jesse auersalo ÉI K ANEKO sant tu mustonen MERIJN HOS j u s t i n B ly t h YEHTEH john paul thurloW JEANTI MORGAN BL AIR thomas lommee FOAM moVing Brands ANDREW SALOMONE UNFOLD STUDIO droog T EC HN O LO GY W IL L S AV E U S jane ni dhulchaointigh EUGINA MORPURGO s a r a h m ay c o c k LEIF PODHAJSK Y CHARLIE BEHRENS daniel lit tleWood GR ACE COOMBES marie o’conner FANAK ALO de Von Va rmeg a
m at t tay l o r f o r penguin Books Creating a fresh cover style for spy fiction legend John le Carré’s back catalogue
printed in the UK £15.00
RE ADY MADE PROJECTS mogollon neW york DANIEL HÅK ANSSON aleX andra gorcZynski JENNIS LI CHENG TIEN ma X parsons DAMIEN CORRELL JACK HUGHES cl ara terne OH YEAH STUDIO s y n e r gy c r e at i V e TOM BAGSHAW Va u lt4 9
j o r at c l i f f e for ke nZo Animating a stylish promo for the iconic fashion brand’s S/S 2012 collection
HANNAH STOUFFER mike friedrich M AT T TAY L O R
compUTerarTS.co.UK
james hines
I N S I G H T A N D I N S P I R AT I O N F R O M T HE G L O B A L D E S I G N I N D U S T R Y
£15 . 0 0 Part 03 Vol 01 computerar ts.co.uk
PIE TER DE GROOT ch a rl o t t e m a Ë Va p er re t
il l u s t r at i on
2 012
shane mcadams
hannah stouffer for nike usa Customising a sneaker for the Nike-sponsored San Francisco marathon
il lU S T r aT i o n
paul ferr agu t
issue no_03
Quentin jones
from airBrush to eighties pop The key movements and aesthetic trends driving today’s illustration scene
s c a n d i n aV i a n i n s p i r at i o n s Little-known places to inspire you, chosen by the region’s top illustrators
j o r at c l i f f e helloVon
michal dZiek an THE DCMI
helloVon KOKORO & MOI
HANNAH STOUFFER
k a i & sunn y for L IT T LE WHI TE L IES
m a t t t ay l o r
V il l e s aV im a a SIGGI ODDS ant ti uotil a K U S TA A S A K S I Bo lundBerg EDVA RD S C OT T u g ly l o g o FRODE SK AREN
Va u lt4 9 J O R AT C L I F F E
s e r i a l c u t f o r t o y o ta
joÃo oliVeira PEPPERMELON
JESSE AUERSALO
part 03
plus:
ARS THANE A
vol 01
SERIAL CUT k ai & sunny
ar s thane a for fitc a m s t e r d a m 2 0 12
3
serial cut
l imi ted e di t ion douBle-sided i l l u s t r at e d p o s t e r i n s i d e plus: e XclusiVe insights and B e h i n d -t h e - s c e n e s V i d e o d i a r i e s r e V e a l h o W V a u lt4 9 c r e at e d i t
K AI & SUNNY sant tu mustonen V IL L E S AV IM A A joÃo oliVeira EDVA RD S C OT T Bo lundBerg ANT TI UOTIL A jack hughes
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f r o m a ir B r u s h t o e i g h t ie s p o p
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i l l u s t r at i o n
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FranklinTill reveals seven influential aesthetic styles that are currently permeating illustration. 59
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l imi t e d e d i t i o n il l u s t r at e d p o s t e r
f e at u r e d
The final output of this issue’s Studio Project is bound into every edition of Computer Arts Collection.
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B e hind -t he- s c e ne s V id eo d i a r ie s
Over 45 minutes of intimate video to supplement Vault49’s in-depth walkthrough of the entire creation process for our double-sided poster.
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he l l oVo n in t e r V ie W Prolific illustrator Von welcomes us into his live-work space to discuss music, the power of reduction and the value of personal work.
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s c a nd in aV i a n in s p ir at i o n s
We explore the region that boasts more than its share of illustration talent, and pick out a few lesserknown places to inspire you.
CONTENTS
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VOL 01 PART 03
i l l u s t r at i o n
tr e n d r e p o r t 46
in t r o d u c t i o n Our carefully curated selection of stunning illustration work from around the world.
industr y focus
in t r o d u c t i o n Stay ahead of the curve with our in-depth guide to the visual styles currently permeating illustration, produced exclusively for Computer Arts Collection by experienced trend forecasting agency FranklinTill.
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m a c r o t r e n d ( pic t ur e d )
in Brief
How open-source software, 3D printing and other developments are putting design and production firmly in the hands of consumers.
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mi c r o t r e n d s
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The seven key illustration styles that will be pushing art directors’ buttons over the next year:
psychedelia j e s s e au e r s a l o ( pic t ur e d )
native
É i k a n e ko
mash up
s an t tu mus tonen
phone art
m e r ijn h o s
B r u s h s t r o ke
j u s t in B l y t h
80s pop
ye h t e h
airbrush
john paul thurlow jeanti Q u e n t in j o n e s m o r g a n B l a ir
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s t a t e o f t h e in d u s t r y : il l u s t r a t i o n Creative briefs are being scaled back in line with declining marketing budgets – so what opportunities and threats do illustrators face?
