Are we there yet? Illustration at UCA 2015 A
Contents Are we there yet?
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BA Illustration
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Student Work
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Reportage 44 Barcelona 48 Risograph 50 Materiality and Narrative Illustration
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Visiting Lecturers
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Rubber Stamping – Stephen Fowler
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Erasmus Exchange
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MA Illustration
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Where are they now? – Alumni
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Student Feedback
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Student Directory
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Cover: Josh Lewis
Colophon 78
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Are we there yet? ‘Are we there yet?’ is the 2015 UCA BA (hons) Illustration year book accompanying the Graduate Show at UCA Farnham and UCA BA Illustration show at D&AD New Blood July 2015. The Illustration graduate show features work created using a variety of media and processes, from drawing, printmaking, collage, painting, digital drawing, book arts and risograph printing. What connects the work is an underlying strength in visual narrative and storytelling. Many students have produced excellent books, and although the books are beautifully made, illustrated and produced, their real strengths are in the messages they communicate about our contemporary culture and not the aesthetics or medium in which they do this. Good illustration is defined by its message, and not by its medium.
Josh Lewis
The title of the publication this year, reflects the creative journey that the graduating students, have come on since starting their degree three years ago, as well as their transition into the professional environment and their future careers. But what lies ahead for them? They will need to be determined, but never has the range of opportunities and contexts for production of Illustration, been as wide and exciting, as in recent years. The traditional illustrative processes of drawing, printmaking, painting and bookbinding complement and merge with new processes enabled by new media. Illustrators produce work for production in the traditional terrain of
print, in publishing, editorial, packaging and design, as well as new areas such as online publishing, illustrated digital applications, surface pattern design, games and exhibition design, television and product merchandising. The new illustrator needs to be adaptable, flexible and entrepreneurial in order to respond to the rapidly changing nature and opportunities, which our visual culture demands, but also to explore and create new contexts for illustration in the future. As illustrators they also have many transferrable skills, which are in demand with employers outside of the creative industries. They are excellent researchers, entreprenuers, communicators, team players, problem solvers, project managers, visual and critical thinkers as well as being sensitive to their surroundings and those they work with. These are exciting and challenging times for our graduates to be launching their careers. We would like to congratulate them on their success on the course and wish them luck in their future creative careers. Be proud to be an illustrator and remember its about the message, not the medium! Jane Cradock-Watson Course Leader BA & MA Illustration
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BA Illustration UCA’s specialist Illustration course, based at the Farnham campus, has a strong reputation for visual narrative and storytelling, underpinned by an understanding that the best illustrations are based on exciting, original ideas. The course offers students a real emphasis on visual experimentation, investigation and innovation, supported by the development of strong idea development, drawing and storytelling skills. Based in studios packed with industrystandard resources, students have access to an extensive range of facilities on campus for printmaking, book production, animation, Mac suites, digital printing, 3D workshops, textiles, photography and moving image. The course is ideally suited to students who want to develop a strong, individual style and explore the relationship between illustration and the wider socio-political and cultural contexts of contemporary life. Illustrators have a unique way of seeing the world, then interpreting and communicating this visually to a wider audience - harnessing both the traditional techniques of drawing, printmaking, painting and bookmaking, as well as new processes and media, such as digital drawing and illustration, digital photography, online publishing and interactive illustration.
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Students investigate ideas through drawing, text and image, sequential narrative, book production, animation, printmaking and creative writing, and have the opportunity to explore a diverse range of media, processes and techniques that reflects the evolving nature of contemporary illustration. The course curriculum and delivery reflects recent trends in the creative industries for illustrators to be collaborative and flexible, initiating new opportunities for shared and individual work. Students are taught largely through studio-based projects and workshops, supported by regular tutorials and group reviews - there’s also a lively programme of visiting speakers, practical skills-based workshops, pop up exhibitions and external visits.
