Book graphics as an art form, its means of expression.
The role of book illustration in the formation of artistic and aesthetic taste in preschool children.
A child encounters a children's book already in the very first years of his life. The book is one of the first works of art that he encounters.
The artist comes to the child when he still cannot speak, and, along with the parents and the author of the children's book, becomes the first educator and teacher. It forms in children a love for beauty, high aesthetic feelings, artistic taste, and love for their homeland.
Book graphics refers to fine arts art. Like all types of art (painting, graphics, sculpture, architecture), it reflects reality through figurative, visual reproduction of its visible forms, conveys the appearance of objects and phenomena of the objective world, the whole variety of events and life processes perceived by vision. Fine art conveys one or another moment of development and movement, as if “stopping moments,” and helps a person see the connections and relationships of objects real world, reveals the beauty of reality, sometimes hidden from a person by particulars and random details.
Fine art not only depicts the world around us, but also expresses the feelings and thoughts of the artist, his attitude towards what is displayed. This unity of image and expression, special and general, objective and subjective, rational and emotional determines the essence of the artistic image. Expressive means work of art– drawing, composition, color – “work” to embody the artist’s ideological and aesthetic plan, to create complete picture life, allowing us to highlight the main, basic, typical, essential in the depicted reality.
Graphics more than other types fine arts is close to writing, drawing, or a conventional sign, since its important graphic means is the very plane of a white sheet of paper with lines, dots, strokes and spots applied to it.
Book graphics - illustrations - are drawings that figuratively explain a literary text, while at the same time decorating the book, enriching its decorative structure. The peculiarity of illustration as a genre of fine art is that its figurative structure is based on a given literary outline and is subordinated to a specific task - illumination and explanation of the text. Genuinely artistic illustration always closely merges with the text of the book, forming an inextricable unity with it.
The main artistic means of illustration for children is the figurative realistic disclosure of the ideas of literature and life phenomena, the meaning of everything that surrounds us. It is based on the imagery of children's thinking. The artist comes to the child when he cannot speak yet, and the artist helps him understand the contents of the book.
The image of the hero is one of the most important points in illustrations for children. In a book for little ones, an artistic image conveys to the child a wide variety of concepts about the world around him and serves as the first measure of life phenomena.
The creation of an artistic image in illustration for children is carried out using a set of specific tools artistic expression graphics-drawing, color, composition of the book page, layout of the book as a whole.
Color in a children's book is the artist's main assistant. Research shows that it plays an important role in the process of a child’s perception of illustrations. This is due to the special emotionality of children, their increased responsiveness to color.
The complexity of children's relationship to color is clearly visible in their drawings, where color acts as a way of distinguishing objects and expressing emotions: often color also performs a play function. For an artist who turns not only to color perception, but also to the “color imagination” of children, it is important that this imagination is controlled both by the impressions of the visible world and by the emotional reaction to them, as well as by the specific play logic of the child. The artist’s task is to satisfy the child’s need for color harmony. By introducing children to comprehend the laws of color harmony, the artist not only develops their aesthetic senses, but also prepares his viewers for a full perception of many other phenomena of reality.
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Book graphics as a form of fine art
Introduction
Each person, opening any book, newspaper or magazine next to the text, has more than once noticed drawings by artists or photographs. Such images are called illustrations. This word comes from the Latin “illustratio” - illumination, visual image. It complements or accompanies any text.
The term “illustration” can be understood in both the broad and narrow sense of the word. In a broad sense, this is any image that explains the text. There are many known drawings, paintings and sculptures that were made on literary themes, but at the same time had an independent artistic value. For example, paintings by O. Daumier, based on the novel by M. Cervantes “Don Quixote”, or drawings by V. Serov for the fables of I.A. Krylova.
In a narrow, strict sense, illustrations are works intended to be perceived in a certain unity with the text, that is, located in the book and participating in its perception during the reading process.
Illustrations for a literary work together with it represent a single whole. Book illustrations removed from the text can sometimes become unclear and inexpressive. Illustrations are not independent and based on the plot, they must correspond to the content literary work. They can enrich or impoverish it.
The artist is required to become a co-author of the book, to make the ideas and images of the writer visible, thereby helping to better understand the content and more specifically imagine the era, life, and environment of the characters in the book. But this does not mean at all that the illustration should be a simple visual and graphic retelling of the text.
Illustrations in the narrow sense of the word, therefore, either clarify the text by demonstrating the corresponding visual image, or actively interpret the text. Illustrations help to navigate the contents of the book even before reading, attracting readers.
As you know, the same word “illustration” refers to images that differ in content and form, in meaning for the work and the reader, in the connection between the drawing and the text, in the technique of execution.
According to the purposes pursued by the image, illustrations can be divided into:
1. scientific and educational (maps, plans, diagrams, drawings, etc.).
