One of the top UK Illustration Degree courses
Ten Falmouth Illustration students visited The Folio Society yesterday. Art Director Sheri Gee gave the students a warm welcome before taking them through the commissioning process. The students asked excellent questions and got a lot out of the visit and left the visit inspired. Previous Falmouth students that have been commissioned by The Folio Society include Finn Campbell-Notman and James Boswell.
Sheri Gee talking to Falmouth illustration students
Hodders Childrens Books
Seven Falmouth Illustration students were treated to a fantastic professional practice visit to Hodder Childrens Books this afternoon. After a long walk from Russell Square everyone was feeling a little cold but we got a warm welcome from Emma Layfield who had prepared a presentation of the children’s book publishing process. She outlined what was current popular for Hodder and explained the differences between the UK and US markets. She discussed the close working relationship that they encourage between authors, illustrators and art directors and editors. She also gave a really useful breakdown of the international market particularly in relation to both the Bolgna and Frankfurt book fairs. It was heartening to hear her passion for new and upcoming illustrators and we really want to nurture this relationship with Hodder in the future. After about an hour packed with extremely useful advice we were once again outside in the crisp London evening air but inspired and with plenty to think about.
Students meeting Emma Layfield at Hodder
Falmouth university has been hosting workshops this week for A’level students with aview to giving them a insight into what it is like to study at an institution like Falmouth. The illustration department hosted 19 students during a 2 hour workshop in the morning. The session started with an overview of the subject of illustration and review of some professional portfolios. The students asked some really insightful and intelligent questions. We then continued with a mind mapping exercise before moving onto the classic ‘Exquisite Corpse’ exercise. This always a fun session but has serious intentions. Through using their mind mapped ideas they were able to develop strong themed solutions. After coffee, the ‘corpses’ were revealed and the morning moved into media experimentation. The session was a lot of fun. We’d like to thank Natalie Hayes for jointly running the session, the student ambassadors for helping out and of course to the students who we hope got something useful out of the experience.
Falmouth summer School 2014
Falmouth summer School 2014
A great evening was had by all at the 2014 New Blood show in London’s Spitalfield’s market last Tuesday. The evening started off with the news that Fiona Rose Batey from Falmouth had won one of the coveted New Blood Best in Show Awards. This is a great achievement when you become aware of the great work coming from other illustration courses around the country? The atmosphere at the private view was buzzing with a number of significant art directors, agents and designers spending a long time looking at students work both on the wall and in dummy books. Really good contacts have been made at this show and Falmouth’s reputation for producing talented and interesting illustrators has certainly been enhanced. The show continues for today (Thursday 3rd July) and will come down on Friday. Get down to see it if you are in the area.
New Blood best in show winner Fiona Rose in front of her work
Best in Show award goes to Fiona Rose from Falmouth university
During the NB private view
Students in the Ten Bells Pub just before the NBA private view
During the NB private view
Sue and Nigel with help from Mark set up the New Blood show this morning. We had about four hours to get things right. After an initial concern that the boards were put up slightly differently to previous years we were able to get the drop banners hung and looking good. The very heavy presentation boxes were tricky to manoeuvre into place but all came good in the end. The students work looks great on the wall. The photography repro department always excel themselves with incredibly high quality prints that really show off the work at its best. The dummy books that students have produced and are on show are also of a high standard. Sue and myself only had a very quick chance to look around the other stands but there was some great work on display from other illustration courses. Well done to everyone involved. We are looking forward to tonight’s PV and catching up with some students from current previous years.
We are also looking forward to getting over to the New Designers show tomorrow. Mark and Keryn have been working hard on getting this equally important show looking fantastic. It seems amazing that both shows are happening simultaneously but hopefully it means that students can get to both during the week. We are also looking forward to a great private view at Islington (New Designers) on. Wednesday. I will hopefully be able to focus a blog on new Designers shortly.
Sue Clarke checking the final show
Falmouth BA Illustration New Blood Show
The studios are empty, most work is off the display boards now, hardly any students are to be seen. The distant sound of Wimbledon can be heard through open windows. It can only mean one thing; the lull before the creative storm that is the New Designers and D&AD New Blood graduate showcases. Staff are working hard to get everything ready to be packed away into vans and driven up to the capital on Friday. Watch out London! Falmouth are coming…
Any ex Falmouth students, that want to come along, it would be great to see you…
New Designers 2014:
Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1 oQH
Wednesday 2 – Saturday 5 July 2014
Book your ticket: http://www.speeddata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=New64Public Email: http://www.newdesigners.com
Twitter: @NewDesigners
D&AD New Blood 2014:
Old Spitalfields Market, Brushfield Street, Spitalfields London, E1 6AA
Tuesday 1 – Thursday 3 July 2014
Email: NewBlood@dandad.org
Phone: +44 207 840 1118
Twitter: @DandADNewBlood #NewBlood
Boxes of Quotes 9 books ready to be loaded
Last Wednesday saw our students, alumni and staff celebrating the successes of our recent graduates in the field of publishing for young audiences. Falmouth alumni whose books were on sale during the evening included amongst others:
Levi Pinfold (Kate Greenaway Medal winner)
Rebecca Cobb (Shortlisted for The Kate Greenaway Medal)
Emma Yarlett (Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal)
Owen Davey (Laika, Foxley’s Feast…)
The event was organised by Mark Foreman and Keryn Bibby and we are extremely grateful to the Falmouth Bookseller (Falmouth’s very own award winning book shop) and Ron Johns for hosting us for the evening. Those that attended included Emma Yarlett, Sophia Matthew (art director at Oxford University Press, and our new external assessor Peter Lloyd from Southampton Solent University. We hope very much that this will be the first of many joint events at this great bookshop…
Here are some more photos of our visits on our recent study trip to New York.
Featured are Mendola Artist Representatives, Wall Street Journal, Penguin, Macmillan, Little Brown Books and our final night at the ‘Standard’ Beer Garden in the Meat Packing District.
Molly Martin discussing her work at Mendola
Ed Farley discussing his work at Mendola
Phillipa Nowretek, James Gifford and Josh Oliver with Tom Mendola
Portfolios being reviewed at the famous ‘Wall Street Journal’
Thursday night at the Standard Beer Garden.
This will be the final post from what has been a really successful study trip. Thanks to all the art directors, designers, publishers and agents that gave up their time to see our students. Everyone gained an enormous amount from the experience. Thanks to the students for asking great questions during the visits. Also of course thanks to Sue Clarke and Rachel Dunn for putting so much effort into organising the trip. Here is a final image of students discussing the ‘Face Stamp’ project at design group ‘Human After All’
Playing with face stamps at ‘Human After All’
11 students have just had a great visit to Artworks Illustration Agency in Hoxton. Lucy and Alex, both experienced Illustration agents discussed a broad range of issues from their perspective. Really informative. Many thanks to Lucy and Alex for taking some time out of their working day.
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