Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
CHRISTOPHER OKONKWO.
BY
OLORUNSOGO MICAH
IN
OCTOBER, 2012
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-Althea Gibson
I am most grateful to God for taking me through this academic journey. I will forever be
grateful to the best parents in the world, Apostle (Dr) and Mrs. Olorunsogo for their undying
attention, support and care throughout my tenure in school. I am most grateful for training me
morally and academically, a combination I know will yield the best in me. Thank you dad, you
have always been an inspiration to me. I can now understand why discipline is very important.
Thank you mum for taking out time to express your motherly love despite all odds. May you
both enjoy the full measure of your investment in me. I also appreciate my siblings: Hannah,
Abigail, Gaius, Salome, Amos and Ezra for their co-operative intelligence and care.
To Mr Christopher Okonkwo, who made his door wide open for this literary work, thank
you for taking out time to listen to me out of your busy schedule.
Thanks go to my project supervisor, Mr. Jimoh Ganiu. Thank you, sir, for your patience
I will like to appreciate Mr. Wole for his generous disposition in generating ideas for this
research project- thank you, Sir. And Mr. Uche for his motivation in writing this project.
Mereni, Mrs. P.U. Ofuafo (Head of Visual Unit), Dr (Mrs) Peju Layiwola, Mr. Austin
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Emifoniye, Mr. Bolaji Ogunwo, Mrs. Oyenike Eseagwu, Mr. Ogochukwu Ephraim, thank you all
To Adenaiya Oluwafemi, thank you for your friendly companionship and your good
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CHAPTER 1
In the visual art world, illustrators have sometimes been considered less important in
comparison with fine artists and graphic designers. The term ‘illustrative’ is sometimes used as a
negative critique. But, possibly in part due to the growth of video games and graphic novel
industries, as well as a recent swing in value towards illustration in magazines and other
publications over photography, illustration is becoming a valued, popular and profitable art form
that can acquire a wider market than the fine artist or graphic designer. This research is intended
Illustration art, also referred to as commercial art is used to embellish, clarify, or decorate
something. It can range from a simple black-and-white cartoon to a full-colour billboard and
beyond. Illustrators in the Golden Age were required to draw and paint expertly and fast. They
might be required -- in a few days -- to provide artwork for a battle scene, a love story, a
historical drama, a glimpse of the future, and a beautiful American girl. The best of the best
commanded top dollar and were as famous as their Hollywood and Broadway counterparts.
Illustration is the art of creating image depiction to explain an idea. The type of
illustration that will be considered here are those with a ‘’fine arts feel.’’ What is meant by a
fine arts feel is the idea that these illustrations both enhance the work they are meant to adorn
and are meaningful enough to stand alone as separate works of art. It also refers to a style of
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image. Even though these images are commercial and made to be duplicated, fine arts style art
illustrators use or strive to emulate the effects of traditional, drawing, and etching with computer-
generated looks, and give obvious care to the creation of each image. These are not simple
images that are just dashed off to make a given point in a short deadline, but complex images of
many layers which are created using the same time-consuming methods as master drawings and
idea.
magazines, etc).
Medical Illustration - Ranges from illustrating medical products to physical anatomy and
microscopic organisms.
Fashion Illustration - Exaggerated proportions to represent the sleek and slender style of a
Book Jacket Illustration - Single image used on the cover of a book/novel to give
potential readers a feel for the book's content and increase sales.
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The profession of illustration developed alongside the profession of advertising (graphic
design and marketing) and the two have been intertwined and somewhat dependent on each other
since their beginnings. Before the popularity and feasibility of photographic reproduction,
advertising depended on illustration as the means of producing visual images to compliment the
message of advertisements. The invention and success of the computer has not replaced
traditional illustrators but has given them a new set of tools to create and develop varying visual
styles of illustration. Advertising agencies often contract out to a variety of freelance illustrators
for their project-specific needs as illustrators often have a unique aesthetic that may or may not
In recent times illustrations are now used prominently used in advertising goods and services.
Although illustrations have not been widely used in advertising in Nigeria, advertisement is an
excellent resource of communication for the promotion of products and services of business
organisations. Making an advertisement is a complex art and it requires immense skill and
patience.
Many illustrators have found a home somewhere in-between the fields of design and
illustration and work on a range of projects ranging from poster illustrations to company logos.
Hybrid illustrators and designers are able to offer their clients a wider range of services so that
the client does not have to budget for the cost of two different studios or individuals. The graying
lines between the two fields have created a wider field as the design profession has become
audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes a specific group) to continue or take some
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new action. Advertising as defined by Longe is any paid form of non-personal presentation of
Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behaviour with respect to a
commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. The purpose
successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various
traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial,
radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as blogs, websites or
text messages.
