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John I. White   button: who/what? button: design button: illustration button: animation
 
Page Title: Colour Illustration
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'Bliss' [1991]

People say this always makes them smile. I get more comments about this than anything else. Would you believe that I used a mirror to get that facial expression? You would? I'm only 34!
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'Heavensent Harlequin' [1994]

This was created specifically for our company's identity - it appeared most prominently on our business card and as an animated sequence on the showreel. Looking back I see no connection
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'Punch' [1994]

This began with an idea by TV Graphic Designer Jill Simpson for an animated RTE television 'Pres' piece she was conceptualising. It was for the new TV Summer Schedule. In the end it wasn't used but I got to do additional work on the illustration which became increasingly menacing - I'm glad I put in the free work - look what I ended up with in my portfolio.
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'Rocket' [1996]

Shortly before I plunged headfirst out of Illustration and design as a business and into web media, I started loosening up and experimenting more - especially with textured grounds. I suppose I thought I'd nothing to lose! In this case it was probably roughly spread white emulsion paint on thick card with a course brush. When dry it's a fascinating surface to work on. Later I think I used Acrylic Gesso Primer.
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'Wavy Haired Girl' [1996]

Once again - the looser style on gesso. I was excited that I seemed to be on the brink of a freer, more individual style - ironic that I then went off an changed career! Perhaps when you sense the inevitable you lose your inhibition.
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'Albert' [1995]

I thought I'd do something of a famous person. This was inspired, I recall by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson's Opera, Einstein on the Beach. Hmm, I must find that album and give it a spin... Albert looks a little nervous here - perhaps it's the little mushroom cloud in the corner. He's not sure if he should 'fiddle' whilst the world burns?
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'Mr Johnson' [1995]

Another person, famous in Blues circles at least - did you see that dreadful film 'Crossroads'? Robert Johnson. I played Rural Blues music for years in International Blues Festivals. It seems that Robert arrived at the crossroads in Mississippi and made a deal with the Devil - sold his soul. He was an ace guitarist and singer. To this very day [and perhaps forever] his songs will be slaughtered by bad electric blues bands. Sometimes, being the greatest influence can have it's down-side. In this picture he seems to be holding back or fanning the fires of hell with his guitar.
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'The Generation Gap' [1998]

Interesting job this. Checkout magazine ran an article about GM food technology - so from the depths of my mind I dragged this disturbing eugenic/tomatostein image. Topics raised in the article included pig genes in tomatoes. I was about to say that I didn't...
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'Is your husband a Psychopath?' [1996]

Interesting article that I illustrated for the Irish Sunday Independent Newspaper. Errol Flynn was cited as a classic example of the 'Socially-adjusted psychopath'.

Here I was venturing into the combined Academic and Collage mode that was exciting for me.
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'MVSCVLO' [1996]

Slightly disturbing image inspired by the Italian Anatomist Vesalius. I had prepared an experimental ground - tissue paper stuck messily onto card with PVA glue hoping that the result would inspire me. It did. The texture of the hard-set tissue was reminscent of veins so I began to sketch with coloured China-Graphs [an oily pencil used in Film editing] I went back into it with gouche and watercolours which happily refused to sit on the oily rendering as I expected. The result was more disturbing perhaps than the black and white Rennaisance etchings and a little less comical. How can you laugh at a full colour flayed man? Interestingly...
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