catalogue

c.a.t.a.l.o.g.u.e
M a r t a R a i m u n d o
R A I 1 4 4 3 2 0 0 7

As I look to the world around us
I encounter various wonderful details
that I had never noticed, if I pay closer
attention I will become an eyewitness
of the world. My aim is to become a
watcher with the power to transform
life into lines, colours and shapes, and
to tell others what I have encounter in
my journey.

List of content
Aesthetics................................................p.4
Blog Posts
.Fanzines........................................p.6-9
.Semiotics.......................................p.12-14
.Where is Illustration?.....................p.16-20
.Stereotypes...................................p.22-25
.Identity-Representation
Narrative-Subculture.......................p.27-30
Art Reviews
.Alice In Wonderland......................p.32
.Tintin-Hergé’s Masterpiece...........p.33
Essay
. What are the ways in which illustration
represents time and space?
-depth of field, perspective, context, episodic
narrative?
What approaches can be interwoven to achieve
this: comic cells, cartography, layering, text,
tonality? In these representations, what is the
relationship between the written and
the visual?.................................................p.34-40
2

aesthetics
The second this project was launched my brain
started creating imagery for its visual outcome. I
was thinking big but small. I am a really minimalistic
person when it comes to work, and I guess with
design I am too. The whole book was visualized
as an A5 publication with the content of this term.
I decided to leave lots of negative space for the
fact that it is easier for people to understand in a
clearer way. It gives your eyes the ‘’time to breathe’’.
I decided for the bibliographies and reference list
to be detached from the book for the fact it the
reader to be able to accompany the written content
and images with an immediate explanation and
reference. For the art review I decided to go for the
unfolded A4 page as both would stand next to each
other, reveling simultaneously their content.
Playing around with the usual writer’s bibliography
on the side cover folding, I decided to show an
Representation on my practice and its explanation in
that same place.
4

FANZINES
[fan-zeen, fan-zeen]
noun
1.a magazine
or other periodical
produced inexpensively by and
for fans of science fiction and
fantasy writing, comic books,
popular music, or other
specialized popular interests.’’
DIY publications came back in
the latest 90’s for the love of craft
in a world that turn virtual. There
are plenty Zine fairs happening
now a days and the rest are sold
Online.
In 1970’s when the first PUNK
FANZINES were published, the
voice of the maker came across
really strongly. It was an
extremely powerful and concise
voice preaching visually through
out the publication.
While looking through some I
couldn’t stop noticing that all
have an introduction- it explains
the reason why the zine was
created in the first place, and
who was behind it.
This gives the reader not only a
context but as well the author(s)
morals values and beliefs.
Each page transports with VOICE
and IDENTITY.
Zines mostly use their voice as a
weapon, approaching issues in
society that may be considered
taboo or simply just ignored. For
that same reason the need to
challenge people’s mentality and
making themselves ask question
was a crucial goal to achieve.
6

When they started coming out, the
use of imagery from other
magazines, collages and even
articles were a common
technical choice.
That is when you ask yourself :
‘‘How does the appropriation/
alteration allow zine creators to
express their identity or propel
their narratives?’’
I reckon we life in a society where
the media controls what we should
see, and especially how it should
be seen. Zines appropriating other
imagery was a breath of fresh air for
many. It allows people to see them
in a different point of view,
in another perspective.
It feels like there isn’t the risk in
saying something you shouldn’t,
of writing about a taboo subject of
even to shock people. The ”moral”
filter isn’t used the same way as in
mainstream publication and media
itself. They aren’t scared of making
their point come across and being
subjective to a specific theme.
7

‘’Fanzines aren’t just something that can be
bought on the street corner at home games.
Fanzines are a DIY, supporter led and most
importantly independent means of communication’’
(Stand Against, 2015)
The use of specific text or
images that they appropriated
and altered might be used as a
satirical, ironic approach. It can
be used to point out things that
they don’t agree or to emphasize
others that the creator thinks their
voice wasn’t strong enough.
There are two perspectives while
appropriating imagery. After a
debate with myself I asked if the
use of those pre-made images
are hiding their identity or
making it come out even clearer
my opinion if the
appropriation and alteration
is used to demonstrate a point
that might be controversial, that
wasn’t approached before. I fell
like it is a way to make the voice
come across stronger and
clearer. In the other hand, if it was
as a support OF A CAUSE and
with agreement, I reckon that the
creation of your personal imagery
would be ideal. The appropriation
of it, in a dramatic perspective,
could easily be seen as a lack of
will to work on it. To every case
there are exceptions and this one
isn’t ruled out.
8

