It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas...

Season's Greetings from all at Grillust™ Towers

First Years, Fourth Project - Drawing with Understanding

Here's the project that immediately followed animation, two weeks devoted to drawing.

We believe that all our students should be confident image makers. That could be illustrators producing convincing, complex artwork or graphic designers producing a quick, plausable sketch for a sheet of packaging visuals.

Underpinning any ability to draw has to be a thorough understanding of what the artist/designer is actually seeing.

Perspective, in particular, helps explain what we see in that wonderfully complicated three dimensional world that surrounds us...

Here's a quick overview of some of the work produced by both Illustration and Graphic Design Students...

In the timber yard (some lovely 2X2 and 4X2 and 6X2 and...) 

Here's a K6 (Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott).
That's a red phone (or fern if you're from Hull) box to you and me.


A city scene in two-point perspective.


Just checking perspective works in the real world (and yes, it does).


Elipses, elipses.


Most everything can be better understood (and drawn) when you have a knowledge of perspective.


A towering bookcase (thanks to three-point perspective).


A dramatic, low viewpoint in one-point.


A lovely 'Hansel and Gretel' chalet.


Rubik's cubes give a wonderful excuse for multi-vanishing point perspective.

Finally, here are some pieces from illustration students. They were asked to create a scene that not only used perspective but that also used light to create mood and atmosphere.

Mac Malfunctioning Mystery Solved

The mystery of the malfunctioning of three of the Macs here at Grillust Towers was solved this morning when this picture was snapped by an undercover reporter. Grillust operatives Tony, Jim and Dave (all 33) had obviously been imbibing a little too much Christmas cheer.

First Years, Third Project - Animation

Here's a small selection of work produced by our plucky first year students during a two week, intensive introduction to the wonderful world of creative animation.

The first week was all about getting ideas down on paper (storyboarding) with the final, 30 second animations being produced during week two.

Here's a sample of the storyboards created during the first week:

Once the ideas were down on paper the hard work of animation could begin...

Slow and steady - the world of stop-frame animation (courtesy Laura and Emily)


Look!!! A tiny kitchen - the lovingly crafted set for the following animation...




Let's see a few more...

Bovill/McCarthy Day at Grillust Towers

2010 graduates, Gary Bovill (33) now a senior designer at MC2, and James McCarthy (33) similarly positioned at Drumbeat, made a triumphant return to the studio with a splendid talk on 'What makes a successful brand' followed by a quick and dirty challenge to 3rd year students (all 21) to propose brands for one of two enterprises - one for a residential/retail/office warehouse development, the second being a perennial Grillust™ favourite, Pies!

A meat pie. An officially ratified food group at Grillust™ HQ.

Students ended the day by presenting their ideas, and all received positive and productive feedback from Gary and James. A big thank you goes to the both of them for taking time out of their busy schedules and showing such an interest in the current crop of Grillust™ hopefuls.

Four minds as one, sort of like The Beatles. Bearded 3rd year students (L-R), James Cook, Tom Selwood and Kyle Bridson contemplate the truly important things in life alondside MC2 design supremo, Gary Bovill.

Grillust Graduate to Judge D&AD Awards in 2017

D&AD (Design and Art Direction) is the leading professional organisation for those working in design and advertising. The D&AD Professional Awards are recognised globally as the ultimate creative accolade, entered and attended by the best from around the world. And one of our own graduates, Rick Banks, who is now a leading figure in the graphic design world, has been asked to be a judge of the Awards in 2017. We remember Rick metaphorically 'in short trousers' and now look where he's got to!