November 19, 2007
Illustration
A master of the stipple technique
If computers were to disappear tomorrow Randy Glass would still be in business. As he explains it, “All of my illustrations are hand-drawn (no computer enhancement).”
Glass is a master of, among other techniques, stippling—defined as the process of “marking (a surface) with numerous small dots or specks.” A technique that is especially favored in the newspaper world—where paper quality sometimes adversely effects reproduction quality (a well executed stippled image prints more clearly). He, like Noli Novak (mentioned in a Feb 14, 07 posting) also produces the stippled portraits made famous by the Wall Street Journal.
A gallery of his WSJ illustrations. Check out how the dots radiate from the eye (center portrait)...
Comments
Randy Glass has an amazing talent - thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Anne C | November 27, 2007 10:22 AM
Is there a way to do this effect digitally?
Posted by: john Lai | November 27, 2007 10:47 AM
There are stipple screens and filters but, if you look closely you will see that what makes these images so interesting is the way the artist interprets the image and how precisely he varies the size of the dots and where he places them.
Posted by: Chuck Green | November 29, 2007 10:54 AM
Pardon my ignorance but can you point me to the history of such a technique? I really hope to be able to simulate it, based on the traditional standards, in a digital manner.
Posted by: john Lai | November 29, 2007 11:31 AM
These can't be done on computer. There is much more to these than just a filter effect on a photograph. The artists interpret these using thicker and thinner lines, they also take into effect the horizon line and vanishing point perspective and they use contour lines of dots that are following the shape of the facial features when they stipple.
Some things will always be better done by hand vs. a computer.
Many thought that photography would eliminate illustrations altogether until people realized the visual distortions and gobs of unnecessary detail that confuse things in photographs. Drawings are simple and can be made from blueprints, a photo can only reproduce what is in front of it there in time and space. Not true with illustrations.
Posted by: Jim | March 20, 2008 3:11 PM