Well 2012 is getting off to a bang. I'm very pleased to announce that I've been made a new member at the KDU ( Keystone Design Union). For those that don't know, the KDU is a design society, striving to recognise and unite the worlds top creative talent.
I think it's incredibly important that as image makers we never get complacent and always look to learn and develop. The best way I've found to do that is to experiment, share, and collaborate. Until recently collaborating was a part of the jigsaw I was severely lacking. I started to pursue creative collaboration with other image makers to help introduce different experiences, references, and knowledge into the work. The Going Gone Gorilla project I created along with Ged Palmer is an example of that coming into effect.
A couple of years ago I was asked by the inimitable Steven Heller if I'd like to contribute to one of his up-and-coming publications, 'Typography Sketchbooks'. It so happened that around this time (late 2009) I was starting to really get going with hand-lettering, having been mainly digital up until then. What you see in the book are some of my very first attempts. I sometimes find it hard to stomach seeing old work popping up, I imagine it's the same for most, and these pieces are especially formative and revealing. However, we all have to start somewhere and sometimes taking a long hard look at where you've come from can help you see where you are with greater clarity. Also, it can help you understand that practice, patience, and determination are the key to developing skills.
The book is a treat for anyone interested in seeing how different artists develop their work or play with letterforms. I recommend you pick up a copy.
Now I know pretty much everyone says this about the mag or book their in but I can't recommend enough that you pick up a copy of the recent Ammo Magazine. It's a real beaut! Special edition, monochramatic, and packed full with delicious illustrations – What more could you want? Dave has done an absolute top notch job of curating and designing the mag. The production values are well worth a mention as well. You can grab a copy from the website here link. And here are a few snaps of my artwork (created by hand with a bunch of posca and a hell of a lot of dots) and words.
It's not every day you get to photograph a young man in top hat making fresh ice cream with liquid nitrogen! Charlie Harry, the man at the helm of 'Lick me I'm Delicious', has concocted and built a wonderful new showpiece for events. Charlie's family have been in the ice cream business for 30 years, with his contraption and a host of amazing recipes he's branching out. I'm going to be working with Charlie over the coming weeks developing his brand. Oh and the ice cream is incredible!
Here's a few shots from the other day. More to come once we've got the brand worked out.
The eagle-eyed of you might have spotted a certain Gorilla dashed across the pages of the latest Computer Arts magazine. The kind folk at CA head quarters have written a great story about how the gorilla was created. A big thank you to them! But that is not all, if you head over to the CA blog you'll find the ins and outs of the process posted there too.
Here's a warm piece I drew on Friday afternoon. I've got a couple of briefs at the moment that are going to need some very detailed type so I thought I'd get into to the swing of things with a freeform bit of fun.