Self-publishing took over the
creative market, increasing the
competition and zines suffered
some alterations due to that.
They started to become more
graphic, more taken care off
through out its layout and
composition. E-zines and the
concept of zines adapt itself to our
times and the media where it was
created even turned virtual.
It becomes easy to understand
the gap between the first zines
in the 70’s to the ones of today.
‘’Fanzines aren’t just something
that can be bought on the street
corner at home games. Fanzines
are a DIY, supporter led and most
importantly independent means of
communication’’ (Stand Against,
2015), That is the
reason why they not only
increased in number but as well
on quality. Over the decades it
grew and adapt as a
social necessity.
FOREVER LIVE THE ZINES
9

Zines - References
Anon, (2016). In: 1st ed. [online] Available at: http://www.dictionary.
com/browse/fanzine [Accessed 23 Apr. 2016].
Fanlore.org. (2016). Zine - Fanlore. [online] Available at: http://fanlore.
org/wiki/Zine [Accessed 23 Apr. 2016].
Fanzines.lmc.gatech.edu. (2016). Fanzines Archive | History. [online]
Available at: http://fanzines.lmc.gatech.edu/history [Accessed 23 Apr.
2016].
Matos, R. (2016). Weepies. [image] Available at: https://pt.pinterest.
com/pin/240027855118504804/ [Accessed 16 May 2016].
Stand Against. (2015). FANZINES ARE DEAD, LONG LIVE
THE FANZINE!. [online] Available at: http://www.standamf.
com/2015/04/06/fanzines-are-dead-long-live-the-fanzine/ [Accessed
23 Apr. 2016].
Triggs, T. (2010). Fanzines. London: Thames & Hudson.
Zine Wall. (2016). [image] Available at: https://pt.pinterest.com/
pin/240027855117460726/ [Accessed 16 Apr. 2016].
Zinebook.com. (2016). Zines, E-Zines, Fanzines : The Book of Zines :
Directory. [online] Available at: http://www.zinebook.com/ [Accessed
27 Apr. 2016].
Zinewiki.com. (2016). Zine - ZineWiki - the history and culture of zines,
independent media and the small press.. [online] Available at: http://
zinewiki.com/Zine [Accessed 23 Apr. 2016].

SEMIOTICS
[see-mee-ot-iks, sem-ee-, see-mahy-]
noun, ( used with a singular verb)
1. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative
behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language,
gestures, or clothing.
12

(Signs and how to use them )
In 1960, semiotics became a
major cultural study. None-less
the famous Charles S. Pierce’s
theory is one of the most known
one as it defended that ‘a sign...
is something which stands to
somebody for something in
some respect or capacity’
(Peirce 1931-58, 2.228).
For him, it is a study of the relation
between the object and
sign, and mostly how it would be
interpreted.
He divided the signs in three
categories: ICON, INDEX, and
SYMBOL.
The ICON category is
used as a simplification of what
you are trying to communicate
visually.
INDEX is where there is a
direct link between the sign and
the object, both present in the
representation. It adquires a
context that ICONS do not
possess.
SYMBOLS in another
hand do not have a logical meaning
between the sign and the object.
Just the one that is created
over time in our unconscious due
to the fact they are a constant in
our daily life.
Ferdinand de Saussure, that was
the pioneer of semiotics,
proposed a simpler structure. He
defined a sign by the
combination of two concept:
-a signifier (which is the visual
form that the sign takes) and the
‘’signified’’ (the concept the sign
represents).
From both theories and studies
it became easier to understand
what semiotics is and how it can
be used.
13

We are constantly
surrounded by signs and it has
become easy for us to identify their
meaning in a quick way.
My first encounter with signs that
I recall would be the board game,
Pictionary. Its idea is to be able in
a short amount of time to
communicate a word, an activity
or a person. It is an interactive and
fun way to learn how to
communicate without words.
From road sign to emojis, signs
are a present in our society and
the evolution of it makes it easier
to communicate in a simple and
direct way. We have become
synthetic in the way we
communicate and the century
where we live in is obsessed with
fast-communication. There is a
need to adapt to people’s needs.
That is the proof that signs have
become an universal way of
speaking.
14

Semiotics - References
Anon, (2016). In: 1st ed. [online] Available at: http://www.dictionary.
com/browse/semiotics [Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].
Atkin, A. (2006). Peirce's Theory of Signs. [online] Plato.stanford.edu.
Available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce-semiotics/#Obj
[Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].
Berger, J., Blomberg, S., Fox, C., Dibb, M. and Hollis, R. (1972). Ways
of seeing.
Bored Panda. (2016). Traveller T-Shirt With 40 Icons Lets You Communicate
In Any Country Even If You Don’t Speak Its Language. [online]
Available at: http://www.boredpanda.com/travel-shirt-iconspeakworld/
[Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].
Boulton, M. (2005). Icons, Symbols and a Semiotic Web | Journal |
The Personal Disquiet of Mark Boulton. [online] Markboulton.co.uk.
Available at: http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/icons-symbolsand-a-semiotic-web
[Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].
Brailletranslator.org. (2016). Braille Translator. [online] Available at:
http://www.brailletranslator.org/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2016].
HollyfieldMedia, (2012). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=7eUnk_CB3dg [Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].
Human Mind. (2016). [image] Available at: http://oaklandfloats.com/
about-floating-and-float-history/ [Accessed 16 May 2016].
Visual-memory.co.uk. (2016). Semiotics for Beginners: Introduction.
[online] Available at: http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/
S4B/sem01.html [Accessed 21 Apr. 2016].

