John Fardell

http://twoheadedthingies.blogspot.co.uk/
2012/09/is-it-bad-nah-its-wicked.html
John Fardell Viz Magazine

Cartoonist and illustrator, John Fardell, visited today to talk to us about his work. He discussed past experiences and explained about how he had always wanted to be in this line of work. However, like the usual aspiring artists, he got informed to take a more ‘sensible’ route, which he didn’t. This lecture definitely enlightened me, I have ideas of my own and I feel a great deal more confident in how I am going to achieve my goals.

John Fardell eventually went down the route of creating cartoon takes on articles; cynical and witty comic strips for Viz Magazine and Liss Magazine. He created a connection between Charlie Chaplin and comic strip work - you can learn a lot from silent movies; narrating a story through pictures. The less need for words, the better. He doesn’t feel the need in telling a story twice though literature and imagery.

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/
/The-Last-of-the-Sky-Pirates
2014

From the age of 13, he’d write to storybook publishers his ideas to get a polite and influential decline. Though after getting his name in a few magazines and illustrating a few of his Dad’s articles, he got his foot in the door of children’s books. Still they weren’t picture books, they were chapter books so he could design the front cover and create a number of black and white illustrations. His books reminded me so much like various Steampunk novels that have always influenced me such as The Last of the Sky Pirates illustrated by Chris Riddell. He got to create fictional vehicles and all things deemed fantastical however he struggled in figuring out the perspective of an object that doesn’t exist. This caused him to create his own 3D mini sculptures in order for him to successfully create the write depth and angle of his designs.

Fardell focussed mainly on his book “The Day Louis Got Eaten.” It put things into perspective on how much time it can take to create a picture book. His way of working is precise and slow with a lot of rough drafts before the final main image which contrasts massively to Quentin Blake who does a few quick solid sketches until he gets one he likes. It’s interesting how different people and how different the outcomes are yet both work just as well as the other. As we went through the book, the importance of page turners became apparent. The need to have a hint of something happening on the next page; enough to show something is there however not enough to give it away. Some hints you don’t even notice until you go back and read it again. He went through a lot of drafts and implications that the illustrations had, and he explained how he solved them. I felt like I could relate to all of this, it excited me how I could understand someone like a mathematician understands equations.

I learnt a great deal about techniques and various mediums. The direction in which a book’s pictures flow can sometimes be extremely effective and psychologically purposeful. The fact we read left to right means that the rule can also apply to illustrations and their characters. The same rule applies to film makers, if someone is battling the elements, they can be seen walking left across the screen, which we could relate to as quite a struggle. Louis’s sister was always travelling right across the book until the end when they turned left back towards home.

A problem I always had whilst painting has suddenly been solved as well. The fact I have only just found out about water colour ink due to Fardell’s recommendations makes me question myself as an illustration student. I have always painted first then applied pen after, I am so excited to purchase some waterproof ink and try it out using a dip pen which he also recommended to us. I have always questioned my ability when using technology too when enhancing/creating my work. I have avoided Photoshop like the plague however I have been shown how it can be an implicitly useful tool. He also referenced artist William Heath Robinson as an inspiration.

William Heath Robinson (1872 - 1944) 'The Nightingale'
http://literature.wikia.com/wiki/The_Nightingale

Overall, this lecture left me feeling elevated, educated and motivated.