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o p in i o n a n d a n a l y s i s Three leading industry figures discuss the burning issues:
anna goodson Agents still have a place in the modern industry, and can bring your work to a wider audience.
CONTENTS
Ben o’Brien So long as you’re savvy enough at business skills and self-promotion, agents are no longer essential.
rod hunt The Chairman of the AOI provides an expert overview of the industry.
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studio project 83
process
progress
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in t r o d u c t i o n
in t r o d u c t i o n
in t r o d u c t i o n For the third instalment in our Studio Project series, follow Vault49 through every stage of the process as the New York-based studio creates a limited-edition illustrated poster exclusively for CA Collection – from initial brainstorm, through the different phases of illustration, and into production. You’ll find the poster bound in at page 114.
Deep behind the scenes of some of the past year’s best illustration projects.
Tackle fresh creative challenges in animation and 3D illustration.
2d - s t y l e a n i m a t i o n
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p r oj e c t f o c u s: h a n n a h s t o u f f e r f o r nike ( p i c t ur e d )
Nathan Drabsch walks through the DCMI’s series of Fox Classics idents
3d i l l u s t r a t i o n João Oliveira on how he combines Illustrator and Cinema 4D
sections
Creating a bespoke running shoe for the Nike-sponsored San Francisco Women’s Marathon.
3d a n im a t i o n
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in d e p t h
Martin Dasnoy at PepperMelon breaks down a recent spot for MTV
From brief to debrief, with input from both studio and client:
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m a t t tay l o r f o r p e n g u in B o o k s j o r a t c l i f f e f o r ke n z o
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in b r i e f
Three inspiring illustration projects:
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k a i & s u n ny f o r Little White Lies ars thanea for fitc a m s t e r d a m 2012
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All the key info and contact details for every studio and freelancer featured in this issue.
introduction
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TREND REP ORT
YOUR IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO EXCITING MOVEMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATION, CURATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR COMPUTER ARTS COLLECTION BY TREND FORECASTING AGENCY franklintill
kate franklin Franklin has 15 years’ experience producing trend reports and brand strategy for some of the world’s leading brands, including Louis Vuitton, Samsung, Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. Before co-founding FranklinTill in 2010, she was creative director at The Future Laboratory.
caroline till An alumna of the Royal College of Art, Till has worked as a freelance designer and researcher for a diverse range of clients, including Gucci, Philips, the V&A and the Design Council, and was also design editor at The Future Laboratory for four years. www.franklintill.com
franklintill is a creative consultancy: we work with clients to provide alternative, inspirational ways to develop products and optimise brand experiences. Our expertise in trend forecasting and brand strategy is core to our process. Our ongoing series of Trend Reports for Computer Arts Collection are divided into two sections. They start by exploring a broad ‘macro’ trend, which we predict will have an impact on the whole creative industry over the next 12 months. This is followed by a series of aesthetic ‘micro’ trends that are currently visible, including the key designers and studios responsible for driving this emerging visual landscape, starting on page 56. Technology is becoming more important than ever before for a new creative economy in which collaboration and co-creation is key to the making of a product or brand. In this issue’s macro trend, we explore how technology and new innovations are fuelling this hands-on, do-it-yourself attitude. User generated content, online social networks, crowd sourcing, self-publishing, 3D printers and community initiatives are creating a multitude of micro brands, collaborative products and selfinitiated projects – read on to find out more.
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introduction
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s ta g e f o u r
choo sing t he final c o l o u r pa l e t t e
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VAULT49 THROWS OPEN THE CHOICE OF FINAL COLOURWAYS TO THE WHOLE STUDIO TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN supporting video: In part five of Vault49’s extended video diary, the team discusses the pros and cons of their favourite colourways, before reviewing the final proofs in part six – see page 115 for more info
There were STill one or Two Tiny changeS To be maDe To The DeSignS aT ThiS poinT. This was mainly because Nick from CA Collection asked if we could include a flash with the magazine logo and sponsorship message – a very common client request! Luckily the timing was perfect as we were just getting ready to make one final check for any mistakes or overlapping key lines. With all the changes and final tweaks made, we ran out both designs at actual size using the latest addition to the office – an Epson Pro 9890 large format roll printer. This meant we could see everything exactly as it would be printed, and could check to make sure everything was correct before the colouring up process. We did one last check and corrected any minor errors. Once all the options were in front of us, it was time to start editing down the selection to find the best combination for both sides. With everything double – and even triple – checked we moved both designs from Illustrator over into Photoshop. This would give us better control over colouring up the layers and avoid any elements or strokes using different colour values. All of the extra layers were removed in Illustrator, and we also outlined all strokes and expanded all objects to ensure that, when copied across, nothing was lost or altered in the design. After each layer of the design was brought into Photoshop we turned them 100 per cent black, giving us a flat solid layer of artwork. This was repeated for each colour on both sides of the artwork. Once all the layers were imported, we selected the shapes for each layer and created masked colourfills, which brought the designs back to life once layered on top of each other. This gave us confidence that all the layers of colour being provided for PMS printing were 100 per cent correct with no hidden shades or transparencies.