2. artistic and figurative (interpretation of a literary work by means of book graphics).
Illustrations can be an explanatory image for the text, complementing the text, or an image almost completely independent, sometimes even subordinating the text.
Book illustration has to take into account the specific features of the book, the two-dimensionality of the book page, its format, the nature of the font, the layout method, the quality of the printed paper, the color of the printing ink, etc. Initially, manuscripts were illustrated with miniatures made and painted by hand. After the invention of printing, illustrations were able to be replicated and took their rightful place in book graphics. Such books were very expensive and quite rare, inaccessible to most ordinary people.
The nature of the illustration system of each illustrator can be assessed from the standpoint of how he conveys in the illustration the two main categories of any action - space and time. When considering individual characteristics figurative language the artist should pay attention to how he draws a line and places a spot, what kind of movement he gets, what the artist prefers when modeling a form - line and plasticity or light and color, how he builds spatial plans, how he distributes black and white, what value gives the silhouette, what compositional principles it predominantly uses, how it prefers to convey the nature of movement, gestures of the characters, etc. Often all this is simplistically called the artist’s handwriting, although it would be more correct to call these features individual style.
Thus, book illustration as a special type of fine art has a tremendous influence on the formation of sensory perception of the world, develops aesthetic sensitivity, expressed, first of all, in the desire for beauty in all its manifestations. The illustration in the book is the first meeting of children with the world of fine art. By complementing and deepening the content of the book, awakening in the child those feelings and emotions that a truly artistic work evokes in us, and, finally, enriching and developing his visual perception, book illustrations perform an aesthetic function.
Goal: to reveal the essence of the concept of book graphics and its role in art
1. become familiar with graphics as a form of fine art.
2. Get acquainted with the history and dynamics of the development of illustrations as a separate art form.
3. complete the practical part of the coursework.
1. History of the development of book graphics
The history of the book is closely connected with the history of fine arts and graphics, because It was artists who played a prominent role in the creation of handwritten books. They were the creators of fonts, decorations, and designs.
The artist, through the means of fine art, embodies the ideological and artistic concept, creates the artistic and decorative appearance of the book.
He must not only know fonts and be able to use them, but also be able to modify them, create new ones - corresponding to his plan, the style of the book, the nature of the literary work. When working on an illustration, the artist must clearly imagine how it will be combined with the typesetting strip on the adjacent page, and what the spread of the book will be like.
Currently there are various types literature and various types of books, the purpose and range of readers of which determines the circulation, format, degree and nature of design. Fiction is the largest section in book publishing; it is closely related to the fine arts, therefore it is well designed and illustrated. Children's books are famous for their rich design, large formats, and clear, easy-to-read font. Political literature, as a rule, is designed in simple and strict colors, where photographs are often used as illustrative material. Scientific and technical literature (textbooks and dictionaries) is presented modestly, if not sparingly. Special editions comprise special group, which is called bibliophilic. The design and illustration of such publications is entrusted to the best masters. Rare and expensive materials are used that are not used for mass publications.
In Russia, the first handwritten books with images appeared in the 10th century. The widespread use of books was facilitated by the invention of printing in the mid-15th century.
A feature of modern book graphics is its connection with printing, its dependence on the level and work culture of printing production. The tasks of book graphics are divided into:
Book design - appearance, hand drawn font elements, compositional structure text typing, etc.
Illustrating a book - figurative disclosure literary text using drawings.
Line and tone illustrations are common in graphics. There are illustrations executed in a three-dimensional plan and a conventionally planar interpretation. There are also their own principles for developing chiaroscuro, volumes and perspectives, their own scales and composition techniques. This is why ordinary graphic easel works, even if reduced to book formats, cannot serve as illustrations and will only be reproductions pasted into a book.
It is necessary to especially emphasize outstanding role end-grain woodcut in book art.
A book is one of the most important spiritual needs modern man, it organically combines the work of both the artist and publishing workers and printers. Only the harmonious work of these people creates a full-fledged book.
2. Features of the design and illustration of the book
The history of illustration goes back centuries. More in Ancient Egypt spells and hymns written on papyri were accompanied by illustrations. They were created to illustrate the content of the texts. Antique samples found in the manuscripts of the Iliad and Aeneid have survived to this day.
In Ancient Rus', already in the 11th century, illustrations were created for handwritten books (“Ostromir Gospel”, “Svyatoslav’s Collection”). They were colorful, decorated with gold, and executed delicately. Such books were made in one copy, were highly valued and were very expensive. They were inaccessible to people who had limited means, and the need for a book became more and more urgent. And then the idea of a printed book arose.
