Ex student says nice words

And no bribe was issued. Jenny Cox, recently graduated and set loose upon the world is currently featured on ‘Design Juices’ and had these nice words to say about her time here at Grillust Towers…

“The UOC Graphic Design and Illustration course was astounding, more like an apprenticeship than a uni course, they really cracked the whip and taught us everything we need to be top-notch designers and visual communicators.”

The full, frank and revealing interview can be found here

Here’s a couple of pieces of Jenny’s work to wrap your eyes around

A song for Friday

Young men of today, you could all learn something about the deportment of a real man from this video AND it's funky!
 

Cheltenham illustration awards 2013

Details of this years Cheltenham Illustration Awards are now live - here.
We were pleased to see this entry show up in the highlights of last years student entrants…

Louise Hubbard, recent Grillust graduate (try saying that fast) created and entered this atmospheric and dramatic piece. Well done to her for being selected.

Title Sequences

We briefed the first year students this morning for a two week, film/TV title sequence project.

During this time, they'll be learning to use Adobe After Effects and producing a 10-30 second title sequence for a programme or film synopsis, taken from Charlie Brooker's excellent TV Go Home Radio Times spoof site (N.B. don't click if rude words aren't your thing).

During the briefing we showed lots of excellent sequences including these:

The Life Room (Episode 2)

In last week's gripping episode we experienced the tension, jockeying for position and psychological mind games that underpin any life drawing class.

This week things got dirty...

The evil Lady Sophie: who lives at the Manor House; drives a Range Rover and is obsessed with Moben kitchens (pictured below)...


...discovered that Lottie had a skeleton in her cupboard...

... and threatening to expose Lottie's secret to the Police, forced the unfortunate illustrator into slavery in the depths of the family charcoal mine (pictured below).


Meanwhile: undercover, special operations agent Edwin, noticing the state of Lottie's hands (and face), commenced some investigations of his own (pictured below).


Elsewhere, budding expressionist Callum accidentally clashed elbows with Lucy (photo below). Lucy doesn't "stand for any nonsense" and was vexed by this invasion of her personal space. So vexed in fact that she engaged a hit-man (Ross Kemp) to 'fix' Callum.


Lucy's asked Ross to make it "look like an accident" by simply toppling an easel over onto the enthusiastic student. However, Ross decided he knew better and went after Calum with a sword (pictured below)!


This outrageous attack, in public (and naked as the day he was born) could hardly pass unnoticed and indeed, most observers could produce witness drawings of what they had seen....





.... except for Graphic design student Christie who now finds it difficult to sleep, haunted as she is by this image of a confused-looking, rampaging Ross Kemp.




Next Week: The curse of the Quink Ink!

Year 1 Hardcore Typography - The Results

You'll remember that the first years have been working alongside our very own Rhiannon (H.R.H. The Typographer Royal) Robinson (33) and as promised earlier, here are some of the results of two weeks of highly intensive, typographic training.
 
The Brief was split into two parts...
 
Part One: Play with the visual possibilities of two contrasting typefaces and create a range of images made from type.
 
Part Two: Produce two promotional A3 posters to promote the typefaces. One in black and white, the other in colour, each using one of the type images created in Part 1.

 
Adam Reid (21)

 
Jessica Julien (21)

 
Lewis Gray (21)


Derrian Bradder (21)

 
Reece Crowder (21)

 
Reece Crowder (21)

 
Lucy Hadley (21)

 
Lewis Gray (21)

 
Jake Clarke (21)

 
Jake Clarke (21)

 
Aimee Stewart (21)

mixing up some type?

With the first years coming to the end of their time with The Queen of Type, The Grande Dame of all things font  – Rhiannon – they surely won’t be in need of the pointers in this online tutorial. For those who don’t have the benefit of our Lady of the Letterform’s years of experience and expertise, there are suggestions and tips here that might come in handy.

No Golf Today...

This is Carlisle Golf Course at 08.50 this morning.

It must have rained a bit last night.

