Scenes from the Life Room

The first year illustration students have just started twelve weeks of life drawing...



Last week we introduced them to measuring, sighting and simplifying the body into simple shapes. This week we started to consider tone - these are line and tone drawings.

 In semi-darkness we explored using tone in isolation (no line).

Followed by focusing on understanding (and simplifying) the head...

...and finally, the body.

First Years, Sixth Project - Working in the Style of...

Gabby was Max Huber for two weeks...

This is the project the students completed at the end of their first semester with us. They worked very hard and the outcomes were very impressive, clearly demonstrating the many things they've learned since starting in September.


All our Year 1 projects are about teaching (and understanding) the important foundation elements of Graphic Design and Illustration and this one was about the importance of looking at, and learning from designers, illustrators and artists who are better than you.

Isabel was David Carson for two weeks...

It’s impossible to do original design by locking yourself in an ‘ivory tower’. A designer or illustrator’s individuality is always a strange, chaotic mixture of all the designers and artists that have influenced them. It’s good (and sensible) to learn from the work of others. It’s also inspiring and helps you gauge your own development.

Never be downhearted if you see work that you don’t think you could achieve. You might not be there yet, but if you put in the time and effort you could be! Seeing great work spurs us onward.

Each student spent a week researching the work of their selected designer, illustrator or artist and then had a week to design a bookjacket in their style. Let's see how they got on...

Becky was Herbert Bayer for two weeks...

Abbie was Pete Zwart for two weeks...

Amy spent two weeks doing lino cuts and became...

Edward Bawden!

C.J. became Chris Ware

     
Emily walked 'in the shoes of'... 

...Joan Eardley

Jim was Tibor Kalman for two weeks...

Molly became Julien Vallee

Jemma found inspiration in Stanley Spencer

Josh was Hans Schleger (aka 'Zero')

Laura turned herself into...

...Shaun Tan

Liam got in touch with his feminine side and became Paula Scher

Lucie learned from Abram Games

Natalie from Alan Fletcher

Qia got to know Percy Kelley

Rebecca looked into the dark world of Eric Fraser

and finally, Sam became Swiss by learning from Joseph Müller-Brockmann

It's Probably Best Not to Ask...

The first years have just started an intensive, three-week film and title sequence project.

We commenced with a three hour 'warm up' exercise - working in small teams, they had to devise and shoot footage for a Dance-Off movie.

First Years, Fifth Project - How Stuff Works

You can't produce a piece of design (or illustration) for something you don't understand. 

Design and Illustration are both complex subjects, but at their heart lies one constant question that has to be answered:

What are we trying to communicate?

To achieve the level of understanding necessary to have something to say, we need to undertake very thorough research.

Usually, if the research has been fruitful, the actual structure of the design falls quite easily into place. There will probably be an obvious sequence that needs to be followed.

This is what this project was about - take a subject the students don't know anything about, set them to thoroughly research it and then ask them to design a digital publication that explains how the thing works in seven, double-page steps.

Let's see how they got on...

Happy New Year Everyone!

It was hard finding a seat in the refectory today.