Tufte’s narratives of space and time theory suggests that creating a timeline with changes between each visual can illustrate points well (Tufte, 1990, pp.97-119). In this blog post I will be finding examples of Tufte’s space and time theory in art magazines.
Most art magazines are made up of tutorials that rely on changing graphics and visuals to teach the viewer how to draw or create a final product. Muhammad Osama suggests that when writing an effective tutorial it is imperative to use images, saying: “Usually, you will require pictures to disclose how to get things done. Positioned pictures can represent the deciding moment of a decent tutorial.” (Osama, 2021) Therefore, an effective and useful art tutorial should always show the finished product from beginning to end using changing visuals.
For example, in this magazine ‘Paint and Draw Animals’ the various featured artists in the magazine capture images of their work as it progresses. The artist will take pictures of their art as it progresses through the first beginning sketch to the final finished image using numbers to label the images creating a timeline. This allows the artist to showcase their specific techniques in a simple way for viewers. This supports Tufte’s theory as the artist is taking pictures of a specific space (the drawing) changing over a specific time period.
One disadvantage of using visuals to create an art tutorial is that the viewers following the tutorial tend to be at a different skill level than the artist and will see the images as impossible to achieve and daunting. As I am creating a mental health magazine illustrating the idea of art as a form of self-care I will need to take this into account as I want to emphasise the idea of art with no pressure.
References:
Melanie Phillips, 2017. Paint and Draw Magazine Article. (Blog Post) [Online] (Updated May 17 2017) Available at: http://blog.pet-portraitartist.com/2017/05/paint-draw-magazine-article/ [Accessed 10 November 2021]
Muhammad Osama, 2021. How to Write a Tutorial: 9 Steps to Write a How-To Article. (Article) [Online] (Updated May 28 2021) Available at: https://www.everfinite.com/write-a-tutorial/ [Accessed 10 November 2021]
Tufte, E.R., 1990. Envisioning Information. Cheshire (CT): Graphics Press.