James Mathie

During my time at Duncan of Jordanstone, I have pushed myself into experimenting with different styles of illustration which I would not have tried prior to my enrolment. My new experience with digital collage has taught me a great deal about the role of imagery in illustration. It being a great means of communicating appropriate tone, themes and story without being too literal and still possessing that sense of mystery. I also explored abstract illustration heavily throughout these projects. I am an admirer of printmaking, so I wanted my illustrations to have that option of being printed in physical form if ever the chance should arrive.

Abstraction has taught me how to focus on how I can best communicate a complex matter in a simplified manner. How to prioritise certain elements over others and what detail can do for world-building in your picture story. I find that a minimal colour palette can create a strong tone for a piece dictating the overall feeling of an illustration, unspoiled by intrusive colours. I enjoy limited colour palettes as it forces the illustrator to utilise value to its potential.

Throughout these briefs, I was encouraged to follow my instinct over what I should explore as inspiration for each project. Nature and our environment are subjects which I am intrigued by, hence its common prevalence in my work