design | Rosie And The Boys

Contemporary Craft Not Digital Doping

As the world focuses it’s attention on France for the 100th edition of the Tour de France for the next three weeks, some people are bound to question whether a cyclist’s performance is due to his hard work and skill or to more dubious means.

Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill

Cycling Art Print – Tour de France Cyclist – Coppi: Cycling Quotes
Image: The Handmade Cyclist

In the world of art and design people sometimes pose similar questions claiming that drawing on a computer is cheating and isn’t REAL art.

This year I started using Adobe Illustrator to create and edit designs on my computer. I can honestly say it has transformed the way I work. As I started climbing a very steep learning curve (no pun intended) getting to grips with the strange new world of path tools and clipping masks; Neil Wyatt (otherwise known as The Handmade Cyclist) offered me a helping hand.

Neil has created a range of stunning work celebrating the stories and scenery of the cycling world, which you can see scattered throughout this post.

He’s very kindly agreed to answer some questions about how he uses uses Illustrator in his work.

So if you’ve ever wondered what you can achieve with Photoshop (other than making models look perfect) or still think that using a computer to create art is cheating read on to find out more…

Does Illustrator really feature significantly in your creative process?

It’s really central to it. It’s just a really fast way of working through ideas. I’ll often use pen and paper to quickly sketch out compositions and then use basic shapes in Illustrator to get a feel for how they will work. You can change shapes, reposition, work through colour schemes, and generally play around until you are happy the image will work. My Flanders poster is a good example – I must have come up with 15 different layouts of the shapes making the landscape before I was happy. Then it’s down to adding the details.

Cycling Art Print – Tour of Flanders Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Once the design is complete in Illustrator I will then paste it in layers into Photoshop to add textures and depth – this is vital to give the image that something extra. Vector shapes created in Illustrator can sometimes feel a little flat, so the final steps are important.

Some people feel that using a computer is cheating – do you agree?

No, not at all, its really a case of horses for courses. I love hand-drawn art, collage, paper cut – but I know I wouldn’t be able to get the precision I want using those techniques. When I was learning to draw I really loved technical drawing – in the days of using pencil, protractor etc – and I really loved creating precise exploded diagrams and the like. So I’ve always been drawn to creating sharp, graphic images. Using the computer helps me achieve the finish I want – that’s why I use them. Maybe in the future I’ll experiment a little with other media, but for me it’s about getting the right end result.

Cycling Art print – Milan-San Remo

What are the advantages and disadvantages of creating designs digitally?

The advantages are the speed and flexibility. You can change composition, colour really quickly. You can experiment. Sometimes things happen by accident and you really like the result. You have complete control when you need it.

The disadvantages are just like any art – sometimes it’s still hard to get the vision in your head onto the screen or paper in the right way. Sometimes I can still sketch an idea on paper better than I can get it to look on screen. It’s frustrating when that’s the case. You learn how to do things better every day – I’ve not even scratched the surface of what’s possible yet.

A lot of people would say that craft implies handmade. In my own experience as a designer I would claim that craft refers to an understanding of processes and materials and how to use them skillfully, and so using a program like Illustrator to create designs is also using craft. Would you agree?

Yes, for me Illustrator or Photoshop are just another tool to make things look better. I could do all my posters in pen and ink but would people like them as much? I’m not so sure. I do take great effort to make sure the whole process is done with love – I took time to find a great printer, who cares as much about my work as I do and produces beautiful prints. I might not hack the finished products out of a lump of tree with my bare hands, but the process is done with love, attention and craft.

Cycling Art Print – Tour de France Cyclist – Kuiper: Cycling Quotes 4 Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Galibier, Aubisque, Marie-Blanc, Puy-de-Dome, L'Alpe D'Huez, Croix de Fer, Tourmalet

Bike Art Print – Tour De France Climbs
Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Just as the shape of a piece of wood might dictate the design a woodcarver can create, does creating art digitally dictate the outcome of your work?

