The flat perspective in many of my illustrations is an intentional design choice. The original set of watercolour illustrations I created years ago in this style were for a series of children’s art exhibitions. The style is to mirror a child’s more focused, detail-orientated and concise approach to drawing during early development. Being unhindered by the burden of perspective allows the composition and story to take president over anything else. My paintings for these exhibitions are always hung at a child’s height and they are often encouraged to interact with the artwork by finding hidden items in the form of a scavenger hunt or by writing on post-its and sticking to the framed paintings what they believe the characters featured are saying to one another. It’s for that reason I also rarely use written dialogue in my work. I want the viewer to bring their own interpretation to the artwork. So much can be communicated through eye contact or body language. Viewing the artwork, I hope, will be a more personal experience for them that way. The style I call ‘By My Side’ is simple but hopefully will transport the viewer back to a simpler time in their own lives when we all drew as a means of communication, emotional development and most importantly to have fun.
Comments