Unsure how we originally came across this website, but Modern Illustration is an excellent archive we’ve been spending some time on.
Its content is specifically of print circa 1950-1975, and is the work of Zara Picken.
It is vast, brilliantly curated, and well worth a chunk of your time.
Here we feature some ground work examples for an up and coming Year 1 project . The one day studio workshop will be held in he Autumn term of academic year 2022/23.
The brief will involve giving each student one well known brand element and working in black and white only, on an A3 canvas, we will be asking the students to play and create as many images as they can using their given element.
They will be encouraged to use and explore a basic design palette of scale, reflection, multiples, proportion, space and layout to create as many interesting and intriguing images as they can in 4 to 5 hours.
A selection of well known brand elements
A doodle from October 2019 that has become a little more prescient in the intervening 12 months.
Thinking about it, as I have been and with Christmas just round the corner, the daily delivery to households nationwide of already pre packed and boxed christmas presents poses an interesting dichotomy. Why unbox them to then re rap them to put under the tree? Doesn’t make sense on inspection and think of all the wrapping paper and hassle it would cut out? You might as well just put the box under the tree as it is? Maybe put a name tag on it, but that’s it, job done. Save the planet and a slackers Christmas to boot! But then you think hold on a minute, why don’t Amazon jazz up their boxes with a variety of Christmas motifs? Then they could be slung under the tree and look reasonably seasonal, bob’s your uncle? Must be possible they can seem to do everything else. I don’t imagine logistically it’s not beyond them in the packing department. They could probably even personalise them to a degree.
If anyones looking for a nice little project then here you go. Brief - What can Amazon put on their brown card board boxes to jazz them up for Christmas and personalise them a little more? Constraints one colour only per box. Also think about packing tape design? Also do the delivery drivers dress up as Santa while we’re at it! GO, GO, GO….HO HO HO!
Here we feature a homespun free style alphabet created in Berol felt tips during lockdown.
Full Alphabet
Eliza’s Pens
Milton Glaser “pushed everyone to always be drawing and sketching”, telling his students that: “Drawing is thinking.” This echoes Glaser’s comment to Design Week: “If you can’t draw as a designer, you’re in real trouble.” “Many people in graphic arts are incapable of drawing, and this limits them to layout, collage and typography,” he continued. “I come to each project with an open mind, then what emerges stylistically is something that is driven by the audience.”
Here we feature some posters created by Year 1 Illustration students. They were each briefed with a band name from upcoming gigs at The Ferret, and asked to design a new poster for them. A range of drawing, techniques and wit on display. Enjoy.
Here we’d like to share a project worked on this summer by recent illustration graduate Lizzie Harris for Wash Studio, based here in Preston. As part of a brand refresh for The Northern Dough Co (and their products I can highly recommend!), Lizzie’s illustrations are super fun and sit perfectly with the new look.
Check it out in full here.
One from the archive. This poster by Drew Poutney celebrates the original Mini, and in turn all, those who still hold it dear to their hearts. Designed in the style of the original Haynes manual.
Here we feature an old illustration from our archive.
Surveillance Britain - 2005
Found - Observed - Contextualised
Year 1 have recently submitted their ideas for the Google doodle illustration project. The brief required the students to research and discover an unusual date or anniversary and illustrate the concept using their design skills. Though not required at this stage, some (Linked below) were presented in animated form.
The Disciples Of Design are a global collective of design academics, practitioners, artists and students. We have one common thread – UCLan in Preston, UK; and one common aim – the creation of an ever evolving visual hub for the sharing of ideas and thoughts.