With the invention of printing (late 14th - early 15th centuries), the history of illustration began to develop rapidly. These illustrations were the same black color as the text itself, since the boards on which the text was engraved were smeared black paint. The vignette (from the French vignette), a graphic image complete in composition, small in volume, of a plot-thematic or subject nature (often with symbolic meaning). Typically, such illustrations were located on the title pages of the book, its first and last pages. The history of book illustration cannot be considered as a direct and consistent path of artistic improvement.
There were moments in it when masterpieces were created, but there were also periods of decline and loss of artistic skill.
Nowadays, book graphics are divided into book design and illustration. The design of a book includes its decorative outfit, its decorations, hand-drawn font elements, compositional structure of text typesetting, etc. Illustrating a book solves the problem of figuratively revealing a literary text with the help of drawings.
Illustration is determined not by the free choice of the artist, but by a literary work. Its purpose is to “illuminate”, “make visual” what is described in the book - events and actions, as well as general idea, which prompted the author to write the book.
The book, with its size and its structure, cannot but influence the features of the illustration. The size of the page limits the size of the illustrations; their immediate proximity to the font obliges the artist to find a harmonious solution for the book spread. Book illustration has to take into account the specific features of the book, the two-dimensionality of the book page, its format, the nature of the font, the layout method, the quality of the printed paper, and the color of the printing ink. The printing technique also forces the artist to coordinate the means of representation with the printing method intended for a given publication.
Illustrating books requires a lot of stress and responsibility from the artist. However, the different abilities of children and adults to perceive the visual language of illustrations force the artist to look for one or another figurative structure of images both in a children's book and in any other, to look for certain plots, compositional structures, etc. The most specific work of the artist is in the design of books for preschoolers and junior schoolchildren, at this age the characteristics of children's perception are most clearly manifested; the goals and tasks facing the graphic designer are complex and diverse.
Based on general methodological principles for designing book publications, children's book artists develop a special creative approach to solving emerging problems that require the use of specific techniques and means of design and illustration of children's literature.
In general, the design of children's books is closely related to the state of contemporary art, with the achievements of painting, graphics, design.
3. Book design elements
A special place in the design of a book is occupied by its appearance. The external elements of a book include the binding, cover, dust jacket, title page, illustrations, splash page, ending and initial. Work on the cover and dust jacket is carried out in parallel with work on the internal material of the book, text and illustrations.
A cover is an artistic solution for covering a book that contains a book block. The cover design should be conventionally decorative, clear, give the book a beautiful appearance, but at the same time give an accurate description of the book, reveal its main meaning, style and figurative structure. The cover should contain font elements that reflect the main header information. The cover of a book is not just hard pages that prevent the book from quickly becoming unusable and present the title and author of the work. The cover of a book is much more, because it is the one that can attract the reader and repel him, create a good impression of the book or a deceptive one. The design of a book cover should fully reflect its content - and not only provide specific information about the work, but also to some extent reflect its genre, essence, and mood. If the mood of the work is not taken into account when creating the cover design, then the reader may feel deceived - he expected to read interesting, complex philosophical parables, but what he got was an ordinary detective story. Of course, books are chosen by authors, titles and genres, but without their knowledge, people subconsciously focus on the cover, so it should convey the mood of the literary work.
Of the design indicators, only two have a relative influence on the principle of visual design: the decoration of headings and illustrations. The decoration should be reflected in the overall compositional scheme of the cover and binding and, in particular, in the nature of the use of color, font design, line construction, etc. Illustration material has a great influence on the choice of theme for the image on the cover or binding.
By the nature of the design, covers and bindings can be font, ornamental, emblematic, subject-decorative, subject-thematic, etc.
For a long time, the usual material for covers was paper, which was denser than the sheets of a book block, but still not strong enough. The development of chemistry has made it possible to create new, more durable materials for covers, in which paper is only the base. The most important of them is paper coated on one or both sides with a transparent polymer. This material is not only much stronger than ordinary paper, but also noticeably differs from it in appearance and design qualities. The strength of a purely paper cover can also be increased by pressing a transparent synthetic film or varnishing onto it. More durable adhesives have also been developed for attaching the cover to the book block. The strength of a publication with a cover also depends on the way it is attached to the book block, and the design of the cover itself may become somewhat more complicated.
The release of a publication with a cover is much simpler in production and can be carried out much faster than with a cover. In addition, the cover is cheaper than the binding. Therefore, the production of cover editions is expanding.
Cover design is often presented as a file or set of color separated photo plates, or if the color separations were done by hand, then as an image on thick paper with a transparent coating containing instructions or additional details.
The binding is stronger than the cover, but the strength of the various types again depends on the material and design features. Today, two types of binding are common: solid fabric and composite. On all-fabric bindings, text and images are applied with paint or embossing; bronze foil is often used. There is relief embossing without paint. Bindings of this type are laconic, as they are made with two or three embossings. Most often, the image on them is reduced to a sign, a symbol. Composite bindings, which consist of a fabric spine and paper-covered sides, can be used to reproduce a multicolor image.
