50 books/ 50 days

http://50books50days.blogspot.com/

Something interesting about making books, not so much the process from what I can gather, rather this persons own project.

http://www.andymangold.com/clarendon-type-specimen-books/

i saw this and thought it was really nice. 

was gonna post it on the artist book blog, but i dont know how to join it so i can??!! (ps. i'm not so good with blogs :/ can anyone help so i can join it please?? ta!!) :D

Merry xmas

Branding of our Gradshow - We Need You!

Hello all,

Here's a link to the gradshow branding blog I have set up:
http://vis-comm-grad-show-09.blogspot.com/

I want you all to have a look so you can see how Sarah Carter and I are getting on with creating an identity for our final year show. Also, there is another agenda... we need your help! We want you crazy people to suggest some words/names/ideas that our two heads alone cannot muster.

Imagine if each person in the whole of our year suggested one word; Sarah and I would have mountains of marvelous starting points to work with! So please spread the word!

Either post your ideas as a comment on this post, or here on the Branding blog.

Thanks guys,

Rose

Just hit the motherload...!

So I'm back in Hpool and apparently they've decided to throw out like half of their kids books and are selling them off at 10p...They have some amazing ones (which I now own >.>!) and the majority are in really good condition (don't think Hartlepudlian kids read very much >.>). I bought like 35 today, which was as much as I could carry so I'm probably gonna go back tommorrow to buy more. I was wondering if people wanted anything buying for them...like stuff that I wouldn't want for myself..Emil Gravett...Shirley Hughes...stuff like that? I can buy them and give them to people when we get back...they're just so cheeap...I'm also going to buy all of Asterix and tintin because they're selling those too...! -dies in a happy flourish of discount books-

http://deadmendontbite.blogspot.com/

And here are most of them (i couldn't find some of them online!)

More shameless advertising.

I too nicked Jess's idea and am starting to draw every day, either doodles for new ideas for children's book or a diary type thing, just so I don't get so overwhelmed with my kids book at the moment and I get bored >__<
Here it is http://cheesespreadontoast.blogspot.com/ :D

Please check it out and follow if you want to.

Museum Collection - second visit

Thanks Johan for coming along! There were only six of us in the end, but we made a good go of it.

We only had 2 hours this time but I tried to do more drawings. There were loads more items put out this time in the large 'Indiana Jones' room. Take a look at the new photos we got if you like here on Flikr.


I once again became seduced by the masks and the small African sculptures. I love how many ways a face can be depicted - great for characters!!


Here I have used some more interesting grounds for my drawings and tried using a fountain pen instead of my trusty fineliner.


Here are some other random sketches I did. I was trying to draw things I wouldn't usually draw - like cars and typography!

It was good to go a second time; I gave the camera to Alec, so I was able to draw more, ha! Next, though, I think it's off to the Henry Wellcome Collection in London for me.

Half Price Oliver Jeffers Books at Borders - unless you have them all already Guy!

Hey childrens book people, especially Guy, it's 50% off Oliver Jeffers books - only online I think.

Click here if you don't believe me!

Rose

Museum Collection visit TOMORROW! meet 9:30am canteen

Hello everyone!

Just a reminder that there is another opportunity to go to the Museum Collection tomorrow. We are meeting in the canteen at 9:30am and we have until 12 midday, so it wont eat to much time out of your day for working on dissertation presentations for Friday! Just think, it'll be time enough to produce some fodder for an artist book!

Oh, and Johan, I couldn't get hold of Louise to ask about the room upstairs, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow whether we can draw in there!

Hope to see you there guys,

Rose.

i was whacked, kicked and forced

people who use image references from the internet, check this one, pretty useful site, type your subject and it will give pretty decent photograph. the site is www.corbis.com

ps: Chiu asked me to post this one even though I wanted to keep this on the low but i stand corrected

Check it!

http://www.studioaka.co.uk/go/lostandfound/

Oliver Jeffers Lost and found book is bin made into a short animation, should be aired on channel 4 xmas eve. So he says anyway!

Screen shots look amazing!

G.

