Ummniverse

Birthday boy...

2011-05-27T11:08:00.000+01:00

Twas the boyfriend's Birthday yesterday, excess time on my hands and no money at my disposal meant only one thing: handmade gifts. With him being a Doctor Who aficionado I thought it'd be nice, well, logical, to make him Who-based gifts.

I stumbled across a t-shirt on Etsy a few months back, a pastiche of the WWII "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters, but instead reading; "Keep Calm and Call The Doctor" and which he took a shine to. I went to look for it two weeks ago and found nothing, the shirt had been sold. It then occurred to me that this might be a good time to bring the screen printing kit I bought a year ago into action. First I knocked up the template on Illustrator:

I altered the position of the TARDIS; if I remember right, it was sat around the text as an outline, which didn't look right. I placed the entire TARDIS on top of the text, much like the crown in the original "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters, but it was too small, and would have been near impossible to transfer to the screen, so placing it on the side was both practical and looks rather effective. Printed, and traced onto the screen. Now for the screen block. I've never, ever, sat through anything quite as tedious as filling every unwanted hole on a screen...

And hurrah, after a day of solid work, it's done. Those O's are a sod. Wrapped it as is, we're going to print the t-shirt together this weekend. I've had a few other people asking me for prints of the design too, so If anyone's interested drop me an email: tonicaek@gmail.com

The second part of this Who-themed craft extravaganza was a birthday cake. Now, I've never actually made a Birthday cake like this; I always used to make my own, a plain coconut cake with coconut icing, but this is something completely new. I set out with the intention of making a TARDIS, sat upright, much like:

But was informed that nine out of ten times, the entire thing flops under the weight of the sponge, so it was decided the cake would lay flat. My biggest problem would be the icing; I'd never used fondant icing before and had no clue how to go about it. His dear mum gave me his favourite chocolate cake recipe and suggested I don't use fondant icing, instead use marshmallow icing. It turned out that marshmallow icing was fun. Tremendous amounts of fun. Melt down marshmallows the same way you would chocolate, then add icing sugar; when the icing is in a ball at a thick enough consistency, take it from the bowl and knead it much like bread dough, using icing sugar as you would flour.

Anyway, I did a trial run on the icing a week before making the cake, using the pink marshmallows from the pack. I couldn't use them in the final piece because the pink colouring would affect whichever other colour I would have needed. So, this was the result:

Despite the extra three windows in each pane, it came out surprisingly well. It has a foamy texture and is really soft, so was easy to work with. It's also not as sickly as fondant icing and still tastes of marshmallow.

So, I knew I could pull the icing off. Got up yesterday at 6, prepped the kitchen, and started the cake at 6:45. I finished the cake at 4:45 that afternoon...

Ta-da! I'd added the white bits at the side because I really didn't want the candles sat in the cake. Quite pleased with it. Would rather the blue a bit darker, but it took an entire bottle to get it that dark. He was over the moon with it though, so 'twas a success.

I also set out with the intention of making him a TARDIS laptop sticker, like:

But the vinyl didn't arrive in time. :(

So, after a long week of slaving away, it kind of paid off...

It's a shame about what it's done to my sanity though...

Better Photos!

2011-05-12T16:25:00.000+01:00

FMP is in (woo hoo!) And here are the better photos of the dissertation book, as promised:

Printed Dissertation

2011-05-11T12:49:00.000+01:00

After three weeks of waiting, my dissertation arrived today, looking very book like! Take a look:

Will put some better pictures later - have a final major project to tie up and hand in!

Business cards

2011-05-09T14:31:00.000+01:00

Ordered my business cards from moo.com two weeks ago, in hope they'd arrive in time for last Thursday's exhibition, but was then told they were delayed until this Wednesday. Absolute shame, as they've just arrived and they're utterly gorgeous! Take a look:

The lighting doesn't do the colour any favours. I'm very impressed with the result!

Nonagon Pre-View Exhibition

2011-05-09T09:08:00.001+01:00

So, we held the private view of our class exhibition last Thursday, and everything seemed to go down splendidly. Just look!