A book binding consists of two strong, usually hard covers (front and back) and a spine, into which the bound sheets of the book are enclosed (glued). A necessary element of a bound book are the endpapers - sheets of thick paper folded in half, glued in front and behind the book to the outer notebook of the book block and the inside of the binding cover, serving as a means of fastening the book and as an element of its decoration. In addition, a bound book, as a rule, has a captal - a cotton or silk braid with a thickened edge, attached to the spine of the book block in order to most firmly fasten the sheets of the book, as well as decorate it.
An important commercial feature of the binding is the originality of its artistic design, which is based on the way the binding is decorated - the binding covers, spine, endpaper and edge together. The main methods of binding design include the following:
1. Printing with grated inks.
Reproduction of text, ornament or design using letterpress printing, and the images can be single-color or multi-color. It is the simplest, most economical and widespread type of binding design for mass-produced publications.
2. Embossing.
Technique artistic treatment leather, fabric, metal, cardboard, etc., obtaining an image of a drawing or text on their surface using pressure. There are the following main types of stamping: 2.1. Flat-depth inkless ("blind", fire, blind - blind (English)) Essentially, it is a type of high inkless printing; the simplest and most economical type of embossing. 2.2. Relief, or embossed. Obtaining a convex image on binding covers. It is distinguished by its great visual capabilities, the complexity of the technological process and its high cost; it is used to a limited extent, mainly in the most artistically designed publications to reproduce the portrait of the author of the book, various emblems, etc. It can be colorless and colored. 2.3. In-depth colorful. A type of embossing similar to that described in paragraph 2.1 and differing from it in the presence of a colorful image. Can be using binding foil (colorful and metallized).
3. Inlay, or mosaic.
4. Decorating the surface of the binding with patterns or images made from other materials that differ from the main one in color or quality.
4. Drawing and coloring by hand.
1. Covering edges of books with paints or gold in protective and decorative purposes; has been used since ancient times. 2. Decoration of binding covers (leather, paper) with spray (paint splashes) followed by varnishing the surface of the material. 3. Obtaining marble (imitating the natural pattern of marble).
5. Attaching metal decorations.
1. Decoration of binding covers with metal fittings (corners, mullions, beetles) or frame.
2. Attaching fasteners.
3. Attaching curtains (covers) - shields in the form of silver plates to the top board of the frame in order to protect artistically decorated book edges.
6. Torshoning - Treatment of the surface of binding material or book edges with special tools in order to change their texture.
The title page is the right half of the first spread of the book. The title contains more complex font elements that explain the title and publishing information. If an illustration is placed on the left page of the first spread, or a portrait of the author is printed, such a page is called a frontispiece. The design on the title is used relatively rarely and has more of a decorative value.
Titles are the individual sheets that open parts or sections of a book. The title contains a title and a simple ornamental motif or design.
A dust jacket is an artistically designed paper covering of a book on top of the cover. Main task- draw attention to the book and protect the cover from damage for a while.
Illustrations are drawings that figuratively reveal a literary text, subordinate to the content and style of the literary work.
A headpiece is a small composition of an ornamental nature or in the form of a picture that opens a section of text.
Ending - a small drawing or ornamental motif that completes last page any section or the entire book.
An initial is the initial letter in the text of a book created by an artist.
An imposition or imposition is the name given to the first page of the text of a book, usually decorated with a headpiece or initial letter.
4. Book illustration. Its types and functions
Book illustration reflects reality through figurative, visual reproduction of its visible forms, conveys the appearance of objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, the whole variety of events perceived by vision. In turn, book graphics - component book edition. The book includes literature, graphics, type art and printing art. Book artists develop the type of publication, the design of the book, its decorative design, and the illustration cycle.
Illustrating the classical fiction should perform the following tasks: help the reader navigate the corresponding era and supplement the author’s plot with those individual historical and everyday details that are not always easy for the writer to highlight as the action progresses (for example, a detailed description of the hero’s appearance, costume, setting, etc.).
Depending on the size and location in the book, there are the following types of illustrations:
Frontispiece;
Screensaver;
Strip illustration (full page);
Half-strip;
Gatefold (two pages);
Frill (small design surrounded by text);
Drawings in the margins;
The ending.
Frontispiece (French frontispice) is the title illustration placed on the left half of the first spread of the book, the right side of which is occupied by the title page. The frontispiece is an illustration of the entire literary work, expressing the most essential side of the work, its ideological and artistic center. It can correspond to a specific place in a work or a group of themes combined into one, or have an associative or generalized image. Sometimes a portrait of the writer or the main characters is placed here.
