Sculpted Illustration: The Extraordinary Works of Jessica Fortner

Some ideas are so simple, yet so mindblowingly creative that one can’t helped to be impressed by the sheer tenacity it takes to becomes a pioneer. And that’s exactly what our guest today should be considered, a pioneer. Though she may not be alone in her exploration of “sculpted illustration,” Jessica Fortner is one of few whose work borders on the avant garde.  If you’re a fan of claymation or stop motion films then you’re in good company with Fortner, who draws much of her inspiration from those fields as she brings her own unique spin to illustration.

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Artwork copyright © All rights reserved by Jessica Fortner

Thanks for joining us, Jes. Can you define for us what ’sculpted illustration’ is and how it’s different than a typical sculpture or illustration?

A sculpted illustration is like a single frame from a stop-motion animation. A scene where the elements are all handcrafted and posed to make a set of characters, props and landscapes. Traditionally an illustration is hand drawn and coloured. I use sculpture as a way of illustrating a concept. Generally sculpture itself is the piece of art, however in my work, it is actually the photograph of the scene that becomes the final art.

What tools/materials do you typically use to create each illustration?

I use a variety of different tools and materials. My characters are constructed using aluminium armature wire and clay (generally Super Sculpey, which is a polymer clay). Clothing is hand stitched. Sets (backgrounds/ landscapes) and props are built form a variety of materials (clay, fur, wood, foam, fabric and found objects).

It really depends on what I need for a particular illustration, but generally these are the fundamental things I’m always using:

1. Polymer clay
2. Wire of many sizes
3. Silicone tip tools and dental tools – which I find work best for small details.
4. Fabric
5. Paint

Artwork copyright © All rights reserved by Jessica Fortner

How do you achieve the stereoscopic effect in the finished digital piece?

Making my illustrations 3D requires a lot of planning. It is something that must be taken into consideration from the beginning of the process. Essentially to achieve a stereoscopic effect, you take two pictures offset by the distance between two eyes. Each image is taken from a slightly different angle, which when composited produces a stereoscopic image. If anything in my illustration needs to be digitally “touched-up”, then I must do it for both images (before they are merged). It can be pretty intensive, but the effect can be a lot of fun. It makes people view your work differently and lets them get engaged. I think that it leaves people with sense of joy and nostalgia.

Who/what are some of the inspirations that have helped you set forth this specific niche of sculpted illustration?

It was my introduction to the illustrator Chris Sickels who started me on the path of sculpted illustration. Before seeing his work, I had no idea that sculpted illustration even existed. That, combined with my love for stop-motion animation is, and continues to be, an inspiration for me and my work.

Artwork copyright © All rights reserved by Jessica Fortner

Have you ever sold any of your armatures before? If not, what do you do with them when they’re completed?

Yes, although I don’t sell them as fast as I make them. Unfortunately I don’t have a studio; I work out of my apartment, so they are stored anywhere there is space. Also, sometimes the pieces are built in such a way, that they’re only fully complete from the angle they’re meant be photographed, so are not suitable to be sold as a sculpture.

The concept of making things 3D has become quite popular throughout the film industry in the past few years. Do you think this is a trend that will make its way into illustration as well?

Not really – stereoscopic illustrations require 3D glasses to view them, which aren’t practical in the context of usual magazine, book or online article. In some specific instances where the concept calls for it, 3D could be a very exciting novelty feature. As for TV and movies, I think that 3D CGI is already ubiquitous and there isn’t much of a place for a non-animated stereoscopic image.

Artwork copyright © All rights reserved by Jessica Fortner

Have you ever considered taking your work into the realm of animation/claymation?

Yes, I’ve always wanted to make a stop motion animation, and it’s something that I plan to do in the future. I have an idea for a short animation, I’m just waiting for the right time.

In the meantime, I have experimented making animated illustrations, which are still images with some elements that have movement. Here is a link for one that I did recently: E-Wasted. It kinda reminds of the moving paintings in the Harry Potter films. I think that it’s quite charming.

How has your work been received commercially, do you receive a lot of commission work?

So far my self-initiated projects still outnumber my commissioned work. I suspect that art directors are sometimes intimidated by what seems to be a more complicated process. In fact, I approach my work the same way as an illustrator working in any other medium. I present concept sketches, then when one is chosen I produce a final illustration conforming to that sketch. Hopefully as my work finds its way into more publications, it will also feel more accessible to art directors.

Artwork copyright © All rights reserved by Jessica Fortner

The environment (nature, animals, landscapes) seem to be a fairly consistent theme in your work. Is there an over-arching message present in your illustrations?

I definitely tend to linger on the topic of our damaged relationship with the natural world. I often try to address issues relating to our culture if consumption, the politics of food production and agribusiness, the lives of animals and how we treat them.

In a one word, What “fuels your illustration?”

Gremlins.

Nice! I’ve got some bridge trolls myself.