ISTD Success Again!

Having undergone the rigorous Student Assessment Scheme, we are delighted to report that two third year students have been awarded membership of the International Society of Typographic Designers. James Bradley and Ben Walton both chose the "Unsung Heroes" project from the five on offer and produced highly creative work which also demonstrated the exceptional level of typographic craft and excellence required by the Society.

'Tache Wars - Round Two

It's been a spellbinding seven days here at Grillust™ H.Q. as the battle for moustache dominance continues unabated. Jasper and Matthew have thrilled the watching crowds with their facial hair duel as their 'taches have jockeyed for the lead all week.

Wednesday was a particularly exciting day with Jasper's 'tache growing an impressive 0.8mm and Matthew's managing a jaw-dropping 1mm in 24 hours (a feat that all those who witnessed it will remember until their dying day).



As the week sped by, the showman in each student came to the fore and the race developed into a competition for style dominance as well as length. At the weekly 'measure in' Jasper (left) presented his 'Stairway to Heaven' whereas Matthew (right) thrilled the audience with his 'failed ampersand'.

So, has Matthew (21) overtaken the 'old pretender' Jasper (21 and a bit)?...

Let's have a look at the 'measure in' photographs.



Well, as you can see, it's been a vintage week for competitive moustache growing! Jasper has added a staggering 41mm with Matthew coming up fast on the rails with an equally impressive 39mm!

We can't take this tension*!!! Has Matthew got what it takes? What innovative new shapes will these Michelangelos of the moustache sculpt for us next week? Can the legendary 12cm barrier ever be broken?

*For those of you who really can't take the tension of weekly bulletins, why not check out Ceefax Page 431 for hourly updates on this titanic struggle?

Moniker Related Skill No.01 - Hayley Ukulele

Here at Grillust HQ we like to think our interviews are not only informative but pleasantly informal too. For example, take the time we interviewed Hayley Ukulele, who came all the way from Hull College to vie for a place on the course.

We said... "Can you play the ukulele?" whilst thrusting the official office ukulele (what do you mean other, inferior, courses don't have an official office ukulele?) into Hayley's hands the very moment she walked in the door. And what do you know?



If only we'd thought to ask Barry Bagpipes or Hector Horn if they had any moniker related skills!

The name Hayley Ukulele is a fabrication. As is Barry Bagpipes. Hector Horn? he's real though.

Next week - Kelly Kittenjuggler.
 

Showcasing Rob Marshall

This, ladies, is Rob Marhsall (and his illustration work). Yes indeed!

Digital Arts is a leading creative industries magazine that focuses on, well, Digital Arts. They know their stuff - a fact evident in their decision to run this showcase page on Rob and his work. Look at his chuffed little face!

On seeing the spread Rob could be heard to say "It looks sick! Proper cool". No, really, he did.

 Digital Arts. Other magazines are available but Rob isn't in them, so don't bother.

Red and Yellow and...

Why were the communists under the bed red?

Why was the submarine yellow?
 
Who prefers the colour blue more, men or women?
 
Which colour makes babies cry?
 
Which colour is used by restaurants to stimulate the appetite?

Find out by using this psychology of colour infographic.

Many thanks to our Middle Eastern operative Chris Hunt for drawing this to our attention.

 

Cake Me Out Tonight!

Grillust™'s very own Morrissey lookie likey, This Charming Man, Nick Dodds (33) recently 'pleased pleased us' by 'giving us what we want' when he turned up in the studio with a tray of free cake!

There was certainly 'panic on the streets of Carlisle' as word got out and a hungry throng gathered.

Pictured above are Dwayne Bell and Jim Millington (both 33), working Hand in Glove as they descend on Nick using a classic pincer movement. Well I Wonder who was the first to the caramel shortcake? All I can tell you is that Dwayne was heard to cry "I Want the One I Can't Have".

Here's 'The Captain' (Captain Simon Davies, 33) pictured with a half-eaten flapjack. "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" said our unhappy leader adding; "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish; it must be because I'm Still Ill".