Splash illustrations are placed at the beginning of a part or chapter of a book on the imposition page along with the text; they mark the beginning of one of the parts of the story; they are usually located at the top of the page and are separated from the text by a white margin. They help the reader focus on new material and emotionally tune in to it. Titles may depict the scene described at the beginning of the chapter; talk about main topic parts or chapters; show a scene or landscape that should evoke a corresponding mood in the reader. Screensavers can also be decorative or symbolic. The screensaver is like a small overture to the text, preparing the reader for the active perception of a literary work or chapter of a book.
Illustrations in stripes, half-strips, double-page spreads, frills and drawings in the margins are located inside the text. The choice of illustration format is determined depending on the importance of the illustrated event, image, etc. The content of such illustrations is usually directly related to the text that precedes or follows them. For large double-page or full-page illustrations, choose important events works, and less significant ones are depicted in small frilly illustrations or drawn in the margins.
Illustrations largely determine the architecture of the book, so it is necessary to pay attention to their rhythmic alternation and their uniform saturation throughout the text.
Ending illustrations are placed at the end of parts, chapters or the entire book. They, just like screensavers, can be plot-thematic, ornamental, decorative or symbolic.
Illustrations are also divided into types:
· subject
· abstract
· figurative
· drawings, diagrams, maps
The type of layout of the illustration on the strip depends on the format of the illustration and the format of the strip. There is an open layout (the illustration is installed at the top or bottom of the strip and touches the text on one or both sides). Closed layout, in which the illustration is folded inside the text and comes into contact with the text on two sides (cross-cut illustration) or three sides (frilled layout). Blank layout, in which the illustration is covered with text on four sides (double-sided frill). Layout of illustrations in the margins. Layout with access to the field. The illustration is striped - it occupies the entire page. Format - all format. Informative (or explanatory) illustrations are especially important in reference, scientific, technical and educational publications. Educational illustrations can be of two types: believable recreation appearance object or drawing-scheme.
In the first case, the illustration appeals to visual-sensory perception, in the second, by demonstrating the fundamental structure of the object or explaining the mechanism of its action, to the reader’s logical thinking ability. An educational illustration must be documentary and accurate. In didactic and scientific publications, entertaining illustrations are used that give the reader the necessary psychological relaxation. In textbooks, it is productive to use game illustrations, with the help of which the student game form receives and completes this or that task. Artistically imaginative illustration is not a mandatory element of the book. But if a publisher decides to publish a literary and artistic work with illustrations, he must realize the full responsibility of such a decision. Nothing harms a publication more than “lightweight” illustrations, based on superficial reading and therefore discrediting and dumbing down the writer’s work. It is worth engaging only an artist who is able and willing to penetrate into the essence of the writer’s text and embody its spirit in visual form.
The purpose of a figurative illustration is not limited to a narrow explanatory function: it must influence the viewer as a full-fledged work of art, and be executed with high graphic skill. In addition, it should be organically “built” into the book, becoming part of its overall typographic architectonics. The complementary function of illustrations is associated with the ability of the image to expand the understanding of the text, to show a part within the boundaries of the whole or, conversely, to present the whole with its constituent parts. In addition, illustrations contribute to the formation of additional experiences in the reader, which expand the possibilities of the impact of books on the emotional sphere of the individual.
The visual language of an illustration depends on the time of its creation. The circumstances under which the book is published are also decisive. The handwritten and small-circulation book was decorated and illustrated by the best masters. Becoming a hot commodity, a book late XIX centuries often ends up in the hands of artisan illustrators.
However, one cannot evaluate the artistic quality of an illustration solely on the basis of whether one likes or dislikes it. Such assessments may be explained by insufficient familiarity with works of art and an undeveloped ability to analyze. Displeasure may be caused by encountering an unusual, unexpected way of depiction, although this method is dictated by the literary work itself. General culture and aesthetic education are mandatory and necessary for a correct understanding of artistic illustration.
illustration book graphics design
Conclusion
Art is always in tune with its time, it is modern and reflects the worldview of society as a whole. In turn, art has a strong influence on the masses, which is why the attitude of the artist himself to life is so important. The development of various distorted trends in art, the so-called pseudo-art, is in tune with its era.
However, with all the variability of art forms within a given period, there were always relatively stable artistic features - compositional, plastic, coloristic, rhythmic and others that determined the style of a particular time.
The best representatives of culture: artists, graphic artists, sculptors, architects, filmmakers, actors, writers of yesterday and today strive in their creativity to reflect the best thoughts and feelings of humanity, to treat with care the masterpieces of world culture.
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Creating fonts is an important area of graphic art. After all, the beauty of the line and the entire page as a whole depends on the design of each individual letter, on its beauty and clarity. And the more beautiful and harmonious all the lines are, the easier and freer the text is to read. Many great artists worked on the creation of fonts, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer.
