A London Story

The London Transport Museum have been using Anne Wilson's city inspired image to advertise the lead up to the Serco Prize for illustration 2014.
The theme for this year's competition is 'London Stories' with the winners announced mid February and the start of the exhibition based on the theme. Anne will also be running a workshop at the exhibition in the Transport Museum on the evening of the 14th February as part of the opening, which will include "a bar and DJ and storytelling for adults on board some of the heritage vehicles; a chance to illustrate your own London Story with short illustration workshops, and to strike a pose in a photo-booth with a choice of props". See the AOI website for more information.

Anne Wilson in Mac User

Anne's feature in Mac User

a selection of Anne's art used in the article

January's edition of Mac User Magazine features an article on the wonderful Anne Wilson. Experiencing the industry in times before our digital world, Anne talks of the changes, her illustration education and inspirations with some sound advice; " just do what you do".

The article:
I have been practicing as an illustrator for the past 15 years or so...the time seems to have flown past so fast at an unbelievable rate. During this time the technology I've experienced has evolved tremendously. One of my very first commissions for example was completed through to the finals stage using a fax machine! Email now is second nature, and the format now in which discussions on projects tend to take place in the main, to the point where now I cannot remember the first time I began using email! It has always been a highly competitive industry and unless, for the most part, illustrators keep an eye on the technology available to them and embrace it in their working practice, those around will most likely have the upper hand.
I love the global feel of the industry, now more apparent than ever. Often I get work via the USA and recently I have completed a few jobs for various clients in Korea. The days of hiking around London with my portfolio focusing in the main on UK based clients, has passed and evolved into an exciting mix of cultures, opportunities and inspiration on a world wide basis.
On the one hand there seems to be a constant barrage of fightingly good illustrators graduating and entering the industry today, bright eyed, fast paced and full of imagination, which is both wonderful and overwhelming for me. But on the other hand it provides a pool of fantastic inspiration which serves to keep me well on my toes year after year. As this career tends to be a rather solitary one, the reality of the competition for commissions is important, a good reason I feel to take the time and energy to enter industry led competitions when ever possible. They serve as a good tool to sharpen your creative processes and a bench mark for where you are at within the illustration world.
New creatives are certainly one source of inspiration. More and more creative collectives are appearing such as the illustrator led groups of Ohh Deer and No Brow, but global culture in the main endlessly fascinates me, from intricate details, patterns, textures, colours and beliefs people possess and live their lives by.
What would I be lost without? Well the traditional side of me would undoubtedly opt for my Swan Morton scalpel, with blade 10a, and the current side of me would say my Wacom drawing tablet and pen (teamed up with my Mac and Photoshop.) I think it is important to embrace both sides, to pick up a pencil, or my dip pen and ink and commit to a drawing, or make marks with mono prints and any other mixed media I might care to throw at a surface in the moment. Neither are seen as a separate entity and when the two working methods are brought together, exciting things evolve from their meeting. I enjoy the physical process of colour mixing and mark making according to what might be suitable for the project I am working on. These results then get scanned and imported into Photoshop to create a final image. Increasingly it is my Wacom pen and eraser tool which becomes my scalpel.
I certainly don't even pretend to be remotely wise, but if I had a little wisdom to share, I would say keep it all positive, be 'can do' in your communications with clients and get plenty of fresh air!
I have always felt compelled to draw and create something on paper or whatever comes to hand. I loved picture books as a child and as my reading progressed I would still look for the pictures! I think since school I had in my mind that creating pictures to tell a story or describe something was what I wanted to aim for, just to see if maybe I could give it a go, and maybe I might be able to keep doing it, and just maybe, if that happened I could make it my job! The funny thing is, that I still don't feel I have a 'job', so in an obscure sort of way that makes me a very lucky person!
So I progressed as follows; school, (start drawing) A levels, (keep drawing) Art Foundation course, (more drawing) Degree - BA Honours at Bath, (definitely some drawing here) and then I went to do an MA in Communication Design at St Martins College of Art in London a few years ago, where I was lucky enough to get a Distinction, (masses of drawing stuff went on here!) There was no other obvious career paths for me, in my mind it was simple, I love drawing and creating images, so all I have to do it keep creating and I felt that one day I would become a professional creative of some sort - illustration fitted the bill nicely.
Some of my favourite projects have been children's picture books, I have completed several for Barefoot Books, but other recent clients include The London Transport Museum, The Independent On Sunday, The BBC, Mojo Magazine, Francis Lincon, Feast Creative, Beam, Crocodile Creek and Save the Children.
So that's me in brief! I would add though that one thing I have learnt through time, frustration, joy and the general madness my creative world involves, is that you can over think things to the point where you just can't see...my answer, is to take a deep breath...and just do what you do.

