Illustration: What's the Point?: A Book of Illustrated Illustrations that Illustrate Illustration

by Mouni Feddag

Of all the graphic arts, illustration is currently the most dynamic and exciting. In every medium - advertising, book publishing, product design, houseware and home furnishings - new talents are emerging, making their mark and (in some cases) a fortune out of their illustration skills.

But why? In this uniquely presented book, gifted illustrator Mouni Feddag takes on the subject and gives it the treatment it deserves. Witty, dynamic, wide-ranging and visual, this title answers the big questions that illustration poses,

What's the point of hand-drawn things?
What's the point of pictures?
What's the point of looking good?
What's the point of decoration?
What's the point of commercial art?
What's the point of repetition?

Genres: Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Art

96 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2017

About the author

Mouni Feddag is a British-Algerian illustrator and designer whose clients have included Anthropologie; O, The Oprah Magazine; and Real Simple. Africa, Amazing Africa is her first book for children. She lives in Nottingham, England.

Reviews

[Cherniakhivska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Симпатична розважально-розглядальна книжечка. Добре, що я її не купувала, а тільки позичила в бібліотеці Book Box. Бо саме читання в ній майже немає, це дійсно більше арт-об'єкт з деякими роздумами авторки про зображення і сприйняття. Схоже на щоденникові записи з особистими інсайтами, які мало що скажуть читачу. Схоже на верхівку айсберга. І дійсно, в фіналі авторка дає список рекомендованої літератури, і там три десятки потенційно цікавезних книжок. Я їх всі позначила собі в гудрідз як "хочу прочитати" - кому актуально, вони мають виднітися на моїй сторінці перед цією анотацією. Хоча мабуть, не всі вмістилися (а деякі я вже читала, наприклад, "Зрозуміти комікси" Скотта Макклауда або "Як зрозуміти ілюстрацію" Дерека Бразелла).
Ну а сама ця книжка все ж приваблива, ілюстрації кумедні, над деякими я похіхікала.

[Noora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought the book based on the fact that I like the author's illustrations- I made a mistake! I did actually enjoy the illustrations but this is a book I had high expectations for- another mistake! I was in the middle of learning about illustrations and what parts of text should be illustrated and such issues. I thought this book had something to add to that. Ah well, my bad! This by the way doesn't mean others might not find it a fun "read" although I think it's pretty sketchy scratching the surface of several issues but not dealing with any of them in depth. On the back cover, it's stated that that book wont teach you how to draw- to me I think it wont teach you anything at all; it's fun to flip though with a cup of coffee one afternoon- no more! Another thing that I wasn't a big fan of is the hand written text; occasional use can be justified but all the text in the book is hand-written and I found it hard to read.

[Dita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in the middle of two thick (almost 500 pages) books, and I’m all about accomplishment, so I pick a fun and quick read.
The illustration class has finished, but I intend to keep learning about it. It’s been fun and very fulfilling. This book by Mouni Feddag explains illustrations with illustrations (illustraception!) in an amusing way. I’m never a fan of pencil color illustrations but I like her style a lot. Also, in the back there’s a list of further reading! How I love book list 😄😄
Here we go.. my first book of 2018

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Attraction is just distraction that you enjoy.

I don't think I have ever read a book quite like this, so I'm having a hard time rating it. It's short, with little text and a lot of illustrations, but can't exactly be categorised as a comic book (although there are a few pages of the usual comic-style panels). Also, while it doesn't have the most beautiful art, it's definitely an eccentric and fun read to pass time.

We feel something particular when we look at appealing pictures - we just don't have a word for what that feeling is. We don't have words for a lot of things, and those things are no less important.

[Jeff Lewonczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming and somewhat elliptical guide to the power of illustration. Not a treatise if that's what your looking for, but an impressionistic, idiosyncratic guide that shows more than tells. If you take it on it's own terms, it's a delight and an inspiration.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the illustrations are delightful enough, the title ought to clue you in on the contents of the book. It's mostly a mish-mash of unfinished ramblings and the most interesting parts are quotes from other authors. In between the ramblings are conversations between people going on about farts, condoms, sex with a precious few pages devoted to the discussion of a character's fringe in an already thin book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love love this book because of the illustrations style which is just so fun, beautiful and quirky. I like how it talks about points on illustration, but I would have liked a more elaborated version. Overall a light hearted, fun read with beautiful illustrations and I would definitely recommend it to friends.

[Hande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not recommended on standard kindle

I loved the pictures, concept, style and all the artwork in this book. I bought it as a standard book to read on my kindle which didn’t work so I downloaded it to my kindle app on the iPad. I think as it is a picture book get the physical copy or have another tablet with colour other than your kindle.

[lalanalala · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of illustration books, I believe that good illustrations should be able to speak for themselves without the need for detailed verbal explanations. The purpose of these books is to provide inspiration and joy of flipping through its pages, and this book serves that purpose perfectly.

I mean…. It sits pretty on the table and features pretty illustrations that are funny.
So …. 5/5

[nel · Rating 3 out of 5]

charmed by how compelling i find this art style, suppose that drives half of the point home, not much substance otherwise. a shame really, the potential is certainly there, but it's probably its misleading title doing it a disfavor than anything else.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

three word review: what's the point?

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Beautiful illustrations but not enough informative content

[PJ Ebbrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations bring this closer to us.

[mantareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bite-sized, with the occasional gleam of profundity

[Resalye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it