Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Jon McNaught and Helen Ward

Bristol http://jonmcnaught.co.uk/ (14)
Printmaking and comics
Works as a technician in the Uni of Bristol


He graduated from UWE in 2007 and works in Spike Island in the cafe and going to the print room after his shift.

He felt embarrassed making up his own sequences, and uses a lot from real life via photos or observations.


Is with NoBrow publishers and has done editorial work.
One of his comics is based on his suburban home town of Winchester, which he made up the name 'birch field close' for.
NoBrow saw his book on his blog, called him up and asked him to complete 'Birchfield close'.

A Magazine STRIPBURGER (15) asked for some strips too.

Paint a colour in grey, and one in black, edit in Photoshop for the colours. 

Another book, Kingdom, is based on his sketches from a visit to Scilly islands where he spent a week camping and drawing. 

He noted the reflections and and everyday happenings that i am also interested in.





Helen came in and showed us her work, she doesn’t use digital work at all and produces her images by fine liner pen and watercolour.
She graduated from Brighton Polytechnic with a Degree in Graphic design/Illustration.
Her precision with the paintbrush made me work in  gouache instead of digital for the Childrens Book Poetry project.





guest speaker Paul Farrell

Bristol based. http://www.paul-farrell.co.uk/ (17)
COLOUR FOLK PATTERN
1985 college for one year
Middlesex Polly 
1989 went into graphic design, Covent garden (London) , stayed in the business for 26 years in Brand design.

In 2009 he was made redundant due to the rescission. His redundancy package wasn't amazing so he used it to make tea towels and other products to improve his portfolio.

He works at home on his computer and prints at Spike Island.

1/ THINKING
2/ DOING
3/MAKING

60s/70s inspire him, bright colours and graphic shapes.

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN


The computer is very quick for your work to evolve.


He is currently working on an illustration a day for a book - 226 picture in total.

In commercial London, he tried to follow the craze and market.

SPEND AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE
Get the best quality production for the least price. Screen printing is ideal as you are in control and its cheap. Don't just think about colour but density too. He would charge about £5 per colour for a print... so 3 colours = £15

Foil Blocking - done by his friend in a shed in Kent. He did the cd foils on Harry Potter

In an exhibition in Brighton, he sent out invites on beer mats where he had screen printed on one side and letter pressed the other.
Things that people can keep and hold are good.

Do you feel that you have to gain experience in a city in order to make a living somewhere 'quiet'?
London definitely helped, to gain business and industry knowledge. Brighton is another hub as it's so close to London, Bristol is more craft and making based.


Some objects that inspire Paul, a colourful tractor from when he was younger, and piles of coloured business cards and stamps.