http://www.danielmackie.co.uk

Having studied traditional printmaking techniques (intaglio, letterpress and lithography), Kasikov now works predominantly in editorial and book design (notably, for the ever-impressive Phaidon list).

Kasikov describes her latest project, Printed Matter, as ‘an investigation into the relationship between tactile and visual perception, seeing and touching.’

Duotone

Monotone

Printed Matter consists of ‘hand embroidery based on the analysis of optical mixture and colour printing processes.’ I love how the individual stitches represent CMYK, adding a tactile third dimension to print work.

Printed Matter

Printed Matter comprises four thematic books: Process, Element, Type and Image, which fit together to form a cohesive whole.

Process

Element

Type

Type

Image

Image

The trend of incorporating a handmade, crafted element into graphics is still going strong, but Kasikov’s work has a quiet, mature intricacy that transcends contemporary fashions.

Printed Matter

Rachael who graduated from University in 2000 has worked for a number of design and advertising clients throughout the UK and also across Europe.

She has a talent for capturing the very essence of a place in her interior shots. Portraying not just the physical features of a home, but giving us an insight into what it may very well be like to live there.

She has the unique ability to capture what makes a house a home in her interior shots.

Here were a few of my favourites..

Swedish Summer House

Against the Swedish, Forest Background.

A well loved and often used fireplace

A warm room that captures the ability of floor to ceiling windows to bring outside in.

Ladbroke Grove Home

This shot gives us into a glimpse of the family home — A Classical piano on modern, polished concrete floors is the main feature of the room. Whilst the toy car lets us know that the Home belongs to a young family.

Eero Aarnio’s Home

The Home of Furniture designer Eero Aarnio.
Here he is with his famous bubble chair

A library or study room – With still a hint of Aarnio’s plastic and fibreglass furniture

www.RachaelSmith.net

As well as the cover art for widespread publication ‘change the world 9 to 5′

We have been kindly given a taste of Rod’s retro styled isometric work along with a bit of background and some great advice for up and coming artists.
Rod stresses the importance of knowing your rights as a working artist, along with the need to just get out there and show your stuff to the world.

So without further ado, the much appreciated and insightful interview with Mr Rod Hunt!

DT: Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and where are you living now?
RH: I’m a London based Illustrator/designer who has built a reputation for retro tinged Illustrations & detailed character filled landscapes with UK & international clients in publishing, design, advertising & new media, for everything from book covers to advertising campaigns, & even the odd large scale installation too!

Some of my many clients include Barclays, BBC, Computer Arts Magazine, Dorling Kindersley, The Economist, FHM, Maxim, The Observer, Orange & Vodafone

Originally I was from rural town of Bridport, in the country of Dorset, UK. For the last 12 years I’ve lived in Greenwich, London.

I’m also currently Deputy Chairman of UK The Association of Illustrators. The AOI was established in 1973 to advance and protect illustrator’s rights and encourage professional standards

http://www.theaoi.com

DT: When did you realise you wanted to work as an artist full time?

RH: I was always a prolific drawer as a kid, but didn’t consider art as a career until I was 17. Originally I was planning on pursuing Biochemistry & horticulture, & was studying towards that. I thought studying art was just for fun. But the realisation grew on me that I wasn’t really enjoying it [bio/horticulture] any more & as I spent all my time drawing, art college beckoned.

After a one year foundation course at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design, I studied Illustration at Anglia Polytechnic University (now Anglia Ruskin University), Cambridge.

I became a full time illustrator in 1996 when I decided to move to London to be closer to potential clients. These were the days before the internet was prevalent, so the only way to show clients work was to post out sample postcards or take your
portfolio to them! Before that I spent the 2 years in Nottingham working on my portfolio & learning about the industry. My work today is very different to how it used to be then, as I used to paint my work in acrylics.

DT: What people places or things inspire you?

RH:I draw much of my inspiration from humour, retro graphics & contemporary culture. Comics were my big love as a kid, especially 2000AD/Judge Dredd, & that fired my imagination & inspired me to draw.

Things that inspire me, in no particular order:
Edward Hopper
comics
2000AD/Judge Dredd
pulp fiction covers
sci-fi
Terry Gilliam
Tim Burton
robot toys
retro 50′s/60′s/70′s advertising & graphics
architecture
animation
film
Mad magazine

DT: What are your most used ‘tools of the trade’?

RH:All my work is produced digitally, but before I go near the computer I start doodling ideas and compositions in an A5 sketchbook with a pencil or biro. These are very quick and throwaway. Once I worked out the rough idea and composition & gathered any visual reference I might need, I work on a larger finished pencil drawing, which I then use as a guide for drawing the final artwork with a graphics tablet in Adobe Illustrator.

DT: What are you working on at the moment?

RH:I’m currently working on the visitors site map for one of the UK’s main theme parks, & also illustrating a whole book for a major BBC TV show.

DT: Could you explain the inspiration between ‘dreams and nightmares’?

RH:The piece Dreams & Nightmares was an illustrated Shin Tanaka paper sculpture the InkThis exhibition of the same name. I wanted to have the piece being like a mixed up dream, with threats hiding in the shadows. Like a child in their bedroom at night in the dark with only their teddy bear to protect them.

