The First Years Go Back to the Old School

The last project was all about showing our first year students the delights of traditional, manual, 'craft' skills. Computers are OK but they can't make dummy books, staple, use pen & ink, paint in acrylic using a dry-brush technique etc.

As more and more people become slaves to technology we want our students to see the bigger picture and stand out from the crowd. Yes; it is important that illustration students experience, explore and experiment with as many media and techniques as possible. Yes; graphic design students should be able to perfectly mount work, make 3D models and draw beautiful, freehand curves.

We therefore turned the computers off for two weeks, originality was put 'on hold' and the design and illustration students were given 21 slightly different technical challenges which included:

1. Making a stab-stitched book with a sequence of square holes on each page
2. Creating an A5 saddle-stitched book with die-cut holes in the cover 
3. Window mounting (45 degree bevel) a postcard
4. Hand cutting a 100mm diameter perfect circle
5. Embossing geometric shapes
6. Draw a 42mm square in the middle of an A4 sheet
7. Construct a three dimensional letter 'A'
8. Various technical drawings (orthographic, isometric and oblique)
9. Hand-painted colour wheel, grey scale and tone scale)
10. Large constructed 'R' (graphic designers)
11. Various drawn/painted curve exercises (graphic designers)
12. Copy a 1930's poster in paint (graphic designers)
13. Copy the work of various illustrators using a range of media (illustrators)

Let's take a closer look...


Eilidh (21) demonstrating the correct stance for using a cork-backed metal ruler with a Swann & Morton brass-handled craft knife fitted with a No1 blade.


Charismatic illustration lecturer Dwayne Bell (33), demonstrates what a compass can achieve to a totally engrossed Kate (21)


Tom (21) has downloaded the audio book MP3 of 'How to construct the Roman Alphabet (Chatto)' and is carefully following instructions.


Beth (21) cuts a perfect circle in a sheet of paper and unwittingly creates a portal in time and space. If you look through it, you can see Telford town centre on a rainy, winter's night!


Cameron (21) shows the correct use of a parallel motion.


Sophie (21) at work on her travel poster copy...


...while nearby, Julia (21) puts the finishing touches to her William Nicholson forgery.


Ben (21) has mastered the difficult technique of using a parallel motion/45 degree set square combo. In the background, Sam (21) looks scared... ...very scared!

 
One of these 'A's' is slightly better than the other, but can you guess which?


Ben (21) proudly displays his constructed letter 'R'.

 
The beautifully cut square holes in a stab-stitched book.

 
Some perfect (and not quite perfect) white cubes.


Insert your own witty caption here...

 
Some William Nicholson copies (original bottom right) done using waterproof black ink with watercolour tinting.


Missed by a 'country mile'. A 'rubbish' 42mm square with the staff 'master' overlaid to check for accuracy.


Sophie C's (21) finished Alan Rogers poster.


Sophie D's (21) hand drawn/painted curve exercises.


Colour and tone exercises.


Here's a Brian Froud copy - the original is on the right.


Edwin (21) 'knocks off' a pen & ink copy of an R F Micklewright original (right).


Finally, Julia (21) gets close to the Brad Holland original (right).

Words by the Water – The Full Bleed Issue

3^rd year graphic designers Dave Wharton and Josh Elliff (both 21) have recently collaborated with BA(Hons) Journalism students on the design and production of the 2013 Words by the Water publication for the Keswick Literary Festival. And damn fine it looks too!

Unfortunately, Josh decided to go on a ‘fact-finding mission’ to the flesh pots of Amsterdam mid-production, leaving Dave to pick-up the slack. And therein lies the heart of our story today. For, it seems that Dave has been kipping through his print lectures and therefore was unfamiliar with some of the terminology, specifically the bit about ‘full-bleed’. 

Scalpel in hand the dutiful Daltonian, Dave (aka Stumpy), proceeded to ‘have at’ his finger in some sort of ritual self-mutilation rite of passage. Hari-kari lite, so to speak.

In the spirit of entertainment, we obviously applaud such misguided dedication to the craft, however, we did do a quick recap on bleed, slug and trap on the way to A&E.

Readers will be pleased to note that it only took a sticky plaster and a spot of 'magic cream' to repair Dave's digit and he was back in action later in the afternoon.

'Action Man' gets 'Gripping Hands'

Here's an 'action shot' of Year 3 'Action Man' Davey Rees (21) on a recent University trip to New York, U. S. of A.

He's deliriously happy with his newly purchased 'gripping hands' (see promo leaflet below) and put them to good use in the 'big apple'.

