Experiments in Photoshop

A brief downing of tools & new directions...

...Well, it really has been a long time since my last post and with good reason.  I found that I had lost momentum and then lost heart with the whole project - I wasn't satisfied with the idea of doing a kid's magazine, it felt too sterile.  Then, as you do, I discussed my problem with a few like-minded people and a new idea started to germinate...

This little magazine will now be very similar in style but it's content will be quite different.  There are a few artists and illustrators out there at the moment who I really admire - they're adopting classic, well known nostalgic styles but using them to illustrate subversive messages.  Or they are taking the classically 'cute' and changing the whole flavour...

French Graffiti artist Goin

Dan Funderburgh

 All of the above are by the brilliant Fabian Ciraolomo

From a Ramones Los Angeles fan club mail-out, USA, 1977.

Hermes Trismegisto

James Danger Harvey

I've searched high and low for who to credit these to and have come up with nothing - my only thought is that they have to remain anonymous so as to avoid being sued!

Nadia Mogilev

Andrew Castelli

This is another one I tried to find the illustrator and came up with nothing - I love it so had to include it anyway

ANOTHER one I couldn't find - am just wondering if it's a copyright evading technique

Last one and sadly I couldn't find who did this one either but it perfectly illustrates the flavour of the route I want to take with Piccolo

It's all been happening Off-Blog!

There's been rather too much going on inside my head and not nearly enough on my Blog so this post or the next spate of posts are going to, hopefully, be a big old catch up...

One thing I'd like to start with is to link to some of the incredible Blogs other people/Mums have been writing in which they've been sharing with the world their brilliant ideas on how to get their kids into crafts - I've been having a great rummage around for ideas, they're really brilliant, I just can't imagine how they get the time to write them!

Here is a list of some of my current favourites:

Modern Parents Messy Kids: http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com

Estefi Machado: http://www.estefimachado.com.br/ (this one's all in Brazilian but nothing a bit of Google Translate can't help with and also the photo's on her blog as a guide are great!

Handmade Charlotte: http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/simple-wonderful-diy-crafts-kids/

Bristol Zine Fair...

On Sunday I ventured into Bristol for what was a very rewarding Zine Fair.  It was small but special.  I met a really lovely Illustrator there, called Jess Bradley, who writes and illustrates these great Zines for children (see below).  She was incredibly kind and generous with her methods and she talked to me for a while about how she went about making and printing everything she produces (among other things sticker books, badges, key rings etc.).  I like the fact that she plays around with her paper, she doesn't have a tried and tested method that she sticks to.  You can't tell from the photo's but each of the Zines below are all different paper: gloss, matt and recycled.  I like them all.

http://www.jessbradley.com/

http://www.jessbradley.com/

http://www.jessbradley.com/

http://www.jessbradley.com/

http://www.jessbradley.com/

I talked to Jess about my ideas for Piccolo and she was very enthusiastic - her positive response was a real boost and she also very kindly said she'd be happy to help with any questions I had putting it together - people are grand.

This is another Zine I picked up - it's aimed at adults but it's doing the same sort of thing I want to do with literature and poetry (it's also just really gorgeous so I most likely would have got it anyway!)

It's made by sisters Jemma and Katie Green, they've included work from writers and illustrators they both know - a fabulous collaborative project.  

Happily I discovered that Katie is also the author of the Green Bean Zine (see below) which I've already bought in the past and have been keeping an eye on.  I love her simple style and I can see both Zines helping form a style I'll end up using for my own.

http://katiegreenbean.blogspot.co.uk/

http://katiegreenbean.blogspot.co.uk/

http://katiegreenbean.blogspot.co.uk/

http://katiegreenbean.blogspot.co.uk/

Finally I found this little gem for only 50p - it's all knowledge and ALL knowledge helps!