WHERE IS ILLUSTRATION?
Most people find it hard to understand the difference between an Artist
and an Illustrator. That usually comes from the fact that people do
not understand what an illustration is. Most consider it is a drawing.
I looked up on the dictionary about its definitions to make a clear
difference between both.
ILLUSTRATION
[il-uh-strey-shuh n]
noun
1.something that illustrates, as
a picture in a book or
magazine.
2.a comparison or an example
intended for explanation or
corroboration.
3.the act or process of
illuminating.
4.the act of clarifying or
explaining; elucidation.
5.Archaic. illustriousness;
distinction.
DRAWING
[draw-ing]
noun
1.the act of a person or thing
that draws.
2.a graphic representation by
lines of an object or idea, as
with a pencil; a delineation of
form without reference to color.
3.a sketch, plan, or design,
especially one made with pen,
pencil, or crayon.
4.the art or technique of
making these.
16

The process of
practitioners in this area might
work differently and their
approaches are perhaps
completely different but what
is the border line between an
illustration and a painting, or
an illustration and a video?
There isn’t any difference
expect what they are trying to
communicate.
What differs Illustration from
anything else its not the media
but the inherently attribute of
an explanation. It is drawing
not for drawing sake, but to
make an idea come across, a
narrative come to live.
But where do we find
illustrations?
Illustration is found in lots of
different forms.
There is more ‘’ways we
encounter culture, people and
places through illustration.’’
M.Miller
Illustration, against people’s
common concept, doesn’t
need to be a drawing. The
media is unlimited and there is
little you wouldn’t consider part
of it.
Lets take M.Miller for example:
his work with diagrams comes
from recording life
surrounding him. Making him
document someplace not only
with drawings but also with
writing conversations he had
with people in there. Its is conceptualization
over anything
else. I find his work interesting
for the approach he has to it
but it does brings many
question up like:
WHAT IS ILLUSTRATION
ITSELF?
WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED
ILLUSTRATION?
17

18

19
Children’s books might
be the first encounter you have
with illustration. That might
influence your personal taste
in illustration itself. I remember
perfectly that little book my
mom used to read to me:
La Petite Poule Qui Voulait
Voir La Mer (The Little
Chicken Who Wanted to See
The Ocean ). The precious
illustrations inside are forever
marked in my unconcious.
But childhood has this magical
side to it. It feeds our
imagination with subtle
messages, with hopes and
ability of understanding a story
only by its visuals. Since most
stories have as the main
character a child, for a kid
we see how can we relate to
the real world it gives a sense
of fitting in, in a world of ‘’big
people’’.

20

Where Is Illustration - References
Flask, D. (2016). Illustration : Design Is History. [online] Designishistory.com.
Available at: http://www.designishistory.com/design/illustration/
[Accessed 8 May 2016].
Jolibois, C. and Heinrich, C. (2005). La petite poule qui voulait voir la
mer. Paris: Pocket jeunesse.
Miller, M. (2016). Piershill Dialectogram. [image] Available at: http://
www.dialectograms.com/dialectograms/ [Accessed 16 Apr. 2016].
Miller, M., Miller, M., Miller, M., Miller, M., Miller, M. and Miller, M.
(2015). Mitch Miller | Words and pictures, by Mitch Miller.. [online]
Dialectograms.com. Available at: http://www.dialectograms.com/ [Accessed
16 May 2016].
Visual-arts-cork.com. (2016). Illustration: History, Types, Characteristics.
[online] Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/illustration.
htm [Accessed 10 Apr. 2016].

STEREOTYPES
/ˈsterēəˌtīp/
1- A widely held but fixed and oversimplified
image or idea of a particular type of person or
thing.
22

We grew up in a society where
there is the need to live up to
people’s expectation without fully
understanding the need and the
reason for it. We are often put in
a certain category only based on
physical appearance or on someone’s
judgment of the person
they think we identify as.
Stereotypes enable us to have a
quick response to situation from
previous encounters with people,
and they reduce the amount of
thinking while processing new
information. They provide us with
assumptions. But are stereotypes
just good?
As categorizing people in that
way, a vail of ignorance is
covering our eyes, blocking us to
see the full picture.
This is the misconception of our
time, where generalization are
often insulting more than
encouraging and people are
seen as a collective instead of as
one. As read in the dictionary
definition, it is in fact an
OVERSIMPLIFIED image that we
can be grouped with. Is that a
good or a bad thing?
23
I guess assuming someone is a
certain way by
-Where do they live
-What do they look like
-Age
-Race
-Sexuality
-Friends
-Hopes and dreams
-Dislikes
is merely looking at one factor
that might shape us as a person
but it does not sum up the person
we actually are. There are
so many other things we need to
add to the equation to fully understand
someone, including past
experiences and personal values,
which are harder to ‘’see’’ at first
sight.
The famous advice given about
‘’giving a good first impression’’ is
possibly due to the fact that people
have pre-fixed ideas about
the society by looking
INDIVIDUALLY at just one of
these factors.

