Rationale Page
Like all individuals, artists possess unique traits. Art expresses a diverse range of emotions. Gain insight into Yury's art style by diving into her illustration significance.
Every art piece has a story.
Motivation
The Product
These illustrations are intended to be placed on book covers in the United States Army called Leader’s Books. These books are issued by the company for note-taking sized in a standard 5x7-inch journal. During her service, SSG Yury Lara illustrated custom designs on these books for her comrades in exchange for money. Her designs were later spread by word of mouth to comrades. She continued this talent with these illustrations intended to be book covers and office posters.​
Choosing the Details
This artifact was chosen because of the level of detail placed into each illustration. The paintings display an excellent knowledge of placement and storytelling. Notice some materials in the background of the paintings, like screwdrivers or physical therapy bands for patients. The details allow viewers to look at the graphics and identify the MOS.
In addition to details, each illustration shows an expert apprehension of consistency. In every drawing, the job corps insignia and regimental create are placed in the same location with the same style techniques, such as color theory and lining. Skill set draws attention to clientele with a structured mindset, like our soldiers.​
The Principles
The fragment exhibits color theory. The regimental crest and branch insignia placements were carefully selected, allowing viewers easy identification of each branch in the United States Army. The color balance ensures all elements are visually attractive in the illustration. Secondary coloring is used to bring out highlights and dynamic shadows. Strong composition is required for these paintings. To place each MOS in the mural, there needs to be an understanding of perspective and location. Notice some paintings do not hold each specialty due to similar jobs and the risk of presenting a busy image. Highlights and shadows need to display an accurate position to make all characters appear as one and separate at the same time.
These images bring motivation and pride to soldiers.
Cohesion
The Request
These illustrations are requested by individual clients who can work together with comrades or alone to create the idea. A concept sketch is sent to the client, which is edited by request. The creation starts by using a model from the application Magic Poser to place all elements and characters in the correct position of the drawing. The pose is then given to a paid model who wears the current uniform and gear. With the use of white light, the model poses for each character, allowing accurate clothing creases, light, and shadows. Reference images from stock image websites are used for equipment. This is specifically used for operational security from foreign viewers. If it’s on the internet, it can be used. Rendering, base coloring, and editing complete the painting.​
​The Skills
The skills that are needed to complete a custom United States Army illustration require an understanding of operational security, color theory, drawing, lining, value, form, and graphic design. The artist needs to ensure that no sensitive material is being displayed in these drawings. These projects require proper icon design with a combination of typography and illustration. These three elements provide a good last “Hooah!”​
​What Do The Illustrations Do?
The illustrations bring unit cohesion as they are requested to represent the unit. This artifact was selected because of its ability to represent a unit and its mission. Important factors like marches and equipment bring client's idea to life. These illustrations display the understanding of problem-solving. Yury’s experience with the United States Army as a logistician helps clients with identifying all equipment for an illustration. Her knowledge of problem-solving and unit
motivation is a recipe for a great illustration. Her style comes from asking the proper questions and comprehension of operational security.​​
​The Niche
All military units have a niche. They have their personalities and traditions. Honoring these elements brings unit cohesion. Providing an accurate illustration of the unit’s representation brings the unit closer together.
Story Telling
Why Does it Connect to my Audience
Digital illustrations bring higher vibrance and contrast to paintings. The illustrations are printed using a high DPR printer. This creates room for lesser prices and flexibility for testing. Clients love art but do not like paying for it. It’s human nature. We search for the lesser prices for the same quality. Digital illustrations allows editing in half the time. My audience enjoys looking and having the freedom to edit the illustration without recreation.​​
Choosing the Details
The ideas for a design is chosen through my clientele. The majority of the time, the idea has some form of sentimental value. Painting of a deceased loved one, a company building for interior art decor, birthday gift that demonstrates emotions, etc. The soldiers and veterans tend to reach out with an idea that displays story telling. In most cases, the story involves wartime events.​
The Approach
Soldiers and veterans seek my information through portfolio, word of mouth from previous clients and search engines on Google and sometimes Social Media. I seek them out through group pages, locations, and marketing. Soldiers and veterans with a request for a war time digital painting need to have empathetic listeners and creatives. It’s my job to ensure their idea is brought to life.​
The Process
In order to demonstrate dignity and respect for the story that a soldier is describing, the use of accurate details such as the type of vest or helmet worn is important. These details are time stamps. They tell the time and emotions involved during the soldier’s experience.