Moving on from the tutors; Nick started proffering the tasty treats to the students (all 21). Here's Mark modestly selecting a humble cookie after Ieva (back to camera) who is not a Girl Afraid used A Rush and a Push to beat him to a huge slice of Sachertorte. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" quipped the disappointed Mark.

If there are any other cake related, rock band referencing posts that you would like to see on this blog, you know you only have to Ask... 

Cor Blimey! 100,000 Not Out!

It's official. In just two and a half years the Grullist™ Blog has exceeded 100,000 unique page views!

Wherever you are, dear reader, we hope you'll celebrate 'Grillust-style' with a slap-up feed of commemorative crumble and custard.

We've produced a complex information graphic followed by some simple maths to help you understand what a mountainous achievement this actually is...

Given that the average Grillust™ portion of apple crumble is 56.73mm high, a stack (or more correctly, a Crumble Tower) of 100,000 portions would reach 5,673 metres tall.  As the info graphic below clearly shows, this dwarfs the highest thing in Cumbria (Scafell Pike) but falls a little short of Mount Everest.

 The maths is somewhat easier to understand...

Simple!

A resounding 'Well done and Thank You!' to everyone who has visited the Grillust™ Blog. Only 55,717 more page visits for the Crumble Tower to reach the height of Everest.

Second year book project

As reported earlier on the blog, second year graphic designers have teamed up with our photography students to produce books of their images. As we approach the deadline a heightened sense of urgency has gripped the studio with photographers and graphic designers huddled conspiratorially around the Macs. Initial results look promising...

Jade Davies' book 'Passing By' designed and produced by Katy Hill (21)

Ami Swift (21) works with photographer Mark Johnston (21) whilst openly coveting his Sesame Street pencil case.

Amateur magician Chris Bell (21) makes another image disappear from the page. Move over, Tommy Cooper!

Scenes from the Life Room

Tuesday 16 April - Exploring Tone

Can't remember who did this... Beuler? Anyone? Beuler?..

Liam O'Dwyer (21)

Liam O'Dwyer again (still 21)

Kianna Poskitt (21) Five minutes in.

Kianna Poskitt (21) Ten minutes in.


What could Reece be thinking? Answers to the usual address.

'Tache Wars!

Mother Nature has demonstrated to us (via David Attenborough) that she can only tolerate one alpha male in any pack and, in terms of upper-lip facial adornments, the undisputed 'stag' in the Grillust™ studio is Mr. Jasper Van Looveren-Baines (21).
 
However, on returning from the Easter break our 'Monarch of the Glen' (Mr. Van Looveren-Baines) was given a nasty surprise when he discovered that 'young buck' Mr. Matthew Gordon (also 21) had secretly been cultivating his own elaborate, upper-lip adornment in a valiant attempt to wrestle the crown from the veteran champ.

It was a close run thing, as the photo below graphically and dramatically demonstrates (Jasper is on the left, Matthew on the right):



At first sight it appeared that the champ had been toppled by this young pretender, but closer inspection (by our resident Moustache Adjudicator) revealed that once straightened, Jasper's 'tache still had the edge on his challenger (see photo below).



While Jasper breathed a sigh of relief, Matthew was quoted as saying: "I might not have won the battle but I haven't lost the war. I shall fight him on the beaches; once more into the breach dear friends..." (At this point he became a little incoherent and emotional Ed.)

This leads us to conclude that the plucky Matthew is going to take on Jasper in a mammouth moustache war of attrition!

The excitement mounts. Who will win? There's only four weeks left until the end of term! Can Matthew do it? Has Jasper still got what it takes? Only time will tell...

Check back next week for a full update on this exciting 'Clash of the Titans'!

 

Scenes from the Life Room

This week we started out by focusing on the head...









Then looked at some short (no more than 4 minute) dynamic poses...









And finished off with some longer (20 minute) poses...