Beth Nelson and Charlotte Tracy discussion forum - plagiarism

Tuesday 21st was the final discussion forum of level 5, and oh boy, when its Beth Nelson at the helm, its bound to be interesting.. controversial.. annoying!.. all of the above!

plagiarism was the topic and I have to say, it really made me think, a little too much if anything, copyright is an issue that can affect us all in this proffesion, and as such, Beth and Charlotte brought up alot of valid points and issues, things alot of us either take for granted or dont even think about to begin with.

With alot of opinions and suggestions put forward today, it was definitely one of the more helpful discussion forums we have had this year, just dont be telling Beth I said that!

Great way to end the year, bravo girls.

I wish I had done this...

Sometimes you have to just sit back and admire in this world...

3D Ship Drawn on Three Flat Sheets of Paper by Ramon Bruin

Sometimes a piece of art just hits you right in the inspiration! Usually out of nowhere when your not even looking for it, often the best thing to do is stop looking.

This piece has been saved on my desktop for sometime now, sometimes I open it to marvel at it in all its glory, or I simply glance at it and it makes me feel like drawing, because I know how it looks big, small, it makes little difference!

Originality is a hard thing to discover these days, especially in the art world where everything has been done 10 times over, so stripping something back is often the key, see something in a new light or just get rid of everything that has made this modern world… samey! forget computers and digital, grab a pencil and see something new, beautiful will never go out of fashion! visually striking will always be desired! Raw talent will always shine brightest.

Interview with Ben Jones...

My latest blog interview is with former Stockport college student Ben Jones. Since graduating Ben has gone on to have a very successful illustration career, he is still spoke of highly throughout staff at the college, often a reference point to up and coming students, so it was only fitting I track him down and get a few words...

http://www.benjonesillustration.com/

Firstly, could you give a few words about yourself and your artistic background.

I am a freelance illustrator based in Manchester. I studied at Stockport college graduating in 2006. Since then I have worked for clients including The New York Times, The Folio Society, The Guardian, Rotland Press, BBC History Magazine, Penguin books amogst others.

Who has been your biggest artistic inspiration throughout your work?

Eastern European illustrators and designers such as Jan Lenica, Bohumil Stepan, Roman Cieslewicz and Karel Tessig mainly inspire me. DADA and surrealism also inspire me. But I would say my man inspiration is reading both fiction and theory. I also tend to let my political feelings have an impact on my work when I get the opportunity.

Have you encountered any copyright issues during your work?

Nope. Most publishers, magazines, newspapers have editors and lawyers that look over the work. Just make sure to use copyright free imagry.

Do you have any artistic regrets or anything you would change/do different given the opportunity?

Earlier on in my career I tried to hard to be a commercial illustrator. Now I make work that I enjoy making and looking at. I guest what I am trying to say is it is important to trust yourself and make work that you like and not to try and create work that is not you because it may seem relevant at the time. A timeless visual language is more important than a fleeting style.

Do you live by any Artistic rules? Style over Substance? Quality over Quantity? or just free Reign?

I think a good illustration should be astatically pleasing first and foremost but should have a depth in its content. I think an emotional response is also important.

And finally, what piece of advice would you give to any up and coming artist?

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Work hard because of your passion for your subject. Get work in front of people by email and in person. 

Don’t be a dick to people. 

Big thank you to Ben for this. 

Manchester Print Fair No.9

Saturday 18th April, Manchester's print fair once again rolled into town, had a blast last time and met a few decent contacts with industry that have turned out very valuble indeed, so, wouldbe rude not to attend once again!

In attendance we're Simon of Wraptious who I have previously interviewed with what once again proved to be the biggest and best stall this print fair has to offer, followed closely by John Powell Jones and his colleagues, good to chat to you all there.

Big inspiration through level 5..

Throughout level 5, alot of my inspiration has come from such random places, but when I was truly stumped on my Some Kind of Fairy Tale brief, it was a few talks with John (JPJ) that brought me towards the world of Dr Seuess, somethig I have always been aware of, just never that interested in. But it was his book, The Cat Behind the Hat that hit me right in the inspiration.

It was these full page spreads that John introduced me to, but in true Ben and John fashion, we didnt quite agree, shocking I know! 

 But luckily my stubborness revealed these absolute gems that really did have an impact on my fairy tale brief, I think you can see how/why...

Manchester Art Gallery

Friday 10 April was an eventful day! So after our trip to the library, it would infact be rude not to pop into th Manchester Art Gallery for a bit, see whats new. turns out quite alot! there were plants everywhere. went pretty well with the sunshine!

 The Lost Gardens Exhibit

 Pretending to culture...

 Tales of the city inspiration??

Our visit to MMU library

Myself and Leigh Arrandale made our first trip to the MMU library, check out a few books, get some divine inspiration for our upcoming "tales of the city" brief, and to generally just see what all the darn fuss is about with this place! 

Tales of the city devine inspiration found!? 

Adam Graff interview

So a couple of months back Adam Graff was a guest talker at tuesday club, and it was great, he gave me some of the best advice ive had on this course. Naturally I have stayed in contact and conducted an interview with him. Enjoy...

www.adamgraff.com

Firstly, could you give a few words about yourself and your artistic background.

A creative path was always going to be the one I followed, there was never any real alternative. It was always the thing I loved to do most and that I was best at. You naturally pitch yourself against your peers and all through my education I seemed to rank high.  

Who has been your biggest artistic inspiration throughout your personal work?
My inspriration comes from so many places, from living from being interested in whats going on. There will always be artists and fellow illustrators who I'm inspired by, but these change with time and my natural evolution. I have been very keen to look at the work Maira Kalman, Luke Best, Demitrio Psillos, Jonny Hannah, Paul Davis, Andrew Foster, David Shrigley, Nathalie Lete 

Have you encountered any problems involving copyright? If so how was it delt with?
No, I don't believe I have.

What made you decide to go into teaching?
I actually drifted into teaching by initially doing some workshops at my old college. It seemed to naturally suit my sensibilities. I loved imparting information and receiving inspiration, a beautifully symbiotic relationship. I was recommended for a job as a Visiting Lecturer on a Foundation Course and that's where I made a place for myself. It might sound a little 'hippy' but if you are open to receive, I believe that the right things come to you. Teaching is right for me - I love it.

Do you have any artistic regrets or anything you would change/do different given the opportunity?
Many images I create I regret. Hmmmm... not so much regret because I think it might be right sometimes to do shit work, but that I wish hadn't appeared in the public realm. Apart from that I am happy the way my creative life is/ has been up to now. Perhaps I'd like a second go at my MA with a different area of investigation.

Do you live by any Artistic rules? Style over Substance? Quality over Quantity? or just free Reign?
yes: content and substance - a good idea is paramount. I like to include humour hopefully intrinsically. Love what you do; enjoy the process; from the heart; keep it joyful.

What, in a few short words makes a fantastic book cover?

A good book cover for me should encapsulate the flavour of the book and suggest something of its content. 

It should grab your attention and be beautiful to look at.

And finally, what piece of advice would you give to any up and coming artist/entrepreneur?

 Like life, it's not for the faint hearted. Be bold, be brave, be extraordinary and don't give up even though there will be many times you feel like it!

Some Kind of Fairy Tale Book Cover Contest.

Another book cover contest entered, this time for Orion, and my book choice this time was Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graeme Joyce.

Its a pretty dark and eerie British "fairy tale"

Not your typical happy ever after story, so how to portray this in a book cover? a challenge for sure! 

The competition brief called for a blank picture and to just consider text. I have designed a few full page spreads with text that i will post on here soon.