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,

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.

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.

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.

The Mindlaxation Colouring Book

If you like colouring in then this is your lucky day. I've jumped on the adult colouring book bandwagon and collected 20 patterns in the Mindlaxation Colouring Book which is the only stress relieving tome you'll ever need. You can only get it on Amazon for only £3.99 - just in time for Christmas. Here are a couple of pages so you'll know the kind of thing you're getting.

Birds of Paradox

I like drawing birds, ideally with multiple heads or weird hornbill protrusions so what better way to get this obsession out of my system that create 40 of the little blighters for a Line sticker set.

Head over to the Line Store and get the set for all your messaging needs. It'll be the best 79p you spend today - and I'll get almost half of it.

Don't forget you can still get last year's hot sticker sensation: 'The Zombunnies' at the Line Store too.

Walkies

Just doing a bit of Cerberus inspired character design for this game....

Zombunnies on Pop Jam

Busy week last week: I've been putting together a Zombunnies channel for Mind Candy's new venture. Pop Jam. It's kind of like Instagram for kids but with a doodle feature. It reminds me of the work we were doing at FaceParty ten (gulp) year ago and, by the looks of it ten years too early.

I've done work for Mind Candy and Moshi Monsters on and off for years. I was right there at the start, some of the original trophies you could win in game were designed by me and I really like the company - even though they insisted I do an art test when I was applying for freelance work there last year - with my credentials! Pride got the best and I refused.

But we're all friends again now and it's a pleasure to be involved with them once more. Especially nice is to be working with old time friend Ed Harrison of What What who is involved in the running of Pop Jam and who I last saw in real life in a rainy, boozy evening in Shinjuku a couple of years back. That's how cool we are!

So if you know some super cool kids, point them to the Pop Jam app and get them following the Zombunnies. I have big plans for them!

Pink demon

Here's some kind of Japanese Yōkai character.

The outline is brush pen - I love using them. 

RamJam characters

 One on my favourite companies to colab with is RamJam. I love those chaps. Here's some character designs I did for them which are variations on their company mascots. Have a look at their site to see them in real life and see what else RamJam get up to. I can especially recommend their Escape from '85 game.

Aaaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhh! My eyes!!!

Aaaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhh! My eyes!!!

This really is the last of it

I know a couple of posts back I said I wouldn't mention that pitch again.

Well, I lied.

But only because I found these amazing stills of the charater.

 Expertly crafted by Seed Animation.

And it seemed a shame not to share.

So there you go.

And here it is in motion:

Stamp

 I made a stamp of a three eyed flying pug.
Now that gets my stamp of approval.