How illustrators use subtlety in GIFs
(Above: Rebecca Mock's animated Gif for Game of Thrones)
I've often come across Gifs whilst casually scrolling through social media, grabbing my attention as I'm drawn into the looping imagery - somehow seeing something new in each cycle, until I get bored by the 8th run.
As I ponder over the use of moving images and its growing role in online editorial content (to catch the attention of -younger - social media users to engage with written news content), I have discovered a fair few illustrators who buck the Gif world trend by creating moving images which are enjoyable to keep watching again and again and again...
Firstly, Rebecca Mock.
This incredibly talented illustrator has produced work for the New York Times, BBC and Time, working as a freelance illustrator, animator and comic book artist.
The subtlety of these illustrators and animators enables the atmosphere of the worlds they create to shine through, not subdued by outlandish text or sudden changes within the scene.
Awareness of the importance of smaller details such as light/shadow and the elements (water, fire, wind and earth) all combine to create a natural animation - even within abstract worlds.
Miguel Co
Since graduating from an Illustration Degree at University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2011, Miguel has created work for The New York Times, Popular Mechanics and Image Comics.
(To see more of Miguel's work go to his website here)
When social media provides an endless scrolling stream of videos, sounds and photographs, its refreshing to be encouraged to engage with a slower paced form of digital art. It allows you to form your own impression of the illustrated world, without being told all the answers.
Bob Venables
Having 25 Years experience in the Illustration industry, Bob has an extremely high reputation and varied repertoire of work, from Pottermore (below) to Pugs and Prejudice Illustrated book.
These subtle, illustrated Gifs stimulate the imagination, making an adult like myself feel childish again, as if I'm watching a children's book come to life right before my eyes.
This freedom connects the audience to the subject matter in a more personal way, which overly stimulating content may not achieve. The interaction through the screen seems more personal as you are drawn into this world, hearing the wind, seeing the flickering lights, feeling the heat of the sun.
