vc-ldnmetarts

[vc-ldnmetarts]

The Cass 19 Typeface

The Cass 19 Typeface is now available to download for free use! It was created by second year students Gemma Ageraniotis, Michael Brown, Luigi Conte and James Iredale alongside London Designer Sarah Boris.

The typeface itself makes reference to the many disciplines and practices at The Cass, celebrating the School’s multidisciplinary community. To celebrate the Show, the bespoke typeface has been released for public usage.

If you use our typeface it would be great to hear from you, tag us @thecassviscomm

DOWNLOAD The Cass 19 Typeface

Student Michael Brown said: “It was the first time that I experienced pitching, being selected, working with a client and using typography in a way that I hadn’t experienced before. The outcomes are amazing work for my portfolio… I got to work with amazing designers such as Quentin Schmerber and Sarah Boris, from both of whom I have learned a huge amount about working with clients in the real world.”

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Our Summer Show announced! PV 19th June, show continues on the 20-30 June

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Student Success Q & A: Lisa Wallius

How would you describe your creative work?

Colourful. Curious. I take inspiration from things I see around me, mostly when I am out walking. A bright yellow bench will make me smile, or a street with a funny name, or when the construction workers close to where I live all go on their lunch break and all of sudden the park is full of bright orange overalls. And I like to incorporate that same kind of feeling in the work I do. A quirkiness. Something a little surprising, that makes you smile, and think.

What originally appealed to you about studying at The Cass?

The “get your hands dirty” kind of vibe I got from the place. Like it wasn’t a place where anything was too precious, but rather encouraged the DIY and the experimental.  

How has your experience at The Cass helped you achieve your goals?

The Cass is full of great tutors that notice what you’re good at, and try to both encourage that and challenge it. And I think this has helped me a lot in becoming more confident in what I want for the future. I’ve learnt to always have an answer to the “why” and to never stop at idea one.

Tell us about your recent projects?

Well, over the last few months I have been collaborating with Finn Kidd on a couple of projects, most recently the poster series/ leaflet for The Cass HotHouse, which has been really fun. We have some more collaborations with The Cass coming up as well.

What are you working on now/next?

Freelancing! And working on self initiated projects on the side. I am also looking forward to having my work published this December in Surface Design Journal, so keep an eye out for that! Then, you know, next step is to get rich and famous I guess.

Check out Lisa’s website here: lisawallius.com 

and her work with Finn Kidd here: https://www.studiofancycats.com/

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Student Success Q & A: Finn Kidd

In a series of blogs we explore recent graduates and their work during and after their time at Cass. In our forth instalment we talk to Finn Kidd, a recent graduate who references everything from science, animals, music and popular culture in his often vibrant and individual style of illustration. We caught up with Finn to find out what he’s doing since he graduated: 

How would you describe your creative work?

Something along the lines of colourful, light-flooded illustration situated in narrative and research.

What originally appealed to you about studying at The Cass?

It just looked like a really good course. I knew a lot of people who had studied at other institutions and had a bad time, so it made sense to try somewhere outside of that apparent norm, and it turned out to be a great choice. The Cass also has a great history, with its foundations in the development of education in east London.

How has your experience at The Cass helped you achieve your goals?

My main aim in studying at a university level was to gain confidence in my illustration work and have the contextual, and critical framework to be able to backup my thoughts and ideas. Both of which I feel I have been able to  achieve through my studies here. This is really all down to the great tutors and technicians. They are all great! 

Tell us about your recent projects?

Since graduating in May I have been lucky enough to have a healthy handful of commissions to keep me busy. A highlight would have to be working with ​‘Tatty Devine’​ for their autumn/winter collection ‘Liminal Fantasy’. Which you can see over on their site in the shape of an online storybook. There’s also a bunch of other projects which myself and Lisa Wallius have worked on under the umbrella of our studio – ​‘Fancy Cats’.​ One of which is this years Cass Hothouse talks poster and leaflet series (above). The others are yet to be reveiled...

