Studio Life: August 2018

August was a big month for Sighh & I. I moved into the new Newcastle city centre flat with my boyfriend and excitedly put together my own designated studio (aka second bedroom, once the bed and chest of draws were negotiated away). Jack took a week off work to sort the place out, which helped as everything I ordered seemed to arrive on a different day. This all happening at the same time as the largest sale I've had in years was something to navigate, as was dragging sacks of envelopes through the cardboard strewn corridors of our flat... but it was all finished in just over a week. And then graduate life really began! Well, partly. August has felt like a battle between me being so excited to start my new life and genuinely incredibly happy, while also definitely procrastinating and doing things very slowly, in summer mode. Anyway, here's what I did, according to my overflowing camera roll...

Repeat Pattern Tutorial

Since launching my very first phone cases I've been questioned for design tips & tricks by fellow aspiring designers (well I guess I better start calling myself an actual professional now!!) who also want to turn their ideas into beautiful products but don't quite know how.

Once you have a repeat pattern, you can paste it into any product template and send it off to print. I've actually always made my existing products' patterns organically (example from the archives), but wondered how on EARTH people could be bothered to do that for wallpaper or hundreds of meters of fabric. I now think back to that time I tried to make 3m of patterned Christmas wrapping paper by eye with copy & paste. Well *cough* it turns out designers do not do that. Queue one of the only days at uni I thought the £50k might be worth it. 

I'm honestly surprised how many college students still say they haven't been introduced to Photoshop & Illustrator (we'll be dealing with Photoshop in this tutorial so I'm afraid you need to at least have your 30 day free trial running!). But even then, I've found there is SO much you can do that you don't even know to ask how to do. You know? That's why I'm happy to start adding to my 'Design Tips' Instagram highlight. I would LOVE to see my favourite illustrators doing the same, because once you've left design school and you no longer have that community to learn from, what can you do but fester in your own techniques?

WELL. You can seek out tutorials like this, and I also have another (very good) recommendation at the end of this post, so scroll on!

Leeds Arts University Degree Show 2018

Next month I'll be graduating from Illustration at Leeds Arts University. Omg. I've been to the degree show each year, and wanted to continue the tradition of blog posting my personal highlights. This year I've tried to show the breadth of style on my course, as I know so many younger students may be interested in considering studying at LAU. Once I've managed to gather my thoughts I hope to write a few reflective posts about my three years here, so look out for that, but for now here are some pretty pictures!

My YCN Submissions 2017

WAHOOO!!

This summer I found out I had been commended for the two YCN projects I entered and was absolutely gobsmacked! During A levels I visited student awards exhibitions in London, staring adoringly at all the amazing entries, and hoping that one day I could be as good as them, so to receive recognition from one of the same made my little self very happy indeed. It really proved to me that the projects you enjoy working on usually turn out the best, too.

Instead of one flat out winner for each project, YCN chooses a number of commended entries that their judges, as well as members of the companies who set the briefs, have decided worked best. I think this is a wonderful way to run a student competition, as not only do more people get to feel like hot shit, but you also get to see lots of different, successful interpretations of the briefs you entered!

I thought I would write a bit about the projects themselves and the awards ceremony, as I know a lot of the people who follow me are design students themselves, and may be entering next year!

To my knowledge, YCN is an educational initiative that runs courses and events for creatives. It also hosts a Student Awards every year where companies (often very big companies) set a brief each for design students and recent graduates across the UK to enter. The briefs are suitable for Graphic Design, Illustration, Creative Advertising, Vis Com and really students of any commercial focused design course to enter.

As part of second year Illustration, we had to enter student competitions on our own, and collaboratively. I entered other, smaller, competitions too. There were so many projects that I was interested in, but as it's my first year studying as an illustrator, after switching from graphic design, I chose briefs that allowed me to focus on my new practice.

Venturing Into Pattern and Colour

It's tine to reopen my shop, but I want there to be something new. Over the past year at university, I've been truly inspired to test the boundaries of my personal style, because after 2-3 years of doing virtually the same thing, I am bored.

Making the decision to switch courses from Graphic Design to Illustration triggered a (slow and tentative) change in the way I view myself and my work. I feel more comfortable identifying as an art student, somehow. Graphics always seemed like visuals were used as tools, the skill was decision making, whereas on my illustration course the visuals matter a lot more, they're valued and developed lovingly.

