Komputer Kidz

Here's an editorial illo for the current issue of Futurelab's Vision magazine looking at online self assessment in education. I'll take straight A's please and fries to go.

If Only You Could See What I've Seen With Your Eyes

It was Secret Cinema time again last weekend and it was truly, and literally, out of this world. At Canary Wharf we were herded onto off-world colony shuttles, that looked suspiciously like coaches, then disembarked amongst rows of cargo containers riddled with street urchins and hustlers. Many travellers were sporting umbrellas and goggles to fend off the acid rain as we entered the main complex to find meticulous recreations of street scenes and interiors from one of my favourite films of all time, Blade Runner. Along with the replicas of Deckard's apartment, Zhora's dressing room and Mr. Chew's eye factory the room buzzed with noodle stores and nightclubs, snake charmers and dancing girls. The Final Cut played to roars of appreciation and the rescue of Deckard by the replicant Batty was re-enacted by wire performers with a live dove chucked in to good effect. We hung around for a great party afterwards fuelled by vodka peach schnapps shots and Liz looked very fetching in Pris' eye makeup. That's the spirittttt!

Green Machine

Here's the latest editorial for my monthly Design Week illustration slot for Private View. The article looks at the state of eco-awareness in the design industry and the tendency for it to 'big up' it's green credentials at the expense of other considerations.

RHS Land

Here are a couple more illustrations for the RHS, which I did a while ago but are out and about now, promoting two of their big daddy Summer flower shows at Hampton Court and Tatton Park. The overall campaigns and typographic layouts were managed by the good folk of Sheffield's Front Ideas agency. Jeez, I'm all flowered out.

Va-Va-Varoom!

Received the latest Varoom! mag in the post over the weekend fresh from the AOI. I was chuffed to find a nicely laid out spread of some of my technology flavoured illustrations for an article entitled 'The Art Of Science'. It's a well written piece by Peter Lyle, who I discussed the subject with earlier in the year, and features many other contributors in the field beside myself. The whole mag has an 'Illustrating The Future' theme, which is right up my street, and is chock full of great images and articles so it's cool to be a part of it. Thanks are due to Peter and the editor John O'Reilly. Pick it up if you get the chance.

Cyclorama

While we're on the London Transport tip here's another entry for a joint LT/AOI competition to design a cycling based poster to promote the upcoming Cycle Superhighways and Cycle Hire scheme in the capital. Unfortunately the design didn't make it past the judges this time but, despite a punctured ego, I'm pleased with it none the less. Oh, well ... now where's that weekend at?

Skyliner

Here's my entry for a Transport For London competition to produce a modern take on London's skyline. I went for a relatively simple but dynamic collage approach featuring a cross section of London's iconic buildings. I always enjoy working the capital's architecture into my illustrations. Click to zoomify.

Chic Ahoy!

Here's a recent editorial for Continental Magazine looking at the rising interest in floating loft homes. I'd swab that deck for a dollar ... it's quite a small deck.

Kent Dash

Rented a car for a Sunday drive around Kent, the Garden Of England TM. We stopped for some oysters in the lovely Whitstable then made for the south coast to stroll around the strange and out-of-time Dungeness. It's an invitingly lonely shingle landscape punctuated with converted shacks, and the odd designer home, that buzzes to the low hum of the vast fifties power station that looms over the whole area. It feels like a simulacra of a western frontier town beamed to the English coast from Alpha Centauri. Here are a few snaps taken by my wife Liz and I that give a little taste of this curio of a place. We reacclimatised to reality with a quick zip to Camber Sands then headed back to the Smoke.

Bio-Kewversity

Excuse the seriously unsuccessful pun of a title for a moment and just have a look at this 'Biodiversity' spread illustration for the latest issue of Kew Gardens Magazine. I should get out amongst the biodiversity of Landan Town myself as it's scorching hot here right now.

User Of Macs

The latest issue of MacUser arrived in the post today featuring a showcase spread on Yours Truly. I got thoroughly bored of the Yours Truly article and skipped to the bit all about MEEee. Click for a large version that's legible if you're willing to except some retinal strain damage.

The Future Of Smarties

Here's the latest illo for Design Week looking at the current state of oversized products available on the market, Smarties included.

Aberdovey Antics

Took a stress-bustin break to Aberdovey, Wales over the weekend and very relaxing it was too. It's a lovely low-key seaside town with breathtaking views over Cardigan Bay and gorgeous hilly landscapes to ramble across. There was much driving, walking, beach lounging, drinking, munching and even steam train trips on the local Talyllyn Railway. Magic!

Scribble Me This

My pencils went mano-a-mano and Tacheon was born.

Where In The World?

PC World Magazine of course. Here's a little editorial piece for their Security Alert section about mobile botnets allowing attackers the ability to tap the eyes and ears of mobile devices. It's good to talk.

Something For The Weekend

Sarfend

Spent a typically blustery Bank Holiday Monday in Essex's seaside gem Southend-on-Sea. Wolfed down the fish 'n' chips in the rain and ran the gamut of gaudy, decrepit neon and massively obtrusive roadworks. You can also find an impossibly long 'pleasure pier' that stretches into infinity, or 1.3 miles if you want to get technical. The sun eventually turned up and sprinkled on the charm before we made haste.

Proms Me Thrice

And now for a London Summer event illustration I am proud to have out there. For the third year running I've been lucky enough to create the BBC Proms main brand illustration and, if I do say so myself, this is probably the best one yet. The Guide book has just been released and features some lovely silver typography on the cover courtesy of the designers at Premm. I've been told today that it's already racking up the sales and is making it's way up the non-fiction bestseller list...woop. Here's a shot of a window display at Daunt Books, Marylebone. Click on the wide shot at the top to embiggenify.

A Cow's Ear

I was really chuffed to be asked to create the main illustration for this year's upcoming E4 Udderbelly comedy and music festival on London's Southbank. After a bit of a bumpy start trying to navigate a brief that demanded the look and feel of the BBC Proms illustrations without actually looking like them I was really pleased with the result (top) which I felt had it's own vibe going on. The client seemed to be happy also. So I was pretty dismayed to see the London tube poster design (bottom) which features a heavily altered hack job of my final layered photoshop document. Without consulting me the whole crowd scene has been crudely rearranged and retouched in a way I wouldn't personally have done. I'm not one for sour grapes and I realise it might not look like much of a difference to the casual observer but it just ain't my work and I just had to put that out there. Beware of handing out your layered files.

Heads Up

Here are this week's sketchbook offerings, assorted moody heads for your delectation. I like the coffee flavoured ones.