What are you working on now/next?

Right now I am in the first few weeks of my masters in Illustration and Visual Media at L.C.C. Which is pretty exciting! I’m also working as the Hothouse Riso technician, so settling into that and getting it all up and running. Next? Nothing is set in stone yet but hopefully big plans!

You can find Finn’s instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/finnnkiddd/

Also here: https://www.studiofancycats.com/

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Student Success Q & A: Samantha Friend

In a series of blogs we explore recent graduates and their work during and after their time at Cass. In our third instalment we talk to Samantha Friend, an illustration graduate with an eye for creating character and action scenes. Samantha is now a full time illustrator at Shotopop. We ask how her placement there helped her obtain her new role:

What did you enjoy most about your placement at Shotopop?

The work and the environment. The work itself was so much fun, and everyone at Shotopop was so friendly, welcoming and encouraging.

And what key things did you learn working there?

I learnt a lot about communicating with with colleagues, in regards to feedback and discussing how to go about a project. I also discovered a lot about working with clients, taking their needs into account and understanding feedback. Of course as boring as it sounds: invoicing!

How did it lead on to work after your finished your studies?

After finishing University, I sent an email to the director thanking him and everyone at Shotopop for the work opportunity and said if they needed any help on upcoming projects I'd be more than happy to get stuck in. I think I got really lucky that they had a large project which required a lot of work in a short amount of time, and as they already knew me and have seen my work, they took me on to help out as a freelance illustrator.

What are your plans next?

I plan on taking a short break, then jumping in to updating my portfolio, sending it along to other illustration and animation studios for any jobs that I might fit into. Doing lots of research into character design careers and see where that takes me.

You can find examples of Samantha’s work and her webpage via the links below:

http://shotopop.com/projects/

Promotional Illustrations:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmcOf-ghHL6/?taken-by=footlocker

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmHmIHXhDwm/?taken-by=footlocker

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmE2eMTBYn2/?taken-by=footlocker

Website: https://www.sfiink-illustration.com

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Student Success Q & A: Karl Fitzgerald

In a series of blogs we explore recent graduates and their work during and after their time at Cass. In our second instalment we talk to Karl Fitzgerald, who creates brooding reworks of iconic movie posters with dystopian undertones and textured landscapes with a cinematic magnitude. We ask Karl how the Cass played a role in making these atmospheric pieces and how rockers the ‘Foo Fighters’ have recently employed his skills:

How would you describe your creative work?

I specialise in creating screen printed alternate movie posters. The images are created using a mixture of traditional and digital painting techniques. My work largely focuses on the environment of film and the relationship of the landscape to the protagonists. I love to paint the moment of tension before the action or the immediate aftermath of an event. For me this has more emotional impact than the action itself. I use lots of atmosphere, texture and loose brush strokes to keep the scene fresh and dynamic.

What originally appealed to you about studying at Cass?

I wanted the opportunity to explore other styles, subject matter and processes. I could use my time to experiment with new techniques which I was previously unaware of. I was also drawn to the unique location.

How has your experience at Cass helped you achieve your goals?

The access to the printmaking facilities enabled me to adopt an entirely new approach to image making. At Cass I was able to experiment with the process of etching into metal and dedicated an entire module to learning the craft. The modules enabled us the freedom to produce completely individual responses, so I could explored countless styles and techniques. Importantly developing technical draughtsmanship skills. At Cass I learned a lot about working as an illustrator after graduating. I also learned the importance of preparing my portfolio, website and developing relationships with appropriate contacts. This has enabled me to become a full time freelance illustrator.

Tell us about your recent commission for the Foo Fighters....

Based on my portfolio, I was approached by ‘Live Nation’ to produce a poster for the ‘Foo Fighters’ show at Wrigley Fields in Chicago. The brief was entirely open with the exception of the ‘Foo Fighters’ logo, tour date and that the painting would be a screen print. Usually I work from a film narrative to capture a scene to paint. The freedom of the subject matter was initially more of a problem than a perk. The final image was the result of spending 3 weeks listening to nothing but the ‘Foo Fighters’ and responding without a certain idea of subject matter...

