Computer Arts Gallery: October 2007

IAN WHARTON & EDWARD SHIRES
LOCATION Preston / Derby
JOB Graduates
CONTACT www.solarthefilm.com
SOFTWARE Softimage XSI, After Effects, Final Cut Studio

Solar is a short animated film by recent creative graduates Ian Wharton and Edward Shires. It's a tale of the sun, moon and two characters who inhabit a world that relies on night and day perhaps more than it would seem.

"We have both just graduated from Cumbria Institute of the Arts after completing a BA in Multimedia Design and Digital Animation. We are a newly formed creative team who love storytelling and anything moving-image. Our primary aspirations are to work at a top animation or production house with the eventual aim of running our own studio."

Solar won the Best-of-Show award at Cumbria's graduate exhibition. The pair are influenced by books like Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant, which they read before writing the script for Solar. "We don't think stories are told with the same exuberance these days, so we returned to the good oldies we read when we were kids," they say.

"The greatest challenge was conceptualising all the mechanics and creating a logical and valid system for the sun and moon's cycle. We must have gone through 20 re-writes of the script and endless designs for machinery before we settled. Although the story is ultimately fantasy, the mechanics of it still had to seem possible in real-world applications. Establishing a harmonising mixture of weights and magnitudes was difficult but important so the viewers could engage with the world the characters inhabit."

FARM Home for the Giant and the Operator, the farm represents the simplicity and scale for the world within Solar. Reference was taken from old American barns so there was a human and familiar element to it.

IAN WHARTON & EDWARD SHIRES
LOCATION Preston / Derby
JOB Graduates
CONTACT www.solarthefilm.com
SOFTWARE Softimage XSI, After Effects, Final Cut Studio

Solar is a short animated film by recent creative graduates Ian Wharton and Edward Shires. It's a tale of the sun, moon and two characters who inhabit a world that relies on night and day perhaps more than it would seem.

"We have both just graduated from Cumbria Institute of the Arts after completing a BA in Multimedia Design and Digital Animation. We are a newly formed creative team who love storytelling and anything moving-image. Our primary aspirations are to work at a top animation or production house with the eventual aim of running our own studio."

Solar won the Best-of-Show award at Cumbria's graduate exhibition. The pair are influenced by books like Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant, which they read before writing the script for Solar. "We don't think stories are told with the same exuberance these days, so we returned to the good oldies we read when we were kids," they say.

"The greatest challenge was conceptualising all the mechanics and creating a logical and valid system for the sun and moon's cycle. We must have gone through 20 re-writes of the script and endless designs for machinery before we settled. Although the story is ultimately fantasy, the mechanics of it still had to seem possible in real-world applications. Establishing a harmonising mixture of weights and magnitudes was difficult but important so the viewers could engage with the world the characters inhabit."

THE GIANT The brawn behind Solar. The lumbering, methodical, slightly battered and bruised Giant keeps everything running. Thick leather gloves and deep-set eyes help him handle and maintain the sun and the moon.

KATE SUTTON
LOCATION UK
JOB Freelance illustrator
CONTACT www.katesutton.co.uk contact@katesutton.co.uk
SOFTWARE Photoshop

Kate has been a freelance illustrator for a few years since graduating from university, where she studied graphic arts. She spends her days doodling and making funny creatures from her collection of charity shop finds. As well as taking part in lots of exhibitions, she has worked with clients such as Roxy, Howies, Urban Outfitters and Nookart. Her main influences are ornate patterns, car boot sales and nature.

BIRD AND CHERRY CUSHION "When I was asked to design a cushion for Urban Outfitters I knew I wanted it to be quite ornate, like an old floral fabric but with a slight twist. I drew the image by hand, then scanned it into the computer and coloured it in Photoshop. I would love to do more fabric designs in the future."

KATE SUTTON
LOCATION UK
JOB Freelance illustrator
CONTACT www.katesutton.co.uk contact@katesutton.co.uk
SOFTWARE Photoshop

Kate has been a freelance illustrator for a few years since graduating from university, where she studied graphic arts. She spends her days doodling and making funny creatures from her collection of charity shop finds. As well as taking part in lots of exhibitions, she has worked with clients such as Roxy, Howies, Urban Outfitters and Nookart. Her main influences are ornate patterns, car boot sales and nature.

LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO FIND THE RIGHT ONE "I was commissioned by TWBA Paris to create a poster based on its award winning film for AIDES, an AIDS charity based in France. It tells the story of a girl and all her sexual partners before she finds 'the one'. All the imagery was hand-drawn, then scanned into Photoshop."

