The Drawing Book

Landor allows James Briscoe to release his Krafty inner Bear

Matt — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:26:29 +0000

When James Briscoe got the opportunity to design a new Bear for Kraft peanut butter he was thrilled. So thrilled that when we first called him we could hear his brain dreaming up all sorts of personality traits, behaviours and habits that a bear hooked on peanut butter might display.

The Q&A with James as well as the pencil-to-final process below hopefully gives you a little insight into the way James’s imagination works.

Warning: James’s answer to Question 2 may evoke strong cravings for peanut butter.

Q. Your portfolio is overflowing with characters, what is it you like most about designing characters?

A. I think what’s great about creating characters is the personality that you can give them… it’s not just a drawing, it’s like you’re giving something a life of its own. When I’m creating a character I like to imagine the type of person or creature they are, are they strong, heroic, sneaky, cute or just completely crazy? it’s great to imagine a bit of a backstory too as I feel it really helps to flesh the character out.

Q. What on earth is the connection between bears and peanut butter?

A. Good question… it’s something I’ve mused over on many a long dark evening, however there was a story I once heard over a couple of beers, it could have been the ramblings of a mad man but the gist was that there once was a time apparently when bears ate nothing but porridge. Porridge for breakfast, porridge for dinner and porridge for tea but as much as they loved porridge there’s only so much that a bear can stomach. Then one day a golden locked girl came to the forest with a toaster, a loaf of bread and a jar of something smooth and crunchy, creamy and magical ” Yo furry dudes! time for you to get with it and that! ” and from that moment on not only did the bears develop a wicked street attitude but they also became bonafide peanut butter nutters! They spread it on toast, dolloped it on porridge, smothered it on jam sandwiches as well as making all manner of tasty Thai satay treats. So there you have it, that’s why bears love peanut butter or at least I think that’s how the story went, it was very late, I’d had a couple and the old man was, I think, quite bonkers.

Q. Is there anything particularly rewarding about seeing your illustrations on packaging?

A. It’s always great when you’re going down a super market isle and you get to see your illustrations there. The Kraft Peanut Butter bear was especially rewarding as it’s such an iconic brand and I really enjoyed working on it.

Chris Wahl is commissioned to pop out some WWII propaganda

Matt — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:51:01 +0000

Chris Wahl’s portfolio plays host to most of pop culture’s great heroes, villians and damsels. This made him the perfect candidate to be commissioned by entertainment company, Dinosaur, to capture all the mayhem of the new SBS Spy series, Danger 5, in five panels and a logo.

You can see the action packed panels and the mini-moustached skull logo below as well as read through Chris’s answers to some question we asked him about his work. We have also posted some youTube previews of the series for you to enjoy.

Click here or any image below to see Chris’ full portfolio.

Q. It looks like you had a lot of fun on this project. What attracted you to it the most?

A. I love quirky themes, and you can’t get any quirkier than this show. It’s got everything- Spies, Nazis, dinosaurs, The Antarctic death circus and Rommel’s golden murder casino all set in a bizarre, 1960’s inspired version of World War II. It’s hilarious. How could I refuse?

Q. Your work on the Danger 5 project shows your passion for the spy action comedy genre, where did this spawn from?

A. I grew up watching Bond films, and some of these films practically were comedies with all their sexual innuendos, and over the top action sequences. Also, Danger 5 was inspired by Italian cinema so growing up watching spaghetti westerns helped set the mood as well.

Q. How did you go about distilling so many characters and themes as well as capturing as much action as possible into still imagery?

A. The creators had a good idea about what they were after. We went through a few different concepts before deciding on the final layout. Some focused more on the main characters and others more on the bizarre scenarios from the series. The final had the right balance of the main characters being the focus and not being too overshadowed by all the background detail. The same way the show is a nod to retro spy movies and 60’s Italian cinema, the final art is a nod to the movie posters of those eras.

Enter the dragon

Matt — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:35:30 +0000

Dragons are one of those subject matters that appear on all illustrators’ wish lists. The combination of mythology, semiotics, serpentine sweeping lines and the opportunity to create straight from the imagination is a delight for any artist. Until someone actually produces a photograph of a dragon the artist is able to create with very little restraint.

Enjoy the brief Q&A that describes the challenges and triumphs Andrew Millist experienced along the way whilst viewing the pencils, final artwork and final display of his dragon below.

Click any of the images below to see Andrew’s full portfolio. Q. Looks like you enjoyed yourself here Andrew. What do you like most about drawing dragons?

A. The thing I like most about drawing dragons would be, the amount of diversity. Since no one has actually seen a dragon, it really is entirely up to your imagination what one might look like. Even within the cultural and historic parameters there’s still plenty of creative license to make your dragon fairly unique.

