EXCLUSIVE SAMPLER

Exclusive 16-page PREVIEW of issue 200!

01-03 Despite their intricacy, the illustrations in Outpost and Bones only took a few days to finish. On others, I have to keep working much longer, says Peter Olschinsky

02

01

03

STeP InTO A PArAllel unIVerSe

Sci-fi architecture and abstract forms have inspired Atelier Olschinsky co-founder Peter Olschinskys latest visions of an alternate reality
Peter Olschinsky and Verena Weiss of Vienna-based studio Atelier Olschinsky combine design, photography and art direction for clients with their alluringly detailed digital illustrations. The studios latest series are Olschinskys creations: Outpost continues a fascination with fractured, futuristic cities while Bones brings a disconcerting edge to seemingly organic forms. Computer Arts: Tell us about your two new illustration series, Outpost and Bones. What drew you to these subjects? Peter Olschinsky: I like exploring abstract forms, both man-made and organic ones. Im very interested in textures, structures and colour as well. CA: What influences shaped the pieces? PO: Ive always been inspired by sci-fi films, especially the architecture, and use of atmospheric effects and light. CA: They look very different but is there anything the two series have in common? PO: The work process, which is very intuitive. Im often surprised, myself, at the outcome. CA: What makes your work distinctive? PO: Colour is extremely important for me, and much of my work has a quite complex structure. I also often play with unusual viewpoints. CA: How do you work collaboratively? PO: Whenever we start a new job from scratch, Verena and I sit together and

Project Focus

discuss it. Then usually one of us takes over the whole project, but we still interact a lot. Its always helpful to have a second opinion. CA: What elements of this style do you bring to your commercial work? PO: It depends on the clients needs. Although Bones and Outpost have strong textural and architectural elements, much of our client work is actually quite minimalist. CA: Where can we see the works? PO: You can find most of our new works on our site, as well as on our Behance and Cargo portfolios. Selected works are published in our magazine, Nevertheless. www.olschinsky.at

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

COMPUTER ARTS: SPOTLIGHT Production editor Julia Sagar comments on the new Alicia font This is a beautiful display font I love its playful nature. The level of detail that Alexander has achieved while also maintaining legibility is impressive.

light-heArted letterformS

DESIGNER Alexander Wright

FONT Alicia

www.modovisual.com

designed by Alexander Wright (aka modovisual), Alicia is a playful font based on geometrical forms pick it up from hypefortype.

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

01 American artist John Howard puts his love of psychedelic imagery and optical effects to eye-melting use in his poster

02-03 No pressure: Telegrammes Robert Evans designed the Ink & Paper exhibition poster; Three Clubs image for Band of Skulls

02

01

03

WoRld-ClASS SCREENpRiNTS
EXHIBITION Ink & Paper DESIGNER Various www.ukposterart.com The colourful renaissance of the screenprinted gig poster is celebrated in a new exhibition taking place at The Rag Factory, off londons Brick lane, between 11 and 13 May. organised by the UK poster Association, Ink & Paper features work by 25 leading designers. Ink & Paper will be the first major exhibition in the UK where some of the best

gig poster artists and designers from around the world will be showcasing their work on the same walls, says UKpA representative Robert Evans, who also designed the exhibition poster. it shows that UK talent is right up there with the worlds best and brightest artists and designers, he adds. The UKpA is an umbrella body set up to support Britains gig poster artists, with an emphasis on the kind of desirable, limitededition screenprints that now adorn many merchandise stalls. As well as promoting the artists work through events like Ink & Paper, its website also offers advice for anyone

thinking about commissioning a poster design, to help ensure a successful outcome for both promoter and artist. UK names featured in the show include Army of Cats, aka Graham pilling; luke drozd; and husband-and-wife team Chris and Alex White, who design as We Three Club. American talent includes John Howard, whose versatile portfolio boasts posters for Japanese psychedelic band Acid Mothers Temple and British grindcore band Napalm death. Ink & Paper is also accompanied by the second issue of the UKpAs magazine, Flood, which spotlights more poster artists and their work.