Donald Trump on the 16th
of June 2015 said: “[Mexico]
They are sending
people that have lots of
problems, and they are
bringing those problems
to us. They are bringing
drugs, and bringing
crime, and their rapists’.’
(Donald Trump,2016).
As a response to that, a
protest campaign with the
hash-tag of
#turnignorancearound
(turn ignorance around)
and #dumptrump (Dump
Trump) created a commercial
that went viral
exposing the reality of
Mexico and the FAKE
stereotype that their are
forced into.
24

‘‘(...)a stereotype is a overused persona
while a cliché is an overused phrase.’’
None-less it is very hard to get
yourself away from the concept of
stereotypes, especially because
media feeds watchers with them.
Sitcoms for example are based
on fictional or real people with
behavior took to their extreme.
The old man with a sexy young
Columbian wife that loves cigars,
the gay couple who adopt an
Asian baby.
After reading a bit more into it I
asked myself if stereotypes and
clichés are not two concept very
close to each other. What is the
border line between both?
These two concepts have the
repetition factor to them,
a stereotype is a overused
persona while a cliché is an
overused phrase. It is really easy
to encounter in those type of
media a character that uses
clichés as their vocabulary.
25

Stereotypes - References
Anon, (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://faculty.georgetown.
edu/irvinem/theory/Hall-Identity-Modernity-1.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr.
2016].
Chirla Action Fund, (2016). Turn Ignorance Around. [video] Available
at: http://turnignorancearound.com/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2016].
Gabbatt, A. (2015). Donald Trump's tirade on Mexico's 'drugs and rapists'
outrages US Latinos. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/16/donald-trump-mexico-presidential-speech-latino-hispanic
[Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].
Stereotypes in the Media. (2010). Documentary. [online] Available at:
https://stereotypebyinternet.wordpress.com/documentary/ [Accessed
2 May 2016].
Your Favorite Martian, (2016). The Stereotypes Song. [video] Available
at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCgx8zM3woQ [Accessed 21
Apr. 2016].

IDENTITY
REPRESENTATION
NARRATIVE
SUBCULTURE
Are we a constant whole or are we in constant
change? Are we just one or are we a collective?
What is identity? Identity
like so many other concepts may
have a wide range of perspective
but I reckon that the surface of it
might be the same for all. It is a
sum of what makes us, us.
Our culture, our experiences,
our surroundings, our taste, our
gender, our status,
our education, etc….
We all got easily that far but the
main question here might be:
Would we be ourselves if not in
communion with other? Are we
the same as we would be if we
were born some place else? The
first thing I thought was about a
movie I saw a few years ago in
philosophy class: ”Lord Of The
Flies”, where military kids were
dropped in an island, apart from
any society structure and how
their behavior changed drastically.
Many philosophers have
approached this topic as well.
27
Stuart Hall defends the
perspective that ”the subject
assumes different identities at
different times, identities which
are not unified around a
coherent ‘self.” In that perspective,
we are all continuously adding
or subtracting our identity as
being exposed to different beliefs.
I strongly agree with S.Hall for
that matter. Even if not discussed
in class Locke (the philosopher)
gives you an example that sums
up the belief that we aren’t born
with any innate knowledge: ”(…) it
comes exclusively through
experience. He argues that at
birth the mind is a tabula rasa,
or blank slate, that humans fill
with ideas as they experience the
world through the five senses.”
I believe that knowledge plays
an important role in our identity.

‘‘the subject assumes different
identities at different times,
identities which are not unified
around a coherent ‘self.”
(S. Hall,)
Due to the overexposure of
cultural stimulation, there are
a lot more types of
cultures that could be
defined as one. Cultures are
not only about the location
where we are born in but
also about the custom, the
laws, the morals, the beliefs
and other capabilities and
habits of one specific
collective.
Subcultures come into
the matter as a derivation
of a wider one. There is a
conductor line that comes
chronologically and that
divides each culture in a
smaller whole.
28

29
-symbolical sense: which
can easily be summed
up as our capacity to
relate 2 different thing to
one. In that case, sleep
can be a representation
of death and so on.
-cognitive: is a
deeper representation
that comes from
our ability to think and
imagine. It arises from a
mental formation
of a cognition.
-political sense: has
the simple function of
speaking for. Our
representatives are
elected as a collective
voice in just one person:
our deputies, our
ministers, our presidents.
All of them end
up having the same
goal, to speak for a belief
that is
common.