What are you working on now/next?

Since this first tour poster was a success, I have been approached to produce gig posters for some of my favourite U.S. bands! I still produce alternate movie posters but I am gradually branching out into concept art, storyboarding, book covers and record sleeves.

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Student Success Q & A: Ella Deadman

In a series of blogs we explore recent graduates and their work during and after their time at Cass. First we have Ella Deadman whose work explores brash themes of kitsch, sexuality and cheap glamour. Somewhere between a John Waters movie and the pornography inspired photomontages of Linder Sterling, Ella’s work creates a colourful and textural visual language that is unique in it’s own right.  We ask Ella how the Cass played it’s part in her journey: 

What originally appealed to you about studying at The Cass?

I was drawn to studying at the Cass due to its great location. I love a good market and petticoat lane and brick lane are very close. Overall it is a really creative part of the city, whilst still being very central. Also I was really drawn to the studio teaching aspect. I have never studied in a place where your split up by subject interest rather than year. (It’s also a big plus having individual studio space which is rare at other establishments).

How has your experience at The Cass helped you achieve your goals?

My experience at the Cass really helped me to define my identity as a practitioner. My chosen studio focused on art direction. Having that specifically in mind helped me narrow down my ideas and career plans.  I think working in my chosen field really allowed me to define my work. I was also introduced to different mediums such as photography, which has now become pretty much the main focus of my practice. It’s great that you can experiment with different print processes and technology in order to find out who you are as a practitioner.

Tell us about your new magazine project and the work you are doing with London Metropolitan’s Accelerator program...

I am currently working on a sex soft-core porn magazine which was my final major project at Cass. It’s intended to be a review of our changing sexual behaviours and attitudes. It’s contemporary in style but still has a strong reference to classic pornographic publications like Playboy. After finishing my studies at Cass, I was lucky enough to gain a place on the ‘Launchpad Accelerator’ programme (open to all graduating students). They are really helping me to define my concepts and to bring my products to the market. I have learned that it is not enough to simply have a good idea. You need to understand the process behind it. I have gained valuable business insights in to marketing, finance, investment and advertising. It’s been great to gain business knowledge. Through the programme I have already gained some funding. I am hopeful that the magazine will be in stores soon!

What were your best times studying at Cass?

Definitely the studio days and workshops. I really enjoyed being with my studio, gaining feedback and looking at my peers work. It was a lot of fun. We were like a family and it is always really inspiring and motivational to work alongside like-minded people. I loved workshop days too. I got to try my hand at ceramics, woodwork, letterpress, mono printing and more in my third year - it’s really nice to be experimental and free to explore new ways of doing things.

How would you describe your work?

In-between nice and nasty. I am really interested in objects and why we find things desirable or undesirable. I really value happy accidents and I think that things should never be too clean or shiny as that isn’t true of real life. I love a bit of “bad” design mixed with humour. My sources of inspiration are fast food, commodities, kitsch, and anything second hand or filthy! I have a huge passion for charity shops, pawnshops, pound shops and my local takeaway!

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Illustration Students working on exciting new publication! More news to come soon about this project!

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Students work on commission for Open Field as part of their internship with Regular Practice Studio .Open field is a residency program initiated by the BA Fine Art dept. At The CASS. what makes this residency program unique is that it is seamlessly integrated within The CASS and therefore students have opportunities to meet, work with network and be taught by the artists. Our brief was to create a publication that documents and celebrates this program and the artists who participate. Jennifer Garwood and Jothan Morris worked on this commission and are in the final stages of production for this exciting project!

[vc-ldnmetarts]

We are really excited to have Regular Practice Studio leading running in house internships with 3rd year students! More posts about the work they have been up to with students soon!

