Photography…

Recently I have been taking my camera out on walks (2 to be exact so far).

The goal is to practice my photography and to learn to use my Canon EOS 1200D camera, which is over a year old now since purchase.

It’s an absolutely lovely camera, light weight and lovely to hold. It’s honestly one of the best things I have purchased in my student years.

I wanted to share with you my favourite photographs so far:

The surroundings where I live, are wonderful and the canal is one of my favourite places!
More walks to come and hopefully more photographs to appear soon!

 

Brush Control…

Working on my brush control as an experiment, for this style of letter. I am continuing this feel of experimentation and using mixed media to produce my ident for my promo unit. I feel this is going well, my hand is becoming steadier. I still require more practice however, and possibly to try out other colours to experiment with.

My aim with this is to get the best curves possible (I might need to go bigger for this) but the small size is good to practice with. I don’t want to overwork this, but I do want to get it as close to being right for me, as possible.

Wish me luck!

Today’s Design Antics….

As part of my Professional Practice: Promotion and Employability unit, I have to design my own identity and promotional materials. Now those of you who follow Hotham Designs, you’ll notice my current icon. Yeah…. I am scrapping that from College…..

After four pages of sketches, and one page full of typefaces I have decided to stick with this circus / fairground style character. ‘J’ is the start of my name, I am part of a Circus Society, and I love to be playful and experimental with my design work so this is the perfect style for me to go with.

Obviously it needs work, so separate print layers with the cut out. I will also be digitally crafting this and hand painting it too, to see how the effect works. Then I can focus on the promotional materials, colours, and of course my portfolio site which I hope to hand code in HTML and CSS with a small amount of Java Script if I can get to grips with it in time.

Using woodblock printing inks and Greyboard this is today’s messy fun time!!! I enjoy using different mediums and I am finally getting back into it with my Major Project and this one too!

Watch this space for developments on my identity as a Graphic Designer!

Greyboard Cut Out

After It was inked

The Final Result

‘Going Round in Circles’

For the past three months, I have been working tirelessly on a 4000 word report, that explores the evocative natures of Vinyl Records and how they create an experience for the listener. This was intensive and a lot of research was needed to compile into a report and a visual response. The aim originally was to look at album covers, and how they have created an experience but with much discussion and self directed study, it became to looking at the records and the covers as a whole, in how and why they are evocative and culturally popular. This was enlightening and really interesting to read up on, seeing as how vinyl records are now becoming popular again. They’re a old format, but new to the generations today.

I am extremely pleased with my outcome, a 12″ x 12″ book titled ‘Going Round in Circles’, which includes self produced photography, letterpress, interview and quotes from my research. I have also included a mini 7″ x 7″ book, featuring my interview with one of my course mates, and friend, Dan Bass. Another feature to this book as a double sided A2 poster, with letterpress type expressing a word visually, with the images.

I want to share this outcome to show how proud I am, of what I have managed to achieve in three months!!!

 

I designed my own record label, to add character to the packaging

The cover of my book

The title, is a play on words as well as a figure of speech

A small letter press feature

An example spread, with a quote and image

Some more letterpress and a full double page spread

Part of one side of my poster design

The full side

The other side

Little pouch for my ‘Interview with Dan Bass’ book

The cover for this design

An example spread

Full double page spread, as a page break

Letterpress and an image feature

Another spread

The back cover

The Devils Are All Here | Matt Horan Mentalist

I was commissioned by my friend, who I had previously produced business cards for, to design a poster for his very first show. ‘The Devils Are All Here’.

The photo was taken by James Hoye —> https://www.flickr.com/photos/80600652@N07/

The illustrations were by Matt’s friend, Tom Harris who is just a hobbyist illustrator.

All I had to do was choose a type face, and work with what I had been given. The show was on the 9th May 2015. I couldn’t go see it due to having to work the next day, but I’m sure it went really well.

UPDATE:
I’ve heard good things from Matt himself about his show and I now have this poster on my wall!
(I keep looking at it and thinking I could have made the information slightly smaller in size… well this is my first A1 poster…. so It’s a learning curve!)