Computer Arts - February 2018

IN CONVERSATION FEBRUARY 2018 Facing page: W ilfridWood are celebrities, making use of his who doesn’t? Any situation can be Theo. Ever doesn’t shy away experience crafting political puppets enhanced with an element of nudity. resourceful, Wood from a bit of for satirical TV show Spitting Image, Nude nude nude. See, I can’t stop has previously artistic nudity, but increasingly they are the result of saying it now. sourced live as the piece on private commissions. In other words, models for his the previous page people who want to be sculpted, and You have an artistic family, and you projects using attests. “In all are happy to pay for the privilege. said in your Something Good talk dating app Grindr. my glory,” was that it was hard to find your own the coy one-line response to our One thing’s certain: of all the voice. How did you go about it? Below: Entitled request for a self-portrait image. talks at Bristol’s Something Good I read an interview with the actor Transvestite festival in October, Wood was Michael Douglas, son of Kirk Selfie, this piece His portfolio includes some more certainly the most memorable – so Douglas, who said ‘the children sits at the more sexualised curiosities too, that may we were curious to find out more... of famous parents tend to be slow risqué end of not be to everyone’s taste: Trainer developers’. I found it reassuring. Wood’s portfolio. Fetish features a teenager playing What did Spitting Image teach you with himself while sniffing one of about the craft of caricature – any The artists in my family weren’t his shoes, and other subjects include lessons you still apply today? exactly famous, but they were well rent boys, sex dolls and BDSM. It was a panicky and hilarious job, known within their fields. They with tight deadlines, burning hot were strong personalities and had But much of his less risqué work glue, noxious gases and puppets traditional views about how art is pure caricature – some subjects with squints. I had no technical should be done. At college, I was background and barely knew how very bunged up with these received to drill a hole. I mainly fitted up ideas. I envied people whose parents eyeballs and blinks – it wasn’t very were accountants, who weren’t creative – although I did go on to hamstrung by artistic convention. make a few heads and animals. I tried to be a designer, then an I got my best practical tip a couple illustrator, and for a while I wrote of months ago. I was watching an a lot of stories – none of which interview from the ’80s with my amounted to anything. Aged 30 old boss Roger Law. He simply said I started sculpting, which released that it’s not the eyes, or the nose, or me. Even so, it’s only over the last any other features that are the key few years that I feel I’m doing to getting the likeness of someone. what I really want to. It’s the overall shape of the head. How did you carve a niche for Many of your sculptures feature yourself as a satirical sculptor? nudity, usually in a comic way, and There were painters and designers your experience of sourcing life- and illustrators in my family, but no drawing models on Grindr was a sculptors. I think that’s one of the particularly memorable anecdote. reasons I’ve always liked doing 3D What’s the fascination? stuff, because it was different. Nudity is something you can get away with in art that you can’t in The satirical bit is influenced everyday life. The only legitimate by my time at Spitting Image, plus way most people get to stare at live my tendency to try and make jokes. naked bodies is a life drawing class. Now I think of myself as more of a portrait artist: I’m mainly drawing We’re all nude, but cover it up and sculpting real people I know with clothes! Of course I love nudity, rather than celebrities. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 52 -



IN CONVERSATION FEBRUARY 2018 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 54 -

FEBRUARY 2018 Facing page, What’s your usual process when other people they follow. You follow seeing? Presumably it’s not their clockwise from creating a new sculpture? classy people, you’re shown classy essence; their soul – that’s supposed top-left: Freddie Getting reference these days is a stuff. That’s basically it, isn’t it? to be intangible. Mercury; Roy piece of piss: type it into Google. If Hodgson and it’s a private individual I’m sculpting, Most of Instagram is crap, but Do people end up with the face Harry Redknapp; I photograph them, then do some there’s so much there that if even they deserve? Why do we associate Mick Jagger; Keith drawing, sometimes make a rough one per cent of it is brilliant, that’s beauty with truth? I love these types Vaz MP (and rent maquette, and go on to make the enough. I’ve bought art, met people of questions. We all love looking at boy); Caitlyn finished thing from polymer clay. and been commissioned from it. people; we are insatiably curious. Jenner as goat deity Baphomet; I don’t do loads of drawings, a You also quoted Victor Hugo: Do you have a favourite type of David Cameron lot of the development goes into “The flesh is the surface of the caricature, either visually or the on holiday. the actual sculpture. One annoying unknown.” Besides your subjects’ ‘world’ the person occupies, such thing is when the maquette turns appearance, how much attention as politics, music or film? Above: Wood’s two out to be more immediate and do you pay to personality and As an artist who does portraits, Michael Phelps dynamic than the finished thing. behaviour in your work? I should be able to tackle anyone. sculptures explore I want the finished thing to look That quote kind of sums up what Slightly strange faces are the most the champion fresh, but not slap-dash. I’m trying to do. Or it could say, attractive to me, but any face can swimmer’s ‘Does the flesh tell you something look strange from certain aspects. distinctive face You said in your talk: “When you about the person inside, or can it Sports people are great to sculpt: and physique. think the world’s run out of ideas, be equally misleading?’ they’re usually fit, slightly weird there’s always something nutty and manically focused, which is an on Instagram.” How do you get How much can you deduce amusing character trait to portray. the most from the platform? by looking at someone? If a mass I think my Michael Phelps is one I love Instagram. You follow people murderer walked past you in the of my best, but only because he’s you like, and it suggests you look at street, would you notice? When such a brilliant subject. you look at your lover, what are you C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 55 -

IN CONVERSATION FEBRUARY 2018

Have you ever been tempted I can’t tell from your portrait.’ I was prominent nostrils. I happen to like Facing page:The to caricature President Trump? pleased to have frustrated him. prominent nostrils, but that’s beside result of a private Trump is both too easy and too the point. I possibly exaggerated commission for a difficult to caricature. What can What was the hardest satirical them a bit. And when he saw the French family, and I add? There have been hundreds sculpture you’ve worked on? drawing he said, ‘The nose is awful.’ shown in situ in of brilliant cartoons about him. In general, I find women more Wood’s studio. To most reasonable people Trump difficult than men. Pretty women There is often a conflict of is weird. No one needs another are particularly tricky because they interest between what the artist Above: Wood’s caricature pointing this out. The are by definition somewhat bland and the sitter are looking for sculpture of more some people are lampooned, and symmetrical. Men generally in a portrait. The artist wants Angela Merkel, the stronger they get. have bolder features. a dramatic, atmospheric or complete with characterful drawing. The sitter enigmatic smile. Do you feel any responsibility to I also assume that women are often wants simply to look attractive. provide a critical, satirical voice more sensitive about their looks; on particular issues? sexist of me I know. A good female If I sense a conflict looming, then I don’t have a clear feeling for friend asked me the other day how I make it clear to the sitter that I am politics, and certainly don’t feel I know that. It’s a good question. not a portraitist who flatters. If they any responsibility to comment. I don’t know it: I assume it. want a beautified representation, I usually sit on the fence and am they should go elsewhere. equally convinced by both sides of Have you ever had a strong the argument. To be honest, I hate negative reaction from a subject? Finally, what advice would you give political ranting in any direction. I actually get disappointingly little to an artist or illustrator looking feedback from my subjects. I imagine to make a name for themselves in My sculptures aren’t direct famous people would see me as a satirical drawing or sculpture? political satire. A while ago I sculpted potential pain in the ass, so don’t Who would try and make a name for Angela Merkel, just for fun. I gave like to comment. themselves in satirical drawing or her a broad grin. A friend of mine sculpture? About eight people a year? who is very political said, ‘But what Sometimes when I draw people do you actually think of Merkel? the model is clearly disappointed. It’s not really a thing to get into, Recently I drew a guy with very is it? I’d probably trot out some cliché like, ‘Draw from nature.’ C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 57 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES FEBRUARY 2018 I PLEDGE TO MAKE 2018 MY B E S T QUIT MY BORING JOB START A NEW SIDE PROJECT Y E A RWIN A DREAM CLIENT FIND MY IDE AL WORK-LIFE BAL ANCE EVER BUILD MY REPUTATION C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 58 -

