Karen Browett

Wizards of Firetop Mountain

2012-01-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a T Shirt Design/logo I have been working on (under my wereworms name) for my 70's rock influenced band Wizards of Firetop Mountain. I have printed a one layer version in grey/silver ink on a black shirt, and am in the process of printing 2 layer coloured inks on to grey and blue shirts. The design was hand drawn and then modified into readability and coloured digitally. Available soon in mens and womens sizes, photos to follow.

2012-01-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

Typography Project

The brief started very simple. Tear/cut out some letters from black paper, keeping them roughly within 75mm high.

Part 2 Trace letters with pen tool in illustrator. Ok I can deal with that. Things I like that I incorporated - the fact that I cut it out poorly. I traced the jagged little paper cut frays around all the knife turns, makes the vectors look more like the real paper lads. I was pretty happy with that. That being said, after I traced a few to be marked, I did cheaty cheat. Of course I just used trace. Shhhh. But the sentiment and the design argument was there!

Part 3 Make 4 promotional postcards and a poster for your font on illustrator. I knew I didn't just want to place some letters on a page like those type of graphic designey digital type posters where one big letter is half off the page, and some transparencies of other letters float around asking art questions. That would look really wrong and modernised with my paper cut irregular human letters. When I was asked to name my font in the first project I called it 'Bubble Hand Bob'. Not for any reason other than because bubbles were the main thing you notice. So from that I decide to cheat and make the project narrative so I can adapt it to myself better! Bubble Hand Bob became a character whos exploits could be recreated in the postcard series. We are only allowed to use the letters, but I just decided to turn my letters into pictures ( I like pictures better and stuff.) I think thats allowed. I'll find out next semester I guess!

It became the story of a man called Bob who lived in a boring town and wanted to be an adventurer. Here's 2 of the postcards and the long format poster. The poster suffers from blurring, I think because I used way too much copy and pasting and scaling and rescaling, I'm not sure yet, I'll have to look in to it. All the colour on the clothes etc is made from tiny letter o's, and all other parts of illustrations are letters themselves, scaled or chopped.

Postcards

Poster

Part 4 Make a storyboard of your proposed 3 screen minimum website to promote the font. Well I figured screen one would be something roughly like this, using the poster image. This displays an idea of the whole alphabet, and also introduces the character.

and screens 2 and 3 would the same design like so (with border), but screen 2 would essentially be a story. It would open to an animation depicting Bubble Hand Bobs adventure, as a development from the stills in the postcards. Screen 3 would be a simple animated display for the font.

Here's the stills

I made the videos as simple flash animation on illustrator, there's only around 30 frames max. In the one I'm uploading. The project is more of a proposal than a finished work, so only one postcard was brought to that point, the rest were implied in notebook work.

Because the future we live in is confusing I wasn't able to upload the flash file on blogger, so I haphazardly converted it to something viewable I hope, after much hair pulling!

Here's a slightly jumpy idea of how it would look.

New design

2011-10-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

apologies for the rough layout, im in the process of redesigning here, so bear with me while it evens out!!
In the meantime, check out www.wereworms.blogspot.com

Monarch poster

2011-10-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

So here is finally the finished work, the poster and double sided colour flyers. I hope to be selling posters at the gig, as wereworms will have a stall on the night. Being a relatively moronic ham fisted ludite of a computer user I decided that my stubborness would get me through this project digitally. It's the first thing I ever produced with mostly digital methods, so forgive the fact that the word/letter spacing/sizing is a lot all over the place.

I really enjoyed working this way, still drawing the basis of the piece, but cleaning it up and having composition/scale/and colour options without having to redraw everytime. The only downside was that I was suddenly faced with endless posibilities, and being an indecisive person, I ended up with about 5 different posters to choose from, some better developed than others. I really could have kept trying varients forever.

Anyway, I love process, so heres some of my work along the way, complete with unconfirmed bands and lack of general info.

Mini Cards

2010-11-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a bunch of postcard size drawings I did as prep for figuring out what to get printed up. I will be getting a few designs on postcards printed up as soon as possible, and I'm selling the original drawings for 5euros each at markets and online just by getting in touch or leaving a comment.

Independent's Day

2010-10-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the poster I made for the unpcoming Independent's Day. Independents Day is a celebration of independent publishers, artists, musicians and more. There will be some really great stuff for sale, as well as performances, exhibitions, screenings and workshops. And to make it even better? There's a cafe in the venue with great pizza, coffee and snacks. If you want to come along, or are interested in selling/showing your work, contact independents_day@dublin.ie . For more information go to http://independentsdaydublin.blogspot.com/

lil' budies

2010-09-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

Pleeeeeeaaaase can I draw some pictures for you?!?

2010-09-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am desperately seeking an internship with some nice people so if you have a design company or have friends in that line of work please think of the monkey. Monkey will work for free because Monkey is longterm unemployed due to just graduating on a grant, and just might be able to get a FAS trainee wage as an intern.

MONKEY WANT DRAW FOREVER!!!!!!

Monster Fun Fair!!

2010-09-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

For Culture Night I had the opportunity to be involved in my favourite activity - monster painting.
I think I found my ideal job.

Entrance

Beanbag toss

Paint gun target

Beanbag throw in action

Astro Chimp part 2

2010-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't added anything in a few weeks, college has been absolutely mental for me the last while. I honestly think I've had about 10-12 hours sleep a week for the past while. Oh well, all summer to sleep!

