Ink Time!

Recently i've been working on some inky drawings and it's got me back into drawing again :)

I was really inspired seeing a certain youtuber playing a certain terrifying game on the PS4, and some of the imagery in it was amazing - so i had a look into skulls and stuff and drew this:

Also i have a new signature stamp! And i've been trying to re-brand my pages!

Ps. have a cheeky Shenron for swinging by my page, it's now used for my banners :)

The Fantastic Mr Fox

So Japan has been and gone and it's back to reality...

I haven't done a finished piece of work for a while and it was getting me down, so recently i decided to just sit down and work on something - and my new aim is to complete a piece of art every week!

I settled on book covers and quickly homed in on The Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl!

So i sketched up some ideas and just started to draw!

 

It was actually quite hard getting a good position for the fox as i wanted him to be the focus of the cover - by being 'bigger' and 'better than the farmer, and just representing him differently overall.

This was a fun project to get me back into the swing of things; i'm not 100% happy with the finished result, but i wasn't expecting much - we'll just treat it as a warm up exercise c:

I feel more motivated than ever now to work hard and get an agent to represent me!

Stories and Sketches - yum!

It has been a little while, but after finding a decent job to get a steady income, illustration has taken a back seat!

I recently found out i got highly commended in the Cheltenham Illustration Awards 2014 again! Here's my image;

The theme was 'Being Human' and i looked at the concept of freedom!

Better luck next year for me! c:

I've started on some new projects as well, though i am still working on the bird illustrations, i am working on an original story and also a mini story!

Have some images/sketches!

Just a bunch of ideas/practices with face styles and having a bit of fun before i commit!

Until next time~

Final Exhibition Done!

So i have been away for a good few weeks, but for good reason!
But it has been really stressful and busy, however i can safely say that i have finished putting up my final exhibition and i am so glad!

I will do a write up and put up a photo at the weekend after our opening night, but i thought i would post an update after quite a while!

Now i just need to look to the future as i have so much i want to do, and also try and grab myself an agency to represent me! To New Designers!

(Photo by Alex! Ta!)

Editorials

So it kind of feels like i've been winding down on my work load, and i'm exhausted!

Since finishing my art doll, i've just been working on some editorials! All of these were from the New Scientist.

Collage and inks

I experimented here and used solely PS to create it using a few textures/monoprints

Collage and inks

I've actually enojoyed doing these, and i plan to do a few more, with maybe another art doll....

That's pretty much all i've done amongst doing my Professional and Commissions folder which is getting there! (basically a compedium of competitions i've done, research into agencies and post-grad etc)

Hopefully i have just enough steam to finish this semester!

Thanks for reading, and see you in a fortnight!

New Project! Picture Book and other Goodies

So i missed out on my post last week, why? Because i had nothing to show.

I just couldn't decide what to work on and do next and when i had decided there was nothing really to show except for some compositional ideas.
I thought lino prints? more screen prints? a book? editorials, the list was never-ending, so i decided to just go for one, that being a picture book.

I've done a fair bit of work over the past week and a half, from creating my story, compositionals, dummy book and now i'm onto the four (maybe six...) final spreads. I only have 9 weeks left and i'm worrying even though i've already done two projects (the angora work and screen prints) The life of a student!

I drew out loads of compositional ideas, photocopied them, then ordered the best ones, it was really quick and convenient to work in this method.

To the top left of this image is my dummy book, which includes all my final compositional sketches, and here i am working on a collage of the boat which is a part of the first spread i'm doing.

I've also worked on creating some business cards (seen below) I used Moo! and got the Minimoo cards. I chose to have a range of designs which makes them exciting, and on the back i used hand written text for my contact details etc. I'm looking forward to New Designers in London that bit more now!

This week i also put together a portfolio site too, using Cargo. I'm still in the process of uploading my work but it's a very nice professional website to use and looks clean and easy to navigate. The only thing is that you have to apply for an account, but this ensures the quality of work on their website!

http://cargocollective.com/hcoote/

That's it for this week, hopefully next week i'll have these spreads done and i'll be underway with the Cheltenham Illustration Awards 2014 brief...not long to go.

Blurb Book [Review]

So i said i'd do a post when my book came, and it actually came in around 2 days after dispatch! From America to the UK, that is astonishing.

This book was printed on Blurb.

The book was very well packaged, maybe too well packaged as i really struggled to get it out. I noticed that because it had no bubble wrap around it, on the back cover at the bottom it had accumulated a few dents from the tight packaging or shipping... i wasn't too pleased with it!

This is the colour trade book, and it's a fantastic size, fitting nicely in the palm of your hand. The cover is nice and the print quality on it is very good! Though careful if you print black on just white, ensure the image is 100% cleaned cos you will see every little mark. 

The print quality is flawless, and looks great on the uncoated paper. The only problem though with the uncoated paper is that it is slightly see through. So if you don't have full images on the page in full colour, you can see through onto what is on the next page.

Because of this, for my final story book which i've decided to do, i will opt for a photo book and the better quality paper! 

