California X - Mummy.
Last year I visited Seattle, the birthplace of grunge, and ever since I've been rekindling my love of said rock.
California X are a bunch of American kids who are doing it today... and generally having a good time. I wish they had a video for their track Pond Rot, as it contains the lyric "I want a pond to rot in" check out their debut (I think) self titled album, it is streaming on Spotify.
In other news while i'm here, and most of you reading this probably want to hear about design/illustration work. Everything is going swell! I drew the Titanic the other day.
Video:
Monday, 1 April 2013
Monday, 4 March 2013
3 months in...
...to 2013.
13 is an odd number, literally and visually. It kinda wants to get together and become a B.
I should update with some small things. I'm currently re-designing my website, its taking a while because I have been pretty busy of late, but it is getting there.
Here is a snippet of a map that will be up on the site:
13 is an odd number, literally and visually. It kinda wants to get together and become a B.
I should update with some small things. I'm currently re-designing my website, its taking a while because I have been pretty busy of late, but it is getting there.
Here is a snippet of a map that will be up on the site:
The first step in re-designing or moreover refreshing a site, any site, should be to look at what you already have, and what you want to have. I tend to update my site once every maybe 2 years with a larger refresh, and then periodically update with new work, its been a while since my last update however.
I also try to think of the site as a physical place, an art gallery, a place where people go to see the art. The overall design shouldn't fight for your attention.
This is why I wouldn't choose to integrate a blog into the site or use it as a social platform. I think the social elements, a blog, twitter etc are best left separate, they are part of the distraction of the design of most portfolio sites in my opinion, I mean imagine if you can a blog personified as the artist within an art gallery stood around updating the gallery goers with some holiday snaps, or doodling on a napkin and trying to pin it up on the gallery wall.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Faber Birren
Excerpt from a self publication I was creating a couple of years back about Faber Birren.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Ramblings...
I'm taking a little break from a project, i'm talking a 15 minute break, and thought i'd write a tiny blog post with some tips, these are things I think about and come to mind when i'm working, general ramblings.
Put just as much effort into everything you do no matter how big or small the job, you owe it to yourself to be good and pay attention to detail. I get asked to do various editorial illustrations these can range from covers, double page spreads to tiny little spaces within which your work will live, speak, shout, whisper, or get to the point asap, i'm talking 5mm x 4mm of paper, a young sapling leaf of the tree if you will, give it your full attention.
The main thing you gotta know, the holy grail is communication, that is all, people are commissioning you for your skills and sometimes style, which should never be locked it should float within a framework, but most of all your ability to communicate not only a message an idea a thought, but also to be able to communicate the image in your head, your imagination.
If you're getting stuck on something, move on to something else, or break out of anything that seems like what people expect and just do what you want.
If you are working in a small space, I'm talking on the page, what I try to do is think of it like this: less space less colours, if your space is limited you need to limit the other things that are in general not limited. If you are working in a small space, studio wise, close your eyes...you now have infinite space...
get to work.
Put just as much effort into everything you do no matter how big or small the job, you owe it to yourself to be good and pay attention to detail. I get asked to do various editorial illustrations these can range from covers, double page spreads to tiny little spaces within which your work will live, speak, shout, whisper, or get to the point asap, i'm talking 5mm x 4mm of paper, a young sapling leaf of the tree if you will, give it your full attention.
The main thing you gotta know, the holy grail is communication, that is all, people are commissioning you for your skills and sometimes style, which should never be locked it should float within a framework, but most of all your ability to communicate not only a message an idea a thought, but also to be able to communicate the image in your head, your imagination.
If you're getting stuck on something, move on to something else, or break out of anything that seems like what people expect and just do what you want.
If you are working in a small space, I'm talking on the page, what I try to do is think of it like this: less space less colours, if your space is limited you need to limit the other things that are in general not limited. If you are working in a small space, studio wise, close your eyes...you now have infinite space...
get to work.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Tysons Corner Centre
I was asked to create 75 illustrations for Tysons Corner Center mall in America. At first I was a little daunted by the task, supplying sketches and revisions on so many illustrations, while trying to keep track of everything and making everything work as a whole.
The elements ranged from Kitchen Aids to Canoe's and were to be used as a kind of way finding system, as well as a visual identity for the Mall for the next 2 years and possibly beyond.
I was amazed to find out that the illustrations as a campaign won Gold at the American Advertising Awards! I think everything came together really nicely in the end.
Lord Of The Flies Cover
I recently took a trip to Seattle, flying from Manchester to Philadelphia then connecting through.
I'd taken Lord Of The Flies with me, I'd never read the book, but decided I'd probably really like it, given that I was (am) a huge fan of Lost, and as it was a major influence on the series felt that it was about time.
I'm not going to review the book, but it was/is a great book, the similarities with Lost were apparent, I saw simon as the John Locke figure, wandering into the Jungle to 'listen' to the island, Simon was taken by madness, unlike John Locke, and the supernatural wasn't as real an element as on the show, manifesting itself instead in the minds of the children.
I picked up the version with Neil Gowers illustration (below), it's such a beautiful cover, It reminded me a little of my own work, I can tend to slip into creating almost a pattern when illustrating, and the cover reminded me of that, the intricacy of communicating through a balance of space.
What I was most intrigued about with the book, was the fact that I could see so clearly the landscape in my mind, to the point of tripping over the undergrowth myself, and it was this that I was most taken by, I have always been drawn to the idea of islands and castaways, I'm not sure why, maybe I was washed up on one in a former life.
I'd taken Lord Of The Flies with me, I'd never read the book, but decided I'd probably really like it, given that I was (am) a huge fan of Lost, and as it was a major influence on the series felt that it was about time.
I'm not going to review the book, but it was/is a great book, the similarities with Lost were apparent, I saw simon as the John Locke figure, wandering into the Jungle to 'listen' to the island, Simon was taken by madness, unlike John Locke, and the supernatural wasn't as real an element as on the show, manifesting itself instead in the minds of the children.
I picked up the version with Neil Gowers illustration (below), it's such a beautiful cover, It reminded me a little of my own work, I can tend to slip into creating almost a pattern when illustrating, and the cover reminded me of that, the intricacy of communicating through a balance of space.
What I was most intrigued about with the book, was the fact that I could see so clearly the landscape in my mind, to the point of tripping over the undergrowth myself, and it was this that I was most taken by, I have always been drawn to the idea of islands and castaways, I'm not sure why, maybe I was washed up on one in a former life.
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