MICHAEL CROOK 

Inspiring young graphic designer.

One of the most inspiring designs I've come across was from a young Graphic design graduate called Michael crook who produced a booklet promoting a new Topman collection in collaboration with The Wellcome collection - a museum in London displaying an unusual mixture of medical artifacts and original artworks exploring ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art.
As an entrepreneur, the first product Sir Henry Wellcome advertised was 'invisible ink' therefore crook's idea was to incorporate that into the Topshop booklet by exploring the concept of 'Invisible Ink' and how it could be used in advertising the collection which he appropriately named ‘The Science of Fashion’. 
His research led him to thermochromic ink, which almost entirely disappears when it reaches a certain temperature. He used this ink to screen-print the promotional material in several different formats, each giving equally effective results. 
I love everything about this design. From the monochrome colour palette to the simple typefaces and also how it can interact with the user making it a fun and exciting product. 

LONDON VISIT 

10/11/14

Last Monday my art foundation course all took a trip to London to visit Galleries and gather inspiration for our upcoming projects. We were given a list of potential places we could visit, a day travel pass, and were then let loose into the city. 

The weather was glorious when we set off, deciding to visit the Tate Modern Fist. 

I had never been on the tube before so that was a nerve-racking experience, but after a few stops I soon got into the swing of London life. We hopped on the circle line from St. Pancras station and got off at Black Friars, then made the short walked to the Tate Modern Gallery stopping on the way to have a look at St. Paul's.

On our trip we also took time to visit the Poppies at the Tower of London by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper. I'm really proud to say I had a chance to visit the instillation before it was removed as it was an awe-inspiring sight and really put into perspective the sheer mass of destruction and loss the people of this country encountered during the first world war. It was also especially poignant as the following day was remembrance day. Despite chucking it down by this point the rain didn't dampen our spirits and it was a speical experience for everyone. 

The highlight of the trip however was our visit to the Courtauld Gallery's Egon Schiele exhibition 'The Radical Nude', which is the first major exhibition in the UK for over twenty years to be devoted to the artist! I have been a fan of Schiele for years and we have had prints of his work hung in our house since before I was born so it was an honour to be able to see his actual work first hand and get the opportunity to view it up close, seeing even the tiniest details like subtle contour lines and markers. It was also really good to read about the thought process behind each of the pieces that were displayed as some of his most thought out details could have easily been overlooked without the helpful information at the side of each drawing/painting. My favourite piece displayed in the exhibition was his drawing of a new born baby and how he'd drawn the baby moving off the very top of the page to signify how wriggly and fidgety it was and to create a sense of movement. The exhibition has also has received rave reviews from the likes of Tatler and RA Magazine dubbing it "A groundbreaking exhibition of Egon Schiele’s electrifyingly frank nudes", making me even more thrilled that we got the chance to visit. 

Here are some pictures I took on the day:

(In order of top left to bottom right): Jasper Johns 'Regrets', London Eye, Coutauld Gallery staircase, quick sketch of Egon Schiele's portrait with postcards from the Exhibition, London skyline from the Millennium Bridge complete with GIANT bubbles, Poppies at the Tower of London. 

All in all it was a brilliant and inspiring day. Now bring on Paris! 

FASHION & TEXTILES 

EXPLORATORY STAGE:DESIGNER RESEARCH 

ThreeASFOUR

ThreeASFOUR are an avant garde trio consisting of designers Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil. The work displayed here is focussed on natural forms and the natural landscape, however I like the structured and architectural way the adornments have been arranged on their bodies. The natural elements behind threeASFOUR's designs were also echoed in their 2005 collection where their pieces were exhibited in "Wild: Fashion Untamed" which presented "an extensive exploration of man's ongoing obsession with animalism as expressed through clothing."

I like the trio's work as they use a neutral, organic colour palette with stunning visuals, created by the seemingly abstract shapes that can also be found in nature. 