Q. Do dragons present any challenges for you that people might not realise?

A. Definitely. Generally with an illustration where scales are involved you can use a few techniques to get around repetitious rendering. That wasn’t the case here, the client specifically wanted very defined (and metallic) scales so every single one was individually rendered.

Q. The finish on the dragon and the plumes of smoke give your artwork real dimension can you describe how you achieved this?

A. The client asked for a metallic finish on the body, so I really hardened up the spectral contrast and was more aggressive with the detailed lighting. The look on the clouds was actually my favorite part of the finished piece and were really a result of experimenting. I just started loose and fooled around a bit with the lighting on them, blurring and fading the highlights and shadows until I got a foamy bubblegum look. I had fun.

Q. What aspects of the brief were left free to your interpretation (colour, layouts, expression, scales etc.)?

A. The brief was really quite specific and the client had requested a merging of 2 styles I’d presented in previous work. I even had friends tell me when they saw the finished piece that it didn’t look like my style haha, so I think the art director was very astute in knowing the outcome of combining a couple of techniques. The pose and the facial expression was really where I got to play, however there were fairly strict requirements here too which provided a challenge, particularly with something that was also culturally sensitive.

Passion so palpable you can bottle it

Matt — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:21:55 +0000

Jason Paulos has an irrepressible passion for comic art and horror that no school, job or family member has been able to suppress. These traits suited The Creative Method’s Creative Director, Tony Ibbotson perfectly. Tony needed someone who could bring to life his very unique brief for packaging wine bottles with illustrations. As he described his vision to us we couldn’t help but smile as we knew just how much he and Jason were going to enjoy their next week of work.

We think the following question and answer with Jason and Tony and the images below describe the great collaboration best.

Jason Paulos, Illustrator
Q: How long have you been creating comics?

A: Since I was a wee nipper! I can remember scribbling out comics on blue lined foolscap paper on the kitchen table. I won second prize in a primary school competition (grade 7 I think) with a self written and drawn comic called ‘Battle Action’ (not very original, I know …)

Q: What was it that attracted you to comic art and what keeps you enthusiastic about them as a media?

A: It must have been the potential that yet didn’t exist in other media back then. Nowadays with computer animation anythings possible … even the most complex fantasies can be rendered with realism. When I grew up comics artists were the kings of visual storytelling … still are! It occurred to me that I could produce my own stories with nothing but a pen and paper. Later I found out you needed a publisher and/or a printer and distributor as well … but that’s another story!

Q: Did you ever imagine your comics would appear on bottles of wine?

A:Only when I’d drink too much of it. I see comics everywhere, on the sides of buses, in the clouds, on the sidewalk … but I’m usually hallucinating when it happens!

Q: Now that your comics have appeared on wine bottles where else could you imagine them being used?

A: Homewares would be great … everything from towels, shower curtains, dinner plates. Can you imagine your house wallpapered with your favourite comic art or character? Large canvas prints ala Roy Lichenstein except without the irony. Comics can now take their place as a legitimate artform.

Tony Ibottson, Creative Director at Creative Method Sydney
Q: The bottles look amazing, what on earth made you put horror comics and wine packaging together?

A: Every year we send our clients wine and use it as an opportunity for us to do something creative internally. The idea is to create our own briefs and deliver something a little different that will remind them of how we can think outside of the box. This year our Xmas party was themed The Nightmare Before Christmas – as most of our clients are. We wanted to create something that referenced this but also would created a talking point.

Q: How did you find working with comic artist, Jason paulos in a media that was completely new to him?

A: The great thing about working with Jason on this project was that he was born to create this type of illustration. We simply presented him with the overall idea and he brought it all to life. This included taking images of our staff and integrating us into the story that he also wrote. We were really lucky to get someone with such a freakish talent that was exactly what we were after but whom could also add value to what we were wanting to achieve.

Q: Are there any other applications for comics that you have wild ideas for?

A: For us it’s about thinking of an idea and then choosing the best way of implementing or bringing that idea to life. So the concept drives the execution.

Mike Watt and Cake Wines share some culture with us all

Matt — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:44:04 +0000

Depicting culture visually is no easy task given that it is ever flowing and never static by nature. The solution was to use an illustrator that shared these traits not just in their style, but in their personality and approach to life.

Mike Watt could never be described as static. He is progressive, curious and brave. Whether he is illustrating an alphabet, painting a mural, designing a Tshirt or free handing in front of a camera his gift to the audience is an outward expression of what he is thinking and feeling about the subject matter. The inherent energy each illustration gives off tells that Mike still has plenty more to show us. Mike was perfectly suited to Cake Wines’ brief as we believe we all have plenty to look forward to from both parties.

We asked Cake Wines to shed some light on the brand and the creative process that went into the final animation.

Q: Cake seems to involve artists to a great extent in the brand, how much did mike Watt bring to the table?