Below: Illustration by Demetri Merry-Taylor
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Le Gun mural
Above: Life drawing by Li Xue
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Jenna Brown
Student Work 6
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Elizabeth Peters 8
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Jack Clarke 10
Billie Cadogan 11
Rachel Joseph 12
Guy Randall 13
Hardy Mayes 14
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Isabel Ballard 16
Hannah Keane (right) 17
Sophie Hatton 18
Katie Briggs 19
Emily Fluen 20
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Emma Burgess 22
Charlotte Lawrence (right) 23
Josh Lewis 24
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Ida Kortelainen 26
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Mitko Karakolev 28
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Oliver Filmer 30
Emma Stephenson (right) 31
Jenna Brown 32
Louis Burrows (right) 33
Louis Dyson (left) 34
Louise Smith 35
Natalia Burczak 36
Laura Coppolaro 37
Chloe Davis 38
Richard Williams (right) 39
Demetri Merry-Taylor 40
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Nearly there Emily Fluen
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Reportage
The passion that Hokusai reflects here about drawing, although extreme is where we would like our students to be. In an ideal world we want our students to be “mad about drawing”. The most important aspect of this Documentary project is that the ‘stories’ develop through the students first hand investigations and experiences. Their material is based in reality and requires an in-depth engagement with the people/ activities/ locations involved. The result needs to be a personal viewpoint that comes across in a primarily visual manner. In many ways this unit reaches the basics of illustration, where drawing is an essential element. Initially, the students are asked to investigate their subject through drawing, 44
interviewing and note-taking. Later they need to choose appropriate methods/ techniques to tell the story in the most suitable and powerful way. It is important to understand the strength of the initial drawings; in some cases they need to think carefully about developing these initial drawings further, through the selection of different media; in other cases they could edit their initial drawings in such a way, so they form the main body of the ‘final piece.’ This is an opportunity to explore more concepts and vehicles, other than books (e.g. through posters, projections, installations, photography, animation, print, 3D, writing, audio) and to produce several different final visual solutions. The ‘final piece’ can be a single outcome or split into several mini projects. These outcomes, and the subjects chosen were varied. A butchers shop, a day centre, an outdoor museum, airport, hairdressers, bridal shop, jewelers, hip hop dance class, sweet shop, tattoo parlour, country park and zoo to name a few. Most of the students went into the project very nervous at the prospect of engaging people with their drawings, and came out with improved drawing skills and the confidence to push their work into the world. It hopefully encourages a lifelong habit to be a visual journalist, being aware of your surroundings and recording them. – Robin Chevalier
Right: Illustration by Li Xue
“From the age of six I had a mania for drawing the shapes of things. When I was fifty I had published a universe of designs, but all I have done before the age of seventy is not worth bothering with. At seventy five I’ll have learned something of the pattern of nature, of animals, of plants, of trees, birds, fish and insects. When I am eighty, you will see real progress. At ninety I shall have cut my way deeply into the mystery of life itself. At a hundred I shall be a marvelous artist. At a hundred and ten everything I create; a dot, a line, will jump to life as never before. To all of you who are going to live as long as I do, I promise to keep my word. I am writing this in my old age. I used to call myself Hokusai, but today I sign my self ‘The Old Man Mad About Drawing.’ ”– Hokusai, The Drawings of Hokusai
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Illustration by Ciaran McGuinness
Right: Illustration by Li Xue
This page: Naba Rai
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Barcelona Between mouthfuls of cereal, bread, cheese, ham, more cheese, ham, juice, coffee, I asked one of our students what he had done the day before. “I went on the Metro to the end of the line”. “Why?” I said. “To see what was there” he replied, “And what was there?” “a village, I did some drawing and came back.” We were sitting on the breakfast terrace of the Urbany Hostel, sun shining and this need for exploration had been a theme for the trip. We had decided to visit a European city this year and Barcelona had to be at the top of the list. The intention was a cultural sojourn of drawing, exhibitions and landmarks, but inevitably hedonism joined in and created an intoxicating experience.
Illustration by Robin Chevalier
The city is a place to explore and to wander. We went to Fundacio Joan Miro, Museu Picasso, Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Museu d’Art Contemporani. A group of students visited the National Museum of Catalunja and were stunned by the exhibits. Many more, smaller galleries were researched and found, or stumbled upon. Books, comics and graphic novels were catered for at “Fatbottom”, “Kowasa” and “La Cova”. We all walked away with vintage clothing bought by the weight. I was particularly impressed by 1970’s leisure shirts while the students were rocking 80’s sports wear. The architecture was a revelation. Apart from the obvious, La Sagrada Famillia, Parc Guell, Tibidabo Park, there were fine examples of contemporary structures both impressive to look at and draw.