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

THERES NO SUCH THING AS ORIGINALITY

I started working on my first independent project, The Paper Fox, around eight months ago. If I had listened to others, I would have folded under my own doubt.
The Paper Fox will be an interactive storybook for the iPad and Android devices. The art style is digitally created to look like origami and papercraft, and while I was well aware that other 3D artists had created various hand-crafted pieces before, I thought that my take on the style was daring and new. When Im working on an art piece, Im convinced that its the most innovative, cutting-edge and insightful artwork ever created. Its a steadfast (and insulated) feeling that stays with me through the creation of any work. Of course, when looking back on the piece with the benefit of hindsight, my opinions can vary wildly. However, in the case of The Paper Fox, I look back on it with a sense that it could become something more than a single piece. After publicising The Paper Fox and my intentions for the project, the comparisons started rolling in. People were overwhelmingly positive about the art style, but many of the

comments came with examples of similar works. This looks great; it reminds me of this, was the overall resounding tone. With every web link I clicked, my confidence was shaken. Clearly, my style wasnt the unique and special snowflake I first thought it was. At a glance, many of the artworks I was directed to were exactly the same as my project. I remember thinking that I shouldnt bother continuing with a style that had already been done a hundred times. I was close to shelving the project and relegating it to a folio piece. The problem was, I was putting far too much stock into the concept of originality. I thought the artwork was only successful due to its unique and distinctive look. As soon as I saw that not only had it been done before, but it had been done many times over, I wondered whether there was any point in continuing. But of course, that was a very naive and somewhat arrogant perspective. Originality plays a part in creating any artwork, but if the success of my entire work hinged on the fact that it had never been done before, then it would be doomed from the start. The same can be said for most creative projects. The reason Ive had some critical interest in The Paper Fox is not because of its uniqueness, although that is a part of it. I believe its appeal lies in the fact that I spent a very long time polishing the artwork to create something of quality. I wanted to give the project a sense of tactility: the feeling of rough paper; the impression of imperfect shapes bathed in warm, buttery lighting. I spent many hours simplifying the characters just enough so that they could still emote, at the same time ensuring that their silhouettes were strong. All of these aesthetic choices, combined with the thematic ones, are what makes my and any other project unique. I could have easily given up on the project before it became what it is today, which is something much more than a sum of its parts. But then I never would have come to understand that there are no new jigsaw puzzles: its how you arrange the pieces that matter. 3D artist and graphic designer Jeremy Kool lives in Melbourne, Australia, where hes busy preparing The Paper Fox for release later this year. www.thepaperfox.blogspot.com

Illustration: Constanze Moll, www.constanzemoll.com

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

Designers: Ricardo Marcin, Erica Jung Format and compatibility: OpenType and web font formats Available from: www.myfonts.com, www.hypefortype.com and www.youworkforthem.com Price: $29 (complete pack individual weights are available from $19)

Perfect for posters, book covers and headlines, Loudine is a bold display font from PintassilgoPrints

Created by Ricardo Marcin and Erica Jung of PintassilgoPrints, Loudine is a striking decorative display typeface thats particularly effective for posters, book covers and magazine headlines. It takes its inspiration from the cover of a 1967 set of screenprints by acclaimed

Scottish sculptor and artist, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, which, in turn, appears to have been influenced by Barry Deutschs 1966 typeface, Deutsch Black. The Loudine family comprises two widths: Loudine Regular and Loudine Condensed, each of which is crammed with a series of alternative styles that you can invoke by selecting Stylistic Alternates in any OpenType-compatible application. These Stylistic Alternatives include filled counters, and an impressive selection of glyphs for you to play around with and add attitude to your projects. In addition, Loudines upper and lowercase versions also have the same height by mixing them together you can give your work an instant unique look.

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

QR code FAIL!

10 tips for interview success

Words: Martin King, senior consultant, Become, www.becomeuk.com Icons: Ty Wilkins, www.tywilkins.com Start with a profile or mission statement that captures who you are, and really sell yourself. Name-check clients and brands youve worked with and always list your employment in reverse order, current job first. Dont say:I work well individually, or in a team everyone does, its not a unique skill; and dont include a picture of yourself. The iPad is the best thing to happen to creative portfolios for a long time, but if you havent got one, these rules still apply: make sure you have a dozen good projects, but always have the strongest three or four in your mind so that you can confidently talk through them if time is short. Creative studios are usually very social and like to share their successes. Follow their blogs and tweets, and make insightful comments by way of an introduction. Dont randomly try to link with people you dont know on LinkedIn, join one of their groups and interact instead. Creative and digital job titles are invariably ambiguous as are creatives abilities. If you can comfortably do three different jobs, then create three different CVs, making sure that each one plays to your relevant strengths. Tailoring your CV for specific roles is critical if you want your application to be successful, particularly in the current market. If your experience and skillset will help a studio or agency win business, improve its offering or bring an innovative approach to the table, then it will try to make a space for you. Added value cannot be underestimated. Creative agencies are busy places, so if your details hit the right screen at the right time, you could make someones life easier.

