Roger Dean

The Professional Practice lecture this Thursday 7th March will be by artist, designer and architect Roger Dean.

11am - Sallis Benney Theatre

Roger Dean is an internationally recognised artist and designer, whose evocative and visionary images with associated graphics, logos, and lettering, made popular through album covers and posters for the band Yes, Osibisa, Asia, Uriah Heep. His work has sold in excess of sixty million copies world-wide.

Roger has set up and successfully run his own publishing company called Dragons Dream.

Under this imprint his books Views and Magnetic Storm were published. Views went straight to number one in the best-seller lists going on to sell well over a million copies.

The ‘Floating Island’ images that Roger Dean is well known for, have now become recognized as being the inspiration behind the look of the film ‘Avatar’.

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/does-avatar-steal-from-roger-dean/
http://io9.com/5460954/the-complete-list-of-sources-avatars-accused-of-ripping-off

Roger also designed the "retreat pod" chair design that was featured in the film A Clockwork Orange.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Dean_(artist)
http://www.rogerdean.com/
http://www.abandonart.co.uk/gallery/roger-dean-artist.html

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/does-avatar-steal-from-roger-dean/

FdA Students show at 'Made in Hastings"

Students from the second year of the FdA Illustration programme at Sussex Coast College will be showcasing some of their work at 'Made in Hastings' located in High Street in the Old Town from 12th March. They have recently worked on creating a range of products for retail and this is a great opportunity to see what has been made and perhaps buy something from the hands of an up and coming local artist. Products include a cardboard box that turns inside out to become a clock, mugs that are decorated with stunning line drawings of the Old Town, zines and embroidery."

Ditto Press

The L5&L6 Professional Practice lecture this Thursday 21st February, will be given by Ben from DITTO PRESS.

11am Sallis Benney Theatre

Ditto Press is an independent publishing house and printing company based in London, specialising in the arts and creative print. They are the UK’s largest Risograph printers.

Clients include Tate, Nike, The Vinyl Factory, the ICA, V&A, Central Saint Martins, Architectural Association, Royal College of Art, Future Laboratory, Goldsmiths, The Wire, Wolf Ollins, Tom Vek, YCN, Neville Brody, Francis Upritchard, Kid Acne and Abake.

http://www.dittopress.co.uk/

http://www.dittopress.co.uk/blog/

Top illustrators return to Brighton

A star-studded line-up of the nation’s top illustrators has come together for a unique exhibition at the University of Brighton.

All of the artists on show have either graduated or taught at the university and they include Sir Quentin Blake CBE, famous for his characters like Mr Magnolia (below) and his illustration of the Roald Dahl books; Raymond Briggs, who created The Snowmanbook; and award-winning children’s books illustrator Emily Gravett.

‘Brighton Illustration: Then, Now, After…’ opens to the public from 18 January to 14 February at the University of Brighton Gallery at the Faculty of Arts in Grand Parade.

According to the organisers, the exhibition “aims to reflect on the diversity of work originating from the Illustration studios at Brighton over the last 40 years, celebrates achievements and highlights the possible directions illustrative practice may take in future.”

Other artists among the 130 exhibitors are George Hardie, best known for producing album covers for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd; John Vernon Lord, illustrator of album covers and children’s classics including Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark; and Peepshow Collective, the design studio launched by University of Brighton graduates. Lord's picture book The Giant Jam Sandwich has become a classic and has been in print worldwide since it was first published in 1972. John Vernon Lord taught at Brighton from 1961 to 1999 and continues to lecture occasionally after an association of over 50 years. 

In addition to The Snowman (1978), Raymond Briggs is best known for Father Christmas (1973), Fungus the Bogeyman (1977), When the Wind Blows (1982), The Tinpot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman (1984), The Man (1992) and Ethel & Ernest (1998).

Emily Gravett shot to national fame whilst still studying at the university: “In the last months of my illustration degree, I entered and was lucky enough to win a competition run by my current publishers Macmillan. This resulted in a publishing deal and a huge amount of happiness for me.” Gravett is probably most recognised for her children’s books including the award winning ‘Wolves’.

“The faculty has a distinct and innovative approach to Illustration, where students are encouraged to explore the boundaries of the discipline, encompassing both analogue and digital technology, drawing, painting, collage, animation, printmaking, film, music graphics, photography, ceramics, graphic novels, 3-D, static and interactive arts.”

The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday, 10am - 5pm.

18 January – 14 February 2013.

These are links to sites of some of the illustrators showing in the exhibition.

Sanna Annuka
Alice Pattullo
Margaret Huber
Chrissie Macdonald
Ben Phillips
Jasper Goodall
Alex Simpson
Isabel Greenberg
Benjamin Shadbolt
Gary Powell
Emily Gravett
Janet Woolley

John Vernon Lord

Riitta Ikonen.

Originally from Finland, Riitta is currently living between London and New York and is a keen collaborator, working mainly with photographers and making costumes in order to communicate with others.

Since 2003 Riitta has been sending mail art from all over the world to Margaret Huber here at the University of Brighton. To date over 200 post cards have been sent and received.

Riitta Ikonen received her BA from the University of Brighton and her MA from Royal College of Art in London.

http://www.riittaikonen.com/

The New York Times

The New York Times.com have compiled an annual collection of the best of their editorial illustration. The concepts ring loud and clear. 
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/12/21/opinion/20121230_YEAR-IN-ILLUSTRATIONS.html#/?slide=10
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/12/30/opinion/2011-year-in-op-art.html

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/12/28/opinion/20091228_2009-OPART.html?hp

Gray318

This week Jon Gray and Jamie Keenan of Gray318 will be giving the lecture at Grand Parade. They'll be talking about letterforms and book design. If you look at their site you can see just how diverse their approach to lettering is and clearly illustrators have a lot to learn from them.

There is also an exhibition in the main gallery of work by the BA illustrators. Taking these two things together this lecture is a must for everyone. Those who are applying to Brighton BA are particularly advised to go.

To see work by Gray318  http://gray318.com/