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The beach at Barcelonetta lured the students to impressive sunsets and cycle rides. Lunchtimes were spent experimenting with tapas, usually far too much, while waving sketchbooks around. One waiter said “leave everything to me”. Plate after plate arrived, jugs of sangria kept coming, beautiful, delicious octopus, squid, chorizo, omelette, mullet, salt cod, meatballs and bread. I remember having to lean against a wall for a moment on the way out. Everybody we met was very friendly and the students were admirable ambassadors of both themselves and the university. Someone got a tattoo, another a pair of giant gorilla feet, and another bought a rude graphic novel by mistake. There was lots of people watching, sitting in heroic dark cathedrals, in contemplation, walking, trying out bad Spanish, drawing cool quiet squares, and washing lines between buildings and people trying to glimpse your sketchbook. Next year...? – Robin Chevalier
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Risograph A process most commonly associated with single colour, short-run print jobs for political campaigns, churches and schools, Risography has recently become a popular choice among artists and small presses. It’s a simple process, similar to screenprinting but quicker, cleaner and cost effective. Although the Risograph looks just like a photocopier, it uses a paper stencil and ‘real’ ink, requiring the prints to be fed individually each time a colour is added. As a result the misregistrations that might occur add to the tactile and layered quality of the prints.
For the Illustration students the risograph is an opportunity to experiment with its restrictions and inspire unexpected results, both in terms of imagemaking and production. As it is a relatively inexpensive process, it allows students to test ideas and start thinking of their work in editions, which can be used in an entrepreneurial context. Already in the first year of its use the results have been really exciting, with lots of publications to come in the near future! – Iro Tsavala
Right: Risoprint by Mitko Karakolev Above: Risoprint by Louis Dyson
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Materiality and Narrative Illustration Illustration has an image problem one which struggles to break free from the confines of a historical repressive regime that relates to its materiality. Which is often repeatly associated with the book and the reproducablity of the illustrated image transposed onto or into a two dimensional form. However, illustration is much more than this, in particular it functions as a communicative conduit for diverse narrative responses and readings. It is this diversity of readings that challenges the viewer to extend that fleeting glance of the image to a much longer gaze. With each new look, new views and narratological readings are evoked breaking through the surface illusion of a stable/fixed narrative image. It is precisely this shifting of views and responses that challenges and opens up our understanding of what is narrative illustration. It is notable that when an illustrated image is removed from its original context and production it still provokes a narrative response. Thereby indicating that narrative in illustration dwells deep beyond the surface of the image extending through the strata of its material form. As Fisher (1987) and Steiner (1991) have argued narratives are not just the domain of speech, the visual or writing, but that all forms of communication are a form of storytelling that revolve around knowing and telling. Steiner (1991) cites this in relation to the etymological root of narrate and its origins in the IndoEuropean narrare and gnâ. In this context illustration presents a continous chain of narratological readings that is firmly located in a social, cultural exchange of knowledge. 52
This embodiment of knowledge is present within the materiality of the illustration, no matter what it is constructed from whether this be through textiles, metal, wood, ceramic, collage, ink, paint, charcoal etc. If the history of illustration is placed in relation to illuminated manuscripts or even further back in time in relation to cave paintings, then it is worthwhile considering how the material form and the elements used in the creation of the image/ illustration may also be considered part of its narrative discourse. Both archaeology (Tilley 2000) and anthropology (Gell 1998) study societies and cultures through their material culture. Alfred Gell (1998) argues that we should consider the agency of things in order to break away from conventional values of art and aesthetics. It is precisely this shift in perspective that is demanded when we consider what is narrative illustration. It is significant that illustrators continue to explore and manipulate the materiality of their practice. In doing so they pursue something more than a homogeneous visual language that reflects modernity. In fact they force a temporal collapse that enfolds past and present through the materiality of their work. It is this that is firmly evoked with each mark and fragmentary trace that embues narrative illustration with its agency and metaphorial language. That the viewer/ reader navigates through in pursuit of knowledge and narrative clarity as illustrated in the Victoria and Albert Museum installation/exhibition Memory Palace (2013). – Jim Walker
References Fisher, Walter R. (1987) Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press Gell, Alfred (1998) Art and Agency: An Anthropological Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press Steiner, Wendy (1991) Pictures of Romance: Form Againist Context in Painting and Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Above: First year books
Tilley, Christopher (2000) Metaphor and Material Culture. London: John Wiley & Sons 53
Visiting Lecturers As a course team we are committed to bringing in as wide a variety of visiting lecturers and guest speakers as we can. They bring a variety of experience, practice and viewpoints to the students growing understanding of illustration and creative practice. Not everyone’s an illustrator, and this is important. Our visiting speakers demonstrate that there are many opportunities and differing practices available to illustration graduates. This year we have been lucky to have had visits by over 20 speakers or visiting lecturers. We would like to thank them all very much for the richness they have brought to the students experience this year.
