Bobby. In recent years, I've found commercial clients often looking to convey a sense of heritage and history to their brands, and vintage-looking work has been at the heart of that. I think, in such a fast-paced modern world, people are looking to hark back to 'simpler times', and a 'classic' illustration style can make something feel timeless along with a reassurance of quality.
I learned to build the illustration up and, then, when I thought it was 'finished', started to remove layers while taking away anything superfluous that might distract from the core concept of the image. More often than not, I would end up with a more concise and pure piece of work that did its job more effectively.
Bobby. I don't refer to a specific piece of collected imagery. The work is a result of taking in a multitude of influences from both, the past and the modern world I live and work in.
I want to avoid pastiche or mimic a vintage piece of design; that work has already been done. I want to create something new, but, obviously, it will be informed by the style of things I am naturally drawn to – most of those things are vintage.
Bobby. As my illustration skills developed, I often found my work is more complicated, but I noticed they weren't saying anything more. So, I work to convey the idea as best I can on a poster i.e. "What is the simplest way I can represent X?"
I love design and illustration with function – anything from old flight safety cards to vintage science diagrams. Anything that distills an idea or visual down to its basic parts gets my vote. A canvas such as a matchbox or stamp forces the artists to be clearer and sparing with line and shape to carry their idea over.
Bobby. Having a background in screen-printing, I love imagery harking back to an age of craft and care – enjoying all the trappings, limitations and errors caused by unreliable printing technology. Misprints, broken halftone and loose registration show a human touch to the image that I think we miss with computer-based artwork.
I illustrate with modern tools, but have a history in screen-printing, and love how a print process can affect the work to create interesting outcomes you wouldn't have initially thought about. The imperfect results of archaic print processes have added a unique and finished warmth to vector based illustrations that would otherwise feel cold and clinical.
Bobby. I think, creating an image that initially grabs the audience with its bold clarity and immediate recognition of both tone and subject is important. But, then, also having a further depth and detail to investigate means the audience will take it in for more than just a second and want to stay with the piece. It's always about balance.