I use Procreate, Clip Studio and an Apple iPad Tablet. The feature I enjoy about Clip Studio is its ability to mimic an art studio on your tablet. Procreate is used for thumb-nailing, sketching and placement of characters and items. Once the characters are in place, I create and finalize the painting in Clip Studio for best brush results.
Visual Communication
My Clients
Traditional mediums are popular. Their originality is what calls clients. When it comes to paintings, most of my audience request a design based on my expertise. These clients tend to be returning customers. They’re commonly battle buddies or family. These individuals have watched my art grow in the years they’ve known me. ​
The Approach
The sentimental value associated with these paintings tend to be more personal. It usually involves something along the lines lines of a tattoo in memory of a lost one or a painting that I’ve done in the past but for someone close to a family member or friend. ​
The Materials
Due to the time a traditional painting can take, it’s essential that I plan accordingly. I ask for a medium, normally watercolor with color pencil or gauche. Acrylic is not common as it’s not my best material or style.
In rare cases of an acrylic request, I prime the canvas with acrylic gesso and let it set for about 24 hours.
With watercolor, I like to leave the paper dry. My paint choice for all paint is M. Graham. The colors are vibrant and easy for blending. Faber Castell is my choice for colored pencils and watercolor pencils. These paintings can take up to 200 hours for completion.
All paintings have tape placed around the canvas measured at half an inch, providing a clean profession appearance.​​
The Result
Acrylic paint dries fast, thus making it necessary to remove all tape prior to completely drying. Water color needs to be dry prior to removing as this helps the colors from running down the empty space.
The painting is uploaded via photography with proper white lighting. I provide a finished copy with a matte and frame with a signature on the bottom right.
Practice
The Audience
My sketches do not have or require an audience. In most scenarios, my sketches are used for practice. Viewers enjoy watching something come to life, hence how art streamers record their art being created from beginning to end. Sketches demonstrate my knowledge of anatomy, spheres, proportions, and perspective. These sketches are useful for portfolio presentation for art directors to understand my level of knowledge with principles of drawing or painting, both digital and traditional.
Characters Involved
These sketches are vectorized. The final product is colored and ready for production. Principles such as understanding form is vital for practice. The sketches bring a visual aid of my steps I take to perfect a drawing. For the most part, the characters are images in. My head that I would like to create as part of a future design.
The Products
Some sketches are done with graphite or pen on paper. Digital sketches are more up my alley given that my main products are done digitally. There are several sketches I enjoy practicing with that involve color, mainly watercolor paints. Most of my sketches fall under thumb nails or brainstorms. When in a public place, I thoroughly enjoy some doodling on occasion just to put ideas and images on paper.
How it’s Done
I like to start my day with a quick workout. While lifting weights or walking, images come to mind. I’ve always done this, hence the doodling. Even when doing homework or reading, vivid images popped up. I pull out my tablet or paper and begin my work day. I place these images on paper, not precisely, just enough to know what they are. At times when I am drawing a blank, I do spheres or practice gesturing. In addition to practice, this technique gets my blood flowing and ideas start to come to mind for current projects.
Realism
The Audience
Realism has a way of catching people’s attention. I think it may be that a person has the ability to capture an image and copy it on paper with just their hands. The meticulous work and ability to show precise detail to an image brings admiration. My art fans know my level of detail in my graphite. As such, graphite is where I strive when it comes to traditionally mediums. My audience know this since they have watched me draw since I was a child. On social media, I have classmates from middles school who have witness my growth with drawing.
