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There are spooky goings on in both our Design Studios today. First up we have the gang in London who include a spooky Victorian Lady, a human pumpkin and the Devil himself!
In our Bradford studio we have a varied selection of spooks to feast your eyes on including a dead Red Riding Hood and a living doll!
Have fun this Halloween!
© Charlotte Estelle Littlehales
© Charlotte Estelle Littlehales
© Charlotte Estelle Littlehales
© Charlotte Estelle Littlehales
© Charlotte Estelle Littlehales
Charlotte Estelle Littlehales is a Graphic Design student from Nottingham Trent University currently undertaking her third year.
Charlotte has an extensive portfolio which demonstrates a very commercial use of colour and graphics and above are just a few examples. Please head over here to find out more about Estelle and her work.
1.What inspires you to create the work you do?
If I’m working on my own collections (and not on a set client brief) I just go with how I feel. It sounds silly but I honestly do just make it up as I go along. I like to feel unrestricted. I play some good music and just draw; I try to work freely and organically so that my work feels spontaneous and not contrived.
2. What is your usual creative process? Where do you start and what mediums do you use?
I come from a screen-printing background so I still like to be pretty hands on. I still hand draw pretty much everything – I really prefer to work this way. I’m not too keen on drawing straight on to the computer with a graphic tablet. I tend to use a number of black pens in different thicknesses, making lots of marks and textures. Then I scan everything in and work it up using Adobe Illustrator. I like to experiment and most of the time the outcome is actually a happy accident! I LOVE colour- selecting a colour palette can be one of my favourite parts of the design process.
3. In three words- how would you describe your work?
Fun, quirky and spontaneous!
4. What do you like to do on your days off?
I love travel. Since being self-employed I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a fair bit. I’m a big fan of city breaks and I book trips away as much as I can. I get so much from travelling and I always return home feeling fresh, energized and inspired. I also love walking my dog; I take my camera everywhere and enjoy wandering and documenting my findings. I’m a big fan of Instagram! I love live music and really enjoy going to gigs and concerts too.
5. Obviously you have a huge interest in fashion- what’s your favourite item of clothing that you own?
My Fearne Cotton shoes- I’m a big button lover and they’re gorgeous high-heeled shoes with giant button details. I also bought a bright orange mac last year in the sale. I love wearing a bright coat in autumn; it brightens up a dull day. I never really wear black!
6. What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island?
Good music, drawing pens, sketchbook.
7. What is the most rewarding part of your job? And the most challenging?
I love the freedom that my work brings. Every day really is different and I’m someone who thrives off the unknown. It has made me more daring as an individual and I’m a fan of taking chances and risks.
I’m very lucky that the majority of my clients give me this freedom and recognize my natural style. This freedom has been a great reward and is something I've always longed for! My patterns are applied to various products, and my style seems to translate easily and adapts to various areas of the market.
Working for yourself can be really challenging. I do find it really hard to switch off sometimes. My friends and family always tell me off as I can be a bit of a workaholic! I’ve also found that it has taken away a lot of design time, as I have had to become my own manager, which involves processing a lot of admin. However I’ve recently hired a fab assistant so I do feel I’m starting to get the balance back a little now. You really do get back what you put in though; I’ve found that the hard work really does pay off!
8. What book are you currently reading?
Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall.
9. Do you ever get ‘designer’s block’? If so, how do you combat it?
It’s very rare that I get designer’s block theses days, as I do so much managing and admin. I have so many ideas and just not enough design time! If I do get stuck I walk away from the computer, make a cup of tea and play my favourite song. If that doesn’t work I take a break and go on a walk to try and clear my head. I also look at sites such as Pinterest and Print and Pattern to give me that little creative lift. I do try and visit exhibitions and design shows as much as I can, I think it’s really important to go and see all of the things that are happening around you and soak up lots of inspiration.
10. Who is your favourite designer?
I’m a big fan of Lucienne Day and I have always really admired the work of artist Jackson Pollock and fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
11. Do you have any news or information that you’d like to be put up on the blog?
I’ve just launched a brand new, custom-built web shop. It’s been a long process but I’m really pleased with the end result.
I’m really excited about my new phone case collection too. I’ve collaborated with USA licensing partner ‘Artscase’ to create a vibrant, fun and fashionable phone case collection.