Above: Robert Rubbish and Neal Fox of Le Gun
Above: Mickey Gibbons Left: Student workshop by Rosy Nicholas
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Le Gun Matilda Tristram Esther McManus Ben Cain Isabel Greenberg Nate Kitch Orly Orbach Thomas Dowse Gina Cross Derek Brazell / The Association of Illustrators Tim Ellis Leah Fusco Helga Steppan Curtis Tappeneden Mickey Gibbons Rosy Nicholas Sheena Calvert Harriet Russell Stephen Fowler Graham Rawle GF Smith & Co 55
Rubber Stamps I hear a Rubber Stamp bug has struck the Illustration course - ghosts, octopuses, cats, bees, garish faces, fast growing tentacled plants, all manner of slogans, are appearing on books, paper, stickers and studio walls. The immediate and assessable process has caught, not only the students’ imaginations, but also prospective applicants during open days. Seeing the simplicity of the end result, the desirable, graphic impressions, we are at once enticed into giving it a go, having a try. Experienced enthusiasts talk about feeling close to their ‘essence’ when carving, Wendy Gault, (a noted Rubber Stamp printer), describes this experience as, ‘thinking about nothing else but what you are doing’, a state of ‘now’ conjuring feelings of immense joy. The repetitive nature of stamping is swift and exciting; a single rubber stamp fly can quickly become a swarm, a brick becomes a building and within time a whole town or city. The addictive and therapeutic process, is a democratic one, no need for expensive specialist equipment such as a printing press, just a rubber, scalpel, inkpad and something to print on.
Collaboratively this approach can be developed in an improvised and open fashion creating unexpected meanings and narratives via mail/correspondence art or the surrealist exquisite corpse game for instance. In time the enthusiast will amass a sizable collection of carved stamps, these shouldn’t be boxed away - but returned to, time and time again, as a creative resource, like a chapbook printer of the 18th century, (a wood block would often be printed in a variety of contrasting contexts to illustrate spirited stories, rhymes, sensational news, adverts and folk songs.) Saul Steinberg, according to his biographer Deirdre Bai, amassed over four hundred rubber stamps to be used in his illustrations, ‘men on horseback, soldiers on foot, and other figures on animals on in various poses and activities …..but he insisted that he needed only a core group of fifty ‘to render space, nature, technology’ [they] ‘kept his vision fresh by making ‘making these simple elements and arranging them’. – Stephen Fowler
A noticeable difference between carved rubber stamping and other forms of relief printing is scale, erasers/rubbers are sold to the most part in small sizes, lino on the other hand is available in long rolls. This is to the stampers advantage; they must, and indeed will be inventive with these so-called limitations. Combining stamps, mermaids, centaurs and other mythical creatures can be printed, or a series of individual facial stamp parts can make for useful identikit. Rubber Stamp Print by Stephen Fowler 56
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Erasmus Exchange Students have the opportunity to apply to go on an Erasmus exchange in the second half of year 2. The course has exchange arrangements with a number of European and US Universities, with home students going away on exchange, but also students visiting Farnham from other countries. The opportunity to experience study in another country is a great way to expand your horizons both personally and educationally. Guy Randall BA Illustration (Year 3) My exchange took place in Katowice, Poland. It was amazing to experience a different culture and to go somewhere I did not know a whole lot about. I got to try out a lot of new and different things that I did not necessarily have the chance to do at home, like poster design, which is something that Poland is well known for, and was something I was really interested in having the chance to do. They also had excellent printmaking facilities, which meant that I got to experiment a lot with trying relief printing. The courses were taught in a different style, and focussed on different aspects so I got a new perspective on my work from the tutors I had. The city of Katowice also really interested me thanks to the architecture, and I enjoyed exploring the city and finding
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these interesting buildings dotted around. In fact I found Katowice so interesting that I decided to base my Final Major Project on the buildings I saw when I was there! I feel that going on an exchange to Poland has given me a lot more confidence in my work, which has really helped me to improve what I create and I have also been able to think differently about how I work. It was certainly something that was well worth doing! My major project in the third year was a book which shows some of the buildings that I saw whilst I was in Katowice. I found it interesting how they had old brick buildings contrasting right next to a more modern grey, concrete building and I tried to show this in the book.
