at. I added the background rings to help show each of the distinctive stages. I made the final illustration of the completed tea cup bigger to show the end result and added some biscuits to add interest and set the image in context and add appeal. I think the colour palette whilst being limited works quite well and the images aren't overly complex.