Amelia’s Magazine | Best of D&AD New Blood Illustration & Graphic Design Graduates 2012: part three

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Alex Young
Following on from my second review of New Blood comes my final write up. Lots of students illustrated the cover for Grimm’s Fairy Tales – at University of Central Lancashire the rough energy of this woodcut by Alex Young stood out.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nicola Jones
At Norwich University College of the Arts Nicola Jones screenprinted the open market.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nicola Jones
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Stacey Knights
Stacey Knights worked in simple colourways to create illustrations of the market and for a brief to design for the cover of Little White Lies (another popular project which featured throughout the exhibition).

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Gina Pape
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Gina Pape
Gina Pape‘s Sympathetic Magic was inspired by the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
Sophie Perryman created a collaged monster that was the antithesis of the Kawaii (cute) phenomenon.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jack Cullis
At the University of West England Jack Cullis created a series of stunning illustrations for classic Penguin book covers.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sami Al-Adawy
Sami Al-Adawy‘s grid town appealed to my love of repetition in design.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jamie Jones
This harbour by Jamie Jones would look great in a kid’s book.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rebecca Clemson
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rebecca Clemson
The Great Barrier Reef in paper quilling by Rebecca Clemson at Staffordshire University was a huge hit with visitors – she’s also a potter who has secured funding to set up her own business in the potteries. I wish she had a website.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Melanie Milne
Melanie Milne had also dabbled in ceramics and had created this wonderful typographic textile design as an ode to the humble sprout.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
At Plymouth University I loved beautiful character illustration of jazz monkeys by Elora Taylor.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jenny Cox
At University of Cumbria Jenny Cox illustrated The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
Cute illustrations for a touchy feely children’s book called The Magic Sheep by Shorty Lee at Edinburgh College of Art.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nikki Wei Guo
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nikki Wei Guo
Mother Worms by Nikki Wei Guo; illustrations to accompany self penned folk stories about desire for life and fear of death.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Cara Holsgrove
Creepy but beautifully realised imagery by Cara Holsgrove is part of a handmade book of poems about distorted reality.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Hargrave
Sophie Hargrave‘s recycle week and gender equality posters at Loughborough University.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Camilla Perkins
I missed this year’s University of Westminster illustration exhibition at the Ambika P3 Gallery so Alia Gargum covered it. Here’s what I liked at New Blood: Above, super colourful portraits of David Bellamy and Jaques Costeau framed in wreaths for plate designs by Camilla Perkins.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Angelina Ioannides-Beer
Like Alia I picked up on the geometric work of Angelina Ioannides-Beer. And what a marvellous name!

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Emma Black
Intrigued by overlaid monoprint work by Emma Black.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Holly Monger
Narrative scenes by Holly Monger.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Olivia Henry
Cute character work by Olivia Henry.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nina Jorgensen
Beautiful abstract patterns from Nina Jorgensen

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Josie Shenoy
Intricate patterned work by Josie Shenoy.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rikki Hewitt
Collaged work by Rikki Hewitt.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Paul Hickey
Paul Hickey‘s work combining photographic imagery and a painterly blocks of colour.

It’s hard to pick out the finest graduates from such a busy exhibition which is why I always prefer to see individual college’s shows. I will always be most attracted to narrative illustration and typography over digital or advertising led work, and in those areas these three blogs should give a taster of the huge amount of creative talent heading out into the marketplace this summer. If you like what you see why not give them a job? I wish them all the best: whilst design becomes ever more important in our consumer led world it’s undeniably tough out there and only the very talented, motivated and lucky will end up doing exactly what they want to do.

Read my first and second reviews of New Blood 2012 here and here.

Categories ,2012, ,Alex Young, ,AMBIKA P3 gallery, ,Angela Carter, ,Angelina Ioannides-Beer, ,Camilla Perkins, ,Cara Holsgrove, ,D&AD, ,David Bellamy, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Elora Taylor, ,Emma Black, ,Georgina Pape, ,Gina Pape, ,graduate, ,Graphic Design, ,Great Barrier Reef, ,Grimm’s Fairy Tales, ,illustration, ,Jack Cullis, ,Jamie Jones, ,Jaques Costeau, ,Jenny Cox, ,Josie Shenoy, ,Kawaii, ,Little White Lies, ,Loughborough University, ,Melanie Milne, ,Mother Worms, ,New Blood, ,Nicola Jones, ,Nikki Wei Guo, ,Nina Jorgensen, ,Norwich University College of the Arts, ,Olivia Henry, ,Paul Hickey, ,Penguin, ,Pitt Rivers Museum, ,Plymouth University, ,Rebecca Clemson, ,review, ,Rikki Hewitt, ,Sami Al-Adawy, ,Shorty Lee, ,Sophie Hargrave, ,Sophie Perryman, ,Stacey Knights, ,Staffordshire University, ,Sympathetic Magic, ,The Bloody Chamber, ,The Magic Sheep, ,University of Central Lancashire, ,University of Cumbria, ,University of West England, ,University of Westminster

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Becky Dinnage: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

Becky Dinnage Terranium 72
Becky Dinnage of Ludicrous Prints is a remarkably talented illustrator and surface designer, infusing her fantastical designs with incredible detail despite her imperfect eyesight. Here she shares her story and her jungle reef artwork for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion.

