posted: June 12, 2008

Just sharing this novel which I picked up in a local charity shop the other day for a couple of pounds.

Among all the other books, on the shelf, this spine really stood out

I have no idea who the designer was but  I'd like to shake his hand... if he's still alive that is.


The Day Khruschev Panicked
by George B Mair
1961 First Edition
Cassell & Co Ltd

posted: March 16, 2008

Kroniger recently forwarded me the link to this blogger Kavel Rafferty's collection of nice company record sleeves.

I usually overlook the boxes of these in junk shops but a I spotted this one recently in a local chairty shop and had to buy it.

It makes me smile.

The artist credit is C.V.V ... Maybe someone out there might know who this is?

posted: February 22, 2008

I'm pretty tied up with longer term projects right now so don't have much recent stuff to post right now.

Rather than neglect my drawger blog completely, I thought I'd post more about the things that inspire me or cool things I've dug up in charity shops...

I've been a big Scarry fan for a long time, but I hadn't seen his earlier stuff before... So I was pleased to find this LGB in a local charity shop

I have to say that being brought up proper-like, good manners go a long way in my book...and what better excuse to brush up...

Heres more scans from book for your reading pleasure:
Little Golden Book of Manners on Flickr

posted: October 14, 2007

Last month I managed to meet up with ever so slightly AWOL drawger Aaron Leighton in Toronto and he was kind enough to invite me along to previously blogged Pen club.

As well as being able to sink a few beers and meet some great folks (thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome!) it also really reminded me of the importance of drawing and doodling  purely for fun. 

Working digitally, it very easy for my work to just get all a bit static so I've been trying to spend more time doodling without worrying about the outcome.

I've admired Aarons and Rob D's sketchbooks for ages, so I'm really enjoying keeping a daily sketchbook and have become quite obsessed with buying brush pens all of a sudden.  

I've always drawn every day but I just always ended up with piles of old letters and envelopes with drawings on them that just always end up going into the recycling bin.

I'm pretty messy sometimes (ok, always) so it takes a little more discipline for me to keep everything in a book... but it's worth the effort! When I get some free time I'll scan some pages and upload.

The outcome has also crossed into my digital work, heres some photoshop doodles while on the phone the other day... quite surprising what you come up with when you are not paying attention.

The outcome has also crossed into my digital work, heres some photoshop doodles while on the phone the other day... quite surprising what you come up with when you are not paying attention.

Coincidentally Argentinean illustrator Super DD and myself have also established an flickr group for five minute doodles on a weekly theme... sort of good for people who like Illustration Friday but who are super short on time...the current theme is "your weirdest neighbour".  It's an open invitation group so if you're a flickr-er-er then stop by:  http://www.flickr.com/groups/5minutedoodle/


Above: Super DD's neighbourly contribution!

I've also been playing around in photoshop with some lettering.  I've added a new gallery of quick lettering sketches I did over they weekend... these based on the contents of my spam folder... its not the most original idea but the bizarre-o subject lines have been great starting point and I've enjoyed not trying to clean up or correct any mistakes... just seeing what happens...

More Spam one liners here

posted: September 13, 2007

I recently picked up a whole bunch of very cool 50/60s matchbook labels from East Europe.

Even though it was painstakingly boring, I've uploaded the best of them (about 90 in total) to flickr.  I've posted a few select images below and for anyone who is interested, here's the link to the rest of the gallery: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/linzie/sets/72157601961559416/

Anyways, I was feeling pretty inspired by the simplicity and limited colours on these and had a bash at doing some 2 colour photocopying with an old analog copier I picked up for all of £1.70 on ebay  ( I outbid the other bidder by a whole 20p)

It's a very basic and pretty tempromental machine, but you can get  different colour cartridges which you can swap the black one for.

I hear you can go to fancy copy shops to do this, but I've only seen full colour copiers...

The nice thing about working with photocopiers is that allows you not to be too precious and enjoy the "rough and ready" way your work comes out... which is a good exercise for me.

While I'd like to say it was a breeze, the prep time is massive due to the large element of trial and error involved... particulary when it comes to working in half tone and trying to work out the registration...

and my copier wins no prizes for speed.

Looking at it now, theres lots of things I'd do differently... but over I'm quite pleased... and I'm managed to recycle a whole lot of old manilla folders.

posted: June 19, 2007

I've just contributed to a pretty cool project which is being organised by paper collager Dawbis.

The concept goes like this:

"Over the course of a year, artists from around the world will be invited to create 12 individual paper quilts. Each month 12 new artists will create a collage interpreting the project's theme, "A Day in my Life," and share their story. Each story will then be sewn together to create a paper quilt. At the end of the year, each paper quilt will either be auctioned off or donated to a charitable cause. The goal is to bring together artists from different countries to allow them to share their lives, their culture, and their art with one another."

Each artist is sent a small collect of different patterned papers and printed ephemera and the only real rule is that you only use the paper that you have been given.

There's been plenty of great contributions so far and heres a few of my favourites so far

I have to admit that my personal traditional collage skills haven't progressed much past the macaroni, glitter and milk-bottle-top pre-school stage but thought I'd give it my best shot. 

Heres my attempt.  I tried to avoid using the pretty flowery papers and played it save with a topic close to my heart!