A: Mike brought a huge amount to the project. He’s basically illustrated the story behind the brand which is an incredible achievement! The animation beautifully captures the essence of what Cake stands for…from the shift to a more democratised global creative culture, to the awesome collaboration partners we’ve brought on board to bring the brand to life (FBI, Inertia, Kill Pixie, and Beci Orpin). Mike is a very talented guy, not to mention the nicest man on the planet so it all just seemed to work really well.

Q: What lead to you using the hand drawn illustration, with the technique of stop motion footage, to create the animation?

A: There’s something organic and truthful about hand drawn things. The artist is expressing how they feel about a certain topic as they draw, it’s an honest reflection of the illustrator and of the project at hand. We wanted those feelings to come through in the piece because we think they are some of the key values of Cake. The fumbling nature of stop motion tends to amplify these feelings because it’s a very human and “real” production technique. There are “happy accidents” all over the place but that’s where the gold is!

Q: Where can I get a glass of Cake?

A: Here’s a full list of all our stockists, it’s growing by the day which is very exciting! http://cakewines.com/#stockists

Click here or any image to see Mike’s full portfolio

Phil Holliday and Andreas Smetana make sense of nonsense

Matt — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:34:11 +0000

Phil Holliday is known very well for his ability to storyboard absolutely anything that exists in a script. He is also know for his highly detailed traditional scraperboard work, but less well known for his model spaceships, figurines and goblins. So when fantastical Photographer, Andreas Smetana, called with a brief to create a team of little figurine like people busying themselves about a giant bottle of OJ we thought Phil Holliday could bring it to life for him best. We asked Phil some questions about the brief and himself.

Q: What was your reaction when you first saw this brief?
A: The work was required very quickly, overnight in fact, so to be honest my first reaction to seeing it arrive was… Oh no!! The brief was very specific and the client wanted various elements included, he [Andreas] had a very firm idea of what he wanted but his client needed to see what he had in mind, so over to me!

Q: This particular illustration shows your technical skill applied to a fantasy. Is it part of your approach to always balance discipline with nonsense?
A: I don’t know about nonsense,but to make the improbable look possible is always a delight to achieve, I like stories and especially pictures that tell them. Effort is always required to make anything live, so I do my best.

Q: Do you prefer briefs that use your imagination or your ability?
A: Any brief you receive, you have to find a part of it you can call your own, otherwise your dead meat, as this is usually how to start…but obviously the more you can dream up to add what is needed the better as it allows you to be more involved, it’s always great to put your own ideas down on paper even if they serve to just reinforce another… I think this should always be part of the job.

Q: Did you enjoy building things when you were a boy? Do you still now?
A: My first ever job was a model spaceship! For BMW… I took time off school to do it, I used to build and paint model figurines prolifically, but used to have great fun ”converting ”them, bending arms, changing the regiments… even adding stubble! Now I am happy to just help my son make his model goblins and see his imagination at work, although it tends to be a little on the ”bloodthirsty ”side.

Click here or any image to see Phil’s full portfolio.

Otto lets Optus run wild through the city

Matt — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:49:26 +0000

Recently another different kind of brief came in for us which was to illustrate a stampede of african animals for M&C Saatchi to wrap a pair of Optus vans in. The trick was for the animals to be super realistic with a slight exaggeration applied to their affection and grace. Otto Schmidinger immediately came to mind.

Ever since Otto’s daughter asked him to draw her some animals Otto began a special kind of safari. He started to study the anatomy, movement and aesthetic of every animal until he could achieve the same photo real execution he had achieved with water, women and various other subject matter.

After he had completed the illustrations we asked him a few questions regarding the project.

Q: What did you especially like about the project?
A: I loved doing the animals getting their majesty and power, but making them friendly too.

Q: What did you find challenging?
A: The most challenging part was to blend the animals and the digital swirls together in a flowing movement.

Q: Do you have a passion for animals?
A: I do have a passion for portraying animals of any kind, The variety of forms and textures excite me and I try to convey that feeling to the viewer. I enjoy making them as realistic as possible in any situation and giving them a personality.

Click here or any of the images to view more of Ottos artwork.

Mike Watt lets his imagination loose at MTV Australia party

Matt — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:22:14 +0000

Last Tuesday night Mike Watt created a mural for Sol beer live in front of the crowd at MTV Australia end of year party.

This year we have received more and more commissions like this that ask for more from the artist than just the execution. The emphasis with these briefs is placed on people being able to engage with not only the work but the artist who creates it.

Mike Watt is in his element when working live in front of an audience because it allows him to execute what’s in his imagination the way he has always chosen to naturally because of his background in Graffiti. It’s an ability he has also honed in recent years by competing in Sydney’s Secret Wars tournaments. It was so nice to see people take interest in how Mike works and get a deeper understanding for him as an artist, beyond just the surface layer of his finished works.