If anything I would say that using digital techniques makes the outcome more open. The possibilities are endless. And developments like 3D printing will really open things up – imagine the possibilities!

Sometimes the open possibilities can be a bit daunting – having some restrictions and discipline can really help the creative process. With digital art it’s tempting sometimes to chase perfection, and that can be quite a negative thing to do – you’ll never achieve it and rough edges give character.

I want to do more screen printed posters, there’s a purity there in the restrictiveness of the process, and some of my favourite artists like Army of Cats use screen-printing exclusively. But a lot of my prints are better suited to Giclee printing due to the textures and number of colours used – so again its horses for courses. Digital doesn’t mean bad – it’s just a means to an end.

If you missed our in depth interview with Neil you can read it here and if you want to find out more or purchase a beautiful print here’s how:

etsy.com/shop/TheHandmadeCyclist
Blog: thehandmadecyclist.tumblr.com
Twitter: @handmadecyclist

Interview with Gemma Hutchinson of Owlish Grey

1. 3 words to describe yourself

‘Whimmy’ – not really a word but describes my tendency to do things on a whim. A friend of mine actually describes my huge collection of unnecessary possessions as my ‘Whimorabilia’

‘Kooky’ – well most people say ‘weird’ actually but I prefer ‘kooky’.

‘Creative’ – I have always loved to create things with my hands – I get a crazy joy from taking a bunch of materials and turning them into something useful or just pretty to look at.

‘Palaverous’, a new word I learnt, which means wordy. I’ve gone and used four words to describe myself now so I guess that says it all.

2. You say you are inspired by all things geometric, galactic and geological. If you had to pick one which would be your strongest influence and why?

Coral Rhombus Earrings

For Owlish Grey, I think I am most inspired by geometry – I just find myself drawn to minimal shapes with clean lines.

Really though, the scientific inspiration isn’t exactly limited to these three things. I have an old and very big ‘Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Science’ that I love to flick through – this is great for ideas and chucks out new areas of science for me to look into and maybe create something from. It is such a great book – plus, my name is Gemma Hutchinson so it really feels like a big book just for me.

3. What’s your favourite stone, shape and constellation?

Quartz Necklace

Stone – Quartz. “Pretty standard stone” I hear you think. It does make up a huge chunk of the earth’s crust and is possibly not the most exciting choice from someone that loves rocks. But I have a good reason for loving this stone so much…

Someone once asked me “What’s the most special thing you have ever held in your hands?” – this is a brilliant question that I now ask all the time because I love the variety of answers I get in response to it. Most people have to have a think about this a while but I knew my answer instantly and replied “Lightning!”. Obviously I need to explain. When I was a kid my parents took me to Matlock Bath, which is close to where I live in Nottingham. We visited a stone quarry and then went into the gemstone shop. This was the day I decided I wanted to be a geologist (archaeologist and palaeontologist came later with the advent of Time Team and JurassicPark). I was fascinated by all the shiny colourful stones and was umm-ing and ahh-ing about which to have when the shop keeper came over to help me. I remember him to be an old man, but I was a kid so he was probably just the age I am now really. He gave me two dusty white stones that were pretty lack-lustre compared to everything else in the shop. He then dimmed the lights and told me to bang the two stones together – voila, LIGHTNING! Well, probably just a few sparks but to my imaginative child eyes there was an actual rod of lightning between my two small hands. Obviously, these were my take-home stones and quartz remains my favourite today, particularly the rutilated kind.

Circular ‘galaxies apart’ cufflinks

Shape – Circle. The circle has a mocking kind of character about it – who can draw a perfect one?! I certainly can’t. The circle literally lives in its own little bubble of mockery – I like him, he’s cool.

Constellation – Draco, the Dragon. Because it’s a dragon! I don’t think I need to say anymore but Draco does also look down on Hercules!