I want to make beautiful things. I want them to have a purpose, but definitely be beautiful and a pleasure to own. Scrolling Instagram is becoming a dangerous game as so often I get the restless itch of wanting to jump up and make a ceramic bowl (glazed to perfection), create vibrant patterns on canvas, weave an intricate wall hanging with big fluffy bits and paint fancy ladies with pastel gouache.

Before, I'd stare in awe, but now I'm thinking... why can't I do that? Nothing is holding me back. I finally want to learn all of the things. If I'd been this open in 2014, maybe I would have continued on my foundation course for more than 3 days and never applied to do Graphic Design. Oh well, it's better late than never. Better in third year when I get to write my own projects and still have access to the university's equipment, than after uni when there would be a lot more in my way.

So last week I decided to give some pattern making a go. Colour is something I adore but have very little skill in, so working with abstract marks and shapes has helped take the focus off my usual form & lettering, and onto how to create an appealing colour piece. 

Probably the BEST THING I HAVE EVER LEARNED at uni, and that arguably is completely worth the estimated £21k I've already spent in fees, is how to change colours with adjustment layers in Photoshop. All these marks were made with black ink, and edited digitally. It blew my fucking mind. I used to select the areas and fill them with colour. You would not believe the pixelation. I'm living in a new world. I bet you all knew how to do it too.

This was a really quick post, I just wanted to shout from the rooftops that I'm excited to learn and try new things. I hope you guys like what I make next!

Illustration Friday - Rock

My uni course has a module called Responsive, where we need to enter competitions and do live briefs. Interact with real world, you know. We're compiling our submissions out of a few large briefs from places like D&AD and YCN along with as many little ones as we can manage. A fab weekly competition that most of my course are getting involved with is Illustration Friday. They bring out a new theme every week for students (and professionals) to submit work for, old or new, and it's judged on... a Friday!

I think weekly competitions like this, or any external group that push for you to post one new thing a month/week/day, are so motivating to be involved in. Having to be self motivated all the time can be exhausting, everyone falls down the creative block hole of doom every now and then, so keeping your eyes open for things like this can be what saves you. Does anyone have any recommendations?

For me, this got me back on track after Christmas. I have an ungodly amount to catch up on before next semester. *quiet scream*

-

PS: I think my logo is too big on these images, but I'm having such a mare with it that this'll have to do for now. I created all my branding using a brush on my iPad Pro (Adobe sketch app) but it's not on photoshop, I can't find anything close enough, so I can't redo it to size unless I use the iPad app and that is extremely long winded and I still might have to scale it sometimes. Breathe. I need to figure out a solution.

-

Rebrand: Packaging Update!

YAY I HAVE FINALLY REBRANDED EVERYTHING!! My shop and I had a little makeover this summer and I am super happy about it. Relieved too. I managed to go 3 years of thinking I was a graphic designer without taking my own branding seriously enough. I had the same compliment slips and a logo for aaages and really didn't feel they represented my style any more. Finally, during my extended uni summer break, I had the time and the motivation.

There's a lot to go into on this topic, but for the past year or so I've felt very odd about my shop. I really did want it to become a collaborative place, but after experimentation I've found that I'm just not comfortable with that. I wanted to bring it all back to how it started, little ol me in my bedroom, drawing things that make people smile, for a jobby. I wanted to reconnect with everyone who has supported Sighh for years now, as during my first year at uni I definitely let things slide. So the rebrand aims to connect me with the customer, in a fun, pretty way.

Step 1) Packaging! I want people to get excited the moment they see the parcel at their door. I want them to know instantly where it came from. This is also important for Christmas time, if your family/housemates have a habit of opening your post and you don't want surprises ruined!

Stickers are great because you can have more detail in them, but stamps can have just as much of an impact, and really add the personal touch. Especially the ones which don't work. That is also a risk. I designed these with an idea of where each would go, so worked out the measurements according to my packaging. For example, the "Open me, I'm fabulous" and "thank you!" stamps go on the seal of envelopes, so they had to be short. I wanted the "Hello, I am your new stuff" to be larger as it would decorate the front of the parcel. 

I made these simply by inking them with a paint brush, scanning them into photoshop and tidying up the edges a bit/moving elements to improve their composition and sizing them according to the measurements on the manufacturer's website. Links at the bottom of this post! The artwork you supply stamp companies with needs to be solid black and white. The black will be what's stamped, and the white will be cut out. If the detail is too fine, it may not print well, especially on uneven surfaces like jiffy bags. I think ink work was ideal! 