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Mitko Karakolev BA Illustration (Year 3) As a student already studying abroad, going on Erasmus exchange to yet another country is quite a thrilling experience. I spent a semester abroad at Sint Lucas in Ghent, Belgium. The city of Ghent is a mix of various styles - beautiful medieval houses and cathedrals exist in harmony with more modern buildings. The city has a distinct bohemian atmosphere with events happening almost every night. There is so much to see and so much to do! During my stay at Sint Lucas I had the chance to work on some really unique projects in actual collaboration with prominent organizations and students from different specialties. For our first project we had to work in pairs and make life-sized costumes and masks. Afterwards, we had to select
an appropriate environment and take pictures whilst wearing the costumes. The second project was done with NTGent - a theatre located right at the heart of the city. We visited the rehearsals for an upcoming play called ‘Parsifal’ and made sketches of the actors and atmosphere. We also had to make a small maquette of the stage, showing our interpretation of the play. In the end our work was shown at the premiere of ‘Parsifal’ in the lobby of the theatre. For the final project we collaborated with student writers and illustrated their short stories, all of which took place in a fictitious city destroyed by a natural disaster called Quadra. I also took a course in Scenography, which introduced me to the world of performance and installation art, stage design and lighting. This course was actually the inspiration behind my dissertation topic. Many of the artists featured in my dissertation I actually found out about in Belgium. My major project was also partly inspired by curious things I saw whilst wandering around Ghent. Most of the polaroids I used in the project were taken in Ghent as well. All my experiences as an Erasmus student - both academic and cultural - have been very enriching. I have had many opportunities for visiting art events like exhibitions, dance performances, museums, concerts. Most of these were either in some way connected to the study curriculum, or the professors encouraged us to go. I would highly recommend going on exchange abroad! It is an amazing opportunity to experience other cultures and learn new things. And last but not least you will have lots and lots of fun!
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MA Illustration The MA Illustration course offers you the chance to challenge the boundaries of illustration, both in its practice and its context. Contemporary Illustration practice has grown to encompass a broad range of ambitions and opportunities for the image makers and story tellers.
It will also promote in-depth rigorously conducted research to ensure that you are able to contextualise your own work in relation to the leading edge practice in Illustration. In recent years Illustration is increasingly seen in many different contexts in contemporary visual culture, including Illustration for publishing, book illustration, book arts, comic strip, graphic novels and moving image. Illustration at UCA has a long tradition of original narrative and storytelling through images, reflecting staff expertise and practice in these areas. You will explore narrative storytelling, authorship, self publishing, book production and visual narratives through the development of a personal project. The MA course supports you to develop your own independent voice 62
and to identify an audience. You are encouraged to take a self directed entrepreneurial approach, to develop and explore creative opportunities and options for your work. This entrepreneurial emphasis is supported by access to specialist facilities such as digital media suites, photography, printmaking and bookmaking. The MA Illustration course provides you with the opportunity for extended critical debate, a high degree of critical reflection and integration of theoretical and practical concerns as part of the realisation of an ambitious body of work Jayesh Sivan, one of last years MA students said of his experience on the course last year…. ‘I’m really enjoying the course so far. Although the course content is broad, which is great because its helping to expand my skillset. I am also able to hone in on my areas of particular interest. The lecturers and technicians are all extremely helpful and encourage you to experiment with different techniques and approaches and this is made possible by the great facilities and technology available. I have already highly recommended this course to a few other illustrators that I know, and they’re all impressed when I describe it to them.’
