Computer Arts Gallery: September 2006

WEIRDINK
LOCATION Nottingham, UK
JOB Illustrator/character designer
CONTACT www.cpluv.com/www/profile/weirdink
SOFTWARE Illustrator

Weirdink, aka Georgios Xanthos, is a 26-year-old illustrator who graduated with a degree in Graphic Design in 2005. He admits he was a big Photoshop fan for many years, but now lists his favourite software as, "Caffeine OS X, Rollies Pro and Adobe Illustrator". So why make the change to a vector app like Illustrator? "Because vectors look damn sweet," he says.

"When I was studying, my work was mostly done in Photoshop," he continues. "I soon came to realise that I was doing nothing more than emulating my favourite artists. Then I read the issue of Computer Arts with the Tado cover and started refining my Illustrator skills, learning more about gradients and stuff. It really was a turning point. Now vectors are my business, and business is good!"

THE LOST BATTLE "My first attempt at adopting a cinematic-type angle in my work. I wanted to create something very dramatic and powerful, something that captured the tension. This was the first time I used rain in my art, too, and I think it gives the image a really dramatic, dynamic feeling."

WEIRDINK
LOCATION Nottingham, UK
JOB Illustrator/character designer
CONTACT www.cpluv.com/www/profile/weirdink
SOFTWARE Illustrator

Weirdink, aka Georgios Xanthos, is a 26-year-old illustrator who graduated with a degree in Graphic Design in 2005. He admits he was a big Photoshop fan for many years, but now lists his favourite software as, "Caffeine OS X, Rollies Pro and Adobe Illustrator". So why make the change to a vector app like Illustrator? "Because vectors look damn sweet," he says.

"When I was studying, my work was mostly done in Photoshop," he continues. "I soon came to realise that I was doing nothing more than emulating my favourite artists. Then I read the issue of Computer Arts with the Tado cover and started refining my Illustrator skills, learning more about gradients and stuff. It really was a turning point. Now vectors are my business, and business is good!"

THE WHITE MATRIX "This is where everything started. I'm not sure what happened on that day, but I came up with a white tentacled crying thing. It was one of my first vector pieces and I was so excited about the colours and gradients. I'm currently teaching myself Flash in order to animate my characters, so who knows what lies ahead."

JONATHAN CAPLIN
LOCATION London, UK
JOB Graphic/digital designer
CONTACT www.electrolyte.co.uk
SOFTWARE Flash and Photoshop

Jonathan Caplin first studied Fine Art before making a move into graphic design and typography. "My training was mainly old-style paste up and hand rendering," he admits. "It wasn't until the final year that I was introduced to a Mac!"

Graduating from college in 1998, Jonathan 'fell' into digital design, and soon found himself applying his training and long-term influences, including the work of David Carson, on screen. "I pretty much taught myself software skills as I went," he says. "I've developed a mixed range of styles, from computer-based work right through to mixed media.

"My illustration work is mainly done in Flash, because that's where I feel most comfortable," says Jonathan. "But this often surprises people, who think that I must be using Illustrator!"

FANTASTIC PLASTIC SERIES "The aim of this self-initiated project was to create a set of illustrations of commercial iconic vintage toys - Action Man, Sindy, Barbie etc. The toys were created to show a sort of 'perfect' role model so, to emphasise this, I chose to create them in a vector style. Over the years, the toys have been bashed and scratched, showing that maybe they aren't as perfect as we were led to believe. This also gives the characters some charm. These images, created in Flash and graded in Photoshop, will be printed on large-scale canvases."

JONATHAN CAPLIN
LOCATION London, UK
JOB Graphic/digital designer
CONTACT www.electrolyte.co.uk
SOFTWARE Flash and Photoshop

Jonathan Caplin first studied Fine Art before making a move into graphic design and typography. "My training was mainly old-style paste up and hand rendering," he admits. "It wasn't until the final year that I was introduced to a Mac!"

Graduating from college in 1998, Jonathan 'fell' into digital design, and soon found himself applying his training and long-term influences, including the work of David Carson, on screen. "I pretty much taught myself software skills as I went," he says. "I've developed a mixed range of styles, from computer-based work right through to mixed media.

"My illustration work is mainly done in Flash, because that's where I feel most comfortable," says Jonathan. "But this often surprises people, who think that I must be using Illustrator!"

FANTASTIC PLASTIC SERIES "The aim of this self-initiated project was to create a set of illustrations of commercial iconic vintage toys - Action Man, Sindy, Barbie etc. The toys were created to show a sort of 'perfect' role model so, to emphasise this, I chose to create them in a vector style. Over the years, the toys have been bashed and scratched, showing that maybe they aren't as perfect as we were led to believe. This also gives the characters some charm. These images, created in Flash and graded in Photoshop, will be printed on large-scale canvases."

ELEANOR RUDGE
LOCATION Stroud, UK
JOB Illustrator
CONTACT www.eleanorrudge.com
SOFTWARE Photoshop

Eleanor Rudge recently graduated from Falmouth College of Arts, and is now starting out on a career in illustration. "I always try to create images that reflect my interests and personality," she says. "That way my work starts to make sense."

So what makes this talented 23-year-old tick? "Some of the things that have strongly influenced my work are people-watching, coincidences, drawing, things that are both funny and sad, bargains, people's conversations, poignancy, mischief, collage, humour, handwritten signs and nice people.