FEBRUARY 2018 BEST YEAR EVER Got a big ambition for this year? We reveal how you can overcome common obstacles, put your plans into practice, and start to make your creative dreams a reality WORDS: Tom May C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 59 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES FEBRUARY 2018 “I found the initial few months gruelling to say the least... but I’m now working more flexibly and creatively than I was before” LISA MALTBY FREELANCE ART DIRECTOR What would you like Whenever you want to achieve it. Sometimes, when things get Clockwise from top left: customised trainers; Herd of Sheffield elephant; High Hopes screenprint; Glorious Book of Curious Cocktails. to achieve in 2018? something outside your main really busy, I get up an hour early To kick-start that working hours, the clock always before work to squeeze in extra passion project seems to be against you. Between passion projects, or get cracking you’ve been dreaming of? Leave the office, your commute and daily on my lunch hour.” your full-time job and go freelance? household life, there never seems Learn a new skill? Publish your to be a spare minute. That might sound like a tough first book? Start your own studio? regime, But Strange – whose Sell your designs on Etsy? Are things that bad, though? self-published book Do Fly serves Shane Mielke, creative director as a motivational tract for creatives We all have a dream, and and author of Launch It – a book – sees it more as a matter of everyone’s is different. But perhaps of career advice for creatives – creating good habits. “It’s about the more important question is: suggests your time might not be finding the right pattern for you, what are you doing about it? A new as limited as you think. or adapting how you already work,” year is the perfect time to come up he explains. “There’s no right or with a plan, and start actively “Take an honest look at your wrong way to do it. The hardest working to achieving it. day,” he advises. “Find things you part is starting, but once you’ve got might be wasting time on that are a tiny bit of momentum, it gets So what’s stopping you? Well, for less important than your goal, or better and better.” many people, quite a lot actually: that you could be doing more The mortgage. Self-doubt. Low efficiently. Things like social media, CHALLENGE TWO: energy. The seeming unavailability video games, commuting and FIND THE ENERGY of hours in a day. The demands of inefficient work habits can all suck But what if you do manage to eke children, or parents. Lack of skills bits of time from our lives. If you out some extra hours, only to find or experience. Feeling that you’re can free up 30 minutes every day, you don’t have sufficient energy to too old, or too young. that adds up to 180 plus hours in a use them productively? year. Excuses are just excuses.” But while these are all genuine, “I think the amount of energy real-world issues, they shouldn’t be Gavin Strange, who works at you have – or you think you have the death knell for your ambitions. Aardman in Bristol by day and – relates to the amount of passion pursues multiple fascinating side you have invested in your goals,” Over the next few pages, we’ll projects by night, offers an example says Ariana DeLuca, a New walk you through some of the most of how that might look in practice. York-based art director. “This is common challenges in pursuing “For me, I find a routine that I try why I called my side project The your dreams, suggest ways to and stick to during the weekdays,” Passionate Project (see page 67), overcome them, and hear from he explains. “I finish work at 6pm because making it was like falling creatives who’ve done just that. and then come home, eat dinner in love. I was so excited, I had great with my wife, watch a 30-minute energy, I had butterflies. I was CHALLENGE ONE: TV episode (anything longer eats getting home from work and I was FIND THE TIME into the night too much) and then staying up till 3am. To get on the Let’s deal with the most common get cracking on ‘round two’, as I call issue first: finding the time. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 60 -

RESOLUTION #1 QUIT MY BORING JOB LISA MALTBY FREELANCE ART DIRECTOR, ILLUSTRATOR AND LETTERING ARTIST WWW.LISAMALTBY.COM For some, having a baby might she says. “But I’ve since gone be a good reason not to leave on to have some amazing the financial security of a commissions and opportunities, full-time job. But for Sheffield- and I’m now working more based illustrator and designer flexibly and creatively.” Lisa Maltby, it was actually the catalyst to do so. And that’s important to her psychologically as well She’d been working at a as financially. “My creativity design agency and things had has always been part of my been going well, she recalls. self-expression, as well as “But I’m a real ideas and wanting it to be a career,” she creative person, and there stresses. “So it was almost my wasn’t a lot of opportunity to way of survival: that I wasn’t push ideas as much as I wanted just knee-deep in nappies, to. I didn’t feel as challenged as that I had something else.” I did when I first began.” So just a few months after having her second child, she thought to herself:‘Life’s too short.’ “I think kids make you feel like that,” she says. “They bring this fresh sense of life, where they’re limitless in their imaginations, and you kind of want some of that too.” After striking out on her own, she hasn’t looked back since. “I found the initial few months gruelling to say the least, working on four hours’ sleep and going to meetings with baby puke down my back,” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 61 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES RESOLUTION #2 BUILD MY REPUTATION AMY KILNER FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER WWW.AMYKILNER.CO.UK Left: Eat Sleep Rave Repeat poster; Absolut Vodka promotion for a Tiki bar in Cardiff, in collaboration with White Sky Creative. FEBRUARY 2018

BEST YEAR EVER “I’d never completed my design degree because I got a design job in my second year, but I realised I needed to finish it” AMY KILNER FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER After five years working at design computer and create this, and fires are at. But that doesn’t mean agencies across Yorkshire, people know I was doing something you can’t still play mental tetris thought Amy Kilner was crazy to I absolutely loved, gave me that with, say, the logistics of a side chuck in her job and go back to extra shot of energy.” project, in those moments of the college. But the 24-year-old from day that don’t have your complete Rotherham was adamant. “I’d never Carolyn Porter, a graphic attention: when you’re working completed my design degree because designer from Minnesota, tells a out, in the bathroom, on your I got a design job in my second year similar tale. Her love of old-time commute. The organisation and and left uni,” she explains. “But as handwriting propelled her to create planning of a project or goal is the I got older, I realised I needed to go her own font, which mimicked the foundation and support of the back and finish it.” script of a real-life wartime letter. physical action of the idea.” That project subsequently spun She eventually did so, funding into a book, Marcel’s Letters: A And when things get sticky, herself through a mix of student Font And The Search for One Strange stresses one key word: loans and freelancing. And as an Man’s Fate, which she based on the positivity. “Just approaching unexpected byproduct, she ended research she’d done into the letter’s everything you do with a positive up selling a piece of her student original author. “I think if you find mind state can work wonders,” work to superstar DJ Fatboy Slim. a project that you’re passionate he enthuses. “It presents obstacles about, you just have to be relentless as opportunities, which helps “It was a typography project for and tenacious about bringing that immensely when it’s 1.30am and my course,” Kilner explains. “The brief project to life,” says Porter. “It may you’re not sure if you can succeed. was to create a poster based on song not be fast, it’s not going to be easy. You need all these little boosts to lyrics, anything we wanted. I chose the But it’s ultimately worth it, and you help you through all of your words to Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat. just need to be tenacious.” creative endeavours.” When I’d completed it, I posted it on Instagram, tagged it, and didn’t think CHALLENGE THREE: CHALLENGE FOUR: any more about it.” LIFE GETTING IN THE WAY FIND THE MONEY All this can be easier said than Sometimes, your dreams don’t just A few days later, the star’s manager done, of course, as life has a habit demand your time and energy; emailed to ask if he could buy the of getting in the way. A child or they need a bit of seed money too. illustration. Kilner agreed, and then family member gets sick. The roof You might need some cash, for the DJ himself emailed, requesting a starts leaking. You’re handed a example, to pay for that course, signed copy to display in his home huge project at work and have to print your own book or magazine, alongside artwork by Banksy, work later hours than usual. or to get you through the first few Chemical X and Jimmy Cauty. “I was months of going freelance. like, ‘Oh my God, this is not real!’” The solution? Accept that life is not perfect, sure… but don’t give The most obvious approach is It’s one of many successes she’s up, and try to find new ways to to start watching the pennies and had since returning to education, hang on to your goals. save up a nest egg. That’s not a convincing her she’s made the right particularly fun prospect, but make decision. “I haven’t taken the normal “Sometimes life or other projects a few lifestyle sacrifices and keep a career route,” she admits, “but it’s got are more important,” says Mielke. careful eye on your budget, and it me to where I am, and I’m happy.” “In life, you have to go where the C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 63 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES FEBRUARY 2018 RESOLUTION #3 WIN A DREAM CLIENT ROSE WATERSON FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR WWW.ROSEWATERSON.COM Clockwise from left: Rose Tinted Glasses; Stag Beetle; Manchester Bee; illustration for Nike Pant Studio. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 64 -

