Creating your own version of realityI started this research exercise by looking at the link that was given in the brief, I was immediately drawn to the sketch book of Danielle Kroll, and I loved her sense of fun.

Her sketchbook was illustrative and showed illustrations of what she wore, and things round her, I love the pretty feminine details and the pastel colours of some of her dresses.

A sweet sketchbook, that feels very commercial, and very modern and of the moment. I can see why she works as a designer for Anthropology.

Her typography is hand drawn and has a fresh feel to it; she has whimsical ideas of putting hats and boots on her letters, which is charming to see.

I t look like she uses Gouache paint for her illustrations in her sketchbooks, the pastel colours and opaqueness works well, with these types of illustrations.

So of her drawings look as though they were drawn or painted quickly, as there is not much detail and the symmetry of the drawing is not exact, like her clock picture.

To draw this quickly it looks like she also uses felt tip pens, or some sort of coloured pen, the detail on the clock, looks like it is drawn this way. It looks like quite a naive painting, but has a charm to it that attracts you, the way she has drawn this quickly, makes you think that the real clock would be very delicate, but simple in its design. I wouldn’t have said she has edited anything out of this picture, when she drew it quickly, I think it’s just the style that makes it feel simple.

This next painting looks more considered, the bird has lots of detail and many colours; the whole page is used for the illustration.

 ©Danielle Kroll website

The next illustrators sketchbook I looked at was Lisa Perrin’s, I liked the way she had used more written work in her sketchbooks than most, I think having those written elements adds to her thought process, and helps her to put down ideas quickly, without having to draw them.

I like the way she draws, it’s very delicate and detailed, she also has a style which is quite unique, as her drawings look to the past, yet they feel modern and of the moment.

I think she draws most of her work in a slow manner, and has a sustained practise; all the little animals and pictures are surrounded by written ideas, or work or corrections.

When you see her final illustrations, which I found on her website, you can see how detailed and sustained her work is, I think the written work is the fast element of her practise, but the illustrations are the slow and steady element.

 ©Lisa Perrin website

The third sketchbook I looked at was from the illustrator Ana Montiel, I found her work to be balance between the other two illustrators I looked at above. Half of her sketches were very free and flowing and quick drawings, where a lot of detail was edited out.

The other hals of her sketches were very detailed and full of texture and mark making.

This first page from the sketchbook is very loose and looks like just a quick sketch using watercolours in a experimental way of mixing the colours, probably wet on wet work.

The next sketch is also very simple and just consists of a bow like shape or even the number eight?! Again it looks like she is experimenting with colour and tones, here using greens, blues and purples to show the range of shades. A simple design, yet effective when all put together like in a pattern.

The third picture is so much more detailed; it looks like she set out the drawing first then painted it in using watercolours, again experimenting with the use of colour and tone. I think these are both very pretty illustrations and would make great art prints.

 ©Ana Montiel website

I then went back to the brief to write some more about the questions it was asking, then I realised that it was asking about reportage sketching in particular, I did read this in the beginning, but when the list of sketchbooks came up on my computer, I was more drawn to the above illustrators the most.

So I went back to the list of illustrators and found an illustrator that worked drawing people, or places or reportage style.

I found the illustrator Claudia Pearson, her illustration style and work is more about reportage, and or drawing what she sees out and about.

Her work seems quite detailed in some aspects, yet after flicking through more of her work, I found some very loose and quick paintings.

What materials do the illustrators use?

Claudia uses what looks like watercolour paint and black fine liner here in her sketchbooks, then I think it is tidied up on the computer and finished pieces look like the below piece.

Do they sketch quickly or more sustained?

Her black finer liner pen pieces seem to be the more detailed sketches, these are more sustained and thought about, and worked using what she sees.

If they draw fast how is this achieved – how is the content edited?

The loose blotchy watercolour paint is used for the free loose sketches, maybe this is to get the paint colours right, but the sketches are barely recognisable they are mainly just shapes, completely edited and no detail what so ever.

Which subjects or parts of the images are edited or stylised?

The arms and legs seem to be the most edited and stylised, there are only shapes for some of these, or none on some paintings. There is little detail in the clothing; just coloured shapes for body’s and some have no detail on the face.

How does the stylisation affect the communication process and the sense of documentary?

I wouldn’t have said it affects it that much, your brain seems to fill in the blanks anyway, and you can get a rough idea of what the picture is meant to be anyway.

Are there any parts of the images that are unfinished and what impact does this have on the overall image?

Yes a lot of the edge of the picture or person is unfinished, the fruit is just echoed by the shapes and colours, like the bananas. I wouldn’t say it has a huge amount of impact on the image, you can still see that it’s a Caribbean lady, selling fruit, under a umbrella or parasol. It possibly has more impact on what the image might want to say, it could be news reportage, so you wouldn’t get the gist of that just from this image, there would need to be more detail, more features or a written piece beside it.

Are there some images that you think communicate better when drawn slowly?

Yes I think for news reportage, it is better to communicate the image more slowly, and have more detail, to let the image say what it needs to in relation to the news summery. All of the image will be used to convey what is to be said, and to get that to come across to the viewer is a must, in reportage of the news editorial piece.