Avalon Engstrom: capstone

Abstract

The artist's statement: Drawing inspiration from traditional materials, I use a mix of pencil, ink, and digital painting in my illustrative design work. I often start with the sketchbook, using the physical space of the paper to develop a variety of rough ideas before translating a solid concept to the digital space and then the printed product. My drawings are gestural and loose, focusing on free-flowing lines, vivid color, and natural texture. My design style is clean and elegant, and I am primarily focused on how to most effectively utilize white space, especially in print design. My most recent projects in this area, Backstitch Magazine and the illustrated book Albemarle, most strongly embody these concerns. For both projects, my primary intention was to slow the reader down and create a quiet, relaxed experience that allowed the images to hold attention. I used grids to balance content with space while also standardizing details like headers, captions, and page numbers. The illustrations in Albemarle demonstrate my integrated process and style. I used ink washes to capture the color and gesture of each image, then added finishing touches and details digitally. The final result is a collection of vibrant illustrations that read well in both print and digital form. These spaces where fluid, expressive illustrations interact with the rules of layout and typography are what most inspire my work and practice.