JONATHON SAUNDERS

Jonathon Saunder's work on the other hand is vastly different to that of threeASFOUR's, with an extremely vivid and bright colour palette featuring shades of turquoise, coral and cobalt, which create a bold impact. I like Saunder's use of different fabrics in this collection as it consists largely of chiffon and silk, featuring clean cut lines while maintaining a feminine appearance. 
The main thing that strikes me about this collection is Saunder's bold geometric prints and the way they don't cover the whole of a garment, but stop part of the way up to contrast against a different colour, creating structure and lines within a piece. 

ELEY KISHIMOTO 

Like Saunder's work, Eley Kishimoto's collection also focusses largely on print, with every one of her outfits showcasing large, abstract patterns of bright bold colours. One of my favourite things about Kishimoto's work is the way in which she pairs monochrome prints next to  bold accent colours such as orange to make her designs pop! The prints she uses are a range of floral, spotty and geometric creating a bohemian/ 60's vibe. The fits of her pieces are mainly oversized and baggy creating yet more interesting lines. 

LAURA MARTINEZ 

The final designer/ Textiles artist I have chosen to research is Laura Martinez as her work combines traditional textiles with the more modern approach of 3D digital surface printing. I was drawn to the beautiful pastel shades and embellishments that she uses in her work consisting of hand sewing, bead-work and appliqué, which all soften the manufactured digital aspects also found within her work and also adorn the wearer's body through the thin, transparent layer of chiffon.

Martinez's aim is that by 'combining labour-intensive needlecraft and textile manipulation techniques with 3-D printed elements, Digicrafted looks into new design possibilities for hybrid design connecting the digital and the handmade.'

COSTUMOLOGIST WORKSHOP (Throwback)

Exploring costumology with costume designers/artists Luisa Olmos and Frances Heap - the costume designers for the Derwent Pulse!

In the workshop we explored the art of costume designing by creating a wearable, light up sculpture to become part of a light parade. 

We created the pieces using polypropylene and LED tape strips attached to a portable battery, and anything else we could get out hands on including tape and elastic. We were also able to choose our own settings for the lights including, colour, movement and speed which was fun. 

I did find the task quite challenging at first as I had never worked with the polypropylene material before and I hadn't had much experience with creating wearable 3D pieces so couldn't grasp the concept at first but once we all got together for the light parade they all worked really well together and looked extremely effective as a collective. 

Polypropylene sculpture my group made

Pictures of the light parade in the dark using a slow shutter speed

ELECTRIFYING CHATSWORTH

DERWENT PULSE

Tonight I went to Chatsworth to help out with their light display as part of Derbyshire's largest artwork: The Derwent Pulse. The event consisted of hundreds of pulsating spheres representing the history of the river, gliding past Chatsworth house accompanied by an electric parade modelled by the young students of Pilsley School, located on the chatsworth estate. Seeing the children parading along the river made me quite nostalgic as I went to the same primary school when i was younger and I also got some pretty effective shots of the scene despite my camera having a break down half way through! 

Check them out: 

SPHERES ILLUMINATE THE BRIDGE

LONG EXPOSURE

MORE LONG EXPOSURE SHOTS

APPLIED ARTS & 3D DESIGN 
EXPLORATORY STAGE 

JUNKO MORI

I chose Junko Mori’s work to investigate as I was drawn to the immaculate and precise repetition found in almost every one of her pieces to create these magnificent sculptures reminiscent of feathers inspired by natural forms such as tree and plant matter.

I think Junko Mori’s work is beautiful and exceptionally well made showcasing immense skill and talent through welding hand forged individual components together out of a very demanding and limiting material such as steel. Mori’s work is made to look delicate, soft and light despite being made from a hard, cold, material.

Mori’s products are extremely high end, meaning they are eye-wateringly expensive to buy as they are always one of a kind pieces.

REVIEW: I believe Multimedia 3D Design/Applied art’s is all about making art practical and more enjoyable to a wider audience as anyone can appreciate the aesthetic qualities of a practical item when it’s put next to another less visually appealing object of the same use. Whereas most non-creative thinkers find it harder to appreciate pieces of fine art anyone can appreciate and enjoy a well-designed and visually attractive object that has a practical use, be it a piece of furniture, jewellery, cooking utensil, building or phone case.