‘‘While a story just
is a sequence of
events, a
narrative recounts
those events,
perhaps leaving
some occurrences
out because they
are from some
perspective
insignificant, and
perhaps
emphasizing
others.’’
We can say a narrative is a
story that is presented with
a moral conclusion to it. Its
has a beginning, a middle
and an end and it implies
that it has a specific point
of view that is meant to be
presented as such.’ ‘While
a story just is a sequence
of events, a narrative recounts
those events, perhaps
leaving some occurrences
out because they
are from some perspective
insignificant, and perhaps
emphasizing others.’’
30

Alice, dear Alice.
Thought the main door of the British
Library I walked and the space was
filled with people from different ages
and backgrounds. The first thing that
caught my eye was the gift shop, but
not the main one, the one created
for the 150th Alice In Wonderland’s
birthday. I went inside and displayed
on the surfaces of the shop were
several books created from the same
narrative but with different illustrations.
From prints and pop up books
to tea cups and wallets in shape of
biscuits I understood that Alice had
become an industry.
Lewis Carroll’s children’s story,
Alice’s adventures in wonderland,
was first published in 1865. From
that day on, the work has been
analyzed, appropriated,
re-imagined and re-illustrated
through the centuries as it was open
to
several interpretations. While walking
between the crowd I realized that it
was a book that will forever captivate
people from all ages.
Did L. Carroll understood the impact
his work would have on people?
It fascinated successive generations
of illustrators, artists, musicians,
filmmakers and computer designers
since the topic of the story, even if
created for a young audience in
reality approaches in a deeper
reading, topics that might be even
taboo. The constant subliminal
message on drug use were an
incentive for some present
psychedelic prints showcased in the
exhibition, and obviously to criticism.
“Oh, you can’t help
that,” said the cat.
“We’re all mad
here.” (L. Carroll,1865)
It was rather a interactive
exhibition for the fact that the
distant between the work and the
audience was sometimes
inexistent. We could touch, listen
and even play this video game. It
brought us closer to this imagined
work that Alice belongs to.
I enjoyed seeing the different
perspectives that artists had about
how physically Alice was. The idea
from Disney of the blond, blued eye
girl was destroyed as seeing the
picture of the real one: A skinny,
slightly disturbed looking girl with
fringe and black hair. Most works
that were showed in the British
Library might suggest a more dark
side of the sweetness that most
people obsorve from the first film
created.
The presence of cross hatching,
woodblocks and screen print made
were my favourite part of it.
The use of different media for the
same narrative transported my
creativity or at least my
understanding of having broader
horizons to a higher level. It will
always be beneficial to experiment
and to sometimes fail.
I didn’t like how the work was
displayed. I thought everything
was put together with no obvious
connection and since I think that
art should be understood by
everyone that is opened to it, the
need to have a bigger knowledge
about it slightly put me off. I felt
that people’s work were to close
to each other, to condensed and
Alice should have had a more
deserving presentation
My overall review about the
exhibition was a realisation that
the impact of your work might be
bigger that you imagine. It was
mind-blowing seeing how many
people made part of the creation of
Alice’s industry and how they will
forever continue to increase.
32

TINTIN:Hergé’s
Masterpiece
Even not as a big fan of Tintin, I
decided to take the risk and go
see something that never before
captivated me. I always felt Tintin
was a cliché comic book without
any life to it. I was wrong.
The iconic work of Hergé was
showcased as a journey through
out his artwork. The exhibition
explores the
evolution of it and it is
chronologically displayed as
such. The rooms are organized
witch creates a strong conductor
line.
As an illustrator its easy to
recognise some of the areas
Hergé is interested in such as (in
this case) architecture. Not only
the comic strips are filled with
architectural spaces but one of
the 3D models found in one of the
rooms, that empowered the space
by its side, was a mansion with
big windows. The mansion itself
reminded me a lot to the
actual Summerset House
building witch made me think that
the placement of this exhibition
was probably thought and not
unintentional.
‘’Tintin has made me
happy. I tried to do the best I could
and it wasn’t always easy but it was
a lot of fun.’’ (Hergé,2015)
The position that the
viewer needs to do to actually
see it in detail (bend over to see
if you could actually through the
mansion’s windows), is one of the
most
famous and essencial position
Tintin makes throughout the
narrative he lives in. There were
displayed more than one 3D
model, as such some of the more
characteristic props you could find
in his comic.
Although the exhibition in terms of
space was small, and only three
rooms actually contained ‘’Hergé’s
Masterpiece’’ I felt the display was
playful and used in a correct way.
Each room had various type of
information that drowned your eye
to multiple surfaces, witch gave
the exhibition a movement and
a life that exists within the comic
book.
So the rooms were filled with
wallpaper of the actual comic
book, as if this room was in fact a
room inside the book.
The wallpapers contained
illustrated frames with paintings,
widows with his early sketches of
the characters in pieces of
paper from notebooks, with the
first newspaper strips that were
the fist step to make Tintin become
as famous as it is now.
As going through the exhibition you could feel the connection
between the artist and its piece. I would say that Tintin somehow, that
accompanied him for several decades now, became an important and
fulcrum part of Hergé’s life. Some of the quotes displayed in a corner
of the last room of the exhibition re-enforced this point:
33