DT: What has been your favourite commission to date?

RH:My favourite commissions have been the cover for the best selling environmental book Change The World 9 to 5 by We Are What We Do & the interactive environmental display for the Lightbox Museum & Gallery in Woking, UK. The Lightbox display was particularly challenging due to it’s complexity & scale.

DT: What’s the best and worst parts of being a full time, working designer?

RH:The best parts are getting that unexpected enquiry to work on a great commission. Being freelance means that you don’t usually know what’s coming week to week, so the next project enquiry could be a big surprise! Also I like being in charge of my own destiny & career.

The worst parts are when the phone doesn’t ring for a few weeks, & also the increasing amount of unreasonable contracts & copyright grabs from some clients that I have to deal with.

DT: Any advice to up and coming artists/designers?

RH: Get out there and get your work seen by as many people as possible. You should never be afraid to show people your work. You maybe the best designer/illustrator in the world, but if no one sees your work, you won’t get commissioned

I’d recommend joining the UK Association of Illustrators (AOI). http://www.theaoi.com (or a similar organization elsewhere). They’re constantly campaigning to protect all illustrator’s rights, and if you need advice on pricing commissions, contracts, promotion, etc, it really pays to get help from the experts.

Maintain control over your Copyright in your Illustrations. There are very few occasions that clients need to own the Copyright in your work. Your body of work is your livelihood, and you should be entitled to the financial benefits of your talent and hard work.

A huge thanks to Rod for showing us some of his work and also for the words of wisdom!

www.rodhunt.com/

I’m Very excited to present you with the Zaishu by designers Matthew Butler and Helen Punton. The Zaishu isn’t just a stool or piece of furniture, behind it’s lovingly painted slot together sides is an underlying philosophy. The Zaishu represents and reinforces a social understanding and awareness of cultures, how? well it’s designers have travelled the world and have approached over a thousand different people, to hand paint their design.. keeping the ever changing panels fresh and unique. Supplying buyers with their own individualized design.
The fundamentals principles for their design is simple,
“Creativity, participation, responsibility (environment and society) and evolution.”

So, What is a Zaishu?
The Zaishu was designed from the ground up to be a product that responsibly addressed environmental issues whilst encouraging social interaction and creates awareness of other cultures.
This is achieved by using plantation grown pine, water based inks and varnish and the way it flat packs for distribution. We host socially interactive painting workshops around the world to unite creative people and to exchange and evolve ideas.

The name Zaishu actually comes from a mistake in translation. What was meant to be Zaisu a name for a traditional Japanese seat, but an accidental ‘h’ was added. However, this says Butler, “sets a good tone for the organic way we run the company – relying on feeling and instinct rather than what is technically correct.”

The core of Zaishus success revolves around the very fact that it is a collaborative project, rather than a designed product.
Matthew and Helen have worked with over 1000 different people over the last 4 years from many different countries and cultures to create the artwork that adorn the Zaishus slot together sides.
“We find that collaboration helps us to grow ideas and expand possibilities rather than thinking my idea is better than someone elses or that I can do everything.”

Hand painted Zaishus are created by artists as diverse as stencil artists from Melbourne, tribal artists from India and Fiji and street poster artists from Berlin. “We currently have an exhibition in Amsterdam with Zaishus painted by a group of Dutch artists. A lot of these projects are not for profit and support a worthy cause such as a school in Fiji or children affected by war in Uganda.

Also available are commercially made Zaishus that are hand printed in small batches at Matthew and Helen’s coastal studio. The designs and patterns have been created by textile designers and artists that the pair work with.

Who Developed the Zaishu?

As noted earlier, the Zaishu is by Australian based designers, (not far from Byron Bay for the aussies tuning in) Matthew Butler and Helen Punton, a little about the duo -

Matthew Butler – born in Australia, currently living and working from Yamba – a quiet little town on the coast near Byron Bay NSW. Trained in Architecture, Industrial Design, sculpture and gained experience as production manager for Tom Dixon in London during mid 1990’s.

Helen Punton - studied Graphic Design in Australia and designed the signage for Melbourne’s ‘Metlink’ public transport system and exhibit design for the Melbourne zoo. Helen has lived and worked in Berlin for several years writing and directing short films and curating exhibitions such as the Australian Design Exhibition ‘Modernwhite’ and ‘Sharpies’ photography at the Australian embassy in Berlin in 2005.

and just to give you a bit of an insight into the lives of these two, how’s this for an adventure, in the next couple months Matthew “will be cycling around Patagonia and visiting craftspeople along the way, [Whilst]Helen is climbing the Inca trail in Peru. We hope to see some innovative techniques and ideas that we can work with.”

To up and coming designers Matthew offers this, “Forget the rules, create your own context to work within. ie: don’t design a ‘chair’ but design a ‘platform to support the human body’.”

www.zaishu.com

A huge thanks to Matthew for and Helen for sharing with us their obviously very personal and special design, the zaishu.
Cheers from the Design Tavern!