Russian dolls and more

Evelyn, i remember you mentioned you bought a set of plain russian dolls to illustrate on?i think it was you? Have a look anyway.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://irtroit.com/images/0000/0289/japanese_perspective_blog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://irtroit.com/blog/archive/2008/5&usg=__g_4cxYosHBgOnHbazOgTWKmSCmw=&h=338&w=600&sz=66&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=rNSS8WxU0IiD-M:&tbnh=76&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djulia%2Bpott%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

She has some pretty amazing sketchbook stuff as well, that makes you slightly jealous lol

Presentations?

Has anyone in Jonathan Day's group noticed if he's put up the presentation times yet? Just wondering when they are starting >.>...

Jess

Deadline?

Does anyone know how long we have left on this project? Cant seem to find out from anyone.

Cheers Guy.

Photos of Photocopied Photos

These are all obviously of the same collaged composition, but I found it interesting how changing the angle of the camera altered the look of it.

(first two are digital and the second two were taken on 110 film)

dioramaramas!

Tuesday's collage lesson!

Photocopy, Cut and Position!

L Filip dos santos...AMAZING

Great sketchbook work!.......worth a look

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/sketchbooks/60328

cheers

Study.

Just looking at other styles and Maurice Sendak and was quite pleased with how these turned out, I really like how he uses lines in the drawings and the layers to build up the fur on his creatures.

more... more... and more competitions

check this out mateys:http://www.design21sdn.com/competitions

my kid's story

I need a bit of feedback on this manuscript I've written for the text in my childrens book.. it's not finished yet, in fact I'm not sure how to end it! Any comments will be gladly recieved :)
Bear in mind there will be images telling half of the narrative if it sounds a little basic!

Pages 1 and 2. There is a forest at the bottom of my garden. It is haunted. It is not haunted by ghosts – ghosts do not exist. It is haunted by real horrors. I know this because I have seen them.

3 and 4. I have the best view of the forest from my bedroom window. At night when everyone is sleeping I sit on the windowsill and wait. When the moon rises, the forest horrors begin to stir.

5 and 6. Come on, I'll show you. I'm not scared. Are you?

7 and 8. Down through the garden, over the lawn, past the beans and cabbages, past Dad's potting shed and the greenhouse, past my old broken toys lying in a sad heap in the moonlight, under the elderberry tree and over the crumbling wall...

9 and 10. ...into the forest.

11 and 12. Ready? Stamp the ground! Shake the branches! Wade through brambles! SHOUT OUT LOUD to disturb the slumbering beasts!

Nothing.

13 and 14. Maybe I can wake the weed witch in the pond.

Still nothing!

15 and 16. Maybe they'll see my torch through the trees and come running.

Nope!

17 and 18. Looks like we'll have to come back another day.

Wait a minute...what's that noise?

19 and 20. What's that snuffling and scuffling? What's that dragging and rustling? What's that growling and groaning?
What's that...

21 and 22. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!


That's it so far. Hope you're all a little scared, that's the idea!
Naomi

more AWARD

check this V&A site :http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/events/illustration_awards/studentillustrator/2008-student/index.php

Children illustrators

This illustrator works with all sorts of media. And pretty good at them all!

http://www.juliafriese.com/english/books24.html

Exhibition

www.jibberingart.co.uk - Its a Street art illustrative based exhibition. Some of the characters are quite nice, but would be probably be a lot more impressive on a larger scale at the exhibition itself. Its on till the 26th so not long left.

la jetee

hmm not sure if anyones interested in this... Narrative is created through the use of still images. its a different way of telling a story as a film which i thought was pretty cool!! i find stuff like this inspirational, even though im not directly doing this for my project work, it's a different way of looking at things.... check it out..

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3RvmJan17q8

London

London was interesting, and hard work!

I love the Illustration cupboard, once I'd found it XD I think I walked past it three times before I found it.

The V&A was good as well, they had this exhibit of the old small oval portraits that reminded me of Debbie's work, and had a small video tutorial on how they were made which was interesting.