"I very rarely plan in any detail how or what I will draw," she continues. "I usually enjoy the mistakes that I make, and if I don't like what happens, there is always a bin nearby."

EXERCISE PROMOTIONAL POSTER "This poster is aimed to promote the idea that exercise doesn't just mean going to the gym - it can be fun, and we can all find a way of fitting it into our daily routines. I wanted to try and appeal to as wide a range of people as possible to promote this message."

ELEANOR RUDGE
LOCATION Stroud, UK
JOB Illustrator
CONTACT www.eleanorrudge.com
SOFTWARE Photoshop

Eleanor Rudge recently graduated from Falmouth College of Arts, and is now starting out on a career in illustration. "I always try to create images that reflect my interests and personality," she says. "That way my work starts to make sense."

So what makes this talented 23-year-old tick? "Some of the things that have strongly influenced my work are people-watching, coincidences, drawing, things that are both funny and sad, bargains, people's conversations, poignancy, mischief, collage, humour, handwritten signs and nice people.

"I very rarely plan in any detail how or what I will draw," she continues. "I usually enjoy the mistakes that I make, and if I don't like what happens, there is always a bin nearby."

TRY EVERYTHING ONCE "This image was created for a promotional book made by Falmouth College of Arts to illustrate the quote 'You should try everything at least once, except incest and folk dancing', by Arnold Bax. I wanted to inject my sense of humour into this image, and to show lots of people doing lots of different things - from the normal to the far-fetched."

SIMON NOYNAY
LOCATION Melbourne, Australia
JOB Artist and illustrator
CONTACT www.huskworks.com
SOFTWARE Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop

Simon Noynay, aka Huskworks, is a 21-year-old artist and illustrator currently studying Communication Design at Swinburne University, Victoria. He was recently named as one of the top 25 artists under 25 by NOISE and Art & Australia.

"I originally emigrated to Australia from the Philippines when I was seven, and have loved it here ever since," he says. So has this unusual upbringing influenced his work? "The work I have created over the years stems from my love of drawing as a child. A lot of my styles are influenced by street and comic backgrounds, and I take a fine art and design approach."

Simon implements various hand-drawn ink styles in digital media, and draws inspiration from anything he can get his hands on. "Music, film, skateboarding and humour constantly motivate my work," he says. "From listening, to playing drums, guitars and making electronic music, to watching and making short films, I always welcome the opportunity to explore different media and different ways to utilise them."

DESK MOOPS "Part of the Moops series, this vector-style illustration, created in Flash, was inspired by graphic novel Inkwork as well as commercial photography during the 1950s and 1960s."

SIMON NOYNAY
LOCATION Melbourne, Australia
JOB Artist and illustrator
CONTACT www.huskworks.com
SOFTWARE Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop

Simon Noynay, aka Huskworks, is a 21-year-old artist and illustrator currently studying Communication Design at Swinburne University, Victoria. He was recently named as one of the top 25 artists under 25 by NOISE and Art & Australia.

"I originally emigrated to Australia from the Philippines when I was seven, and have loved it here ever since," he says. So has this unusual upbringing influenced his work? "The work I have created over the years stems from my love of drawing as a child. A lot of my styles are influenced by street and comic backgrounds, and I take a fine art and design approach."

Simon implements various hand-drawn ink styles in digital media, and draws inspiration from anything he can get his hands on. "Music, film, skateboarding and humour constantly motivate my work," he says. "From listening, to playing drums, guitars and making electronic music, to watching and making short films, I always welcome the opportunity to explore different media and different ways to utilise them."

BAFFLED "This vector illustration was drawn in Flash. I was originally inspired by a found photograph, which then became part of a scene in my Moops creature series."

OSSI PIRKONEN
LOCATION Helsinki, Finland
JOB Illustrator/graphic designer
CONTACT www.pingstate.nu/ossi/
SOFTWARE FreeHand and Photoshop

Ossi Pirkonen was born in a small village called Vääksy in southern Finland, and graduated from the Lahti Institute of Design in 2005. He works as a graphic designer for an advertising agency in Helsinki.

"FreeHand is my favourite illustration tool," he says. "I sketch my illustrations first by hand before starting the often quite long illustration process in FreeHand. Then, if necessary, I finish off my images using Photoshop."

So why FreeHand? "I try to make the forms in my illustrative work organic, and I like the shapes and curves I'm able to create with FreeHand. However, I'm about to learn how to use Illustrator, too."

SOUL POWER "The instruments that brought us the powerful music. I love doing typographical work as part of my illustrations."

OSSI PIRKONEN
LOCATION Helsinki, Finland
JOB Illustrator/graphic designer
CONTACT www.pingstate.nu/ossi/
SOFTWARE FreeHand and Photoshop

Ossi Pirkonen was born in a small village called Vääksy in southern Finland, and graduated from the Lahti Institute of Design in 2005. He works as a graphic designer for an advertising agency in Helsinki.

"FreeHand is my favourite illustration tool," he says. "I sketch my illustrations first by hand before starting the often quite long illustration process in FreeHand. Then, if necessary, I finish off my images using Photoshop."

So why FreeHand? "I try to make the forms in my illustrative work organic, and I like the shapes and curves I'm able to create with FreeHand. However, I'm about to learn how to use Illustrator, too."

POP ARMY "Here I played with the idea of having an odd army of characters behind me that would defend me in case of danger. Again, this was part of my thesis."