It doesn’t hurt that the characters that exist in Mike’s mind and his personality are both dominated by gregariousness and inclusiveness. It is these aspects of Mike’s process and person that made him such a great contribution to the success of the night. In fact every photo posted on the MTV Australia facebook page that night had a touch of Mike because they were taken with his bright happy backdrop and shared with the wider community.

We asked Mike to describe what makes this way of working so different to traditional kinds of commissions for commercial art.

Q – The mural for Sol beer commissioned for the MTV end of year party seems to be a mammoth task for one artist, were you nervous at all?

A – I was pretty calm leading up to it but when I was actually painting it and the time was flying passed, the nerves did kick in a bit. I managed to get through it all in the end, it was fairly intense but a lot of a fun.

Q – Is there anything you like about performing live art versus working in a studio away from the audience?

A – I think there is much more energy in doing it live, especially when there are time constraints. Its also quite nice having people coming up to you and commenting on your work.

Q – Was the scenario, characters and composition briefed to you or did you dream up the mural entirely on your own?

A – I pretty much dreamed it up on my own, there was reference given that gave me the vibe I should go for but the client was very open to ideas.

Q – What lead to casting seemingly “scary” looking characters in a very happy scene? How did you balance these contrasting tones?

A – I think the most iconic Mexican graphics are that from Day of the Dead and the Mexican Wrestlers. I wanted them working in the scene together and not just having random elements so I tried to figure out a way to make them work together. I think I balanced it by using positive body language and expressions on characters that could otherwise be intimidating. I think bright friendly colours help too.

Q – Is there some story that links all your characters together?

A – The story I came up with is that the Day of the Dead parade has been going passed the Wrestlers gym in preparation for the festival, there is a friendly bill posting competition going on on the side of the gym between the two parties. On the way passed one day the Day of the Dead characters pop in to meet the Wrestlers with a friendly afternoon beer.

Click here or any image to see Mike’s full portfolio.

James Briscoe makes our skin crawl

Matt — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:17:57 +0000

James renders skin with a level of detail that makes it not only seem like you can reach out and touch it but you actually experience the sensation of what it feels like. It wasn’t just realism that Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare needed to deliver for their client, they needed James’s passion to provoke a visceral reaction in his audience. It was this passion that helped Saatchi make people travelling consider what parasites might be lurking in their drinks.

We asked James what he found enjoying and challenging about the brief.

“Creating the creatures for Vivaxim was a lot of fun… I was given plenty of creative freedom and it was great to work with the photographer closely to pull everything together.

What was most fun about the job though was also its greatest challenge as the creatures had to fit seamlessly into the photographic environments that they were going to inhabit, so working from test shots and my initial sketches I began to create the models and prepare preview renders. From there I began texturing them – which is always one of the most fun parts of the job for me as it’s where they really start to come to life – before starting to integrate them into the photography. I took a lot of inspiration from the types of creatures you might find lurking at the bottom of the ocean, with their anaemic skin and razor sharp teeth and it was great to see them progress from model to fully fleshed out creature.”

Click here or any image below to see James’ full portfolio.

Joe Whyte draws depth out of shadows and silhouettes

Matt — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:22:17 +0000

Joe Whyte’s poster designs benefit from his appreciation of the variance in tone, texture, mood and depth offered by silhouettes and shadows. In this latest commission from Sydney agency Ideaworks, on behalf of Coates, Joe was challenged to create a scene with three distinct lads awestruck at the mouth of the cave of their dreams.

After completing the commission with Joe, Bec asked him a few questions:

Q: Was there anything you found challenging with this job?
A: The most challenging part of the job was working with the hierarchy of importance between the prizes, the men, the cave and the landscape. I wanted to create a sense of depth while keeping the prizes as the main focus of the image.
With so much happening in the image, I was aware that it could easily become overwhelming to the viewer. The solution was to work with colour and contrast to draw focus to the central area while drawing the viewer’s eye away from the less important areas.

Q: What did you enjoy most about the job?
A: It’s always fun to work on such grand imagery. I was able to really let my imagination go with regards to the detail of the setting. The fact that the piece was going to be used at a large scale allowed me to really go to town with the details, particularly on the prizes.

Q: What was the process involved in creating the Man Cave?
A: For this project I worked entirely digitally on my wacom tablet, never touching a pen or paper. Working in photoshop I first sketched out my roughs, then once approved, worked over the rough in further layers, gradually building the piece up from background to foreground.
I wanted a strong sense of contrast between the shadows and the bright light of the cave, so I initially drew the piece in pure black and white, before going back in and adding depth with shading and color. Working entirely digitally enabled me to speed up the workflow and quickly make alterations when requested by the client. It also allowed the piece to be simply broken down into layers for TV/web production.

Click here or any of the images to see Joe’s full portfolio.