Work on design, illustration and sketch graphics for a Sphere Unpacked guide has taken place virtually, across four time zones. With its print edition produced in Europe via online supply for local delivery, I hadn’t seen a physical copy. So my client from Sphere contacted me while in the UK … Read More
Design and illustration are often portrayed as desk work, and good service as being available on-demand. So in what’s both Creativity and Wellbeing Week and Mental Health Awareness Week, I’ve been thinking about the value of a screen break. The best design tutors I’ve taught with have a lot to … Read More
Before software did the hard work of visualising typography, we had Letraset – sheets of dry transfer lettering. We’d run out of the most-used letters so we would cobble together characters from what we had. And when I did my first Nerd Nite London talk, on ampersands, I asked letter cutter … Read More
Biscuit Kintsugi… that seems in no way relevant to my work. But in the making of Broken Biscuits, the latest episode of Studio Snack, a monthly podcast with fellow designer Narcis Sauleda, there’s been more common ground than you’d think. There’s the usual delving into the subject – where we’ve found … Read More
For arts and crafts volunteering over the festive season, I had designed an activity that involved both – decorating a sketchbook and drawing in it. The paper and board were waste, from the Yodomo Circular Hub in Hackney. I like waste for workshops – it’s a good thing environmentally and it takes away … Read More
This year, by way of a Christmas greeting, I decided to sketch London places with Christmassy names and make them into a little book. The project turned out to be more complex, and more interesting, than I’d thought… The sketchwalk is made of several smaller sketchwalks, after meetings, between errands … Read More
Behind the scenes My preparatory work for Breather, my piece for 26 Inspirations, part of the Bloomsbury Festival, started with several sketchwalks. I know the route well but it was considerably bendier than it was in my imagination of a linear drawing… And then there was rain. Biro is wonderfully … Read More
The point of playtime… Away from my desk, I grow things, I draw things growing – and sometimes I join it up, turning growing things into things to draw with. I’ve saved petals from French marigold dead-headings. For a while, I’ve been using the basic method of hot water and salt … Read More
Sent anywhere, I will find time to explore… Thus, travelling to Taunton to be a mentor for Ideas Foundation’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant workshop day at Bridgwater & Taunton College, I travelled early to enjoy the luxury of looking. People-watching at Paddington station. A wander to French Weir Park just because … Read More