I also got chatting to somebody on the tube, he asked what I was doing in London and I told him about the Illustration cupboard and what it was, he then asked me if I'd been watching that BBC documentary and I replied I'd been watching them on iplayer, he then pulled out a notepad with all these notes about children's Illustrators....it was rather odd, and I wish I'd been able to stay on the tube longer to talk to him.

I'm definitely going to go back again soon, this time be more prepared and find some other places to visit as well, but for a first experience it was good :)

let's feed ourselves

yow dudes those who like to eat lines , check this www.micahlidberg.com and www.kaspuhl.com

and those who like black and white check this www.gregorisaavedra.com

childrens book people

i know jess mentioned about bbc4 doing a bit of a picture book thing, well i watch it, and i just saw an advert for this tomorrow at 9. looks very good. :)

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fm6vc (care of the magic link maker)

one of children book illustrator's paths

i found it interesting to read that she actually prepare certain subject drawings for her portfolio and other stuff too
check this link http://www.phylliscahill.com/articles/selfpromo.html

What to do in London?

I'm heading up to London on Thursday and was planning to hit the Illustration cupboard, was wondering what other places people visited when they went there, as I'm looking for more places to go.

Quentin Blake fans!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fm5p3/Mark_Lawson_Talks_To_Quentin_Blake/

I'm guessing BBC four is doing some sort of picture book season at the moment. I've not watched this yet but I'm sure it'll be interesting, even if you aren't a big blake fan!

Johan

This ones just for you johan lol http://www.rspb.org.uk/ My dad introduced this one to me! It has images of every bird in england and is alphabetically catergorised-pretty good ay?

Helloooo....

I found a site that might be of interest to those who want to venture their illustrations onto different objects. It has surrealist street art images, which work with different compositions,but also some mixed media: e.g working on wood and raw materials etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elgatochimney/page4/

illustration career tips

Found a little bit on a blog, tips starting out as an illustrator. I know everyone's probably read loads of stuff like this before...but I guess some more won't hurt. Some of his insight is useful such as networking + marketing tips, and he also talks about ways to get inspiration when first tackling a brief, how to deal with clients etc.
Enjoy if ye will. LINK

naomi

Work Checks!

Workchecks!

Tuesday 18th
Wednesday 19th
Tuesday 25th

make sure you check your emails for Work check schedule!!

Note: These are not tutorials! These are workchecks! Bring everything as though it were an assessment! notebooks, journals, finished images, etc.. organize the work so it's not in a mess!

Tuesday18th - work checks will begin after Debbie's workshop (12:00)
p.s. don't forget to bring a pound for Debbie!!

The Museum Collection - anyone want to go again?

Hello,

Does anyone want to go to Museum Collection again? My boyfriend Alec is arranging to go with some of the animators but we need to get the group up to 10 people so that it is worth them opening up the building for us.  Maybe it won't rain and snow on us this time!  Julia from the Museum Collection will confirm a date with us when we know we have a big enough group.

Rose.

I was just reading some stuff about randomness, and beauty being in the eye of the beholder, meaning art is produced by the one who perceives it... Well any way I came across this video by Sameul Beckett, and thought it was pretty amazing... :O)

Thought I'd quickly post this link.

Its the second episode of the picture book series. Its amazing!! This episode is much better than the first. It actually explains a little bit about the media usage,lol.

Anyhow very interesting and very inspiring, watch it while painting that's what I did!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fh49n/Picture_Book_Now_We_Are_Six/

Guy.

Hey there.

Just been scoping through illustration cupboards blog. Some of you may feel its worth a look.

http://illustrationcupboard.blogspot.com/

Cheers Guy.

Structuring E-mails

I found a good website here with tips on structuring professional emails.

Hope this helps

Rose

Contacting Employers?

Has anyone contacted any possible future employers? I'm starting today, but don't really know how to start of my emails.
I was just wondering what other people had put?

Professional Practice: self-promotion

Hey guys,

I've scanned in a few pages from "The Fundamentals of Illustration" and made a pdf booklet on the Marketing and Self-Promotion section.  It has really useful tips on how to get yourself noticed - specific to different areas of illustration - and some great examples of Illustrators' promotional pieces.  I definitely recommend buying or borrowing "The Fundamentals of Illustration" by Lawrence Zeegan, I think there's a new edition out too.

