Watermark 2017

In collaboration with students from a number of Arts & Humanities courses, including Creative Writing, Photography and Wildlife Media, etc., our own 2nd year Grillustasi have been extra busy over the past week putting together this year's Watermark publication. The publication is designed as an accompaniment to the International Keswick Literature Festival "Words by the Water" which starts tomorrow!

Working under the editorial direction of Senior Lecturer in Media, Tony Randall (33), Graeme Guthrie, Victoria Smith, Elizabeth Sharples and Sian Whitfield (all 21 and all from Year 2 BA(Hons) Graphic Design) have been putting in the long nights, getting ready for the print run, scheduled for 8.15 am this morning at CN Print in Carlisle.

Illustrative elements were produced courtesy of 2nd year BA(Hons) Illustration student, Hazel Mason (21), who's efforts have brought another dimension to a publication that has, in the past, been dominated by photography and type.

The Student Editor was Rebecca Gibson from BA(Hons) Wildlife Media.

Well done to all involved!

The First Year Students do 'Hardcore' Typography!

The first years have just completed the first of what will be two, in-depth inductions, to the technical and precise world of quality typography. The feedback sessions on Friday kicked off with a typography test, designed to test their growing expertise, conducted by our very own Rhiannon Robinson (33) a.k.a. The Typographer Royal.

 "What's the hole in a letter called?" muses Becky (21) - N.B. It's called a counter...

H.R.H.T.T.R. reveals the answers to an eager audience. Eager because prizes were on offer to the day's top performers!

Jasmine (21) the day's top performer (in both the typography and copy test) clutching her TWO!!! prizes. No expense was spent in obtaining these bars of quality Aldi chocolate.


As always, we design on paper before working on the Macs...




...producing various alternative designs...

 ...before presenting the final pieces.

 Here's Isabel (21) victor in the afternoon type test.

 Rhiannon explains where all the typographic and punctuation errors are to the afternoon group.

 More carefully considered typography from the afternoon group.

photoshop play

Year two illustrators, under the watchful eye of photoshop blackbelt Dwayne 'Miyagi' Bell (33), have just finished a week of intensive Photoshop play, focusing on a few simple basics such as resolution, scanning and selections. It's amazing what they've managed to produce in a week. Here's just a few of the examples.


Harry 'Assos' Ward (21).


Tab Walby (21).


Rebecca Graham (21).




Hazel Mason (21).

Scenes from the Life Room

Studio Randoms

All photos taken on Monday 13 February 2017

Illustration student being given a masterclass in scanning textures and drawings by charismatic Illustration tutor Mr. Dwayne Bell (33)

 Extra texture!

 Students, like police officers are getting younger. These whippersnappers are from the local FE college, here on a taster day.

 Busy, busy.

 Year 2 Illustration student Rebecca with her faithful tin of vegetable soup.

 The Year 1 typography masterclasses continue...

We've got Year 2 Graphic Design students working on a project with a local brewery. Charismatic programme leader, Jim Millington (33) was particularly keen to see this one happen.

 Branding beer.

 Once scanned and extracted in Photoshop, the illustrators played with their textures.

 As a treat, Dwayne showed everyone how to do 'the vogue' like famous pop-princess Madonna (33)

Feedback on the beer bottle branding