Bunting

I'm giving up on the daily post...once you miss a day it all falls apart...going for regular posts!

Anyway a friend of mine is getting married in a few weeks time and she has asked that everyone provides a piece of bunting. She provided an outline of the shape that she wanted...

My plan was to cut out her name, her to be husbands name and the date from card in the shape of the bunting using the craft robo...she is a 80s rock fan so I made a font in Adobe illustrator based on the AC-DC style of writing. This was surprisingly easy...I only needed 11 letters as there were lots of duplicates and 3 numbers for the year...I also used the lightning strike. On the first go I cut all of the lettering from a white piece of card and stuck this onto a red piece of card stick the islands on individually...this wasn't a problem as pritstick is a wonderful thing but it added to the time to make it quite dramatically... My second attempt was much quicker...the trick I hit upon was instead of having two pieces of card to have 3...two white pieces sandwiching a red...as long as I only wanted text to be readable from one side I could cut the outside of the text from one of the white ones and the islands from the red layer and leave the other uncut...you could therefore see the white of the third layer through the red to make the islands of the letters...not only was this quicker but it was much more accurate and tidy.

Day 21: Pot

No not cannabis...old pottery.

Archaeology largely revolves around pottery...it is used to date features, in some cases to identify the purpose or nature of a deposit, feature or room. As a result I do a fair ammount of illustrations of it in various forms. Today I am only digitising drawings done in the 1970s for my Italian friends Phd...I have tried to train him to do them but I don't think that he is really interested...as he has now asked me to do them for him...hey ho I tried...I'm not really sure what I have let myself in for really...the number of pots that he needs drawing is undisclosed...am I a mug?...probably!

Pottery illustration, and archaeological finds illustration in general within the UK, has developed a very well defined idea of style and convention...which is nice it means from my perspective that I know exactly what it is a client is requiring from me...which makes a nice change! 
The left hand side shows a section through the body of the pot, the right hand side the outside of the pot. This will require some shading before it is finished but at the moment I am just digitising the main lines and features.

Day 18: Asparagus & Salmon Pasta Recipe

I had dinner with my Italian friend who I am helping with his Phd a couple of days ago...he cooked a lovely dinner! So I have produced a recipe sheet of what we had. Not sure if you can read it on here though!
the photos were taken by me...very inexperienced with a beautiful camera that I bought just prior to christmas...it's a Nikon D90 digital SLR...expensive...but worth every penny!

Day 17: Forbidden Planet

...for some reason this popped into my head today...I'm sure it's been done before but I couldn't find any examples on the internet.

It was done in Adobe Photoshop...not quite as easy as it might have been as I had to recreate the areas where the legs and head of the woman that the robot is carrying in the original had been. Just a bit of fun.

Day 16: Part done...

The story of my day today is part done...nothing complete or finished...lots done though!
But nothing that is in a fit state to post...in truth if I were to look around my house at the number of part complete projects around the place...I'd probably find as many if not more than the number of complete ones! I'll try and finish something for tomorrows post.

The only thing that I have actually finished I am not willing to post up on here...my italian homework...I had to create a number of sentences based on the past, present and future tenses...so I wrote my teacher a postcard...I'll stick it in tomorrows post. It should get to him in time for my lesson...if not I can blame the post office! He probably wouldn't believe me!

Day 15: Skull & Cross Bones 2

I have had a second stab at the skull and cross bones that I did yesterday. I have made it x2.5 as big, used printstick instead of spraymount and used two sheets of card for each layer. Each of these aspects has definitely improved the general effect of the piece. I have also taken a picture of it...please let me know what you think!

One thing I did think about...after I had already gotten too far is that I could have had a sheet of black card for the background...next time if I do it again!
The other thing that I might do is get it cut from acrylic with each layer in different colour

Day 14: 3d Picture

I came up with a concept a while ago of creating a 3d picture from card based on the contours of an object.
At work today I was looking at the contours around a site my company is currently doing and it reminded me of the idea...I know it isn't particularly original...but it is something that I haven't tried before.
I found a picture of a 3d skull and crossbones on the web and converted it into contours in illustrator...I did this manually...I had a go at doing it automatically in photoshop but it resulted in too many really fiddly bits so just drew the ones that I thought would result in an understandable 3d picture. I then broke this down into layers with a frame for each layer. The frame was important because it meant that locating the largest part of the design on each layer would be really simple. It is only 90mm x 60mm but it could easily be increased in size. I used spray mount to stick each piece of card down...I would like to find a better glue...it's a bit messy and quite often ends up on the wrong side of the card when spraying onto the back...might try printstick and slightly watered down wood glue. I would post a pic of the final product but I'm not sure that it would be show up very well. I might try doubling up the card to make the thickness more obvious. But in general I am very pleased with the result...