 

 

It’s been a while since the last instalment of Claire’s Book of the Week but a New Year calls for renewed vigour in espousing the riches of your humble Library…..

THIS IS LONDON

M. SASEK

Lurking in the back shelves of the Library where nobody goes, there are visual gems just waiting to be discovered. Case in point: This is London by M. Sasek. The Cataloguing Gods deemed this li’l beauty a book on Geography rather than Illustration, which goes to show that straying beyond the trusty Grillust shelves often yields some tasty treats!

Originally published in 1959 but recently reprinted, This is London takes us on a visual tour of London featuring charming yet witty illustrations of famous landmarks and cultural icons. There’s something very whimsical and nostalgic about Sasek’s work…

Sasek is one of the unsung heroes of children’s illustration yet he produced an entire series of This is….. Check out more of his work at http://www.miroslavsasek.com/

This is Hardcore (Typography)

It's that time of year again when Rhiannon Robinson (33), our in-house typography expert and current reining Typographer Royal spends some 'quality time' with the first year students.
 
Rhiannon's passion for the subject is infectious and soon, with her expert guidance, the students are making rapid progress in this highly technical and incredibly important discipline.

We'll show you the finished results later (the deadline is Friday) but, in the meantime, here are a few 'action' shots of Year 1...

 
Sophie and Natalie getting everything sorted on paper before they visit Mr Mac (the sausage butty is optional)


H.R.H. The Typographer Royal in action...


Sam going for the Highest Hair in the Studio Award (another 80mm an it's his!)


Ben scrutinizes the pretty colours


Alex (right) wearing his favourite sweatshirt. He's had it since his very first day in reception class (September 4 1977)


Calum, being an Illustrator is really, really good at colouring in without crossing the lines

 
If Cameron continues to slouch like this, a long relationship with a chiropractor in later life would seem highly likely. Straighten up, lazy boy!

 
Adam and Rhiannon share a typographic joke, however...


... moments later Rhiannon spots that Adam has left his leading on default and his tracking is just a little too loose.

Punishment for any type crime is swift and final!

Please be assured, he won't be making that mistake again...

C-Art at Tullie House

3rd year students Ben Walton, Jade Wall, Ieva Bureikaite, Mark Collins and Stephanie Stillwell (all 21) have been working on publicity for a Pecha Kucha event at Tullie House on the 7th February featuring seven C-Art artists - Mark Gibbs, Maggie Toner-Edgar, Christine Hurford, Caroline Dalton, Ian Wright, Stephanie Leighton and Sarah Tew (all 33)

Today was presentation day where the students presented their designs to Mark and Maggie. It was an informal and fun experience with the students benefiting from some immediate, encouraging feedback. Jade's design was chosen and is now moving into production.

Watch this space!

Scenes from the Life Room

The first years have started their drawing module. Expect dramatic weekly installments to follow...
 

It will be like EastEnders but in charcoal*!

* or, as we say, chalky branches.

That's our boy...

Proving that he is not a 'token Salopian', James Bradley (21) is vying for the "Student-from-Shropshire-most-featured-on-Blogs" Award, currently held by our own Gary (The Shrewsbury Biscuit) Nicholson (33).

James features as today's inspiration on the Business Boom Collective. And, it's also great to know that James is enjoying his time with us here in Carlisle.

Graphic Design Student James Bradley

Graphic designer and student of the University of Cumbria James Bradley provides the inspiration this afternoon. Currently in his third year, the print and typography-enthusiast is concentrating on building up his portfolio and experience before entering the industry this summer.
“I have always been obsessed with information, stories and making things since I was very young, so design and myself are a great match. I love my degree and people always ask me why I came to Carlisle. Its simple because of the fantastic course, with its interesting tutors along with its fast pace structure that has made me a better designer but also better person.”


http://businessboomcollective.com/0116/graphic-design-james-bradley/
Posted on 16/01/2013

Mark Hearld

Not a Mac in sight.

Out with the old, in with the new

To all Grillust™ aficianado's, in whatever time-zone you find yourself...



Happy New Year!