BENTO Issue 01 by Bento Box Design Studio

March 2017

ISSUE | 01 FEATURING PERTH BASED GRAPHIC DESIGNER BROOK WELLS

BENTO is a bi-annual online magazine of all things art and design brought to you by Bento Box Design Studio. A collection of innovative and eye-catching visuals in the one place ready to inspire and open your mind to new and exciting things. BENTO prides itself in featuring emerging creatives consisting of local, national & international talent. We understand how important it is to follow your passion and how little opportunities there are for you to get your name out there. Through BENTO, we want to connect aspiring designers together with other like-minded individuals all across the world. Bento Box Design Studio aims to build a wide community involving all facets of art and design. If you are interested in becoming a contributor and submitting a piece for our next issue please follow the steps found at bentoboxstudio.com.au/press . We would love to see what else is swimming around in the minds of creatives. If you would like to work with us on any further issues of BENTO we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is prohibited in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed “Attn: BENTO Permission,” to info@bentoboxstudio.com.au The views expressed in BENTO Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the publisher, company or its staff. Cover artwork by Brook Wells © 2017 Bento Magazine All rights reserved

EDITOR

FEAT URED D ES I G NER

Bento Box Design Studio

Br ook W el l s

STU DI O DIRE CTOR

CONT RI BUTORS

Leeanne Nguyen leeanne@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Blake Cantrell - Nocturn Jensine Datu - The Simplest Solution Joseph Filocamo - Fetch Machine Emma Francesca Kelly - Head Tales: Stories that Heal Joseph Leong - Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dead Kim Nguyen - Sightful Chris Plunkett - Advertising in VR - Scuba Experience Sarah Price - Little Egg Joshua Rowdon - Social Media Darling

CREATIVE DIR E CTOR Tristan Ta tristan@bentoboxstudio.com.au

ART D IRE CTOR Monica Widjajana monica@bentoboxstudio.com.au

M A RKE RT ING DIR E CTOR

S OCI A L S

Ashvin Nair ashvin@bentoboxstudio.com.au

I N S T A G R A M | @bentobox.studio F A C E B O O K | @bentobox.studio D R I B B B L E | Bento Box Design Studio

DESIGNE D BY

S UBSCRI P T I ON

Bento Box Design Studio

bentoboxstudio.com.au

P RES S press@bentoboxstudio.com.au bentoboxstudio.com.au/press/ BENTO is proudly published twice a year

BENTO ISSUE 01

BROOK WELLS

1 2

B L A K E C A N T R E L L

JENSINE DATU

JOSEPH FILOCAMO

EMMA FRANCESCA KELLY

JOSEPH LEONG

KIM NGUYEN

CHRIS PLUNKETT

SARAH PRICE

JOSHUA ROWDON

BROOK WELLS ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 27

We caught up with Perth local Designer Brook Wells to talk about the ins and outs of his illustration style and techniques, his experience in the industry and any other tips he can share with our fellow designer friends. Starting out as a Computer Science major, he instead followed his passion and developed his skills to get to where he is today. After studying at Central TAFE with an Advanced Diploma, Wells has successfully established his own brand and is now known for his quirky and colourful icons. His works have been featured in many social blogs, commercial websites and other online platforms, both for business and personal uses. Much like other artists, he does not have a specific audience as he creates his icons for himself. In a way, they represent who he is a person; his interests, character and personality. How would you describe your style? If I had to describe my style in one sentence it would be “free-flowing, whimsical and cute”. I tend to use bright colours in my work to convey an eccentric emotion that can immediately catch people’s attention. I also use various shades and contrasting hues to create depth without straying too much from the two-dimensional aesthetic. This style is uniquely mine as it is what identifies me as an Iconographer.

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Do you have any influences? My Icons are not inspired by anything specific. The ideas just come into my head randomly as I do my daily activities. If I feel like creating kitchen icons today, I do so. However, I am fascinated by the idea of space, as evident in my selection of work and having an astronaut to visually represent my brand. Vancouver based illustrator Meg Robichaud (@megdraws) is someone I’d like to mention. She has influenced my style of work and colour palette. What I like about her artwork is that she has a good understanding of how to incorporate her illustrations into a design landscape. I admire how she has more than one style when she produces an illustration. In terms of designing icons, Justas Galaburda (@iconutopia) has been a big influence and has helped me improve by providing me with feedback. I have learnt that small details are important such as using a grid. Are there any tips you could share with other Designers who are pursuing freelance work? Freelancing is not the easiest path to take, but if you are really passionate about what you’re doing have faith and don’t stray away from it. I would avoid freelance websites such as Design Crowd, as it would lower your reputation. Only “designers” who are desperate use it

TITLE | The Cool Kids

TITLE | Snowman Selfie

and most of the time they are just ripping off other people’s hard work. The most important thing to do is building your online presence! Consider social media your best friend and consistently upload your work on platforms such as Behance or Dribbble to increase brand exposure. I cannot stress how important it is to get your name out there and stand out from the crowd. Your style of work will speak for itself and visually represent you as a designer.