Each volume of the Children's Encyclopedia uses several types of fonts, which differ from each other in style and size. The title page is followed by an imposition page. The main text of the book begins there. Its first letters are often very large in size, these are - drop caps. They appeared in handwritten books. Once upon a time they were painted with gold and all the paints that the artist had, surrounded by ornate designs or complex patterns. And these days they are often surrounded by ornaments or combined with a design.
This volume consists of several sections covering different types arts: fine arts, music, theater, etc. All sections are separated from each other by titles - separate pages (or spreads) with the names of the types of art that will be discussed. The illustrations placed on them also give an idea of the content of this section.
Illustration translated from Latin language means "illumination". And any image that “illuminates”, otherwise explains, reveals the text, will be called illustration.
The illustration placed at the beginning of the text, at the beginning of the chapter, is called screensaver, and at the end - ending. Illustrations that occupy the entire page, or, as they say, a page of the book, are called strip illustrations, half of the page are called half-strip. There are also very small illustrations, tightly surrounded by text - these are frilly illustrations.
When starting to illustrate a book, the artist must first study its text well, clearly imagine all the events and all the characters of the literary work. He must thoroughly study the details of life in the era in which the action being described takes place - homes, costumes, utensils, weapons, etc. - and only after that begin to draw.
And finally, after a long search, after creating countless sketches and sketches, the artist creates the final drawing - the original, from which reproductions for the book are made in the printing house.
Dozens of artists from our country, specialists in various fields of graphic art, worked on illustrating the Children's Encyclopedia. Some of them painted originals for color illustrations with multi-colored watercolors, others with ink or black watercolors - originals for black and white drawings. Some artists were only involved in the design of the book: they selected fonts and designs for covers, endpapers and title pages, others did text illustrations. But no matter how diverse and multifaceted the work of graphic artists illustrating the Children's Encyclopedia is, they have one common task– to make the book’s articles more accessible and clearer, to help you understand their content more fully and deeply.
Book graphics belong to the fine arts. Like all these types of art (painting, graphics, sculpture), it reflects reality through figurative, visual reproduction of its visible forms, conveys the appearance of objects and phenomena of the objective world, the whole variety of events and life processes perceived by vision. Fine art conveys this or that moment of development and movement, as if “Stopping the moment,” and helps a person to see the connections and relationships of objects in the real world, reveals the beauty of reality, sometimes hidden from a person by particulars and random details.
Fine art not only depicts the world around us, but also expresses the feelings and thoughts of the artist, his attitude towards what is displayed. This unity of image and expression, special and general, objective and subjective, rational and emotional determines the essence of the artistic image. The expressive means of a work of art - drawing, composition, coloring - “work” to embody the artist’s ideological and aesthetic plan, to create a holistic picture of life, which allows us to highlight the main, basic, typical, essential in the depicted reality.
Graphics (from the Greek Grafo - I write) are closer to writing, drawing, and symbols than other types of fine art, since its important graphic means is the very plane of a white sheet of paper with lines, dots, strokes and spots applied to it. Graphics are divided into two types:
Ш Drawing - the artist creates an image directly on a sheet of paper;
Ш Printed engraving.
Graphics are close to painting, but if color is the main medium there artistic expression and appears in inextricable connection with the line, which is not always clear, can be muted, obscured by chiaroscuro, and sometimes barely visible, then in graphics the line is the main means of expression.
Graphics, more than painting, schematizes, rationalizes and constructs the subject. It is more conventional than other types of fine art. This is felt, if only because the drawing can be made on almost any plane, any background. It can be imagined even in isolation from the background, in a conceivable plane or space. In graphics, its “madeness” is emphasized more clearly than in painting.
Painting creates a convincing illusion of what is directly seen. Usually this illusion occurs when moving away from the canvas: painting requires that it be looked at from a distance, from where the strokes are indistinguishable, merging into a natural harmony, similar to the harmony of nature. We look at the graphic sheet closely and see conventional strokes, zigzags, lines, that is, the whole “technique” of the drawing. It is designed to be obvious.
If in painting space is conveyed using all possible means, including chiaroscuro and aerial perspective, then in graphics space is conveyed by ordinary linear perspective and the construction of plans, as well as the very color of the white sheet.
Book graphics - illustration (from the Latin illustrare - to clarify) - these are drawings that figuratively explain the literary text, at the same time decorating the book, enriching its decorative structure. The peculiarity of illustration as a genre of fine art is that its figurative structure is based on a given literary outline and is subordinated to a specific task - illumination and explanation of the text. As a means of clarity, illustration is closely dependent on the ideological and figurative structure of a literary work.
Book illustration acts in synthesis with all the elements of the book, and most importantly - the text of the literary work itself, its plot and style. A truly artistic illustration always closely merges with the text of the book, forming an inextricable unity with it.
A book is a synthesis of arts: the art of words, graphics and printing.
The book, which is one of the most important spiritual needs of modern man, organically combines the work of the artist, publishing workers and printers.