Advertising has become an integral part of marketing and promotional activities. It is very
essential for business organisations and corporate companies to advertise their products and
services. This opens the door for them to reach their target audience effectively. Without proper
advertising, only a few people will be aware of a company and its products and services. The aim
Illustrations in today’s 21st century advertising is a way to cut costs on design development and
This research aims to address the problem of scarcity of the use of illustration for adverts
in Nigeria. Although the art of illustration has become a major contemporary art form, it is yet to
be well used in advertising products and services in Nigeria. It is also rarely collected and
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included in the study of art or other academic disciplines. The art of illustration is not well
known in Nigeria and the few artists in the field either learnt it individually or travelled abroad to
study it.
This research would help to broaden the knowledge of illustration as an art and the
This research will spell out the advantages hooked to the creative use of illustrations in
advertising.
This literary work will be used as a medium to document Christopher Jide Obi
Okonkwo’s works.
The findings and recommendations will serve to improve and reposition the trend of
The study will serve as a guideline and reference for future researchers.
art form and imagination as the basic principle of the art. This research will also examine the
styles and technique in which Christopher Okonkwo uses to create his works.
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1.4 Scope of Study
The study is limited to the art of illustration in advertising. The researcher would focus on
the history from the cave period to present and selected works by Christopher Jide Obi
Okonkwo, looking at how he composes his images, the styles and techniques used in creating the
artworks.
This research was limited by the insufficiency in materials in the area of illustration
advertising illustration in the libraries. The few books available dealt more on other forms of
illustration art which led the researcher to source for most of the information in this literature
1.6 Methodology
This research will be based on interview and history drawn from primary and secondary
sources. The primary data includes an oral interview with the illustrator whose works is being
studied. Published and unpublished literary materials would serve as the basis of the secondary
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data which will include materials gotten from libraries (Advertising Practitioners Commission of
Nigeria, Centre for Contemporary Art and University of Lagos), and gathered information from
the internet. Visual elements of the various works will also be studied and analyzed to establish
What is illustration?
Advertising: This is any paid form of non-personal presentation of idea, goods or services
by an identified sponsor.
of creative and business personnel, who develop, prepare and place adverts for
service.
Billboard: a large board on the outside of a building or at the side of the road, used for
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Brand: A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other
marketed.
Brand name: A brand name is the name of the distinctive product, service, or concept.
Branding: Branding is the process of creating and disseminating the brand name.
Branding can be applied to the entire corporate identity as well as to individual product
and service names. In Web and other media advertising, it is recognized that there is
usually some kind of branding value whether or not an immediate, direct response can be
measured from an ad or campaign. Companies like Proctor and Gamble have made a
science out of creating and evaluating the success of their brand name products.
Product: This can represent anything a consumer acquires or might acquire to meet a
perceived need. The need not necessarily need to be satisfactory. Some product might not
Sales: This is a process of selling something such as a product, ideas or services. It also
covers the number of goods or services sold at a given point in time. (Arowomole, 2001,
17-25)
Digital illustration: this is the use of digital tools to produce images under the direct
manipulation of the artist, usually through a pointing device such as a tablet or a mouse.
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Digital painting: this is an emerging art form in which traditional painting techniques
CHAPTER 2
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Advertising has been defined as “a powerful communication force and a vital marketing
tool helping to sell goods and services, image and ideas…” (Wright 1983). Similarly, Roderick
system and intended to influence and/or inform an unknown audience”. Advertising may also be
seen as “a group of activities aiming at and including dissemination of information in any paid
product or service to compel action in accordance with the intent of an identifiable sponsor.”
(Doghudje 198)
In Latin, ad vertere means “to turn the mind toward.” (Black, Bryant and Thompson
1998). Advertising may be done to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable
or successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via
as blogs, websites or text messages.
The origins of advertising can be traced back to thousands of years in the past. One of the
first known methods of advertising was an outdoor display, usually an eye catching sign painted
on the wall of a building. Archaeologists have uncovered many such signs, notably in the ruins
of ancient Rome and Pompeii. An outdoor advertisement excavated in Rome offers property for
rent, and one found painted on a wall in Pompeii calls the attention of travellers to a tavern
situated in another town. Sampson (1874) in his History of Advertising, which was first
published in 1874, points out that " Signs over shops and stalls seem naturally to have been the
first efforts in the direction of advertisements and they go back to the remotest portions of the
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As much as some three thousand years ago Papyrus sheets were used in Thebes in Egypt
for announcing the reward for return of runaway slaves at about 3200 BC. The first
advertisement was somewhat in the form of stencilled inscriptions which were found on earthen
bricks prepared by the Babylonians about three thousand years before Christ. The bricks carry
the name of the temple in which they were used and the name of the king who built it, just as a
modern public building which contains a corner stone or stone tablet with the names of officials
in office when the structure was erected. The method was to cut a stencil in hand stone and with
it each brick was stamped. In medieval times a simple but effective form of advertising was very
popular. Merchants employed the so called "town criers" who shouted the praises of the
merchants' wares and the arrival of trade-ships. Printed advertising played no big role until the
invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1445. Since the inception of printers,
merchants now used little flyers to advertise their products. These flyers often contained
characteristic symbols of the guild members and the tradesmen and were also used as poster on
Later, signs were hung over the walks and above the entrances of shops. As the towns
and cities of the Middle Ages began to grow, and the general populace was unable to read, signs
that today would say cobbler, miller, tailor or blacksmith would use an image associated with
their trade such as a boot, a suit, a hat, a clock, a diamond, a horse shoe, a candle or even a bag
of flour. Fruits and vegetables were sold in the city square from the backs of carts and wagons
and their proprietors used street callers (town criers) to announce their whereabouts for the
convenience of the customers. In the 1880s a new era of advertising began: New methods of
manufacturing led to greatly increased outputs and decreased costs for the producers of
consumer goods. The products at that time could be packaged at the plant itself. This state
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necessitated the growth of advertising agencies. The most widely advertised consumer products
at that time had been the patent medicines. Broadly speaking the history of advertising might be
casting moveable type by the German, Johannes Guterberg in 1938. The event revolutionized
communication methods for the whole world. (Keller 2005). The invention of the printing press
and the revival of learning improved business. It had led to the production of advertisements in
William Catton, an early printer made advertising history in 1478 when he printed a
handbill, regarded as the first printed English advert. In the handbill there was the advertisement
of his book called “SALISBURY PYE”, handbook of ruler for the guideline of the clergy at
Easter. The first newspaper advertising appeared in the Boston Newsletter in 1704.
