The Case for Handmade
Illustrators and designers may have some reservations about doing things by hand or by using old methods. They may fear that it may make their work seem elementary or unsophisticated. Out of this fear, many never veer far from Creative Suite, and while you can do amazing things with the aid of a computer, it isn’t the only way to create.
Looking around at the design and illustration community, it is easy to spot the trend of more and more hand worked pieces. Maybe it’s coming out of a yearning for a personal connection, or maybe it’s the pendulum swinging back in response to the over-saturation of vector art. But when we choose to create using “outdated” or “untraditional” methods, we can connect in a way that vector art cannot. We are able to reach the viewer on a more personal, human level. We transcend the feeling of mass production and leave an artistic thumbprint on our work. We allow the viewer to see our mistakes, we engage them by creating mystery about what methods we used, how we did it, and we distinguish ourselves for other artists.
For better or for worse, we notice things that are different. Why not try using an old technology or, better yet, one no one has thought of? Challenge yourself to include a handmade element in your next project, combining technology with handmade work or even without the aid of a computer at all.
There are plenty of resources on the subject. Books like Handmade Nation and Fingerprint, (from the HOW book series), delve further into mixing medias and creating using unconventional methods. I would also recommend checking out magazines like ReadyMade and Juxtapoz, blogs like Poppytalk Handmade and Modern Craft, or the work of designers like Ramon Lenherr, Stina Persson, Jason Munn and of course, Stefan Sagmeister.
It is important to stress that this is not a diatribe against computers, trying to convince you to abandon Illustrator or InDesign. They are, after all, great tools which help us do amazing things.
But like Bruce Mau said in his Incomplete Manifesto, “Think with your mind. Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.”
