Mosaic Retouching

A colleague at Clarks has a portfolio site called Mosaic Retouching. A nice effect on the site is the before and after fade to show how the the images were modified. I you visit the site keep an eye out for the girl in the woods hugging a tree, it's pretty impressive.

Check out the site here.

www.mosaic-retouching.co.uk

My work on the Clarks Website!

EXCITING!!!

After my first couple of days at Clarks on work experience I have already had some of my work published on the website. Incredibly exciting stuff!

Firstly, the 'lifestyle image' for the Men's homepage was edited and retouched by me, and I also chose the colour scheme for the page, see here, link.

Next was the new look for the Bootleg range description, the logo is not mine, but the designed area on the right is, see here, link.

Next, the Kids homepage has 3 images in the center, which has to be cropped, retouched and edited in order to be used, I did the Girls Collection and First Shoes, although First Shoes didn't need a lot of adjusting, see here, link.

I have also designed a lot of banners which will be published soon, including the new Clarks Originals banners coming soon. Another exciting project was making the Clarks Facebook page, not easy as FB is notoriously difficult to edit and be creative with. The Facebook page is likely to be live next week, but there's no guarantees.

I'll keep my blog updated with the latest on my work experience, but so far I've learnt a lot about how the system of web design works, and a hell of a lot about retouching images.

Looking forward to my next day already!

Poster Gallery Website

After being tipped off by a uni lecturer I found this amazing poster website www.thesmallstakes.com

Absolutely brilliant, and the above examples are some of my favourites! Enjoy!

Word of the Day

spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-uhm \ , noun:

The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.

e.g.

'A well boiled icicle' - (A well oiled bicycle)

'The widdle of minter' - (the middle of winter)

'A cunning stunt' - (...hehe)

Clarks Work Experience

First day!

Having only started today I'm still getting into the flow of working at Clarks, but in this lovely big, airy office it's hard not to get quickly settled with the friendly staff. Learning  a bundle already about design and presenting banners for web. Some of my work, albeit small amounts, may be used on the website which is exciting (kind of) so I'll let you know if it pops up. 

Here's the link to the lovely Clarks website anyway for your amusement.

Enjoy!

www.clarks.co.uk

Kris Wilson!

www.kris-wilson.deviantart.com

Funny comic sketch artist on deviant art. I've been following him for a while and he gets a lot of attention, hundreds of comments on each of his pieces (although he has now stopped comments being allowed due to this excessiveness). He's got a very strange sense of humour and is a bit of an acquired taste, but altogether very original and in my opinion brilliant!

Kris Wilson everyone! Woop woop!

=D

Awesome Illustrator

In one of my projects this year i took influence from a fantastic illustrator called Simon Noynay. Some of his works are pretty off the wall, definitely made me want to grab my pencil and start drawing again. I strongly encourage you to see more of his work work here on his website.

How the dinosaurs really died

Brilliant animation explaining the truth behind the absence in dinosaurs on our planet. I wish I knew how to animate like this!

Poetry

One hobby of mine is to write poetry. A strong passion when in college and one I need to re-ignite back to it's former blazing glory.  Please check out my work at

http://allpoetry.com/underdose

Here is an extract from a poem titled 'Your Retro Headphones' to wet your appetite:

"Lie back on your pillow

Wearing your retro headphones

Letting the music surround your world

It ebbs and Flows through every synapse

Filling the gaps between fact and fiction

As if to make anything possible

Playing with the tender nature of reality

Twisting and moulding it like plastercine

Then

With a change of track

Throwing it hard against the wall

To see what kind of world you create..."

Blog 05; Darren; END

UWIC - Graphic Communication

www.csad.uwic.ac.uk/graphics/

Check out the website for my university course, featuring some of my own work on this year's projects and my mates from all three year groups.

Enjoy!

Blog 04; Darren; END

The Illustration of John Mattos

www.johnmattos.com

John Mattos, a fabulous illustrator, and one who has seen much success. Working for such clients as Aerosmith and seeing his work featured in many Hollywood films he is an inspiration and an incredible artist. He also helped the design of the Indiana Jones logo, by colouring within the letters themselves, a pretty cool logo to hold your name against if you ask me!

His style is reminiscent of the american streamlining of the 30s and 40s, artists such as AM Cassandre. A fantastic era all about glorifying a new age of transport; faster trains, planes, cars and buses. Could Mattos be the last of a dying race of this this style of artist? I sure hope not, and I don't know why more advertising isn't using this beautifully colourful and elegant style. It would catch my eye, no doubt about that.

Blog 03; Darren; END

Latest Uni Project

After the vague briefing this morning I have have been left somewhat uninspired. We must choose a charity or community issue for which to raise awareness and 'persuade' people to either donate or in some form change their ways towards. It must be a local project as we have to visit the institution/charity to talk to the people and discover what they would benefit from in an advertising and awareness campaign. 

My first thoughts led toward cancer, although it may be somewhat difficult to find a new angle to approach the issue as so many campaign have worked brilliantly in raising awareness the disease. I was then interested in the Cardiff Institute for the Blind (CIB), but find myself a little uninspired still and restricted with ideas. Although it is a very interesting area in which to concentrate, and one that would most likely be very rewarding.

It is an excellent brief and one I can see being very rewarding, I just find myself lacking of ideas and inspiration of even a charity or issue to choose.

Blog 02; Darren; END

Feminist Essay Writing

As a man it is very difficult for me to write an essay about feminism without at some point sounding sexist. Arguments for an against certain opinions in society, stereotypes etc and when writing it is plain for me to see why most feminist writings have been partaken by women, even in today's climate. I am not sexist but I sound it, god forbid would I ever be so, in many respects I think women are far superior to men.

The area in which i have been concentrating is that of film direction and why there is a sustained absence of female directors in the industry. it is a very interesting case and one, as a film fanatic, I have found a great interest in, but throughout I have had to delete many lines, altering them take away many a sexist 'tinge' they hold.

Having said this I will return to my essay and continue fighting in favor of women directors, I believe we are missing out on half of the talent in the world, we could have twice as many great films and twice as many great directors.

Blog 01; Darren; END