In Africa, town-crying and hawking were the earliest forms of advertising. These have
survived in many Nigerian villages till date. The print media came into Nigeria in 1859 with the
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appearance of a Yoruba language newspaper, Iwe Iroyin published by Reverend Henry
Townsend at Abeokuta. The publication carried an advert in the form of an announcement for the
Anglican Church.
The history of illustration dates back to the time period of early civilizations. The earliest
forms of illustrations were considered to be cave paintings, even before the invention of the
printing press and books. Illustration started to be utilized rampantly in China and Japan during
Illustration was the first medium utilised to help bring the written word to life and in a
By the end of the 18th century, what was called the lithography was produced. The most
renowned illustrator during this time period was William Blake who mainly used etching method
in his illustrations. He was famous for his book called Illustration of the Book of Job, which was
published in 1826. Not only was he famed for his elaboration, but also he was known for his
interpretation in his illustrations. There are numerous symbolisms evidently shown in his
illustration which he aimed to express his thoughts about the good and the evil. He utilizes right
and left limbs of the figures; right limb represents the spiritual and the good while left limb
represents the material and evil. Despite the fact that some scholars denounced his painting with
the reason that his painting fails to account for inconsistencies in symbolism and his paintings
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are explicitly subjective, William Blake was a great contributor to the development of
illustration.
In no other time in history has illustration been so incorporated into the society as it was
in the 1950’s. Illustrations were everywhere; on books, and magazines, and billboards. They
covered food and beverage packing, they were even on Television. The 1950’s were a Golden
Era of Illustration.
The 50’s in the United States were a time of constant expanding of advertising and media
tools, and illustration became a common and popular method of advertising. The 50’s
Following the end of WWII western economies bloomed, and consumerism began to
spread. During the 50’s the average salary in the USA went up by 50%, a middle class arouse,
credit card was introduced. Men were supporting their families working long hours in office job.
Big Depression was over, WWII ended, and people were living a new kind of life, which
meant increased economic activity. Increased leisure time lead to fast food restaurants and
Illustrators were necessary assets in the advertising industry, in the Movies-TV industry,
and even around the news desks in the leading newspaper. Extremely fruitful was the field of
children’s illustration, characterised by flat characters, use of bright colours, expanded colour
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Theodor Seuss Geisel – better known under the pen name Dr. Seuss – might be
considered the most famous illustrators of his time. After drawing political cartoons during
WWII, Geisel returned to children’s books. In 1955 he published his most known book – The
Cat in the Hat – based on simplified vocabulary accompanied by distinct drawing style, verse
Mary Blair began working for Disney in 1934. Rather than faithfully reproducing the old
illustrators Mary used a new approach – flat colour, complementary contrast and various colour
shades creating her own, widely recognisable world. Her illustrations are poetry and we still read
At the beginning of his career Art Seiden did advertising work for some of the largest
companies in America. However, his unique style expressed mainly through use of transparent
watercolours and gouache showed to be the biggest match on children’s book illustration. Seiden
The illustrations of the 1950’s brings into the time the beginning of consumerism that
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Some illustrations of the 1950’s
prominence with the political struggle against colonialism in the early part of the 20th century. It
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received a weighty mandate within the nationalist media of the day espousing anti-colonial
interests. Through Akin Lasekan, famed as the first cartoon illustrator in Nigeria and the West
African Pilot newspaper for which he worked, cartoon was established as a vital force.
