Great TV Ad

This advert, I think I really excellent. Hayfever adverts are not traditionally any good.

Ad Agency: JWT
Client: Benedryl

Digital Art Masterclass

Although I can't say I'm an Iron Man fan myself, I still found this masterclass by digital artist, Adi Granov really interesting. For the first half of the talk he told us about his work for Marvel and his collaborations with other artists. Then for the second half he gave a tutorial in producing digital illustrations using Photoshop.

I was suprised at how simple his techniques where, although it was clear that he was a very talented artist which allowed him to produce fantastic images. I managed to pick up a few Photoshop tips and have seen the pen pad in action!

"For illustration I usually start with a very rough digital sketch to work out the composition and the proportions. After I am happy with the layout I print it out and trace it onto watercolour paper. I do a fully rendered tonal drawing/painting on paper, which I then scan and colour digitally. My process is a marriage of the traditional and digital utilising my favourite bits of both. When I do concept design I often do it entirely digitally, but I follow the same principles where I do a fully realised greyscale painting before adding colour." Ali Granov

Digital Artist 2009 Masterclass #3 - Adi Granov from Intel Digital Artist 2009 on Vimeo.

Lego Chic

Seriously, how cool is this?!

Jim Carey has impressed me!

Now I'm not a Jim Carey fan but this film was very impressive. It tells the tale of a couple who have the memory of each other erased. It reminded me quite a lot of Fight Club, there was a lot of hidden detail which I think you could pick up on a lot more if you watched this for a second time around. The editing was exceptional, giving the illusion of memories merging into one another and of the couple running away from a memory into another. I highly recommend that you watch this film!

Moonwalking Bear

Reading through the Marketing Society Golden Jubilee Awards for Excellence 2009 I was reminded about an awesome viral campaign.

In fact, I attended a lecture by Ogilvy in which they showned this video and it turned out that my housemates had already shown it to me on YouTube. That has to be a sign of a great viral ad.

Agency: WRCS
Client: Transport of London
Stats: 5 million views online in the space of one month

Graphic and Communication Design Degree Show

On Thursday I went with one of my coursemates to the degree show for our course to see what the Third Years have been up to. It was really good to see everyone's portfolio and certainly gave me some ideas for my portfolio when the time comes!

How do you make yourself stand out?

Well one or two did stand out to me - I think the free packet of "WellbeLoveHearts" did it for me (but then again I am a student and anything free appeals) by a Mr. Simon Wellbelove.

Another stood out due to it's conciseness. It was well thought through, put together and professionally presented. I definately found the shorter the better, long books were a bit offputting and often showed off some of the "less-good" work to fill up space.

Fine Art Degree Show 2009

Yesterday I went with two of my friends to the Uni of Leeds Fine Art degree show, however, having a logical brain, I couldn't work out many of the projects! Some where really interesting/cool though!

Unused to a lack of rationales mounted on the wall I made of it what I could. One student had photographed water balloons in mid-flight/mid-burst being thrown at their lecturers. It was amazing to see the shapes that the balloon made just before they burst and the shape of the water spraying just after they hit the tutors.

www.lds09.co.uk

Once you spot, you just can't stop.

These sunrays are everywhere! They do look good though.

Fancy a "Chuck-about"?

I thought I'd take this opportunity to prove that Ultimate Frisbee is actually a pretty decent sport! I love it.

Compare Meerkats, not Markets!

Everyone has seen it, but it still warrants a place in my design blog. Car insurance...boring. This ad campaign has completely transformed the dull company comparethemarket.com into a really funny, popular, friendly organisation.

It doesn't just stop at the ads either. There is an entire website where you can compare meerkats, download ringtones, wallpapers, voice mail messages etc. plus viral videos on youtube.

Compare the Meerkat TV Bloopers

First aired: 07-Jan-09
Agency: VCCP
Client: comparethemarket.com

Year in Industry

I think myself and most of my coursemates can relate to this picture!

Online Outdoors

If you're thinking of making your site look a bit more "organic", this is the trend for you!

I really like the idea of transforming a website into an outside space, it's as if the site has another dimension and invites you in. I think we'll see a lot more of this use of background images becoming 3D perhaps involving new settings, not just outdoors.

My New Website!

My website has a new look! I decided to base the design on my love of technical drawing and all things mathematical in design. I have used illustrations of geometrical construction of polygons to give page numbers to my portfolio.

This is what it used to look like:

Web Design Placement June-Aug 2009

On 2nd June 2009 I started a web design placement at rk6 in Leeds. I've been learning html, css and javascript and also using my Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign skills.

I must give my "mentor" Colin Grist a mention as he has to put up with "Coliiiin, how do you...?"!