If youre going to use QR codes, heres how to do it properly

By Brad Frost, co-owner, WTF QR Codes, www.wtfqrcodes.com

Polish your CV

There is so much opportunity to learn new skills today. If you have the initiative, are determined and learn by experimentation, then throw yourself in at the deep end. Design a site in Photoshop, create an iPhone app or recreate your favourite campaign. In terms of software, theres a lot of quality training available. One of the advantages of working within the creative industry is that we are at the bleeding edge of innovation. There are lots of really good sites that can keep you up to date with whats new and whats yet to be new, all providing as much or as little info as you require. This is the most obvious thing to do when preparing for an interview, but is all too often forgotten. If your excuse is you didnt have time then you dont want the job enough and your prospective employer will know straight away. Look at the companys site and search the creative press. How you present yourself is very important. A good rule of thumb is to dress smart-casual. Wear clothes you are comfortable in: this will also help portray your confidence. If youre meeting a creative, dont wear a suit because they wont be. But turning up in shorts and flip-flops for client-side interviews will speed your exit out the door. Studios are always looking for people who can add something new to their business, but not at the expense of what they want you to do. So dont blurt out your skills with, say, augmented reality apps, before you have given them confidence in your ability to do the job. Instead, see these skills as a good way to add value to the business in future.

Get the right experience

Show your best work

Never stop learning

Code to nowhere Take out your phone. Find the scanning app. Fire it up. Focus on the code. Scan the code. Wait for the browser to launch. Wait for the page to load. Wait some more Then get a whole lot of nothing. The cardinal sin of QR codes is driving people to worthless content. The solution is to give them something theyll value instead.

Get involved

Do your homework

Right code, wrong location There are some genuinely useful QR codes in public places, providing up-to-date bus schedules and so on. Some places arent as conducive, but when has that ever stopped a marketer from trying? Weve seen codes underground, codes that are out-of-reach and codes that are awkward or just impossible to scan. The results are often comical, but some are just dangerous.

Tailor your application

Dress the part

Dont wait for vacancies

Have the right skills

Web waste A lot of QR codes are splatted on ads with barely a thought given to the web experience that the user receives: some websites arent even close to being optimised for mobile devices, while others are barely functioning desktop sites with a QR code that links users to the exact same page theyre already on. In the end, it comes down to giving people worthwhile content thats presented in a usable way and makes sense for their context. If you cant meet those requirements, step away from the QR code generator.

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

Illustration: Miguel Arias, www.argumentativa.com

Freelancing: be up-front about money

By Preston D. Lee, freelance web designer and blogger, www.graphicdesignblender.com

Next month in

Create client-winning websites When good designs go bad Photoshop CS6 tips and tricks How to pitch and win The designers guide to the iPad 3 Plus much more. Issue 201 on sale 3 May

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

Illustration: Jay Wright, www.jaywrightillustration.com

One of the most common reasons for a designer not being paid what they are worth or not being paid on time is the designer in question being sheepish about asking for payment when its due. Ive heard pretty much every excuse in the book, including:Its going to be more money than they are willing to pay, and, I just wont mention it until the end of the project so our relationship isnt strained. But put yourself in your clients shoes for a minute: imagine that you hire a lawyer who decides to avoid telling you the cost of their services until after the work is completed. Imagine if they avoid telling you because theyre afraid you wont like the high price tag. Then comes delivery day: the work is done and the bill is due. Would you rather be broadsided with the bill at that moment? Of course not. Your clients dont want that either. Besides, its no secret that your client is going to have to pay you eventually. You wont be surprising them completely when you send them an invoice,

so stop being sheepish about the issue of payment and bring it up from the beginning. Whats the easiest way to clear up any financial questions before the project starts? Put the information in your contract. Whether you charge an hourly rate or a flat fee, your initial contract is the easiest place to fully disclose the amount of money and how your client will pay for your services. Including it in your contract also creates a binding document with which (heaven forbid) you can defend yourself if you ever need lawful intervention to receive payment. Talking money with your client can be hard, but it only makes things worse the longer you wait. Dont put it off or you may find yourself frustrated, short-changed, underpaid, or even offering your services for no cost at all. And thats no way to run a successful design business.

