When and how was the first book in Europe printed?

Goldsmith Johannes Gutenburg printed the first book (the bible) in Europe in Strasburg in 1445. This was done by using the printing press, a revolutionary invention by Gutenburg himself, where he in fact developed his idea from the hand screw press.

He created individual letters that could be put into lines to create sentences, ink would be rolled onto it and then it could be pressed onto a sheet of paper. He used this to print the bible using 42 lines and this way of using the printing press revolutionised the world of literature and made the materials cheaper and the end result more available to the public.

The Experts: Su Blackwell

Su Blackwell is one of my all time favourite artists. Although a sculpture I like to call her an illustrator as well. I find her sculptures absolutely amazing and the detail and time that has gone into every single one of them is exquisite, as I am a sucker for detail she automatically stood out to me. Her theatrical take on fairytales and stories is also a key feature as to why I like her and the fact that she used actual illustrations from the book she is cutting suggests that the story is growing and coming to life right before your eyes, they are children’s paradises and I feel I still have that curiosity inside of me as well as an appreciation for craftsmanship. She has a way of giving a book a sense of life and mystery that completely amazes me, her use of light also interests me as it can create so much more depth and also helps to tell the story without even reading it.

After studying a foundation course I looked at Su Blackwells work for an essay and I found a new love for sculpture, installation and 3D, finding that you really can mix media and genres together to create something rather unique and enchanting because of her work. She also inspired me to look more into book illustrations and putting my own creative identity upon a story. Illustration doesn’t have to be stuck to drawing, it can be something that you can touch and it becomes a whole other world

Developing ideational fluency

I find it extremely helpful when preparing for a project to do a mind map of ideas and words, it also helps to clear my mind and organise my thoughts. They act as a way of remembering things you may have forgotten or might have not of thought of if you were simply listing ideas, this also helps me to think more creatively finding more descriptive words or help me to put more than one idea together.

I personally think that listening to convocations and being with company helps thoughts pop into my head, almost working as a slightly different type of mind map. Having a radio or the television on in the background also works in a similar way if I am alone, not only does this help me with ideas but it also helps me to write essays.

This mind map shows time management, the use of pictures helps to visualise the notes and especially appeals to a creative person like myself.

Managing a creative enviroment

I personally am a bit of a hoarder, I enjoy keeping memories whether big or small and this can sometimes be seen within my work. I also love a bit of extravagance and ornate objects and being surrounded by this is my idea of heaven especially within a working environment. Some people enjoy being in a very simple room when working to help them think but I feel that being surrounded by things I find interesting and beau

tiful helps to inspire me and help my creative mind.

I feel that this lifestyle is reflected in my work as I have an obsession with perfection for every little detail when it

comes to doing my work and making something that I am very interested in.

Things such as this butterfly collection I find fascinating and is also an excellent stem to start drawing from. Even in my own bedroom every little trinket and object tells a story or has a fond memory and this visually helps my creative thoughts.

Interpretation: How do illustrators amplify the ‘meaning’ within a message?

I have chosen to compare two pieces on the famous story of Cinderella, one being the 1950’s Disney film and the other is a GHD advert 2010. The Disney film has been made specifically for children and so has a very light hearted approach to the original fairy tale, it has also been made in a certain way which is very distinctive of the 50s where colour had only really just started being used widely, it is also post war and so it has been made light hearted in that respect also.

In comparison the new advert in time for Christmas 2010 for GHD shows a new interpretation of Cinderella, it shows her changing her iconic glass slippers for biker boots as she is running away with a ‘man dressed in leather’, this is a very modern take on the romantic story and has given it a darker edge to it, which gets rid of any interpretations people had had after seeing the 1950’s film as a child. This

advert is being directed towards teens and younger woman as it is

trying to appeal to the ‘rebellion’ stage of each teenager’s life.

These are only two examples on the extremely different variations on the classic fairytale that is recognised worldwide by so many people.

Delivery: what are the platforms that illustrators use to affect the communication?

I have chosen to look at window displays and how effective they are. In particular I am focusing on a Harrods window display that was promoting The Wizard of Oz 70^th anniversary; it had been made into almost a piece of theatre or art. As you can see a large replica of the wicked witch’s feet were made and placed out of the building as if the building had squashed her, much like the film. This was absolutely huge and so was a spectacle itself; however the theme had been carried right through the entire window displays even to the extent that the building had been lined with green lights. This kind of window display automatically catches absolutely anyone’s eye as it is so over the top and the effort that had been put into it is stunning.

Incorporating things such as toys and the shops fashion, even gadgets helps this to draw a large number of people in from various ages and interests. High earning retail shops are always able to create exquisite window displays such as Liberty’s and Selfridges as so much money and skill gets put into the putting together of the displays, this helps to appeal to the upper classes.

This shows how knowledge of your target audience and an idea can really develop into something amazing.