An Invisible Framework to Guide You
Storytelling often comes naturally to artists. Sometimes the story starts on a single canvas or sheet of paper and doesn’t end until there is a gallery full of paintings, a suite of drawings, a set of illustrations, a series of comic strips or an entire graphic novel. Certain subject matters compel an artist to revisit them again and again, building on a concept or pushing it in different directions. The narrative can be a visible part of the artwork, in the form of a written story. But oftentimes it acts as an invisible framework that guides an artist through the creative process.
Reaching for the Story
“Narrative is like an infrastructure that you can come back to and get more and more out of it each time. Each work turns out rich by itself, but there’s also something to reach for,” says artist David Sandlin. He is also an adviser for second-year graduate students in the Illustration as Visual Essay program at the School of Visual Arts, in New York City.
Storytelling for Every Artist is Unique
Students in the program work toward discovering what is integral for all artists to discover — the kind of artists they want to be and what form their work will take, whether fantasy artworks of other worlds or realistic views of the places and people around them. Along their journey, they also develop an understanding of the possible uses of narrative in their work.
When Words Are Too Much
“Telling a story visually seems poignant and resonates strongly with me,” says Laura Peyton, an artist, bookmaker and illustrator. “There is something about communicating visually that is incredibly powerful, but sometimes the words seem overwhelming. I often start with images, building the story from the images I create. That way, the viewer can have their own personal interpretation.”
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