Illustration by Jayesh Sivan
The growth of online digital cultures and the impact of digital image making on traditional image making requires flexible and adaptable practitioners as well as providing unique opportunities for the entrepreneurial illustrator. This course is primarily concerned with the illustrated narrative and offers a creative and intellectual environment in which you can rigorously pursue a project of self-directed study and the systematic production of a body of work on a topic of specific interest within the field of Illustration.
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Olly Filmer
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Where are they now? Emily Richards 2014 During new designers last year I was awarded a John Lewis ‘We Love’ award. From that I was contacted by the non food brand manager for Waitrose and was commission several pieces for their Christmas range for 2015 and homeware products. I further went on to do a placement at Tigerprint and worked with their designers on a variety of projects. That work was showed to the buyers at M&S and I was commissioned from them to create some work for their Christmas range for 2015.
I was also featured in Digital Arts magazine, and shortlisted for art student of the year awards and my work was exhibited in London. From that I’ve sold work to clients and have been doing small fairs to get my name out there. I still work part time but also freelance part time as well. But am hoping to freelance full time in the next few years.
Natalie Turner 2013 As soon as I finished Uni I started spending as much time as I could painting, taking little requests and coming up with random little projects to make sure I was constantly producing work and posting work online on my tumblr account and facebook. That’s what got me my first commission - doing wedding invitations! Whilst doing that I was working 3 part time jobs working on a farm, as a sale assistant and doing some website maintenance work for a jewelery shop and when I could in a T shirt printing place.
At the end of Uni I took part in the New Designers 2013 exhibition and was fortunate enough to have my work noticed by a designer at De La Rue, he asked me for a CV and I was invited for an interview where I was given the job of Junior Designer and started in September 2013 with 4 years of training planned for me. It’s been an amazing job but I must admit I’ve being finding it very hard to do any illustration work since I started, I’ve had to set a task of doing at least 2-3 paintings a month otherwise I’ll never get it done. It’s very easy to slip out of doing work. I’m hoping this year I can create a lot more work and start doing commissions again. 66
Edie OP 2013 So far I’m studying my PGCE part time, working as an learning support assistant 4 days a week and also working as an hourly paid lecturer at Chesterfield College. During my spare time I’m working on my next book, a couple of comics; one for a pretty big upcoming Kickstarter campaign and another for Reads (an Avery Hill anthology comic) I also have an idea for a short comic/zine type series that I want to start when I get chance. Around Easter it’s looking like I’ll also be teaching Graphic Novel Illustration at the Saturday College at Chesterfield too which is pretty exciting, I’m just planning for that now. I’m participating in Hourly Comic Day this Sunday and am going to be spending sometime getting my applications in for conventions later this year.
Last year I attended the Truro Festival as an artist, I was part of a live drawing tour through town and also participated in the Truro Festival 24hr comic which was amazing (and tiring!) I also exhibited at ELCAF, 22 Panels, LICAF and Thought Bubble where I launched my new book Maleficium published by Avery Hill. I did just find out today that Maleficium is available to buy on the Sequential app now! Amazing. 67
Faye Moorhouse 2012 After I graduated I moved to Brighton and got a job at a public library, first full time, then I dropped to part time to give me more time to do illustration work (as my Etsy shop was getting busier). I am now on a year long sabbatical from May 2014 - May 2015 but I probably won’t return to my day job because I’m managing to keep afloat just through my illustration. I was awarded a D&AD ‘Best New Blood’ after I graduated and the prize for this was a place on their ‘graduate academy’ scheme.