FEBRUARY 2018 “I’ve always used Instagram, but I’ve realised the power it has now, and the difference it can make if you invest in it” ROSE WATERSON FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR Rose Waterson may have been a should be achievable. Plus of book’ for children, The Glorious talented illustrator, but she wasn’t course, if you’re foregoing that nice Book of Curious Cocktails. She really aware of it. The fine art graduate bottle of wine or subscription to managed to raise £5,600, although and freelancer lacked confidence in Sky, it’s only going to help you find creatives commonly ask for, and her work, and didn’t expect to attract that extra time you need to pursue often get, larger sums. Be warned, clients outside of her hometown of your creative goals. though: even free money doesn’t Brighton. So it was something of a come for free, and you’ll probably surprise when she got a call from Nike. But what if you’re impatient have to do a lot of hustling in order to get started right now? That to meet your target. It all stemmed from a logo and shouldn’t be a problem, says poster she had designed for a group in Mielke, it’s just a case of which part “Running a Kickstarter was like Brighton called Girls Can’t DJ. “They’d of your plan you get started on. having another child; it was quite posted it on their Instagram account. “Google is free, and so research and a challenge,” recalls Maltby. “I have And then later on, they’d done an planning costs you nothing other a wide network of people I’m interview with Nike about women in than time,” he points out. “So connected with, so I was able to the music business,” she says. switch gears to a part of your plan push for a few things, pull a few that might be more organisational strings. But even then it was really When Nike saw Waterson’s work and can be done during free time at tricky to get articles about the on the group’s Instagram, it was a case night or on weekends. For example, campaign published, to get people of good timing; the brand had just if you’re wanting to self-publish a to share it on social media. You are decided to collaborate with seven book about your favourite design your own campaign, so you’ve got female artists to promote their new topic, there’s nothing stopping you to fully drive it all the time. I got workout pants line, Nike Pant Studio. from researching how to get your the funding, which is amazing, but So the company got in touch and book on Amazon, or making a list this sort of campaign is not to be commissioned her for the campaign. of possible printers who might taken lightly. It’s really hard work.” print your physical book.” “It was about three days before the CHALLENGE FIVE: deadline,” she recalls. “They contacted Of course, saving is not the BUILD A STRONG NETWORK me on a Monday and wanted my only solution to money issues. Even if you consider yourself a illustration on a Thursday. It was very Alternatively, you could visit the self-starter, the success of your last minute but I managed to do it bank and see whether they can creative dream often lies in the somehow. The campaign came out offer you a loan, or equity release hands of other people. So having about a month and a half later; the on your home. If they say no, try a strong network of contacts will whole thing was quite swift.” another bank or building society. help enormously, whether you’re We’re still in an era of quantitative seeking work as a new freelancer, Working for Nike has raised easing, and you might be surprised looking for the right partner for a Waterson’s profile and been a big boost how willing financial institutions collaboration, or searching for a to her self-confidence, she says; plus are to lend to anybody with a track mentor as you develop your skills it’s taught her two main lessons. record of having a regular income in a new creative field. “Firstly, the importance of Instagram. and good credit score. I’ve always used it, but I’ve realised the Building up a decent list of power it has now, and the difference Another source of potential contacts you can rely on doesn’t it can make if you invest in it. And cash might be crowdfunding. just happen by accident, though. secondly, you never know who your Lisa Maltby, a Sheffield-based Getting out there and introducing contacts are going to be. I had no idea illustrator profiled on page 61, yourself to people, both on social that this DJ group had any connection used Kickstarter to finance her media and in the real world, to Nike, which is a bit mental if you ‘disgustingly distinguished recipe think about it.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 65 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES FEBRUARY 2018 “It’s all about working hard, finding the thing you love and going forward. I tell people to push through those doubts and those fears, grind it out, and you’ll get there” ARIANA DELUCA ART DIRECTOR at things like creative events Since then, whenever I go to the “Finding someone you trust and and meetups, is essential. group, I meet someone new who being honest with each other are I can either work for or work with. vital,” she says. “One of the reasons Kate Moorhouse, a graphic I’ve also collaborated with other Chris and I work so well together is designer from Manchester, very freelancers from there, and I feel because we speak our minds: we’re quickly learned the importance it’s a really natural way for us to honest and open with each other. of networking when she went work together.” freelance. “I heard about a meetup “We also share responsibilities group based in Sheffield and CHALLENGE SIX: and understand situations where Manchester called Freelance Folk FIND COLLABORATORS one of us needs more time to focus and popped down to see what it If your creative dream for 2018 on something else, without guilt was all about,” she explains. involves collaboration, then its from the other. And the best thing “I immediately got a friendly success will live and die on whether about our partnership is that we response from everyone. It felt like you choose the right partner. encourage and push each other to we were all in the same boat: Tennessee illustrator Tammy reach just past our abilities, in order finding our way, making the same Coron, who recently teamed up to level-up our skills.” mistakes. And it was nice to chat to with Apple game developer Chris like-minded people from different Language to create game design CHALLENGE SEVEN: industries. Everyone had different resource www.dayoftheindie.com, PROMOTE YOURSELF disciplines, but the freelance side offers some pointers. Whether it’s launching a passion was common to us all.” project or your services as a It wasn’t just a psychological boost: the group helped her find work, too, she adds. “I met the founder, Katy Carlisle, at one of her Squarespace workshops and she asked me to redesign the logo for the group. In return, she helped me with some Squarespace support. FIVE WAYS TO PUSH YOUR CAREER FORWARD FRANK SUYKER, ART DIRECTOR, WWW.MR-SUGAR.NL Dutch designer Frank Suyker originally DIVE DEEP someone who’s hit that wall before you set out to be a business leader, but got If you’re really interested in a topic, don’t did, and then shared their experience. interested in design and video production, hold yourself back from diving deeper. and ended up “accidentally” becoming an Learn everything you can find about it. SKILLS AREN’T EVERYTHING art director. Currently working for Orange And then... forget it (I learned that one You can apply for jobs even if you don’t Pearl in the Netherlands, he offers some from the master, James Victore). Only then have all the knowledge. You can learn on advice for developing your creative career. will you have the opportunity to create the job too. A good fit with the culture of something that comes from the heart. the company and the strive to go all out is EXPECT CURVEBALLS much more valuable to employers. For those who know their end game, great! LEARN FROM OTHERS For those who don’t know (and that’s a There is so much information online. KEEP LEARNING lot of us), just go with the flow and let life On every subject you want to learn more When you stop learning, you get overtaken surprise you with a curveball. You never about, there is a website, a video, a by those who are more eager. Never give know where you might end up. forum. When you hit a wall, there’s always up. Keep going. Be the best you can be. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 66 -

FEBRUARY 2018 BEST YEAR EVER RESOLUTION #4 START A NEW SIDE PROJECT ARIANA DELUCA ART DIRECTOR WWW.ARIANADELUCA.COM Left: Some of the women who have joined The Passionate Project. Below: Visuals for Ted X New York. In September 2016, Ariana thought: this should exist, why a risk and to open up new doors DeLuca, an art director based don’t I just make it?” and meet people, and just help in New York, was looking for a each other out,” she smiles. photographer. “I wanted to reach So that’s exactly what she out to someone new, so I put the did. She got in contact with People marvel at her energy word out,” she recalls. “But I was photographer and conceptual and constantly ask her ‘How do getting a lot of responses from artist Heather Leigh Cullum you find the time?’, she says. But men that didn’t sit right. I didn’t – who she knew through a rather than basking in the glory, feel comfortable with anyone mutual friend – and in February she urges others to follow her who responded. And I thought to 2017, they launched a new group lead and pursue their own myself: I’d really love to work for women called The Passionate passion project. with another female creative, Project. Its mission is to help who has similar goals and ‘female creatives who want to “I just tell people:‘You can ambitions to me. But nothing collaborate on projects, do the same thing,’” she says. like that existed.” strengthen their portfolios, “It’s all about working hard, and network.’ finding the thing you love and DeLuca couldn’t think of an going forward. I try to be really easy way to find new female DeLuca has done all of this encouraging and tell people to creatives she didn’t already outside her full-time agency job, go for it. Push through those know, who were also eager to but despite the hard work and doubts and those fears, grind create and connect. “Then I long hours, she’s loved every it out, and you’ll get there.” minute. “I think it’s great to take C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 67 -

INDUSTRY ISSUES RESOLUTION #5 FIND MY IDE AL WORK-LIFE BAL ANCE SHANTI SPARROW GRAPHIC DESIGNER, ILLUSTRATOR AND LECTURER WWW.SHANTISPARROW.COM Shanti Sparrow was working as a designer in a little boutique studio in Sydney. She enjoyed her job and found much of the work fulfilling. But something was missing, she just didn’t know what. So she decide to take a year off travelling, in order to work out what it was. She used her savings to rent a flat in New York and stayed for six months. “When I arrived, I didn’t want to get straight into work,” she recalls. “I was so exhausted I just wanted to absorb New York, have some fun and just sleep.” Eventually she started doing bits of freelancing for her old employer. “It worked out really well for their timeline,” she notes, “because I could do it overnight, they could go to sleep and then when they woke up, it would be done.” After half a year in the US, she then spent another six months going around Europe and Japan, visiting 17 countries in total. “It was amazing,” she smiles. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 68 -

