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Research-Radiolab and This American Life February 1, 2011

Posted by leskanturek in Class Topics, Handout Sheets, Picture files and Reference, Researching for Art.
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Two of the smartest shows I know on NPR: Radiolab and This American Life… Both these shows are explore topics/themes that are researched and  presented in a thought provoking entertaining way.  Sound familiar?  This is just what your goal is when you create an illustration. Something peeks your interest, you research the topic and then develop a thought provoking visually entertaining piece of art.

Radiolab is hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich.  two hosts that have great chemistry together.  “Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we’ll feed it with possibility.”   to quote from their site  http://www.radiolab.org/about/

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This American Life – ” The radio show and TV show follow the same format. There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There’s lots more to the show, but it’s sort of hard to describe. Probably the best way to understand the show is to start at our favorites page,”    http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

What I like about both of these shows is their honest exploration of a topic or hypothesis. The obvious answer to a simple question might be dispproved (along with your assumptions…who knew parrasites good be good?), sometimes the show is about solid detective work (why is that goat standing on a cow’s back?), other times episodes bring to light issues , people , and places you never knew existed.

If you become a listener to these two shows you will never again ask your self…what’s a good topic/idea to explore for my project/thesis…(promise)

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By the way…if you do want to know why that goat is standing on the back of that cow..listen to this.

Reasearch-The Library of Congress February 1, 2011

Posted by leskanturek in Class Topics, Picture files and Reference, Researching for Art.
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As an illustrator, you will be developing your own projects as well as collaborating with others on their projects. Authors, editors, creative directors, and art directors are all relying on your expertise to bring an idea to visual life. Researching your topic is one of the most important things you can do in developing an illustration. Gathering reference isn’t simply a matter of making sure your subject’s anatomy is correct but becoming enough of an expert on that subject so you can add integrity to your drawing/painting and know where you can take artistic liberties.  The Library of Congress ( LOC)  is an unbelievable resource for visual, and intellectual,research. A visit to the site will undoubtedly give you ideas and topics for projects for years to come. In many cases hi-res  files of the viewed image is available , ( you should be careful to read the copyright info, not everything is in the public domain).  Film, audio recordings… it really is a virtual treasure trove of information and imagery.

 

A 1910 photo of Dr. Doyen separating “Hindoo twins”,  collections of  baseball cards, What was in Lincoln’s pocket when he was assassinated?  All of the above and a lot more can be researched and viewed online at the Library of Congress’ site   http://www.loc.gov/index.html