The Learning Curve
Growing up, I enjoyed pen and paper. I used graphite to sketch and followed it up with ink, using techniques that I use now like form and shadow structure. I had drawing books that had a tendency of smudging my work. Therefore, I leaned more towards inking. When I did draw with graphite, I used these legal sheets that my parents purchased at a swap meet and some Faber-Castell pencils that my older sister left behind after she completed art classes in college. I was a freshmen in high school when I decided to explore with these pencils. It was this time period that I learned the difference between all graphite. H pencils were lighter than B pencils. I also discovered how H pencils were a good tool for rendering.
Discovering the Materials
Around the Tim eI learned how graphite worked, I looked into types of paper. I remember asking my parents to take me to Michaels. I went down the aisle that had paper and drawing journals. I touched each paper with my finger tips and felt the thickness. I also observed the smoothness. I went home and felt the journals I had and began learning how each type of paper allowed the spread of graphite. I think it was around this time that I discovered how to use blenders instead of my fingers. I learned of brands like Bristol. Once I left home, it opened doors for more practice since I had more time to myself.
Problem Solving
Problem Statement
Projects that require Graphic Design or Story Tell come with problems that need to solved by the designer. Problem solving is essential for these projects to be successful. One of the main issues I come accrues when illustrating the MOS Illustrations is using reference images without copying them. It’s a lot harder than I anticipated. Prior to opening Design My Prints, most of my draws were copies of internet images put together. Some clients ask for reference images to be copied. The solution is finding a way to comply with a clients needs while not engaging in copyright infringement.
User Research
Case studies are completed after projects. They have the problem, the emotions involved, the intent of the design or idea, and finally, the result. It’s a breakdown of what the I experienced working with a client. Case studies help me illustrate to viewers my design process and how I came to deciding which elements to use.
Targeted Audience
Case studies are intended to attract future clients that are not returning customers. I learned that not everyone is going to like my style. Case studies help save time with potential clients in their search for what they are looking for in a design style. I also place them in my portfolio for art directors in case of referrals are needed.
Results
The results are record by final presentation. Unless authorized by the client, I don’t present process work because. From time to time I may present before and after work, intended for viewers who enjoy creation. The process work is only given to the client. Initially I enjoyed showing my viewers my process work but quickly learned that clients do not approve. Veterans and soldiers don’t want to risk their project being taken from someone or the it being exposed. In most cases, the work is intended for gifts and they want privacy until the project is given to the recipient.
Promotion
Decision Justification
My artifacts are specific to a target audience, veterans and soldiers. I can work with other military branches so long as I am given the details I ask for. I use the methods taught to me from school and experience when it comes to marketing. I need to catch the eyes of solders, veterans, or family of veterans and soldiers. Typography, color palette, position and appearance is important. Each portion of the marketing plan needs to meet my target audience’s attention.
The Main Goal
I’ve always tried to achieve the concept of perfectionist in my illustrations. This is not meant to be a “perfect drawing”, but rather an approach of capturing every detail for an illustration. The intent of an illustrations is to tell a story. When marketing for Design My Prints Studios, my main goal is direct traffic to my site. Getting clicks is more important than clients. Clicks provide viewers a range of my artwork. Viewers like to spread word of mouth.
User Needs
Users need proper navigation. I cannot expect traffic if I do not provide the website link on the design or post. Users are more likely to click on my link if it’s available when present. I push to ensure ads are user friendly and easy to locate my site.
Application
Adobe Express has been a life saver since completing my education. Adobe Creative Cloud has several applications that are intended to help speed up the creation process. Illustrator and Photoshop have an option that allows the program to generate an image for the designer. It’s not my favorite feature but I do use it, mainly when I need a concept during artist block. At times, I reached my limit for styling and risk repetitive ads. The templates that Adobe Express offers are limitless. The schedule option saves me time. Google Analytics and Wix SEO help me understand who is clicking and where I need to adjust.