AI-wakening

I've been having a bit of 3d experimentation fun this week with Cinema 4d/Redshift, After Effects and a dusted-off 3d android bust I modelled for an AI themed BBC Science Focus cover concept in 2023. That job eventually went in a different direction but I always fancied revisiting this idea to get it out of my system. Initially, I created the third blue-tinged visual as a Redshift render test that I took into Photoshop for further treatment to get the kind of look I was after. I then developed the lighting, textures and illuminated tech interior to bring a little life to the humanoid and finalised the orange and yellow iterations. When I was happy with the visuals I decided to render out an animated version featuring the AI emerging from a primordial tech-soup and giving us a little spin - then presumably overwhelming us all. Hey ho. You can see the work on the main site also here.

Mental Flexibility

Here's a set of feature illustrations for a BBC Science Focus issue from last year that slipped through the blog net. They're for an article on the idea of Mental Flexibility being the 'blueprint for true resilience' rather than dogged pushing through at all costs. The illustrations are digital collages created from supplied photography mixed in with various textural and design elements. I love working in this style and making the compositions fit specific spaces in the print issue. Thanks again to Joe Eden for the commission. See the work on the main site here.

Trip To The Titanic

Here's an enjoyable commission for Reader's Digest and a great piece by sitcom writer Mike Reiss. It's a humorous and bittersweet look at his experiences in the infamous Titan sub a year before it's fateful last trip to view the Titanic wreckage entitled My (Reluctant) Trip to the Titanic. The brief required an opening spread illustration setting the scene with the sub and Titanic and two collages depicting details and photos from the story. I turned to Cinema 4d to create the opener and sourced a good 3d model of the Titan sub to use throughout, the porthole proved a useful feature to connect the collage images. For the Titanic wreckage I looked at reference imagery and modelled a rudimentary front portion of the doomed ship with distressed textures and lighting to add depth then further Photoshop tinkering for final compositing with the Titan sub. For the collages I adapted some of Mike's photography with other elements to capture some of the humorous tone of the piece. I've posted here an alternate opening illustration of the Titan exploring the bow and development of the 3d model Titanic wreckage. Overall, a great job to work on and big thanks to Jessie A. Sharon for taking me on for this. You can see them on the main site here also.

ABRSM Revival

Happy 2026 to all. For the first post of the year I thought I'd write about the recent work I've been doing with wonderful long-time client ABRSM. At the end of 2024, and after twelve years of illustrating their music exam book covers, ABRSM notified me that they were looking to rebrand and would be inviting new designers to tender for the work. I was a little deflated but figured that nothing lasted forever. I was offered the chance to pitch for the new work and didn't want to give up without a fight so took the opportunity to see how I fared with a new approach.

The initial pitch designs were to be for the Woodwind books and the chosen style would be rolled out across all the various instruments over the coming years. Working with the supplied photography of Clarinet, Flute and Saxophone players I developed a number of illustrative approaches presented with ideas for typographic layouts and was chuffed to make it past the first round. Over the course of the three month process my big breakthrough came with a wave design I created, based on an existing marketing asset, to define the lower illustration and upper title areas. With that direction as a basis it was the consensus to simplify the illustrative approach and have the photography cleanly presented on colour gradients chosen by ABRSM to represent the instruments. This resulted in a more graphic approach than my previous work and felt like the rebrand they were looking for. When I finally heard that I had won the pitch I was over the moon that I'd get to keep the job and continue to work with ace Content Operations Manager Darren Ellsmore and the ABRSM team.

So, presented here are the first pitch-winning Woodwind book cover designs and final typographic layouts with some of the initial illustrations put forward during the development process. Looking forward to the next performance. You can see other ABRSM work on the main site here also.