Rory's Fishing Tackle, Dublin

While wondering around Dublin, I saw this really nice hand painted typography on the side of a shop and thought it was worthy of a picture!

RBS Money Re-design

This is one of my routes for the money re-design. The problem i have with this project is my original designs looked like a bank note, but i want to completely erase designing on the pretense of what a bank note "should" look like, why can't a bank note become a piece of graphic art or an object? I'm not going to go into too much detail but my original idea was that each note would become another part to create a pinhole camera, enabling a person to take pictures of what they feel is "Scottish" to them. After alot of head scratching and many cups of tea Ive found away around the mechanics of it. The designs are very much the opposite to a normal bank note, but my aim is to modernise and almost re-invent RBS to a much younger generation.

Summer Harvest Ideas

These are just the start of the design process for my route 1 Belhaven Fruit Ice ideas. Ive tried to simplify some previous more busy designs. I've also played around with the shape of the overall label giving it a modern edge without loosing the professional feel to it. Alot more tweaking with the typography is needed and to add nutritional values,bar code info on etc.

Belhaven Fruit Ice Concepts (03)

This is the final concept for my Fruition branding. Another one llooadds different from the others!

I've used quite a random illustration with lots of traingles, waves and lines to build up a visual identity for the product that would set it apart from typical things you'd see in a freezer.
I wanted to achieve a really modern, abstract set of designs that could change with each flavour by using slightly chalky colours against metallic lines.

On the reverse of the carton would be the product description with some little illustrative triangles and grassy border to tie in with the main illustration.

Belhaven Fruit Ice Concepts (02)

This is the second branding suggestion for Fruition. I've chosen an entirely different concept from idea 01 - out with the editorial look and in with the rough and tumble outdoorsy look.

I've used my own typeface(s) with a sketchy, uneven edge mixed with a handwritten font to give it a more playful outlook with soft, summery tones that will appeal to older ages. With the illustrations I've used simple shapes and lines to depict the fruit inside, and in brighter colours so they contrast with the background.

On the reverse of the carton I've used an abstract silhouette of a track bordered by two hedgerows, mainly to take away from the bulk of flat colour but also to add some dimension and perspective.

Belhaven Fruit Ice Concepts (01)

One of my three routes for the packaging design of Behlaven Fruit Ice. I've used a short typograhpic narrative (typeface: Didot) to try and set the scene with the flavour and product name highlighted, plus a smaller blurb underneath to describe the actual contents a bit more.

Instead of picturing the fruit itself, I have chosen to represent the texture of the fruit ice using silk - giving the impression that it's smooth and luxurious. Also, hopefully giving an idea of the colour inside.

At the moment I can't quite pick beween the full image sleeve and having a small band but I love the simplicity and vibrancy of both!

Places I Have Been

Here's a small preview of what my outcome to the '20x20' project looks like. The whole piece revolves around places I have been - and the things that I can remember thinking, doing or hearing at that exact moment.
Most of the pages are full photographs and show an entire scene or a tiny portion of a bigger landscape, and they have little in common. However, there is a story that flows through the pages that lets you into a number of my most life changing  moments where I've been both happy and distraught 
Some of the pages are annotated with hand-drawn typography in a style that fits the memory and others covered with pattern and illustration, each one unique and different to the last. They don't match, or make sense, but that doesn't matter. Each page is a new chapter.

In contrast, the front cover is simple and uncluttered - the bird symbolizes the different journeys that have been made but eventually return home.

Portrait Picture

After countless number of re-thinking my idea for this portrait picture, i decided to actually portray somebody who i consider an "idol". Vinnie Accardi is the guitarist and co-songwriter in the band Brand New. Ive grown up listening to Brand New from a very young teenager and as the music has grown, Ive grown up with it....

There first album "Your Favourite Weapon" all the way back in 2001 was the very reason i picked up a guitar and struggling to play a single chord. When your starting out playing guitar you think every guitarist is better than you, and you want to be them, and you gradually get better and better and realise those guys you use to look up to and wanted to play their song weren't as good as you thought.

With Vinnie i still look up to him as a musician, and still find myself sitting in my bedroom struggling to play a song or guitar riff...as the band have also progressed over the years; adapting their musical style and become more complex and creating a genre in themselves.

Vinnie is a shy, quiet character who explodes on stage, its fair to say their is music is very much related to their personal lives therefore quite dark, and there is always an undertone of death and religion throughout their music.

With the portrait i have tried to capture the mood of his character, a more sombre feel with soft lighting and desaturated colour to give a completely different feel. Although me portraying him playing the guitar was the obvious choice i felt it just didn't need it, therefore the music theme creates the background bringing the mood of the picture to the foreground becoming the focus of the whole picture.

Although the name "Vinnie Accardi" wont turn many heads for the most popular, iconic man in history...to hell with popularity, this guy changed a small long island band into arguably the godfathers of ours generations punk rock.

20x20 Project

Ok, so here are a few of the pages from the small 20x20 book project.

There is an underlying story which ties each picture together; its not so apparent at first but the imagery used is a direct story of a personal struggle through the last year.

