Study Task 2, Practice - Paul Blow

There's something about Paul Blow's work that really draws me in and inspires me massively when looking through his portfolio. Aesthetically, his illustrations are very clean and easy on the eye, the fact that he doesn't outline his characters but instead lets their skin tones create their form makes for very bold, graphic images. The detail is minimal, but every line has a purpose; he doesn't over-embellish his drawings unnecessarily and clearly has a strong sense of what elements of an image are crucial and what can be left out. I remember when I first heard about his work, on the website or interview of another artist who's name i cannot remember, but he said that Paul's work has a very americana feel about it, and I would totally agree. I love his use of colour which is a very predominant aspect of his work; often muted, pastel tones are paired with bright, bold colours, all of which are in blocks, creating a simple but powerful quality to them. There are a lot of reds and blues, all bold and evoking of Americana. The way things are coloured is also important; I can't explain why but I love when figures and people are coloured different than skin tones. This use of colour can be to express personality and emotion, which is really effective in his work. In a lot of his pieces there is a colour scheme, some of which are totally monochromatic with one extra pop of colour or black for line work, making each illustration uniformed and bold. They are most likely coloured digitally (although I would love to think they were painted), even though his work has a very hand-made look to it, something which also really appeals. They look as though they have been printed, perhaps by screen print. This hand made feel could be influenced by his other creative outlets; I remember reading that he was building a house out of logs, proving he is a very hands-on creative.
In terms of his themes, his work is very figurative and without really being conscious of it, I think I am drawn to illustrators who's work features people. I don't know whether this is due to it creating a narrative elements to the work, or whether visually I am just drawn to depictions of people. Maybe it is relatable, as I want to improve my own figurative work, or it is down to being quite introverted and observant of people; I believe I read people well and perhaps that seeps through into my taste in illustration. But back to Paul's work: The figurative predominance in his work means narrative and emotion are central, even when they are ambiguous or subtle. His editorial work, which makes up the majority of his website, is really clever in that the ideas and concepts are fairly simple, but they work the theme effectively into them. He has a way of taking the contents of the article or publication and creating an illustration that fits perfectly and draws an audience in, without trying too hard to force a complex point or concept. Obvious is perhaps the wrong word, perhaps simple but clever and well thought out. His work also retains a very playful quality to it, which could be informed by his position as a father of young children, influencing that child like imaginative side of his creation. Also he teaches degree and foundation level education, giving him a continued youthful outlook to making work. His humorous and dry wit also shows through in interviews.
With this said, the idea in his work is of upmost importance to him, saying in an interview, 'The idea is king in illustration, content over style is the only way to create longevity in this business. Perceived 'styles' & fashions by their very nature will come & go, but the creative idea is timeless'.
I think this an interesting thing for him to say. In relation to his work, I see his aesthetic style as equal value to his creative ideas. For an illustrator with such an unmistakable portfolio, it may seem odd for him to down play the importance of his consistent style, but then again I totally agree with his statement. His work wouldn't be half as effective and impactful had it no substance to it; it may look nice, but it also needs a strong backbone, his witty and clever ideas elevating his beautiful images. I am of the same opinions as him, in that style is a natural occurrence born out of personality and experience and a multitude of other factors which all effect the way one makes an image. It is not something that can be forced or even learnt, but more just shows itself over time and work. Style would be nothing without substance, and his work is a prime example of this ethos.
As previously mentioned, the majority of his work is editorial and he has worked for publications such as New York Times, Japan Times, The Guardian and The Independent, as well as producing book covers and also t-shirt graphics. I think it is his ability to weave narrative into his images and effectively convey the themes of what he is illustrating in a subtle, clever way that makes him so appealing to art directors of magazines and newspapers. Aesthetically his images are also inoffensive or over powering, they are clean and easy to look at and would drawn a wide audience into an article.
In relation to my work, I would love to develop a similar sensibility of being able to work with narrative and the portrayal of concepts in clever ways. Not only are his figures well crafted, but also their context and setting; his ability to create little scenes and snapshots of a story is very powerful, some of which are as if they are out of a film, with interesting perspectives and cinematic composition. This is something I feel is lacking in my work at the moment, is a setting and overall scene, as opposed to just drawings as vignettes with no real context. His use of colour is something else I am keen to experiment with, where as my work is predominantly and almost exclusively black and white.