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Alumni Student Nick Hill visits to run a workshop with current students as part of our workshops during Making A Living Week

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Check out the Cass Culture Blog!

Cass Culture is the new event and writing platform of The Cass School of Art Architecture and Design. It is edited by the Critical and Contextual Studies team. They have started a great blog about events happening at Cass!

http://cassculture.org/

They recently posted about one the Cass HotHouse talks !

http://cassculture.org/events/selected-scenes-beginning-world/

[vc-ldnmetarts]

The new 2017/18 HotHouse talks have been announced.... We were super excited to get the amazing Regular Practise Studio to design and print a poster for the talks also.

You can sign up to the talks free through The Cass eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-cass-12257634996

Individual links to talks on eventbrite:

Patrick Saville - http://bit.ly/2yBqXDe

Amelie Barnathan-  http://bit.ly/2yUKZtb

Mason London - http://bit.ly/2l1EJJX

Rachel Littlewood - http://bit.ly/2imMaKZ

The Paper Library - http://bit.ly/2hsuXQm

Fiona Woodcock - http://bit.ly/2gnFRCE

Serena Wise - http://bit.ly/2gmVuKv

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Interview with Russell Weekes

After running a well received workshop at this year’s Cass summer show, Russell Weekes sat down with final year student Andrew Sosnowski to discuss it and the theme of the show: the process of making.

Andrew Sosnowski: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Russell Weekes: My interests are often focused on the idea. This can be in developing ideas within my own work, or looking at the ways in which we use and communicate ideas in our everyday lives. I'm particularly interested in our everyday environments as the source to generate ideas, making observations and connections that change the way we see the world around us.

AS: What appealed to you about running a workshop in the Hothouse summer show this year?

RW: I think workshops are a great way to try something new. In 3 hours you don't have the pressure to create something 'finished', so as a result we are free to be playful in our approach and not worry about making mistakes. I like the randomness of workshops, in planning them you don't know who will attend, and those who do attend often don't know exactly what it is they'll be doing. It creates a situation where everyone has to bring some enthusiasm and interest, otherwise it fails.

AS: What had you hoped to see come out of your workshop?

RW: I tried to create a workshop that set clear limitations, but within those there was the encouragement to come up with your own ideas and way of working. The hope is always that a workshop might offer participants the chance to try something new, and potentially trigger something that will be developed in the future.

AS:How do you think it went?

RW: The workshop group were enthusiastic and had some interesting ideas. I think they made some really fun work and was happy to see that people came from different backgrounds and disciplines; illustration, design, fashion and fine art.Some had plans to incorporate animation into their work, while others were just interested in trying something different. I hope everyone got what they wanted from being involved?

AS: The theme of the show this year is process. See are a few questions about how we design: Does form follow function or does form follow tools?

RW: Depending on the project I think it could be either. Ideas can be based around the function of the end result, but experimenting with processes are equally likely to become a starting point for an idea. I'd probably like to throw in 'form follows ideas', as for me the final execution is often decided based on what best communicates the idea. Maybe the idea counts as the 'function'? I'm not sure the question feels quite cryptic.

AS: How we can subvert the original intention of the process?

RW: This is something I've always been interested in. Taking something that we know, that has a purpose, and using it differently. I think this works really well when you somehow combine the 'familiar' with the 'unexpected'. When the audience knows the original, the subversion can make them look at it in a whole new light. These kinds of ideas become stronger because the audience are able to add their own experience and knowledge, so we connect with the idea.

AS: How does the process of making inform design thinking?

I've always found that making and experimenting helps me to generate new ideas. Making something gives you a better understanding of the possibilities. You discover problems that were not foreseen in the ideas stage, and also opportunities. One thing can lead to the next, even working on jobs that haven't been successful, might have taught you really useful skills or knowledge that you can put into practice on other projects. For me, making can involve notebooks with rough ideas, experimenting with a technique, collaborating with others or producing 'finished' projects. These all offer different benefits and challenges, it is about finding a way that best helps you develop your way of working.

