Yasmeen Ismail was a illustrator my tutor suggested having a look at to help with character design and pose positions, I hadn’t necessarily heard of Ismail, but once I saw her work I realised that I had seen and loved her work previously. I love the style of the characters the way she uses blobs of colour and paint to Crete a body of a bee for example, some of her characters look like just finger prints that have then been added with arms and legs to create characters with. The opacity of some of the blobs help you to see the overlaps and also where the body’s are connected to the legs, this adds depth and texture to the little illustrations, which also help to develop her style and a narrative through the book.
The book Specs for Rex is the story and illustrations which I have seen before, and have this unusual yet fun and create side to it. It’s the story my tutor suggested to look at and it has helped to inspire me to look more at my watercolour work and painterly style. I also try to get an even coverage with my paint, and her it shows that it doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact those painterly areas that overlap or create blobs can add the texture I crave, as well as making the artwork more interesting and honest.
Ismail Y (2015) Specs for Rex
Simple mark making shows small dots that can create a necklace with the readers eye, they have to connect the dots to come up with the necklace, but those simple marks hint at a necklace.
Random marks on a blob that looks like a dress, hints at a patterned dress, up close the painted effects are so simple and naive, yet from a distance your eye connects things together to create the character. The style is young and fun, it has movement and expression
Looking at some other work by Ismail I can see her style in the illustrations, I think she must use ink pens for some of her art, or even digital brushes, but they all have lots of texture and she picks crayon, pen or painterly mediums to keep a child like sense to her designs.
This piece of editorial work for the National Portrait Gallery shows the style I was explaining above, I love the texture she has used for the mums hair and the hints of mark making on her skirt and top, it’s so effective yet so simply executed.
Ismail Y (2015) The national Portrait Gallery Annual Family Trail.
Over the Hills and Faraway illustration, also has some classic Ismail creations to it, I love the woolly knitted hat and the man’s beard, the classic textures and simple marks are just perfect to give the reader the feeling of fabric and touch.
Ismail Y (2014) Over The Hills and Far Away.
Ad week NYC editorial illustration also has that same almost like when you were young and you cut out arms and legs and a body out of cardboard, you joined them at points with a fastening, so the arms and legs could move, this art work has that look to it were you can see the overlap of joints.
Ismail Y (2012) ADWEEK NYC.
I especially like the character second from the left, the overlap of pens or paint is so naive but so tremendous that it just works, I love the lines to suggested a stripe top on the arms
ruthgoodwinsillustration.home.blog 