Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with illustration

Please help me remember a website containing digitized old illustrations and woodcuts.

odinsdream — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:29:13 -0800

Please help me find an online collection of old woodcuts and other decorative elements available as vector drawings. I've lost my bookmark to it. Example images inside. This website was a wonderful collection of old artwork that had been digitized and was mostly available free, or for minimal cost. The collection was organized into categories and included stylized capital letters, art deco, nature imagery, religious and ceremonial, etc.

I used the resources for our wedding invitations and programs, so I have a folder of a few of the files that I know came from this site. I've tried to research the filenames without success.

Here are the few that I have, in case someone recognizes one of them. I've converted them to PNG format for display in a browser, but they were all originally EPS:
alfredj.png
bradle1yorn.png
ornamentalm.png
orndaisy.png
platinm.png
stationers.png
vintage.png

Thanks!

I want to get a nice front page illustration made for my book

storybored — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:00:27 -0800

I want to get a front-cover illustration for my children's book that I wrote during Nanowrimo. What's the cheapest/best way to get one done? One idea would be using the services of a website similar to 99designs but for book illustrators, anyone know of one?

Help Identifying Weird Old Nature Book

marxchivist — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:01:00 -0800

Help identifying weird old nature book, 1940's to 1970's. Links to images inside. I fished a falling apart copy of this from a trash can at a library where I worked about 20 years ago. I managed to scan three images from it: 1, 2, 3. Somewhere along the line I lost it, I'd really like to get my hands on another copy.

It could have been published anytime from the 1940's to the 1970's. It was 8 1/2 x 11" size, probably about 1/2" thick and had a green dustjacket. I had a page on each animal with illustrations in the above style. I was hoping someone might recognize the pictures.

Thanks!

Small Freelance Graphics Pricing?

Mizu — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:40:48 -0800

How much should I charge for two small illustrations that will be printed on wedding invitations? Times are tough, so when my friend asked if I would make some small graphics of two types of cameras for her wedding invitations, I said that of course I'd do it! I do have training in this area and have worked design jobs with an hourly salary, but I've never actually sold anything freelance. I definitely do not want to overcharge my friend, because it's kind of a combination wedding gift thing, and because she'll be doing all of the grunt work, making the invitations and doing the printing/technical aspects. All I would be providing is two little one-color graphics for her to use. I have many months to work on this, so there isn't any time pressure, either.

If it helps, we're both in the USA and I won't need to provide physical prints of anything, just the files.

How much should I charge for these? If I wasn't doing this for a friend, what would I charge? I honestly cannot judge how many hours this will take me, probably not many, so how can I give her an estimate before I make the graphics? Is there a very simple (and freely available) contract format I could write up to make payment a concrete and straightforward affair?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

Franco-Russian psychedelia?

palindromic — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:50:48 -0800

Is there a name for this late 60s through early 70s aesthetic that was very common in (sort for for) children books and films? And if so, any recommendations beyond what is listed... Books especially include those of Jay Williams and Friso Henstra:
Petronella
Forgetful Fred
Stupid Marco

Probably the most famous example of this style in movies is The Beatles' Yellow Submarine but it can also be seen in Fantastic Planet.

It seems also very similar to some of the animations done by Soyuzmultfilm back in the day (like this (semi-horrifying) Winnie the Pooh, and I think Walter Moers does a sort of modern homage to this style in his Zamonia books.

It kind of looks to me like a psychedelic take on eastern European folk art, but what do I know? I'm an epidemiology student, not an art historian!

What other books, movies and print artists use this style? Is there a name for this style? Did my parents do me a terrible disservice by hooking me on an outdated style of illustration? So many questions!

