The resurrection of correct spelling

As a wise man said only a few evenings ago "You are churning them out so fast you don't even have time to spell-check!" and to be honest, I'm still having a good chuckle at that.

So for the most recent poster, I tried my best to actually spell things correctly. I almost managed to get the year wrong, but Mark from The Birckyard managed to help me figure out which year it was actually supposed to be.

So for this one, I was doing a poster for a Stone Roses tribute band; which means expect lots of images of citrus fruits and 'Pollock-esque paintings'.

For this poster I wanted to make the poster remeble the iconic features of the band and their first album; using the tradmark abstract painting, overlayed fruits, strips of colour and for some reason—excessive amounts of gold text.

It proved a little difficult to work all these colours, images and iconography together but in the end I feel that it stands out and gets the main information across, although aesthetically I feel it's missing something.

And is there is a spelling mistake, let me know—because my spelling is shite and I be I've missed something on this poster too.

The Birckyard

Today I was alerted of a fatal error—an error in spelling. (The worst kind)

It turns out I'm a Berk and I work for the Birckyard; as pointed out by my pal Greg Wynne. 

Lesson of the day people, check your spelling and don't be a Berk. 

Christmas Act-Stravaganza—ged'it?

Well aren't I just a punny bugger, har har!

This post is an odd one, it's something I had never tackled before; it was a poster for an acting showcase. I haven't even made posters for the Drama students on campus, never mind for a full blown acting group! (but it was a good challenge)

To start with, I had no real port of reference as I hadn't done anything like this before, so I headed to go old google and new and sparkling Pinterest; of which I am very familiar with both of these so I made light work of finding some traditional drama and panto posters.

After a bit of chat back and forth with the director of the group, he explained although they are a traditional playhouse who preform in a traditional style; they would like a modern and bright poster.

So I set to work looking at Chip Kidd and Neville Brody and large inspirations, but after a bit of testing and playing around; I found adapting my style with modernism may be the best outcome.

After some testing this is what I had made and I was really quite happy with, but I was informed by both Paulie (director of the acting club) and the other half, that it just wasn't all that 'christmassy'.

And although I personally thought the image worked really well and I was really happy with the poster, they were right—it was an image that dominated the majority of the poster and it just didn't denote Christmas at all.

I really didn't want to change it, but at the end of the day, it's the clients choice and as much as I can advice or wish something would work, it sometimes just doesn't.

And after some deliberation on my half, I changed it and they were really quite happy with it.

And although I feel it's not as strong aesthetically, it is much stronger contextually because you instantly recognise it's relation to that dreaded date in December.

Have a Motown & Soul Christmas, ya filthy animals!

So it's almost Christmas—if you didn't already know. Which fills me with excitement and dread, but mostly excitement so I won't go too far into it.

This time of the year means one thing for any designer, everyone asks for their posters to look 'Christmassy' which will almost always entail a colour scheme of Red & Green and lots of white specks dotted around the image.

But this poster, although it embodies all those terrifying traits was in fact a lovely poster to do. This was because the client actually knew a style they wanted and it wasn't strictly just the idea of Christmas.

This was the inspiration I was given from the DJ for Motown & Soul, and to be honest, as simple as it is—I really like it. I really had to make this fit the style I had created from the previous posters and without breaking any copyright laws; it was difficult but I feel it went rather well!

If looks closely you can spot Michael Jackson, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and those lovely ladies of who's name I cannot remember.

So there isn't all that much more I can say, but I hope you like the poster. Because it's going to be in and around Carlisle, in your face, very very soon. You have been warned.

Shiny Silver, Shiny Sloth's of Silver

Hello!

It's been a while since I've posted—so I thought I'd treat you to a bit of craziness and cuteness that I've been working on recently. Which of course includes a sloth.

I was approached by talented all rounder Emma Whitaker for a new logo as I had already helped her with one of her projects before. She originally wanted to re brand herself to "Silver Linings Productions" but she was informed that it was already taken by a large company. So after a small amount of brainstorming we got to the idea that she loved Sloth's and still wanted a similar name—thus spawns the title "Silver Sloth Productions".