BEST YEAR EVER “I’d always been the mother hen of every studio I’d been at, and I loved the idea of being in graphic design, but without all the deadlines and clients” SHANTI SPARROW GRAPHIC DESIGNER, ILLUSTRATOR AND LECTURER “After going to Barcelona and Clockwise from top left: Collaboration exhibition branding; concept cover for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; Foe, Net, Tic poster. freelancer, promoting yourself these brand ambassadors Tokyo, I’ll never see colour in the is key. That means not just promoting it, and it’s just growing. same way again.” networking with other creatives, It’s still a work in progress but I’m but sharing your work more widely, doing something right.” On return to Australia, though, on platforms such as Instagram, she still struggled for a time to Pinterest, Behance and Dribbble. CHALLENGE EIGHT: work out why her career wasn’t This may sound obvious, but New ACCEPT IT’S NOT LINEAR sitting right. Then, finally, it all York-based designer and lecturer As the saying goes, ‘Man plans, fell into place, when she saw an Shanti Sparrow has seen the God laughs’. In other words: ad for graphic design mentors at positive effects first-hand. whatever scheme you have to boost Shillington back in New York. your career and achieve your “I’ve been a designer for nine dreams in 2018 may very well go “I’d always been the mother years, but my freelancing outside astray. But that’s not a reason to hen of every studio I’d been at, of my main job has actually only not bother trying at all, more a I was always training juniors,” she kicked off in the last two,” explains realisation that you’re going to have explains. “And I loved the idea of Sparrow (see left). “It was only to stay nimble, accept challenges still being in graphic design, but when I started releasing my work head on and hope to enjoy as much without the deadlines and clients.” onto social media channels that it of the ride as possible. happened. I was started to get She’s now found the perfect contacted internationally, whereas “There’s this assumption that work balance, combining a job as a before it tended to be people I knew when you’re an adult you get lecturer for Shillington with design through people I knew. But now it’s everything locked down and freelancing. And she thinks she’d anybody who Googled a magazine sorted,” says Strange. “No way! never have got there without the and my thing came up, and they’re I think these times are the most perspective gained from travelling. in China and want me to make exciting; you’re more wise to the “I took that time in New York to them something.” world and can make changes even focus on me,” she explains. “And more easily. It’s about being open after that, eventually, everything There’s a lot of noise online, and receptive to change, and eager started to make sense.” of course, and just posting stuff to identify when something isn’t doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get working for you and then making attention, so it pays to get creative. a change. It’s a never-ending For example, Rotherham-based process of analysis, assessment designer Amy Kilner (see page 62), and action!” launched an Instagram feed called @thedesignfix this year, and it’s NEXT ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2018 become a roaring success. MONTH Discover our list of the world’s most exciting illustrators “The way you get followers on to watch this year... Instagram is by getting your work featured on other pages,” she explains. So she essentially took the same idea and reversed it. “I launched my own page to help other creatives, and it just blew up,” she explains. “There are now around 40,000 posts on Instagram using the hashtag and I’ve got more than 18,000 followers on it. I’ve got C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 69 -

BACK TO BASICS FEBRUARY 2018 BRAND GUIDELINES JUNIOR DESIGNER MANUALhe idea of following brand guidelines is something that doesn’t get a lot of TYPESETTING This six-part series is an essential guide for junior designers. We give advice on topics entry-level creatives need to know about, from basic theory HBROAWNTDOGFUOILDLEOLWINESIn the last of our series aimed at junior designers, we examineattention on most design courses. “I’ve to practical tips. In the final part, we look at following brand guidelines. Missed an issue? Catch up by purchasing back issues of CA – see page 74. never come across an intern or graduate how to interpret and follow clients’ brand guidelines T  who understands the fundamentals of ARTWORKING FOR PRINT DIGITAL ASSET CREATION WORDS: Tom May brand guidelines,” says Ellie Pearson, senior IMAGE MANIPULATION designer and studio manager at Cambridge- Tom Tennant, a motion graphics designer based agency Mobas. “But it’s not their fault: at Gramercy Park Studios in London, tells a they weren’t told about it, and neither was I.”   similar tale. “I spend as much time as possible studying the guidelines, as it’s really helpful to The concept itself, though, is quite simple. be on the same page as your client,” he says. Clients provide designers with a detailed “Even reading the parts that aren’t relevant to outline of their preferred colours, fonts, logos what you’re doing can give you more insight and so on, and how each are to be used. But into the brand. After all, it’s there to help.” what students are often taken aback by is the sheer range of things they cover. STICKING TO THE RULES Laura Wynn-Owen, junior designer at Nelson “I was surprised at first by the complexity Bostock Group in London, notes that and depth of brand guidelines,” recalls Jess guidelines are usually handed over without Dutton, junior designer at Mobas. “For some being talked through, so they can be open to larger clients, they’re incredibly extensive. your own interpretation. “But in our case, there You think of brands having one or two primary are usually brand teams on hand to answer any colours, but I didn’t know they could have questions,” she says. “There may also be brand secondary colours too.” Dutton was also sites that give access to assets, guidelines and surprised by the distinctions between internal best practice examples.” 6andexternalcoloursforcollateralthatwillbe As the word ‘guidelines’ suggests, these are not immutable rules. But pushing back on them should be a last resort, not a default, believes Andrius Petravicius, digital designer at Hampshire design agency Superrb. “I usually used for staff and for customers. “It’s a lot more wouldn’t push back on brand guidelines, as in complex than meets the eye,” she says. most cases, you can still be creative and work COLOUR CORRECTION And this complexity means you need to around them,” he reasons. “I’ve done so on spend a lot of time digesting them. “I always occasions, though, when I felt like the make sure I’ve gone through the brand guidelines weren’t working well visually and guidelines from start to finish, and that I have I knew they could be improved upon.” a clear understanding of the look and feel of Karl Doran of Manchester design agency the existing brand, before I start a project,” says Flow Creative concurs. “We did some work Joe Bembridge, junior designer at Macclesfield recently for Arts Council England,” he says. design consultancy Brandon. “They had a fairly detailed brand guidelines COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 70 -

FEBRUARY 2018 JUNIOR DESIGNER MANUAL PRO INSIGHT HOW TO BEND THE RULES JUNIOR DESIGNER AT BRANDON, JOE BEMBRIDGE, EXPLAINS HOW THE TEAM EXPERIMENTED WITH BRANDING GUIDELINES FOR VLERICK BUSINESS SCHOOL EXECUTIVE EDUCATION “This is a pocket-sized prospectus marketing team and all external In most cases “Within this series of for potential students at career brand partners to ensure there’s as you can still brochures promoting Vlerick fairs. One of the school’s brand much quality control as possible. be creative and Business School’s Executive drivers is vitality and the use of the work around Education programme, we vibrant coloured V-patterns helped We use a traffic light review brand guidelines had to both retain the us stand out again the competition system to highlight what we ask V-pattern but also anchor as being something different. The people to avoid doing (red), what the logotype within it. This logotype is anchored alongside one might be ambiguous and slightly pushed the boundaries of of the V-patterns within one of the breaks a rule (amber; the Executive the original identity system four corner points. In terms of the Education piece is one such as the logotype usually sits inside spread, we also locked the example) and what are great in one of the four corners logotype up in one of the four examples of brand use for the of the page.” corner points, and used the school (green). This really helps transparency of the V-pattern to everyone to understand how to bleed over the photographic image. best use the identity across flat graphics, moving image and event All told, it’s a very complex experiences. We even used the V-pattern and one that we review guidelines when we branded a each year with the school’s internal Xerox photocopier for the school!” COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 71 -

BACK TO BASICS FEBRUARY 2018 PRO INSIGHT HOW TO ADAPT TO GUIDANCE RORY BERRY, JUNIOR DESIGNER AT SUPERRB, OUTLINES HOW VERY DIFFERENT GUIDELINES INFLUENCED THREE CLIENT PROJECTS AMY’S KITCHEN AWESOME INC “The marketing team at “In terms of guidance, Awesome Amy’s Kitchen were very Inc provided us with a logo and clear about the story they a colourway, which we had to wanted tell through the stick to. As part of the brief they website, but the business also expressed a desire for the had evolved tremendously site to have a fun, animated feel since the original branding to reflect their unique style and was done, so their old ethos. From there, it was down guidelines weren’t up to to interpretation. The nature of date. Other than the logo, we their work is very eclectic so we had pretty much free reign decided to go for a fairly clean on the look and feel, but had wrapper to make the most of to keep it true to the ethos their portfolio. Given that of the brand. As we were they’re an animation studio, nearing the launch, the team it was also important to make rolled this new style out sure the animations on the across their other channels, website were really slick, but so things were tight.” at times, we had to rein it in and remember that showcasing the work was the priority.” COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 72 -