Nigeria’s first newspaper, called “IWE IROYIN” was first published in 1859. The paper
In a sense, one can say that advertising just like other disciplines came via our colonial
master. However, this is not to conclude that we did not have some form of traditional
advertisements before the arrival of the colonialist, there were e.g. town criers used by the king
in the delivery messages, in the past. For a message to go across to the members of the public a
Since making its debut in the nation’s business landscape, through the establishment of
the first advertising agency, West African Publicity, in 1928, in Nigeria, advertising has
remained one of the most effective tools in the hands of communicators for building and
According to Chief Olu Falomo, a respected voice in the Nigeria’s advertising industry,
“Advertising has come of age in the country and the standard today, compares favourably with
what obtains in most developed countries of the world." Although this is a fact, illustration
advertising has not received attention compared to developed countries of the world.
Experts have attributed the steady progress the sector had made in recent times to factors
such as a free market economy, improved educational standards as well as appreciable growth in
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the standard of living.
Not a few stakeholders believe that the coming on board of the Advertising Practitioners
Council of Nigeria (APCON) in 1989, as a body saddled with the responsibility of controlling
and regulating advertising practice in all its ramifications, would go a long way in enhancing the
status of the profession, as well as bring sanity in the way the profession is being practised.
Illustration in art in Nigeria came into limelight in the 1920’s. It started in the nationalist
days when Nigeria began fighting for political freedom from the colonial masters and when they
started to own newspapers. These illustrations were cartoon illustrations for newspapers. The
newspapers also bore few illustrations and photographs mostly used for commercial
advertisement like; advert of Ideal Milk, Bovril Tablets Neutholatum and that of Andrew Liver
Salt. There were also advert on Raleigh Bicycles and Lipton Tea. Newspapers during the period
were: The Nigerian Pioneers 1930-36, The Lagos Standard (1900-20). The Nigerian Daily
By 1960 which was the year of Nigeria’s political independence, cartoons had become a
vogue with the Nigerian newspapers. Some newspapers like the Daily Express and Daily Times
went to the extent of using cartoons for advertisements. The Daily Times ran some series of
comic strips like “Garth” which is still popular today. Among the early cartoonists of Times are
Ore Gab Okpako and Ayo Ajayi who created a cartoon story titled “Tortoise Adventure”. Dele
Jegede was also a popular cartoonist of Daily Times and he created the comic strip “Kole the
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Menace.” Jegede further opines that growth of editorial cartoon in Nigeria was due more to the
efforts of individual editors than to any editorial policy. He supports Adekannbi’s (1997:14)
view that the press as at early seventies had not fully appreciated the enormous power of the
cartoon. Josy Ajiboye also of Times is one of the oldest hands in cartooning of the present day,
while Ayo Martins Tajo also contributed, to the cartoons desk at Times.
Illustration and photography have been used extensively in sales and marketing.
Illustration was the first medium utilised to help bring the written word to life and in a
Up until the advent of World War 1, photography was used mainly as a descriptive
medium in advertising, helping to support the benefits of a product or service. However, shortly
after this period, people began to notice the importance and effectiveness of ‘suggestion’ in
advertising. A more subtle and suggestive approach meant that photography could make
By 1930 photography had pretty much taken over from illustration. Approximately 80%
of advertisements were using photographs in place of illustrations. This is in stark contrast with
From this point onwards, commercial photography took off as the preferred form. One of
its key success factors was the public belief that the camera doesn’t lie and thus advertising
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agencies, designers and marketing companies used it to their advantage as their medium of
choice.
Today the media is dominated by the photographic image and it’s not just the
professionals stealing the limelight from the illustrator. The availability of digital cameras, photo
editing software and social media has led to a massive surge of interest in amateur photography.
It is this accessibility that has led the public to further buy into and understand the power of
photography.
In the last decade there has been a significant resurgence in the use of commercial
illustration. It has happened mainly in the gaming, film and music industries. It is a slow and
steady comeback but nonetheless, it is back in the public consciousness and slowly creeping into
differentiate themselves from their competitors. In this sense, illustration can be used as a clever
It can incorporate brand colours and closely tie in with the overall brand positioning.
You can create a cohesive brand message across all marketing materials through a
and subjects, the strength of illustration lies in its ability to convey the abstract, the conceptual
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Illustration is often perceived as being an obscure and vague medium and lacks the
immediacy of photography. But on the contrary, an illustration can be used to convey complex
Illustration has the capacity to inform the viewer and it can incorporate many
infographics such as maps, diagrams, statistics and symbols. For this reason, illustration can
make an image much easier to understand, breaking the conventional rules of representation.
Abstract or complex messages can be immediately conveyed. Examples of this would be a flight
safety card, road signage or the instructions for your flat pack shelving unit. These messages
services can be gotten to create fully custom and bespoke illustrations that fully represent the
product or service offering. There is the advantage of immediately standing out from competitors
as they more than likely have gone down the photography route. A small bit of detective work
will confirm this. However, if the cost of original illustration is prohibitive, the option of
choosing stock is available. Stock illustration is a little more flexible than photography as you
have access to the source vector artwork, which the designer can customise and tweak, to your
requirements.