Ive played around with photo montage, white space, typography and poetic words that sum up my thoughts on certain events. Some of the imagery is more personal than others and don't need an explanation...this is in no way a diary...

The small tragedy's, and little glimpses of hope and happiness in each persons life that can be reflected on... the kind that don't make sense at the time.

Each event has a beautiful quality to make you who you are today; the way you act, the things you say...that's what i find interesting...so this is how i have decided to approach this project.

I seem to always find myself being too personal in projects where I'm let loose to think, but i don't think i could ever approach a project in an impersonal way...its not the way i work. I think there's always something more interesting when your looking at something that's been done sympathetically and i like the idea of a picture telling the reader a story about yourself; allowing them into your head without ever having to open your mouth.

"Our national deer caught in the national headlights."

For a small photography project we were asked to choose a person/icon who we admired (i use the word admire very lightly) and to produce a portrait photograph visually describing them.

I always seem to try and push the boundaries of what the brief requires, never being fully happy with just the obvious, somewhat tedious option.

Towards the departure of Bush's time in office there was a quote about him; describing him as "America's national deer caught in the national headlights." It was maybe one of the most honest descriptions of a man who is portrayed as a wreckless, power-crazy president.

I don't want to get too deep into political arguments but i find him as a subject very interesting. One of the most controversial figures of our generation, after being slaughter by the press and ridiculed infront of the whole world will this, how he is portrayed right here change? Will he always be remembered as this animal caught in the headlights of his own country. Yes..probably (almost definitely).

Will this picture pass as a suitable portrait picture for the project..probably not!

Back to the drawing board.

Untitled

Lately Ive been experimenting with editing pictures, putting them back together and re-building a new image. Ive found the simplest ideas work and are more successful without having to butcher the original.

Loch Tay

A few of the many pictures taken on my camera on a trip to Loch Tay. We had a few days break from the city and took a drive up through the highlands - visiting a ton of the touristy areas like Queen's View, Loch Lomond, Rest and Be Thankful and driving back along the West Highland Way before hitting the motorway.
This was the first time that I've used my camera on the manual settings rather than automatic and I'm pleased with some of the end shots - it was a nice change capturing dramatic landscapes and quirky towns instead of the usual streets and alleys. Some of my favourite aren't here as I've set myself a bit of a project over the next month, so you might see them soon!

Guitar Project

As promised here are some pictures of my guitars I've been working on over summer. Its been a nice change to do something productive and be able to use it every day, Ive also learned alot about guitar making and probably owe this to Naomi's Dad who puts up with me in his workshop most days. Ive also bought a bass which I'm enjoying playing for a change, and a surf green strat I'm planning on buying better parts for, and giving away for a present. I also have my epiphone ES-333 semi acoustic which plays real nice and suites alot of music i tend to play these days, and a few acoustic guitars thrown in-i get the feeling im just not going to be able to stop buying guitars with every last bit of money i have, of course there more important than food, as long as we can all live on cups of tea.
Fender Stratocaster_ this was my biggest project over summer i had previously had the strat body (black gloss finish) for many years from an old guitar i use to hate playing, the action was so high, probably the result of a cheap buy. I wanted a vintage feel to this guitar, i re-sprayed parts of the guitar that weren't upto scratch, replaced the bridge, pickups, scratch plate, backplate, completely re-wired, replaced the neck with a beautiful fender maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, replaced the machine heads, and new strings of course. This was by no means cheap, it probably cost me the same it would to buy one but i did manage to get a few bargains thanks to sneaky last minute bids at eBay!

This was my first ever guitar, just a really cheap strat, my plans for this guitar was to give it a nicer neck, maybe a few Seymour Duncan pickups but i couldn't bring myself to touch it as even tho Ive have a few guitars now, everytime i pick this one up, its plays amazing and takes me back to when i was 12 learning in my bedroom struggling to hold the thing. Admittedly i have a sticker fetish so went a bit mad and covered it with everything that reminded me of why i like guitars in the first place, bands that got me into music like rancid, distillers and the cure. I have another guitar lined up that I'm planning to completely spray white and apply my illustrations to, but im going to make that an extended project with no rush to finish.

Right Away, Great Captain!

Lately Ive been listening alot to Manchester Orchestra, a five piece band from Atlanta, Georgia.

I came across Andy Hull's side project "Right Away, Great Captain" a conceptual record that conveys the journey of a 16th century sailor who has been betrayed by his wife who has committed adultery with his own brother. Its a folk/indie/acoustic mix, entangled with Hulls amazing lyrical ability, if you've not come across this band yet, you must give them a listen...you wont be dissapointed.

http://www.myspace.com/rightawaygreatcaptain

News Update

So we've been really busy the past few weeks, admittedly alot of failed projects and a few successful projects have kept us busy. I finally finished re-building my guitar back together (ill post some pics soon) also were working closely with some really good guys that produce 100% local artisan cider. were working with the company on a brand identity project, thrown in with some label/web design were really excited to get started. (more about that in the next few weeks) were also taking a well deserved trip to Loch Tay next week, but more importantly a good photography opportunity, I'm looking forward to using my SLR and Polaroid camera again. Also check out my very good friend Marianne's website, shes a really great designer and deserves a mention http://www.itsmarianne.com/

_Powerlines

Above is the logo to the powerlines series we are currently working on. Were hoping in the next week or so to have some prototypes of screen prints to show. The idea has extended from a series of 3d work i did a few month back entitled _powerlines 1990. Were hoping to print these onto some really nice canvas bags and the same concept as my 3d work, that each bag in the set will join via the powerlines, I'm also working on some nice typography to go with the illustration. I'm hoping that this idea will actually come to something and not end up like most; which seem to find their way scribbled onto a piece of paper at the back of a sketchbook...

