Weston's Design Blog

For our final project we are collaborating with classmates to design a book. We have each chose a designer and have written a short article about them. Each group member will contribute two spreads. In the end we will all have our own books with the same content but different jackets, title pages, and table of contents.

I chose the illustrator Tomer Hanuka. Here is my short article on him:

TOMER HANUKA

The New York based Tomer Hanuka made a big splash in the modern illustration world. This Israeli illustrator’s work has been featured in multiple magazines such as Rolling Stones, Playboy, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, and many others. Hanuka’s other clients consist of a variety of film studios, advertising agencies, and book publishers. He is the recipient of numerous awards including several gold medals from the Society of Illustrators and recognition for his work on the critically acclaimed animated film Waltz with Bashir. Tomer Hanuka currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

When asked about his background as an artist during an interview with Format Magazine, Tomer Hanuka talked about growing up with his twin brother, Asaf. Tomer and Asaf were born in Israel in 1974. At a young age Tomer developed an interest in comic books. Tomer says that the colorful pages of the comic book world offered him and his brother an escape from the sun-bleached world of Israel. Tomer and his brother soon developed a common interest in drawing. In 2003, Tomer and Asaf, who also pursued an illustration career, co-created the comic book series Bipolar. Tomer says that working with his brother has always come naturally to him because they have drawn together from such young age. He says there are no ego problems and that their styles are different and complimentary. In an interview with Quiet Color, Tomer says that often, when collaborating with his brother, it is Asaf who draws and Tomer who colors.

Tomer’s education began after he served a mandatory three year Israeli army service. Tomer took his savings and moved to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts where he now teaches. When Tomer exited art school, his portfolio was mostly made up of illustrations done in acrylic paint. It wasn’t until after his graduation that he developed his iconic style. He describes his style as “magical realism.” Tomer’s process is a simple, but elegant, one. After deciding on an idea, Tomer sketches out the rough line work of his illustration. He then goes back over this line work with crisp, refined lines that will make up the final illustration. After scanning and deleting the original line work, Tomer adds color. He says that this part always takes the longest and the most care. He keeps each color on a separate layer and normally ends up with a Photoshop document containing 50 to 200 layers.

Recently, Tomer has decreased his number of clients in order to take on a more selective approach to his commercial illustration work. He has begun to focus on more personal and long term projects. Tomer cites books, movies, music, and everyday encounters as his source of inspiration, but above all, he asserts that a deadline is the best cure for artist’s block.

Cohen, Jake. "Tomer Hanuka." Quiet Color. 13 Nov. 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://quietcolor.com/qc/?p=3200>.Williams, Ben. "Tomer Hanuka." Format

Webste, Garrick. "Tomer Hanuka." Computer Arts Magazine. 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.computerarts.co.uk/interviews/tomer-hanuka>.

Williams, Ben. "Tomer Hanuka." Format Magazine Urban Art Fashion. Format Mag, 4 May 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.formatmag.com/features/tomer-hanuka/>.

More of Hanuka's work can be found at: http://thanuka.com/index.php

Original Statement of Purpose:

After some thought, I decided to create a box that could house my summer friendship bracelets. This past summer was one of the absolute best times of my life. I spent a tremendous amount of time with my friends and we had an excellent time. During our time together we started making each other these bracelets, each with its own meaning, person, or place associated with it. After summer ended I wore the bracelets for a few weeks but before long they became dingy and started to deteriorate. I took them off and stored them in my room but I began to lose track of them and forget about them. So I intend to create a vessel in which they can stay safe, so I can keep my summer souvenirs safe for a very long time. I want to create a box that has an organic, water like quality, because most of our summer was spent at the pool. I also want to convey a sense of security and importance in my design.

Dimensions and Orthogonal Plans: