EXPLORING THE USE OF ILLUSTRATION IN 21ST

CENTURY ADVERTISING THROUGH THE ART OF

CHRISTOPHER OKONKWO.

BY

OLORUNSOGO MICAH

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO

THE DEPARMENT OF CREATIVE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

IN

PARTIAL FUFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN CREATIVE ARTS (B.A.HONS)

OCTOBER, 2012

1
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.”

-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

and immeasurable supervision.

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.

My indelible appreciation goes to my lecturers: Head of Department, Prof. Anthony

Mereni, Mrs. P.U. Ofuafo (Head of Visual Unit), Dr (Mrs) Peju Layiwola, Mr. Austin

2
Emifoniye, Mr. Bolaji Ogunwo, Mrs. Oyenike Eseagwu, Mr. Ogochukwu Ephraim, thank you all

for impacting knowledge in me during my curse of study.

To Adenaiya Oluwafemi, thank you for your friendly companionship and your good

disposure to me. To my classmates, thank you all for your understanding.

3
 CHAPTER 1

1.0 Background of Study

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

as a contribution to the understanding of an important modern phenomenon in advertising:

illustration art in advertising as a preference over photography.

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

4
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

paintings. The art of illustration is of several types, namely:

 Advertising or Commercial Illustration - Used to sell or promote a product, service, or

idea.

 Editorial Illustration - Used to support an editorial article in a publication (newspapers,

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

model, high fashion or couture.

 Portraits - Usually realistic representations of a person.

 Caricatures - Exaggerating features to create a comical representation of a person.

 Children's Book Illustration - Usually in a whimsical style, it accompanies a children's

story, and contains multiple illustrations throughout the book.

 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.

5
 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

lend itself to the message of the client.

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

increasingly saturated with clients and professionals. 

Advertising is a form of communication for marketing and used to encourage or persuade an

audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes a specific group) to continue or take some

6
new action. Advertising as defined by Longe is any paid form of non-personal presentation of

idea, goods or services by an identified sponsor.

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

of advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or

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

of any advertisement is to create a special identity for the product or service.

Illustrations in today’s 21st century advertising is a way to cut costs on design development and

to create a unique identity for any product or service.

1.1 Statement of Problem

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

7
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.

1.2 Aims and Objectives of Study

 This research would help to broaden the knowledge of illustration as an art and the

technology advancements that have met it.

 This research will spell out the advantages hooked to the creative use of illustrations in

advertising.

 It would also enlighten individuals who want to go into the field.

 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

illustration in advertising products and services in Nigeria

 The study will serve as a guideline and reference for future researchers.

1.3 Significance of Study

The main purpose of this research is to broaden people’s knowledge of illustration as an

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.

8
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.

1.5 Limitation of Study

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

from the internet.

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

9
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

the aims and objectives of this study.

1.7 Research Questions

This research seeks to answer the following questions:

 What is illustration?

 What are the methods and techniques used in illustration art?

 Considerations for creating illustrations for advertisements.

1.8 Definition of Terms

 Advertising: This is any paid form of non-personal presentation of idea, goods or services

by an identified sponsor.

 Advertising Agencies: These are usually independent business organizations comprised

of creative and business personnel, who develop, prepare and place adverts for

organizations so as to attract and influence consumers’ behaviour towards a product or

service.

 Billboard: a large board on the outside of a building or at the side of the road, used for

putting advertisements on.

10
 Brand: A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other

products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually

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.

 Illustration: a depiction (such as a painted drawing) that is created to dictate information

(such as a story, poem, newspaper article or advertisement). It can also be defined as any

pictorial matter used to explain a text.

 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

satisfy their needs.

 Poster: a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement.

 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.

11
  Digital painting: this is an emerging art form in which traditional painting techniques

such as watercolour, oils, impasto, etc. are applied using digital tools by means of

a computer, a digitizing tablet and stylus, and software. 

 Graphic art software: this is a subclass of application software used for graphic

design, multimedia development, specialized image development, general image editing, or

simply to access graphic files.

CHAPTER 2

2.0 History of Advertising

12
 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

(1980) defines advertising as “a message specified by its originator, carried by a communication

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

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.

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

world's history ''

13
 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

walls. This form of advertisement lasted for a very long time.

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

14
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

divided into six periods or stages as follows:

a. Pre-printing period, prior to the Fifteenth century.

b. Early printing period from the Fifteenth century to about 1840.

c. Period of expansion, from 1840 to 1900.

d. Period of consolidation from 1900 to 1925.

e. Period of scientific development, from 1925 to 1945; and

f. Period of business and social integration from 1945 to the present.

A significant event in the development of advertising was the invention of a system of

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

large quantities for wide distribution.

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

15
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.

2.1 History of Illustrations in Advertising

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

the 8th century by creating woodcuts to accompany writing.

Illustration was the first medium utilised to help bring the written word to life and in a

commercial sense it dates as far back as the 15th century.

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

16
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

illustrations were mostly about selling brands.

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.

They could now afford to own a car.

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

outdoor cinemas spreading everywhere.

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

palettes and basically no 3 dimensional space.

17
 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

rhythms and incredible imaginative power.

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

them with ease and excitement as they in the 50’s did.

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

illustrated over 300 books.

The illustrations of the 1950’s brings into the time the beginning of consumerism that

promoted advertisement illustrations.

18
  Some illustrations of the 1950’s

2.2 History of Illustration in Nigeria

In Nigeria, illustration as a visual communication genre is noted to have gained

prominence with the political struggle against colonialism in the early part of the 20th century. It

19
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

set the landmark for the development of modern advertising in Nigeria.

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

town crier was sent out to do so (Arowomole 2002).

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

changing attitudes, promotion of goods and services and wealth creation. 

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

20
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. 

2.3 Illustration Advertising in Nigeria

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

Telegram (1930-35) and the Nigerian Times (1910).

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

21
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.

2.4 Between Illustration and Photography

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

commercial sense it dates as far back as the 15th century.

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

products or services appear more desirable.

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

the previous decade when photography accounted for only 15%.

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

22
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

the commercial and retail sectors.

In an ever-saturated marketplace, businesses are desperately seeking out new ways to

differentiate themselves from their competitors. In this sense, illustration can be used as a clever

and unique way to promote and extend a brand.

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

distinctive and original illustrative style.

Where photography is capable of capturing tangible and universally understood situations

and subjects, the strength of illustration lies in its ability to convey the abstract, the conceptual

and the impalpable.

23
 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

ideas and messages which a photograph would struggle to do.

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

would not have the same effect using photography.

2.5 Creating Illustration for Advertising

In getting an advertising illustration done, there are a couple of choices. An illustrator’s

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.

24
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.

In the advertising field, the highest degree of professionalism and performance is

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

rights, complexity of style, or extra-tight deadlines.

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,

25
necessitate additional charges, and the illustrator tends to be flexible, giving valued and

responsible clients some leeway (Martina 2012).

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

depth than most 3d images.

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

as we have in the case study.

26
  Figure1: Christropher Okonkwo’s workspace

3.1 CHRISTOPHER JIDEOBI OKONKWO

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

translating scientific principles into an art. 

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.

3.2 Education and Work Experience

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

(CGI) in movies and video games. He graduated in the year 2007.

He became interested in computer graphic artworks when he got exposed to it as a

teenager. His first attempt at it was with Corel PhotoPaint in 2000. He started using Adobe

Photoshop in 2006 and started to use Adobe Photoshop CS5 in 2010.

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

requesting clients. He gradually graduated from using traditional illustration techniques to

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.

He is currently the head of the creative team of a gaming company in Nigeria,

Kuluya.com.

3.3 His style

Okonkwo’s illustrations largely evoke an atmosphere of humour. He is of the opinion that

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

scanning- technique, which obviously takes a lot more time to do.

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.

3.4 Cell shading

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

shade colour.  Chiaroscuro is an often used visual effect. 

30
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 brush options or it'll get really annoying.

STEP 2 - Tighten up Gesture

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.

STEP 3 - Line Art

Using the pencil tool on a layer above the gestures. You'll notice the

second window to the right at a lower magnification. If you're working

at a high magnification (at 200% to 300%) it's a good idea to zoom out

every once in a while to see how things are going.

STEP 4 - Clean Line Art

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.

31
STEP 5 - Flats

Improper flatting will lead to horrible an illustration. Add a gray

background for contrast sake.

STEP 6 - Shadows

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.

STEP 9 - Gaussian Blur

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

makes the next step a mess.

32
STEP 10 - Blurred

This is what your blurred layer should look like.

STEP 11 - Hard Light

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

tone of the surrounding regions.

STEP 12 - Screen

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.

STEP 13 - Highlights

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

give the eyes a little gleam.

STEP 14 - Final Cell Shading

The final result should look like this.

33
 STEP 15 - Paint Background

Paint in a nice background that fits the character to have a finished

illustration piece.

STEP 16 - Did You Flat Correctly, Right?

The nice thing about this technique is that one can easily change colours

without having to recreate the shadows. If the flattening is done

properly one can play around with different colour schemes to match

the character.

(Noguchi 2004)

3.5 Digital Illustration

Digital illustration is the use of computers for making artwork. It should not be confused

with the manipulation of art or images with different types of software. It is the creation of new

art using computer software techniques.

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

computer using different software.

34
 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

effect on the quality.

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

editing pictures for magazines and newspapers. The most common software for digital

illustration is Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop (Ryan 2010).

3.6 Skills Needed By A Graphic Illustrator

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
35
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

to increase the level of your typographic skill.

 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

36
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.

 Skills for business:

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

won’t develop to the fullest.

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).

3.7 Some selected works

 Tasty Fried Chicken’s children’s day music ‘n’ comedy (2009)

 Tasty Fried Chicken: Find your way to the most taste destination (2009)

 Tasty Fried Chicken: Nigeria Cluks 50 (2010)

 Doing it right has its many awards (2010)

 Tasty Fried Chicken’s Calendar 2011 (2010)

 ‘Life is a journey’ road safety campaign for globe motors (2011)

37
  Fidelity bank pension: my final TGIF

 Fidelity bank: all to get her ( pronounced altogether)

 Mouka foam advert

 Mimee noodles: tortise

3.8 Interview

The interview with Christopher Okonkwo was held on the 2 nd of October, 2012 at his

working place in Ajao Estate, Anthony Village, Lagos.

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

the processes involved.

 Question 1: Sir, I will like you to tell me briefly about your education and work

experience.

Christopher Okonkwo: I am Christopher Jideobi Okonkwo, also known as Jydekris. I attended

Early Life Nursery and Primary School here in Lagos and had my secondary school education at

38
Federal Government College, Ijanikin also here in Lagos. I was the president of the art club. I

continued schooling at University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I majored in painting in the Department of

Fine and applied arts. I had my project on computer generated imagers (CG1). So my topic was

animation and computer generated images. I graduated in 2007.

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

communications and DDB.

 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.

 Question 3: What will you define illustration as in your own words?

39
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

is the visualization of a narrative.

 Question 4: What are the tools you employ in creating illustrations?

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

software, but I majorly concentrate on Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Flash.

 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

40
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

illustration from a client?

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

detailing to meet up with time.

 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

change as advertising agencies now incorporate illustrations into advertising.

 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

41
that was turned down. The only rejections I had were modifications to an illustration and not an

outright rejection.

 Question 10: Is there a solution to the suppressive attitude of lecturers in tertiary

institutions towards digital art.

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

curriculum for art can set a change.

 Question 11: By way of an educational guide, what are developmental processes you

would advice an upcoming illustrator to go through?

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.

42
 figure 2: with the illustrator in his workplace on the interview date.

43
 CHAPTER 4

4.0 Analysis of Christopher Okonkwo’s Works

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.

44
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.

figure 4 : my final TGIF

45
 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

46
 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.

figure 7 & 8 : life is a journey

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

47
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.

figure 9: TFC Children’s day

48
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.

figure 10: TFC Calendar

49
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

advertising illustration and increase appreciation on illustrators.

An observation of the themes and styles of the illustrations analyzed reveal that the

Nigerian illustrator can create vivid explanations of advert messages strongly.

5.1 Recommendations

50
 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?

 What are the methods and techniques used in illustration art?

 Considerations for creating illustrations for advertisements.

Advertising illustrations have the ability to particularly describe intricate details pertaining to

the advert.

5.2 Areas for Further Research

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

illustration is a wide one that can fit in advertising media.

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:

1. Illustration as a viable source of creative intelligence for television adverts in advertising

agencies.

2. The illustrator a multi-faceted artist for several media

51
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.

Manas Publication, p.24

 Agberia, J. (1993). The Role of Cartoons in the Social-Cultural Development of Nigeria.

USO: Nigerian Journal of Art 3.1&2: 32-42.

 F. f'res Berg (198O). The History and Development of Advertisement. Garden City, New

York. Doubleday 8 Co. Inc, p.2.

 C.H. Sandage and Varnon Fryburger (1987). Advertising Theory & Practice.

Homewood , lllinois. Richard D Irwin lnc., p.11

 Henry Sarnpson (7930). History of Advertising. Chatto & Windus, London, p.19.

 Frank Presbrey (1925), The History and Development of Advertising. Garden City, New

York. Doubleday & Go. Inc., p.10 -11

 Doghudje, C.A. (1985). Advertising in Nigeria. Lagos: Zus Bureau.

52
 Okeke, C.B. (2006). The Rhetoric of Television Advertising in Nigeria. Unpublished

Long

Essay, Department of Linguistics, University of Benin.

 Sandage, C. and Fryburger, V. (1963). Advertising: Theory and Practice. Homewood.

 Wright, J. (1983). Advertising. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

 Emma Ezejideaku, Ph.D. and Esther Nkiruka Ugwu, Ph.D.(2010). The Linguistics of

Newspaper Advertising in Nigeria.

 Bob Gordon, Maggie Gordon (2002). The Complete Guide to Digital Graphic Design .

pg.,44

 Jamie Noguchi (2004). Cell Shading. Published webpage.

 Ryan Miller(2010). http://software.ezinemark.com/types-of-digital-illustration-

16c58d44531.html

 Dara Creative (2011). Photography or Illustration? sales@daracreative.ie

Dara Creative, 19 Magennis Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

 Maa Illustrations (2010). Skills Needed By A Graphic Illustrator. Published webpage.

 Adekanmbi, A.E. (1997). Cartooning and Animation. B.A Thesis. Obafemi Awolowo

University.

 Martina Knecht (2012). http//Advertising Illustration/blog.com. Switzerland. Varenna 29.

53
 APPENDIX

Interview excerpt with Christopher Okonkwo, 2nd October, 2012.

 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

for your style of illustration? It is unlike the contemporary trend of illustrations in

Nigeria.

 Q: What will you define illustration as in your own words?

 Q: What are the tools you employ in creating illustrations?

 Q : Can you give a step by step process of executing an advertising illustration?

 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: Is there a solution to the suppressive attitude of lecturers in tertiary institutions

towards digital art.

 Q: By way of an educational guide, what are developmental processes you would advice

an upcoming illustrator to go through?

55