Mogu Takahashi

Daily Doodles Spring 2014 from Mogu Takahashi on Vimeo.

There is little information on Takahashi I can find, or at least in English, but there is something so very charming about what she does. I first came across her work on her Instagram feed on which she documents her daily drawings. They're simple, childish and sometimes downright crude but I find them very lovely. Takahashi reminds me to be playful in my illustration.

And not to mention the dedication of drawing everyday and more- and not just for work. Maybe I can follow Takahashi's footsteps as a new year resolution.

study task four: PPP christmas megatask

VISIT: itsnicethat / aoi / house of illustration
200 word summary of one site and why it is useful to you

It's Nice That provides a regularly updated smorgasbord of contemporary art and design. And those are the two things that draw me to it: its regularity and variety. It is both interesting and important to look towards the wider creative world as well as the illustration bubble. With an increasing amount of practitioners refusing to define themselves by a single section of the creative family it is also relevant.

Each article is short and sweet. At times it can feel like It's Nice That is just skimming over details but I feel that this is the point of INT, to open your eyes to a new thing so you can look at it further in your own time, should you choose to. It offers bite size snippets of creativity in a way I suppose microblogging websites like Tumblr try to offer but in a more professional and reliable context.

The work itself they post to the website is frequently something I am interested in aesthetically. It's important to be open to a wide range of visuals but I can't help but enjoy a lot of what is posted on this site.

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WHERE IS ILLUSTRATION ?

list at least 10 types of 
publications / places / websites / products
that demo where illustration is (not specific)

publications:

• art publications
• newspaper (article editorial)
• zines
• magazine (article editorial)
• children's picture books
• comics and graphic novels
• book (cover)
• text book diagrams
• instruction manual (technical / respresentative illustrations)

places:

• art galleries
• billboards (adverts)
• on the street (posters)
• on the street (graffiti)
• road signs
• in court (court reportage drawings)
• arts specialist (book)shops
• arty eateries
• comic book shop
• art / illustration / comics festival

websites:

• online version of an art publication
• artist's portfolio
• artist's blog
• online art agency
• online versions of newspapers (article editorials)
• online games
• apps
• online advertising 
• artists' social media
• online shop: book / art 

products:

•  CD / record (album artwork)
•  greetings cards
•  furnishings (textile/ surface design)
•  ceramics
•  art figurines
•  food packaging
•  product packaging
•  stamps
•  stationary
•  toys

then find five examples of each

publications:

 The New Yorker

 Wrap Magazine

 July Zine by Eleni Karlorkoti

This One Summer, by Jillian Tamaki

 I Want My Hat Back, by Jon Klassen

places:

 The Gallery at Munro House, Leeds

Supalife Kiosk, Berlin

 Gosh! Comics, London

 ELCAF, London

Belgrave, Leeds

websites:

itsnicethat.com

heartagency.com

villagebookstore.co.uk

pingszoo.tumblr.com  /  whatdididraw.tumblr.com/

abouttoday.co.uk (lizzy stewart)

products:

 clothing by Lazy Oaf (Gemma Shiel)

 ceramics by Alex Sickling

 soaps by The Printed Peanut

vintage scandinavian stamps by Staffan Wiren

 Kitsune Maison album covers

and finally one example of each
and write why it is relevant to you

PUBLISHING: The New Yorker

I would never go so far as to say that illustration in editorial is dying, but The New Yorker seems to hold this tradition closer to its heart than some other news publications.

PLACE: Supalife Kiosk

Supalife Kiosk, which I visited on a college trip to Berlin. It was interesting looking at the art scene local to Berlin, although they also stocked international titles. It was here I discovered tiny zines!

WEBSITE: Ping Zhu's blogs

Zhu, like many other illustrators has a tumblr blog dedicated to showcasing her work in a more informal manner. She also goes one step beyond and is brave enough to publish what some would consider her not very good drawings, and this creates a really interesting dynamic between the two blogs. Personally, I find the drawings on her latter blog sometimes as charming as her 'final' pieces, and that is a testament to those, rather than a detriment to the "better" ones.

PRODUCT: vintage stamps by Staffan Wiren

"Ingen rädder för ABC inte heller för 1-2-3": vintage Scandinavian stamps by Staffan Wiren. Sometimes I wonder if more care was taken into the design of everyday objects in the 1960s, but I am sure there must be plenty of 'average' and less so designs from then. As with anything, we take and keep hold of the nicer things of a period of time. Nostalgia is strong.

Drew Millward talk @ LCA

some points I took from Drew Millward's visit

• It's really interesting to look back at what media you consumed as a child and to see how aesthetically it influences you now. Thinking of that I wonder how different my work would be if I hadn't read the Richard Scarry series of books as a child!
• Millward took his non-perfect prints and almost out of necessity made it an aesthetic. Good thinking, a compromise perhaps but not one that affects the integrity of his work.
• Do your own thing and you'll probably get some work from it! Indulge your passions
• It's hard being expected to produce the same work over and over, and he has found it liberating working in a simpler manner. However, sometimes certain clients, especially repeat ones, will expect you to work in your old ways and sometimes you have to sacrifice and cater to their needs.
• Sometimes when you're stuck you just need to walk away from things for a bit. And this is why you shouldn't leave work to the last minute!
• Be honest and upfront with clients about how long you expect a piece to take.
• "Exhibitions are an easy way to lose money."

• 

late thoughts on Thoughtbubble

Thoughtbubble 2014 is only the second comics convention I have visited, my first being ELCAF earlier this year. I've found both conventions slightly odd experiences, mainly crowded and confusing. Maybe I will get into it. Although I talked to some illustrators, some I'd known online and some not at all, I found it difficult and awkward and it's something I'd like to be better at by the time the next one comes around!

I preferred what was on offer in terms of illustration and products at ELCAF, but appreciate the variety at TB. It was interesting to be surrounded by cosplayers for the first time- possibly one of the most unique reactions to illustration.

Although I spent a good deal of the day feeling a bit disorientated the highlights for me were the panels. I didn't spend any time at panels at ELCAF so again, this was a new experience.

Bee + Puppycat Panel:

• Mainly just a fun event, but it was also learn more about the construction of animations and how studios work together. 

Artist Live Drawing:

• The highlight of this were definitely the (sometimes terrifying yet humourous) quips of Boulet, but it was also interesting to hear illustrators talk about their daily working experiences, even if it was in a light hearted manner.

Diversity in Comics Panel:

• I feel that a lot more could have been discussed in this panel if it wasn't for the limited time restrictions. In a turn I didn't expect a lot of the panel was focused on diversity at comics conventions themselves.