Richard Brereton

In the digital age, the original meaning of cut and paste has been replaced with a few clicks of a mouse, This has led to a lot of derivative and unimaginative computer produced work. In response to this, artists have returned to using more tradition al methods of making images. There has been a resurgence of drawing and illustration and collage has recently been rediscovered. Collage is the natural progression of illustration, as it combines drawing with the other mediums. It is the fusing of me thods that makes for a new language. Increasingly, collage is being used in ads, magazine editorials, fashion spreads, street art, album covers, animation and websites: from the Prada Menswear Spring Summer 09 invitation (Milan) to the editorial of B utt Magazine, from Brahma beer poster campaigns featuring the work of Brazilian artists such as Speto and Giga to posters for the Tate Gallery. The surreal juxtaposition of images provokes thought, humour and understanding, two-dimensional images bec ome three.

Now published in paperback, Sketchbooks provides a revealing glimpse into the inner workings and private inspiration of creatives from the worlds of advertising, design, graphic design, fashion design, art, street art and illustration. Intimate and often unseen, artists' own notebooks document sources of inspiration as well as the journey to final execution. They show ideas and their evolution into accomplished works. Fresh and spontaneous, their style connects directly with current illustration trends. The material is complemented by interviews in which artists explain how they use their sketchbooks and how they relate to finished works. These, along with the sketchbooks themselves, give readers a direct and unmediated insight into the process of research and creation.