Davey can now photograph with ease the view in front of him while simultaneously producing a close-up image of his left nostril's physical response to the local odour. Conceptual photography or what?..

New Desktop Wallpaper for the Studio Macs

Scenes from the Life Room

Second session for Group 2...

















d'Artagnan draws





En Garde!

C-ART AT TULLIE HOUSE

3rd Year Illustration student, Jade Wall, recently collaborated with our good friends at C-Art and Tullie House to produce evocative publicity material for an evening of illustrated talks with seven of the artists featuring in the C-Art exhibition. The real trick was to feature the work of seven very different visual artists without giving prominence to any one of them - after all, it would only end in tears!

All design, print and finishing was organised and overseen by Jade who also used her own photographs as backdrops for posters and postcards. She also had the presence of mind to 'requisition' first and second year students to do the folding.

Year One - Title Sequences

As promised in an earlier blog post, here are a selection of the title sequences the students produced in response to programme descriptions taken from Charlie Brooker's excellent TV Go Home website.

The students were taught the basics of Adobe After Effects and were then given only two weeks to complete the finished sequence.

Considering the tight time-frame, the results were very impressive:


Aimee Stewart & Matthew Gordon (both 21) - Skyclimber 2000

'Action series starring Lee Majors as Aspen Detective John Kable, who patrols the alpine skies in an experimental police cable car, slowly fighting crime on symmetrically opposed mountains...'



Terri-Leigh Jones (21) - Disraeli Nights

'Erotic drama starring David Seaman as Tory politician Benjamin Disraeli. Exhausted following the 1875 Artisans Dwelling Act, Disraeli retires to Downing Street for a well-earned rest... but his slumber is soon disturbed by a visit from an inquisitive 17 year-old named Emily Pankhurst. Contains improper language, ankles, full-frontal nudity, sideburn clutching and goal kicks.'



Shanelle Bateman (21) & Adam Peel (21) - Morten Harket's Polygonal Rituals

'Deeply unconventional new series in which the gap-toothed A-ha frontman attempts to promote the use of geometric shapes by performing inexplicable ceremonial acts...'



Reece Crowder & Aimee Cameron (21 X 2) - Waterman's Nest

'Occasional series in which Dennis Waterman, dressed as a blackbird, attempts to build a nest in a gigantic concrete tree, while Hywell Bennett clings to his back offering nothing but relentless criticism..'



Eilidh McKenzie & Sam Douglas (2 X (10+10+1)=?) - Held in Perpetuity

'Hard-hitting expose of the modern phone system starring Daid Schwimmer. One day "Five" falls through his phone receiver and discovers the innocent millions who are daily trapped on "hold" wandering around like ghosts.'



Kianna Poskitt (22-1=?) - Garcia

'Vintage 1960s crime series in which unconventional hippy detective Jim Garcia solves crimes with the aid of the consciousness-expanding drug LSD...'



Tom Kiernah & Josie Howker (both XXI) - Widdleplop III: Destination Mars

'Wearying of his continual ordure-orientated misfortune on Earth, cattle farmer Harold Walsh constructs a rocket ship, fills it with livestock and blasts off into space in an a bid to establish a new farm on Mars...'




Edwin Burrow & Kate Patterson (both 21) - Aquatextile Savegoose Challenge

'Mystifying gameshow in which contestants don blindfolds and gloves in an attempt to identify a patch of fabric glued to the base of a swimming pool without the use of eyes or fingers, before time runs out and a goose has its head pulled off by a specially-built clockwork machine in front of a party of confused and frightened German schoolchildren.'



Julia Ivanszky (21) & Jessica Julien (ditto) - Centrifuge Bay

'Australian soap made entirely on a set housed within a gigantic centrifuge and shot with cameras bolted to the rotating floor, thereby creating an eerie effect in which the furniture and cast slowly slide away from the centre of the room and wind up hopelessly pinned against the walls at the end of each episode.'

The shadow that looks quite like Tony Iommi (from off of/out of Black Sabbath)

When charismatic photography lecturer (and Frankie Stubbs out of Leatherface looky-likey) Dr John Darwell (33) told us he had photographed a shadow on his living room wall that looked suspiciously like Black Sabbath’s demonic axe wielder, Tony Iommi, our curiosity was understandably piqued.
Dr John, duly supplied us with his snap (below) which I’m sure you’ll agree it does indeed look like the iconic metal guitarist.

















It’s strange that a vision from the universe of Heavy Metal should reveal itself to a man so immersed in the alternate musical dimension of Hardcore Punk Rock. In fact John lives his life according to the gospel of Hardcore; starting each day with a filling bowl of Fugazi topped with a few Husker Du’s (he says it stops him getting Bad Brains) and ceremonially hoisting a Black Flag above his house, before setting off to work.