I set up my Etsy shop before I started uni and then around the time I graduated I started to put more effort into it and it’s grown to now being my main income. I mainly sell zines and original drawings/ pantings. And I’m still selling zines/ books from some of the projects I did at uni - Three Very Gruesme Love Stories, Cat Ladies of Czechoslovakia and Winkfield are still really popular! I got taken on by an agency for my kids illustration in the summer (Bright Group - Laura Watkins also got taken on by them) and have been working on developing a book with them, which they are now pitching to publishers in the US. I never thought I would end up doing kids illustration, and it stresses me out a bit, that perhaps I am doing stuff which is too commercial, and digital. But I’ve been working on making portfolio pieces for them which I am slightly happier with, that keep a handmade element. I want to make beautiful picture books, like those lovely European ones, or the Flying Eye ones. But I think a lot of UK & US publishers are inclined to play it safer. I still enter some of the competitions that we used to enter at uni - Last year I entered the AOI/Serco one and the Cape/ Comica one - I got shortlisted for the Serco one again this year and from that illustration (of the barbican conservatory) I got contacted by some writers and am now doing a couple of illustrations for a book on London with Penguin. I loved the Illustration course at UCA and I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to do this job if I hadn’t done an illustration degree. fayemoorhouse.co.uk
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Chris Bayley 2012 Having graduated from UCA in 2012, I am now living in London where I have since graduated with an MA in Museum and Gallery Studies- Curating pathway. Much of my research focuses on discursivity, art discourse and the educational turn in Contemporary Art with a particular focus on supplementary formats as a tool for thinking about exhibition making such as the catalogue, the interview and the event. This was further explored within ‘The Day Job’; an exhibition of Gallery Assistants employed at the Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens, London which I curated. Alongside this I designed, printed and bound a 140 page catalogue to accompany the exhibition.
the year, I will be curating two summer shows in our Bermondsey Square space. I have a rather busy year ahead where I am co-curating a group show and currently in the planning stages of a retrospective, it’s all very manic! Robert Sae Heng 2009 Is a freelance Illustrator/ Artist based in London with Mexican and Thai origin who graduated from The University For The Creative Arts in 2009. He was born audibly impaired but eventually learned to read and speak at a later age. He draws and paints for European/ International clients and enjoys composing images that encapsulate daily evanescent scenes. He truly believes, that traveling broadens the mind. You can find him a lot of the time eating burritos and in various cafes while scribbling away.
I am currently working at Serpentine Galleries as Visitor Services Assistant and Curatorial Assistant at VITRINE in Bermondsey where I will be opening a show curated at the end of this month entitled ‘An evanescent fix’ which is a group exhibition bringing together the work of Jack Brindley, Keith Farquhar, Charlie Godet Thomas, Clare Kenny and Wil Murray who reconfigure, manipulate and occupy the presence and notions of photography within their practice. (more info here: www. vitrinegallery.co.uk/exhibitions/anevanescent-fix/) As well as assisting on other various exhibitions throughout
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What do our students think? What do you think is the biggest or most important thing you have learned whilst on the course? “ To have confidence in what I produce and how to take my work to a professional finish.” Louise Smith - Third year “ To not be afraid of pushing your comfort zone and to question everything. Being critical of your process and your projects allows you to explore new sources of inspiration and paths you’d never find otherwise.” Jenna Brown - Third year “ The most important thing I’ve got from the course is the skill of critical writing.” Li Xue - Second year
How has the course helped prepare you for the future? “ Thanks to the many guest speakers talking about their work and the industry, I have become aware of all the possibilities an illustrator has.” Mitko Karakolev - Third year “ It has made me think deeper, for example I now question nearly everything.” Osgen Osman - Second Year “ It has helped me understand far more about the professional world as well as equipping me with skills I can develop throughout my time at Uni.” Dom Rhead - Second year
“ I have learned to sell myself and have improved my work massively thanks to all the feedback.” Guy Randall - Third year