It's notable that the majority of the contributions are from females, so it would be nice to see more of the boys get involved.  I believe that Dawbis is still looking for contributors for later in the year.

LINKS:

The PAPER QUILT PROJECT website
Paper Quilt Blog
Paper Quilt Group on Flickr

posted: April 14, 2007

I thought I'd share these stamps from Mongolia which I got in a lucky dip stamp assortment.

I know zip about stamps or collecting them but think they are pretty delicious and worth sharing.

posted: April 13, 2007

When I was at uni I took a whole semester of Greek Art of which I have absolutely no recollection.  While having a clear out the other day I found a pile of old art history essays which I don't remember writing either.   Hmmm... Gothic Art & Architecture and Colonial American Art are pretty blurry memories too. 

Anyways, after flicking through an old Greek Art book (did I buy that?)  these funny little terracotta sculptures caught my eye...

And 'inspired' me...

I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with it, but it was a good challenge working in only a few colours.

posted: February 24, 2007

I picked this old childrens educational book up today in a local oxfam charity shop for 79p. 

Sadly there's no date or illustrator credited but thought I'd share a few of the interior illustrations as they are quite nice I think.

Following on from the discussion of the updated Richard Scarry book on A. Richard Allen's post, heres a few that might not make it into the 2007 edition...

posted: February 4, 2007

I don't know why but I always think food packaging from other countries looks infinitely more interesting than those you find back home.  No more so than with Japanese sweety packaging.  I'm quietly working my way through eating this bunch of recent purchases... the nifty graphics are very much making up for the E numbers.

I realise that the title of this post could be a bit misleading...

posted: December 9, 2006

'Oh Great, here comes Linzie with lots more old crap to share'

I don't really collect old postcards, but I do seem to have bought a hell of a lot of them.  They are just one of those things that easy to find and cheap to buy.  I like the randomness of what you can find, and though it makes me feel a little bit sad/guilty the best ones are the ones that have actually been sent and show you a glimpse into someone life.

I've twice been to a local charity shop and picked up a stack of these 50s postcards... They were so cheap and the temptation was too great...

To be honest though, when I was about 10 I used to collect victorian birthday postcards which I hoping to hunt down when I go home over the holidays.  When other girls were spending their pocket money on My Little Pony, I used to spend the weekend with my parents staking out flea markets and antique stalls... It will be interesting to find my old collection and see what I considered cool then... I seem to recall I really liked the embroidered ones (oh dear!) from the turn of the century and would turn my nose up at anything post 1930...

I like this Notre Dame one... and it got a really nice matt finish... and even my beginners french is good enough to understand it

This little fellow cracks me up!

But I have no idea whats going on in this one...anyone?  Answers on a postcard please.. boom boom.  Man, I'm in the wrong business...

So, OK, I have just posted a whole load of stuff that I collect, but hell at least I feel it has a purpose now!

posted: November 25, 2006

This time last year the V&A had a great (but small) exhibit to celebrate 70s years of Penguin Books.

Paperback books of the same colour scheme were arranged in huge cases which looks pretty stunning.

Originally Penguin pbs had distinctive colour schemes:
orange / white - general fiction
green / white - crime fiction
maroon -  travel series
dark blue - biographies.

Some of the best covers come from the 50s and 60s, with really smart and sometimes bizarre graphic designs.

The great thing is that these books are pretty easy to pick up in charity shops.   The Pelican* subjects are often very dry and academic, but the covers really make up for it.

I picked up the book above yesterday for a few pennies in a charity shop where I live.

*Pelican Books  was an imprint of Penguin designed to "educate the reading public rather than entertain"

For anyone wondering about what to add to their christmas wish list the book to accompany the exhibition and Penguins birthday: Penguin by Design is available on amazon.

Also, heres one guy's nice 50s/60s collection on flickr :  Penguin Books

posted: October 31, 2006

I love books.  I especially like handmade books and small press publications.  All the recent goulish Halloween illustration posts made me go dig out a little book I bought recently: - The Funeral by writer/illustrator Barnaby Richards.

"The Funeral pictures the paradoxical events surrounding the disappearance of a loved one". Its published by Atlantic Press and is a complete steal at just £4.

I don't know much about Barnaby other than he is a recent graduate of  MA Illustration course at Falmouth.  He doesn't seem to have a website yet which is a real shame.

I also have a few of his other books which I picked up in Magma. - 20 Artistic Things, 20 Enchanting things and 20 Scary Things.  Each one is a collection of line drawings - one per page- on the title theme. There is something both dark and charming about these collection of simple drawings that I really enjoy.  I particularly like the quiet expressions on his characters. I always get a kick out of looking at them.

From 20 Artistic Things - Apologies for the poor quality scans email: barnabyrichards @ hotmail.com

I've done a little book making myself but it very hard to find the time. It's very much something I'd like to do more of in the future.  I also took a screenprinting course this summer so am hoping in the new year to be able to my new skills into practice!

In the meantime, It's nice just to enjoy the labour of loves of other artists.  I'm also a fan of Andy Smith's screen printed books and the great stuff Tom Gauld* and Simone Lia publish under Cabanon Press.

*The current issue of Specialten DVD Magazine includes a free A4 print by Tom Gauld in the current issue (no.16)