FEBRUARY 2018 JUNIOR DESIGNER MANUAL MEGAMUNDEN document, but we did try to push it a bit, FIVE TIPS FOR “In terms of developing brand and bring in some extra tints and colours, plus BRAND CONSISTENCY guidelines, this project was very we created a kind of illustrative classic style collaborative. MegaMunden is that they’d not really used before. It fitted in DESIGNERS SHARE FIVE TIPS ON an illustrator, so when he was with their branding but it moved it on a little FOLLOWING BRAND GUIDELINES working up logo comps, he bit, and they were happy with it. If you can do shared some options early that, that’s ideal, although it does obviously 1 DO YOUR RESEARCH on so we could decide which depend on the client and the brief.” “Some big brands make their guidelines would work best for web. It available on issuu.com,” says Jess Dutton, was important that the site USING SYSTEMS junior designer at Mobas. “Look for a brand incorporated his signature Normally, though, your job is simply to you know and like, and read their style sheet. style, therefore we got him to understand and internalise the brand You’ll change your perspective, gain an illustrate a lot of the incidental guidelines, as well as work within a reliable understanding of the design process, and elements, such as background system to ensure they’re adhered to. Such realise what goes into creating something.” icons, arrows and footer lock systems will vary from studio to studio, but up. By kicking the brand back will normally be largely based on common 2 STAY CREATIVE and forth, we arrived at sense. “At Moras, we have a huge printed folder “Don’t let brand guidelines hold you something which felt natural with details of all brand guidelines that we back on your creativity,” says Joe Bembridge, to him and that we knew would work on in the studio, which is also accessible junior designer at Brandon. “These guides work seamlessly across a wide on our server,” explains Dutton. “I go through are put in place not to limit creativity, but range of media.” and manually double-check colours, as well to help a brand stay recognisable and as doing an InDesign check that shows all consistent,” he points out. “But if you do Brand guidelines the typefaces used, so you can easily weed go against the guidelines, make sure you can be incredibly out any that shouldn’t be there. Plus, we have a valid reason for doing so.” technical, always have an internal artworker in the team who seek help if checks everything against guidelines and 3 MAKE SUGGESTIONS you’re unsure specs before it’s sent back to the client.” “If you feel something could be improved, suggest that to the client, or even Adherence to brand guidelines may also be make a concept variation to show how a integrated into the software itself. “At Superrb brand could look with your improvements,” we use Sketch, which allows us to set up says Andrius Petravicius, digital designer at reusable colour palettes and typography styles,” Superrb. “Yet if the client insists you follow says Petravicius. “I’ve also been using InVision’s their guidelines, don’t ignore them.” Craft plugin for Sketch quite a lot lately; this lets you create branding libraries with all brand 4 HARNESS SOFTWARE assets, styles and symbols. I’m also really “To make sure I follow the guidelines excited about a new tool from InVision called carefully, I’ll take a screengrab of the most Design System Manager, which seems like important parts: the colour references, font, a powerful system for creating, managing and and point sizes,” says Tom Tennant, motion scaling design libraries.” graphics designer at Gramercy Park Studios. “I also find it helps to copy the brand colours The most important thing, adds Pearson, is into whichever software you’re using so you that if there’s something you don’t understand have a palette that’s easily accessible.” – and there probably will be – ask. “Brand guidelines can be incredibly technical,” she 5 ASK QUESTIONS says. “One of our animal health clients has “Raise any questions you have as soon a lock up at the bottom of all designs that as possible, rather than when you’re midway requires a mathematical formula to work out through the work,” advises Laura Wynn- the right height and width for the exact Owen, junior designer at Nelson Bostock document you’re working on. A junior or intern Group. “If there’s anything you’re unsure has little hope of understanding that, so they about, ask. Even senior designers need should always seek help if they’re unsure.” guidance. There are no stupid questions when it comes to brand guidelines.” COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM - 73 -

BACK ISSUES ISSUE 274 JAN 2018 NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! The hottest colour palettes for 2018 Catch up on anything you’ve missed by downloading our How to succeed as digital back issues on iPad, a designer-maker Android and more... We explore whether design is having a #MeToo moment ISSUE 273 ISSUE 272 ISSUE 271 ISSUE 270 DECEMBER 2017 NOVEMBER 2017 OCTOBER 2017 SEPT 2017 Create brand 'you' and learn Discover the top 50 studios in this Branding at its best: we reveal the Overcome six major hurdles that all to harness social media in our year's UK Studio Rankings, explore winners of this year's Brand Impact design studios face. Plus: sharpen self-promo special. We also share four different routes into freelance Awards. Plus: we tackle diversity in your colour-correcting skills, and advice on conquering creative life, and find out how to improve design, and DixonBaxi explains why watch our BIA 2017 judges debate block, and thriving without ego. your artworking skills. it pays to be creatively restless. hot topics in branding. GOT AN APPLE DEVICE? Download Computer Arts for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch and enjoy streaming video and bonus image galleries. PREFER TO READ ON ANDROID, PC OR MAC? A digital replica of CA is also available on Google Play and Zinio, as well as Kindle, Nook, Windows 8 and more. www.bit.ly/CA-iPad www.bit.ly/CA-iPadUS (US store) www.bit.ly/CA-GooglePlay www.bit.ly/CA-Zinio

FEBRUARY 2018 PROJECTS PROJECTS Computer Arts goes behind the scenes with world-leading designers as they reveal their working processes… VIDEO 76 INSIGHT HOW TO BUILD A STUDIO FROM SCRATCH Discover how the co-founders of Fiasco have created an award-winning studio at the heart of Bristol’s creative scene, despite initially having no cash, clients or business experience 82 company; David Fernández Huerta 92 shares sketches for game Monument UNSEEN SKETCHBOOKS Valley 2; and Michael Johnson explains REIMAGINE A CLASSIC SONG Three top designers share unseen a forgotten concept for Tate Britain How Information is Beautiful award- development work from the archives. winner Valentina D’Elfilippo created a Marian Bantjes reveals rejected series visualising David Bowie’s Space artworks for a high-end jewellery Oddity from 10 different angles NEVER MISS AN ISSUE OF COMPUTER ARTS SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR PRO INSIGHT AND PRACTICAL ADVICE EVERY MONTH – SEE PAGE 40 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 75 -

VIDEO INSIGHT FEBRUARY 2018 VIDEO INSIGHT BUILD A SUCCESSFUL STUDIO FROM SCRATCH Despite initially having no clients, cash or business experience, the co-founders of Fiasco have built an award- winning studio at the heart of Bristol’s creative scene S even years ago, Ben Steers and were forced to wear so many hats, we had to Jason Smith set up Fiasco in Bristol learn very quickly on the job. with no design agency experience, BS: We were in an incubator space to begin or much design experience at all to with, surrounded by other start-ups. Naturally, speak of, during one of the biggest start-ups need branding, as well as all the global recessions in living memory – a move standard business collateral stuff. that peers at the time described as “mental”. For us, it was perfect – we were getting After three short years, they won a BAFTA. nurtured as a business through this incubator Two years later, a D&AD Pencil. Now, through [run by the University of the West of England – sister company thread, they’re also running a UWE – with a 50 per cent subsidy on rent], but successful series of design events to bring the also had the opportunity to work with other small South West’s creative community together. businesses that needed design services, but Here, Steers and Smith reveal how they did it... didn’t have huge budgets. It was an important platform for us. Those people put a lot of trust How did get you Fiasco off the ground? and faith in us, not having any experience or Jason Smith: I was cheffing at one point, taking much of a portfolio to fall back on. calls in the kitchen to arrange meetings. I was working, like, five jobs. But we had so much What was your breakthrough project? energy, and loved it. We kept persisting, doing BS: There’s been a few at different stages. collaborative work – for free – that helped us The first was with a production company called grow a circle of friends in Bristol and the South Somethin’ Else: an online game for Channel West and produce a portfolio, and without it, 4, which came off the back of some freelance things would have been a hell of a lot harder. illustration work I’d been doing. Ben Steers: We really did start from scratch. Other co-founders think we’re mental. They’ve We were commissioned to create a whole come from another agency, or have a design set of characters, furniture and environments. background, so have a portfolio of clients or At the time, Channel 4 knocking on our door a certain level of experience. was a massive deal. It was a landmark moment, and the game won a Children’s BAFTA a year Neither of us had had a full-time job at a later. For a company of our size, going into design agency. No business experience. We our third year of business, it was pretty big. didn’t know how to run an agency, or what the JS: It also made us aware of the importance dynamics, or structure, of a typical agency was. of social media. Our first conversations with But because we were so young and naïve, there Somethin’ Else happened through Twitter. were no restrictions. I guess that was a strength; BS: In the early days it’s really important to we went into everything with open arms. get yourself out there. You don’t know whose phone is going to get that notification or pick We said ‘yes’ to everything, and worried about up on that tweet. We also started working the rest later. Then slowly started to refine who with Penguin Random House off the back of a we were as a company, and the type of work we tweet: someone within Penguin was looking for wanted to be doing, as well as how we work with a design/dev team to help with some sites for our clients. That’s taken a long time to do. some of their authors. We saw that, got in touch, JS: When we started, it was just us running and heard nothing for months. Then one day accounts, marketing, business development we got an email asking us to create an website and then actually doing the work. Because we C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 76 -

FEBRUARY 2018 FIASCO FIASCO ‘Creativity takes courage’, ‘Together is better’ and ‘Simple is good’ are the guiding principles of award-winning Bristol-based studio Fiasco. Clients include Channel 4, Red Bull, Penguin Random House and Tobacco Factory Theatres. www.fiascodesign.co.uk Watch the videos on our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 77 -