Enjoy ! :)

Rose

Manchester Creative Futures by NOISEfestival.com

This looks like a really good event to attend if you have 4-6 pieces of work you are proud of and have some questions to ask industry representatives.

CREATIVE FUTURES MANCHESTER
Meet leading Creative Industry professionals and companies

November 18 & 19
Manchester Town Hall
Albert Square

Portfolio reviews – ‘One to One’ sessions with NOISE curators – No nonsense career advice – Dream Job placements – Debates – Open acoustic stage – The Best of NOISE 2008 showcase – Live blogging – Media exposure

For details on who's going to be there and how to register click here.

Dr Sketchy's Burlesque life drawing evening

Hey Debbie, here's the info about that life drawing event.

4pm to 7pm on Saturday 15th November 2008

at Island Bar, Suffolk Street, Birmingham

costs £7

Here's the MySpace page.

Here's a blog post from the Animation Forum West Midlands about the event.

hi guys have a look at this site for fumetto competition

this is the link : http://www.fumetto.ch/07/international_e.cfm

check the competition exhibition link:

http://www.fumetto.ch/07/ausstellungen_e.cfm where you will find the 2007 winners

11/11/11

elevenbus.co.uk

I was planning on joining in with this on tuesday, i think it will help me to start drawing in circumstances where I don't usually draw/feel uncomfortable doing so or am not bothered about doing so.  It will also be interesting to see how others have recorded the same elements of the journey as myself, if they have seen different things, focused away from what i have focused on.

Picture Book Program

My mom caught this on BBC 4 and recommended it...Apparently its got lots of interviews with illustrators like Lauren Child and Posy Simmonds and such...I'm just about to watch it now so I'll let you know if its any use but you should watch it whilst its still on iplayer!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fd164/Picture_Book_When_We_Were_Very_Young/

Another pieceish!

This is another piece I did a couple of days ago. I'm happy with the image overall, but I know what needs to be changed. For example I'm happy with the composition, it only really needs tweaking a little and I believe the the colour's work well. I know that the general drawing quality isn't that great for example the all of the balloons are a bit lame.
Although I was working a on a fairly big scale I think I need to go a little bigger, as too get detail on the character in the balloon proved difficult. Gonna start a new one today I think, I think about sliding some text in there.
Anyhow thought I'd put some work up as it's been pretty dead with peoples works for a while.

Guy.

http://www.urbansketchers.com/

Inspire you to sketch outside no end!! Charlotte, Jatinder!
http://www.urbansketchers.com/

Help at Manchester Book Fair

Chiu asked who would be up for helping at the book fair manning the stall and such. I'd be up for it (though not sure you'll be that enthusiastic about that xP). Thought those who were interested could put something up on here...Hopefully I'll have some stuff made to sell...>.> Any idea about times and such?

Article on 'What are you like?'

This is the article I mentioned that I've finally gotten around to posting >.>

saul steinberg

can't remember who it was, but I know there must be some fans of steinberg amongst us - I for sure! Exhibition doesn't start until November the 26th, but worth the early post
http://www.saulsteinbergfoundation.org/news.html

BCU Greetings Card

My crimbo card was one of three selected to be judged by the VC!! :-)

for Debbie

This is what I thought of when I heard your "Shatter Face" idea.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Ivan Albright, 1943-4.

Also here is an example of a vanitas from the 18th century that I thought may help you.

Hope this helps,

Rose

folds

thanks for the folding technique chui!!! its working much better for me!!

Creative Quarterly 14: Call for Entries

You may be interested in this one too! Deadline is 31st of October, but can enter online!
- it does however cost $10 per image


http://www.cqjournal.com/callforentries.html

What Are You Like? Competition

from that rather pompous character Quentin Blake and his babes (note all the other judges are women and probably groomed from his days at the rca - cack ) a competition which may interest you and quite a few. For if nothing else, it looks like jolly good fun!
more details: http://www.houseofillustration.org.uk/competition.php

Symposium (What? That's a place where you have to talk to people?!)