Q: What are the ways in which illustration represents time and space?
-depth of field, perspective, context, episodic narrative?
What approaches can be interwoven to achieve this: comic cells,
cartography, layering, text, tonality? In these representations, what is the
relationship between the written and the visual?
34

Since the beginning of times, image making has been a constant
in the human existence; it is an unique essence of the homo sapiens.
As Whitney Davis writes in ‘’The Origins of Image Making’’: ‘’art
supposedly appears as an autonomous domain of human activity.’’(Davis, 1986) In
that, Humans evolution somehow connect to the image making process
and how it developed through time, adapting itself as a self-awareness
property of History. The first mark making communicating their lives’
routines were the first stepping stone of illustration as ‘’image making was
a distinctive and specific cultural achievement (…) derived logically from simple and
archaic perceptual and cognitive processes.’’ (Davis, 1986) It is in our essence
to create representations of the world we live in. Furthermore, we will
analyze the different techniques used to create those replicas.
An illustration is a visual representation of a story or an account of
events, experiences, whether true or fictitious. Having that in mind,
illustration will have as obstacle the representation of time and space.
When it comes to do an illustration, whether it is in a publication or
any sort of other medium container (poster, painting etc...) one of the
most important factors you need to consider is how to contextualize it.
There needs to be a harmony between both of these concepts of space
and time. Particularly when imagery is added to a publication as it will,
be combined with words and its meaning will become essential to the
essence of the work itself.
The perception of time is simultaneously demonstrated by text and
images. The most effective way to demonstrate a continuous narrative is
the jump in time, descriptions etc… There is a conductor line that travels
the narrative visually. Having each image representing a frozen moment,
will provide give a sense of continuity, instead of separated parts of the
same story.
36

The most common way of expressing time in narratives is the comic book
where there is an alignment of the story, almost as a frame from a stop
motion. ‘’A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in
fiction, particularly in comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not
at all over a period of time — despite real-world markers like notable events, people
and technology appearing in the works and correlating with the real world. A floating
timeline is a subtle form of retroactive continuity.’’ (Wikipedia, 2016)
If we use the methodology of animation in illustration it is easy to
understand how to create a timeline with only images. Another approach
can be layering, just as if you were using layout paper to create an
animation; as it will provide a sequence that demonstrates time. Space
also plays an important role while demonstrating time, especially if the
narrative is not only based in one location.
‘’When speaking of space in narratology and other
fields, a distinction should be made between literal
and metaphorical uses of the concept.’’
(Lhn.uni-hamburg.de, 2016)
37
The images shown to illustrate a narrative can be portrayed in a literal
way or in a metaphorical way. There are a lot of cases where the narrative
is accompanied with some written form as the image doesn't need to be
literal. There is a choice between drawing what it is said (‘’the horse
jumped the fence’’ illustrated by a drawing of a horse jumping a fence)
or in a metaphorical way (‘’the horse jumped the fence’’- exemplified
by a drawing of the concept of overcoming an obstacle). In a visual
representation choosing what moment of time, and what is the meaning
of it, you are portraying is fundamental. Since you are forced into a still
image, there is a need to constantly think of what is the interpretation
you want the public to have.

Let’s take “the horse jumping the fence” example: if the moment chosen
was the fear of not being able to jump over, if it is the flying part of
having the horse over the fence or the horse landing on its hooves, those
three images will have a different impact on how people will interpreter
the narrative. These three completely different images were created for
the same bit of text but they all provide the reader with a different type of
emotion. There is the need to know how to manipulate the reader, how
to divert him into going on a certain direction.
Each illustrator gives its own narrowed version of a story by implementing
their imagery where people’s imagination would usually act upon.
Although it narrows the margin for personal visualizing, each person’s
life experience will still affect the way something is interpreted. Without
any presence of visual imagery ‘’The reader’s eye may scan the page, but the
reader’s mind ranges up, down, and sideways, piecing together evidence to make sense
of the presentation as a whole.’’ (Criticalreading.com, 2016)
Consequently it depends on
how the text is interpreted
by the illustrator and how
the author chooses to come
across with words. It is not
only one’s choice how to do
so but from both. ‘’Employing
the written word as well as facing
the challenge of editing, designing
and dealing with production and
distribution issues. successful
author/illustrators understand
that it’s not just a matter of
orchestrating a wide variety of
processes, you must also have
something to say.’’ (Wigan,
2008)
Sketchbook pages, 2015
38

