Is it time for my annual blog update already?

Where has the time gone? 

I recently got all of my repeating patterns together to start looking for textile design work.

It's something I really enjoy doing and would love to see these on clothes.

That said, watch this space for news of more AussieBum underwear designs coming soon.

Reasons to be Creative

It was a pleasure to give my talk at the Reasons to be Creative Festival

today. I was worried that I may have gone down a fetish rabbit hole

(pun intended) but I think I clawed the audience back with exploits

of my work in TV and games,

The sincerest form of flattery

I don't know who the original illustrator was or the agency who couldn't find of afford him but I was asked by an agency by a third party  if I could draw in the style below.

I said yes - do I get the gig?

They answered I don't know, your portfolio doesn't suggest you can.

I told them that's for showcasing my style not other people's and if you thought that why did you come to me in the first place.

Ignoring my second question they asked me to prove it. 

Muttering under my breath that this was a simple style to emulate I produced the above illustration.

I never heard from them again.

Sorry original artist.

Lunar New Year 2017

It's a bit late but I did this illustration to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

2017 is year of the cockerel.

Art Test

It's not everyday you witness a ridiculous act of self harm to your country and see your freedoms and opportunities vanish and realise that you're trapped on an island full of idiots and nationalistic twits who are prepared to pay more for everything just to have a few less 'foreigners' around. 

Today is the day our stupid leaders triggered Article 50 - signalling our with drawl from the EU.

   

And there's more bad news. I also heard back from a job that I'd applied for. They said no.

I was really disappointed for a couple of reasons. Firstly this position was for an innovative company in Sweden that I really admired and would have given my eye teeth to work for and they approached me, which seemed like a positive. Secondly I'd have an out for leaving England, where I really don't want to be right now and this all seemed really encouraging.

After a half an hour chat with someone from recruitment that seemed to go really well I agreed to do an art test. Normally I roll my eyes and refuse these time consuming tests as everything on the art front with me is already on line and presumably they like my art style and my professional abilities as laid out in my CV. But, like I say - this is an amazing company that I'd love to work for.

So I spent a week working on their brief. I took time from work and gave this project everything and then submitted the PDF I'd agonised over laying out nicely... then nothing. For weeks.

Today I got a barely personalised email saying thanks but no thanks.

I understand that companies must get loads of applicants and art is perceptual but to get an email saying they've been extremely fortunate to have an overwhelming interest in the role, and have been able to select profiles with very strong visual styles that fit effortlessly into the visuals we're targeting for our future games. They tell me this after seeing my art style, approaching me and then making me spend time on an art test. 

Sorry to whinge - I just need to get this disappointment out of my system.

Pattern selection

Here's a few more patterns to soothe your mind...
Or the complete opposite.

Of course I'm still playing Pokemon Go

Imagining the legendaries as garden birds.

#JustWrite Day

 I do quite a lot of work for the Ministry of Stories which is a charity that encourages kids to write and nurtures their creativity. I often live illustrate for the Little Green Pig here in Brighton while the children yell story ideas at me to draw - it's great fun.

Recently the Ministry of Stories got together with pen makers BIC to produce the country's first hand written newspaper which was promoted as #JustWrite Day.

Look out for the paper in your local town and get writing!

Art Test

Here is some work I've done for my last ever art test.

After an interview with a company that seemed like a great match for me they asked for me to do an art test. Normally I'd say no, especially after my previous art test debacle with that company in Denmark. But they seemed nice and I loved what they were doing - still do but don't agree with the art test. This wouldn't happen in any other industry. My work is clearly on display so they are aware of what I do. A much fairer way is to pay for a week's work. Then the applicant doesn't waste their time for nothing and the employer gets to see how they applicant works and fits in with the company.

I didn't even get any feedback, reply, thanks for spending time doing this just a vague explanation from a recruitment agency that I wasn't a fit at this time.

So I urge you fellow artists - put your foot down and say NO to art tests. Together we can stop this.

That said I'm really pleased with how this My Little Pony licensing work turned out.

Spoiler cats

If cats could talk you know they would.

Hamster Cultists

I found a 10 year old comic I did back in 2006 - Here you go:

World Malaria Day

It may be wet here, but it's not hot so spare a thought for those living in the tropics

without resources to fight malaria.

Today is World Malaria Day so please help out if you can.

Schrödinger's Corbett

I'm enduring another week of Schrödinger's Corbett.

I've already beat 300 other candidates to get through to the final 8 and will find out if I make the next whittling down to get to the top 3 on Friday. 

Wish me luck!

Happy Easter

Hope you're having an EGGcellent time!

Happy National Toast Day!

It's the more mundane pancake day...

Night lights

If you are a member of the exclusive club who likes what I do you'll be pleased to see these night lights I've designed with the illumination company Locomocean.

These are the samples that were previewed for buyers at this week's Spring Fair in Birmingham.

There's something for everyone, providing they like unicorns, zombie rabbits or cup cake cats and you obviously do otherwise you wouldn't be reading this blog.

Loving how this one turned out. Ice cream meets mythical beast in the form of the Unicone.

I've been drawing the Zombunnies for ages so it's nice to see them in a physical form and these chaps are about a foot tall and the colours are amazingly vibrant.

I'll let you know when and where you can buy them when I do but in the meantime check out the Locomocean site for updates.

Tasty teaser

Exciting news on the horizon if you like cats, ice creams or ideally both.

I’ll just leave this here as a tasty little teaser....

Expecting art work for nothing

Just before Christmas I got an email from a PR agency asking if I would like to enter a promotional competition to have ago with a major UK toy company's 3D plastic 'pen'. It sounded good and the prize money was decent. So I agreed to enter, the PR company sent me the pens and I was off.

After a shaky start I managed to come up with the models below and as per instructions sent the PR agency photos and videos of my creations.

Despite being the agency's favourite I didn't win so that was that. Fair enough.

But the other week the agency got in touch asking if they could display my entries at the company's booth at the UK Toy Fair. There was no mention of payment or even paying for postage. I explained that they're welcome to them as they're just sitting in the shed but they'd have to pay for them. They graciously said I'd have my name on them but still no mention of sweet cash. After a few emails back and forth with me explaining that I spent quite a bit of time on them and this is my job and this is how much I'd like from them the communication from their end ceased.  I'm not surprised just disappointed. It's a shame that this seems to be the norm in the design world.
Here they are all heavily watermarked to hammer home my 'nothing for free' point for your viewing pleasure.