Photos by Jan Surakiat.

The A4 Draw

2011-05-03T08:28:00.000+01:00

While I'm here, I'd like to stick up a quick post about The A4 Draw I've organised to raise funds towards our final London show...

The A4 Draw
"The A4 Draw gives you the chance to win a limited edition A4 piece of artwork by established designers and illustrators, as well as work by up and coming graphic design students from South Essex College.

The aim of The A4 Draw is to aid in raising funds towards the final year graduate show at New Designers for the 3rd year BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at South Essex College.

A big thank you to all our contributors and to everyone who buys a ticket. Thanks for your support, and good luck!"

Troughton

2011-05-03T07:16:00.000+01:00

Here's one I've been working on on and off for a while now. Thought I'd share, it's a bit of fun.

Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, unfinished. At this rate, with all the other work I'm doing at the moment, will probably never be finished! :(

Anyway, today will be a matter of fun with an extended roll of canvas and acrylic paints... Deep joy!

As well as...

2011-05-02T21:54:00.000+01:00

Promotional postcards to be handed out at the Nonagon exhibition on Thursday.

Oh, and...

2011-05-02T21:50:00.000+01:00

New business cards. Woo!

instagr.am

2011-05-02T20:43:00.000+01:00

Posting earlier than expected - stumbled across instagr.am on the iPhone's app store a few weeks ago and have had fun playing about with it since. Yeah, it's generated filters, but it's the best of similar apps I've stumbled across - and the social networking side of the app is lovely. The only failing point being the fact it's exclusive for the iPhone, which is a shame.
Anyway, here're some picture I've taken to play about with on the app. If you're an iPhone user I'd thoroughly recommend checking it out, especially as it's free!

Good fun!

Welcome back, me.

2011-05-02T20:12:00.002+01:00

It's been a while. A whole year and few months, I believe. So hello, again. Quick catch up? Well, why not...

I'm now into the third, and final, year of my BA in Graphic Design, as would make sense. This third year has now made it down to the Final Major Project, which I'll be uploading bits and pieces of over the next few days/weeks, as well as further updated and newly included updates to my portfolio.

For now, however, I leave you with an illustration I was asked to re-illustrate and translate into English for a friend.

Original image/re-illustrated image:

More at a later date... Tonight most probably...

Apologies..

2010-03-24T01:01:00.000Z

I've come to realise I've neglected Blogger for a bit.

So here's a little ditty to say sorry..

Link'd

2010-01-09T13:57:00.000Z

I seem to be online..

over here!

Actually..

2010-01-07T22:31:00.000Z

..This here blog reminded me of a drawing I took on about a year ago of the very same Jeremy Brett, here's some of the work in progress images..

Really do want to find myself some spare time to finish this, see where I could take it. I do truly miss enjoying the process of creating art. Sigh.

Hibernating

2010-01-07T16:47:00.000Z

I seem to have veered off course with this blogging malarkey. Rather peculiar that I only seem to do it when a deadline is looming..

Very quick hello before I engross myself in Flash and Dreamweaver. Before I do however, I'll leave you with this..

Thundering On

2009-11-18T14:23:00.002Z

Just a quick hello before I take another dose of coffee. I hate having to burn the candle at both ends.

Martino Gamper is a fascinating man, but his ability of deprive me of sleep is becoming rather tedious, Eddie Izzard is keeping me relatively sane though. (I think I've got through the MMVI Live boxset at least five times within the last week?)

Anyhoo, here's some sketchbook work:

Started work at HMV yesterday. I have a shiny new purple t-shirt with shiny new badges. What an awesome uniform.

Joy!

Failed.

2009-11-14T23:10:00.000Z

Yes, I failed my third driving test, on one observation. All because I listened to my instructor before my test. Oh well. Next one is booked for the 1st of December.

Welcome Martino Gamper and his 100 Chairs to my current Uni project.

Gerroff.

2009-11-09T11:55:00.001Z

Fiat requested I send them an image of myself depicting what I do for the website they launch on December 7th in regards to the student bursary..

Roller-coaster.

