Pointe Blank Part 2 Launch!

Pointe Blank launched at the Birmingham Royal Ballet on Monday night with a fabulous selection of artworks by 27 different designers/illustrators. This is the second collection for this project, (read about last year's project Coppelia here) this time for the ballet Hobson's Choice. Check out the collection online at http://www.pointeblank.co.uk/ and if you are in the Birmingham area pop along to the 6/8 Kafe 6/8 Temple Row,
 Birmingham,
 B2 from 5 March for six weeks, with nine images shown for a fortnight at a time. Form fifty five coverage  | Design week coverage

JoSpencer

Blog banner update by BRÁULIO AMADO

We've been pretty snowed under with other work over the past few months so haven't updated the blog banner for a while. A massive thank you goes to Soupa member Bráulio Amado for allowing us to use his illustration for Novembers update. His vibrant illustration really gives this month's look and feel a up tempo contemporary vibe. Check out his website for more design and illustration work.

http://www.iusecomicsans.com/

Soupa Zine Day – The Big Reveal

Last Saturday, a group of Soupa members made their way into London (some coming from *far away* so big thanks to them for getting up early) for a get together at The Book Club in Shoreditch.

The aim of the day was to design a promotional zine and the theme was 'Reveal.' This was decided by members ahead of the day to give them time to do a doodle or pen some pictures before we began. As you know, each member favours a different way of working and this is what we like best!

Soupa illustrators Harriet Gray, Luke Waller, Elissa Elwick, Jamie Littler, Anna Spencer, Carlos Garde-Martin, Mariana Lobao brought their pens, pencils, inks and other various materials, photographer Ted Kozak came along to photograph the event and went out and about in E1 gathering material for his photo collage piece.

And designers, Jo Spencer (me), Eurico Sá Fernandes, Pinelope Kourmozoglu and Mark Richardson created some typographical pages for the zine with Pinelope stitching her type into the paper.

After the event, Jo Spencer collated all the finished artwork and put them together to make up the zine so here's the big Reveal. We hope you like it.

Open publication - Free publishing - More creative

August banner by Wolf&Bear

This month we see a brilliant new banner design from Soupa's Eurico Sá Fernandes and Mariana Lobao aka Wolf&Bear. Check out more of their work and links over on their website here or go and check out their Facebook page.

WRAP

It  was a delight to receive Wrap in the post last week, at the impressive size of 320mm x 420mm it really catches the eye. Wrap is a magazine which doubles as wrapping paper with a bonus selection of postcards on the back page. The magazine is designed beautifully and while keeping things creative, it also works as a readable mag. This issue of Wrap (issue 2) includes work from a selection of illustrators and designers Lisa Stickley, Gemma Correll and Thereza Rowe. Launched at The London Design Festival in 2010, the magazine was set up by designers Christopher Harrison and Polly Glass 'to showcase work of talented artists' and we would definitely agree, it hits its brief. It is also printed on 100% recycled FSC certified stock which is supplied by Paper Co.

Each issue is themed and this one concentrates on animals and creatures – not only is the imagery really stunning – but there are also lots of easy to digest features including 'a day in the life' so it's perfect to pick up whenever you've got the time.

Of course, the upside of this magazine is once you've read it, you can wrap your presents with it. That's if you can bear to give it away...

Find Wrap in stores such as Tate Modern, Magma, The Design Museum and others. Find out more at: www.thewrappaper.com

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Soupa at Latitude

Posted by Jo Spencer (Soupa founder) We headed down to Latitude festival last weekend to take part in the YARN set 'YARN presents 10 stories about smoking' in the Literary Arena. YARN invited us to be part of the set to visualise the 4 performances from Katy Darby, Jarred McGinnis, Verity Flecknell and Camila Fiori. After a few meetings Gemma Mitchell (YARN director) and I decided we would create a visual book to record the experience of the set – live on stage. We initially invited people to submit their own stories, illustrations and photos about smoking – from which we received a brilliant response including submissions from Soupa members Spiros Halaris, Jason Lear, Anna Spencer, Joshua Marshall. I then collected these all together and added them to the book on the night.

