GFW 2014: Saturday 31st May.

If you've been keeping up with all the social media, you'll know that I've been drawing at Graduate Fashion Week this year. Josh Walker (you should all check out his web magazine, Colourblind) is the new editor for Fashion Scout and GFW blog, so he invited me to come back and be part of the team. I've been a little wary of returning to the fashion scene, purely because I don't want to just be known as a fashion illustrator. But at the end of the day, I love clothes, I love the atmosphere, and I love feeling like I am documenting something that people don't get to see, and I truly am honoured to be there.
Just to reiterate, all these drawings are done on location and the background is the only part that is edited afterwards. I think it's important to be there to really understand what it feels like. After all, it's most definitely not about clothes, its about people. It's about designers, models, make-up artists, hair stylists, people that have skills and craft. I think that's the point, that I convey feeling and joy, show each face, draw models dancing and laughing, relaxing.
So this is Day One:

Istituto Marangoni

University of East London

Northumbria

Edinburgh

Spring Film.

A couple of photos from my latest film. I scanned it at a little low resolution, and not the greatest array of pictures, but I'm hoping to take a lot more over the summer while I'm here!

Peter Jensen and Julie Verhoeven at the V&A

On Friday, Rosa and I went to the V&A for a talk by Peter Jensen and Julie Verhoeven on Muses, particularly on their most recent collaboration together for his new Spring/Summer Diana Ross collection. From an illustrators point of view, it was really interesting to hear the thoughts of this kind of collaborative process. Of course the talk ended up being quite biased to Jensen (the interviewer talked more than necessary, in my opinion), but it was fascinating to hear how he worked, and how all of his collections are dedicated to the Muses of the brand. These women are obsessed over, and a chosen more because they trigger and inspire more than because they are friends of the office, ' I always see the women that we choose are very strong women.' -Peter Jensen.

Julie Verhoeven is most well known for her illustrations, but is currently doing 3D and more Fine Art based work. The pair have collaborated for a couple of collections, including Jodie Foster. They met while Verhoeven was teaching at Central St Martins. 'I love clothes, I love dressing up, I don't love everything that comes with the industry, but I love clothes.' - Julie Verhoeven. It was really good to hear that she has managed to what she wants in her career. It's comforting to know that you don't have to label yourself as anything to do projects that you want, and work with who you want.

What was most interesting was their opinion of the current fashion industry. Jensen stopped showing on catwalks in 2012, and both commented that they feel that catwalks are 'old-fashioned' practice now. It's fascinating to rethink the industry, and even a system as controlled as fashion needs reviving and reformatting. 'It's about friendship and real relationships. Not about celebrity.'

Kingston University: Major Improvement Project

For the last project, this year we were supposed to be improving on a previous project from the year. I decide to adapt my book project to become an educational app. I decided to aim for it to be in a specific setting. Seeing as my original drawings had been made at the Horniman Museum, I decided to make it for them to use.

The project was to plan an idea for a children's educational app based around the Horniman Aquarium. It was a crazy thing to plan, a much bigger job than I anticipated in the beginning. But it was a project that I'd really wanted to do in a long time, and I'm really glad that I managed to finalise the idea at least, even if the interactive, animated parts weren't so finished.... I promise it's a hell of a lot harder than it looks to make the real thing!

These pictures here are actually version 002... After the critique I had planned to meet the curator of the Aquarium and the Digital Manager at the Horniman. It's possibly among the most nerve-wracking things I've ever done; pitching by yourself is very scary! The verdict of that though went quite well, although an app is never going to be apparent (turns out they are extremely expensive to make...).

Maybe it makes sense to conclude this year. I've really enjoyed this year, and it seems to have made a difference in my work. It's hard not to find fault in the things we make, but I feel more comfortable with the I-probably-can't-and-won't-freelance thing. I think my tutors can see what I'm made of. This summer,  I am sticking around in London. I'm hoping for some kind of work experience to crop up, but I am otherwise keeping myself busy in the house! I'm really looking forward to visits from friends and lots of mini projects! Rosa and I are being especially productive at the moment...

Drawing Workshop with David Hughes!

Before Easter we had the amazing opportunity to spend a day with David Hughes. He is an incredibly interesting guy, you should really check out what he's about.

He collects a lot of ephemera, stamps, envelopes, etc. and so the day project was based around names that he had chosen from his collection of envelopes. From those, we were to make a narrative about these people.

The work we made turned out really well, and the different interpretations were really great to compare. Below are a few photos of my favourites by various people in my year or the year below.

The last photo is of my own.... completely went crazy that day, and came up with this for some reason! The rulebook went out the window and this is what happened. David Hughes called it a 'monstrosity' so I'm going to take that as a compliment. 

Kingston University: Book Project and a Long Awaited Update.

I am so, so so sorry for the lack of blogposts recently, and well I can only blame myself and our final project. But you'll be pleased to know it's going really well this end! And with only three weeks left, I am dying to have some summer time here in London. Reading, writing, seeing and doing is all on the agenda.

So, update. Along with the POP project critique, we also had our book project. The reason why I didn't post up anything was because this year, our final projects are meant to be 'Major Improvement Projects' (not the catchiest of names, but you get the idea) and I decided to extend my book project. My final crit is on Wednesday (EEK) but I'm really happy with the result so I will show you in due course! We also had a much needed three weeks off at Easter, of which I spent a week or so at home. Still working of course. But I honestly have been enjoying everything so much at the moment; I guess every low will eventually have it's high with the right mindset. Admittedly, there has been very very little drawing, but I've realised that's not necessarily where my strength lies...and that's okay with me. I'll still always be drawing. But I hope it means that the pressure is off my back now and I can really enjoy drawing again.

As a taster, I'll show you a few frames from my book project.

We were given very free reign for this project, and we could make a physical book or a digital one. Funnily enough I was the only person to try out digital. I wanted to have a go, mainly to see if I could do some simple drawn animation... It was a really tough job, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I started out with my location drawings from first year of aquariums (excuse the terrifying photos... what a rookie), and I've been meaning to do something with them for quite a long time. I wanted to make an educational book, but that soon got changed around a little to create a narrative. The plan for me was to pitch an idea, including all the animations and interactive ideas which I didn't have to show myself, just more of the idea aspects of it. The story follows a sardine called Sonny who decides to leave the shoal to make some new, more interesting friends.

Honestly, it is just very much a self indulgent project... I really just love drawing fish. It must just be a trait from my mum, but I just find it fascinating. And it gave me an excuse to watch all the The Blue Planet on Netflix. For my final project, I've adapted this a little bit... stay tuned! Lots of exciting things to come!

Kingston University: POP Project, finalised

We had our crit a few weeks ago, and I was extremely relieved to finish this project. Before New York I had planned to print about 100 something prints for a final piece for this project, but alas the beaver press broke right on cue. But actually, it helped me take a step back and see what I actually wanted to do with these prints that I had.

I decided than with the consecutive prints, they really ought to be displayed in a book. I had thought of various things, but I really didn't want to use anything more than wood, newsprint and ink. It really had to be minimal.

We were to submit everything including our research with it a single sentence to describe the project. I decided to print 'end' on the front the go with the ideas within end grains of the wood. 

'The celebration and mourning of a tree deemed too weak to use for furniture and product.'

Overall, I really enjoyed this project, but I think that it was flawed in that it needed a final product. Really I think the important part WAS the process, and meant to be a project that could be continued throughout our careers. I will definitely return to this project but...I think I'll give wood a bit of a rest for now.