VIDEO INSIGHT FEBRUARY 2018 for a series called Gods and Warriors. Not a Left: Fiasco’s website for huge job, but again, an ‘in’ with a really reputable Pelican Books delivers brand. Off the back of that, we did the design and “an innovative online build for The Snowman and the Snowdog site, reading experience”, and which led to the Pelican website. won several awards – including a D&AD Pencil. It was a long, at points arduous, stressful job, but we ended up with a beautiful product that Below:The site was won a series of awards, including a D&AD pencil. carefully optimised JS: We’d just had our fifth birthday. It was great across all devices, to going to the awards ceremony; it drummed home minimise distractions that every winner is just a fantastic original idea. for readers. What is it about Bristol that excites you both? WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT BS: There’s something quite tangible about the www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco atmosphere here; something in the air that’s quite special. It comes from the industrial history JASON SMITH HOW TO LEARN ON THE FLY that the city has. There’s this DIY ethic, people AND BEN STEERS just go out there and make it for themselves. Co-founders In our first video, co-founders Ben Steers and JS: Summer is like being on holiday every Senior designer Jason Jason Smith (pictured) share how they grew day: countless festivals, arts and culture. (pictured) and creative Fiasco from two inexperienced guys with a Plus we’ve seen a lot of young companies director Ben met at Deviate couple of laptops into an award-winning studio. like ourselves grow up in Bristol with us. There’s magazine in Bristol. Jason definitely a sense of community and friendship. fell in love with the city after BS: A few years ago, we set up a series of events moving there in 2004, while called thread to champion the local creative Ben arrived later, having community, bringing people together for talks studied in Plymouth and and workshops in an informal, comfortable way. worked in London. We started in a small bar with about 100 people, and now do 220-230 people quarterly. We’ve set up a separate sister company to run it. And last October we put on a design festival called Something Good, with an amazing response. Where do you recruit talent from? JS: Our last two recruits are from Manchester and London. There seems to be a real movement at the moment – due to rising house prices, or desire for better quality of life – for people to move out of London. Many are coming to Bristol. We also have open lines of communication with the local unis. Our studio manager Marj is a UWE graduate, and came on board last March. According to your website, you only work with brands you respect. How do you gauge that? BS: For us, it’s more about respecting the people within the brand. By no means do we always get it right. It’s like interviewing for a job. You don’t really know that person until you’re three, six, 12 months into the job. You have to try and do due diligence early on, then give it a go. JS: Respect and trust are closely intertwined. We don’t work for people, we work with them. And to collaborate, we need to trust each other. BS: It’s like a marriage. If trust isn’t there, things start to rock. We bring clients on board from the beginning – we don’t just go away, and come back with a big ‘ta-da!’ moment. We constantly update them, which helps build that trust. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 78 -

FEBRUARY 2018 FIASCO Above and right: For DEVELOP A MULTI- its brand overhaul of TALENTED TEAM Bristol cultural hub The Tobacco Factory, Nurturing a talented creative Fiasco was inspired by ‘family’ takes time, says Tom the building’s original Grant, creative at Fiasco industrial roots. 1. Create an outlet WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT A weekly email with an area named ‘Just for www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco fun’ gives the Fiasco team an excuse to experiment and learn new skills, says TOM GRANT KEEP YOUR SKILLS FRESH creative Tom Grant.“It just gives us a Creative small window to go away and learn to do Tom works on a broad In our second video, creative Tom Grant reveals something different,” he says.“It makes you range of creative projects, how the eight-person studio handles such a range feel like you’re developing and progressing.” from branding to web of multi-disciplinary projects – and how Fiasco design to animation. After encourages the whole team to stay sharp. 2. Aim high graduating from Liverpool Although Fiasco collaborates with others John Moores, he worked when client work requires skills outside at various Manchester the in-house remit, Grant stresses that it’s agencies before moving good to push existing team members.“It’s to Bristol two years ago. always nice to try and get there yourself,” he says.“Creating work that’s a little outside your comfort zone is the way you improve and avoid stagnation.” 3. Get stuck in Grant has been experimenting with animation for the newsletter, and has been getting tips from his colleague, who’s “a bit of a whizz in After Effects.” However, he says, often the best way to get your head around a programme is just to get stuck in. “Have a play and make a few mistakes and figure out how everything works.” 4. Foster a family culture “We do weekends away and go out for dinner and lunch, everyone gets along,” says Grant.“I think it definitely helps just having people that have got your back and are willing to push you.” This sense of unity encourages the team to create.“When you see someone else doing a piece of work that you think,‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ you want to do be doing that. It keeps you striving to do better.” 5. Set aside time Recognising that experimentation and learning takes time, Fiasco sets aside time each week to experiment with new programmes. That knowledge can then be applied to future projects.“It breaks up what we are doing and gives us another element to our skill set,” explains Grant. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 79 -

VIDEO INSIGHT FEBRUARY 2018 HOW CLIENTS CAN Above: One of the best- BECOME FRIENDS attended thread events of 2017 was the joint talk by Account manager Natasha DesignStudio co-founder Field reveals how to nurture Ben Wright (pictured) and your client relationships DixonBaxi’s Dan Capstick about rebranding the 1. Build trust Premier League. “I treat every client relationship like I would a friendship in terms of good Left: Fiasco’s sister company communication and trust,” says Natasha thread went all-out on the Field, account manager at Fiasco.“When branding for the event, clients trust us and we trust them, it helps including a stall selling move the project along.” Plus if something football scarves. does go wrong, it’ll be easier to resolve. WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT 2. Act human www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco In the past, Field sometimes felt she wasn’t being herself when talking to NATASHA FIELD MIX BUSINESS AND PLEASURE clients.“The way I spoke to them wasn’t Account manager very human and seemed robotic, and While studying English at In our third video, account manager Natasha I wasn’t building relationships because UWE, Natasha discovered Field reveals why a small, friendly studio suits that’s not how you build relationships.” She a passion for design and her more than a large agency – and how Fiasco’s advises remembering that everyone has switched her degree. She ‘family’ vibe translates to client relationships. good days and bad days:“If they’re having found a route in via account a bad day, you can just be there to talk.” management at a London- based digital agency, then 3. Don’t burn bridges a larger ad agency, before Fiasco was recently re-hired for a client moving back to Bristol. they’d worked for five years previously, suggesting that sometimes you might have to wait to bear the fruits of your good relationships.“You don’t know when a project comes in whether or not that’s going to lead to more work,” she says. The lesson? Every client is worth investing in. 4. Be flexible “Each client is different in the way they work, so some need a bit more explanation, whereas some just let us run with it and won’t need so many face-to-face meetings,” says Field.“You have to flexible in how that client wants or needs to work.” 5. Immerse yourself A good account manager should be an extension of the client, and be able to pre-empt their feedback, adds Field.“The only way to do this is immerse yourself so that you understand them – who they, what they do and their core values.” C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 80 -

FEBRUARY 2018 FIASCO Above and right: GET YOUR FOOT October 2017 IN THE DOOR OF saw thread put on A SMALL STUDIO Bristol’s first major design festival, Studio manager Marj Newnham Something Good, impressed as an intern, then hit which was reviewed the ground running in CA issue 273. 1. Don’t underestimate self-promotion WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT The year before Marj Newnham applied for www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco an internship at Fiasco, she sent the studio a pop-up rocket Christmas card. She didn’t MARJ NEWNHAM FIND A ROUTE INTO DESIGN hear anything back, but when she went for Studio manager an interview she was pleased to be able to Recent illustration graduate In our fourth video, recent UWE Bristol illustration point out her card, still stuck on the wall. Marj works front-of-house graduate Marj Newnham reveals how she first “It’s always good to send out some feelers, for Fiasco, looking after got a foot in the door at Fiasco, putting her because you never know when it’ll come clients during meetings and organisation skills to good use to help the studio back around to help you,” she says. handling the day-to-day and its sister company thread run smoothly. running of the studio, as 2. Make yourself indispensable well as helping to organise Marj left her previous job in the hope that events and festivals. her internship would lead onto full-time employment. It was a bit of a leap of faith she says, but she tried hard to impress throughout the internship “so they couldn’t let me go,” and her efforts paid off. 3. Find transferable skills As well as managing the studio, Marj is also heavily involved in organising Fiasco’s regular series of speaker-led events – thread – as well as its annual design festival, Something Good, which launched in October 2017. “At uni, I organised the degree shows and final exhibition, so I could draw on that for experience,” she explains. As long as you’ve got a strong idea of what you’re trying to achieve, she adds, it’s surprising how many of your skills will be transferable. Watch the videos on our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/ca275-fiasco C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 81 -

PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS FEBRUARY 2018 SPECIAL FEATURE PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS Three top designers share unseen development work from the archives, including rejected concepts that were left on the cutting room floor C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 82 -