Day 13: Acrylic Picture Choice...

There isn't really much for me to post about today...rather than doing anything creative I watched Robin Hood...2.5hours of brain turn off if there ever were any! Still enjoyable though...!

Anyway one thing that has been rattling around today is that I have a space on a wall above a fireplace that I would like a picture for...I don't have one so I am going to paint one in acrylics.

I have painted with acrylics before...and have adapted a fairly simple and well developed style that I have seen in many galleries and pubs...it basically involves using 4 or 5 colours to depict shade...this usually means not mixing the paints at all...which is the bit that I am rubbish at...seem to get to brown just by touching one colour into another! I did a picture of Michael Jackson for my brother as a christmas present...he was a big fan...it came out ok...not the best I've ever done but it was instantly recognisable and gave the right affect. I stupidly don't have a photo of it to post here...the picture I have got was a commision from a friend that I did a couple of years ago...it'll give you an idea of what I am planning! 

I would like to do something similar to add a bit of colour...I have been reading A Louie Knight mystery called Don't Cry for me Aberystwyth...entertaining if a little strange...anyway it involves the story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid quite heavily which reminded me of the movie...haven't watched it in years. There is a scene at the end of the movie where they are forced to meet their destiny and a bunch of bullets...it's a classic bit of cinema...and hence just what I want for a picture like this...something that is instantly recognisable (I grant you the one above isn't that!) with a lot of contrast in the picture...but that doesn't have too much going on to make the project a complete nightmare to produce.

The picture above is what I am planning on doing...it's probably 10-15 hours work...but it'll fly by with the radio on...will probably watch the film whilst painting it...I only have it on VHS so that will depend on if the VCR still works!!! Fingercrossed... 

Day 12: Italian Exchange

As I posted yesterday...I get asked to help with a lot of other peoples illustrations and I don't get much in return...one friend however is attempting to teach me Italian in return for help with Phd illustrations! I am quite up for it...I like learning...but languages really aren't my thing at all...the main issue is that it requires remembering an awful lot of information...mostly words and names...I find the names part difficult in english let alone in Italian.
Still I think I am making progress...slow but steady progress.
After the lesson we had dinner...fried asparagus and salmon with a cream and mustard sauce on penne...lovely! I'll do a recipe sheet at some point...another thing for the to-do list!

Day 11: Can you just...

One of the things I have come to expect and accept being an illustrator is that I am going to be asked to do various random favours...anyway this evenings efforts are in aid of a friend of mines masters...it took a couple of hours...and that is before I've done any ammendments! Doesn't leave me after work much time for myself but hey ho...friends are worth it.
This one is at least grateful...amazing how little thanks I get for my time sometimes. This is normally due to a lack of understanding of what they are asking to be done...or even more irritatingly...of how to explain what they want to be done! (This is worse because I have a stab at it...and then hear "Oh sorry that wasn't what I had in mind at all") It these ones that say "Can you just..." it's never as simple as that...never! You think Da Vinci had to put up with "Can you just..."?

Becoming an illustrator has really taken over my life...I didn't train to be an illustrator...I just got pushed into it...for which I will be forever grateful. It was so much not an artist at secondary school that wasn't allowed to take GCSE art...I didn't like writing the justification that went along with the picture....I just liked to draw...be creative...make things!

Day 10: P38 Lightning Stencil

Was away for the weekend...

Anyway I have finished my P38 Lightning Stencil. I have had to remove a few of the smaller islands that didn't contribute too much to the design. If you look at the previous P38 post you will also note a few other differences such as around the engines in the top part...this was almost how they were represented but on the other side of the image that I was taking the stencil from.

Some of the lines are possibly a little thin which might result in a little bleeding or in the card not being strong enough...I will give it a go and if they snap I'll have no choice but to thicken them a little.

Day 7: P38 Lightning Stencil

I really like the silhouette pictures that were given out during WWII to identify different planes from their shapes. I've not really considered why until this moment...they are a very simple but effective bit of illustration. They remind me of the drawing I had to do at secondary school of objects from 3 different sides. I recently found some of these on the internet and it struck me that they would make quite nice t-shirt stencils for a friend of mine who likes planes a whole lot more than I do...he is of the "polystyrene cement all over you fingers type" if you know what I mean...then you are probably one of those too!

