Category: Artist in Residence

Painting workshop with AR Sarah Sheard

Some afternoon painting fun in the studio – as part of a current painting-inspired project, our first years have taken part in an experimental painting exercise led by Artist in Residence Sarah.

Students were paired up and asked to sit back to back. One side was given an image of a painting, which they then have to describe to their partner (without naming the painting or artist if they knew it). The painting partner then painted the description they heard.

The challenge for the describer was to put into words what they saw in the painting and to give as much information about how they believe it would have been created; what kind of brushstrokes were applied, is the style realistic? Are there many layers of colour? Do you think it was made quickly? What’s the mood of the painting?

The painters on the other side had to ask further questions; for example what is meant by ‘a yellow circle’, is it a perfect circle or a bit wobbly? Is the yellow completely flat or can they see some texture? How do they think the texture is made? What sort of yellow? Lemony yellow or orangey yellow?

This workshop was designed to help students really think about what they see and discover different methods of using colour and painterly mark-making. And at the end of it all the group were able to share their experience and have a good laugh – here are the results:

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Meet our Artists in Residence: Sarah Sheard

Hello! Having graduated from Painting at ECA in 2014, I have come back to haunt the illustration department this year as an artist in residence. Since graduating, I have taken part in several exhibitions as well as developing a range of greetings cards (and also work as a picture framer).

I have a polymathic approach to making, learning and using many different processes from drawing and painting to model making, zines, animation, and printmaking. I usually make work that has a humorous or playful element to it, whether this is conveyed in the subject matter or in the way it is made. I really enjoy work which acknowledges that art can be a very playful and ‘entertaining’ subject, and am hoping to explore how this will meet a design approach within illustration.

During the residency I’m particularly interested in developing my art practice through exhibiting work, and exploring how this will feed in to design projects. I’d really like to create a children’s book and develop my printmaking and animation skills. I’d also like to explore collaborating with illustration students as well as other departments and discover new approaches to making.

I’m looking forward to working with you all so please come and say hello! (I am usually in the studio Wed-Fri)

sarahsheardart.tumblr.com | www.sarahofthenorth.co.uk

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Meet our artists in residence: Pilar Garcia

I am a Spanish artist. I completed my MA in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art the last course. Before this degree, I had no formal training as an illustrator, having worked in advertising and graphic design. I am now one of the artists in residence at Edinburgh College of Art, with another residency lined up next year, at Arteles in Finland.
My practice normally focuses on women, mindfulness and imperfection. I have always been interested in everything related to human behavior, the relationship we have with the world and especially with ourselves. In addition, I have discovered my interest in interpreting nature and personal well-being in an enlightened way. Imperfection is my alter ego. It is everywhere, in art, human figures, nature, animals and love.
I work in mixed media, combining traditional materials, such as ink, watercolor and ink pen with digital. My aim is to reach a delicate and imperfect art (I always make the right imperfect drawings that make sense to me) through making freely and uniquely drawn illustrations.
I draw everything, from figures, animals, plants, landscapes, objects and buildings. I enjoy illustrating narratives and book covers and also creating lettering, patterns and animation.
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Meet our Artists in Residence – Moira Zahra

Hello! I’m one of the Illustration Artists in Residence for this year at ECA. I’m a full-time freelance illustrator and graphic designer working mostly in children’s books and editorial illustration. Prior to being a freelancer I was a lecturer and programme coordinator in Malta, teaching graphic design, interactive media and game art for seven years.
During my residency here I will be working on client projects as well as working on my own projects. During the first semester I will be working on a children’s book with Merlin publishers (a Maltese publisher). The book is called ‘A Walk in Valletta’ and it’s about two characters touring the Maltese capital. I will be more than happy to discuss my process with any students wishing to know more about children’s book illustration (you can find me in the Illustration studio on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).
Another project I will be working on is a collaboration with a jewellery designer, who is also based in Malta. For this project, I am doing various character and background illustrations that will eventually become jewellery pieces. This is quite a challenging project for me because I’ve never designer products or jewellery pieces, so it should be interesting to observe and learn from the process. I’m also discussing another project with a book maker, where I will be doing illustrated covers for hand-bound books, but this project is still in its initial stages.
My personal project is about the theme of identity, specifically the multilayered/multidimensional layers formed by creative Maltese locals who live abroad. I’ve been working on this theme since moving to Edinburgh a year ago, and would now like to take it a step further. I have several drawings, sketches and ideas for this project, but I’m looking to expand these ideas by  doing thorough research, interview subjects and experts. I’m in the process of pitching my idea to get funding for my research so this will hopefully help support my project and my research.
Eventually I would like to take some of these drawings and illustrations from this project and experiment with 3D printing. Rather than doing sketches specifically designed for 3D printing, I would like to expore ways of how to turn ‘flat’ illustrations to 3D objects, therefore preserving the illustrative qualities of the pieces.
If you’d like to view more of my work, visit www.moirazahra.com or www.instagram.com/moirazahra
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Meet our Artists in Residence – Yasmeen Khan

Hi! I’m one of the new Artists in Residence in the Illustration department.

I’m originally from southeast London, but I’ve been living in Cornwall for the last three years, two of which were spent completing an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice at Falmouth University. Moving to Edinburgh has proved to be a bit of a change from Cornwall! But it’s definitely a positive move – I’m already finding my new surroundings to be incredibly inspiring. I write and illustrate short stories in the Gothic tradition, and Edinburgh feels like the ideal place to do that – becoming steeped in its atmosphere, history and beauty can only be good for a ghost story writer.

I’m really looking forward to getting involved in ECA’s community and academic activities. I’m excited to be able to use the facilities, especially the print workshop, as my practice involves a lot of printmaking – I love to work in monotype, and any intaglio technique, especially etching, aquatint, and mezzotint. These were the techniques I used to illustrate Vignettes, the book I made for my final MA project.