AS: To give current students a sense of the challenges that await them in the future, what would you say is the biggest difficulty you’ve had to overcome as a designer?

RW: This is so subjective, each person will have their own difficulties and successes. Being aware that these challenges can be a good thing is perhaps something worth remembering. Through challenges or difficulties you learn to problem solve, and this helps you develop your working process. Personally for me, the realisation that not having a specialism is a good thing for my work has been really useful. This certainly hasn't made problems disappear, but in some ways I am clearer in knowing what I can change and what I should accept is always likely to be a difficulty. For someone else, not having a specialism wouldn't work at all, or make sense. I think it comes down to taking the time to try things out and develop your own way of working.

AS: Do you have any advice for students graduating this year who aren’t quite sure what their next step should be?

I would say that it is good to think of your next step as one of many steps, rather than it being a decision that will be forever. Although it is important to think about the choices you make, there can be a benefit in trying things and seeing where they might take you. Another thing that I think is important, is to try and explore your own ideas outside of commercial jobs. By continuing to make your own work, you are able to experiment and develop your working and thinking processes further.  You are also able to show what you can do, without relying on someone else to employ you to do it. This can help to build confidence in your own approach. Projects don't have to be big, or involve a lot of time or money, the key is to plan them within your own limitations. If your ideas aren't in some way practical to create, they can easily sit on the back-burner for a long time.

See Russell’s work at: http://www.eekes.com/

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Interview with Will Hudson

After giving a talk about his career path and his business ventures, Will Hudson, co-founder of design website It’s Nice That sat down with final year student Andrew Sosnowski to talk about ongoing projects.

Andrew Sosnowski: Hi Will, could you tells us a bit about yourself?

Will Hudson: I run The HudsonBec Group alongside my business partner Alex Bec. The group believes in enabling creativity to thrive and currently consists of 3 companies; media company It’s Nice That, creative agency Anyways and online resource Lecture in Progress. Currently my focus is on Lecture in Progress that launched in April of this year.

AS:To help demystify the design industry somewhat, you've started Lecture in Progress. Could you tell us more about it?

WH: Through running It’s Nice That for 10 years we’ve seen a lot change and the conversations we have with current students and recent graduates seem to focus more now on their awareness of day-to-day industry and what job roles and opportunities exist.

As a result we want Lecture in Progress to inspire and inform the next generation of creatives by providing a practical resource offering advice and insight into the industry. Our aim is to empower emerging talent with information and first-hand accounts that demystify the day-to-day workings of the creative world. By focusing on the people, projects and places that make the industry thrive, we want to deliver greater visibility to how work unfolds, where it happens and the breadth of roles that exist. Initially covering design, illustration, photography, film, animation and advertising across the UK, we intend to expand and develop our coverage as we grow.

AS: The theme of this year's show is process. As someone who's taken a step back from the day to day concerns of a graphic designer, are there any processes essential to being in the industry you feel are regularly overlooked?

WH: The truth is your processes are going to change depending on the role you do. There are some basics though that make a big difference and creatives entering the industry can do from the start. Taking solid notes in meetings and knowing what you are personally responsible for delivering and by when. If you’re not sure just ask, even though some tasks may seem small they all contribute to making something happen. There’s no worse feeling than not doing something everyone else thought you were on.

AS: To give current students a sense of the challenges that await them in the future, what would you say is the biggest difficulty you’ve had to overcome as a designer?

WH: The challenge is what makes things interesting! There’s a lot of people that study graphic design and not everyone can become a graphic designer. The exciting thing about working in the creative industry is the breadth of jobs that exist, the challenge is working out where you get enjoyment with the skills you have, the size of team you want to work in and the kind of work you want to be doing.

AS: Having become a creative director do you have any advice for those looking to effectively become their own brand or start their own businesses?