Content subject to change

17 years of Design excellence

1995-2012

Back in 1995, we launched the first issue of Computer Arts. And 17 years and 199 issues later were still going strong. To celebrate, weve compiled what we think are 200 of the best design moments ever within our lifetime. Do you agree? Turn over now.

Words: Syma Tariq

Wherever you see this icon, theres a feature or interview on our site that relates to that particular entry. Just type the name of the designer/studio into the search box at www.computerarts.co.uk or browse at www.computerarts.co.uk/tag/issue-200

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

arguably the worlds first illustrated band, gorillaz is a concept first put together by Blurs Damon albarn and comic artist Jamie hewlett in 1997. Later they are joined by animation director Pete candeland, who creates all their videos (melancholy hill, pictured). the first eP , tomorrow comes today, comes out in 2001 introducing murdoc, 2D, noodle and russel hobbs.

Jon Burgerman on the cover

one of our favourite illustrators, Jon Burgerman has created several covers for Computer Arts over the years. Issue 127 in September 2006 is the first he goes to town with a doodle-tastic array of quirky line-drawn characters, together with plenty of colour. In issue 151 he returns to create our cover and shares the thinking behind his array of self-initiated gallery work.

Goodbye beige In 1999 Pcs are handling Photoshop better than ever, while macs remain expensive beige boxes until apple releases the Power mac g3 with its smart blue and Perspex tower case, and the mac comes back onto the creative pros radar.

FreehanD DIScontInueD
Before adobe acquires macromedia and its software line in 2005, the vector drawing program Freehand remains an extremely popular choice with designers, which we discover in 2001 when we give away a full, free copy of Freehand 7 on our cover cD and the issue sells out. however, since 2007 adobe has stalled Freehand in favour of its own package, Illustrator. Some designers still love it and the South africa 2010 World cup poster, for instance, was created with the software. alex trochut still relies on Freehands features ones that arent in Illustrator. Sadly, it doesnt run under apples latest oS X operating systems.

WAr OrphAns
german agency Kolle rebbe wins a D&aD Black Pencil in 2007 for its use of illustrations in War Orphans, a hard-hitting advertising campaign for the charity misereor. In each case, a nave illustration of a family is shown, with the parents in the images obliterated by bullets or shrapnel. the campaign opposes war in Somalia, Iraq and chechnya.

Wherever you see this icon

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

theres a related feature on our website. enter the name of the designer/studio into the search box at www.computerarts.co.uk

Image: Passion Pictures

SunShIne, In a Bag

Full oF hot air

If an image of the world as a hot air balloon is etched into your brain, you can thank the identity agency Lambie-nairn, which comes up with the concept for the BBcs idents featuring balloons over the British landscape, and overseas, in 1997. They run until 2002.

FWA Founded
The Favourite Website Awards are conceived in May 2000 by Rob Ford, and no other website awards since has been anywhere near as successful. The website racks up 140 million hits by July 2011, and rewards a top site daily, monthly and annually. on top of being a great destination thanks to the sites it showcases, The FWA always has a none-too-shabby design itself, making it doubly inspiring to visit. So, who has won the most Site of the day awards? Well its B-Reel of Sweden, with 64 to date, followed by Firstborn and Big Spaceship in new York.

designers around the world have found inspiration in chris cunninghams 2000 video for Bjorks All is Full of Love. Featuring a white, futuristic crash test-style mannequin that comes to life, it wins a d&Ad Black Pencil for RSA/Black dog Films in 2000. how does a typeface blow out the 50 candles on its birthday cake in 2007? With a film featuring some of the biggest names in design whove used the font, plus a poster design mash-up contributed to by every great designer with the slightest modernist tinge.

all is Full oF love

happy 50th, helvetica

Computer Arts Graduate showcase

After publishing Computer Arts for one year, we begin our initiative to promote and foster new talent in 1996 with our first annual Graduate Showcase, which looks at top creative courses around the world and the work of some of the hottest graduates.

FIRST COMPUTER ARTS COLLECTION

In 2011 our high-end sister magazine launches, with a bi-monthly schedule and groundbreaking design aesthetic that includes special papers, inks and finishes throughout. Issue one focuses on graphic design, and features the talents of Angus hyland, Planning unit and more.