4. Many don’t see science and art as particularly compatible; people are “good” at one or the other. What do you think?

Asteroid Belt Tourmaline Stone Necklace

But what about Leonardo Da Vinci?! Okay, so his talents were considered to be superhuman, possibly not the best example. But most of my friends are scientists and almost all of them have artistic talents outside of their dayjob; a few have their own bands and my friend Mark is a brilliant scientist, currently building a giant world atlas out of computer parts in his spare time!

Science itself has so much to offer for artistic inspiration too, hence Owlish Grey. Anyone that chooses the path of science is simply seeking truths about the fascinating world that we live in – this craving for knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean losing an appreciation for things just because they are beautiful to look at.

5. Each of your letter charms comes with a rock fact – which rock would you pick to describe yourself and which for Owlish Grey?

Personalised charm designed to fit onto wine glass

Wine Charm place markers

For me – Quartz, just because I am a sparky kind of person.

Picture of a variety of stones inlcuding quartz, howlite, onyx and amethyst

Lots of lovely stones – including howlite

For Owlish Grey, it would have to be Howlite! This is a white rock veined with a lovely grey colour, but I didn’t pick it for the colour. I chose Howlite because it tends to grow in irregular nodules to eventually resemble a cauliflower. I feel like my little business is quite unpredictable, even to me, as to what will be the next thing I do. I don’t think there will ever really be any eventual shape, cauliflower or otherwise, as I hope to always have this waterfall of ideas to play with and to keep developing my product range.

6. What are the best and worst aspects of the design process for you?

Gemma’s creative space

The best is the ideas bit. It is so exciting when an idea first springs into my head and I get to swill it around and think up all the possibilities. I have so many scraps of paper that just look like the scribblings and doodles of a mad man. They are always scraps too as I never have these ideas whilst I am sat at a desk with a nice tidy book to hand.

Necklace with Ombre wooden nuggets

When I decided to turn my creative pursuits into a business I initially felt restricted on what I could do on the design front. I felt like I had put myself into the jewellery bucket and now must stay there. I found this really limiting and a bit of a killer to my creative spark so I just scrapped it. It may not be the normal thing to do but I am happy having my jewellery mixed in with prints, cards, home accessories, things for kids… all sorts really. I don’t think this make a Jack of all trades as I am still very picky where quality is concerned. Sometimes I will try my hand at a new skill and just find that I cannot do it to a standard I am happy with, no matter how hard I try – in fact, I probably have almost as many bad ideas as I do good ones.

7. There seems to be a hidden/secret message theme to a lot of your work – is this a fair comment?

Morse code message printed in the shape of the moon

The Morse Moon print

Absolutely fair. I developed these mainly for Valentine’s day. I’m not really a soppy sort myself and if someone was to give me something to say they loved me then it had better not be a big fluffy bear holding a heart saying “I LOVE YOU”. A secret message though, containing a really personal message for my eyes only – that might just sway me. I thought this might just be me though and was literally baffled at the popularity of my morse moons and sound wave cards. I’d love to be able to share the mixture of funny, sad and sometimes deeply personal messages I’ve received – especially the sound recordings, with crazy women laughing, babies babbling, men gushing, kids singing… the list goes on.

8. Tell us about your amazing self-designed gift box.

Gemma’s amazing self designed icohedron box.

This came as a result of my terrible best friend, procrastination. I was supposed to be working on my thesis but instead found myself cutting and sticking bits of paper, trying to turn it into some kind of shape. I’m not great at maths (probably shouldn’t admit this as a scientist) so this was a long 6-hour process of trial and error – the lid drove me crazy. This was one of the rare occasions where I felt that the end result was better than the creative process itself. Despite spending so much time on it, I had actually planned only to use it to store all the little things accumulating on my desk. But, I loved the box so much I actually started Owlish Grey just so I could have an excuse to send it out to people.