This is still a great book, and i love the way it feels.

It's simple, cheap but professional.

This book would have originally costed me around £21, however because i had a discount code it came to approx £6 - i cannot moan at that price! 

I would not have bought this book for £21, mainly due to the dents in the back, the slight bit of glue on the end papers and the see through paper which takes away from its flawless finish; i would probably pay between £10 to £12 for this book - and the £4.99 postage on top is value for money (delivered by fedex).

However i am very pleased with it as its purpose was just as a reference book for myself for when i write stories.

It is somewhat fulfilling having my work printed professionally and seeing it in print for the first time!

Thanks for reading.

Finished Angora Poster and Self Publishing

Since earlier on this week, i've been up to a few little things.
Firstly, i've printed out my dissertation and had it spiral bound ready for hand in tomorrow! (Just need to check it over then it's all ready to go)

I've also finished my Say NO to Angora posters (i chose to do two, and still debating on a 3D piece),
One of them:

Here i used dip pen and ink, with a small bit of collage and oil pastel.

I really wanted to experiment with some text also, which is used in my second poster too, i really enjoyed doing it! 

The concept behind it is trying to come up with a different slant of portraying what the rabbits go through, instead of showing obvious plucking, this shows the dominance of man over the rabbits and the rough treatment they receive, which may make the viewer question our motives for doing this to them!

I've also been up to self-publishing. Well not really as such! But i've ordered my own book on Blurb with all my folklore creatures illustrations so i can basically see how the colours turn out and the quality overall for if i decide to go onto doing a picture book before i finish!

I'm really looking forward to receiving it! And when i do, i will do a post specifically for it, looking at the quality of printing, the colours, binding etc!

I'm currently undecided what to do at the moment too, i feel so much time has passed and i haven't accomplished very much! I'm debating whether to carry on doing some more screen prints (which actually do take up a lot of time between preparing the picture, coating screens, exposing, printing, cleaning) or whether i should more onto something else,  maybe a small picture book would be nice! (i can always go back to doing some more screen prints...or maybe lino prints)

Hopefully in my next post i can fill you in on all the stuff i've been (or will be!) doing.
Thanks for reading and see you next Sunday.

Screen Prints and Angora

Sunday has come around quickly! The weeks are going to fly by.

As well as working very hard on my dissertation and its deadline in 3 weeks time i've been working on a couple of projects!

The first one is the folklore screen prints. Because i couldn't get around to print my first this week (which has 4 colour layers) because the UV screen is being fixed (because people don't use it properly and don't dry the screens after being coated!) I went on ahead and did my second screen print.
What i mean by that is draw up all the elements and construct it on PS, colouring and deciding on the different layers - that being 4, one black line layer and 3 colours!

This is just a small sample of the picture, and the colours aren't yet finalised, but it gives me an idea of how it will look when it is printed! I'm modernising that long procedure of using light boxes and re-drawing! They have been really enjoyable to do, but they've taken a lot of my time up already!

I've also just started on another project, that being an awareness campaign, to link in with my other one for Save the Arctic! I have chosen to do Angora fur, as after recently looking into it more, i think more needs to be done and awareness raised. Here are a few initial sketches and ideas:

So a lot of work has been done in the past week, but not as much as I would have wanted to; but to end on a lighter note here is my current desk at uni. I take up so much space, and even though it may look tidy at the moment, just wait until i get going in my last semester!

Thanks for reading and the next update will be next weekend.

Final Semester Plans and Current Work

So now i have just started my final semester at university, and it's safe to say i do not want to leave!
I have enjoyed these past few years so much, and i have grown up; both in person and in artistic capabilities, i definitely have my wonderful tutors to thank!

But before i get ahead of the game, i do still have around 17 weeks left, where i have planned no less than 6-7 projects to do.

I am currently working on two;
Folklore screen prints - taking my image a day brief and developing it. I have already created the black line work for my first print, i just need to put it together in PS and add the colour layers/decide on them

 Some of the ink work...

The second project i am working on is a collaboration with Rachel. We're both making masks based on two of the four symbols of the Chinese constellation. I'm doing the Azure Dragon, and Rachel The Vermillion Bird. These will also be used in a performance later on in the year, but for now, here is a miniature (i mean miniature) mock up made of masking tape of how i would like the frame to look. Tomorrow i will most likely start on a rough wire version, then move to the final willow one. They will then be decorated.

I will now be updating once a week, most likely on a Sunday to show progress for that week.

Thanks for reading!

Image a Day and New Portfolio

Nearly Christmas!
I hope you're all ready!
But for now, here's just a quick post as to what i've been up to!

So for the past few weeks, i've been working on my dissertation, and also working on a new brief; an image a day. I decided to focus on folklores, and draw a different creature a day! I've been really enjoying it.
Here are just a small selection of my images...

I've also invested in a new, decent, portfolio! a Prat Pampa portfolio with cristal laser sleeves!
It is fantastic, and i love it to bits! It did cost me over £50, but it was worth it (see pics below)! I'm gonna find some nice fabric and make a slip cover for it too.

