Innehållsförteckning för February 2016 från Computer Arts

Freelancing doesn’t necessarily get easier as you gain experience: you just have a different set of challenges to face. With this in mind, this month’s retro-games-themed cover feature will help you take things to the next level, whatever stage you’re at. Whether you’re just taking your first steps into the unknown, planning to build on your existing success or are striving for full-scale world domination, there’s plenty there to help you do exactly that. In a similar vein, we’ve also shifted the focus of our regular video insight feature from the inner workings of top studios to the trials and tribulations of freelance life – an agent and four of the illustrators he represents chat to a CA film crew about the secrets of their success. Following the news that…

French illustrator Ladislas Chachignot enjoys mixing colourful vector art and digital painting. www.behance.net/ladislas FEDORA HAT I started wearing hats a few years ago and I love it. I’m pretty selective with them. I chose a kind of fedora with a tiny brim. PHILOSOPHICAL TATTOO I’ve always loved tattoos and great art, so on my chest I have a personal sentence that sums up my philosophy as a creative: “Life is my main artwork.” WOODEN WATCH My family gave me this great wooden WeWood watch last Christmas. I really like the design and the good thing is that if you buy one, WeWood plants a tree!…

KEY INFO LOCATION Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, London www.thelondonillustrationfair.co.uk WHEN 4–6 December 2015 FEATURED ARTISTS Robert Hunter, Camille Walala, Thierry Noir, Rupert Newman Illustration is experiencing a bit of an upheaval at the moment. There appears to be a genuine increase in interest in the discipline, far removed from the usual tight-knit groups of cliquey Dalston warehouse-folk. Whether it’s through social media or just the fact that the illustration big boys seem to be circling in the mainstream media, something is bringing illustration into the public eye more often than it’s been for quite a while. Events like the London Illustration Fair are certainly proving that the public are into it, as evidenced by the sheer volume of people in attendance at the latest event. The two days I spent…

ABOUT THE WRITER Paula Benson co-founded the multi-award-winning, London-based branding and design agency Form in 1991. Her passions are graphic design, music, film, interiors and neurology. www.form.uk.com INSIGHT Strong opinion and analysis from across the global design industry THIS MONTH PAULA BENSON Co-founder and creative director of Form www.form.uk.com BEN TALLON Freelance illustrator and art director www.bentallon.com PAUL BLACKBURN Creative consultant and founder of Studio Blackburn www.studioblackburn.com REGULAR WRITERS ADRIAN SHAU GHNESS Y DESI GNER & WRITER SABRINA SMELKO ILLUSTRATOR AND ART DIRECTOR CRAIG WARD DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR MARK BONNER CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR , GBH BEN TALLON FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR LOUISE SLOPER HEAD OF DESIGN, CHI & PARTNERS In the early 90s I co-founded the awardwinning London branding and design studio Form with Paul West (my partner in life and business).…

MJ JACKSON DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR MJ began as an illustrator before moving into design. He went freelance three years ago and works under the name I Am Cheapskate. He’s also a co-founder of Conductor Studio. www.iamcheapskate.com POL SOLSONA GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR Barcelona-born Pol is a freelance designer, art director, illustrator and photographer. He started taking on freelance commissions in 2008 and made the leap full-time in 2013. www.polsolsona.com STINA JONES ILLUSTRATOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER Manchester-based Stina creates quirky, fun illustrative graphics. She has been a freelancer for almost 10 years, with diverse clients including BBC Digital and Ordnance Survey. www.stinajones.co.uk ALEX FOWKES GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex is known for his distinctive typographic work, installations and murals, which include the Sony Music Timeline in the company’s London headquarters. www.alexfowkes.com…

“Show what you do, but do it professionally,” advises art director Pol Solsona. “You should apply your art direction skills to your own portfolio. For instance, when you take a picture for your portfolio, it has to look as good as your work.” This is a very logical point, but one that all too often gets missed. The mistake is to expect the work to speak for itself and the presentation to say nothing. The arrangement and presentation of your work speak volumes, whether it’s a portfolio website or a making-of video. Use poor-quality paper stock or badly-framed shots and your client work will struggle to stand on its own merit. Why? Because you’re signalling that you don’t think it matters. “Photography is really important,” agrees Alex Fowkes. “I often…

Do you like asking clients how much they have to spend on a job? No? Thought not. Pricing conversations reach maximum levels of awkwardness, but you do need to have them. “Don’t be afraid of asking for more, or enough, for your services.” says Pol Solsona. “Otherwise, once you start paying for taxes, rents and everyday living costs, you will regret it.” Even if you don’t haggle over payment, you and the client both need to agree on a price for the job. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be happy with the price, it has to sit well with you, and you need to consider all the different aspects of the job – not just the time it takes to do the actual design,” says Alex…

