THE WALRUS: SUMMER READING ISsue
Every year the Walrus, the Canadian magazine, puts out Summer Reading. A special issue jam packed full of stories poetry. It’s a fantastic illustration opportunity because across the issue there are about 12 unique drawings that need to look consistent but are all thematically so different. It’s quite the task to take these pieces written by different authors about different things and make them all fit together.
I decided to unify all illustrations through the obvious methods of using a similar illustration style, lines, textures, colours, etc. But more significantly, the large spot illustrations are all from a straight-on one point perspective, and the secondary spot illustrations all feature a close up of an object integral to the the story.
I was told I was chosen for this project based on my poster work. Often times I look at my posters as if they are stills from movies, or moments within a story. So it was quite validating to hear that’s why this job was offered to me. And it was a fun experience working in reverse in a sense. Instead of drawing something and basing a story around it, I was given stories to pull drawings out of.
I infused some of the aesthetics of posters into these illustrations as well, drawing them as if they would be screenprinted and creating some faux mis-registration within them.