Anyway, short update but that's pretty much it!

Happy holidays and lets see what the new year brings!

Paper Cut Animation inspired by Lottie Reiniger and Japanese Folklore

Although for a deadline which was a good few weeks ago, i have gotten around to posting it here!

For our 'Obsessions Brief', we had to create an animation inspired by our obsessions which had to be exactly 2 mins long. I decided to pursue Japanese folklore as it is something which has always interested and inspired me (it's something i concentrated on in my final major project in my foundation diploma!)

The basic story includes several links to Japanese folklore/tales, such as Hanasaka Jisan, Bunbuku Chagama and the well-known Kappa!

I was utterly captivated by Lottie Reiniger's animations when i saw them a couple of years ago, and i wanted to try out the paper-cut style myself - trying out using different paper transparencies/textures and colours. It was a lot of hard work but a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy my final video! (do excuse the jumpiness of the video, it was exceptionally hard to do as i didn't have a studio to work in for it, but instead used my small bedroom!)

Hope: ADVENTure Art Project

Today us 3rd year illustrators got our 'mini' exhibition put up at Hull Ferens art gallery!
The project brief was to create images based around Hope. We decided to make it more personal than Christmasy, but i think it's created a wonderful range of images which provoke thought and reflection.

I actually really struggled with this project, but in the end i ended up doing 2 images!

It's been a lot of hard work, especially with our other deadlines...we basically spent a day creating the images, a day printing them, and half a day putting it up...it's been a great learning curve though for when we come to do our final exhibitions next year!

My Images without the window frame:

The Voice Inside

The hope that no matter whether an animal or a human, their voice is listened to. Be confident, stand tall and speak out for the weak and those who cannot communicate in our language. Find your inner voice.

Progression:

Hope for the future that one would become the best they could strive to be. Transforming, learning and experiencing; becoming a better person and a better human being. Aim high and never settle for anything less…

Save the Arctic!

Brief i handed in on Monday which was to create an image/s based on headline news.
I didn't want to look at any old headline news, but rather something i was passionate about - the Arctic drilling!

I wanted to provoke thought with my illustrations...

I would love to do more in the near future!

Keep up the great work Greenpeace and its supporters!

3rd Year And Cheltenham Illustration Awards News

It's been a while since my last post and so much has happened!
I'm now in my 3rd year of Illustration so i will be updating my blog once or twice a week now.

Before summer i entered the Cheltenham Illustration awards and a few weeks ago i found out i got Highly Commended!
See the winners here! http://www.cheltenham-illustration-awards.com/winnerspage_13.htm

My Entry:

The theme was Tales of Mood and Memory, and Gustav Holst's seven piece orchestral suite, The Planets.

Title: Escape and Resistance

Description/Inspiration: Gustav Holst’s Neptune was my inspiration for this short narrative. I was suddenly transported back and recollected a dream I had, and which many of us have had, being chased by a pack of wolves. The dream represented running away from difficulties and problems, however towards the end of the dream, I faced them without running away anymore. Combining materials, textures and patterns conveys my emotions and feelings within the dream.

Original Size: A3

Media Used: Collage, Indian ink, oil pastels and water soluble pastels

Expect some more updates this week with projects i've done and progress with current ones i'm working on.

Recent Illustrations!

The past month or so has been very busy! Essays, projects and more projects! I hope to update this more over the summer, but for now here's are recent imagery i've created!

I love llamas! who doesn't?

Two imagines from a collaborative magazine. They depict Kim Jong-un of North Korea, firstly threatening a war, then calling it off because he got a signed basketball from Dennis Rodman! The magazine focuses on villains.

Absurd Narrative Collage Illustrations

Since Wednesday i've been steaming ahead doing all my collages for my absurd narrative! I feel so pressured, but through this, i think something's clicked with collage.
I know i always used collage, but because i knew i had to think of a style to do it in and quickly, i came up with a much cleaner method (which i'd been trying to improve on, cos it can get messy and muddy!) and i've enjoyed doing so! Hopefully i can develop and refine it more!
I have so much work to do, so i'm glad to have finished all my collages for it! I just need to scan them all in and make them into a hand bound book!

Owl Illustration Canvas Bag

Thought i would paint a canvas bag with one of my owl illustrations!
I can't paint and shade and do it perfectly for toffee, but i tried and enjoyed doing it!

I'd love to do more!

Owl Sketches

Today was really nice!
Out shopping, i came accross some owls which were in a shopping centre to help raise money etc, so i took this opportunity to get some photos and do some drawings!

I adore owls so much, i may even do a personal project based on them when i have a bit more free time!
They're veeery difficult creatures to draw, they're forever moving! haha

Current Works in Progress

Currently i'm working on two projects; Penguin book cover competition and Absurd narrative!

Here are some of my in progress images:
Book Cover competition (Puffin Wind in the Willows)

Compositional Ideas

 

Trying to go back to my use of collage!  

Absurd Narrative       

Compositionals

 

Before i start on the final book consisting of around 10-15 double pages, i'm doing a pencil mock up!