Wilf

I went in to uni this morning to set up for the exhibition evening tonight, and got the sad news that Wilfred Tolan had passed away.  Wilf was a life model at the University for several of the art departments.  He was the most reliable and dedicated model we had, and was always a gentleman.  I can't imagine how many students have drawn his likeness or just how many times.  Sketches of him have lined corridors around campus since before I ever had a class with him.  He had a genuine interest and enthusiasm in the work each student did, enjoying whatever we came out with and always had a friendly conversation for you at the end.  So it was great getting to know him instead of only ever drawing him.

He'll be sorely missed and lovingly remembered.
J.x

Exhibition 2012

The campus arts exhibition officially started today.  Brampton Road Campus in Carlisle has opened its doors for everyone to freely wander through all the art departments to see graduate work from this past year.

For more information visit the uni website here.

As students, we've all looked forward to being able to display the hard work we've been doing.  Not only that, but it's exciting for us to see the noticeable improvements everyone has made within one year.

For me, I really noticed just how different one segment of one of my paintings changed:

February 2012

May 2012

There's loads to see on the campus - photography, graphic design, film, and of course Games Design and Digital Arts ;)

Hope you can make it!

J.x

I Torture Myself

Started to work on another of my 8 graduate project paintings.
The transformation of the King's children.

At A2 size, for this one I doubled the resolution to 300dpi, so I could put in a bigger horse, and decided all the characters had curly hair...

She looks exactly the way I feel after painting all day!

J.x

Andi Again

I looked over my graduating project from last year to remind myself of how I can and have improved.

 
Andi, the young one-handed miner of my Pied-Piper-in-space Andona story acted as a sort of psychological mascot throughout the whole process, keeping me amused and affection for the project high.  So, one night, I started to redraw her to solidify her in my mind:

I'd like to practise more gesture drawings of her.
I'll probably continue to draw her for years!  She's pure fun and sweetness.

J. x

BREACH by Catapult Inc.

At the University, one of our modules this semester was Project Development.

In groups we had to come up with an idea for a game, work out costs, the marketing and some hopeful profits.

In my group of three, AKA Catapult Inc., we devised 'Breach' - a downloadable action/adventure game set in a Camelot type world with all the characters being Arctic/oceanic animals, set entirely on land.  Picture dolphins and seals, trying to waddle after humanoid whales on only their flippers and fins.

We have so many characters, entire levels planned out and a fully-fledged story with an unfolding mystery.

I did some basic character designs, worked on the finances and marketing strategy, and created the poster/game cover:   

It was a super fun project to come up with!  I like to imagine none of us forget it and once we leave uni we could maybe develop it a little further - mainly more concept art, visuals accompanying the level details etc.  We should do our massive idea justice.  Who knows where it could go?

J.x

Half a Day's Work

One Face:

Graduate Exhibition is on the 6th of  June, until the 13th.

Panic Stations!

J.x

Monday's Objective

Comic illustration for the soon-to-be NHS publication Words for Well-Being by Carol Ross.

No sleep until it's all done!

Then I can get back to drawing cute cartoon sea mammals :D

J.x