While I’m here, I hope to produce some new works of illustrated fiction. I also love book design and bookbinding, and my goal is to make my stories into beautiful, and most of all, enjoyable books.

I’m also looking forward to continuing my academic research here at ECA. My research interests are focused on how illustration contributes to and interacts with texts’ emotional resonance, and how this connects with Derrida’s notion of hauntology, with particular reference to Gothic fiction. I’m also very interested in film and television, and especially in how they use and interact with illustration.

Finally, I’m looking forward most of all to becoming part of the Illustration department’s activities, and working with the students! Hopefully, it will be a wonderful and productive year.

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Unspoken – visual narratives

‘Unspoken’ is a first year Illustration project inspired by the Impressionist Room at the Scottish National Gallery. Students were each assigned a painting from the room and asked to create a three piece sequential, wordless narrative based on their research; this included a detailed study of the artwork on location as well as more background research into the artist and his times.

Students were asked to explore composition, and the use of colour and mark-making in their assigned painting. Gestural effects, colour palette and Impressionist painting techniques were explored in a series of workshops, one of which was led by artist in residence Joanna Srokol. Workshop results were then scanned and digitally assembled, and a limited colour palette applied in a first introduction to Photoshop.

The result is a collection of vivid storytelling; below are some examples of student’s work alongside the original paintings.

Sherry Ye & Monet’s Boats in Harbourunspoken-a

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Kat Cassidy and Cezanne’s Montagne Sainte-Victoireunspokendraft2-a

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Claudia Carreras and Sisley’s Molesey Weir, Hempton Court

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Geraldine Sawyer and Seurat’s Study for Bathers at Asnières thumbnail_final-composition-2img_4264

 

Vivian Chen and Guigou’s The Olive Trees 

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Heidi Tamminen and Luce’s Lucie Couturier in her Garden print

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Emily Lowes and Van Gogh’s Olive Trees

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Carolina Haraki and Viullard’s The Pink Bedroom finalprint-aimg_4280

 

Rory Lee and Viullard’s The Open window

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Mel Grandidge and Cezanne’s The Big Trees 

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Hollie Middleton and Monet’s Vetheuil hollie-sequence-monet-a

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Oh Buoy!

If you are heading down to Leith you should check out this exhibition showcasing 13 ECA Illustration alumni and friends who have come together to investigate the surface of water – asking questions about what floats above and what may hide below.

All work is made using Out of the Blueprint‘s risograph printer and a limited colour palette to give the collection a unified aesthetic.

The show was organised and curated by our Artist in Residence and very talented illustrator Andrea Popyordanova and is on display at Out of the Blue Drillhall until 15th September. Prints are available for £20 while they last.13876612_10154402847456112_6153201936322143723_n24561478910111213

 

 

Artists in Residence Ceramics Workshop

Last Wednesday we had the first part of a two day ceramics workshop in the Illustration department, led by two of our artists in residence, Rebecca Brown and Sarah Bissell. Working with stoneware clay, everyone handbuilt whatever they fancied – whether it was inspired by a larger project, a functional piece or by playing with different ideas in order to get used to a new material.

By the end of the class we had created a collection of pieces that included mugs, wall hangings, spoons, dogs, cauldrons and cacti, among a variety of other bits and pieces.

The pieces will be fired this week and on the 23rd the second part of the workshop will take place, which will involve painting and glazing the work before it’s fired for a second time.

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An afternoon with Sorcha Fitzgerald and Jessica Kettle

For this weeks Professional Practice Lecture we will be joined by Freelance Illustrators and ECA Artists in Residents, Sorcha Fitzgerald and Jessica Kettle.

Sorcha is a recent alumni of the undergraduate course and has had a lot of success both during her time on the course and in her graduate practice. Sorcha uses printmaking, collage and a strong sense of narrative within her work, most notably in herself authored picture book, Wolf Girl. She also works in ceramics and set design, pushing the boundaries of her illustration practice.

See more of Sorcha’s work here:

http://www.sorchafitzgerald.com

Jessica is a graduate of the MFA course, after studying a BA in Music at York University. In 2012 Jessica was awarded the Langwith Scott Award for individual creativity for ‘The Little Girl Who Dreamt in Colour’, a picture book for children with an accompanying soundtrack. Jessica continues to work in print and children’s book illustration including stories such as ‘Bella’ created in partnership with The Leprosy Mission Scotland.

See more of Jessica’s work here: http://cargocollective.com/jessicakettleillustration

We look forward to hearing their words of wisdom about surviving art school and succeeding in the creative and chaotic world of freelance illustration.

Meet the Residents 2: Sorcha Fitzgerald

Hello! Here are some of the things I have been getting up to recently:

Currently I am working on a personal project illustrating The Girl Without Hands, which is a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. I am using mono print to make these (this won’t be a surprise for those of you who know I spent pretty much my entire fourth year solely working in this medium and have somehow managed to avoid becoming averse to it). I’ve really enjoyed having the time to experiment a lot more with this process and feel I have discovered various new ways of working in mono print. I also now have a large stack of predominantly dodgy prints that will probably be used to wrap gifts for unlucky family members and friends for years to come!

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I have just created a piece of work that will be in a permanent exhibition at Simpson House, a counselling centre in Edinburgh that helps individuals and families who have been affected by drug abuse. I am delighted to be able to donate my work to an organisation that provides such a beneficial service to the community. For no particular reason, I really wanted to make a collage of a jungle scene, which fortunately is well suited to the décor in the children’s therapy room.

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I’ve also been keeping my ceramic work ticking over and made some decorations just before Christmas, which you can take a peek at in the photos below if you so wish.

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