WH: Be proactive. This means getting in touch with people you want to meet, clients you want to work for and collaborators you want to work with. Ask advice when you’re not sure. Go to events. Ask for feedback.

AS: What would you say to students graduating this year who aren’t quite sure what their next step should be?

WH: Check out Lecture in Progress and filter the content by job role, get an understanding of what the opportunities are and insight from the people doing them.

Have a look at It’s Nice That at: http://www.itsnicethat.com/

Find out more about Anyways at: http://www.anyways.co/

Sign up to Lecture in Progress at: https://lectureinprogress.com/

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Digital Dancing with Russel Weekes

The first week of hothouse workshops came to an end with Russel Weekes leading his digital dance class. Inspired by Jean-Paul Goude and his technique of distorting imagery though the layering of many photographs, participants had the opportunity to experiment with animation processes and see where it went.

Weekes first began by showing everyone an unorthodox use of a digital scanner in which he dragged his photos across the scanner as it was moving. In doing so, parts of the image would become elongated or shortened depending on which way the image was facing and/or which way he moved it. By taking these new images and using them as frames for an animation, Weekes could create the impression of mouths moving or drums being played in a way not so dissimilar from how South Park or Terry Gilliam’s Monty Python animations work.

After trying a lo-fi version of this technique, using multiple copies of the same image, scissors and glue, participants photographed each other in interesting poses so they could use the same process again to create some unusual dance moves.

At the end, Weekes turned everyone's work into simple gifs, a short animation which usually loops into itself indefinitely.

Weekes’s workshop was an excellent example of how experimentation can lead to new processes being discovered as well as combining those processes with meticulous planning. As a result, it's possible to appear spontaneous and professional at the same time. And all you need is a little experience with a photocopier and a lot of patience.

See Russel Weekes’ work at: http://www.eekes.com/

Follow him: @wwweekes

[vc-ldnmetarts]

Interview with Ignacia Ruiz

Following her well received workshop at this year’s summer show, illustrator and educator Ignacia Ruiz sat down with final year student Andrew Sosnowski to discuss how it went and this year’s theme of the show: process.

Andrew Sosnowski: Hello Ignacia. Could you tells us a bit about yourself?

Ignacia Ruiz: Hello! Im a London based illustrator and graphic designer working mostly with drawing and printmaking.

I like to work both commercially and on my personal projects, mostly involving me walking around with my sketchbook in hand. Im also an associate lecturer at the foundation course at Central Saint Martins.

AS: What appealed to you about running a workshop in the Hothouse summer show this year?

IR: I'll take any excuse to make images! I've worked a bit with Riso and I think its a great medium to explore. The combination of drawing and printing is always a winner in my books, so that sounded very appealing.

AS: What had you hoped to see come out of your workshop?

IR:Hopefully have people experience a new method of printing and be able to try a different way of making images.

AS:How do you think it went?

IR:Well hopefully! I enjoyed it. You would have to ask the attendees…

AS: The theme of the show this year is the process of making. What do you think about the tools available to designers today?

IR: We have a wealth of tools today! We have access to not only analogue methods but digital too. I think great things happen when you can successfully combine both.

Many illustrators, especially who enjoy printmaking feel like its either one or the other but I think both tools are just as valuable and complement each other in a great way. Its about embracing both

AS: To give current students a sense of the challenges that await them in the future, what would you say is the biggest difficulty you’ve had to overcome as a designer?

IR: I think the biggest difficulty would be juggling all the different aspects of the job. You need to be excellent at time management and pretty self reliant. You'd be surprised how much of the job is NOT about making images.

AS:Do you have any advice for students graduating this year who aren’t quite sure what their next step should be?

IR:Don't pressure yourself to be "successful" right after you leave college. Sometimes you need some time to grow into what you will do in the future. Things take time, I myself feel like i have a long way to go still. This is a good thing! Its exiting to think where things can grow into with time.

Check out Ignacia Ruiz at: http://www.ignaciaruiz.com/

Follow her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ignacia_rz/