BORIS MIHALIK
LOCATION London, UK
JOB Graphic designer
CONTACT borismihalik@yahoo.com
SOFTWARE Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash

Boris comes from Slovakia and is starting his third year in Graphic Design at Middlesex University. In June this year, his work won a Best New Blood award at the D&AD exhibition in London.

"My inspiration comes from fine art and contemporary graphic design work in magazines and books I search through, and websites about graphic design and illustration," he says. "Lots of ideas or effects in my work come when I'm just playing with the computer. I'm still working on developing my skills and taking in objects around me to get inspiration."

When he has finished his course, Boris hopes to find work in an advertising agency or design studio.

MUSIC PORTRAIT A creative self-portrait by Boris, done for a college brief entitled 'Why I Love Music'.

BORIS MIHALIK
LOCATION London, UK
JOB Graphic designer
CONTACT borismihalik@yahoo.com
SOFTWARE Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash

Boris comes from Slovakia and is starting his third year in Graphic Design at Middlesex University. In June this year, his work won a Best New Blood award at the D&AD exhibition in London.

"My inspiration comes from fine art and contemporary graphic design work in magazines and books I search through, and websites about graphic design and illustration," he says. "Lots of ideas or effects in my work come when I'm just playing with the computer. I'm still working on developing my skills and taking in objects around me to get inspiration."

When he has finished his course, Boris hopes to find work in an advertising agency or design studio.

BOWIE A screenshot from an animated music video for the David Bowie song I'm Afraid of Americans. It combined hand drawing and photomontage.

NOUSHA FARJADNIA
LOCATION North Yorkshire
JOB Freelance designer and illustrator
CONTACT www.ahoyahoy.co.uk
SOFTWARE Photoshop, FreeHand, Flash, Dreamweaver

Nousha has a BSc in Software Engineering and recently completed a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Teesside.

"Inspiration can come anytime and from anywhere," she says. "I get ideas by visiting a place, looking at artwork, closing my eyes and just thinking, reading or listening to people. The most important thing is to be an observer. You have to be able to observe the world to be able to express what you have understood in your own unique way.

"I like to look at different cultures' visuals. It's amazing how the visual culture changes from country to country. I am highly inspired by my Persian background. I have brought some Persian styles to my illustrations," she says.

POSTER "A poster for a campaign about global warming. It shows greenhouse gases like a blanket over the earth, and the elements that contribute to warming."

NOUSHA FARJADNIA
LOCATION North Yorkshire
JOB Freelance designer and illustrator
CONTACT www.ahoyahoy.co.uk
SOFTWARE Photoshop, FreeHand, Flash, Dreamweaver

Nousha has a BSc in Software Engineering and recently completed a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Teesside.

"Inspiration can come anytime and from anywhere," she says. "I get ideas by visiting a place, looking at artwork, closing my eyes and just thinking, reading or listening to people. The most important thing is to be an observer. You have to be able to observe the world to be able to express what you have understood in your own unique way.

"I like to look at different cultures' visuals. It's amazing how the visual culture changes from country to country. I am highly inspired by my Persian background. I have brought some Persian styles to my illustrations," she says.

RECYCLE "Used in a factual booklet about how to stop global warming. One half of the circle promotes recycling and the other half shows how many electrical appliances are on standby in a household."

VASILI ORLOV
LOCATION Basking Ridge, NJ, USA
JOB Graphic design student
CONTACT www.scienceofart.net
SOFTWARE Illustrator and Photoshop

Two years into his graphic design course at his local college in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Vasili usually starts by sketching ideas on paper. He then adds most of the detail that will be included in the design. He then traces over this in Illustrator, where the colouring process begins. Finally he goes to Photoshop for cleaning up, adding extra detail and completing the colouring.

DEVIL FO' LIFE "An experiment in making different shapes work together. People find it reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat, but that wasn't my reference at all."

VASILI ORLOV
LOCATION Basking Ridge, NJ, USA
JOB Graphic design student
CONTACT www.scienceofart.net
SOFTWARE Illustrator and Photoshop

Two years into his graphic design course at his local college in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Vasili usually starts by sketching ideas on paper. He then adds most of the detail that will be included in the design. He then traces over this in Illustrator, where the colouring process begins. Finally he goes to Photoshop for cleaning up, adding extra detail and completing the colouring.

WE WERE JUMPING OFF AN AIR BALLOON "Vibrant colours and weird shapes are what in my mind reflect the emotions of a person who would be insane enough to jump off a hot air balloon."