This week I realized the challenge with creating images for texts. I did not realize the level of thinking that went into making pictures for texts. It never dawned on me that in order to make pictures for a widely-read novel like Don Quixote, the illuminator has to ask himself so many questions. For example, in regards to representation there are many ways to represent a character in a text. Each way you express that character visually can change how the patron or the viewer will perceive that character. For example, today we looked at two different versions of Don Quixote. Each depiction showed each artist’s interpretation of Don Quixote’s characteristics and motives. One depicted Don Quixote as a rose-eyed intellectual that is haunted by his thoughts. It placed emphasis on Quixote’s disturbed mental state. However, the other depiction was much simpler. Drawn with pencil it simply featured a general outline of Quixote on his travels. This appeals more to Quixote’s journey rather than his mental affliction.
When considering making my own illustrations for texts, I realized I had to understand the goals of the subject that I am drawing. As someone who enjoys analyzing films, I often make the connection to a film writer’s choice in creating a character on the big screen. “What is the character’s socioeconomic status in society? They must dress as such. What does the character want to become? What do they want to avoid? How can we show that tension visually?” These are all thoughts that a film writer and director make when creating a character for film. In the same way, I have to ask myself the same questions when it comes to writing illustrating images for text.
What are other people’s thought processes on creating images for text?