2009-11-07T15:28:00.005Z

Well. For a week of illness it's been unexpectedly eventful. Infections and bad reactions to antibiotics are far from appreciated, as are computers insistent on crashing. However, I've done surprisingly well for myself on the money front..!

The Fiat group offer out a select amount of student bursaries to children of employees in higher education, which I duly applied for in September.. Earlier this week I received confirmation as to the success of my application for the £4,000 bursary.. Winner! I've also been reimbursed £125 by the tax man, ahthankyew, given a £300-something low income bursary from the Uni, am selling my Macbook this weekend for £450 and have bagged myself a Christmas job at HMV. (Superb interview, much laughing in spite of my desire to be wrapped up in bed with a sick bowl. Still feeling quite nauseous.)

On a bad note, I've hardly had chance to touch commission and course related work, there's the obvious illness reasoning, and the Macbook Pro being a fool by crashing on me three times, each time requiring I re-install the system (two install discs and Snow Leopard - takes about four hours a time!) Ho hum. I've then tried to install Snow Leopard on the Macbook for the sake of selling it and found the CD drive no longer works. All bloody good fun(!)

I'm blathering on. This isn't what this blog was intended for, but I feel I need to explain my absence.

Driving test no.3 Tuesday. Intent on feeling better for it. Need to pass really, would make life so much easier considering Jeremy's tax and MOT are due this month.

Here, I'll leave you with my Jeremy beast..

And here's my dad's rather neglected Mog, "Daisy-May"..

Poor old dear. =(

Fini.

2009-10-24T22:20:00.004+01:00

Well - that's that project over with.

I'm tired now. Yes, it's been three days, but I still feel like I'm trying to catch up on sleep. However, clocks go back tonight so hey, I get an extra hour!

Beat it, flaps.

2009-10-19T10:51:00.000+01:00

I fear I may have OD'd on Black Books and Hairspray this weekend.

Ah. Just under two hours sleep and all I have to show for being kept awake is my harlot..

..an InDesign layout, and a few more prospective grey hairs.

One down, two to go.

Not much to report, just spent the last week slaving away by my desk.

Derren Brown

2009-10-14T11:40:00.005+01:00

I'll admit - I've always been fascinated by Derren Brown. But after following up a link he tweeted this morning, I feel I must now adore the man..

If you haven't already, do me the greatest of favours and click the image below..

Gawjus, non? I've always wanted to grasp the art of caricaturing people, but never feel confident with the exaggerations I make.

Oh well. Anyway, coursework..

As much as the above image ties in well with my three point concept, it currently has no direct connection to the article itself. The basis is there to work on, and I have my ideal design for all three illustrations sat dallying about in my mind, I just now need to find a biro and get on with them..

I am so miffed about being encouraged (through "workshops") to pursue nonliteral approaches in reference to the brief. I fully appreciate that these workshops are set to allow us to broaden our approach to design, but I just feel that with regard to the content of the brief, they were set at the wrong time.

To look at it logically, you, the illustrator, aren't going to be behind every reader's shoulder explaining the connection between your concept and the article just so they can comprehend it; that would be absurd. Therefore any illustrative narrative should come as a direct response to the body of the article, it should tie in comfortably and speak for itself.

I just feel the approach we've been pushed towards is wrong. I feel the initial "listen to it once" was a waste of a week. You can't formulate ideas without having studied what you've been asked to respond to.

With all this in mind, I'm actually quite looking forward to the crit on Monday for hand-in.

Anyway, I now have a nose to blow and a biro to find..

Stamp me Helvetica

2009-10-13T22:05:00.001+01:00

I'm contemplating getting a tattoo. A small tattoo. A perfectly formed tattoo. A beautiful tattoo. A Helvetica tattoo.

My issue is (with tattoos as a whole) as much as I have an utter adoration for the art, I don't trust people.. Or myself.. I'm nit-picky; if I design something I expect it to be as perfect as I can possibly make it, but if I hand it to someone else to transfer onto a part of my body I'd expect it to be a million times better than perfect. Thus, making the whole permanent thing with the medium rather annoying.. And not only am I a nit-picking perfectionist but I'm also female, which begs another problem; it is my obligation to change my mind every five minutes, therefore I can never settle on a desired design for more than the stated time.