Sermon illustration from Howie Hendricks

tronec — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:04:41 -0800

Help me recall a message illustration I believe from Dr. Howard (Howie) Hendricks - DTS - given probably between 1970-1978. The illustration was a humorous "Job Description for a Pastor" pointing out extremes in expectations for a pastor and family. The message I recall was on cassette and I listened to it sometime in the mid-1970’s. It was I believe originally delivered to seminary students by Dr. Howard Hendricks of DTS.
Possible title: “Priorities Amidst Pressure”. The illustration I’m trying to recreate was a humorous “Job Description for a Pastor”. It included categories for the pastor’s wife and for their children. Some of the snippets I recall:

Pastor
Something about being fluent in Greek and Hebrew but normally talks like an ordinary Joe…

Pastor’s Wife
Must be both stunning and plain.
Never listens to gossip, never complains, never becomes discouraged.
Teaches Sunday School. Able to run the mimeograph machine.

Pastor’s children
. . .but generally no different from anyone else’s kids

I believe the closing line was:
Any candidate applying for this position will undergo a full psychiatric exam to determine his sanity.

Anyone else recall this illustration and/or know of a source for the tape?

Take this job and love it

Pater Aletheias — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:15:53 -0800

Help me brainstorm! I need a story about a person who has an uninspiring job but does it in a way that makes a difference people's lives. It can be a film, a book, a short story--any kind of narrative. It can be fiction or non-fiction. I just need an illustrative narrative for a project I'm working on. The closest I can come up with is the movie Chocolat, in which the the opening of a chocolate story becomes an opportunity to transform a town. But I need something more grounded and less like a fable--a story that is either true or easily could be.

Thanks!

in the gutter, beyond the fold

at the crossroads — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:45:50 -0800

no drama, non-narrative comic books? I am looking for comic book/graphic novels/other that aren't plot-driven narratives about particular characters-- I'm looking for books that tell stories without human or anthropomorphized protagonists. Not necessarily comic book, but hand drawn, and preferably epic in scope.

Some examples that don't quite fit the bill:

1) imagine the scenes from Jimmy Corrigan Smartest Kid on Earth without human actors and see how Chicago architecture evolves.
2) Similar to Brian Chippendale's Ninja but more ummm... rendered.
2) Collections of Ernst Haeckel's radiolaria drawings
3) Collections of Lebbeus Woods's drawings
4) Brice Marden's Suicide Notes

These examples have elements of what I am looking for but none are quite right. I guess I want a story where objects, buildings, locations progress through time as the main characters instead of people.

Help me articulate this more clearly. Thanks!

Say I wanted to become a medical illustrator...

biochemist — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:13:35 -0800

Say I wanted to attend graduate school for a degree in Medical Illustration... what should I start doing now, as a freshman in undergrad, to insure that happens? I'm interested in the Johns Hopkins program, which only accepts 4-6 students a year.

I know I have four years to think about this, but I firmly believe that I need to plan early for graduate school, regardless of what path I take.

I've read over the admission requirements, but I want to know what really makes an applicant stand out. Does volunteer work matter? How about research? Internships at a graphic design company? Do they care if your graphic design classes were over the summer at the local community college?

I won't be taking drawing classes until next semester, and I'll be starting graphic design next year or over the summer. Will I be putting myself at a disadvantage to those who took them all 4 years? It isn't too late to switch classes, but I'm wary of dropping the pre-med requirements because if I change my mind I'm automatically a year behind.

Note: I'll take any advice, it doesn't have to be geared toward JH's program.

In Search of Ancient Astronaut Pix

maryh — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:21:28 -0800

In Search Of..... an illustration of an 'ancient astronaut' from one of Erich Von Daniken's early books. It's a drawing of a little 'astronaut' using what looks remarkably like an 8-track tape player. The style (as I remember it) seemed sort of contemporary, almost Sergio Aragones-like. I'm sure I saw it in one of Von Daniken's earlier books (maybe it's actually in Chariots of the Gods) but that would have been about 30 years ago.

This really exists, right? I know there was a similar Simpson's gag, but I'm sure I saw this illustration. Any Von Daniken fans out there who can lend a hand?

