Computer Arts Gallery: August 2009

Victoria Topping
Location Bristol
Job Illustrator
Contact www.victoriatopping.com
Software Illustrator, Photoshop

Design runs in the blood of freelance illustrator Victoria Topping: "I inherited my love of pattern from my mother, who's a wallpaper historian and printer." When she's not layering up patterns in the creation of her distinctive characters and still lives, Topping is scouring charity shops for the next batch of textiles to grant a new lease of life to. But it's not all paisley and chintz: "I like to occasionally use just black and white, which I really enjoy [because] you have to consider tone more."

Drawing is Good for the Soul Topping is keen to keep the illustration love flowing and encourage others: "In this piece I wanted to create something that would encourage people to draw more, as well as representing my one addiction - drawing."

Victoria Topping
Location Bristol
Job Illustrator
Contact www.victoriatopping.com
Software Illustrator, Photoshop

Design runs in the blood of freelance illustrator Victoria Topping: "I inherited my love of pattern from my mother, who's a wallpaper historian and printer." When she's not layering up patterns in the creation of her distinctive characters and still lives, Topping is scouring charity shops for the next batch of textiles to grant a new lease of life to. But it's not all paisley and chintz: "I like to occasionally use just black and white, which I really enjoy [because] you have to consider tone more."

Cockerel This figure is described by the illustrator as a "handsome devil" who was born of "colours, patterns and brush strokes that I scanned in and layered over each other."

Edward Dark
Location London
Job Illustrator
Contact www.krop.com/edwarddark
Software Photoshop, After Effects

"I'm essentially a self-taught digital artist. I have attained many skills through trial and error - and burning the midnight oil," says Edward Dark, who undertook his first freelance design commissions as a young teenager, producing promotional literature and packaging designs for a sporting goods company. His imagination, however, went far beyond plimsolls and footballs. "As a child I immersed myself in the world of comics, specifically 2000 AD," Dark recalls. "The illustrated visuals and the storylines helped stir my mind." And this influence is evident not only in Dark's style - beautiful, intricate creations with a touch of sinister fantasy - but the forms that his work takes. In addition to his illustrations, he's hard at work conceptualising a graphic novel and producing an experimental animation.

Certainly one for beating his own path, it doesn't look like you'll see Dark's work being released under the umbrella of a design agency any time soon. "As a single author of work I have complete control over my creations," he says. "I've always wanted to create the essence of intrigue and mystery. By using all mediums available to me I'm able to achieve a harmonious blend of fantasy and abstraction."

Gothic Geisha series, images 5A and 6 "For this recent project, I wanted to create an unusual style, and use liquid and abstraction to form shapes," Dark explains of his Gothic Geisha series. "I was heavily influenced by my love of Japanese prints. I particularly enjoy the work of artists Katsukawa Shuntei and Kuniyoshi."

Alfie Gallagher
Location London
Job Illustrator
Contact www.alfiegallagher.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator

"I came to Photoshop quite late, initially focusing on life drawing and painting at college," says University of Ulster graduate Alfie Gallagher. And the illustrator's draftsmanship shows, with his controlled use of Photoshop techniques complementing sturdy pen-and-ink skills. Now based in London, Gallagher has moved from his initial graduate occupation of graphic designer towards focusing primarily on illustration. "I've picked up [some] freelance illustration work for magazines and also clients such as Orange and YCN," he says. "This has given me the impetus to focus more intently on my illustrative work."

The Brides "This was [a personal project] created to emphasise strong, clean brush ink work," explains Gallagher. "I wanted to have fun creating a borderline garish colour scheme with the purples and greens, highlighting the schlocky horror movie influences. This work reflects my love of modern illustrators such as Jasper Goodall for their strong line work and colour schemes."

Alfie Gallagher
Location London
Job Illustrator
Contact www.alfiegallagher.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator

"I came to Photoshop quite late, initially focusing on life drawing and painting at college," says University of Ulster graduate Alfie Gallagher. And the illustrator's draftsmanship shows, with his controlled use of Photoshop techniques complementing sturdy pen-and-ink skills. Now based in London, Gallagher has moved from his initial graduate occupation of graphic designer towards focusing primarily on illustration. "I've picked up [some] freelance illustration work for magazines and also clients such as Orange and YCN," he says. "This has given me the impetus to focus more intently on my illustrative work."

The Return of Cupid "The brief was to create a cover design for a book of poetry, which focused on romance," says Gallagher. "I wanted to bring in disparate imagery such as hummingbirds, gramophones and Cupid's arrow [and] to have a restrained psychedelic influence running through it."

Ekaterina Erschowa
Location London
Job Illustrator/graphic designer
Contact www.meetmetwice.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator

A truly international illustrator, Ekaterina Erschowa draws on her birthplace of Japan, her memories of a childhood in Moscow and her communication design studies in Munich for her designs. "My work combines the flowing elements of Art Nouveau and Russian folklore, while at the same time referring to the old craftsmanship of natural history drawings," she says. "I'm always open to new methods of working and looking for the right execution to express the idea."