colour is a vital part of design. it can be the fine line between making your work stand off the shelves or blend into the background. d u n c a m s h a m - S eni o r D e S i g ner
With the last updates now complete for both sides of the poster, we were happy that everything had finally come together nicely. We were able to focus the remaining time on fine-tuning our initial thoughts on the colour process, using a palette of four PMS colours. This stage of the design was always going to be a challenge as there were so many opinions on how to use the four PMS colours throughout the two designs. We definitely didn’t want to use the standard flag colours, as the designs themselves communicated the message enough without the need for traditional supporting colour. The easiest way to approach the colour choice was to get everyone in the studio involved, for if each person came up with two colour suggestions then there would be 30 or 40 ideas on the table within the space of about 20 minutes. So we shared the Photoshop files with the whole studio. This meant that w w w.c omputerar ts.c o.uk
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In order to reach a studio consensus, Vault49 decided to put the top five colourways for each side of the poster to the vote.
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siX pro tips How to get maximum impact from colour Always look at how your peers are pushing the boundaries. It can be very easy to focus too much on design colourways without considering what other people have been doing recently. Looking at colour trends and your favourite design posters can often provide some great inspiration. 01
If you’re using a limited colour palette, then there’s always the option to spread colour further. Using lower percentages of a colour can help to give different tones within the artwork, or overlapping can create new colours via duotone. This process can produce unexpected results, so it’s always best to work closely with your printer to achieve the exact result you’re looking for. 02
Colouring up in Photoshop can be a lot faster if the design has already been approved. Some people prefer Illustrator, which is fine, but having simple masked colour fill layers enables you to make very fast changes to very complicated designs. 03
Always consider pushing the colour palette to unexpected places in your designs. Simply adding something as subtle as a UV gloss over certain areas can add a huge amount of perceived value – plus it usually looks great too.
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You can’t always work with your preferred printer on every single job, so if you’re working with someone new then always be sure to make everything as clear as possible for them. Working alongside the print studio during the press process should help achieve exactly the result you’re after. 05
Listen to your printer. If you’re suggesting something that they know from experience will look terrible, take on board any comments and suggestions they may have. They are normally correct, and it’ll help to avoid any nasty accidents. 06
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The final round of voting took place and we finally decided on a winner – the non-traditional idea, with the metallic spot colours. We felt that this option looked more celebratory, tying in with our tenth birthday, and also felt the most timeless and cool as an overall piece of artwork. Our chosen palette is actually only three PMS colours in total – Pantone Blue 540C on both sides, Metallic Gold 871C on the UK side, and Metallic Silver 877C on the US side. We then added depth by varying the transparency of the two metallic spots (30% Silver on the US side, and 40% Gold on the UK side) which helped with the shading for some of the more complex NYC buildings, as well as the detail on the lion’s mane. With everything chosen we applied all the PMS colours to their respective Photoshop layers, then double-checked everything was labelled, working and looking correct. Once all the files were ready, we received the folding template from CA Collection that our poster needed adapting to. We had to ensure that everything was lined up correctly and, in some places, adjust the bleed to accommodate where the poster was bound into the magazine. Finally, all the files were set up and sent off. Everyone was happy with the result, and as it was a Friday we all headed off down for a drink at our favourite little speakeasy – you’ve got to love NYC.
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our background in screenprinting has given us a great understanding of colour overlays, transparency and the importance of designing away from a computer screen.
everyone was able to quickly and easily create a few colourways each to give us a massive selection of options in a very short amount of time. Once all the colour suggestions had been made it was simply a task of going through and editing the ideas down to just our favourite five. This was much harder than we thought, but after a lot of shouting and a couple of small fights we eventually had our top five ideas in front of us. There was a good combination of ideas in the top five palettes. We had options using silver and gold specials; some featuring a more classic look using UV varnish; the traditional flag colours and also another with metallic inks. It was now a simple case of voting again to find the top two. Another round of shouting and fighting ensued, with people getting very passionate about why their palette was better than the next. Eventually we whittled it down to two favourites that were very different from each other – one quite traditional and the other with a more celebratory feel. The traditional palette used a mixture of oranges, navy blue, and a spot UV varnish over the elements within the designs. The only issue with this palette was that the poster used the same colours on both sides, whereas the other idea used a mixture of golds, a silver and a metallic navy blue, allowing each side to feel unique.
s ta g e f o u r – c h o o s i n g t h e f i n a l c o l o u r pa l e t t e
The colourways that Vault49 explored ranged from a traditional red, white and blue combo through to more experimental, unexpected combinations. Eventually the studio settled on gold, silver and blue.