As illustrating a story, depending on the narrative that is being
portrayed, there are many factors to take into account. Episodic
narratives for exemple, have the benefit of being self-sustainable without
a backroad knowledge to it. Just like some TV Shows in television, you
will understand the plot of the story without having seem the last episode.
In that case there is the need to illustrate just enough without confusing
the reader, everything needs to be in the right context to communicate
the in the right direction you wish to take it. Whether there are images
coupled with text, whether they are just used on their own. ‘’Space plays
an important role in narrative as the environment in which characters
move and live and in which the action takes place. It is the material
condition and also the cultural frame for the narrated story, in that it
is often linked to such crucial topics as power relations, conceptions of
history, of memory, of the body and of identity.’’ (Theorizing Space in
Narrative, 2016).
In contrast to the floating image with no background, the environment
where the story is being held in gives the reader its context. A soldier
with a gun in no visible space has a different impact than a soldier with
a gun in a battlefield. The ‘’socio-historic-geographical environment in
which the action takes place is more than relevant for the story.’’ (Lhn.
uni-hamburg.de, 2016) The space serves not only as context but also as a
container for the text. Many techniques may be applied to give the idea
of space and of its depth. The color and contrast used is one of the main
ways to do it. While applying color in an image you are able to give a 2D
image the illusion of a 3D one and by doing so, ’’you can increase the
emotional resonance and believability of your artwork. ‘’ (Lynda.com - A
LinkedIn Company, 2016).
Many other techniques properties are important when creating and
communicating. From the line work to its paper quality, everything
is important, since everything will benefit the way the story is to be
communicated. From the weight of paper to its color, from the line work
and its medium, illustration requires a constant thinking process.
39

Another main aspect, while illustrating, is the importance of the
perspective that the illustrator uses in each image since the proximity
of the reader to the scene depends on it. Depending on the angle and
the accuracy of the details, the reader absorbs more or less information.
This will impact the reader’s connection the narrative as it will make him
more or less connected to the narrative.
After a well thought use of color, the reader will experience different sort
of feelings towards the image, which automatically will have an impact
on the way he interprets the story itself. With the use of warm colors,
a sense of affection is created whereas if the color used were cold, the
reader would rather feel disconnected from the story. Their psychological
properties are linked, in our subconscious, to some specifics experiences
or moments, all derivative of emotions.
Therefore, having a rational decision on the use of different colors, while
creating imagery, will result in not giving mixed messages of what is
trying to be communicated. The dynamic rhythm of the image (or the
lack of it) and the break of monotony between the several images of
the story will give the reader a more exciting experience throughout the
publication.
Some say it is merely a choice of taste and identity. Several illustrators
got famous by their way of portraying stories. Most times, it is easier to
recognize someone’s line of work, than his or her own name.
One of the most important factors when creating imagery for a specific
text is, its pictorial composition. The need to serve the purpose best
relies on the element disposition of the numerous elements (including
their proximity to one another). It is important to not get attached in a
predictable way of communicating visually. Any artistic practice is based
on its evolution towards work improvement. Committing to a specific style
culminates into a common ending for most artists. While experiencing
life’s changes and adapting to our time and pace, whether by choice or
not, the style might alter. Nevertheless, the voice will remain intact and
not diluted by its diversity.
40

The emphasis and its understatement will give a better understanding
on how the reader will interpret what is in front of their eyes. The reader
reacts mostly through personal experiences regarding the content of
work. Our eyes, before anything else, will focus on the image, which will
reveal the next stepping-stone of the story.
There is a symbiosis between written and visual work. The interaction
between both domains brings a unity to its purpose, whether it’s a
poster or a publication. It is used as a collaboration to convey to a story
according to their both perspectives and requirements. I would say it
is a question of support, as in human relationships. As one leans on
the other, it is important to look over the characteristics of one, but to
look at it as whole. The harmony of the whole will depend on it. For an
illustrator to obtain the best result as a visual maker, there must exist a
passion for words, an intellectual curiosity, a cultural interest and mostly,
a visual intelligence. Written text inside images as a combination of
both might also be a choice of easy communication.While marrying
image with text the illustrator will ‘’ (…) analyse linguistic principals and
solutions such as the argumentative, expository and rhetorical.’’ (Wigan, 2008)
witch will enrich the visual outcome by empowering certain key works
that will direct the reader to what you want to say.
As a conclusion, illustration will develop over time improving its ways to
communicate life’s experiences. From the trendiest design principles of
contemporary media combined with valuable traditional skills, a broad
and distinctive range of visual languages will be created. The drive
to improve technically the methodologies that will enable a dialogue
between the reader and the illustrator does simply rely on time. It is
important to keep in mind that illustration is a bigger area than just
drawing. Its medium is no longer forced into a piece of paper.
41

