Harry Potter and the Graphic Design Awe

I went to the Warner Brothers studio tour yesterday with some friends from university. As a big HP fan, I walked in with a huge smile on my face which stayed on all day, and was even still there this morning when I woke up. 

I was with friends from my university days, who all studied Illustration or Graphic design with me, and one of the highlights for us was the display of all the design used in the film. I was so glad they included this. 

These displays show copies of the Quibbler magazine, the Daily Prophet, Quidditch World Cup programmes, train tickets, letters... it is amazing when you consider these things were only on screen for a second at a time. 

I bought myself a copy of The Quibbler in the shop at the end of the tour, I was really pleased you can buy this. I also bought a book which includes fun pull-outs, such as Umbridge’s decrees, Honeydukes packaging and a mini marauder’s map. If you’re not into Harry Potter, sorry if that just made no sense!

New studio!

Here’s my new workspace, the stuff of my dreams now made reality. Big thanks to Karen for coming over and sitting on the carpet keeping me company whilst I built the tables, and helping me make the big inspiration collage over the desk!

Find Me Keep Me - Peterborough 2013

What a buzzy Easter weekend. I was involved with an Arts Council funded project last week: Find Me Keep Me. It was a month in the making, and involved hiding art in the centre of Peterborough, UK, for members of the public to find. It was inspired by Free Art Friday in London, which you can educate yourself about on Youtube, should the mood take you.
There were 52 artists involved, and we were divided into teams according to our discipline - I was put into the 2D art team. We met each week in the pub to discuss potential themes for our art, promotion and how we would hide our art on the special day. Do I even need to say that there was much more laughter and messing around than proper discussion?

But we DID manage to come up with a nifty promtion idea - a folding zine that showcased all our work, to be given out and hidden on the day. Here’s us with scalpels and stuff, showing off our folding skills.

Our theme was ’treasure’, and I produced this illustration of various keys.

On the day I hid it on the steps of the Guildhall in the square... turned my back for 30 seconds, and it had gone. Excited shiver...

On the day we alternated between hiding the art, and telling the pubic about  Find Me Keep Me. We had all leafleted beforehand, as well as facebooking and tweeting about the project, but I was still amazed at the level of response. People had come into town especially to take part in the hunt, and I saw people running across the square with a map when they thought they’d found something! The whole thing was amazing, and I was lucky enough to see some delighted people discovering some art. 

So, so cool. Thanks to the organisers of this, I want to keep meeting up with all the people I met on this project, and hopefully organise some other stuff off the back of it! I hope it happens next year!

5 Books / Publications I find inspiring

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Yes indeed...

My pen version of the Overground piece. I'd like to try this as a print.

Overground Arts Fest, July 2012

Saturday can only be described as a day of pure happiness. I went along to the Green Backyard at 10am for the Overground Arts Festival, now in its third year. Luke Payn, one of the organisers, had invited me to be one of the guest artists there. Basically they get artists from all over to come along on the day and paint onto a wooden board. Most people there were graffiti artists of amazing talent, but there were some painters and collage-ers too. I’d been allocated a nice, un-intimidating 4’x4’ board, and I’d decided to do a grid based composition featuring one of my favourite things in the whole world: hand-drawn typography.

For those of you who don’t know or who are maybe reading from a far-flung place, The Green Backyard is a beautiful piece of land in the centre of Peterborough, and it is home to a number of amazing projects, like sculptures, allotments, a pond, a bee mound, free-range chickens, green energy, live music, art… the list goes on. It is run tirelessly by a father-daughter team as well as volunteers. Oh, and our city council would like to get rid of it. And replace it with a coach park.

Yes, you did just read that right.

So, outrage is plentiful round here at the moment, especially on a day like this one, where the sun beats down on delighted English people who have endured more than two months of sodden misery thanks to a mischievous jet stream. Why would the council want to get rid of such an amazing, popular community project? Especially as in the past Peterborough has led the way in green living, so I thought. In bleak economic times, a place that encourages sustainability and companionship, and shows us an alternative to consumerism must be a good thing, surely? If you want a coach park, can’t you dynamite Liquid or another ghastly nightclub?

Sigh. But the mood on Saturday was peaceful, and happy, mostly. I did have a strop mid way through my piece – the sun was beating down and I hadn’t had a beer yet. The colours were looking mucky and the brushwork was looking clumsy. I was on the verge of packing it all in, unfinished, and flopping on the grass with a drink, when someone cheerily approached asking me if they could buy it. I cheered up slightly. Five minutes later my neighbour who was also painting a board came over and asked if she could buy it. ‘I know exactly where I’m going to put it,’ she said. I cheered up a lot, and pushed onwards to finish it. Just who will end up with the final thing I don’t know, I didn’t pay for the board so it’s out of my hands. Here it is, all finished.

Oh, and in other news, I’m fully signed up to start a PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) in September, which I can do at night around work. Very, very happy. Nothing like learning to shake life up a bit!

Tuesdays - and the Artiste Complex...

Recently I was commissioned to do this zine-ish publication for St. John's in Peterborough. They wanted something interesting to give to visitors, to encourage them along to their events. I played around with drop shadow to create a 3d feel, but in the end the request for more colour meant the impact was lost somewhat, but I'm happy with the end result, and so is the client. Which is what really matters! Talking of which...

Customer is always right?