Foire De Lyon

Danny Allison is commissioned by Publicis Lyon to create an image for 'Foire de Lyon'.
The event in March, which will be celebrating sixty years of Rock takes place annually in Lyon, France. Danny's cool lion illustration was born from this link to the host city.

A Positive Print

Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn works with Help Ink to create this feel good poster.
The organisation pairs with illustrators to create an image with the aim to raise money for various charities. Shauna's 'Positive Print', drawn in her fabulous chalk style went live yesterday and can be purchased here.

Gay Games Scholarship

Last year Kena Ravel was asked by the Federation of Gay Games to create an illustration for their first ever crowdfunding concept. With a mission to raise funds for their Gay Games Scholarship Program, the image was to be used as the "donate now" button on their website. Kena says "It was an honor to be asked to do this, since the scholarship program allows a number of LGBTQ participants, who would otherwise not be able to attend and who often come from challenging situations...Though the button is just one part of the whole endeavor, I was proud to contribute something that can help foster understanding and harmony throughout all communities."

Corr's Views from The Shard

The Shard and City Flight

The Shard at Night

The Shard and River Thames Looking West

Shard sketches

On sale at The Shard shop are these unique prints by Christopher Corr.
Commissioned by The Shard via Easy Art to paint views from the iconic London landmark, Christopher created four artworks showing the panorama at different times of the day. The Shard is at a height of 1,016ft (310m) being the tallest building in Western Europe, Christopher says "The view is wonderful".

New Talent Alert: Kena Ravel

We are thrilled to be representing Kena Ravel! Mixing line with blocks of colour, her art is both finely balanced and pleasing to the eye. Take a look.

Zumba Kids

 

Ben Tallon has fun with these posters for the Zumba Kids campaign in the US.
Commissioned by Zumba Fitness in Florida, Ben was asked to use his electrifying lines to create some dynamic art. The results have gained a superb reaction; he says "Zumba chose me for the energy in my work and wanted me to bring their photography to life with vibrant mark making. They provided 'personality profiles' for a series of fifteen children of different ages and I created three dimensional environments based on these."

Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn's Scrapbook

Illustrator, lettering & digital chalk board artist Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn opens the door on her studio in Orlando, Florida. See Shauna's Scrapbook.

London Panorama

 

detail

detail

Take a look at Mike Hall's spectacular London Panorama print design. 

This was a self-initiated project for Mike, and one which he worked on over a six month period. He says "I've had the ambition to create a large scale panorama in the style of 17th century prints for a while. The original artwork was drawn freehand with pen on Bristol Board, and measures 105 x 30 cm". The drawing, which is based on photographs taken from the view from The Shard has been exhibited at the Printspace on Kingsland Road in London.

Arturo Ui

Steinar Lund works with Feast Creative to produce this illustration for the play The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui showing in London now.
After a receiving a photo of the actor Henry Goodman, Steinar set to work creating the body and cat. He says "The actual costume was sent down from Angels The Costumiers which I then modelled myself and photographer Robert Dixon took the reference shots. Robert has a nice big cat that fitted the brief, but alas he was not happy with me holding him.......in the end I used many different references to create the final 'digital' cat".

Rusi Designs

Alyana Cazalet creates some striking drawings for RusiDesigns.

Commissioned to make promotional posters for their fashion stand at the 'Pure London 34 International Trade Show' last month, Alyana produced some engaging black line drawings for fashion posters. The illustrations also featured Rusi's colourful leather bags and accessories, bringing together both hand drawn and photographic elements.