An illustration can, nowadays, be more than only 2D since it
‘’is not defined by a medium, material or
style, but fueled by a desire to communicate
by whatever means are appropriate, be they
sculptural, typographic, photographic, filmic,
print-based or a combination
of all of these.’’
(University of Arts London, 2016)
42

Essay - References
Anon, (2016). In: 1st ed. [online] Available at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/episodic
[Accessed 14 Apr. 2016].
Anon, (2016). Narrative Illustration. [online] Available at: https://www.
fulltable.com/vts/n/ni/n.htm [Accessed 29 Mar. 2016].
Caquard, S. (2011). Cartography I: Mapping narrative cartography.
Progress in Human Geography, 37(1), pp.135-144.
Carroll, A. (2005). Word, image, and the New Negro. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press.
Criticalreading.com. (2016). Interpretation: Analyzing What a Text
Means. [online] Available at: http://www.criticalreading.com/interpretation.htm
[Accessed 14 Apr. 2016].
Davis, W. (1986). Current Anthropology. Chicago: The University of
Chicago Press, pp.193-215.
Episodic Structure. (2016). 1st ed. http://web.lincoln.k12.mi.us/buildings/HS/elstone/WebPage/PDF%20Files/The%20Episodic%20
Structure.pdf.
Lhn.uni-hamburg.de. (2016). Space | the living handbook of narratology.
[online] Available at: http://www.lhn.uni-hamburg.de/article/space
[Accessed 29 Mar. 2016].
Lynda.com - A LinkedIn Company. (2016). Artist at Work: Creating
Depth of Field. [online] Available at: https://www.lynda.com/Design-Color-tutorials/Artist-Work-Playing-Space/155278-2.html
[Accessed
14 Apr. 2016].

Muddycolors.blogspot.co.uk. (2014). Muddy Colors: Narrative Illustration.
[online] Available at: http://muddycolors.blogspot.
co.uk/2014/01/narrative-illustration.html [Accessed 29 Mar. 2016].
Oudsten, F. (2011). Space.time.narrative. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing
Company.
Theorizing Space in Narrative. (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] Katrin Dennerlein.
Available at: http://www.germanistik.uni-wuerzburg.de/fileadmin/05010200/TheorizingSpaceinNarrative.pdf
[Accessed 14 Apr.
2016].
University of Arts London, W. (2016). BA (Hons) Illustration and Visual
Media - London College of Communication - UAL. [online] Arts.
ac.uk. Available at: http://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/courses/undergraduate/
ba-hons-illustration-and-visual-media/ [Accessed 11 May 2016].
Wigan, M. (2006). Thinking visually. Lausanne, Switzerland: Ava Pub.
Wigan, M. (2008). Text and image. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Academia.
Wikipedia. (2016). Floating timeline. [online] Available at: https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_timeline [Accessed 7 May 2016].
Wright, A. (1999). The Beginner's Guide to Colour Psychology. 2nd ed.
K. Cathie.

In-Text Citations
Davis, W. (1986). Current Anthropology. Chicago: The University
of Chicago Press, pp.193-215.
This journal is a platform that discusses subjects about anthropology.
In this specific section of it, the idea of image making being a
human essence is the main focus. There is some historical references to
the first images created in the Cave Era. The theory of how narrative
and storytelling are intrinsic characteristics of the desire to communicate
that we all possess.
Wigan, M. (2008). Text and image. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA
Academia.
The author of this book focuses on the history of illustration
throughout the decades. It is sort of like a manual with content that
will inspire you to create. There are sections with project proposals and
artists work as examples.
Theorizing Space in Narrative. (2016). 1st ed. [ebook] Katrin
Dennerlein. Available at: http://www.germanistik.uni-wuerzburg.de/fileadmin/05010200/TheorizingSpaceinNarrative.pdf
[Accessed 14 Apr. 2016].
Lhn.uni-hamburg.de. (2016). Space | the living handbook of
narratology. [online] Available at: http://www.lhn.uni-hamburg.de/article/space
[Accessed 29 Mar. 2016].
This thesis wrote by Katrin Dennerlein approaches as a main
theme the idea of space in narratives. It differences the idea of the metaphorical
of literature with the literal use of it and the ways it could or
should be portrayed.
Criticalreading.com. (2016). Interpretation: Analyzing What a
Text Means. [online] Available at: http://www.criticalreading.
com/interpretation.htm [Accessed 14 Apr. 2016].
This website analyses the literature bit of narrative writing. It
gives away the methodology of analyzing text and the several forms you
can interpret the written.