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Thursday 19 December 2013

It's what the internet is for...


Wednesday 18 December 2013

Year 0 Students Carpet Studio

Our plucky Year 0 students have just completed a module that had them experiencing and exploiting a wide range of The University's technical areas.
Featured below for your edification is graphic evidence of their creative activities in our Silkscreen Workshop.

'Year 0 Supremo' Zoe Garnett-Scott was so impressed she is thinking of having them turned into Amtico* for her kitchen floor. Lovely!




* Amtico™ = posh person's Lino.


Wednesday 11 December 2013

Dear Santa, I'm an illustrator and I would like...



It's that time of year when thoughts turn to selfish wants and desires, when we think of all the great stuff we can convince other people to buy us. For the illustrators amongst you we'd recommend that besides the xbox ones, ugg boots and sugar mice on your lists to Santa, you make room for these two books. We've got a copy of each in the office if you want to peruse before (get someone else to) buy but both are full of essential information on the profession of illustration. Certainly essential for third years and a very good idea for anyone following an illustration pathway.

Becoming a Successful Illustrator by Derek Brazell & Jo Davies. Amazon Link
&
How to Create a Portfolio & Get Hired: A Guide for Graphic Designers & Illustrators by Fig Taylor. Amazon link

Monday 9 December 2013

First Years, Sixth Project

'You have to understand it before you can design for it' is something we say a lot around these parts. That's because design is all about considering what you want to communicate to your audience and if you don't understand your subject, you won't have much to say about it!

With this in mind we asked the first year students to produce a digital instruction booklet that explained how something worked.

The 'somethings' chosen were mostly things that the Grillust™ team themselves don't understand. We are continuously looking to learn new things and thought in this instance the 'young pups' (students), could teach the 'old dogs' (tutors), new tricks.

Examples of things we don't understand include: how bats navigate; fracking; why we blush; the alleged 'popularity' of Nick Grimshaw and why people would listen to (let alone buy) the music of Mumford & Sons.

Have a look at the following, you might well learn something that you can later use to impress, perhaps in a social context (like the pub) or perhaps in a more formal context like a job interview (for a position in telephone sales).

First up we have Zac and Liam (both former students of Bury College) who sadly were not aware that Bury's most famous sons Elbow, had written a moving ballad called The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver. Tut, tut!



INCOMING!!! Linu and Hannah show you how a Mills Grenade goes bang.



Watling Street, Fosse Way and Ermin Street are all lovely, long and straight. How did the Roman army manage to achieve these magnificent feats of civil engineering? Sophie and Vincent explain...


Some 50 million of Thonet's No. 14 cafe chair were sold between 1859 and 1930, and millions more have been sold since. What was so revolutionary about this design? Let's ask Peter and Amy.


'It's a lot less bovver with a hover...' Catt and Molly explain the workings of the hovercraft.


What's you view on fracking? Have you ever fracked? Is it good for you? Let's find out (ably assisted by Jessica and Hannah).


Who doesn't love Plate Tectonics? Nathan and Ben both love 'P.T.' and have a wide range of 'P.T.' related posters on their bedroom walls. This is a mighty mechanism responsible for some very sexy features: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; subduction zones; Iceland and... ...of course, volcanoes!!!


The hard-working and amazing world of the ant is uncovered by Drew and Rebecca.


Paper! Paper! Read all about it! Proclaim Louis and Tanya.


If you follow this link you can see many more wonders...





Thursday 5 December 2013

The whiff of Switzerland

Stuck for a Christmas gift for one of your Shoreditch designer chums? Then look no further



We have created the ultimate Modernist perfume – a scent distilled down to only the purest and most essential elements to allow you, the content, to convey your message with the utmost clarity.
Air. Water. You.
  • Numbered limited edition
  • 24k gold printing on bottle
  • Typeset in Helvetica Bold
  • Letterpressed exterior packaging
  • Contains 2 oz of distilled water
  • Shipped ready for gifting


Wednesday 4 December 2013

The Last Supper. Grillust Style.


Some days a happy band of staff partake of a standard tony* and crumble in the studio. We usually try to evoke a Renaissance atmosphere to aid digestion.



*  A standard 'tony' = beans and chips
    A 'tony-lite' = beans and chips (half portion of each)



The "Captains Last Crumble" Triptych


    1. Sizing up the task                      2. 'ere we go                                  3. Get in there



Monday 2 December 2013

Captain Davies - A brief 'Blog'raphy

Now that The Captain has finally left the port of Grillust and sailed off into a golden sunset of his own making, we thought we'd pay tribute to our beloved, former leader by looking back over just a few of his more memorable blog highlights. Just click the date to read the original post...

Friday, 17 December 2010: The Captain decides to commute to work by boat. What could possibly go wrong?!!


Tuesday, 1 March 2011: The Captain combines studio-based, still life drawing for illustration students with a rather neat money-making idea. What could possibly go wrong?!! 


Wednesday, 7 December 2011: Radio 1 comes to The University of Cumbria and leaves their studio unattended and unlocked... Soon The Captain is Broadcasting to the nation. What could possibly go wrong?!! 

Tuesday, 28 February 2012: After reading 'Cloning for Dummies' The Captain creates his own 'Mini Me'. What could possibly go wrong?!!

Thursday, 21 June 2012: The Olympic Torch Relay comes to town. The Olympic Torch Committee think it would be a good idea to let The Captain take part. What could possibly go wrong?!!

Wednesday, 12 September 2012: Sponsored by Greggs, The Captain takes on the likes of 'Cav' and Sir Wiggo by entering The Tour of Britain. What could possibly go wrong?!! 

Friday, 13 September 2013: The Tour of Britain returns and The Captain needs to settle old scores. What could possibly go wrong?!! 

Captain Davies,  the Grillust™ empire (past & present) salute you.

why does ice float?

If you had recently been charged with making an animation that explained how something complex worked then you might be interested in seeing how the people at TED do it. You know, if you had been asked to do something like that, that is.

Sunday 1 December 2013

Cheerio, CaptAIN dAVIES

simon-blinky