A starting point.

It hasn't been the most productive of weeks. However, I have been brainstorming and decided on a starting point.

Whilst researching into different cuisines I began thinking about British food and how it's stereotyped. It's not all tea and crumpets. Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland all have very different cuisines and lots of different styles of cooking. So, this week I will be looking into various British foods.

Here are some VERY rough sketches from this week.

The fruit bowl.

Some brainstorming.

Some kitchen utensils.

I started by drawing every kitchen utensil I could think of. This got me to thinking about what tools are used to cook certain styles of food. And how universal some cooking instruments are and how they haven't really changed for centuries.

My aim this week was to try and draw everything I ate. Unfortunately this failed but I did manage to draw mostly food related objects.

The beginnings of a mind map.

Dishes.

Animals/meat/protein.

Here are some unrelated illustrations from this week.



 These are a few drawings from life where I have tried to study movement.

                                                                                    Ionawr Betsan

Inspiration

Whilst most artists would not consider themselves Michelin star chefs, most Michelin star chefs would certainly consider themselves artists! A chef that really inspired me recently was Massimo Bottura. I first discovered him whilst watching Masterchef! He's recently appeared on a documentary called 'Chef's table' in which he talks about his inspiration, passion and the reasoning behind his food.

Something I have always found about Michelin star food is that it generally looks very tampered with and unappetising, (I'm sure it's a different story when its sat in front of you!) However; Bottura's food looks delicious as well as beautiful. He uses famous artists to influence his presentation whilst remaining true to the traditional Italian cuisine that needs no alteration.

The cleverly entitled 'Oh! Deer!' is focused mainly on the quality of the ingredients. The same way the quality of the ingredients make the food taste better, the quality of line in a drawing can make all the difference. The more I learn about food the more I compare it with drawing.

Oh! Deer!

This dish for instance, entitled 'Oops! I dropped the lemon tart' was an accident he replicated to save a dinner service. You can see in this dish his influences taken from abstract artists such as Wassily Kandinsky.

Oops! I dropped the lemon tart.

Tampering with classics is a difficult thing to do but by combing traditional food with contemporary ideas Bottura has created interesting and inspiring food. Hopefully this is something I can emulate in my work as an illustrator.


                                                                            Ionawr Betsan

A new project.

When asked what my passions in life are I generally answer with 'drawing and food!'. Not subjects you would usually associate with being linked. However I have recently found myself drawing more and more food related illustrations and begun illustrating almost everything I eat; breakfast, lunch and dinner (and of course pud!)
For anyone who's trying to watch what they eat, this was an eye-opener and really does motivate you to eat more healthily!

Something I have always found interesting is what foods can be used for in different ways, veggies are not just for making tasty meals with! I'm planning to do some research into which foods are used for which health benefits. Let's see if carrots really do help you see in the dark!

These veggies were drawn to accompany a pasta recipe. Italian food is probably my favourite cuisine and I have begun scouring Italian recipe books for inspiration.

                                                                                                       Ionawr Betsan

10 images

'The plum pudding in danger.' by James Gillray.

I chose this image because it's so clever and witty. This is a perfect demonstration of a brief being solved, a visual representation of information. Not only do I love the style of illustration (Print), I also find it funny and inspiring.






'Ed Milliband' Gary Barker

 I found this image of Ed Milliband whilst browsing the AOI website. It's by the illustrator Gary Barker. The reason I have
chosen this image is because it captures character whilst being stylistic. This image stuck in my mind, simply because I think it's really nicely drawn and made me laugh!





'Alice in wonderland' by John Tenniel.
This image stems from my childhood, 'Alice in wonderland' was (perhaps still is) my favourite book of all time. I have taken inspiration from these illustrations from an early age.

'The water lily pond.' Monet.
This is what I picture as my happy place.  My favourite characteristic of this painting is the way Monet has captured the light and warmth.

'Mrs Tiggiwinkle' Beatrix Potter.
Another iconic character from my childhood. It may seem like an obvious choice but  Potters delicate watercolours have influenced my work over the years.

'Peepo' Janet and Allen Allbherg.
This painting somehow sums up my childhood. The kitchen is very similar to the kitchen in the house I was brought up in and I like how this picture is of normal, busy family life. The little details such as the OXO tin make the illustration very believable and the colour palette brings the whole image to life.

'Pooh bear' E.H.Sheppard.
Humanising animals or toys is not an easy thing to do but Pooh bear and Piglets personality can be seen without having to read a word. These illustrations are simple and rough and that to me is what gives them their charm.

'Self portrait' Leonardo De Vinci
He shows drawing in perhaps it's truest form, although this portrait is a study De Vinci's portrait has character and his lack of detail in certain areas of the drawing gives it a wonderful quality.  I also find self portraits like this one fascinating especially when comparing them to ones from previous years, you see the person change physically and mentally simply in their drawing.

'The mousehole cat' Nicola Baily.
Yes another book from my childhood! I just think the whole book is beautifully illustrated and this was always my favourite picture. It's magical, the colours, the detail, everything!

"Look out, that man's wearing a social suicide vest!" Jonesy cartoons.
It's impossible not to let out a giggle when seeing this picture. I also love the style of this illustration, It's simply witty and charming!