Becky Dinnage Portrait
I first encountered you as graduate from the surface pattern design course at LCC, what have you been up to since then?
I started work as a graphic designer shortly after graduating, with a designer I had interned with during my degree. I loved being in such a creative challenging environment until health issues meant I had to stop. I learnt so much about how the design world worked, and how to run a small design company – which made me all the more determined to work for myself.

Becky Dinnage
Becky Dinnage
How would you describe your style, and how does your love of pattern infuse your illustrations?
I’ve always loved pattern and found that I couldn’t let it go as I moved from working with textiles to paper. I would describe my illustrative style as intricate, slightly surreal and kind of quirky! I find if I don’t fill my drawings with a ludicrous amount of detailed patterns and doodles I can’t connect with my work… I want it to be crammed with interesting things that people keep discovering every time they view it.

Becky Dinnage
What have been your biggest challenges in producing work as an illustrator?
My biggest challenge in producing illustrations has been my vision. I developed an eye condition just before university and have since had to have my cornea replaced. This set me back quite a bit and unfortunately didn’t help improve my sight. I am now partially sighted but awaiting a special contact lens which I am hoping will give me my eyes back!! It’s been an interesting journey, my illustrative style being so intricate and battling with my vision; there are days where my eyes want to hide away behind my sunglasses but I know I have to keep pushing to get where I want to be.

Becky Dinnage Avocet Screen Print 72
What other jobs keep you going?
Alongside illustrating I work part time in a Ceramic Painting studio. Most of our customers are kids and I love working with them, they’re so fun and imaginative and extremely inspiring, so every day at work is just one big creative bubble of joy! It’s also a great job to give my eyes a rest, which makes me fresh for my days off to illustrate.

Becky Dinnage
You have already produced a series of images for an adult colouring book, how did you get this commission?
A few months back I showed my designs at a local Pop Up Art Gallery and the Senior Editorial Director of a well known book company was there (incognito of course) and we got to chatting about how my work would look great in a colouring book, something I had always wanted to do. We exchanged details and it went from there. It was such a fun project, and I would love to work on my own intricately detailed colouring book in the future. I completely believe in putting yourself out there and talking to everyone, you never know who they are or what they could bring to your life!

Becky Dinnage
What kind of landscapes inspire you the most?
Anywhere with water is an inspiration to me; I am happiest when I’m near the sea, or by a lake or meandering along the side of a stream. I love the force water brings to completely change a landscape, its look, the emotions, the colour. A little while ago we bought a camper van, and it completely changed my life. I adored being out in the wild amongst nature, discovering new places that we could ‘live in’ for a day or two before moving on to the next adventure. It bought out the ancestral gypsy in me.

Becky Dinnage  Sealife Colouring in Original Draft
Where did you get the idea for your jungle reef seascape?
With my desire to be close to water, I set out to create my own pattern-filled, bold and graphic underwater jungle, full of all my favourite rainbow colours and quirky and imaginative shapes and animals. I’ve been inspired by the Great Barrier Reef and London Aquarium, that are both filled to the brim with unusual magical creatures. With my poor vision I’m sensitive to light, and enjoy the night, the stars and the moon… and how these connect so importantly to our oceans to keep them moving and growing. All hand drawn, I’ve created a repeat pattern out of the image that should flow horizontally like the ocean currents around earth.

Becky Dinnage
What are your biggest hopes for the future?
I want to start my shop, selling my prints and products, and to expand my brand. I hope I can continue to be creative for the rest of my life, it’s what keeps me happy and is all I can think of being. I would love to work on more commercial briefs and projects, as they shake up my imagination and push me out of my comfort zone, into a more challenging exciting world.

Thank you so much to Becky Dinnage for being so candid about her life as an artist, an inspiration to us all! Find her artwork in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion very soon!

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Becky Dinnage, ,Coloring, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring, ,Colouring Book, ,Great Barrier Reef, ,interview, ,Jungle Reef, ,LCC, ,London Aquarium, ,Ludicrous Prints, ,Surface Pattern

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