Erschowa now lives in London, where she produces illustrations and graphic design work for a client list that so far boasts housing developer Notting Hill London, German design studio Liquid and Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana book illustration Erschowa produced this illustration for the Dolce & Gabbana 10th Anniversary book. "The idea is to show the faces and emotions behind the brand, inviting the viewer to discover new details."

Natalie Brockett
Location Brisbane, Australia
Job Graphic designer/illustrator
Contact www.natayan.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash

The path of pursuing her life-long love of design was a winding one for Natalie Brockett. Following her studies in physiotherapy, languages and engineering, she dared to imagine that her dream of being able to design every day could become a reality. She completed her design degree in 2007 and dived straight into the industry, working as a graphic designer in a boutique studio before relocating to Tokyo last year.

Since the move, Brockett has dedicated herself fully to illustration and is hard at work developing a style that she describes as "intuitive and experimental." As her beautifully shaded images of sashaying models and swishing skirts suggest, Brockett is especially inspired by the fashion industry and the colours found in nature. And her ambitions for the future? "To continue to draw and to exhibit work, produce a book and find my niche in fashion illustration."

Untitled - Personal work This piece marked a departure. "It was one of my first attempts to break away from my innate sense of wanting to create perfect, neat and tidy images with everything 'fitting between the lines'," says Brockett. "I used Photoshop to montage the pieces together with minimal intervention. I try to keep the essence of the original parts."

Natalie Brockett
Location Brisbane, Australia
Job Graphic designer/illustrator
Contact www.natayan.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash

The path of pursuing her life-long love of design was a winding one for Natalie Brockett. Following her studies in physiotherapy, languages and engineering, she dared to imagine that her dream of being able to design every day could become a reality. She completed her design degree in 2007 and dived straight into the industry, working as a graphic designer in a boutique studio before relocating to Tokyo last year.

Since the move, Brockett has dedicated herself fully to illustration and is hard at work developing a style that she describes as "intuitive and experimental." As her beautifully shaded images of sashaying models and swishing skirts suggest, Brockett is especially inspired by the fashion industry and the colours found in nature. And her ambitions for the future? "To continue to draw and to exhibit work, produce a book and find my niche in fashion illustration."

Untitled - Personal work "This piece is indicative of my desire to evolve and experiment with new techniques, but it also reflects my respect for beautifully crafted and refined art - and for fashion, especially great shoes," says Brockett. "I wanted to see if I could capture the essence of femininity and elegance using minimal materials and elements. I used only pink watercolour and black ink, and finally Photoshop to clean up the edges."

Doghouse
Location London
Job Graphic designer
Contact www.doghouseprint.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator

In the three years since Manjit Sangha graduated from the London College of Fashion, waving his qualification in fashion graphics and menswear and determined to make his mark on the world of design, he's been a very busy man.

Sangha's graduate digital print collection attracted clients including Gharani Strok, Candy & Candy and Stonewood & Bryce, and since then he has established art collective Doghouse, which saw its first graphic T-shirt collection launched to coincide with this year's London Alternative Fashion Week.

"I feel screen print is most powerful when used with flat shapes and images made up of pure black and white," says Sangha of his high-contrast, high-impact T-shirt designs, which are divided into two groups: screen printed and digitally printed. Away from Doghouse, look out for Sangha's freelance work with up-and-coming creative company Boss Cards and emerging fashion brand LTKD.

Geometry "This set of prints are all vector-based and are created using a geometric structure as a basis," Sangha explains of the screen-printed T-shirt designs available via www.doghouseprint.com.

Doghouse
Location London
Job Graphic designer
Contact www.doghouseprint.com
Software Photoshop, Illustrator

In the three years since Manjit Sangha graduated from the London College of Fashion, waving his qualification in fashion graphics and menswear and determined to make his mark on the world of design, he's been a very busy man.

Sangha's graduate digital print collection attracted clients including Gharani Strok, Candy & Candy and Stonewood & Bryce, and since then he has established art collective Doghouse, which saw its first graphic T-shirt collection launched to coincide with this year's London Alternative Fashion Week.

"I feel screen print is most powerful when used with flat shapes and images made up of pure black and white," says Sangha of his high-contrast, high-impact T-shirt designs, which are divided into two groups: screen printed and digitally printed. Away from Doghouse, look out for Sangha's freelance work with up-and-coming creative company Boss Cards and emerging fashion brand LTKD.

Eat Your Words This screen-printed design appears on a limited-edition run of 50 Doghouse T-shirts as part of the collective's debut range. "Pencil sketches are first exported into Illustrator and traced over using the Pen and Pencil tool," says Sangha of his technique. "Custom brushes are then used to add depth. Slogans, shapes and fashion imagery combine to create prints that are intended to pack a punch."