Here be the doodles I did too...I'll try and write like a synopsis for the people that didn't go since it was really useful/inspiring, especially for those interested in artist books (so I'm not sure what I was doing there >.>). Or at least post websites and stuff >.>.

What a trip

I was going to write something about our little day at the Symposium, but that would be boring, and long. I realised all I'd done all day was draw crappy doodles in the book I was meant to be taking notes in. So I guess I'll just post them up and you can make your own deliberations about how the day went !! In fact between us all I think we could have filled an entire sketchbook.. This is what happens when you subject a room full of illustrators to a day-long lecture.

Watercolour How To

One of the first you tube videos that I will be posting on techniques that are worth sitting up to!
Once you get past the cheesy intro and the la di da accent, then you can really understand how watercolour should be approached - and listen to how he focuses on shapes!!


and another lovely demo which I've never seen before in relation to stretching paper and its benefits for soft painting

Symposium

Message from organizers - and Jess your email didn't get to me!

Dear all,
Here are a few details about the Independent Line Symposium.
The event will take place in the Summerfield Gallery at Pittville Studios, Albert Road,
Cheltenham Glos GL52 3JG

travel info:
http://www.glos.ac.uk/travel (click on pittville studios)

Car parking: If you are travelling by car there will not be enough room in the University car park so it will be better to park at the nearby free Cheltenham Racecourse Park and Ride car park, which is 3 mins walk away.
(well signposted "Racecourse; Park and Ride"
please note NOT the Arle Court park and ride)
We will let you have the running order and itinerary when you arrive.
The event starts at approximately 10am and ends approximately 5pm.

Please identify yourself and/or your institution at the glass doors leading into the Gallery, where you will be tallied with the guest list. You will only be on the list if you have received a confirmatory email from me: it may be an idea to print your email out and bring it with you.
People whose names or associates names are not on the list will not be allowed in!
The doors will be open at 9.45 where there will be tea and coffee available.

There will be a buffet lunch served in the Gallery following the awards presentations which will be at 12.30 approx.

BTW I'm thinking of taking the train myself as I don't really want to rely on George (he may be busy and not able to go)
I'm also afraid that six people is the max!

Inspiration for Artist Book people

I came across a really useful search engine for Artist Books. You can search by artist, book type (e.g. accordion), technique, binding, subject or publisher.
Just a note to say, you need to enable pop-ups to use this site, as soon as you select something from the drop-down menus a new window will pop-up with the results.

Have fun!
http://content.otis.edu/collections/artistsbooks.htm

Rose

P.S. There are a few Graphic Novels lurking around in there too... and Zines

Illustration Symposium next Wednesday!

Hello people,
I was just wondering if people who are planning to go to the Symposium next week have arranged how they are going to get there? I know you have Chiu! It's about £16 return (with a young persons card) on the train, unless anyone can drive that is?!
Rose

Anansi and Death

beautiful interpretation:



it's one of the illustrators latest pieces and hence I believe was done for the figur future competition!
http://www.romybluemel.de/romybluemel.de/anansi_%26_death.html

Dissertation *sigh

Just a small enquiry to all,
Is anyone else really stuck with an angle for their dissertation, more specifically how to link it with practical work?? I literally have no idea,
if anyone is doing better with this
let me know!!!
nay xxx

Publishers for children's books

Little Tiger Press has a page about how to submit work to them http://www.littletigerpress.com/ (it doesn't have a direct link to the submissions page though) I was thinking of submitting work, when I have something more solid and that I'm happy with.

The DFC

This was the new kids comic anthology I was talking about and here is the submissions page.

http://www.thedfc.co.uk/dfc-submissions/

Just to make it easier for you all...and so I don't forget!

Jess

Graphic novel people!

I've set up a blog for the four (I think?) of us doing graphic novel type work, if you can comment with your email adresses I can add you as contributors! (Don't worry Chiu already sent you an invite)

It's called Ink soup and it is here 

There's nothing there yet but I'm just scanning in the panels I bought in today to start stuff off.