This is where our good ole' friend Helvetica comes in. It's classic, sexy, timeless, inspirational, versatile and just generally really rather epic. I've been toying with the idea for a while, but have shelved it each and every time because I fear it be considered just too.. Ermm. Pretentious?

This said, after a good half hour browsing for other folk with Helvetica tattoos, I came across..

Which I actually think has sold me to the idea.

So, here I am looking for opinions. Care to share?

(By the way, what's up with blogger double spacing between some paragraphs but behaving with others?.. This has taken me half hour to format properly!)

Blocked.

2009-10-12T15:23:00.000+01:00

In more ways than one. My nose refuses to play ball as does my brain.
Failed driving test number two, by the way. Next one is booked for November 10th. Sigh.
Not much else to report. Just spent the day having a blast with inks, for the sake of Miss Woolf.

Ahyeas.

Poor Beggar

2009-10-02T01:04:00.000+01:00

Over the past few days I've come to realise that my student loan isn't going to last me out to Christmas.. Which should make both the festive season and my 21st a rather interesting affair.

I've also realised NatWest are evil, money grabbing pillocks.. Charged for being overdrawn by 1p! What gets up my nose is that they waited a whole month before actually informing me of this, so the charge thundered up from an already unreasonable £26, to £81.05!

Sigh. Oh well.

First crit of the year today (..yesterday?) I feel reasonably confident so far, it's concise yet explored research, but most important of all, done. Concepts currently fail me, but hey, I've a week to mull things over so hopefully something will slap me in the face.

I don't like Virginia Woolf. She bores me. I feel uninspired by her words (I guess that's why I've substituted in Fry and Unwin..) And most of all, she reminds me of Thatcher (purely from a vocal perspective.)

I just want to illustrate..

Driving test tomorrow, attempt number two, another £123.

Fingers crossed, for my pocket's sake.

Half a sketchbook down..

2009-09-29T23:15:00.000+01:00

..And only a week and half in. I feel this is good progress, that and my workspace is still relatively tidy, which in itself is quite an amazing feat. That said, sitting the glue and water bottles next to each other is most certainly an idea to be revised.

I'm having far too much fun with Stephen Fry and Stanley Unwin.

Silly buggers.

This blogging thing is peculiar. I have no idea if people read this, which, I guess, makes me wonder why I decided to bother blathering on..

And so it begins..

2009-09-26T14:31:00.000+01:00

I'm sat here flicking through today's Guardian Guide.. And by flicking I mean I've jumped straight to the "What we learned on the web this week" article, which always tickles me. This week has a rather amusing link in regards to cheese and typefaces. Go figure.

Whilst on the subject of interesting websites, here are some awesome Tube Map variations I came across a while back.

So, yes, first week back at Uni over. Now to use the weekend to start getting stuff into sketchbooks whilst working from my lesson notes..

£25 worth of two new Molekine sketchbooks. Why I feel I need to spend that much on them I don't know. Oh well, they're nice to work in I guess. It's a new start, back to working like a madwoman, I'm allowed to treat myself.

Speaking of treating myself..

OHYESOHYESOHYESOHYES. Eddie is back and I have me two tickets for the 6th of December. Would have preferred to have actually turned up for the gig at the Shaftsbury Theatre I had tickets to last year, but hey, Wembley'll be just as good I'm sure. Eeeeee!

No, I don't have an obsession..

COLOURlovers

2009-09-25T12:25:00.000+01:00

Terrible morning. Terrible driving lesson. Terrible consumption of YumYums..

Here's to feeling better:

COLOURlovers

I'm especially impressed by the correct spelling.
And the weekend begins..

Blogblogblogblog

2009-09-24T19:03:00.000+01:00

I seem to have had this account for years, but have never got round to utilising it. Not a particularly apt time to be doing so, as I'm assuming the second year of Uni isn't exactly a pushover, hey ho!

Here's hoping this blog shaped beast will give me a little push in the right direction.

Soyeaaaas..

Hello!