Throw me a bone

geronimo's folly — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:43:16 -0800

Hello! I am working on a cartoony illustration in which I am conveying physical human afflictions/parts of the anatomy that could have very literal visual translations. Some examples: a frog in your throat (temporary hoarseness because of phlegm or mucus). Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis), smoker's lung, kidney stones, funny bone (humerus). I am trying to represent different parts of the body in a cartoony way. For tennis elbow mentioned above, I would put a tennis racket where the forearm and arm meet. For funny bone, I could have the humerus with a clown's nose or something. It's a simple concept, but I think it's rich with examples that I haven't thought of yet. Viral, bacterial infections are a possibility, though I am thinking more on the macro level. Thank you!

Has anyone seen this image before?

solmyjuice — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:11:38 -0800

What is the origin of this image? Is it from an advertisement? Is it an original artwork? Photographer, artist, illustrator, ad/design agency, stock photo/illustration site - any information at all would help.

the machines are alive - help me find these illustrations

sol — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:47:11 -0800

I'm trying to find the work of an artist or illustrator that I glimpsed on the web and then forgot. Black and white illustrations show interior of an imagined factory where the machines had a mix of art-deco industrial whimsical human faces and features. For example: Ingots of steel have faces, and squat arms and legs. Within the past two years I came across a blog post with some lovely illustrations that seemed to be from the fist half of the 21st century: 1900-1950 I'd guess.

One that sticks in my mind is an anthropomorphized wire-drawing machine: a row of human-like faces that are output nozzles of the machine. Each face is extruding a coil of wire from it's pointed mouth, like sucking a strand of spaghetti in reverse.

Rather than being strange or intimidating in a H.R. Geiger way, I remember a funny or pathetic feeling about the faces in the machines.

The style was either ink or illustration, black and white, with either pointillism or an engraved hash-mark technique for defining light and dark.

It might have been posted on boing boing as a "yay steampunk" example, but both general and site-specific Google searches have led me nowhere.

comics for snobs

sponge — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:20:07 -0800

Can you recommend any graphic novel / comic forums or groups that focus on more obscure, non Barnes and Noble titles? Or that are more focused on the art, illustration qualities.

Related: 1, 2.

Thanks!

HALP! I CAN HAS ISTOCKPHOTO DESIGN?

mathowie — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:28:02 -0800

Need help locating a repeating flower vector image. What search terms at iStockphoto would work for finding the flower element behind the text on this image? I'm helping a friend redo her site and this was a design element from her logo, but the logo designer used Microsoft Publisher and I can't get a vector version into illustrator or photoshop, so I'd like to find a nice clean vector version at iStockphoto, which I'll gladly pay for.

I've come really close in a few searches for flower patterns, celtic type illustrations, etc, but I can't quite find the right image. Anyone got any search terms I should be using?

I've been searching for the last two hours and I've finally given up and am asking for help here instead.

Help me find a (not so) remembered image of a black bird..

maniactown — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:31:14 -0800

Can you help me find a vaguely remembered image of a raven, crow, or other black bird? I recall that the style was brush- or pen-and-ink-ey, maybe with some Steadman-esque ink drops about. The bird's wings were unfurled (mid-flight/attack) and it may or may not have had a single (red?) eye seen from the profile. It might have been an illustration in a book. It was a dark, haunting image and it's stuck on the tip of my ~~tongue~~ mind as a possible tattoo idea. Ring a bell?

Who drew these????!?

ostranenie — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:48 -0800

Redux: I'm looking for the name of an artist who drew for Commodore Magazine in the 80s. Now with examples and a name (Baxter). His artwork was outrageous, intense, distorted, usually three- or four-distinctive-colored (example: black, blue, white) postmodern depictions of games or concepts. (The one that stands out in my mind was an article called "The Roar of the Grease, the Smell of the Crowd." I think it was a racing game you type in the code for to be able to play.) He did various other pieces around the magazine as filler pieces. Lots of high-contrast hard edges, jumps-off-the-page drop shadows, spirals, lightning bolts, implied movement/vibration and other frantic things.