The book artist has the responsible task of embodying the ideological and artistic concept, the content of the literary text, and creating the artistic and decorative appearance of the book through the means of fine art. Only a harmonious combination of these two sides of book graphics creates a full-fledged book.
A distinctive feature of book graphics is its close connection with printing, its dependence on the level and work culture of printing production.
Based on the main tasks of book graphics, it is divided into design and illustration of the book. The design of a book includes its decorative outfit, its decoration, drawn font elements, compositional structure of text typesetting, etc. (cover, title page, titles, etc.). Illustrating a book (from the Latin illustratio - visual image, description) solves the problem of figurative disclosure of a literary text with the help of drawings (illustrations of various types). Let us immediately make a reservation that this division is very relative. In a good book, it is impossible to trace where the design ends and the illustration begins. We know of examples of a convincing solution to an ideological plan and the construction of a book only by means of design. Quite often in the design elements (on the cover, title, dust jacket, etc.) we find a drawing that helps reveal the literary text. The real illustrations in the book, with all the depth of the ideological, figurative solution, in turn, do not lose their decorativeness, do not cease to be elements of the decoration of the book, in perfect harmony with the type, the paper - with the nature of the book.
Look carefully at V. Favorsky’s amazingly complete, beautifully constructed work on the book “Little Tragedies” by A. S. Pushkin. In it, even the smallest decorative elements have a deep meaning, and psychologically poignant illustrations are harmoniously connected with the text and create the decorative appearance of the book.
In our country, unfortunately, the practice of entrusting the illustration of a book to one artist and the design to another is still too widespread. The collaboration of two artists is permissible in rare cases if there is a creative relationship, a unanimous “reading” of a literary text, and mutual agreement in the work. There are examples of such close collaboration in our art. Design and illustration of the book - one creative process carried out, ideally, by one artist. We combine the two sides of this process into the concept of book graphics. We use the terms “illustration” and “design”, as they accurately reflect the main tasks of book graphics and help to understand the creative process and elements of a book.
There are different types of literature and different types of books. Depending on their purpose, on what circle of readers the book is addressed to and what goals it pursues, its circulation, format, degree and nature of design and illustration will depend. Here are some examples of the most common types of books.
Fiction constitutes one of the most extensive sections of book publishing. By its nature, it is organically connected with fine art; it is designed and illustrated in a wide and varied manner.
Political literature is usually published in large, mass editions within a short period of time. Its contents correspond to a simple and strict design. Photographs are often used as illustrative material.
A children's book, as a rule, is distinguished by its rich design, elegance, large formats, and clear, easy-to-read font. If in other types of books color is used sparingly and only in some elements of the book, then a children's book, especially for children younger age, is distinguished by its richness of color, colorful covers, and many color illustrations.
Scientific and technical literature, most textbooks and dictionaries are distinguished by a very sparse, modest design.
A special group consists of special publications, the so-called unique books, dedicated to anniversary dates, events, outstanding works of literature, etc. They are produced in unusual non-standard formats and in small editions. The design and illustration of such publications is entrusted to the best craftsmen. Rare and expensive materials are used that are not used for mass publications. Such books are also called bibliophilic (bibliophilia - love of books).
The complex organism of a book consists of many elements. Let's get acquainted with those elements in the solution of which the artist plays a leading role.
Cover (binding) is an artistic solution to the covering of a book, which encloses a book block. The cover solution, which usually uses color, should be conventionally decorative, clear, give the book a beautiful appearance, but at the same time give an accurate description of the book, reveal its main meaning, style and figurative structure. The cover should contain font elements that reflect the main title data (author and title of the book).
The title or title page is the right half of the first spread of a book. The title contains more complex font elements that explain the title and publishing information. Sometimes this data extends to the adjacent left page - the counter-title. This decision is called a reversal title. If an illustration is placed on the left page of the first spread or a portrait of the author is printed, such a page is called a frontispiece. The design on the title is used relatively rarely and has more of a decorative value.
An initial (from the Latin initialis - initial) is the initial letter of a section in the text of a book or manuscript created by an artist. The Old Russian name for the initial, the initial letter, has been preserved in everyday life.
The first page of a book's text, usually decorated with a header or drop cap, is called an imposition or imposition.
This is a short list of the elements of the book. In addition to the mandatory cover and title for each book, all other elements are introduced to the extent required by the goals, purpose of the book, its volume, circulation and the artist’s intention.
The creative process in the art of book graphics is complex and its specifics can best be learned from the example of design and illustration of fiction. The artist chooses an author and a work that is especially close to him in concept, nature of creativity, style and allows him to more fully express his beliefs and reveal his professional skills. The writer and the artist should be related by the unity of creative quests. A thoughtful reading of a literary work is the beginning of an artist’s work on a book. Then follows a complex process of transformation, the creative reconstruction of a literary text using the means of fine art. Having deeply delved into the worldview and intention of the writer, the artist is obliged to evaluate his work from the point of view of a contemporary (which is especially difficult when working on works of the past) and to express, using the means at his disposal, his own attitude to the creation of the writer.