Aperture Room Update

We haven't posted in a while but were currently in the process of a few exciting projects. In the next two-three weeks i will be exhibiting a light sculpture piece down at Cramond beach (we will hopefully get some nice pictures) and also planning ideas for several more art pieces in and around Edinburgh. We've invested alot of money into buying the tools to screen print and currently experimenting on some nice illustrative designs for prints/t-shirts/bags/etc and aiming to have a nice Aperture Room Etsy shop open for people to buy handmade items; and also looking at ways of designing our own packaging. On more news look out for updates on my guitar project-i have 3 guitars in the making, I'm in the middle of modifying bits and pieces at the minute and there coming on really well (pictures posted soon). Aswell as illustrations, Naomi is making great progress with jewelery she's making from acrylic; again hoping make this avaliable for people to buy in the near future. We should really start entering more design competitions too as we rarely find the time to do so...busy times.

Tidelines

Another new drawing! I've done a few illustrations like these in the past couple of weeks - I like working with quite bland colour palletes and using white to bring them to life.
This illustration is loosely based on a photo taken at Cramond Beach a while ago - at the point where the tide stops carrying the shells up the sand.

Advertisement Project

Ok, so this was a project i did a few month's ago. The brief was to come up with some kind of pharmaceutical packaging, design, and advertise it. This is the second half of the project which involved creating a removable piece of promotion and ideas for sculpture proposals based around innovative marketing of the chosen product. My product was a medicine box, which would be a fully recyclable, green product (the idea that my box came flatpacked-to re modernise an old existing product and giving it a new identity and the idea that i had to market a product that was essentially "just a box".

Cat Illustration

A few days ago I bought a shiny Wacom graphics tablet and this is the first thing I've drawn using it. It's been a long time since I last picked up a pen and I'm quite pleased with the results - it's a quick sketch of my cat Minni doing what all cats do best... nothing, drawn in photoshop.
I'm more of an illustrator person, so have stuck to the basic brushes in a few different diameters to complete the drawing.

Brand New Glasgow Barrowlands

Brand New Glasgow Barrowlands

Brand New supported by Kevin Devine and Moneen, Glasgow Barrowlands 24/06/2009

The last time Brand New played in Scotland was back in 2007, Carling Academy; this was a well awaited return from the long island group. Moneen was the first of two support bands, we only caught five or so of their songs and its fair to say they did have a good fan-base, with some nice guitar playing and energetic set. Kevin Devine is a very understated musician, being best friends with Jesse Lacey, its easy to see why his songs are a perfect fit for a Brand New show. The highlight of his set was his cover of Nirvana's "school" which was amazing. Brand New came onto the stage with the first half of their set being old classics from albums like "Your Favourite Weapon" and "Deja Entendu", they slowly progressed into their most recent album throwing in some new songs with Jesse Lacey being as unpredictable and charismatic as ever. At one point he took a jumper a fan had thrown onto the stage and wore it over his head and microphone, throwing himself around the stage and singing on his knees. (and in parts really talking to the crowd which was well received from the fans) As the end of the 19th song set approached, you could see the music visible effecting Jesse Lacey and the band, with the music being more unpredictable and heavier- with Vinny throwing his guitar in the air, Jesse screaming into the guitar it was an amazing proformance.

The final song/interlude was "Welcome to Bankock" featuring members from Moneen and Kevin Devine, with three drummers-it was heavy, complex mixture of sounds that showcased why Brand New continue to be such an important band for music, and continue to better themselves album after album. More videos and pictures to follow.

Setlist:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/brand-new/2009/glasgow-barrowlands-73d67ae9.html

Sculptural Experiment

I wanted to try something a little different so i bought some plaster sheets and experimented in making some sculptural forms. As a base i used a 15x15 board that would fit into the frames. I'm hoping to refine the shapes and maybe add some colour/pattern to them.

Napier Creative Showcase

Napier University currently have a Creative Showcase website that is showing a few pieces of our work, there's also some really great design work at Napier; take a look.

http://www.napiercreativeshowcase.com/2009/des/

Published!

So a couple of months ago a company asked me to help them re-design a series adverts for them and yesterday I received a hard copy of an exhibition guide in which one of my adverts was featured!

It's all the way back on page 163 of the Maritime Journal with all the other navigation companies but nevertheless I'm very proud and think it turned out pretty well. Apparently it was even given a few compliments from some suppliers which is nice!

Anyway here's a shot!