The logo stickers come in 3 different colours, which make up my shop's new colour palette! I they'll be alternated on packaging/branding products. I kept teal, the colour of my previous branding, for consistency (plus I love it), but added coral and pops of mustard which I feel are more me. 

Different packaging require different stamps. It's all about what fits, and the composition. I wanted the packaging to be personal, but not messy. 

Stickers will go inside cases like this, so you never forget where you bought them! Apparently people do. Humph. 

And now onto the part I love the most - the thank you slips!! Oh man. I found my A6 compliment slips weren't doing the job after launching enamel pins, which use small jiffy bags. I had to fold them, and it looked crap. Branding material should fit in seamlessly. So, these babies are A7 which only makes them 10x sweeter! I got them from Printed - if you decide to order, do a girl a favour and use my link (https://t.co/JlubOALKpq) which will save me money on future orders! :')

After seeing photos of people pinning up my old thank you slips on their walls, I wanted to make the reverse side a piece of lettering, or illustration, to fit that purpose. I think when these run out, I'll order a range of designs for people to collect! :) The "yay/pretty" have a stamp effect, linking with the packaging. I was going to hand stamp them but I didn't think I could cope with the ordeal it would be. These have been printed on 270gsm gesso paper, which links with the textured background of my website. Them details tho. 

I also ordered a smaller amount of thank you slips with a blank reverse side, so that I can write little notes to customers. This is SUCH an important thing to have considered if you're developing your own packaging. You don't want customers to be confused when they receive the parcel, before checking their inbox, and a note is a lot more personal than an email. It's also nice to write little messages to friends who order, without using scrap paper - which looks messy!

-

And there you have it. My new branding! I'm going to actually talk about the reasons behind it in detail in another post for the graphics-y folk who might be interested. This was more a visual overview :)

The branding will be rolling out from now on. Phone cases might take a bit longer, but I'm sending off the materials to my supplier tomorrow.

So what are your thoughts? Do you prefer it to my old stuff? Do you feel it links up with my new website? Do let me know your thoughts below, or on twitter. Isn't it ironic how I spent my summer doing graphics stuff, just after I decided to change my degree to Illustration! Lol, life.

IN THIS POST:
Stickers and thank you cards: printed.com
Wooden stamp: https://www.englishstamp.com
Stamps with plastic handles: https://therubberstampcompany.com/traditional-rubber-stamps
Packaging: http://www.ukpackaging.com/

A Weekend Doodle Diary

Last weekend I took Jack along to a little weekend getaway with my mum and two sisters. We rented out a really lovely house in the farmy hills of Cumbria. It was a massive and weird and lovely thing to introduce Jack to my family for the first time. Amazingly, they got on really well. If they hadn't, Jack wouldn't have been able to flee anyway. Many hills, no Uber.

As some of you will know, I've actually switched degree courses to Illustration (from Graphic Design), and our summer project is to keep a sketchbook. I started this summer very enthusiastic about it, however, such is life, I've been an absolute shit and have not kept up with it very well at all. Part of the problem is that I've never had a single sketchbook before. I tend to have many on the go and grab one whenever I feel a new product design bouncing around in my head. So, on Friday the 12th I sat in a coffee shop and decided to draw what I'd done that day, and it turned into quite a fun little weekend series. I hope you find it fun to read through. A pen vlog. For obvious reasons I'm very happy I documented it :')

Equipment:
Uni pin fine liner in 0.2
Promarker in Cool Grey 2

NO TIME FOR PRICKS

"No Time For Pricks" Phone Case - £18 / "No Time For Pricks" A4 print - £10

SIGHH IS HEADING TO NEW PLACES. Yes. I'm not quite sure where, but Art Print mountain and Watercolour valley seem likely destinations. With a new year at university fast approaching, I'm working on diversifying and developing my art style lots, which will no doubt have an impact on the products coming out in my shoppy shop. I really don't know why I've held off on making proper art prints for so long. It was obviously very stupid as who doesn't love decorating their walls?? But DO NOT FEAR for I have many ideas and great equipment at uni.

At Sighh I'm all about creating products to make you feel positive, inspired and motivated. "No time for pricks" is a snappy way of getting yourself in the zone each morning to go out, be yourself and remove negativity from your life. All in a bit of a funny way because cacti...pricks....we all know it's funny okay.