Has your work ever been plagiarised? One of my friends actually pointed out a poster that they came across by an English nightclub and it was a collage I created that had been used without my permission or even crediting me. At the time I let it slide because I didn’t think it was worth the effort to confront them. The nightclub was pretty small but if it was a medium or large sized business I definitely would have taken further action.

Have you encountered any client nightmares? I had to work with a client who didn’t reply to any of my messages for at least two months, which made work a lot harder. They eventually got back to me and being the typical client, they pulled the “I’ll know what I want when I see it” card. All I got were complaints and no creative direction that I could take on board. Not only that, they wanted a masterpiece for a very cheap price. After a few days they completely disregarded my effort and ditched me for a “better and more established” design agency.

What design cliche do you hate the most? Straight up drop shadows. It is so overused and show lack of creativity.

What was your dream job as a child? My dream job as a child was to be an Animator, but I wasn’t really sure on an exact style that represents me at the time. Disney movies, especially The Lion King, inspired me and had me wanting to illustrate children’s story books. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In 10 years, I definitely want to be living in Canada. I feel Canada is pretty chilled and I would hope to be freelance designing full time. Where did the name HolidaySun come from? So it’s actually a bunch of random words I put together. I thought it made me sound clever and it’s kinda stuck ever since.

Pizza toppings you can’t live without? Uhhh...Chicken, Capsicum and Corn. It’s a pretty strange combination, I know. The heart wants what the heart wants. DESCRIPTION // The Cool Kid s was made for Halloween, an idea that was inspired by the movie, “The Lost Boys.” I collaborated with other designers online to make a Halloween sticker pack that would be put on the Apple store. We all submitted our work and I specifically chose to do a character that appears arrogant, mischievous and deceiving - figured it was perfect for that holiday. The Snowman Selfie was made for an emoji website that encouraged other artists to contribute to the collection. The goal was to interpret an emoji of our choice and transform it into something different and unique. Considering that I have never seen snow before, I decided to choose the snowman emoji as I thought it would be fun putting my own spin on it. If i ever see snow, I would do exactly what the title says.

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“ H AV E F A I T H I N Y O U R P A S S I O N , D O N ’ T S T R AY AWAY F R O M I T .”

Being true to yourself and your convictions is so important BROOK WELLS

BLAKE CANTRELL ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 23

I N S T A G R A M | @rant ers9 3 F A C E B O O K | @b l ak ec ant rel l i l l ust ra tion W E B S I T E | b l ak ec ant rel l i l l ust rat i on. s qua re s pa ce . com T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // ‘Nocturn’ is a commissioned art print I illustrated for a client. There was no real brief supplied, only that the piece be ‘cool’, bold and vibrant, in order to be hung within the client’s agency. The two headed owl was chosen to symbolise pride, wisdom and mystery, bringing tattoo and fantasy elements to the piece. These are common elements in my work. I gained inspiration from artists Ken Taylor and Becky Cloonan, with OMG Posters and MONDO also being inspirational hubs for art prints and posters. DESIGN PROCESS // After thumb-nailing, I scan in my cleaned, tight pencil sketch into Adobe Photoshop. Then the real fun begins as I start to ink over the sketch using the solid fill black brush. This is by far the most time consuming element of my process, as I’m extremely particular about the flow of my line work. Following that, I lay the solid base colours and varying tones beneath. From there it’s just about building layers of colour detail until the piece is done! How would you describe your style? The more line work, the better. I almost always build my illustrations around black line work of varying thickness with solid and tonal colours laid underneath. For me there’s nothing more satisfying than digitally inking over my sketches. The quality of the lines and black fill often dictates the designs’ final look. Overall, my style is relatively simple but I love including as much detail as I can when appropriate. I’m actually looking to simplify the colouring within my illustrations relying less on gradients and unnecessary tones and more on flat colours. Australian illustrators Ken Taylor and Ivan Belikov are whom I draw stylistic inspiration from. Two unique facts about Blake! // I once hand fed a manatee // I’m extremely good with actors names and which movies they’ve been in

