Crablington House

I had so much fun last year creating Lido Crab for Margate's Crab Museum calendar 2023 that I couldn't resist submitting another local landmark/crab inspired artwork for the '24 edition. As I'd been developing some illustrations this year featuring the monolithic br-eauty Arlington House it seemed to be the ideal candidate for crab-ification. Working with a Cinema 4d model I'd already made of the building I added concrete pincers and legs along with some rooftop eyes before composting into a Margate Main Sands scene in Photoshop. Happy to say Crablington House was selected for the calendar along with some lovely entries and is available at the Crab Museum store here. Get your claws on one. 

Liar Liar

Here's a fun editorial feature for BBC Science Focus on the science of lie detection. I was asked to spruce up a photo piece with a more lively illustrative take on the selected stock imagery and create a title page in the style of a polygraph machine. For the opener I knocked up some Cinema 4d polygraph elements and rendered out a frame at the desired angle before moving to Photoshop for a bit of painstaking squiggly line font creation and paper texturing. For the main feature illustrations I enjoyed going to town on the digital collage style with eye-popping colour and distressed texturing. You can see more work for Focus here.

Dynamic Duo

Here are a couple of recent editorials for long time client Car and Driver magazine. First up, 'Mixology' is an explosive collage on the theme of ammonia being touted as alternate fuel and secondly, 'Fraternal Twins' is a look at almost identical vehicles with both internal combustion and electric model offerings. Always a pleasure to work on. See more work for Car and Driver here.  

Transformers

Here's a recent cover illustration for Transform magazine from the IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment). The theme of the issue revolved around building a workforce to implement sustainability in an 'Age of Opportunity'. The brief was to create a dynamic collage showing a range of environmental sector workers and to stylistically present them as works-in-progress with line work transforming into  full colour renderings. A bit like that A-ha video I suppose. Had fun putting this together in Photoshop. See more Science and Technology illustrations on the site here.

Dance On

Here's the latest poster design for Dance Dance Dance at Margate Arts Club. A continuation of the psychedelic design and type style established previously with a darker wintery palette spin. The central character enters a portal overseen by a tripped-out local suzerain of some sort. See the poster series so far on the folio site here.

Tested Teachers

Here's a series of illustrations for a Reader's Digest feature on the current state of affairs for US Teachers entitled Teachers Put to the Test. The themes covered included classroom overcrowding, low pay, angry parents and the increasing threat of gun violence. I employed a painterly digital collage style with a vibrant palette to tackle the varied and sensitive topics. An enjoyable commission. You can see them on the main folio site here also.

The AI Eagle Of Egypt

Here's a new animated editorial commission for Al Majalla on the current state of AI in Egypt.  I chose to use the eagle crest from the country's flag to symbolise the rise of AI and how it has been embraced by Egyptian youth. For the animation I modelled the eagle, rotating screens and brain in Cinema 4d and composited those with all the other elements in After Effects, adding music and sound effects to finish. You can see further work for Al Majalla here.

AI & Engineering

More AI-themed commissions for the blog this week starting with a cover illustration for Professional Engineering on whether AI is an existential threat or engineering opportunity. Something in between no doubt. The brief was to typographically represent AI and I used Cinema 4d to model the technical looking structure around some 3d type before rendering it from a slightly ominous angle. To finish I comped the type with the 3d screens, texture and environment in Photoshop. See more work for Professional Engineering here.

Big Deal

Here's an interesting cover commission for Al Majalla magazine that came to me almost ready made. The art director Sara Loane had a lovely Biden illustration created by Mona Eing and Michael Meissner pushing a 2d 'Deal' font on an orange background. I was asked to replace everything but Biden with some foreboding 3d typography and a subtle desert background. This would be used on the print cover and also required animating for social media posts. I'd created the font and rubble in Cinema 4d with animating in mind and composited the 3d camera moves and elements with the 2d Biden and background in After Effects before adding sound effects and music. A good collaboration overall. See more work for Al Majalla here.

AI Housekeeping

 

Here's an enjoyable editorial commission for Good Housekeeping on that familiar big story of the year, AI - a subject matter that, ironically, has been keeping me pretty busy with work as I fret about it being taken from me. Anyway, I love a good techy collage, me, and these two illustrations cover the gamut of potential AI pros and cons with bright palettes and noggin-centric compositions. You can see further science and technology work on the site here.

Into The Lidoverse

Here are some recent experiments from my ongoing Lidoverse personal project inspired by Margate's iconic Cliftonville Lido sign and staring out to sea too much. The Lidoverse gallery has embraced the imposing brutal architecture of Arlington House this year and spliced it's DNA with the Lido for a few daunting appearances so far. The Lido sign itself is transformed into an end of Summer cocktail drinking vessel and makes an appearance on a flyer design for my wife and I's 50th birthday party, Margate Five-0, in July before congregating amongst itself out at a dusky sea. The Lidoverse continues to expand and is all 3d modelled with Cinema 4d and composited in Photoshop with my own photography. You can also see the work on the main site here.

Dancerella

Here's the second poster design for Dance Dance Dance at Margate Arts Club that continues the scifi/psychedelic style and hand rendered typography of the original design. I'm aiming to create a narrative of sorts if I get to do more, loosely inspired by pulpy Barbarella/Flash Gordon tropes, following a central figure on a kaleidoscopic journey. Stay tuned.

Cyber Skullduggery

Here's a fun little personal animation project that began as an alternate concept for a recent BBC Science Focus' AI issue cover commission. The initial brief, before it altered, revolved around Art, Love and Death so I'd modelled the cyber skull to pose with a holographic rose and even storyboarded the animation for it (see above). I was keen to continue with the endeavour and set about animating a motion camera in Cinema 4d to move around the skull. The mini-concept grew to include a holographic paint brush and nuclear missile representing the AI skull's expanding education before culminating in a countdown to annihilation...naturally. All of these elements were composited together in After Effects using camera data exported from Cinema 4d then graded with film stock and noise filters. Really enjoyed adding the soundtrack and mixing in the sound effects for finishing touches. You can see this on the site with other personal work here.

Strings Attached

Here are some new cover designs for ABRSM and their 2024 Strings Exam Packs for Cello, Double Bass, Viola and Violin. The brief was to expand on the style established with the recent Piano Exam Pieces design that blended the musician photography with elegantly constructed spaces made of 3d abstract lines and shapes evocatively lit in the dark with bright colours. Had great fun as always putting these together with designer Kate Benjamin and the team at ABRSM. See further work for ABRSM on the site here.