With a growing reputation for clean, clear and well-crafted design work, Studio 8 works with the dutch publisher Frame on the first issue of Elephant magazine in 2009, which looks at the creators of art and visual culture on a quarterly basis.

studio8 aNd elephAnt

the third place

usually third place is a bronze medal, but hi-Res design consultancy comes up with The Third Place in 2002 as an online branding proposition for the PlayStation 2 the idea is that the games console is a gateway to another world. When the product launches, visitors to the site explore a 3d world. Its the ultimate design escapism selling escapism. Going by its title, you might expect a book about digital design. But the 1995 publication is actually a challenge to 500 years of printing, layout and legibility conventions similar to Ray Gun, the music magazine david carson had previously art directed. There are essays on carsons design philosophy, though it could be said they are there to look at rather than to be read, along with his eclectic mix of beach culture, handpainted signs and other relics of street culture, all layered together digitally using a Mac. Raytracing is at the cutting edge of 3d design in 2000, but it requires serious processing power, such as the Renderdrive Rd5000, to create imagery quickly. This kit costs 17,500. Sure, it does radiosity, hdRI, motion blur, area lights and depth of field too, but in-software rendering comes on a long way in the next 12 years.

MAYA FoR The MAc

If one thing is missing from the Apple Macs repertoire early on, its a high-end 3d animation, VFX and compositing package. The best in this category is available on high-end Pc workstations, but this changes when Maya arrives for the Mac in 2004, giving designers the opportunity to have hollywood effects on their desktop.

the end of print

the reNderdrive rd5000!

RuBBeRducKZILLA And cAcTuS KId

London agency Mother proves it has mastered the off-beat, viral-esque approach to advertising in 2009 with its TV work for oasis drinks featuring the invasion of Japan by Rubberduckzilla, and the cactus Kid saga in which a woman runs away with a man who is half-cactus.

My pet skeletoN

With keen Photoshop and web design skills, canadian creative Vincent Marcone launches FWA-winning site My Pet Skeleton in 2000. he turns haunting imagery into a living, making videos for alternative bands such as Mushroomhead, Jakalope, hourcast and more.

Wherever you see this icon

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

theres a related feature on our website. enter the name of the designer/studio into the search box at www.computerarts.co.uk

Pro workflow

Photoshop Professional
New ways to work smarter and faster in Photoshop

Add interest to images with textures

In part two of our retro film-photography series, Ben Secret completes the toy camera aesthetic with grain, grunge and textures
Last issue we started creating a vintage toy camera look with some expert colour processing techniques. This month, well complete the aesthetic by adding textures. (If you missed issue 199, you can pick up a copy from www.computerarts.co.uk/shop.) With digital photography, images can sometimes seem too clean. Adding textures is the best way to scuff and age images, stripping context and turning a boring image into something more representational and open to interpretation (01). There are many free, high-quality textures you can download. My favourite source is www.shadowhousecreations.blogspot.com. The textures themselves are only half the equation, of course. What Photoshop offers is near-infinite flexibility in how these textures blend, combine and interact with the images theyre applied to. Textures can be borders (02), grunge or grain. If you have a dark border on a grey backdrop, you want the grey to show through to the image underneath, with dark areas intact. The Blend If sliders in your border layers Blending Options enable you to control which parts of an image (or layer) are displayed. The default slider settings of 0 and 255 mean that an entire image, from the darkest pixels to the lightest, will be seen. Adjusting the highlight or shadow sliders filters this so that only parts of the image show up. If the border has some of its own texture leaking into the frame, we can retain this. By Opt/Alt-clicking on either of the Blend If sliders, you can split them, enabling you to fade blending in and out smoothly (03). You can also combine your Blend If settings with other blending modes to create more organic effects. Here I mixed in a dark border with the Hard Light blending mode set to 73% (04). To use grunge textures, you need a basic understanding of Photoshops blending modes. The Light blending modes are most useful here: these use the texture as a map for lightening, darkening and colouring the image underneath. Another useful tool is the layer mask, enabling you to hide or reveal different areas selectively, and the Opacity slider to control the strength of the effect. Grain textures can help digital images to appear more film-like, adding a soft, natural surface texture, and sometimes the impression of increased clarity and definition. But as with grunge textures, youll often mix in grain with Light blending modes. Linear Light, with a low opacity of 3-8%, can be a good go-to setting (05) pixels brighter than 50% grey will subtly lighten the image below, while any pixels darker will darken it. Film grain can also banish posterisation. Adding a grain may be almost imperceptible, but can make a smooth image region too complex for the JPEG algorithm to simplify into discernible bands, leaving you with smooth dithering rather than posterisation.
01