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2.6 General Terms and Conditions for Illustration Services
For creative guidance, the illustrator usually works with art directors, account executives,
copywriters, and heads of the an advertising agency’s creative group. The terms and fees for art
are normally negotiated with the agency’s art director by the illustrator or her representative.
expected from artists working within unusually strict time demands. Generally, advertising
illustration prices are negotiated strictly on a use basis, with extra pay added for the sale of full
Advertisements are usually thought of in terms of the number of times they run.
Therefore, sale of usage rights may refer to limited or unlimited use in a specific media and
geographic area within a specified time period; for example, they may be limited to one to five
insertions in consumer magazines in Nigeria for one year (Martina 2012). The media,
distribution area, and time period should be clearly defined and the price agreed upon before the
project starts.
The illustrator will work in a specific style represented in the presented portfolio and
follow sketches supplied by the agency and approved by the client. Changes and last-minute
alterations are common, since many advertisements are created by committee and the illustrator
may need to please several people of varying opinions. The illustrator’s fees can include a finite
number and type of alterations, such as reverts. Additional changes, especially significant ones,
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necessitate additional charges, and the illustrator tends to be flexible, giving valued and
CHAPTER 3
3.0 Introduction
Christopher Okonkwo is peculiar among other Nigerian illustrators because of his distinct
style of illustration using high-end, 21st century, digital tools to execute his illustrative ideas. He
has also shown that having a deep understanding of realism through drawing and property study
will result in excellent execution of illustrations. He has further distinguished himself from
others as he has to his credit successful advertising illustrations for some popular brands.
Although he works primarily in 2D (two dimensional), his computer illustrations have more
This research design used a structured interview design. Here it is meant that the questions
for the interview were prepared afore the interview. Structured interview is also called
Standardised, Patterned, Directed or Guided interview. In this chapter, the researcher will be
focusing on the background of the illustrator and his style. Explanation will be given to the
aspects that will help the understanding of the components that make up a typical 21 st illustrator
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Figure1: Christropher Okonkwo’s workspace
Christopher Okonkwo, also known as Jydekris is an illustrator with a distinct style and a
deep passion for the visual arts. He is also an animator and Art director whose experience spans
across the Fine Arts, Digital Arts, and the advertising industry. Although he works primarily in
2D, his computer graphic illustrations have more depth than most 3D images.
His illustrative design process could sometimes be very systematic in the sense that he
put lots of things into serious consideration, even the ones that cause some people to see him as
being too meticulous. One of the first things that he considers when executing an illustrative
design, is the application of guiding principles which he has learnt through several years of
visual experience, like lighting, Anatomy, expressions, bio-mechanics, aesthetics, and so on. He
27
is of the opinion that illustration is not all about translating creative ideas into visuals, but also
He attributes his success to the support from his mother through his growing up years. He
is greatly inspired by realism as a historic artistic movement and was influenced by the general
mass media. Especially the videogame industry and animated feature movies. He would always
look out for videogame titles with high quality graphics and then try to achieve the quality of
visuals with his pencil even though the game visuals are computer generated.
Christopher Okonkwo had his primary education at Early Life Nursery and Primary
School, Lagos. He had from this time taken drawing as a hobby. He continued to secondary
education at the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos. He took to art class and was the
president of the art club. His tertiary education was at the prestigious University of Nigeria,
Nsukka. He studied fine and applied arts, majoring in painting and also took to illustration art
and computer graphics. His project topic was on animation and computer generated images
teenager. His first attempt at it was with Corel PhotoPaint in 2000. He started using Adobe
He had his youth service in Oyo State where he worked with a publishing firm, nativity
consulting, on publications for Oyo State basic education programme. On completion of his
28
youth service, he moved on to Lagos where he started work with DDB Lagos, a reputable
advertising agency, in 2009. He spent three (3) years with this advertising agency as an
illustrator and art director. Here he worked on notable brands such as tasty fried chicken, globe
motors and fidelity bank. He created adverts for these brands with illustrations, making him one
of the most prominent in the field of advertising illustrations in Nigeria. He left DDB in 2011 to
man his own studio, Lineguauge Studios, where he supplies illustrations to agencies and
graphic illustration techniques. He works with a wide variety of software programs: Adobe
Illustrator, Adobe Flash (which he uses in creating 2D animations and interactive applications),
CorelDraw and Corel PhotoPaint, 3ds Max, and a couple more. But, he most often works with
Adobe Photoshop.
