Exercise A

Task: What is your relationship with drawing, painting and illustrating? Why do you like it, why not? Favorite techniques? What are you good at? Works/artists you admire?

I like to draw. But I don't do it. Same with the painting and illustrating though I'd love to. Somehow I'm always too busy. The other problem is that I have loads of ideas but I can't realize them. Maybe I'm too self-critical...

Last autumn I took part to the intensive course of illustrating and I totally loved it. I made two illustrations that were based on poem of Kirsi Kunnas. My illustrations weren't supposed to be used as an individual elements but as a whole spread illustration in a storybook. This time I'd like to do smaller illustrations that work well with text and layout.

In that course (which lasted a week) we used traditional techniques like water and wood colors and drawing ink. I'm more familiar with traditional techniques than working with computer. I like to make collages and combine different techniques. I try to find new ways of illustrating because I think for example new textures are exciting.

I have used Photoshop but only to finish some pieces of my work. I haven't made any illustrations using only Photoshop. I'm just starting to use Illustrator and it seems a bit hard. I like vector based graphic but I don't know how to use it. That's why I'm eager to learn!

I have many favorite art works. In general I like poster art very much - vintage art especially. Some examples here.

I also like some generous paintings by Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

And so so many more...but the time is up :)