The set was a great success, we received a brilliant turn out and response from the crowd – thank you if you were there! We handed out 200 Kazoo's which the audience used to accompany Verity Flecknell's performance of the a re-written version of Johnny Cash song – Final Cigarette Blues.

I was on stage for the whole set (1 hour) treating images, designing and building up the book... and trying not to look too serious!

The book is now available to view in full here.

Click here to view a video documenting part of the design process of the book.

Thank you also to all of you who submitted work, it has made this project really special.

Soupa at Latitude Festival – we need you

TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK CLICK HERE

Soupa and YARN are off to Latitude Festival in 2 weeks! You can join us there to see a very special presentation of Stuart Evers' debut short story collection "Ten Stories About Smoking".

BUT, if you are not coming along to this festival, you can join in now!

Smoking. It's something we've all got an opinion on.

We'd love YOU to submit your own stories and illustrations about smoking for a limited edition book that will be designed by Jo Spencer from Soupa Creative Network Live on stage at Latitude.

Upload anything you want - stories, pics, illustrations, - to be included.

More about the event: Yarn are doing a 1 hour set on the friday evening in the literary arena at 10.30pm based around Stuart Evers book 10 stories about smoking.

They are presenting 4 performers – music and spoken word.

Jo will be making a visual book throughout the hour live on stage to record the 'experience' of the set, stories and the audience will be invited to contribute their opinions, drawings, experiences to the book. The screen behind the performers will show Jo's laptop screen and the putting together/designing bit of the book.

WE NEED YOU!

If you have any images/illustrations/written work related to smoking in some way.. they don't have to be specifically of smoking... you can read the 10 stories and produce a piece which is a representation of one of the stories or part of the story... that would be amazing.

If you do supply us with something your work will feature on the big screen in front of 700+ people at the festival and also in the book which will be published after the event. You will be fully credited of course.

To submit work please post to the YARN Latitude event Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=234811889870378 with an image/text etc with your name (doesn't need to be high res as the book will be published online)

Oh and if you happen to be coming to the festival come and say hello.

Deadline – the end of the event which will be 11.30pm on Friday 15th July 2011.

Our Latitude page: http://www.latitudefestival.co.uk/2011/lineup/artist/yarn_presents_ten_stories_about_smoking

www.yarnfest.com | www.soupa.co.uk | www.okjostudio.com

LCC Design for Graphic Communication graduate show

If you are looking to check out some graduate talent this year – come down to the London College of Communication private view this thursday 30th June and check out the Design for Graphic Communication course show in the  (BA & FDA). The students have launched their own website to showcase the work, which gives you an insight into the high standard of work at this show. The students work with industry partners such as Airside, Nobrow, Wallpaper, Ditto Press and also Soupa amongst others on projects producing some innovative projects and fantastic ideas. Follow the course on twitter at @LCC_DGC and the show twitter handle @DGCSHOW

The course website http://www.lccdgc.co.uk/

LCC DGC exhibition dates:

Private View: Thu 30 June 2011, 6 – 9pm Open to the public: Fri 1 – Fri 8 July 2011, 10am – 7pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-3.45pm (Sat), closed Sun

An exhibition of work produced by LCC students graduating in the following disciplines:

BA (Hons) FdA & ABC Dip Animation ABC Dip 3D Modelling and Animation BA (Hons) & FdA Design for Graphic Communication BA (Hons) & FdA Digital Media Design BA (Hons) & FdA Games Design BA (Hons) Graphic & Media Design FdA Graphic and Spatial Communication BA (Hons) & FdA Media Practice BA (Hons) Graphic Product Innovation

If you are thinking of applying for an undergraduate course at LCC, our Summer Shows are a great way for you to get a sense of the type and level of work undertaken by our students.