Kuluya.com.
humour can lessen the tense Nigerian atmosphere. Although he started out with traditional
methods of illustration i.e. ink on paper, he achieves the illustrations that have brought him to
lime light though digital tools. Such digital tools are graphic applications are Adobe Photoshop,
3d Maxs studio, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw and Adobe Flash. For his recent works, he uses
the Wacom Intuos 4 to draw directly in Photoshop, rather than doing the traditional -drawing and
29
He attributes his style to study of realism and study of physical properties. Okonkwo
takes drawing as the basic most important skill to acquire as an illustrator, while the graphic
applications are just other mediums of artistic expression. As in Okonkwo’s case, imagination is
a vital composure any illustrator must possess or cultivate. The illustrator’s ability to clearly
imagine and concretize his imaginations makes him vital in executing advertisement for a unique
branding. Christopher Okonkwo uses an illustration colouring style called the cell shading
technique. According to him, the cell shading technique takes less time in execution than other
techniques. Below is a step by step tutorial on achieving this technique of illustration art using
the graphic applications, Adobe Photoshop (from step 4) and Adobe Illustrator. This tutorial will
examine the illustration process - from gesture drawing to final colouring using the cell shading
technique.
Cell Shading is a style of computer rendering that imitates the look of hand-drawn
artwork and animation. In layman's terms, cell shading deals with flat colours and shadows. The
style was pioneered with the Sega Dreamcast game Jet Set Radio, the first game to use 3D
polygons to produce a cartoony look. Most Cell Shading techniques rely on you choosing a
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STEP 1 - Gesture
Gesture drawings are fun and exciting and a great way to warm up the
wrists. The idea is to get throw down some quick lines to loosely define
the drawing. This should not take much more than ten seconds. Adobe
Illustrator and the brush tool is used here. Turn off "Keep Selected" in
the gesture was a little sloppy so a darker blue was used to tighten up
some features like the face and some of the joint armours.
Using the pencil tool on a layer above the gestures. You'll notice the
at a high magnification (at 200% to 300%) it's a good idea to zoom out
When done with the lines. Copy the joints into Photoshop and start with
the flatting. In Photoshop, create a new file 11x17 inches and at 400 dpi.
It is necessary so that one can print out high resolution versions for
portfolio.
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STEP 5 - Flats
Create a new layer and set it to multiply. Take it down to about 70% or
so. Use a 50% gray colour to start with. It looks a little flat, but the point
is to get it done. Colouring each and every individual part takes a long
time. Using a layer for all the shadows makes corrections easier.
STEP 7 - Refined Shadows
The gray multiplied layer turns out to look flat so turn on Lock
Transparent Pixels and start filling with colours that you like. Play
around with different shadow colours to establish the right mood for
your piece.
STEP 8 - Merge Visible
Turn off your background layer and create a new empty layer on top of
your line art layer. Make sure your new layer is selected and Merge
Visible.
The new layer will have the lines, the shadows, and the flats all in one.
Now Gaussian Blur the layer so that you can barely make out the lines.
A value of about 20 will be just good. You can do more. Less than 20
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STEP 10 - Blurred
Set your blurred layer to Hard Light at about 70%. This should brighten
up your colours a bit. Your lines will also take on the some of the colour
Duplicate the blurred layer and the duplicated layer to Screen at 30%.
This will give your character a neat little halo against a darker
background.
Create a new layer, set it to Colour Dodge or Screen and start shining up
that metal. Colour Dodge because the highlights are a little hotter. Also
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STEP 15 - Paint Background
illustration piece.
The nice thing about this technique is that one can easily change colours
properly one can play around with different colour schemes to match
the character.
(Noguchi 2004)
with the manipulation of art or images with different types of software. It is the creation of new
One of the common methods of digital illustration is through the use of a graphics tablet.
This is a tablet which is attached to a computer and has a pen. When an artist draws on the tablet,
the resulting image is transferred to the computer in the form of a digital illustration. A graphics
tablet is a type of input device which translates images drawn on a tablet into digital images so
that they can be viewed and stored on a computer. The image can be enhanced and edited on the
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Many artists also use the mouse for drawing images but it is difficult to use as it does not
give very detailed or intricate results. It can be used for drawing simple figures and drawings but
not for detailed illustrations. For detailed drawings, graphic tablets are the best option. They have
pressure sensitivity which gives more flexibility to the artists for drawing.
There are basically two types of software which are used for digital illustrations. Vector
based software draws shapes and lines based on mathematical principles. The drawings made by
this software are scalable which means that can be enlarged easily without worrying about the
quality of illustration.
Images are created from pixels. Pixels are small rectangles which form an image on a
screen. In this method, the digital illustration is not scalable and changing its size can have an
Digital illustration is very popular nowadays and is used in various areas. It is used for
graphical designing, web design and software design. These illustrations are widely used for
comic books, websites, T-shirts and posters. They are also important for making animations and
Graphics illustration market is getting more and more competitive. One needs to be well
equipped with up to date skills that are adequate to stay ahead. There are so many skills to learn
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that are strict requirement to become a professional illustrator even if you are going to work on
your project or for others. There are some of the basic skill sets that are needed to create eye-
catching illustrations to meet the modern requirements of the clients. Some of them are listed
below.