FEBRUARY 2018 MARIAN BANTJES CLIENT CHANGES DIRECTION MARIAN BANTJES Designer and illustrator Marian Bantjes shares a series of artworks she developed for Called “one of the most a high-end jewellery event, which never saw the light of day innovative typographers working today” by Stefan Sagmeister, Marian is a Canadian designer, artist, illustrator, typographer and writer, whose clients include Pentagram, AIGA, Sagmeister & Walsh, Wallpaper* and Wired. www.bantjes.com 01 One of Bantjes’ early concepts for her artwork for high-end jewellery event BaselWorld: a geometric pattern inspired by jewels and gemstones. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 83 -

PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS FEBRUARY 2018 02 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 84 -

FEBRUARY 2018 MARIAN BANTJES “One of my favourite ideas used refracting gems as a watch face. I later repurposed this for a carpet design” 03 04 GENUINE GEM 06 Marian Bantjes In 2014, I was contacted to design the cover for an annual event in Switzerland called BaselWorld, which attracts jewellers and high-end watchmakers. I started with some drawings of patterns based on jewels, and then worked them up into colour options. They liked these, but asked that more watch parts, or reference to watches, be used. One of my favourites used refracting gems as a watch face. I later repurposed this for a carpet design, without the watch. For some reason these were not working for them, so I tried again. The intention for this was to use foil on a matte background. Ultimately, none of these were used, and they printed a plain black cover with a gold band across it. Go figure. 02 Another of Bantjes’ jewellery-inspired geometric patterns. 03-04 Bantjes started experimenting with colour in the patterns. 05-06 As the idea developed, more explicit references to watch components were added alongside the gemstones, and she tried different colour combinations. 05 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 85 -

PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS FEBRUARY 2018 08 The client still “For some reason wasn’t happy was the the ideas weren’t direction, so Bantjes working for the pared it right back to client, so I tried emphasis the watch again. Ultimately, face even further. none of them were 09 A totally new used: they printed concept, designed a plain black cover. to be foil-blocked Go figure” on matte black. Ultimately, none of 07 One of Bantjes’ them were chosen. favourite concepts, depicting refracting gems as a watch face, which she later repurposed without the watch for a carpet design project. 07 08 09 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 86 -

FEBRUARY 2018 DAVID FERNÁNDEZ HUERTA SKETCHES HELP DAVID FERNÁNDEZ SHAPE A NEW WORLD HUERTA Lead artist and art Art director David Fernández Huerta director, ustwo Games opens his personal sketchbook to reveal With 10 years’ experience how the 2017 sequel to ustwo’s hugely as a games artist and successful puzzle game took shape illustrator, David joined ustwo Games as a senior artist in 2013, and is now lead artist, working on smash hit Monument Valley and its spin-off titles Forgotten Shores and Ida’s Dream. www.ustwogames.co.uk 01 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 87 -

PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS FEBRUARY 2018 01 (previous page) “My sketches UNCANNY VALLEY This rough sketch experiment with shows a ‘landscape’ the ‘adult-child’ David Fernández Huerta version of the game, relationship These early sketches for Monument Valley 2 as well as developing that became the (www.monumentvalleygame.com) show my the landscape and game’s core theme” experiments with giving the game a landscape architecture. It also instead of a portrait orientation, as well as adding features a character more detail to the architecture than was seen in sailing away on a boat, the original game. which (spoiler warning) made it into the final I also played around with the idea of zooming game – albeit in a in on levels, as opposed to the ‘world on a single different context. screen’ framing that we used in the first Monument Valley. Other sketches include further exploration 02 An example of the of non-player characters, as I tried to create the ‘zoomed in’ approach feeling of being in a bustling village or town. that Fernández Huerta played with to break My sketchbook for this project is filled with the single-screen lots of experiments with different character format of the original, designs and styles, including the ‘adult and child’ as well as an array of relationship that would later develop into the core different non-player theme for the entire game. characters in situ. 02 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 88 -

FEBRUARY 2018 DAVID FERNÁNDEZ HUERTA 03 03-05 Various character design experiments, including key poses and the all-important interactions between adult and child characters that would prove integral to the game. 04 05 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 89 -

PRIVATE SKETCHBOOKS FEBRUARY 2018 IDEA REJECTED WITHOUT TRIAL Michael Johnson shares a concept from inside the Johnson Banks archives that sadly never made it off the ground 01 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 90 -

FEBRUARY 2018 MICHAEL JOHNSON 01 One of the most striking images in Johnson MODERN ART MICHAEL JOHNSON Banks’ proposed Tate Britain campaign depicts Founder, Johnson Banks a Barbie doll, drowned in a plastic bath, in Michael Johnson Michael set up multi- homage to John Everett Millais’ Ophelia. If my file dates are correct, we originally proposed award-winning design this idea back in 2003, to an ad agency who had asked consultancy Johnson us for help with an approach to Tate Britain. Banks in 1992. 26 years on, he oversees the The idea was: ‘Where British art comes to life’. strategic and creative We imagined a family returning from a visit, and output, but is just as recreating Singer Sargents, drowning Ophelias likely to roll up his and Richard Longs in their back garden using sleeves and get involved everyday objects, such as toys. in the work himself. www.johnsonbanks.co.uk Personally, I always really loved this idea – but I suspect it was never even shown to the client. STILL A SORE POINT 01 REBRAND SWIFTLY CANNED As Michael Johnson recalls, his studio’s logo for the world’s biggest type foundry was rolled out, but then promptly rolled back in again In the very early nineties (1993 I think?), we were asked to design the logo for Monotype – cue great excitement – and it was adopted, only to be replaced literally within months because of a complete change of ownership. At the time, it seemed like the roof had fallen in. 01 C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 91 -

WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 2018 WORKSHOP HOW TO VISUALISE A CLASSIC SONG Information designer Valentina D’Efilippo shares the process behind her award-winning visualisation of David Bowie’s Space Oddity NEXT MONTH THE MOON AND BACK How Paul Button visualised all the Apollo missions C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 92 -

FEBRUARY 2018 VISUALISE A CLASSIC SONG VALENTINA D’EFILIPPO Information designer Whether she’s designing data-driven products, business intelligence tools, live theatre projections or books, the mapping of information allows Valentina to explore, learn and communicate. Her book, The Infographic History of the World, takes the reader on a journey through human history via 100 infographics. www.valentinadefilippo.co.uk 01 01 Sketchbooks DATA IS EVERYWHERE outlines for the different systems Valentina D’Efilippo used, representing Interest in how we conceptualise, understand 10 different and visualise information has fuelled my angles from which practice. I use data as a raw material from to look at Space which I find my perspective and express what Oddity, including resonates with me, while hoping that others Rhythm, Texture, will find it compelling, too. Trip and Emotions. My personal interest in data visualisation took off more than 10 years ago, when working on my thesis for a postgraduate degree in visual communication. By exploring bias in gender cues that children receive through visual stereotypes, I started to collect and visualise data. Since then, I have continued to explore the world through data by collecting, deconstructing and mapping information. Data can be found all around us, in where we go, what we consume, touch, read, watch or hear. My latest self-initiated project explores the application of dataviz techniques to music – giving form to what we hear, imagine and feel while listening to a song. OddityViz is also a tribute to an extraordinary artist, David Bowie. DECONSTRUCT THE SONG David Bowie left us with a constellation of intersecting worlds, loaded with material for celebration, consideration and interpretation. From the start of the project, it quickly C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 93 -

WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 2018 02-03 Work in 04-05 Close- progress images up details of outlining what the project. became the Trip version of Space Oddity. 02 became apparent that it was necessary discs and a window installation – allowed us 03 to limit the scope and focus to one song. to experiment with how to best encode the narrative. It took months of exploration and “Simple shapes What would Space Oddity look like turned many hours of listening to the song on repeat were used to into images or through data visualisation? This is and sketching out ideas. A turning point that encode sounds what I and data researcher Miriam Quick set out defined most of the visual language was and narrative to explore in OddityViz. We extracted musical deciding to experiment with a new medium, patterns” data from the track and visualised it in a set of creating sculptural data-objects. 10 engraved records, paired with large-scale 04 prints and projections that draw from the song’s The vinyl record was an obvious reference. fragmented interstellar world. From Edison’s phonograph to today’s vinyl 05 records, music has been encoded through a Each 12-inch disc deconstructs the song series of grooves that spiral to the centre of the differently – by instrumentation, rhythm, circular disc. Applying a similar logic, I wanted melody, harmony, lyrics, structure or the the musical data to be engraved. This decision underlying story. Rather than abstract forced me to work with no colour, using white on soundscapes, the records become a visual black, which also recalls the light of the stars in system to understand how Bowie masterfully the darkness of space. The format also defined crafted Major Tom’s journey. the system to encode the data – time around the circumference becomes a universal axis that TURN AUDIO INTO VISUAL allows comparison across visualisations. Our intention was not to create an alternative Given the constraints of laser cutting and visual score but to make the experience of etching on records, a minimal, bold design was listening to a song more ‘visible’. By breaking imperative. Simple geometry and shapes were down its core components and piecing them used to encode sounds – evoking the nature back together, we can end up with a deeper of each individual instrument – and narrative understanding of our initial experience. patterns. Ground Control was represented by a square – a familiar, safe, angular shape We can think of traditional music notation as that represents a point of stability on Earth – a kind of visualisation: pitch height corresponds while Major Tom was a circle, a more human to vertical height on the stave and the type character, who becomes one with the cosmos. of note describes the tempo. This system was created for musicians to perform. As you This visual investigation was then brought learn how to read it, the language becomes to life with animation, in a freer attempt to meaningful and legible. In a similar way, our visual encoding needed clear annotation, a key and writing to surface the insights. FIND THE RIGHT FORMAT The range of outcomes – computational animations, large-scale posters, engraved C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 94 -