For further information or to RSVP email events@lcc.arts.ac.uk.

We welcome children of all ages to LCC to view the exhibitions. Children under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times and have written permission to enter the building. For more information please email:events@lcc.arts.ac.uk or phone 020 7514 6550.

Location / Venue

The Gallery, Upper Street, Lower Street, Well and Atrium Galleries, LCC, Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6SB

By Underground:

Both the Bakerloo and Northern Lines stop at Elephant and Castle.  The College is opposite the shopping centre on the same side of the road as the Metropolitan Tabernacle, just three minutes walk away via the underpass.

By Bus: Elephant and Castle is extremely well provided for with buses including: 1, 12, 35, 40, 45, 53, 63, 68, 100, 133, 148, 155, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 322, 188, 322, 333, 343, 344, 360, 363, 453, 468, C10, P5.

Film Winter

By Clare Kelly. Originally posted on her blog: www.passthepattern.tumblr.com

I spotted this poster up at a university inviting creatives to take part in Stuttgarter Filmwinter. Through the powers of Google Translate*, I’ve been conversing with Wand 5 – the group behind the festival and found out that the poster (which doubles as an entry form) was designed by Berlin-based Apfel Zet.

And notably, it was intern Susan Kreher who designed it. I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share it with you.

If you’d like to find out more about the festival or enter it; visit www.filmwinter.de

*Rely on this at your will. I told them some pretty odd things about myself via the medium of translation!

Paint it make it – Illustration event

Illustration Rally is putting together their first ever event – they are getting together with some great artist to put together a crafty day for all to enjoy. The day will be featuring zine making, live drawing, origami, and you will even be able to buy some lovely cake. All the proceeds will go toward the Japan tsunami appeal on JustGiving.

The day will feature live drawing, origami, cakes and zine making, where you can bind and customise your own zine with the work of some of the hottest illustrators around! Everything we raise from this event will be donated to our Japan tsunami appeal on JustGiving!

Essential links:

Facebook event page | Twitter hash tag: #paintitmakeit | Dave Bain's detailed overview of the day | JustGiving page | Illustration Rally

Details:

When: Saturday the 25th of June \ 10am til 5pm Where: The Book Club, 100-106 Leonard Street, City of London, Greater London EC2A 4XS What: Live drawing, origami, cakes and zine making,

Artists involved:

Uberkraaft, Ben the illustrator, Aaron Miller, Gaia Bordicchia, Yupyland, Andy Coucil, Tom Bagshaw, Bubblefriends, Bubi Au Yeung, Dave Bain, Gemma Correll, Bex Glover, Lou Lou & Tummie, Mr Millerchip, the boy fitz hammond, Toy Factory, Lesley Barnes, Seb Burnett, Jonathan Edwards, Fon The Pern, Ruben Ireland, Thereza Rowe, Robert Shadbolt, The Tree House Press, Carlton Hibbert, Erica Sharp, Lea Wade, Natsuki Otani, Stephen Chan

To the pointe

Post by Clare Kelly Curated by graphic designer and illustrator Claire Hartley, Pointe Blank is a collaboration between Birmingham Royal Ballet and 27 artists across the UK. Claire invited Soupa members Jo, Harriet and Jamie to take part and they were delighted to oblige.

Themed around the story of Coppelia, each artist was asked to represent the story any way they wanted to; and here are some of my favourites. Of course, all the Soupa ones are my faves!

Design week coverage | Form Fifty Five coverage

Jo Spencer’s lino print which has been digitally offset.

Harriet Gray’s figurative portrayal.

The Hidden Dingbat Collective’s beautiful paper cut.

Claire Hartley’s heart-shaped offering.

And Jamie Littler’s somewhat dark illustration.

See the full collection of artists’ work, here http://www.pointeblank.co.uk/

New banner for June by Spiros Halaris

We are lucky to have the brilliant fashion illustrator Spiros Halaris on our showcase section of Soupa. His work is now heading up the June banner in style.