Typography:
This is one of the skills that a graphic illustrator must have to excel in profession. It will
help you to become a good or excellent graphic designer. Typography is basically about the type,
clearness and appropriateness, of the type that has to follow the text. It is good to have a font
management system on your computer. This will help you to organize the fonts. You must be
aware of the different types of fonts such as True Type, Post Script, Open Type, etc and their
differences. Try to get a reference guide or resource book so that you can refer it. This will help
Generation of Idea:
In any profession you need to have some ideas to move ahead in career. You need to be
innovative and refreshing in your approach towards your work. This is same in the case of
illustrations too. To generate an idea you need a good plan and a method. You can also be around
other innovative thinkers. Be a very good reader. This will help you to develop your create side.
Building network:
To run a business successfully you need to build good network. This is especially when you
are an illustrator who works alone in the studio. For some of the people networking is quite
difficult. If you have a good network it will be a good support at times. They will provide
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essential inputs and encouragement to you. You may not need them all the time but it is very
handy to create a good network around you. You can attend networking events and seminars to
get contacts. Make sure that you are carrying contact information when you go to meet people.
This is one of the most important skills that a graphic designer should have. These are some
of the basic skills need for graphic design artists. You must have knowledge about business skills
like sales, marketing, tax strategies and database management. The main component of any
business is the customers. If you are trying to build up your own graphic designing studio you
need to have good contacts to establish your business. Without good business skills the illustrator
These are some of the basic skills that one needs when you start as an illustrator. The
main thing to do after reading this is simple, plan and act (Maa Illustrations 2010).
Tasty Fried Chicken: Find your way to the most taste destination (2009)
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Fidelity bank pension: my final TGIF
3.8 Interview
The interview with Christopher Okonkwo was held on the 2 nd of October, 2012 at his
Introduction
I am Olorunsogo Micah, a 400 level student from the Department of Creative Arts,
University of Lagos. I am writing on the research topic, exploring the use of illustration in 21 st
century advertising through the art of Christopher Okonkwo. I will be analyzing your works and
Question 1: Sir, I will like you to tell me briefly about your education and work
experience.
Early Life Nursery and Primary School here in Lagos and had my secondary school education at
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Federal Government College, Ijanikin also here in Lagos. I was the president of the art club. I
Fine and applied arts. I had my project on computer generated imagers (CG1). So my topic was
I had my NYSC service in Oyo State where I worked in a publishing firm that worked on
materials for the Oyo State Basic Education. The company name is Nativity Consulting. After
concluding my service year, I took up a job at DDB (DDB Lagos advertising) in 2009. In 2011 I
left DDB to start my own company, Lineguage studios. I supply illustrations to insight
Question 2: I have noticed your illustrations are so different from other illustrators, is
there a name for your style of illustration? It is unlike the contemporary trend of
illustrations in Nigeria.
Christopher Okonkwo: The style I use has been developed over the years. My style uses the
cell shaded method. Illustrations take less time to execute with this. I have a well grounded
understanding of drawing and composition which helps me to easily define my lines, shapes and
effects of light. Arthur de Pins illustrations created curiosity in me and is one of the things
responsible for my style today, you will see a little bit of my style in his works. I would not want
you to over-emphasize the Artur de Pins part. My driving force for my achievement is the desire
to achieve perfection.
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Christopher Okonkwo: Illustration could be and illusion, a way of something that is not and
making it into something people can actually view. Illustration a has more to do with narrative. It
Christopher Okonkwo- Primarily I work with traditional tools, pen and paper. Digitally, I use
Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw and 3d Maxs. I actually work with a wide range of graphic
Question 5: Can you give a step by step process of executing an advertising illustration?
Christopher Okonkwo: First of all, if I am given an illustration for advertising, I will need to
read through and interpret the ready-made script from the copywriter. If there is no script I will
have to first create one. Things to put in consideration are the essence of the brand and the brand
philosophy and most of all the brand identity. For example, when working on the TVC of the
Mtn brand, it is necessary to put into consideration the dominant yellow of the brand. The
technical process is to consider the length of the story board. Then I make a preliminary
composition sketch which I use as reference for the actual illustration, then I shade, then colour
and I then lay the coloured illustrations in CorelDraw. The layout also consists of the voice-over
and the narrative. I then finally publish to Pdf and send to the client.
Question 6: Can you give the particular job(s) that you can tag your best?
Christopher Okonkwo: I particularly like those that gave me freedom of expression. The job
that really gave me freedom of expression was the calendar illustrations for tasty fried chicken. I
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wrote the text and also the imagined the illustrations for it. I particularly love creating humour
because I want to make people happy. I really do not like creating gloomy or evil characters.
Question 7: What is the time frame you personally need to finish an advertising
Christopher Okonkwo: For me, I took time to detail the one that gave me freedom. For
example, the ‘altogether’ illustration I did for fidelity bank was a very detailed advert and it took
me three consecutive days because I had to apply skin textures and lighting effects to it. For
storyboards, client would usually require the finished job the day after so I had to make less
Question 8: What reason can you give for the unpopular trend of illustration in
advertising in Nigeria.