“It’s important to remember that each brand has its own style and that the brand’s products are different in and of themselves, so my advice would be to start with the product and see what it tells you. Also it’s important to think who the buyer is. Are they a middle-aged woman or 16-year-old kid? Do you need to produce something more sharp or elegant? If you’re working within the same brand or on a similar product then yes, it’s harder, but that means it’s time to read the brief and maybe then you will find something that sets the project rolling. Usually the client gives you several key points that detail what they are expecting to see. How you interpret them is a different question, but it’s never easy…

1 Background material As part of the initial brief we received an extensive archive of material, such as vintage posters, pennants and ski passes, as well as old embroidered patches and canvases for rucksacks and so on. That informed the way we treated the design, from colour palettes to menus and merchandise. 2 Avoiding pastiche We wanted to steer away from literal references to the archival materials. Everyone loves those vintage travel posters, for example, but they’re so heavily overused, conveying a very typical faux nostalgia of a place. We decided to bleed the colour out of them and use the colour palette, but that’s it. 3 Building a palette The colour palette is quite big and not too prescriptive. Ultimately we wanted it to have diversity and be reminiscent…

EMMANUEL PAJON Cover artist Emmanuel (aka Kaeru) is an illustrator based in Buenos Aires. He’s spent several years working for small creative studios as a full-time employee, and as a freelancer for brands including Levi’s, Cynar and MTV . He is currently an art director at mobile game studio LemonChili. www.kaeru.com.ar KYLE WILKINSON Award-winning designer Kyle is based in Yorkshire, England. He is a regular panellist on BBC Radio commenting on design, and his clients include Time Inc, Bosch and the NHS. He also nearly blinded himself in the name of design, projecting this issue’s Design Matters piece onto his own eyeball. www.kylewilkinson.co.uk STINA JONES Manchester-based freelance illustrator Stina creates quirky, fun imagery for everything from print and web marketing campaigns to art prints and character designs. Her portfolio includes…

The KNIT homewear collection is the fruit of a collaboration between creative plastic expert Curver and design studio FranklinTill. Curver has followed FranklinTill for some time, and its forecasting expertise, combined with its work curating exhibitions, made it the perfect partner for the collection’s launch at the London Design Festival. Knitting elicits feelings of warmth and nostalgia, which Curver sought to capture in each piece. Its parent company, the Keter Group, undertook long and intensive research to understand how a resin-based product could have the ‘feel’ of a knit to create the same reaction. For the collection’s launch, FranklinTill created a designled and colour-inspired five-storey staircase installation and exhibition, with tools, tables, baskets and planters suspended from the ceiling in a playful display. “As creative trend and colour forecasters, we…

Stack celebrates the passion and diversity of independent magazines, and December 2015 saw the launch of its new annual awards – an event designed to thrust independent periodicals and their contributors into a spotlight usually reserved for big-budget glossies. The 2015 awards received over 170 entries from around the globe – the only stipulation being that the people taking care of the magazine’s financial decisions must also be responsible for its content or design. Winners were selected by an international panel of judges, and Stack subscribers were invited to select their own Subscriber’s Choice award. “This is a fantastically exciting time for independent magazines,” said Steven Watson, director of Stack, whose core business is a subscription service that sends patrons a new indie mag each month. “These days virtually anyone…

1 JESSICA DE JESUS ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER AND ARTIST www.neonhoneytigerlily.com “I fell into the same bad habits I had while working full-time – my life revolved around work. It was a big emotional struggle, but I had to stop and remind myself that I took this risk of freelance for a reason. Being in control of your own time is an incredible opportunity to realise that life should always come first, no matter how scary that may sound. When I took the time to prioritise experiences, those things became the inspiration and driving force behind the work I wanted to create.” 2 DYLAN GIBSON ILLUSTRATOR www.dylangibsonillustration.co.uk “Getting caught up with deadlines and focusing on the here and now. That determination is great for getting those projects finished, but I get…

1. EQUIPMENT Do you have everything you need to do your job? Some of this is blindingly obvious, like the fact that you could do with having access to a Mac computer, up-to-date Adobe software and an internet connection, but what about your chair and desk? Do you need to swap them for more ergonomic ones? 2. INSPIRATION You could just plonk your laptop on the kitchen table and work there. Hey, you’re a freelancer now, so you can work anywhere you want, can’t you? Well, yes, you can, but that doesn’t mean you should. A pleasing, inspiring workspace will have a better effect on your productivity, so use tear sheets, posters, photos, plants – whatever helps brighten up your space. 3. ORGANISATION You’re going to need a system for…

1. GET SPECIFIC Ask yourself some searching questions. What goes through your head when you decide not to start quite yet? Do you not know where to begin? Are you worried it won’t be good enough? Is it something more physical like tiredness or hunger? Like death, procrastination has a veritable plethora of possible causes. If that sounds unpleasant, you could always procrastinate by doing some work instead. 2. START ANYWHERE Perfectionism is often the real culprit, but it can’t be perfect if you haven’t actually done it. Make a start and you’ll have something to play with and refine. It’s daunting, we know, but you probably never think: “I definitely don’t wish I’d started this earlier. Stress is so much more pleasant than sleep.” Just do something. Anything. It’ll…