It's a bit dramatic to say I had the time of my life designing this, but I kind of did. If you've followed me for a while or had a look through my work, you'll see its almost exclusively smooth, digitised work (hand drawn then edited with Adobe Illustrator). Although this has boded well so far, for years I've been itching to develop and try something new so I'm going to be making a real effort from now on to do just that. I'm thinking traditional print, paint, gold foil, hand finishing as much as possible and just experimenting. So it was a breath of fresh air to spend a day or two filling up pages in my sketchbook, feeling that repetitive movement from paint, to paint water, to paper. 

Product details:

The phone case files have been designed and are ready to go, but the A4 prints still need to be printed, which I aim to do at uni next week. However, as I can't absolutely guarantee the dispatch date, they're going up for pre order. This way I know how many to print in the first batch! :)

As always, there are a wide range of phone models available! Check out the drop down menu on any of the phone cases to see for yourself.

The frame is not included, so I can't wait to see how you mount them/where/or what kind of washi tape you use!

LAUNCH: 6PM 07/08/2016 www.sighh.co

Also, I just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone on Twitter this morning who got involved with the idea of me designing new products like pyjamas/bedding/colouring books! The discussion has lead to loads of new plans for the future!! Thank you for showing excitement because it really is the fuel to my art train.

SMALL BUSINESS HAUL

Do you like shopping? Pretty things? Covering your bedroom and or general life in creative bits and bobs? Good. I have lots of new buys to show you from some of my favourite independent artists -who you should all have on your radar!

Oh No Rachio - Good Vibes enamel pin - £7.50

How's your #PINGAME? I've seen Rachel's amazing pin doing the rounds on Instagram and she's even been featured on Buzzfeed for another! Her shop's range is cracking these days with a whole load of new products and I'm loving the sneak peaks of her process on snapchat/periscope too!

Hello Harriet - Kitty tape £6

This is my 2nd, maybe 3rd order of Harriet's iconic kitty tape, which I use for packing up orders (alternated between Gemma Correll's dancing pug tape). Go visit her shop for your monthly dose of feline and ink brush love.

Annie Dornan-Smith - Affirmation prints £10

Annie is a new find for me in the small bizz world! I've very much enjoyed following her over the past few months as she's just graduated from her Graphic Design degree as a top notch illustrator - much motivation. From her straight talking blog post about not giving an eff and producing the kind of work she's into, to following the launch of her new ranges (Confetti'd & Illustrated Affirmations) it's no wonder I've lured her up to Leeds for an art day and friendship. I just could not resist purchasing these prints and had a hard few minutes deciding which to go for - but to be honest, I think I'll be ordering two more as soon as I move into my new room and start working on a gallery wall! £££

Old English Co - She Designed A Life She Loved print - £13.95

This is a company I've been obsessed with for well over a year now. Between their massive selection of perfect (&customisable!) art prints and tempting homeware (I want the big spoon / little spoon pillow set SO MUCH but I'm worried it will inflict karma and I'll lose my big spoon) I'm surprised I've managed to keep my claws off the site since Christmas. I was kindly gifted this print ages ago and like the non blogger I am, forgot to post about it! So here, bask in it's glory, as I do.

And that's all I've been collecting recently! If you like these little small bizz hauls, do let me know! It will give me a much appreciated excuse to spend all of my dolla and get me a few steps closer to the Aladdin's cave type bedroom of nicknacks I picture myself wading through. Do comment down below/tweet me any small businesses you love so I can check them out for next time!

LEEDS COLLEGE OF ART "MADE HERE" DEGREE SHOW

Following the LCA Foundation exhibition I was so excited to see the graduate show. I've dithered over posting these photos because I don't have everyone's names to give credit, they seem to have downloaded out of order so I really have no idea who's is who's on most :( But for those who would like to see an overview of some of the work these courses produce, keep scrolling. Here are the pieces that caught my eye...

Graphic Design

Vanessa Cain & Helen Street

Fashion

Gina Mason

Illustration

Jessie Broad

Hollie Smith

Surface Pattern & Printed Textiles

Rebecca Dun

Theo Riviere

Charlotte Haller

Nina Ghataora

Charlotte Louise Holden

Natasha Murray

Omair Shah

I didn't make it to Fine Art which I regret as from Hayley's photos there was some stunning work, but from what I saw, Surface Pattern & Printed Textiles stole the show. The room was mesmerising, full of colour and life and OHHH. Illustration was also fantastic, so full of pleasing bursts of creativity and everything excited me.

Which is your favourite piece & why? Let me know! I think I'm going to have to go with the little annotated yellow blob character and the dinosaur/ocean/space surface pattern display. Woah.

Polly xo