I sat in the pub recently with a friend of mine for whom I've done a few bits of work. One flyer in particular she let me go nuts with, and I hope it isn't big headed to say I was delighted with the result. At the same time I produced a poster for a children's holiday club, and was talking to my friend about how they'd requested it to be 'even more colourful', and asked me to have a different colour for each line of text. This request made me wince slightly, but I did it. My friend asked me how I felt about the final poster.

I shrugged. 'They liked it a lot, which is what matters most.'

She raised her eyebrows. 'I'd love for you to talk to a couple of my friends who are designers. They really don't like it when people ask for changes and get quite uptight about it.'

I can see where these friends are coming from, but I think it's very important to make sure you don't get too attached to your work, and are open to requests for changes. In fact, if you want to embark on a career as an illustrator or graphic designer, it's essential. Things will often get sent back maybe 5 or 6 times, (if you're lucky, but for bigger jobs it can run into double figures) and sometimes you will be asked to amend or delete an element you have grown really proud of.

There are ways you can get round this though, if the customer requests a change that you just don't think will work. 

Firstly, always have a go at what they want. If you don't try it, you won't be able to articulate your concerns as well.

Then, quickly mock up an alternative version that you think works better. Send the client both, and explain to them politely the concerns you have with their request, and how about they reconsider? That way your customer is able to physically see why your idea may work better for them. I used to be more timid about telling a client if I had reservations. Some of the most common problems I or my illustrator mates have had to tackle are:

• Being sent way too much copy - result: finished product looks cramped, and the impact is lost.
• Being asked to make things 'more colourful' (I get this a lot, serves me right for being an illustrator who loves bright colours. This one can ensure groans of frustration when I've carefully selected a kick-ass limited colour palette)
• Getting sent photos and being asked to lay text over the top - Aaaaaaargh no.

I'm sure there are more. But these days I'm more confident about raising these issues with clients, and nine times out of ten they are grateful for your input. That's why they turn to designers in the first place - because they want a creative, yet clear outcome.

Time to plan my dinner party

Know any good recipes?

Prague 2012

I've just got back from Prague and thought I'd share some of my photography. Prague was cold, whistley, wide, twisting and crooked. I liked the street graffiti and the trams. Alcohol was cheap. I ate strawberry chocolate and hot pastries, bought underneath Charles Bridge. I left my miniature zines in secret places for people to find. I'd definitely go back because I wanted to go to the museum of communism and see a light show, but the friends I went with weren't keen on the idea. Enjoy the photos, I'm going to produce a zine containing my artwork and photography from the trip, so stay tuned.

A special Folksy Friday: Things I have bought

I've been on Folksy now for a year and a half, and in that time I've learnt a lot. I've also bought a lot! See below for images, links and a bit of ramble about the object and its significance to me. When trawling through my purchases I was sad to see some of the shops were empty, hopefully not permanently. Others were alive and kicking, and it was great to re-visit them and see what they were up to now. So, off we go on a journey of my Folksy purchases...

http://www.folksy.com/shops/CelticfusionFabrics

I lived with my best friend back in 2010 and we had some tatty old chairs we got in a charity shop. I stripped them down and repainted them, then re-upholstered them with one of my first ever Folksy purchases. And the result can be seen below. Thank you CelticFusionFabrics! Eventually I sold them on or gave them away. Can't wait for the day when I have my own place once more and can do it again...

http://www.folksy.com/shops/oddsox

This little cutie I bought on impulse, I could not resist him. He arrived tenderly wrapped in tissue paper and raffia, with an adorable badge I like to wear on my favourite grey sweater. He does have a tendency to fall down the back of my bed but I always dig him out and nuzzle him apologetically. This shop is still stuffed full of 'awww'-inducing cuteness, so do pay a visit.

http://www.folksy.com/shops/starsNscars

This is AWESOME. When people comment on it (which is often) I always say it is my portable disguise. This photo was speedily uploaded to facebook when I wore it recently to a church meeting. I love wearing this to give my outfit a cheeky, irreverent touch, plus I can make myself laugh in the mirror when I put it on my face (Simple things, simple minds).

http://www.folksy.com/shops/SilentTheatre

A double order from SilentTheatre. This print you see here was given to a friend who is mad about fairies, I kept the other one and it's propped on a shelf behind my jewellery stand (walls are too crumbly to hang pictures in my abode). It also came with a cute mini photo of another buxom lady with wings. The images are stunning, and the paper is thick and glossy, money well spent. 

http://www.folksy.com/shops/RebeccaLancasterDesigns

I think this ended up being an 80th birthday card for my Gran, if memory serves. I gave it to her because the card reminded me of her: Elegant, but fun and fresh, that's her all over! 

Another impulse buy. A year or so back I was quaffing wine of an evening and showing a friend Folksy, she'd never seen it before. We stumbled across this and our jaws dropped. I was super skint that month and could definitely have spent my money on more sensible things, but this hat cried out to be on my head and now I am the proud owner. My friend who works in my local pub promptly snapped up one of her own after I walked in for a pint wearing it. It's super warm, it's lined with fleece so it doesn't itch, and it draws stares and admiration a-plenty, not a hat for the faint hearted. It also was made before the high street jumped on the 'animal-hat' bandwagon, so this shop was definitely ahead of trend. Sadly her shop is fairly quiet but I hope she returns soon with her amazing creations.

http://www.folksy.com/shops/kinddog

My latest obsession is zines, and this is my most recent purchase: a little zine that screams cute, by KindDog. It came with two stickers, telling the story of a cat who for various reasons is having to trim down. It's a great addition to my collection, and I'll be following her shop closely from now on.

Have fun Fridays, Folksters!