Second hand?

I went in to the second hand book store today by the Bullring and they have quite a lot of graphic novels for £3 each. Not all of them are great, but there could be a few gems in there if you wanted to look; some newer ones as well as older ones that were quite interesting to flick through (not all stuff like marvel comics although there was a few of them there). I picked up Calvin and Hobbes for £3..even if it smells a bit musty.

Stuff & Junk...

Pretty inspiring day today i'd say.. 

(what kind of a sentence is that?!..)

Also, this is my Delicious

- delicious.com/happyasaimee

But if anyone would like to look at some of my work/ boost my numbers ;) ..

go to and add my myspace page.. Thanks :)

- myspace.com/happyasaimee

x

playing I spy...

If anyone wants to link me to their flickr accounts that would be lovely.
oh and delicious too.

http://flickr.com/photos/anchor-down

http://delicious.com/xevelyn

I want to have a look-see at what people are up to...
I am nosey aren't I! =]

x evelyn.

When you come back!

I see you back on Tuesday the 30th of September!!!!! sorry not October 10:00 am sharp! Should be illustration studios, could be printroom.

When you come back! You need to bring in all of the work you have done over the break! You also need to bring in your statement of intent for the next 12 weeks before xmas - this is basically a written rough week by week plan. PLEASE HAVE THIS READY FOR ME TO LOOK AT!

One day Symposium

I have six tickets for this event! George wants one - that's four left! Read the information carefully, and consider how valuable it would be to you! Then let me know! You will have to make it down by yourself!
http://www.cheltenham-illustration-awards.com/symp_info.htm

When do we come back....

Chiu when are we actually in for the first time o.o...? I know term starts on the 29th but...when do we need to be in o.o? If you don't know...how do we find out >.>? Also do you want us to bring anything in the first time we come in....such as books we've bought over summer...work we've done etcetc? Help would be useful XP

Jess

The latest illustration.

Howdo. This is my latest illustration, this is a copy of Oliver Jeffers aeroplane out of his book 'The way home'. I have placed my own character in this aeroplane the character of which the story is based around. I have finally found a the media that works for me. This is by far one of my strongest drawing ive done in while so really quite happy a this point. Role on new drawing!!!!

Guy.

GRAPHIC SHORT STORY COMPETITION

"Are you an aspiring Graphic Novelist?
Do you have an original story to tell?"
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/graphicnovels/competition.htm

Last years winners:
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/graphicnovels/competition/Waitress.pdf
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/graphicnovels/competition/thebox.pdf
http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/graphicnovels/competition/Away_in_Manger.pdf

all very inspiringly weird!!! loved them!!!

In for advice and tutorials

Hi all!

If anyone is back in Brumland I am available for advice and tutorials. Email me to confirm a time.

Jess! The concept of using less literal forms to depict the story is fine, the line work looks like it was done as a monoprint, and if it isn't then that would be a really interesting route to take, as it would help you increase the tonal values and textures - apart from the eyes and mouth of the horned creature, there isn't much contrast, and this makes it difficult for the eye to be led around.

I like the concept of hand written type integrated into the melting pot, but again it's far too rough to be appreciated for what it could be.

All in all I would say it was a good rough to develop further compositional and tonal sketches upon.

Anansi and Death

This is my black and white design for a double spread from the Anansi and Death story.  It's from the part in the story where Anansi eats from the "Stranger's" pot of meat.

I wanted to try a surreal (or non-literal)  interpretation of this scene where Anansi actually is in the pot, balancing on the ladle to get to the meat.  I also wanted Anansi to look repulsive because my slant on the narrative is more sympathetic towards Death.

There is more work to be done on this double spread.  I wish to add a subtle colour palette to accent certain points in the drawing, maybe just Anansi's 'mask' and the text.  I also want to experiment with adding textured elements using Photoshop.

Linn Olofsdotter is my main comparative research.  I love the use of a subtle textured background.  Also her complex, flowing, organic forms are an inspiration to me.

To see my full preliminary work towards this design and other comparative research see my blog.