Carrying out his work, the artist carefully studies the era, the art style of that time, types of people, furnishings, clothing, ornaments and fonts, etc. The artist must capture the spirit of the literary work, its style and reflect it in his work. Superficial copying of external features and artistic techniques style of the era does not yet reveal the depth of the content and is stylization. A truly creative attitude allows the artist to understand the writer’s work more deeply, to more subtly feel the subtext of the work, to sense hidden, internal motives, and style features. Having determined those moments in the work that should be emphasized, the artist considers what means to achieve this, finds a harmonious composition of the book and makes a sketch (model of the book). Often, in illustrations and design, the artist reflects those moments that are literally not contained in the literary text. The artist’s involvement of new motifs does not contradict the content of the book, does not harm the concept, but only complements and enriches it. Fiction and the artist’s imagination are appropriate if they are in harmony with the writer’s style. We know many examples of the organic merging of the creative efforts of a writer and an artist, which gave the world such enduring values culture, such as "Gargantua and Pantagruel" - F. Rabelais and G. Doré, "Hadji Murat" - L. Tolstoy and E. Lanceray, Shakespeare's sonnets designed by V. Favorsky and others. In each case, the artist’s creation corresponds to the spirit of the work, but each of the artists retains his own bright individuality, his own special creative style. We always recognize the special artistic style of such wonderful Soviet artists books like V. Favorsky, D. Shmarinov, N. Kuzmin, V. Konashevich, Yu. Vasnetsov. An important aspect of the art of book graphics is the mandatory consideration of the features of the printing structure of the book, its unique nature as cultural value and how things are. A book artist must work in a strictly defined, predetermined size (format). There are certain most rational standard formats. The artist cannot arbitrarily change the proportions of the sheet, which creates certain difficulties, especially in composition. In addition to the literary text in the form of a font set, the design includes other mandatory text elements (heading and publishing data). The appearance of a modern book is made up of many elements - from the cover to the typesetting, and it would be correct if the artist determines their structure. Based on the required format, the artist determines the volume of the book, the number and type of graphic elements, their distribution throughout the book; it must be clear to him what font the text will be typed in, what are the proportions of the typesetting bar and page margins. All the visual elements in the book are very closely related to the typeface. Font making is ancient and high art. Many generations of artists have worked to create fonts beautiful drawing, perfect proportions, clear, readable and varied fonts. The originals from which the fonts are cast are also created by artists. Only by having a variety of beautiful fonts can you successfully solve the problems of book design. Font elements of the cover, titles, dust jackets, titles, and individual headings are usually drawn by artists. It is necessary to achieve their harmonious combination with typefaces and graphic elements. A book artist must not only know fonts and be able to use them, but also be able to modify existing fonts and create new ones that correspond to his plan, the style of the book, and the nature of the literary work. Constantly caring about the printing and artistic unity of the book, the artist must know at least the basics of printing production and be in close contact with publishing workers preparing the book for publication and printers. All graphic elements of the book must be harmoniously connected with the plane of the paper, with the typesetting strip. When working, for example, on an illustration, the artist must clearly imagine how it will be combined with the typesetting strip on the adjacent page, and what the spread of the book will be like.
The original illustrations are made by the artist in a variety of graphic materials. From these originals, printers prepare printing forms using photomechanical methods, creating so-called clichés. Line and tone illustrations are common in modern book graphics. There are illustrations executed in a volumetric-spatial plan and in a conventionally planar interpretation. Creative interpretation convincingly proves the legitimacy different types illustrations, if they are created by means of graphic art, with its inherent features, if these illustrations are made in a realistic manner and do not turn into either abstract tricks or a naturalistic image.
The book has its own principles for developing chiaroscuro, volumes and perspectives, its own scales and composition techniques. This is why ordinary graphic easel works (even if executed in literary theme), even if they are reduced to book formats, cannot serve as illustrations and will only be reproductions pasted into the book. It is necessary to emphasize the particularly outstanding role of end-to-end wood engraving in the art of books. Its remarkable correspondence with the nature of the book explains the widespread use of woodcuts in Soviet book art. The history of the book is closely connected with the history of fine arts and graphics; in particular, artists played a prominent role in the creation of handwritten books. They were the creators of fonts, decorations, and designs. The drawing intended for the book has been known in China since the 4th century AD. e. In Russia, the first handwritten books with images date back to the 10th century. The book has occupied a significant place in the life of Soviet people, it sells in large editions, and has become accessible to everyone. Due to such a scale of book publishing and the unprecedented growth of the culture of the people, the tasks of book artists have become unusually broad and responsible.