02

03

04

05

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

Video tutorial After Effects CS5 or later

grade your videos like a professional

Kris Hofmann shows you some expert colour correction tricks to achieve superb results from the powerful tools in after effects
Even a straightforward grade on your videos usually requires you to isolate individual elements or colours and treat them separately to the adjustments applied to the entire film. in this tutorial, ill show you how to resolve this smoothly with the application of masks and alpha layers. The video im using is a stop-frame animation featuring a set of black rotating mirrors that reflect clothes and accessories. The challenge was to keep the general tone of the video even, cool and fairly desaturated whilst preserving the subtle, muted colours within the mirrors. next issue well walk through some additional after effects techniques for colour correcting your animations. in the meantime, remember that the most important thing in regards to colour correction is calibrating your monitor carefully. all your good work will be wasted if your screen is lying to you.

The first step is to separate the element you want to correct independently from the background. Well make two duplicates of our footage layer. using a rough mask and a simple colour key we single out the mirrors on the top layer. We then turn this into an inverted alpha matte for the layer below.

01

Background flicker
Stop-frame animation is sometimes troublesome with an annoying flicker that is particularly apparent on light, bright backgrounds like this one. However, there is a powerful (yet quite pricey) plugin, genarts Saphire flickr remove, that will solve this issue exceptionally well.

02

We can now adjust the colour of the mirrors and background independently. The background feels slightly too warm, so we add a Hue/ Saturation effect and turn the saturation of the Yellow channel down. We also lighten the midtones of the footage by applying the levels effect.

The skin of the model appears slightly too red, so we apply a colour Balance effect and turn down the red channel for both mids and highlights. We further use Hue/ Saturation to desaturate the clip in line with the background and apply the levels effect to make the reflections stand out more.

03

04

To further draw attention to the mirrors which are the focal point of our composition we will add a subtle vignette. We will create an adjustment layer, darken it with the Brighten & contrast effect, and then create a heavily feathered mask around the mirrors.

Kris Hoffman austrian director and animator kris has an Ma from the royal college of art. Her graduation film Breakfast caught the attention of the global film-making community, helping secure funding for her second short Screwed Up. Shes also a director at nexus Productions. www.kris hofmann.co.uk

Time needed 10 minutes On the disc Youll find the video and files accompanying this walkthrough in the creative Skills section of the dVd

Skills Single out elements to treat colours separately correct tonal range with Hue/ Saturation, levels and colour Balance emphasise the focal point with a darkened vignette

05

Weve now collected all the clips in one main composition. carefully check the clips against each other. Treating this final layer enables you to change the overall hue, contrast and so on of your film. Well use an effect that is achieved by duplicating the layer, adding a heavy gaussian blur and setting the blending mode of the top layer to Soft light.

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

Adhemas Batista Location: Los Angeles, USA Job: Art and design director, and illustrator www.adhemas.com Six years on from featuring in Exposure in issue 120 of Computer Arts, Adhemas Batista is busier than ever. In that time hes relocated from Brazil to the USA, learned a new language and still found time to work with a string of big brands, including Coca-Cola, Absolut Vodka and Microsoft notching up numerous accolades (including a Gold Lion at Cannes) along the way. Although still an advocate for strong colours and contrasts, Batistas style has evolved: My style hasnt completely changed direction, but it has gained more detail and precision. Ive learned its necessary to have balance sometimes less is more, he says. Experience has seen Batista develop his technique: Im a lot faster because I know now what works and what doesnt, he admits. Im still a heavy user of Illustrator and Photoshop, with a bit of Cinema 4D. But now I have more skills to create the visuals I want. 07 Color Your Game Designed for the launch of the new Accelerate V handball shoes from Puma, Batista aimed to evoke the impact of colour on performance: I wanted it to show that colour makes your game better the whole scene comes alive with each splash and swoosh of paint. 08 Treat Yourself Commissioned by Saatchi & Saatchi X for Cadbury, this point-of-sale piece was created using the motif and title Treat Yourself. My idea was to create the headline using all kinds of chocolates and candies, but within an ornate and tasteful composition, Batista explains.

RE-EXPOSED
whErE ArE ThEY now?