I've never seen anything like it before or since. The closest thing would probably be Run Wrake's earlier stuff (the Gang of Four video and the FSOL video) but this Baxter's work made much less use of color and more out-of-control motion and general chaos in his technique. He also used a lot of patterns instead of colors.

But all that aside I love his work and if he's still drawing, I want to at least tell him that. I'm also looking for other artists that use similar techniques or even a name for this style.

The signature looks like "Baxter."

Thanks!

Learn To Draw In Only Twenty Seconds Using The Internet

scrump — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:07:57 -0800

I'm a writer who needs to learn how to draw illustrations for my manuals. And I need to learn fast. I'm a technical writer with access to Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro and GIMP. My company has decided that we need to do our illustrations in-house instead of outsourcing the work.

I have no real experience drawing, and need to be able to generate good-looking, PDF-ready illustrations describing DNS software and concepts using these tools. What are the best, quickest, freely available tutorials I can use to get up to speed on how to draw things and make them not look like my four-year-old did it?

We do not have budget or time for formal classes: we have to learn to do it ourselves. The desired outcome is a step above Visio line diagrams, but the company doesn't expect us to become Picasso, either. Some good examples of our intended outcome are here, here or here.

Some of you may want to editorialize in this space about how this is insane and my company is insane for wanting this. Please don't. I'm operating under the constraints given above, and them's the breaks. I have no influence whatever over the decision, and it is not up for discussion.

What U.S. cities are best for artists to make a living?

RaceTheDream — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:29:07 -0800

I live in Madison WI and am looking to move to a larger city, under the impression that being in a larger city will provide me with more exposure and greater opportunities. I was thinking of moving to the outskirts of Chicago because it's close to my family in Madison and I love it there. I also miss Denver CO where I was born, but am unsure what kind of an art community it has. Does anyone know what cities are best for making a living as an artist? I have a degree in illustration but am also trying to get into gallery shows as well if that helps. Thank you very much for any advice.

Where did I originally get these vintage illustrations from?

chimmyc — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:16:36 -0800

Where did I originally get these vintage illustrations from? I had a fairly large library of vintage illustrations that was part of the casualty in a recent hard drive death (the only important folder that I forgot to schedule a backup for). I'm basically looking for the website where I originally found images like this one.

- These images were of a diagram / map variety (not sure they all came from the same site, though)

- The site was more of an online reference of digitized old maps / illustrations (as opposed to an article like "300+ Awesome Textures for your Web Design")

- Images were able to be downloaded fairly high res

- It was not BibliOdyssey

Even if you're unable to point me back to the exact url, any other resources you may have to help would be much appreciated!

I got accepted into grad school. How to afford?

actionpact — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:32:12 -0800

I got a phone call telling me I got accepted to grad school. Trying to work out funding options before the package gets here and whether it's worth it (sorta complicated situation, details inside). Help? Okay, so I applied to one school-- the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. A bit atypical, but I applied for their Illustration as Visual Essay MFA, and I applied based on the program rather than just the degree, so hopefully that makes sense. I live in Arizona right now and work as a freelance illustrator; while of course I don't need the degree to do what I do, the program and all its networking and focus seem like they could really push my skills and help my career in the long run. I got a phone call yesterday telling me yes, I got accepted and I'll be receiving more details in the mail next week. Of course though, I'm impatient and want to get the ball rolling to find out any financial options I have.

