another magpie logo... (I've been here before!) & screen printing plans

At the certain risk of repeating myself (what's this, paid magpie logo project number four for me now... total number of enquiries for magpie logos must be around eight or nine... I've really lost track now...) here is my latest magpie logo design This feathered fellow is for a publisher in the Netherlands. I really don't know what  manner of 'corvid zeitgeist' I've been fortunate enough to tap into...?! Mustn't grumble of course.

To explain my absence of major creative bits and pieces of late most of my spare time (when not occupied with magpies) has been with the aim of being able to start screen printing from my modest little abode. Todays job was to design an exposure unit to produce my printing screens. There's still equipment to buy and things to make (oh, and prints to design of course) but I hope to have blog worthy fodder (and prints to hawk, maybe an etsy shoppie...?) before too much longer! Ever since my toe dip last year into the world of screen printing I've wanted to be able to sort out a modest set up and produce my own prints. It's going to be great to get a little messy and make real things! Watch this space.

my mammoth...

This months creature over on a little bit bunny is the wooly mammoth. As usual here's some early sketches, the final illustration wasn't much tidier (it's fun to be messy). Pop onto A.L.B.B if you'd like to see the finished result. Right, now I can switch off and go eat.

living pink cloud...

Well it's high time I eased into the new year's blogging. I'll get off to a sweet and gentle start. It's rarely the case that I will ever have anything worth blog posting here from my graphic design day job but the occasional scrap falls from the table that I hate to see go to waste. One such titbit is this unused prelim design for a mascot to advertise a Candy floss brand. I mainly include it as, despite being solely vector and having a pure magenta in it's palette (two things I'd usually steer away from if given the choice) I was happy enough with the result to keep hold of it. A departure from my freelance personal work but variety is the spice of life they say. Onward into 2012 folks...

(artwork © MAPS Ltd.)

Hello Ted!

My very good friends Kev and Vicky have signed off 2011 and signed into 2012 in grand style with the arrival of their wee bundle of fun, little Edward! It's at times like these that you want the right sentiment to go to those dear to you and not give money to the greetings card companies and post something generic. Well done you two and hello little Ted!

A Little Bit Bunny... doggy decorations & a "sausage role"

Just in the nick of time before the silly season is upon us all I've got my dachshund entries up on a little bit bunny. One is all festive (you're invited over to look at 'Banger's christmas decorations' ) while the other is my usual cringeworthy word play on sausage dog... sometimes the idea in your head has to be exorcised onto the screen no matter what the cost :-) Breaking the bunny rules (forgive me fellow bunnies) I'm posting this last, revised somewhat, here on my blog too as I couldn't resist some small tweaks to 'improve' things. Y'know when you just cannot leave well enough alone!

Merry Christmas one and all!

Secular seasons greetings to all, and to all a happy new year!

Here's my virtual card... to explain. When I read Robin Ince and Brian Cox's "O Come All Ye Sceptics" piece in the Guardian last week I just had to do a 'Newtonmas' card when I found out Isaac Newton was born on December 25th (unlike other individuals supposed to share that birthdate...?!). To quickly digress, I highly recommend Robin Ince and Brian Cox's other joint effort, The Infinite Monkey Cage podcasts and Robin's other podcasts with Josie Long, Utter Shambles. Now back to the card...

Well OK... so it isn't as straight forward as all that. Now I preface the following by saying I've only dipped into the (sometimes factually murky) pool that is wikipedia to find out more, so a pinch of salt might be necessary...? Depending upon which calendar and religion you prescribed to way back in the 17th century you would say Isaac Newton was either born on December 25th 1642 (if you were a Protestant following the Julian calendar) or January 4th 1643 (if you happened to be a Roman Catholic using the Gregorian calendar). Religion making something straightforward more complicated... well I never. Still, it makes for an educational illustration... there will be a test! For the purposes of this card, and a cheap gag, I choose Julian!

Have a Very Merry Isaac Newton's Birthday and my very best wishes for the new year!

go with your first idea...

Went to Chris Haughton's excellent "Digital Handmade" show at So Far The Future Gallery last night with my good bud Phil ... well, to be honest we ended up gate crashing the private view, but everyone was very nice about it all. Chris even let us drink his beer and bend his ear when he no doubt had more important things to do.

The digital illustrations translated perfectly into the fair trade crafted rugs, lamps and soft toys and, the icing on the cake, there were advanced copies and artwork for Chris' new book "Oh No George!" which manages to pull off superbly that difficult trick of being as good as his applauded first book A Bit Lost. Another book for my groaning shelves come March next year!

While there I got the opportunity to look over the rug design competition entries and I'm kicking myself on two counts. My choice of colours didn't print out at all well so my 3 illustrations didn't really look much at all when viewed off the screen and up on the wall, and there was also an excellent cert sure fire winner, a flattened 'bear skin rug' design. I should have gone with my gut and worked up my initial sketch idea for a tiger skin rug design (and I also had a notion for a polar bear too believe it or not...) instead of / as well as my other 3. Hey ho, a lesson learned. It was just a lot of fun plotting pixels and taking part.

In conclusion what have we learned today... your first idea might be your strongest and, if you're free between now and Dec 7th go and see Chris Haughton's Digital Handmade exhibition!