Collection 100 - Developing the illustrations

Rather than designing different compositions for 100 different designs, I thought it would be more practical to design them as I go along, using aspects from other rules and combining them with others. I wanted to add a comedic twist to the illustrations which hopefully is evident in some designs.

I first looked at different compositions:

As you can see, for rule #2, I originally used the French flag as the background to the illustration without any other imagery. Aforementioned, however, I wanted to stick to a consistent colour scheme so the designs were uni, therefore I decided to alter this for the final design. I found it hard, however, to create realistic figures throughout all of my designs without primary source photographs as reference therefore I thought it was most effective to use existing stock imagery, like the following for example (Rule #4)

Just a few of the reference images I used.

Collection 100 - Alien films

I watched several alien-orientated films as I was struggling to devise 100 tips and tricks.

 Become a member of the INS Division 6

Also known as the Men in Black, it is a bureau that licenses, monitors and polices alien activity on planet earth.

Wear a suit

Not only will you look superior, you'll look suave too.

Almost everyone who works in a post office is an alien

Avoid at all costs.

Animals can sense aliens nearby

If you notice strange symptoms with your pet such as agressive behaviour or involuntary urination, an alien or its spacecraft is nearby.

Aliens hate water

It is one of their weaknesses

Don't use a walkie talkie 

Aliens can tamper with the frequency

Birds can interfere with overhead spacecrafts

Move south for the winter

Play "Indian Love Call" by Slim Whiteman

It is suggested that this song is an aliens weakness.

Collection 100 - UFO Hotspots

For some of the rules, I decided to incorporate the UFO hotspot maps I previously designed. I integrated each map into 2 rules due to the size limitations (regarding text). If I wanted to feature more text, the point size would be 6 or less and therefore more harder to read when printed. I changed the colour of the map to white to make it look consistent with the other illustrations.

 

Collection 100 - Creating the illustrations

Before creating the illustrations, I wanted to look at different compositions, colour and form. I looked at ways of aligning text with imagery to see which would look the most effective. I experimented using one colour for the main illustration but decided it would be most effective and more worthwhile using different colours.

Illustrations with varying coloured backgrounds depending on the nature of the rule would seem too busy.

Two varying colours - blue and dark grey could be integrated into each rule somehow. It would give the book a uniform look as each double page spread would consist of the same two colours throughout.

With the addition of shape, colour and varying tones, each design differs; however they still look part of a set.

For my first rule; "Don't hang around with cows". I wanted to depict a stereotypical scene featured in many films/tv shows/books. Cows are typically the subject of alien abductions, hence why the rule was formed therefore I wanted to depict these in the illustrations alongside someone being abducted. I found a reference image online and traced around it using Illustrator.

I did the same with a figure of a man using the 'wet floor' sign:

However, in comparison with the cow illustration, it was far too simplistic so I added more detail to make the style of illustration similar throughout.

I then began designing the first illustration, using simple shapes and varying tones of the underlying background to create the UFO, for example:

Some other initial compositions:

Collection 100 - Book limitations

If I wanted to create a book full of 100 illustrations portraying each individual rule, the book would consist of 25 pieces of paper (double sided). However, due to the small size of my intended format and using the binding technique I learnt in the book making session, it would be less complicated to create 4 books of 25 illustrations (6 pages per - 7 including cover) instead due to its limitations.

The amount cut from the pages once bound would dramatically differ if it were to be made from 6 pages instead of 25. If I were to create a book full of illustrations using the binding method I previously learnt, the positioning of my illustrations on each page would differ too when taking into account how much of the page will be trimmed.