I’m at university studying illustration and I’m starting a project called ‘the politics of identity’, it’s a reportage project that will end in a series of 4 images. The subjects I choose to depict need to be located within a physical environment and context that illuminates their identity. I’m really interested in your reportage work and was wondering if you maybe have any tips?
Hi Jade. Thank you for writing. Your assignment sounds very interesting and I’d like to hear more about it…Who will be the subjects? How will you decide who they are? The context of your subjects can be derived right from their environment. For example, if you decided to reportage a chef, the kitchen/restaurant could be the context. However, you could embellish and exaggerate the context as well, in order to inject your point-of-view into the image. You are the artist and your subject/environment are just a point of departure. Research your subjects and know what you want to say about them, that will make your images purposeful, not just pretty.
I’ve written to a few students on my blog that had specific questions about reportage, and I think that will be a good place for you to gather some tips and overall information about reportage. Here is the link https://gregbetza.com/?p=4
I am a first year Illustration student from the UK. For the first two weeks of my degree we were asked to fill ten sketch books with reportage work.
As part of this exercise, we are meant to be keeping a blog and comparing the work we have completed to other reportage artists. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to show one of your pieces from the Times Square collection on my blog?
I will of course credit and name you as the artist, as well as link your website.
hello Kat,
Thank you for writing, and by all means feel free to post the drawing. Best of luck with the TEN sketchbooks, that will be very good for you. I’d love to see your blog, so please send a link once you’ve begun.
I’m more than happy to drop you the link to my blog, but it’s the first I’ve ever had to keep in my life so it’s nothing special at all.
I got the ten books done and I found the whole exercise really liberating. It was very nice to just draw and not worry to much about the outcome, rather to just enjoy the moment and do my best to capture it. Saying that however, I was quite pleased with how some turned out! It’s definitely a style I want to continue to explore and develop.
Heya Greg, I’m studying illustration at Birmingham City university , since I started looking into reportage your style is the most I appreciate, i went to Belarus in the summer and filled a sketchbook. All my drawing I do on location are very personal but i struggle to explain to people what my drawings represent ect. I’m thinking of doing my dissertation on places that people Relate to as an individual. As an illustrator if you was to dissertation question what subject of reportage would most interest you ?
Hi Duane,
Thank you for writing. I think it is great that you filled a sketchbook on your trip to Belarus. Draw and draw more, that is the way to find your voice. Now I’m not sure if people are having difficulty understanding your drawings because the drawings are unclear, or because the message you are hoping to illustrate is unclear. Either way, just keep at it. Look critically and objectively at your work and ask yourself it is communicating effectively to you. If it is, then keep doing what you’re doing and you will find your audience.
As for your dissertation, it is YOUR dissertation and therefore the subject that you choose to report on must have meaning to YOU. It must be something you feel passionately about. Follow your instincts.
Keep looking at art, and learn from how other artists (Rembrandt, Picasso, LaTrec, Topolski, etc.) communicated, it will help you enormously in your studies.
sorry greg for the late reply. thanks for the reply, much appreciated.Hopefully one day we could callobarate. im always asked what reportage is when im out and about drawing. i thought What can reportage illustration provide that photography cannot and what role can it play in contemporary society? what would be the best way to go about answering this
Hi,
I’m at university studying illustration and I’m starting a project called ‘the politics of identity’, it’s a reportage project that will end in a series of 4 images. The subjects I choose to depict need to be located within a physical environment and context that illuminates their identity. I’m really interested in your reportage work and was wondering if you maybe have any tips?
Thank you,
Jade
Hi Jade. Thank you for writing. Your assignment sounds very interesting and I’d like to hear more about it…Who will be the subjects? How will you decide who they are? The context of your subjects can be derived right from their environment. For example, if you decided to reportage a chef, the kitchen/restaurant could be the context. However, you could embellish and exaggerate the context as well, in order to inject your point-of-view into the image. You are the artist and your subject/environment are just a point of departure. Research your subjects and know what you want to say about them, that will make your images purposeful, not just pretty.
I’ve written to a few students on my blog that had specific questions about reportage, and I think that will be a good place for you to gather some tips and overall information about reportage. Here is the link https://gregbetza.com/?p=4
Best of luck and feel free to write again.
Greg
Is print of Marching band
(no larger than 8~9inches)available to purchase?
Hi Yuka, I will make it accessible for purchase and send you a link. Thank you!
Hi Greg,
I am a first year Illustration student from the UK. For the first two weeks of my degree we were asked to fill ten sketch books with reportage work.
As part of this exercise, we are meant to be keeping a blog and comparing the work we have completed to other reportage artists. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to show one of your pieces from the Times Square collection on my blog?
I will of course credit and name you as the artist, as well as link your website.
Regards from the UK!
Kat
hello Kat,
Thank you for writing, and by all means feel free to post the drawing. Best of luck with the TEN sketchbooks, that will be very good for you. I’d love to see your blog, so please send a link once you’ve begun.
Greg
Hi Greg,
Thank you very much!
I’m more than happy to drop you the link to my blog, but it’s the first I’ve ever had to keep in my life so it’s nothing special at all.
I got the ten books done and I found the whole exercise really liberating. It was very nice to just draw and not worry to much about the outcome, rather to just enjoy the moment and do my best to capture it. Saying that however, I was quite pleased with how some turned out! It’s definitely a style I want to continue to explore and develop.
Kat
Heya Greg, I’m studying illustration at Birmingham City university , since I started looking into reportage your style is the most I appreciate, i went to Belarus in the summer and filled a sketchbook. All my drawing I do on location are very personal but i struggle to explain to people what my drawings represent ect. I’m thinking of doing my dissertation on places that people Relate to as an individual. As an illustrator if you was to dissertation question what subject of reportage would most interest you ?
Hi Duane,
Thank you for writing. I think it is great that you filled a sketchbook on your trip to Belarus. Draw and draw more, that is the way to find your voice. Now I’m not sure if people are having difficulty understanding your drawings because the drawings are unclear, or because the message you are hoping to illustrate is unclear. Either way, just keep at it. Look critically and objectively at your work and ask yourself it is communicating effectively to you. If it is, then keep doing what you’re doing and you will find your audience.
As for your dissertation, it is YOUR dissertation and therefore the subject that you choose to report on must have meaning to YOU. It must be something you feel passionately about. Follow your instincts.
Keep looking at art, and learn from how other artists (Rembrandt, Picasso, LaTrec, Topolski, etc.) communicated, it will help you enormously in your studies.
Best of luck.
sorry greg for the late reply. thanks for the reply, much appreciated.Hopefully one day we could callobarate. im always asked what reportage is when im out and about drawing. i thought What can reportage illustration provide that photography cannot and what role can it play in contemporary society? what would be the best way to go about answering this
thanks
duane
duanegayle.co.uk
https://instagram.com/duanes_illustrations/