FEBRUARY 2018 VISUALISE A CLASSIC SONG 06 Different 07 The 08-09 Each 10 The version INFORMATION IS methods have visualisations visualisation is of Space Oddity BEAUTIFUL AWARDS been used to have also been engraved on a used was the present the transformed into 12-inch acrylic 2009 remaster; 2017’S WINNERS ANNOUNCED project on the an animation that disc and prints most of the data Celebrating excellence in data visualation, vinyl records, can be viewed at are also available was gathered infographics and information design, including emojis www.oddityviz.com to buy online. through listening the awards have eight subject-based and shapes. to the track. categories. See the winners online at: www.informationisbeautifulawards.com 06 07 link various aspects of the deconstruction 08 09 to the actual music. Collaborating with Mike 10 Brondbjerg, a talented generative artist, we created a moving image including a generative portrait of Bowie and a series of sequences, which Mike coded in processing, and others that I animated in After Effects. MAKE THE VISION HAPPEN When approaching a new project, I find it helpful to set out a strong creative direction to guide me through the design process and limit the decisions I will have to make later on. On the other hand, not knowing where I am going excites me and I like to allow the subject to inform the creative process. Moods and inspiration for this project included a variety of visual references from popular culture to experimental music notation resources and the Voyager Golden Records. Space Oddity comes with a wealth of visual inspiration to draw on from this very interesting period in popular culture. One of the discs, Trip, references Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey which was one of the main inspirations for this song. This record stands out from the rest due to its use of a distinct visual language – emoji. Rather than being driven by data, it utilises illustration and images that loosely code for text and incorporates visual metaphors from the movie. Thanks to the support of Wieden+Kennedy, we were able to exhibit the project in London to mark the first anniversary of Bowie’s death. Since then, it has been on the road, with mini installations and talks across the world from London to Milan, to Minneapolis. The project also won an Information is Beautiful Award. C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 95 -

ILLUSTRATOR ADVICE FEBRUARY 2018 The Association of Illustrators (AOI) is a not-for-profit trade organisation promoting contemporary illustration and maintaining industry standards. Established in 1973, the AOI works to increase the standing of illustration as a profession and improve commercial and ethical conditions, and support illustrators at every stage of their career. A FREE AGENT? WITH SHOTOPOP AND LUISA RIVERA In part five of our AOI series, we explore life with and without an agent M any of our members are you and the client, you should Left and below: Luisa represented by agencies, reconsider the relationship. Rivera is a London-based but we also have many that illustrator originally from aren’t, as well as agent members, Meanwhile, Luisa Rivera Chile. Her clients include who abide by our ethical code shares how being unrepresented Penguin Random House, of conduct, and work hard to can allow you to be more Reservoir Books and Air secure a richer industry through self-sufficient… Canada. Find more of her a great plethora of talent.  work at www.luisarivera.cl. LR: Not having an agent has Bottom: Shotopop is a Many illustrators ask us: is allowed me freedom because I London-based creative it essential to have an agent in am more in control of my own studio that creates visuals order to be successful? To answer practice. I have learned a lot in and animation for clients this question, we sought the the process: how to negotiate, including Netflix, Google insight of two AOI members who manage a project, and create a and Smirnoff. See more at are currently thriving in their more personal relationship with www.shotopop.com. careers, with and without agents. my clients. The cons are practical because you end up doing more Shotopop (represented work (that is, more admin). by Bernstein & Andriulli, Valérie Oualid and Jacky Winter) tells us I try to network and showcase how working with an agent is all myself as much as I can, either via about communication… email, finding blogs to feature my work or on social media. I show Shotopop: Although we are finished illustrations but also represented by three agencies, my process, because that helps they each cover very different others to understand my method. regions of the world, so luckily When I manage my commissions, there’s no overlap or difficulty. I prioritise projects or clients that We’re always very transparent are meaningful to me.  in what we do and who we work with; for us it’s all about being Communications have shifted open and honest. in the last five years, allowing illustrators to engage more Our agents are like part of our directly with art directors, so studio. If we didn’t have them, having an agent nowadays isn’t we’d need to employ people in mandatory. It will help if you want their place. They complement to focus on the creative side, and and strengthen us, and we can’t especially if you decide to work fault them. Pros include getting within certain industries like awesome projects to work on advertising. However, like in any and not having to worry about relationship, you should find a contracts and red tape. good fit: someone you trust and who understands your work. An agent isn’t someone who If you’re seeking representation tells us what to do, they represent and don’t know where to start, our interests. If you end up with find resources at www.theaoi.com an agent that starts giving you feedback, or comes between C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 96 -

NEXT MONTH ILLUSTRATOR HOTLIST 2018 INDUSTRY ISSUES 10 golden rules of logo design from David Airey, founder of Logo Design Love BACK TO BASICS Sharpen your digital skills as we kick off a new series, covering everything from UX to SEO Plus: new projects, current trends and expert analysis from the global design scene ON SALE 6 FEBRUARY C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 97 -

DESIGN ICON FEBRUARY 2017 Emily Oberman – a multi-disciplinary designer and partner at Pentagram – discusses what her childhood love for MAD magazine has taught her about humour, silliness and going against the grain. MAD FOR IT I grew up in a big old house in Yonkers, Above: A selection of MAD magazines, including the fictitious mascot and cover boy, Alfred E. Newman (top left). New York. My parents, both artists/ Below: An early version of the MAD logo, including illustrations by Sergio Aragonés. designers, had their studios on the top floor along with their archives, and to my MAD was full of unforgettable details. MAD was a class-clown masterclass: endless delight, shelves of magazines. The masthead listed the contributors as I learned about drawing from Mort Drucker They had every issue of Graphis; stacks ‘the usual gang of idiots,’ a phrase I still (my dad loved Mort’s line work) and about of the beautifully designed Avant Garde use to this day to describe my friends, absurdist humour from Don Martin. MAD and Eros; Pogo comics; old Esquire mags family and team – much to their chagrin. showed me the joy of language, as wry (with covers photographed by their Its movie and television parodies were parody, political nose-thumbing and sheer friend Carl Fischer), and of course, the flawlessly punny (favourites included Star nonsensical gibberish ran rampant on New Yorker and New York Magazines. Blecch, The Putrid Family, and M*I*S*H every page in equal measure. From sound I used to spend hours up there, burning M*O*S*H), and each issue ended with the effects like FWAK, SHTOINK, and GLINK all of it into my brain, but the real reason MAD Fold-in: a brilliant illustration drawn to the oft-used furshlugginer – a fake I returned to the shelves time and time by Al Jaffee that asked a loaded question Yiddish word for something old, battered, again as a kid was for MAD Magazine. and, when folded just so, revealed an anti- and junky (as in ‘I better finish this establishment jab as an answer. furshlugginer essay on time’) – absolutely Ah, MAD! My parents had every issue, nothing was off limits. from its debut as a comic book to when it switched to the now-classic magazine But the biggest thing that MAD format (issue 24), up to the then-present magazine gave me, the thing that I carry day (1976). I read every issue front to back every day, which permeates my life both – memorising every word, every drawing, as a designer and as a person, is that it’s every pun, every twisted illustration. okay (that it’s great, really) to be funny, subversive, outspoken, silly and smart. What made MAD so great? Well, in And that you can be all of those things my mind then, as now: everything. at once, if you want. I’m glad I live in a MAD world. I’m a better weirdo for it. First of all, the logo was incredible: three intricate, circus-style letterforms filled with tiny characters drawn by Sergio Aragonés running around in a bacchanalian frenzy. It was like a Hieronymus Bosch inside that logo. Then there were the covers, featuring the inimitable Alfred E. Newman. I soaked up every absurd situation he got himself into, whether he was impossibly eating sweetcorn, or swimming with Bruce, the shark from Jaws. And each cover always said ‘our price xx¢ cheap,’ even as the price went up over the years (I’ve always wanted to put that on a proposal). C O M P U T E R A R T S . C R E AT I V E B L O Q . C O M - 98 -

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