9. Can you tell us more about your love of the periodic table?

Genius greetings card spelt using periodic table elements

One of a range of periodic table inspired cards from Owlish Grey

The periodic table is just incredible in its simplicity. I remember the day I was introduced to it in science class and feeling amazed that our planet had been boiled down to these core elements, all organised in a tidy little table. It really is quite a remarkable thing.

10. What can we look forward to seeing from you in 2013?

Gemma’s nephew

One thing I really want to work on is a science range for kids. I am lucky to have a 6-year old nephew that has all the interests I did when I was his age. He loves science and is already planning the ‘Archeology Dig’ he is going to be doing with his grandparents in the summer. I got him an ant farm this Christmas and solar system mobile the year before but it took me forever to find these – I really don’t think there are enough toys for kids that like to learn. I’ve started with the spring experiments test tube kit for easter – there’s some chocolate in there to keep them happy but mainly it is about the learning activities designed to teach kids about the spring season in a fun way.

The new Spring Experiments

I am also saving for a laser cutter as I would like to expand my range to use sound waves in personalised jewellery and wall art.

Here’s how you can keep in touch or buy something from Owlish Grey: Just click on the links!

Facebook: Owlish Grey

Website: www.owlishgrey.com

Twitter: OwlishGrey

Geometric Wall Mural Tutorial

It has been a long time coming but here is the how to for creating a geometric feature wall. Just in time for a Tuesday Treat

When I was decorating my office I really wanted to be bold with colour and take advantage of the fact that this was MY space. I was inspired by this beautiful wallpaper by Cole and Son but was keen to create something of my own.

Inspirational “Circus” Wallpaper from Cole and Son

So here’s how…..

Step 1: Do lots of research into colours. I found pinterest a great way to gather images and see what I kept choosing time and again. You can see some of my picks here

Step 2: Measure your wall. This can be surprisingly tricky to do by yourself so grab someone to help you. Check your measurements several times. Accuracy is really important. My wall measured 2.2m tall x 2.04m wide.

Step 3: Draw a grid on a piece of paper to work out how many squares you want in your design. I decided on squares measuring 22cm as this would mean I had a complete column going down the wall and only one incomplete square on each row.

Step 4: Test out your design using a computer graphics program (I used Paint) or good old fashioned pens and paper. Geometric Wall Mural Plan

: My mural plan

Step 5: Buy your paint! I had a number of tester pots left over from previous projects that I wanted to use but also needed to buy more. Tester pots come in a wide variety of sizes and I did run out of some colours which meant altering my colour choices during painting. For reference the Crown Vintage 125ml tester pots pictured were enough to do two coats in their colours.

Some of my colour choices

Step 6: Get your tools together.

Tools you will need

Step 7: Draw your grid onto the wall using a pencil. This is where I discovered that my walls were not straight and it would have been handy to have some help! Use a plumbline to give you straight vertical lines and make at least 5 measurement marks for each line you draw. That way you are more likely to end up with straight lines. you can use a spirit level to help with the horizontal lines.

Straight lines – with the help of a plumb line and spirit level

It is tempting to rush this part but it is really worth taking the time to get it right.

Step 8: Mask off the diagonal lines.

masking tape diagonal strips on white wall

Masked off diagonals (with the cheap masking tape)

Two things to note when choosing your masking tape. Firstly I used over 80m of tape! Secondly you are better off using low tack tape designed to be used with fresh paint than trying to get away with cheaper types. I found I could resuse the masking tape two or three times if I was careful and the results were significantly better than my first coat using cheap tape.

An example of me reusing the masking tape!

Step 9: Paint! I painted one coat of each colour at a time (remove low tack masking tape straight away to get a nice clean edge). You could paint stripes of one colour and then draw your grid but I would be nervous that the pencil might show up.

First coat of “Green Cross Code”

Even using low tack masking tape you have to leave 24 hours before applying masking tape over fresh paint. Do two coats of one colour before removing the tape.