Of all the days of the week, Monday is probably the most daunting. The week stretches ahead of you with all its projects to work on and tasks to complete, and that can feel intimidating. So if you need some motivation, inspiration, or even maybe a bit of titilation, check out our little list of links. Might we suggest...
1. Cosmo tips from famous writers (hilarious!)
2. Some
great tips on how to handle rejection. Unfortunately handy for all creative
types!
3. 10 Ideas for boosting your creativity.
4. What if cats wore people clothes? We've all wondered.
5. A big
list of indie-style Halloween tunes to get you in the spooky mood.
6. How
to deal with creativity overload!
And finally...
7. A handy troubleshooting guide for all you freelancers out there.
The days are getting dark and misty, All Hallows Eve is just around the corner, and it's generally just getting a bit creepy around here. If you need some help getting into the spooky spirit, here's a list to inspire you. Light some candles, sit back, and have a read of our 30 things to do for Halloween!
1. Write your own ghost story.
2. Hold a pumpkin carving party.
3. Conjure up some Halloween treats.
4. See if your town has any ghost tours you can take.
5. Bust out your sewing kit and create a costume to be proud of.
6. Watch a different horror film for every night of Halloween week.
7. Go on a bat walk!
8. Host a murder mystery party.
9. Dress up your pet.
10. Bake a pumpkin pie.
11. Visit a real life haunted house.
12. Find out what your future holds and get a tarot reading done.
13. Create some dangly bats to hang from your ceiling.
14. Draw Dracula if he was a cat (Catula).
15. Read up about any famous hauntings and ghosts in your area.
16. Make your fingernails look like monsters!
17. Make a playlist of Halloween-themed tunes.
18. Wrap up warm and go for a spooky midnight walk.
19. Record your own 'Halloween sound effects' completete with ghostly moans and creepy laughter.
20. Indulge in a spot of apple bobbing.
21. Go and pick your own pumpkin!
22. Decorate a Halloween tree.
23. Watch the Nightmare Before Christmas.
24. Light some candles and perform a creepy poetry reading.
25. Make jelly worms.
26. Trick someone into believeing that you're a ghost! (Works best with children and the very gullible)
27. See if there are any zombie walks in your area, and try not to get eaten.
28. Dress up your house ready for trick-or-treaters!
29. Set up a Halloween photoshoot.
30. Organize a haunted treasure hunt for your friends.
What are you doing for Halloween? Are you planning anything special, going anywhere fun, or making a spooktacular costume you'd like to tell us about? Leave us a comment here or on our Facebook page!
© Pattern and Co - Michelle Drew
© Pattern and Co - Michelle Drew
© Pattern and Co - Michelle Drew
Pattern and Co is the creation of Michelle Drew, "a freelance mixed media CG texture artist, surface pattern designer, enthusiastic blogger and happy photographer who loves colouring in whilst exploring the world".
This very talented and busy lady has a portfolio of work jam packed with gorgeous and colourful pattern. So much so that it took me a while to select my favourite examples for this post.
Recently Michelle has enjoyed well deserved success and recognition and consequently will be published in an up and coming pattern design book. In addition our regular readers may recognize Michelle's pattern as a runner up for our recent Male Fashion Icons and Symbols competition.
Find out more about Michelle and her work at the following links:
Hello all
I'm delighted to announce that we now have a Tigerprinters Instagram account where we will be sharing behind the scenes snippets from Tigerprint HQ.
Follow us at the following links:
Instagram - tigerprinters
© Olivia Ogden
© Olivia Ogden
© Olivia Ogden
Olivia Ogden was invited along to our Open Day in September and is currently studying Graphic Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Olivia demonstrates her design skills particularly well in projects such as the re-branding of Topman for Las Vegas and a travel guide series.
Find out more about Olivia and her work here.
© Frances Moffatt
© Frances Moffatt
© Frances Moffatt
© Frances Moffatt
Frances Moffatt is a very talented illustrator who we invited along to our Open Day in September.
Frances is a freelance illustrator based in the North East of England, specialising in fashion, beauty and lifestyle images. France's work is characterised by dynamic line work, combined with vibrant colour and bold pattern and texture.
Find out more about Frances and her work here.