I find applied arts really interesting and appreciate the concepts associated with it and look forward to exploring it further in future projects as there are a vast number of ways in which 3D design can be applied, hence the name applied arts.


UPDATE: At the end of the week we visited the silver-smithing and metal work studio with the task of creating a wooden block embellished with manipulated strips of copper, brass and tin plated steel. The hands on experience was really fun as we were able to get to grips with an array of unusual, if a little hazardous,  tools including: blowtorches, fly-pressers, metal rollers, acid, drills and hammers, just to mention a few... I enjoyed experimenting with the different metals to see how I could change the colour, size and surface textures of them using the different techniques we had been shown such as embossing, oxidizing, melting, bending, nailing, twisting and stretching. The mini blow torch was definitely my favourite discovery as not only could you shape, cut and melt away the metal with it but it was also effective when it came to changing the colours of the metal. Overall it was a really fun experience and I would love to have another go at it some time in the future. 

MY FINISHED PIECE

VISUAL COMMUNICATION 

EXPLORATORY STAGE

Last week at college we explored visual communication which was SO MUCH FUN. 

The first thing we did was practise drawing typography by copying the text from different types of packaging and drawing them onto grounds. 

Exploring different typefaces

More packaging typography

We then practised drawing different typefaces and fonts in our sketchbooks from other sources like books and magazines.  

Using these studies we had to produce two A3 pieces illustrating quotes related to the senses by experimenting with relevant typefaces, scales, colours, mediums and grounds.

Drafts

Final Outcome

Words from Neuromancer by William Gibson

For this piece I chose a mainly Blue colour palette obviously.. using graph paper, post it notes, lined paper and cut up magazine. I copied the first and third line's typeface from Lush packaging and the other two fonts I sourced on-line. I really like the outcome and think the composition, size and shapes all worked well together as a whole. 

Words from Stolen by Lucy Christopher

For my second piece I chose a mainly pink and skin toned colour palette to represent the colour of fingers. For the grounds I used a picture of my fingerprint, then edited the colour using Photoshop so it would match the colour scheme and also drew a finger print in the top right hand corner using a Sharpie the same colour as the lettering at the bottom to tie the piece together.  I think this piece also worked well overall although I wish I'd drawn the type smaller so 'finger' would all fit on one line and 'MY' wouldn't go off the page at the top.  

REVIEW: After studying visual communication for a week I have discovered how elements of the subject can be found almost anywhere I look in my everyday life, from food packaging, to signs and notices on the bus to the stamps in my mail. Visual Communication has definitely influenced me and made me more aware of the creativity and ideas that have gone into my surroundings. I have really enjoyed working with hand rendered type and line drawings as I found the work almost therapeutic, despite it needing my full attention and drawing skills. I especially liked drawing the contents of my cupboard as it made me appreciate the beauty I could find in the least apparent places. I have found Typography the most interesting discipline from the course as the sheer volume of ways you can draw one letter with it still being recognisable as that letter is vast, and I have loved drawing words in different ways to how I normally would. Overall I have loved exploring visual communication and can't wait to specialise in it later on this year!

Line drawing of the contents of my bathroom cupboard

Sara Fanelli 

Illustrator

I was drawn to Sara Fanelli's work by the beautifully naive and childlike way in which she draws her fun and quirky characters. 

I also love the colour palette she uses, incorporating a mix of neutral and earthy tones with a few splashes of bolder colours. The way she draws on grounds such as line and graph paper also makes her work interesting as it adds depth and another dimension.

Fanelli's illustrations have been used by a range of popular companies including penguin books, Pizza Express and the Royal Mail, but one of her main audiences are children as she is also an imaginative and unique story teller. Her most popular pieces of work include her own children's story books such as The Onion's Great Escape and Sometimes I think, sometimes I am as well as illustrating many other books. Each of her drawings effortlessly tell a story by incorporating subtle and simple forms of typography as narrative, making her pieces interesting and effective.   