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TITLE | Nocturn

TITLE | The Simplest Solutions

JENSINE DATU ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 24

I N S T A G R A M | @b aaad l and sb adhe a ds F A C E B O O K | @b aaad l and s T O O L S | P en and I nk

DESCRIPTION // The Kirin is a mythological Japanese creature similar to cryptozoology chimera, a confusing jumble of animal limbs, often seen as an omen of serenity. ‘The Simplest Solutions’ depicts the emotions one feels that are too difficult to confront. At face value the subject cannot comprehend what this creature is and the easiest way to deal with the issue is to cut it down and destroy it, despite what tranquility it could bring if they were to accept it. DESIGN PROCESS // I am currently attempting to be more patient with my art, but my design process is straightforward. I’ll pull a concept from my head and begin to sketch the piece, adding layer by layer in pencil before inking in the whole piece. How would you describe your style? Being an introvert my pieces are always driven by emotions or behaviors I see in myself or others close to me. Drawing concepts from folktales and Eastern mythology, my work is strongly influenced by Ukiyo-E art and the Taijitu-yin, creating a world of mysterious and feminine energy, detailed in black and white. Two unique facts about Jensine! // Despite all the black, pink is my favourite colour // I could eat dumplings everyday

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JOSEPH FILOCAMO ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 29

F A C E B O O K | @J oeF i l oc amoA rt W E B S I T E | t heart i st i c eng i neer.c om T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fetch Machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a sample piece from a series I am currently working on exploring the idea of crossing animals with hands/feet and other human elements. This concept came from playing with the ideas of shadow puppetry as well as the idea of fantastic beasts whose natural functions could be enhanced or modified by introducing the opposable thumb (like a self-fetching canine). DESIGN PROCESS // I usually begin my ideation through thought experiments, combined with the stream of consciousness, doodling to help generate raw imagery that I can refine into concepts. I use a combination of traditional inking and digital drawing to come up with refined line-work which I can then colour digitally. How would you describe your style? My style would be described as surrealist, highly stylised stream of consciousness digital illustration. Two unique facts about Joseph! // I work as a structural engineer by day, illustrator and live caricaturist by night (the right/left brain favouritism never really applied to me growing up) // I write with my right hand, but kick with my left foot (more right/left brain cross-wiring!)

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TITLE | Fetch Machine

EMMA FRANCESCA KELLY ILLUSTRATOR | DUNEDIN, NZ A G E | 36

DESCRIPTION // A book cover and article illustration for an online publication titled ‘Head Tales: Stories that Heal’, produced by CAN (Perth, WA). Designed by Emma Francesca; and featuring various WA illustrators. Head Tales was a storytelling project designed to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness and ignite the inner storyteller in participants. This work was inspired by the article it accompanied ‘Tina the Terrific’, with a out of this world superhero feel I wanted to evoke Tina’s love of swimming with the fishes and sleeping under the stars. To view the full book: www.issuu.com/communityartsnetwork/docs/can_head_tales_book DESIGN PROCESS // I begin my design process with vintage collaging and then use mixed media to develop my concept. I incorporate techniques such as photographing textures and traditional drawing methods to produce my final artwork. How would you describe your style? My art takes many forms, from figurative painting, design, sculpting, animation to photography and picture book making. Stories of altered perceptions, archetypal figures and fictitious creatures, hark back to the ancient traditions of classical fables. Two unique facts about Emma! // Lived in Tonga // Had night terrors as a child

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JOSEPH LEONG ANIMATOR | AUCKLAND, NZ A G E | 24

I N S T A G R A M | @jojosp ac el eong F A C E B O O K | @jojol eong art W E B S I T E | z eal ousx.wi xsi t e.c om/ joj ole onga nima tion T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // I based my painting ‘Jimmy’s Dead’ on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, “The Child in the Grave” and adopted my own theme and visuals based on how I interpreted the story. DESIGN PROCESS // My design process is pretty standard with the initial stages involving a lot of research into the background story of the subject when interpreting original artworks. I then take my ideas into Adobe Photoshop and digitally sketch out thumbnails. Now comes the hard part! I pick out the best concept and polish till I am happy! How would you describe your style? As an ultimate goal I have wanted to work for Disney or Pixar and have adapted a similar painterly style to my own pieces. Two unique facts about Joseph! // I am always looking for new ways to create things // I love exploring and travelling

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TITLE | Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dead

TITLE | Sightful

KIM NGUYEN VISUAL ARTIST | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @k i mk .art T O O L S | P enc i l ( grap hi t e)