We should also add that phantasmagorical apparitions are nothing new to the Grillust™ team.
You may remember the ink stain, in the shape of ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons (pictured below) that we featured some time ago.















Grillust™ operative Tony Peart (33) also tells us that he regularly sees the face of Jesus Christ in QR Codes! See the picture below.

That difficult second album

IT'S HERE!!!

Yes! Ever since Grillust™ released the seminal Upperby Road, dedicated fans worldwide have been crying out for a follow-up release.

Now everyone 'in the business' knows that the second album can be difficult, but Grillust™ aficionados will not be surprised that, not only are we up to the game, but we've raised the bar with a concept album that positions us firmly amongst British rock legends like Supertramp and Racey. 
Inspired by our ongoing 'band names' feature, we proudly present a 12" vinyl tribute to their potential. Over 60 minutes of absolute silence with no reference to John Cage's 4' 33"of the stuff. The lightweight!

Now That's What I Call Grillust™ ©AppleCrumble Records 2013

Pop this long player on your turntable and hum along to what might be a classic album if any of the bands actually come to fruition.

The MP3 download will be available in time for Christmas.

Specific Gravity and the Fez

This week 2nd Year graphic design students have teamed up with their BA Photography counterparts to begin the design and production of photographic books.

Grillust™ operative, Jim (33), was almost sick with excitement when he heard that Dr John would be attending the briefing. Imagine his disappointment when he found out it was only our own Dr John Darwell (33), merely a photography lecturer and not an international jazz/blues personality.

A thorough project briefing requires the use of a Fez. You heard it here first.

Normally we'd pair up students using the internationally understood 'playground football team selection rules', but as we had a Fez we opted for the preferred alternative. The well-drilled graphics students had no difficulty in arranging themselves by height as required by the rules but, again, the photographers made a right hash of lining up in alphabetical order despite their firm assertion that "we can do this!".

Dr John (being an academic Dr) whipped out his slide rule and worked out that this is because the photography students are a lighter specific gravity than graphics students – one graphics student is equal to 1.95 photography students. Paradoxically, they are not as dense as graphic design students on an atomic level, allowing both common sense and alphabetical prowess to leak out all over the place.

Dr John Darwell (right) is congratulated on his discovery of the student specific gravity factor (SSG)

A quick game of British Bulldogs soon had the students divided into the exact ratio 1 to 1.95,  and they quickly set about sizing each other up for the task ahead.

 



Watch this space for the results.

An open letter to all of Advertising and Marketing

This has been blogged by our friends at Sell! Sell! (coincidentally where our graduates Ryan Young and Lee Freeman exercise their creative muscle).

Grillust™ agree entirely with the underlying message in this letter – that being the indisputable fact that marketing (as opposed to the noble profession of design) is an entirely greasy trade populated by the unimaginative and politically-correct. "MARK£T££Rs" (made up name, they're good at that), tooled-up with only smoke and mirrors, busy themselves with product profiles, mission statements, consumer focus groups and so on 'ad infinitum', until they have enough graphs, diagrams, core statements, trend reports to bore the jiggley-bits off a statue and promote bland, grey, homogeneous design in the hope that they will not offend anyone (see point 5 below). This plays right into the hands of timid managers who are really looking for someone to blame when it all goes wrong.

How to spot a "MARK£T££R" for Dummies

1. Endlessly and unnecessarily enthusiastic about a totally insignificant details (like 'strap lines', which if not corralled and dispatched at an early stage will become the entire 'focus' of all future marketing effort...

...until the next 'Mark£ting Consultant' has a go.

2. Endless and unnecessarily enthusiastic use of the 'language of Mark£ting'; a series of made-up words that have no real meaning, in order to make themselves seem interesting and dynamic.

3. Endlessly and unnecessarily enthusiastic about what everyone has to say in their endless meetings. Even if it's a naff idea you'll still be required to 'take it onboard'

4. Endlessly and unnecessarily deferential to their line managers – anything to avoid the question, 'what exactly is it that you do?'.

5. Endlessly and unnecessarily desperate to be 'in with the crowd'. Like Wildebeest, MARK£T££Rs like to be in the centre of things - it's harder to be picked off by the predators if you're in the centre.

In the 'Working Lives' spotlight next week; Staff Development Officers

The Human test

83% of Grillust-ites passed.

Scenes from the Life Room (and just outside it)

Cox in Computer Arts

Her again. We just noticed that Jen has been featured in Computer Arts. She’s blogged it and we’re blogging it too.