Unleashed: The Best in the North at Mr Thomas' Chop House Manchester

29 June 2012 - 31 August 2012

Now open at Mr Thomas' Chop House in Manchester - the third Unleashed: The Best in the North 2012 Exhibition 

Unleashed: The Best in the North is a competition and exhibition of final year illustration students from all over the North(ish) of England shown at Mr Thomas’s Chop House in Manchester City Centre on Cross Street. They hold a competition where they ask art students from around the north to submit their final year illustration work. The exhibition is judged by industry professionals and 25 pieces are shortlisted for a final gala charity auction held on the evening of Thursday 19th July.

This year Preston Illustration students have had four pieces selected two each from 2012 graduates Tim Hall for the movies Super Eight and Tinker Tailor, and two by Rik Das of comedians Benny Hill and Tommy Cooper.

The exhibition runs until August and customers can buy the non-shortlisted pieces of artwork. There is a gala dinner for an invited audience where the 25 shortlisted pieces of artwork are auctioned off; the money raised through the sale of work and the gala dinner is split between the students and the North West Air Ambulance.
So if you're in Manchester pop in and have look?
You can also see more about the show on the facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/UNLEASHEDBestintheNorth

A Monster Calls

I have just finished reading "A Monster Calls" By Patrick Ness based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd (who died before she could write her book). It is published by Walker books. The story is a moving one about a boy who's mother is suffering from cancer.


Jim Kay who illustrated the book has just been awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration for his beautiful and sensitive depiction of "A Monster Calls". Not only that but Patrick Ness was awarded his second consecutive Carnegie Medal by CILIP for the story as well.
Jim Kay's images are dark and beautifully composed with a huge variety of marks as the publicity describes him printing from old chopping boards "Old bread boards are wonderful - they have a whole history of cuts and marks. When you make a print with one you get an abstract piece of art"and living with marks; "I put thousands of abstract marks and splatters all round the flat. As I went about my daily life I started to see things in them - maybe an arm or a hedgerow. Things took on their own little life", to achieve the sort of visual effects he wanted.  You can find out more about Jim Kay's work here: http://www.jimkay.co.uk


It is one of the few book objects I have seen for some years where the consideration of the subject matter, and the quality of the images, and design is such that it justifies being described as an illustrated book for both adults and children and I heartily recommend it!

Preston Illustration Degree Show 2012

The Degree Show has been built - the assessment is nearly complete - and the Preston Illustration Private View will be on Friday 15th June from 6pm -9pm we are in Victoria Building on the main campus. The show is on the second floor in studios VB214a with book works and children's books in VB212. Look forward to seeing some of you there! A taste of what you can see this year:

Jake Tyas

Rik Das

Georgia Gloss

Bell Bound Das Gloss Hall Jack Skinner Wright Young, and ten others who unfortunately don't have such catchy names but are just as good, in the Illustration Degree Show 2012!

Naomi Jones is Highly Commended in the Macmillan Prize

It's that time of year again and for the second year running Naomi Jones has been Highly Commended in the Macmillan Prize. All she needs to do is win it now!!! Naomi is studying on the MA in Children's Book Illustration here in Preston. She entered a beautiful version of Sing a Song of Sixpence which she  illustrated with screen prints (see image below). Well done again Naomi!

No other winners disappointingly this year, why? Well, a lot more research was needed by our entrants this year we feel- more looking at and analysis of the qualities of successful work that's out there in the marketplace now. More observational drawing, goes without saying, this would bring more believability to characters and situations? Also rather more sensitivity to the target audience was needed more child friendly stories and tone generally? 

Oh and when you are also up against postgraduates from Cambridge, (a great course down there), also Brighton, Kingston, Falmouth and Bristol did well too - so all that competition dahn sarf doesn't help. I would love to get a winner next year! 

Well Done Tim Hall D&AD Best in Year

Well done to Year Three student Tim Hall his piece for the D&AD Student Awards 2012 Illustration Crafts category was selected as one of the Best in Year. His watercolour portrait of a character from the film Super Eight for the "Little White Lies" magazine cover brief can be seen on the D&AD website.
http://www.dandad.org/awards/student/2012/categories/10/illustration along with all the nominations.
 Best in Year is awarded to work that has taken a particular aspect of the criteria and developed it to a point of excellence making it worthy of a special mention.
So on top of becoming a new dad - in his final year!! He has picked up an award for his work so congratulations on both counts!

Working Drawings Exhibition at the University of Westminster

'Working Drawings" is on tour to London namely the University of Westminster this month. The exhibition was curated by Lee Ford and members of the Visual Communication team at Sheffield Hallam and showcases the initial hidden process of visual thinking and problem solving. 

Private View - Thursday 22nd of March, 

London Gallery West. 

Pick me up

PICK ME UP - The contemporary graphic arts fair will be at Somerset House in London from the 22nd March to the 1st April 2012. With a residency from illustration collective Peepshow, the fair showcases the best new work from around the UK and the world with original works and prints available to purchase from just £10 and with loads of events and workshops to get involved with.
Graphic Artists (or illustrators as they used to be known) David Sparshott, Jon McNaught, Kristjana S Williams, Martin Nicolaussen, Matthew the Horse, Michael Kirkham, Mimi Leung, Niki Pilkington, and many others are showing with Galleries, and collectives from all over the world.
Follow the link for more information.