Few issues:

1) While I know SVA does have some merit based fellowships, they don't have a heck of a lot of options besides loans. Everyone I've talked to has mostly loved the program but have admitted it's expensive. (For the record, it's about $30,000 for '09-10, and I believe tuition will go up a bit the next year.)
2) Unlike a lot of my friends, I went to school in-state and while I did have debts, it's around $17k versus the $80-100k they had. So for two years incurring maybe $60-65k of debt... I don't know. I hear that it's the good kind of debt though?
3) Due to my ~~laziness~~ frustrations with doing my taxes, I only submitted my FAFSA on the 6th of this month. The SAR says my EFC is $1961. (While my career has been growing, I'm still not well off yet) Which as far as I know means I have a lot of financial need. I don't know if that'll make much of an impact or what?
4) I just looked on the school website and found out that the optimal filing deadline for the FAFSA was February 1. Unfortunately, the website and catalog don't always match up so I wasn't aware and the site is not the best laid out. Which means I'm potentially screwed if there's no funding.
5) I do know one of my professors (she decided to send me an open copy for my file) wrote a glowing letter and specifically suggested if they had scholarships that they consider me for it. I don't know if professors usually do that, but it seemed really nice anyhow...
6) Since I'm self-employed I can't do tuition reimbursement or anything. I do have a part time job that offers college scholarships but it's only for undergrad.
7) There just aren't a heck of a lot of arts fellowships that I can find. But maybe I don't know where to look? I have checked out Fastweb and their brethren, but I never find much. I do know that Threadless has a scholarship, which I think I'm going to try for (SVA does match outside scholarships by 25%, so)...

So I'm wondering hivemind: what can I do in the meantime? I know next week I'll receive more details, but I'm trying to get the jump on alternate funding. Is there something I'm not thinking of?

And I'm also wondering your opinions re: the debt vs. value of going. I know it's a lot of money and while it's not going to get me one job that can justify it, the building upon my skills and the networking with a lot of industry people in New York could turn into a lot of jobs and different avenues of projects down the road. (For those who don't know, it's more of a practical vs. theory-based MFA) It seems like a good thing for me. So to me it seems worth it to invest in my future for two years (and then unless I did find some kind of steady employ there, I'd probably leave). But I can't tell if I'm nuts.

Thanks! I know this is a little more complicated than your standard grad school AskMe thread (I did read a ton of them too, so sorry if it retreads a common question), but hopefully it makes sense. I can respond to questions as needed.

Best drafting/illustration software for OS X?

serial_consign — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:38:05 -0800

My favourite drawing application that I've used is Ashlar's Graphite, but it is extremely overpriced. I'm looking for a tool that is both intuitive and accurate, snaps are very important. My problem is that many architecture/drafting applications are mired in extended functionality that I'm not interested in BUT most illustration software doesn't (seem to) have the precision I'm looking for. Is there a middle ground between architectural drafting software and illustration applications? What are my options on a Mac? A good tool is great, one with a fantastic interface is even better. The only thing I've found thus far is Inkscape. What else is out there?

Looking for crisp, royalty free medical illustrations with one-click purchasing.

benzenedream — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:32:00 -0800

Looking for crisp, royalty free medical illustrations with one-click purchasing. I'm looking to get some medical illustrations for publishing and want to be sure the rights are cleared for web and print publication as well as internal use. Specifically, I'm looking for crisp anatomical illustrations, hopefully in EPS or SVG format. The graphics may be used internally as well as externally. I've checked istockphoto but they don't have what I need. Since I'm using these for a business I'd like to be absolutely clear on the rights for the photo, and am wary of using openclipart.org or similar.

Looking for swanky mid-century Art

dogmom — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:03:44 -0800

Artfilter: There's a type of illustration that I think of as "60's Cocktail Party" art. Is there a name for this style of illustration and where can I find more? Examples of the type I'm talking about are by S Britt and Derek Yaniger

Vintage Illustrations

madmamasmith — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:16:42 -0800

I am trying to find vintage/retro images from old childrens' books and other sources for my wedding invitations and save the date cards. Specifically I am interested in bunnies, deer or anything wilderness related and children with butterfly nets. I have googled endlessly to no avail. I keep getting these horrid clip art images ..i have seen flickr sets but nothing that suits my needs ..i will try to attach an example....please help!

http://beautifulpaper.typepad.com/oh_so_beautiful_paper/invitations/page/5/

http://paperedtogether.com/portfolio/images/s,%20tag.jpg