Christopher Okonkwo: A cultural change is required if we must get to the level of having
illustration as a popular culture. Nigeria is young compared to other parts of the world when it
comes to figurative illustrations. Nigeria tends to encourage more of abstract art which I do not
support because I see it as an escapist means from realism. Although things are beginning to
Question 9: Was there any time your suggestion for illustration for an advert was turned
down?
Christopher Okonkwo: People have always appreciated my works. The only time they would
have been turned down is when the client turns down an entire advert campaign and not the
illustrations turned down directly. I get positive response for my works and I can’t remember one
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that was turned down. The only rejections I had were modifications to an illustration and not an
outright rejection.
Christopher Okonkwo: Actually the problem is that these lecturers were only taught
conventional art and are still trying to catch up with modern technology. A revolution in the
Question 11: By way of an educational guide, what are developmental processes you
Christopher Okonkwo: Practice makes perfect. The more you indulge in practising, the better
you become. One of the best things that can happen to you is to make your hubby your
profession.
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figure 2: with the illustrator in his workplace on the interview date.
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CHAPTER 4
Christopher Okonkwo’s works will be analysed based on the brand names he has done
illustration on. This data analysis will also include some miscellaneous illustrations. The brand
names include: Fidelity bank, Tasty fried chicken (TFC), Globe motors, Mouka foam and Mimee
noodles.
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figure 3 : my final TGIF
The advertising illustration was made for fidelity pensions. The illustration shows a retired man
reminiscing on his good old days.
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The advertising illustration was made for fidelity pensions. The illustration shows a happy old
man dancing. The illustration advertises fidelity pensions as one that guarantees good living standard
even after retirement
figure 6 : Tortise
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This illustration was done for Mimee noodles, a Nigerian noodle food company. The strategy is
to create the popular tortoise story into the brand essence to attract the targeted consumers, children.
These illustrations advertises safety precautions for every road driver. It was done as a
collaborative campaignt by globe motors and the federal road safety commission, FRSC. This illustration
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has been able to depict what the camera would find difficult to achieve or too expensive to create
photographically compared to the less expensiveness of illustration and its clear explanation of the
campaign.
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This illustration shows the cartoon characters of popular artistes and entertainers for a children’s
day celebration. This illustration shows how dynamic illustrations can be in advertising.
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figure 11: Altogether advert for Fidelity Bank
CHAPTER 5
5.0 Conclusion
Illustration has helped in no small way the advertising uniqueness of products and
services. It could be one of the greatest weapon(s) in this direction but for the very few
advertising illustrators, the limited use of illustrations in advertising in Nigeria and the
indifferent attitude of advertising agencies and their regulating bodies to particular promotion of
An observation of the themes and styles of the illustrations analyzed reveal that the
5.1 Recommendations
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It is time more attention be paid to advertising illustrations. Talented artists should not
confine themselves to other aspects of art. The artist, in collaboration with the mass media has an
important role ahead in raising the awareness and consciousness of our society.
This analysis can be used to answer the research questions which the researcher earlier
stated:
What is illustration?
Advertising illustrations have the ability to particularly describe intricate details pertaining to
the advert.
The purpose for this research cannot be exhausted. The researcher will propose areas for
further research on the topic of illustration in advertising with the basic idea that the field for
The researcher believes it will further strengthen the understanding of illustration in the
world of advertising if the following areas are considered for future research:
agencies.
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3. The illustrator as a translator for the copywriter’s written texts in advertising agencies.
REFERENCES
Meenakshl R. Chandran (1998). Advertising: The Social Ad. Challenge. New Delhi.
F. f'res Berg (198O). The History and Development of Advertisement. Garden City, New
C.H. Sandage and Varnon Fryburger (1987). Advertising Theory & Practice.
Henry Sarnpson (7930). History of Advertising. Chatto & Windus, London, p.19.
Frank Presbrey (1925), The History and Development of Advertising. Garden City, New
52
Okeke, C.B. (2006). The Rhetoric of Television Advertising in Nigeria. Unpublished
Long
Emma Ezejideaku, Ph.D. and Esther Nkiruka Ugwu, Ph.D.(2010). The Linguistics of
Bob Gordon, Maggie Gordon (2002). The Complete Guide to Digital Graphic Design .
pg.,44
Ryan Miller(2010). http://software.ezinemark.com/types-of-digital-illustration-
16c58d44531.html
Adekanmbi, A.E. (1997). Cartooning and Animation. B.A Thesis. Obafemi Awolowo
University.
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APPENDIX
Q : Sir, I will like you to tell me briefly about your education and work experience.
Q: I have noticed your illustrations are so different from other illustrators, is there a name
Nigeria.
Q: Can you give the particular job(s) that you can tag your best?
54
Q: What is the time frame you personally need to finish an advertising illustration from a
client?
Q: What reason can you give for the unpopular trend of illustration in advertising in
Nigeria.
Q: Was there any time your suggestion for illustration for an advert was turned down?
Q: By way of an educational guide, what are developmental processes you would advice
55