I started by making a Pinterest board for both of us to throw ideas on to, which began to include a range of logos, modern branding and strangely enough; sloth related jewellery. And although this had very little to do with a logo, it was made from silver and helped with main construction and shape of the logo.

So I started sketching and throwing around ideas, which eventually lead to me trying to create the logo with circles only (as I had seen a few people create logo's that way before).

.

But after a while of trying and testing, I found that it really didn't work for what she wanted and it was also a process that I haven't quite mastered. And that is when I got sent this great drawing.

I mean she is honestly an up-and-coming J.M.W Turner.

So after a prolonged chat through Facebook we decided that it should be similar to that style but still follow the idea of the circle shape, which quite quickly progressed into an almost finished idea.

I'm pretty happy with this, and I think it makes a cool logo. I also really like the versions and alterations I made to allow Emma to get some stickers printed that I will get posted on here as soon as I get on.

Thank you for the offer and chance Emma, and I hope to see this Sticker Slapped everywhere.

A first attempt at Letterpress!

So only yesterday, I had my first experience of making Typography via the method of Letterpress.
I honestly think I didn't do it as you would imagine—locking full paragraphs into cast iron frames.
I actually just printed a small quote using on of my favourite fonts in 48pt.

So after scouring around in the wooden plainchests I came across a draw with no label (as the others all had one) and it simple read "Futura" in half-faded pencil. I almost screamed, I really didn't think there would be many sets of Futura kicking around so I instantly looked for all the letters I needed.

The only problem with my Universities letterpress studio is that it's so poorly funded (if at all) that it has many missing letters and glphs, but luckily for me this set of 48pt Futura had most of it's set.

The final words of JMW Turner

I went with something very simple and only four words long; the last words of my favourite artist JMW Turner. Although this is very simple, I rather like it and as I was using one of my favourite fonts, to make a quote from one of my favourite artist; so I though I'll make an enigmatic statement with my two favourite glyphs.

Is there anything that the Swiss don't do well?

I feel the title will of already of given you a good guess, so I won't waffle on to you.
I have recently just finished a poster for an Alternate and Indie night at The Brickyard; featuring only local bands.

I got offered the poster, and I was at the time just having a look at some of my favourite Swiss Design, which was the remake of the "Gang of Four" poster.
I am quite passionate about Swiss Design, but I feel it's only really useful in some occasions, and has been so painfully overused that referencing it often just falls short of aspirations; of which I'm hoping this isn't.

There isn't much I can say other than—it looks pretty and has enough Helvetica to feed a family of Typographers for weeks.

Get yourselves there.

What I'm working on: Christmas OVERKILL Edition!

At the moment, I'm working on a tonne of things but I thought I'd let you lovely people know of a few, seeing as I haven't posted much all that recently.

Most recently I've been working on creating my website—this is a project set by the university but I'm going a tad overboard with it and started building it when it should really still be in the design stage, and it should be finished for the holidays. So as I'm doing that I though I'd share a few little snapshots.

Whilst doing this I have a few other things as well; I am working on creating a Christmas Panto poster for a local acting group, of which I'm likely to be making a large cardboard set and taking images in a stop motion style. (because clearly I can't have an animated poster) (but I would if I could)

I am also working with a class mate to set up a Christmas Zine & Print Fayre for members of the Grillust studio to sell and buy each others wares as they choose; it's also a constructive excuse to pocket some money and get intoxicated in the process. So yeah, sounding quite fun!

I'll post more info closer to the time, but look out for Grillustmas!

I am also making another Christmas poster—but this time for The Brickyard. I am continuing making the Motown & Soul night posters, but this time I get to make a Christmas one, so of course it's going to be cheesy as hell!

And as a final note, I've just finished a Swiss Design stlye Indie night poster and helped make one hella cute logo for a friend; so they'll be posted up soon!