Giving Myself A Helping Hand - an update.

Helping Hand - An Update

I am a late bloomer. There, I finally admitted it to myself. I may have gotten myself a degree but I don't think I took my choices seriously enough. It was drilled in to me for a long time that I had to find my own 'unique visual signature' and the results of that are that I became stuck in a design groove. 

For a long time I only did ink and stick drawings, sure I may have manipulated them using software but I didn't really bypass that process for a long time. So here I am now trying to make up for it and branching out into new areas of creation. Finally.

Slightly off centre logo.

I'm currently planning a revamp of my website and portfolio because I think it's important to re-evaluate where you're at every couple of months, especially when you haven't achieved the goals that you wanted to at this point. I want to build a client portfolio and to network, I want a professional, .co.uk website and I would very much like to start my own magazine/zine. Above is the new logo that I set up using Illustrator the other day, it isn't perfect yet but it may help to explain my pencil inspiration for the week. 

There's a small market my father goes to near my home village and he buys me old copies of magazines such as Computer Arts and Creative Review for cheap, the tips and tutorials in these have been a god send! I feel like I'm learning more processes now through self-teaching than I did in University, though of course I am still rusty. 

Here are a couple of illustrations I've been playing about with using Adobe Creative Suite.

Beginnings of 'Zumbie'

Practice painting in Illustrator

'Zumbie' will be an addition to the dancing monsters illustrations I have yet to finish and the hand was a. computer painting practice for which my hand served as a model, and b. just because I've become slightly addicted to looking at the artwork related to Palmistry, Tarot and Ouija lately. Odd yes, but also there's some quite beautiful stuff out there.

And finally, I have some sweet news just in time to make my Christmas. I was checking an old e-mail account the other night and I realised I'd sold some work! That's right, I've posted it to this blog before, but I have some designs on RedBubble.com and some lovely people out there decided to purchase Pineapple stickers and a Space Fox hoodie! I was equally surprised and happy, so much so that I proceeded to do a little dance around the room. So a huge thank you to whomever bought those and know that the resulting fiver has gone on to fund someone's Christmas present so the good feeling is still being passed around.

Tuesday Museday - 20/08/2013

Tuesday Museday

1. Matthew Uebbing sketchbook work (src)
2. Grand wall designs (src)
3. Girl Power (src)
4. Ink wash (src)
5. Akira Kurosawa/Toshiro Mifune (src)
6. Colour: figs (src)
7. Un-traditional doggy portraits (src)
8. Christmas DIY ideas (src)

So much beautiful dark purple is creeping in this week, I think I'm getting over summer and ready for Autumn/Winter as it's definitely time to start preparing craft/art ideas for Christmas! 

See the larger images here:  the Tuesday Museday Pinterest board!

Andy Warhol; More than Meets the Artist

A Closer Look at Warhol

Andy Warhol was most famous for his being at the forefront of the Pop Art movement and for his multi-coloured screen prints of the icons of his epoch. But being an illustrator myself, I was always most fascinated by the fact that he was advertiser and illustrator before artist. 

So while most people would have perhaps seen his work; 'Campbell's Soup Can' (which was an advert in itself), or the peeling banana of the 'Velvet Underground & Nico' LP cover, many of his earlier pieces may have been slightly under appreciated. And although he doesn't really need anymore exposure being one of the best known artists of all time, I'd like to share some of my favourites with you for the anniversary of what would have been his 85th birthday.

Warhol's journey to great fame was launched by his being hired to draw pictures for the advertisement of shoes, record covers and other promotional material. This business brain combined with knowledge of printmaking techniques certainly would have paved the way for his later distinctly commercial and accessible, high art creations not to mention the idea of brand advertising. 

Female Costumed Full Figure 1950's
(src)

Shoes 1959
(src)

Cover for a book of fashion drawings
by Warhol, this slender figure is very art deco and
shows his trademark 'blotted line' style.
(src)

An advert for Tiffany's (and my favourite.)
(src)

Happy birthday Andy!