As it will only be one colour I would like it to be a one part stencil...this means that there are no internal islands and that the stencil can be just one piece of card. So far I have redrawn this jpg in Illustrator ready for me to convert into a stencil. I've highlighted the islands in red. I have only drawn one side of the views from the front and bottom as these can be mirrored once I have sorted the islands out. Anyway it's been a long day so I am unlikely to finish this today...another ongoing project!

Day 6: Amarylis

My house mate was given some Amarylis by their girlfriend...they are such a beautiful shape that I couldn't help but draw them.

I don't just draw plants...but I do find them very varied, interesting and forgiving subjects when short of time...laziness on my part I guess...I'll try to find something solid and hard-lined for the next post!

Day 6: Instructables

I am a frequent visitor to http://www.instructables.com/. There is a fair bit of tat on here but every now and again there is something that is very clever and imaginative. Today for example I found this http://www.instructables.com/id/moresque-lampe/#step1

It is well explained what you have to do and the patterns are provided...very generous I'd have said to give away such hard work? the patterns are in PDF form...which means that I can import them into Adobe Illustrator and send them to print on the Graphtec robo cutter that I mentioned in an earlier post...only in card not ply...but still I suspect that it will when I find the time be very effective.

Day 5: Une Pomme

My brother is off to Australia at the beginning of February...so I've created this stencil that I will put on a t-shirt for him so that he will be easily identified! (I appreciate that the Aussie slang isn't spelt the same as the French for Apple!)...I also appreciate that my brother probably won't take the T-shirt to Australia!

I have to admit that I have had to look up why the Aussies call us english POMs...seem to be a number of possible explanations...all of which are believeable...

I created this in Adobe illustrator from a stencil that I found on the internet for the apple. The text I copied from a 1930's french advert and reproduced in illustrator. I have a Graphtec Craft Robo that I bought for a project a couple of years ago...it is basically a printer but instead of a print head it has a craft knife...cuts card incredibly accurately...in a way and speed that would just be impossible by hand...sure I'll post some more examples of what I have done with it up here in due time!

Day 4: Sole Trader

Today has been a long day...having left the house at 6.15 for work...kinda results in a lack of creativity...glad it's not like that every day! Back to the office tomorrow!

However I have registered as a sole trader today with HM Revenues & Customs as a freelance illustrator. It was gratifyingly easy to do...I guess they should make it easy...they want our money more than ever I suppose! I am suspecting that keeping track of my accounts might be the tricky part in relation to this!!! Admin has never been a strong point...confirmed by the 6 inches of paperwork that is currently waiting to be filed.

I have also heard back from Ponoko in realtion to changing the thickness of material for laser cutting...yes they can do it but only in a clear acrylic...humph...not the answer that I was hoping for...I will persist!

Something properly creative for tomorrow!

Day 3: Face

This isn't strictly speaking a picture that I did today but I really like it and wanted to talk about it. It was the first picture that I did using pen and ink. It was also the first freehand picture that I had done since secondary school...8 years or so. I'm not sure what it was that made me decide to draw it but that moment has changed my life ever since...though the picture has no eyes...it really opened mine for me.

Day 2: Beech Leaf

I went for the first run of the year this morning...another new years resolution that I am going to try and stick to! On the way back I picked up this beech leaf...it is in colour almost uniformly mid-brown but when a light is used to put some of it into shadow it's shape is lovely.

Using points to describe shape and shadow is a technique that is often used to draw archaeological finds for publications. As a style of illustration it is very flexible in how it is used.

Day 2: Snow Flake

Just before christmas I sent my first design to be cut using a laser cutter. I used a website called Ponoko.com. They are an american based outfit that have recently set up UK base in London...which means that I can collect it from their offices...which is brilliant as their postal costs are astronomic!

Anyway the design I got cut before christmas was for a set of earings based on a design for a snowflake done in Adobe Illustrator...very appropriate for christmas presents! The only option to get cut from plastic was 3mm acrylic...which for 20 earings cost just under £10...so pretty good value when you take into account that includes the acrylic! But it turns out that the earing findings that I have are really difficult to use when the item that you are hanging is as wide as 3mm...so I am looking into getting them cut in thinner acrylic. I am optimistic that this might result in the cutting time being considerably less which as this is the main way in which they determine the cost has got to be a good thing!

Anyway I'll keep you informed!

Day 1: Banana Loaf

Day 1 of doing something creative everyday...new years resolution...see how we get along!

Anyway made a banana cake and then made a recipe sheet based on some photos that I took of the ingredients and the results.

I like baking but don't do an awful lot of it...mostly because most things that I bake tend to be bad for my waistline...victoria sponge, cookies etc...
Every now and then though it has to be permitted hasn't it! Anyway...the cake is lovely!