This issue has shown you how to power up as a freelancer, like you used to do in good old games like Super Mario Bros. I remember the happiness of catching that bouncing star and becoming invincible for a while, then just running through the level crushing everything in the way. We all feel like that sometimes, but certainly not always. You know that respected and harsh client who gives you a knot in your belly before you present your ideas? You feel the opposite to invincible and brave, and you start to doubt your ideas before you even present them. Well, guess what? You can still be brave, because being brave isn’t about how you feel, but rather what you actually do. Your actions decide your bravery, not your…

NICK CARSON EDITOR Nick is preparing to depart on a well-deserved sabbatical, soaking up the culture in India and Indonesia – but not before travelling to London to interview the team at MP Arts for this month’s video. JO GULLIVER ART EDITOR Jo joined Nick to meet the team at MP Arts this month, and put her formidable strength to the test bouldering in Holland. She also has a crush on someone featured in this issue, but won’t reveal who. CAT ELLIS OPERATIONS EDITOR Cat had a great time interviewing creatives for this month’s Showcase, but worries what kind of impression she’s made on the team after receiving a Cliff Richard calendar in the office Secret Santa. STAFF CONTRIBUTORS JULIA SAGAR COMMISSIONING EDITOR This month, Julia is facing a small…

SNOW CITY 21 Jurong Town Hall Road, Singapore 609433 www.snowcity.com.sg In the middle of a tropical island where the only season is summer, Snow City provides winter on demand. To fully immerse in the winter simulation, I bring my virtual reality headgear and teleport to a cold mountain. Winter jackets come for free since nobody owns one here. FLOAT SINGAPORE #10-21, 10 Sinaran Drive, Singapore 307506 www.floatsg.com I’ve found the perfect real-life pause button. It’s called a sensory deprivation tank. It isolates all my senses, so I don’t see, hear, touch, smell or taste anything; I’m just alone with myself and the noise in my head until I decide to resume reality, then it’s sensory overload again. NO X – DINE IN THE DARK 269 Beach Road, Singapore 199546 www.noxdineinthedark.com…

Maybe you’re craving the flexibility and freedom of being your own boss, or you’ve just had enough of office politics. Perhaps you’re realising you can’t progress the way you want in your current role. Whatever your motivations, the lure of freelancing is a powerful one. This is a job where, it seems, you can choose how, when and where you work – all while getting paid to do something you really love. Freelancing can indeed offer immense creative and professional satisfaction, but there are plenty of challenges too. From the stress of juggling multiple projects and knowing you’re 100 per cent responsible for them, to clearing your schedule for work that never materialises, freelancing can be as distressing and infuriating as it can be brilliant. Here, we’ve explained the three…

1. SMALL CLAIMS Are you claiming every tax-deductible expense to which you’re entitled? Have you checked? You’d be surprised what’s eligible, including pot plants for your home workspace and some parking fees (but not penalties). 2. DOUBLE JEOPARDY It’s all too easy to spend your money twice. You’ve completed a project, invoiced the client and mentally added the fee to your earnings, so you spend that amount. Then you actually receive the fee and spend it again. There’s barely a freelancer alive who’s never done this. You probably shouldn’t do it again, though. 3. TIME OUT Are you leaving yourself any time to stare out of windows, slump on sofas, fiddle, faff and waste time, or are you allocating every hour in your carefully-timetabled working week to doing something specific?…

1. FORM A COLLECTIVE Team up with other creatives to work on joint projects and exhibitions. It’s potentially intriguing for everyone else, it can be a great way to network and it will give you some new people to bounce off creatively. 2. START A BLOG Describe the process behind your latest project, write opinion pieces on current issues (design-related or otherwise), review books or appraise projects your peers have completed. 3. ENTER AWARDS From well-known big-hitters like D&AD and ADC Young Guns to smaller, more obscure competitions. Try entering some of your recent work – whether personal or commercial – and see what happens. 4. OPEN A SHOP Create your own merchandise to sell in an online shop on Etsy or similar. Think T-shirts, tote bags, tea towels, stationery,…

As motion continues to play an increasingly important role in almost every branding project, here are a few tips from the professionals about getting the best results 01 START EARLY Bring the experts into the process as soon as possible. If a branding project has already been put together and then motion designers are brought in to make it move, you won’t feel the full benefit. Motion design should be an intrinsic part of brand thinking, not an afterthought. 02 TRUST THE EXPERTS Following on from the above, if you’ve made the effort to collaborate with motion specialists, there’s no point just having them rubber-stamp your ingrained way of thinking. Give them the time and space to explore and challenge your preconceptions and, in Vera-Maria Glahn’s words, “have the confidence…