NOMA BAR 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Noma Bar describes himself as a visual communicator and by combining his skills as an artist, illustrator and designer, his work offers "maximum communication with minimum elements".  

Bar's subject matter usually depicts popular and iconic figures, or recognisable political and cultural topics. 

What I really love about Noma Bar's style is how cleverly thought out yet clean and simple it is, and how easily you recognise the message that he's trying to convey. 

VAROOM - TOP TIPS FOR FOOD PACKAGING 

Interesting article in Varoom Magazine on the design of food packaging. 

This article is from a Varoom issue themed around TASTE hence the reason I chose it as not only did it fit in with my current project on the senses but it also linked in well with the topic I'm currently studying: visual communication. 

The article gains insider tips from top graphic design agencies and illustrators: Mind Design, Jimmy Cregan the creator of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee , Emma Dibben the designer for the packaging at Waitrose and the design agency I Love Dust.

STRIPS

The final outcome. Fabric and Paper Strips inspired by rivers. 

The final Task in our rivers project was to create paper and fabric strips incorporating all of the techniques that we had explored previously over the past 3 weeks including collage, ink, line drawing, print work and stitch. 

The fabric strips were then to become part of a group exhibition displayed in the college dome. 

Hung on the wall in an instillation with other people’s strips it did not immediately stand out as I kept it quite flat with a neutral colour pallet and finer details like small hand stitches. However on the whole I believe the colour scheme I used worked well and my work contained a lot of elements which keeps the person viewing it engaged and interested.

If I was to develop the piece further I would probably cut it up and rearrange it either mounted on a board or stitched back together to create an interesting and dynamic approach selecting the most effective areas. 

Paper Strip

Fabric Strip

MARK MAKING!

Exploring mark making using different tools. 

A quick activity we did was using different tools including: willow sticks, cardboard toothpicks and our fingers to create interesting lines and shapes with Indian ink. 

Although it was only a 15 minute session I thought the result was really effective and would be interesting to make into a pattern of some sort. 

"THE CREATIVE PROCESS" 

Creating a number of unique outcomes from an original starting image. 

For the first project on my art and design course at Chesterfield College, inspired by rivers and Derbyshire's largest artwork The Derwent Pulse we were introduced to a range of different media including collage, ink and paint and were taught how to create an array of different outcomes from just one starting image.

To begin with I chose to use a continuous line drawing of an empty Lilt and a Diet Coke can which I had drawn using felt tip pens on a magazine and collage ground as my starting point. 

After this I used a viewfinder to select a smaller section of the image to create a new and interesting aspect of the drawing, which was fun as it created a more abstract perspective which I wouldn't have noticed before. We then had to recreate this new image in black and white using more collage/drawing techniques: 

I was pleased with the outcome of this activity as i thought using grounds like graph paper and masking tape worked really well, adding texture and depth to the image. 

Taking things even further, the next step was to photocopy the image and add an accent colour: 

Using the photocopier flattened the image, removing any variations in colour or texture which I thought was a really interesting yet simple technique that I'd never come across or thought of doing before. The use of the accent colour also brought back the vibrancy of the yellow lilt can, bringing the image back to life.

After this we...wait for it... used a viewfinder AGAIN?!! When will it ever end?? to zoom in further creating yet another unusual and original A2 sized piece. Mine looked a little like this: 

Finally we cut THAT piece into strips after adding a second accent colour, rearranged it and mounted it onto a white board. This is the final outcome: 

Overall I really enjoyed this exercise as it taught me that your first attempt at a piece of work doesn't have to be the final outcome. The number of possibilities are endless and you can always take the process further by zooming in, photocopying, making a collage and drawing etc. 

Previously if I didn't like a drawing I'd done I would have been tempted to just throw it away, but this has taught me to look for the aspects in my work that I like and use them make something new and thought provoking! 

Overall a huge success.