Illustration by Li Xue 70
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Print making facilities at Farnham
What advice would you give to new students or applicants considering doing illustration at Farnham? “ I think Farnham is a great place to study. It might be a small town, but London is never far. UCA Farnham has great facilities and a huge library.” Mitko Karakolev - Third year
Risoprint workshop with Esther McManus
“ Come in with an open mind.” Charlotte Lawrence - Third year
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What do you think are the strengths of the course? “ There is a lot of attention to the idea generation element, the first idea is never the one you stick with. Always explore mediums, angles, poses to create a more rounded outcome… always challenging, always inspiring.” Daniel Redhead - First year
“ I think the strength is in the variety, “ Focus... Draw a lot... Be very organized... theres so much to access.” Don’t forget to always carry a Charlotte Lawrence - Third year sketchbook or some paper to get things down quickly... Research… Research... “ Bringing students together and having Keep a reflective journal.” group discussions.” Ozgen Osman - Second year Eugenia Nelson - Second year “ The tutors and guest lecturers are always brilliant!” Dom Rhead - Second year “ There are lots of visiting illustrators and practitioners who give you different perspectives on your work and the industry in general.” Guy Randall - Third year 73
the journey
Hardy Mayes
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Student Directory B
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Isabel Ballard e. isabelballard@ymail.com w. izzinspired.tumblr.com
Billie Cadogan e. billiecadogan@hotmail.com w. billiecadogan.co.uk
Hardy Mayes e. student@email.com w. studentwebsite.com
Katie Briggs e. katie.briggs55@gmx.co.uk w. behance.net/katiejaneillustrates
Jack Clarke w. jackanthonyclark.com
Sophie Hatton e. paradigmbox@gmail.com w. sophiehatton.wordpress.com w. behance.net/sophiehatton b. plusvenus.tumblr t. @paradigmbox
Jenna Brown e. jennabrownart@hotmail.co.uk w. cyanatar.com b. cyanatar.tumblr.com t. @cyanatar Natalia Burczak e. natalia.burczak@gmail.com w. nataliaburczakillustration.co.uk m. 07403 290486 Emma Burgess e. lelliette@yahoo.co.uk w. lelliette.wix.com/erbillustration Louis Burrows e. louisbburrows@gmail.com w. louisbburrows.com b. louisbburrows.blogspot.com m. 07759 188638
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Laura Coppolaro e. laura@coppolaro.com w. coppoloppolaroIllustration.com w. thewondrousfox.com f. facebook.com/coppoloppolaro t. @coppoloppolaro m. 07923 283481
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Mitko Karakolev e. mkarakolev@hotmail.comm w.mikkospace.com
Chloe Davies e. daviesillustration@live.com t. @IllustrateChloe m. 07804 695164 Louis Dyson e. louisdyson@live.co.uk w. behance.net/ljdysonillustration w. louisdysonillustration.com m. 07805 778228 F
Rachel Joseph e. rebekahj14@live.co.uk w. rebekahj14.wordpress.com K
Hannah Keane e. hkeane@outlook.com w. keaneillustration.com t. @hkeanedesign
Demetri Merry-Taylor e. demetri_mt@live.co.uk w. dmtillustrations.tumblr.com m. 07788 495371 P Elizabeth Peters e. bethp_2006@hotmail.co.uk w. elizabethlikestodraw.tumblr.com R Guy Randall e. grandall93@gmail.com w. guyrandallillustration.com t. @grandall_93 S
Ida Kortelainen e. ida.kortelainen@suomi24.fi w. IdaKortelainen.com t. @IdaKortelainen
Louise Smith e. contact@lms-illustration.com w. lms-illustration.com m. 07870 666778
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Emma Stephenson e. emmastephensonillustration.com t. @illustratorEmma m. 07725267010
Olly Filmer e. ollyfilmer@yahoo.co.uk w. sirwestcottillustration.co.uk b.. sirwestcott.tumblr.com m. 07810 567513
Charlotte Lawrence e. charlottesdoodles@gmail.com t. @lottiesdoodles m. 07943 381200
Emily Fluen e. emilyfluen@hotmail.com w. emilyfluen.com t. @emfluen
Josh Lewis e. joshlewisuca@outlook.com w. joshlewisillustration.com m. 07725 488001Â
W Richard Williams e. richardwilliamsillustrator@gmail.com w. poshchap.tumblr.com
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Colophon With thanks to All the Illustration Academic staff team, including: Jim Walker, Robin Chevalier, Iro Tsavala, and Mireille Fauchon, as well as visiting sessionals Stephen Fowler and Mickey Gibbons. All Farnham support teams especially: Jonathan Jarvis, Tony Lee and Katie Prendergast. Designed, Art Directed & Edited by Jonathan Pickford, Alex Vosper and Jane Cradock-Watson All Photography by members of the staff teaching team Printer PPG Publisher The Lion and Lamb Press UCA Illustration Blog ucaillustration.blogspot.com UCA Illustration Twitter @illustrationuca UCA Website ucreative.ac.uk
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Cover by Josh Lewis
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