DESCRIPTION // During university, I worked on conceptual pieces dealing with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; an autoimmune disease. I have been trying to accept this disease through expressing my perspective of it through art. ‘Sightful’ is about how I became more aware of the disease itself. I have not yet controlled it, but I have learnt to know what is expected, and how my body works. ‘Sightful’ represents the healing process and self growth. DESIGN PROCESS // My design process is quite simple as I use traditional drawing methods to produce my art pieces. I hand draw, carefully add in precise details and then shade in my artwork using graphite pencils. How would you describe your style? My style of art is based on the distortion of human body parts, contrasted with natural subjects, presenting the contrast between life and death. It is controlled style of work where details are precise and clean cut. Two unique facts about Kim! // I have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus // Been drawing since I was a child

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CHRIS PLUNKETT GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 26

I N S T A G R A M | @i l l usi vd esi gn F A C E B O O K | @i l l usi vd esi gn W E B S I T E | l l usi vd esi gn.c om T O O L S | A ut od esk M aya, Uni t y Engine , Adobe Audition, Adobe Illus tra tor, A d ob e I nd esi gn.

DESCRIPTION // ‘Advertising in VR - Scuba Experience’ was created to accompany my exegesis (ambient advertising.) The interactive advertisement allows the user to go scuba diving in virtual reality to advertise Curtin stadium and it’s experiences which will be offered to students and staff. I was inspired by my own experiences with scuba diving and my passion for experiencing new and exciting things. DESIGN PROCESS // I followed the standard design processes used in art direction at the conceptual stage in order to make sure the whole experience would work as an advertisement. From here, I sketched out every aspect of the environments I wanted to create and built them in Autodesk Maya. Everything was then assembled in the Unity Engine and from here scripts in C# to link the environments together and to operate their smaller details. I then worked on adjustments to the advertisements audio scripts and created the audio components of the advertisement in Adobe Audition. How would you describe your style? My style as a designer varies considerably depending on the project I am working on or the needs of the client. However, I find myself most commonly sticking to a neat, clean corporate style more often than not. As this project was designed as an interactive virtual reality experience I adopted a style with an emphasis on visual aesthetics and immersion - in 3D production the end result is highly dependent on the needs of the client/project. Two unique facts about Chris! // I’m incredibly interested in VR and it’s potential to many industries // I get way more excited about typefaces than I rightfully should

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TITLE | Advertising in VR - Scuba Experience

TITLE | Little Egg (vimeo.com/171204616)

SARAH PRICE GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 24

I N S T A G R A M | @sarahp ri c ed esign F A C E B O O K | @sarahp ri c ed esign. a u W E B S I T E | sarahp ri c ed esi g n.com T O O L S | A d ob e F l ash & A d ob e Photos hop

DESCRIPTION // ‘Little Egg’ is a fun and engaging stop motion animation created to entertain and inspire. This animation is primarily targeted at those who have a passion for art house cinema. ‘Little Egg’ tells a short story of a baby creature’s struggle to hatch out of its egg. This storyline was inspired by both the Pixar lamp animation & Scrat from Ice Age. DESIGN PROCESS // Everything was hand drawn by myself, scanned, and then edited in Adobe Photoshop. I finally take my finished artwork and use Adobe Flash to animate it. How would you describe your style? ‘Little Egg’ is a stop motion animation with an art house cinema genre/style. The style is unique and artistic due to it’s hand drawn nature. Two unique facts about Sarah! // I am the captain of a social beach Volleyball team // Many people tell me I am outright honest, but in a good way.

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JOSHUA ROWDON ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 28

I N S T A G R A M | @josh.rowd onart F A C E B O O K | @joshrowd oni l l ust ra tion W E B S I T E | joshrowd oni l l ust rat i on. com T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop , A c ryl ic, Pris mcolor Pe ncil

DESCRIPTION // â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Social Media Darlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is an allegory for modern day social media narcissism that I feel permeates so much of the online community. Users become obsessed with no longer portraying their actual lives, instead choosing to post doctored photos, depicting an altered version of reality. These images are often used to promote products, places or the individuals themselves for some sort of monetary gain. DESIGN PROCESS // First of all the design is digitally sketched out in Adobe Photoshop allowing me to easily make edits. It is then printed out to a full size scale and transferred onto watercolour paper. I then airbrush all of the base colours in acrylic paint. Finally I use prismacolor pencils to add highlights and shadows. How would you describe your style? My style is a blend of both painted realism and comic book illustration. I try not to reproduce my subjects hyper-realistically, instead choosing to impart some of my own aesthetic sensibilities, which have been heavily influenced by a lifelong love of comic books. Two unique facts about Joshua! // I am studying a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy // I currently hold a purple belt rank in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

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TITLE | Social Media Darling

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