09

07

08

Computer Arts May 2012

BUY NOW AT WWW.MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/DESIGN

www.computerarts.co.uk

There is a clear distinction between design that looks pretty and design that works

Jon Pink Location: oxfordshire, UK Job: Graphic designer, consultant and director www.jpink.co.uk Jon Pink featured on these very pages of Computer Arts back in June 2003 and, despite a global economic downturn setting in since then, hes very positive about how his career has developed: Business through the recession was really good for me, as it was for a lot of designers and agencies, because it forced organisations to re-evaluate their branding and to try to give themselves a fresh outlook, he says. Although the self-employed creative consultant and designer isnt short of clients, hes currently resisting the temptation to expand in favour of retaining the personal approach in his work. Im happy to remain the size I am personal interaction is integral to the success of a project, he explains. working almost exclusively digitally, Pink uses the latest Adobe Suite of tools and is particularly excited about Adobes Creative Cloud service. These days, he says his style is cleaner and simpler: Good design is all about simplicity, he reasons. Its about making things easier to understand and engage with. There is a clear distinction between design that looks pretty and design that really works. Although not one for bowing to fads or trends, hes enthusiastic about social networking. Its a great way to get involved in the design community and make contact with clients you might otherwise have not been exposed to. 09 Farretti Biscuits This was a great job to be involved in, reflects Pink, who was tasked with redesigning the visual identity for the product, which was suffering rejection from supermarkets due to its branding. we wanted to bring the brand more credibility and evoke a sense of the owners home-country, Italy. 10 Ice Planet Vodka Pink was commissioned to design a logo and packaging for new luxury vodka label, Ice Planet Vodka. After much deliberation, he plumped for a snowflake logo. A snowflake is pure and this is an association we liked, he says. It also hints at the clean, sharp taste of iced vodka and translates really well to a frosted bottle.

09

RE-EXPOSED
whErE ArE ThEY now?

10

SUBSCRIBE AT www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

My design classic
The legendary founder of The designers Republic doesnt do design classics. instead, Ian Anderson flips the concept to question the iconic nature of design

Born before England won the World Cup, selftaught creative Ian is the founder of The Designers Republic, the iconic studio widely credited with defining the visual language of dance music, electronic and the PlayStation gaming generation post-flagship title WipEout. www.the designersrepublic.com

Ian Anderson

Welcome to the museum of ideas other people have already had. i know, i know, those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it, but shirley isnt the medium the massage? i dont understand the desire to cordon off design, to categorise it or to honour it with hails and Hosannas beyond the purpose for which it was created. i prefer to think outside the box full of design classics. im interested in the potential of whats left, unpolluted, outside. yes, i get a buzz out of stuff that tickles my fancy, but theres no hierarchy of influence no need to interrupt the flux and flow of the potential of everything, by casting names in stone. i hope what i like today will change with the weather tomorrow dont dabble in absolutes: i dont want Best Ofs i want to hear the B-sides; see behind the curtain. i want to know what

makes people tick. i want to know why and i want to feed that into an ever expanding anderson-tartan of cool shit bouncing around in my head. i dont want design classics, i want it all The good, The Bad and The Ugly. Throw a spanner in my works and see what you find The guerrilla art action group and the idea of (his majesty) King Mobs design born of flaming-words, truth born of arguments. Fluxus or bust / dadaists / The Trigan Empire / Burneys British Rail and The Pre-new / Hasegawa and Kobayashis Trademarks & Logotypes in Japan 82-83 versus The swiss flag / the sound of Fast Product and fast history / Brody and Barnes Kirk-ish MicroPhonies / everything, bubbles dipped in Pedro Bells super-derailed/detailed funk-adelia (yes, you do) / John F. Power-ed crush collisionism feeding

off Meddings, Mcluhan, Marber, Moore, Miles and The Mayakovsky/Rodchenko advertising constructor. a ceremonial fly-past eyes right to Robin Fior / david Kings futuretro-constructivist ur-political anl nF=[swastika] tossing the digestive with Rod clarkes proto / post swiss / punk, Unit editions OO-aaH TdR and the monkey that guards it, dreams come True, Television all day every day nOT war, call down The Thunder etc. its all just Atoms Vectors Pixels Ghosts just like tdRs new show. Aim Low + M_ss Just give me a blank sheet of paper and all the options that go with it.

Exclusive 16-page PREVIEW of issue 200!