I know the comic didn't get as far as my plans for it, which will teach me not to publicly pre-empt myself on things I can't follow through on! I plan on taking it further, but with the college deadlines, I just wrapped it up at the nearest logical point. I'll do issue three once college is finished up. Promise ;)

This issue I used an A4 format, purely because I was finding it hard to visualise a comic size print out when drawing on A4. Also, I wanted to simplify everything, which was easier when I wasn't faced with a huge blank page that I would feel compelled to fill.

Anyways. Here it is. If you don't have a clue whats going on, heres issue 1.

ASTRO CHIMP 2

Potato Sketch!

2010-04-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

hehehehe!

The many faces of Eustace Tilley

2010-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

This assignment is based on a cover 'The New Yorker' runs each year. Eustace Tilley is a dandy who gets re-imagined by new artist every year.

Examples and info can be found here.

This is my interpretation. By my guess he's the oldest dandy on the block at this stage.

Again it's on my list of pieces that I have to re-do the lettering on illustrator. So hard to get hand lettering visible when you make the file digital.

In case you can't make it out, it reads -

E. Tilley: I say sir, any dosh so I can get TOTALLY ossified?

Be a good fellow!

Police: TILLY! Get off the streets ya crazy old dandy!

Astro Chimp episode 2 concept work part 1!

2010-04-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Astro Chimp 2

Back to earth, free his friends, take down the army.

I have just started work on astro chimp 2.

Episode 1 was so much fun, and I really wanted to develop personal style more, this time with colour and text. If it works the way I want it to, I plan to revamp Episode 1 in the same manner.

I want to use a narrative, loosely based on the style of the old Adam West Batman show voice overs, and then use minimum to no dialogue. After all its about monkeys and aliens.

This episode will be more of a comedic action adventure, with focus on developing more unique characters. The plot thus far starts with Astro Chimp landing on a distant planet and teaming up with it's inhabitants to try to rescue the other monkeys in the testing plant. But when they get back to earth, they discover that the evil scientist in charge has been up to some dastardly experimentation. What will Astro Chimp do? How will he free his friends?

Feed me alot of coffee over the coming weeks to find out!

Heres a couple of concept sketches.

The Watcher

2010-04-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Watcher

(I hope this has been added at a readable resolution

for you, I can re-post if I made it hard to make out.

Just double click to open it bigger!)

Markers and pen. Text shodily added in illustrator.

It was my first try at adding computer text, by my

own trail and error systems. The whole thing was

text written but I managed to leave out one crucial

word in a sentence, and there was no way to hide it!

I figured it was a good opportunity to figure out how

do it on the computer. I still have a lot of cleaning up

to do before the piece is printable, but for now, I'm

happy to just have editable words on it instead of

crossed out pen work.

In this exercise, we were given a word each to think

about and interpret whatever way, culminating in

one piece of work. I chose to do a mini comic for a few

reasons. One was that the word 'watcher' implies a

sequence of images. Another was to try writing something

again instead of just creating isolated images all the time.

There were also a few things that I wanted to try to get

better at or understand more, like the use of only black

and white, looking a blocks of each. I always found it hard

to distill light and shade to two tone. I still don't have it

totally down but it was good to practice seeing things that

way.

The Road Comic

2010-04-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

The Road

This project was to take a given excerpt from the film script and make it into our own comic pages. I would give you the pages of script, but I can't find them at the moment! (Just moved house, too many boxes!)

In summary, (!) a boy and his father are travelling the road to the coast, after some kind of unspecified post apocalyptic disaster has hit the earth.

Markers and Pen.

Again I managed to leave out a word in my hand lettering! 'There WERE fires' it should have said! It shouldn't take me long to replace the text in the few bubbles when I get the chance, it's just a shame because I was really getting into the lettering! In my defense, the script that I was working from was all screwy from dodgy photocopy jobs, so the text that I was copying from was totally nonsensical anyway, even without the missing word!

I enjoyed using spot colour a lot here. I also really loved making the 3 panels from the weirdo's running round the fire to the guy drinking cup o' finger soup.

Bram Stoker

2010-04-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

Bram Stoker

These were images inspired by the book 'Burial of the Rats'

It was a mixed media class project which meant it was quite fun to do.

Graph paper, ink, photocopy of my work.

As above.

Photocopy of a pastel study of mine

Collage of photocopies.

As above

Print

2010-04-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tenticulae

Mono print, collograph and dry point.

This is one my favorite things I've made. I know that at this stage it's totally cliche, but I really totally love octopus and squid stuff. They are just so rediculously alien, and completely fascinating.

Make shift mono print (back of a spoon

is not quite a printing press but it's pretty good!)

Dry point

Sometimes I really love working in fine lines. Theres a quality to the delicate thin lines of ink that bleed out softly like little fuzzy caterpillars.

Screen print, stamp letters, pen and marker.

hehehe! I put in years of trying to learn to draw properly and this was my top seller!

I like my little bear!

Screen print on painted background.

I think the bear is disco dancing? I just like the way the ink squashed out in the printing so it looks like his head exploded!

Mail Me Art

2010-04-18T22:09:00.001-07:00

Mail Me Art!

This work was for the postal competition 'mail me art' . I had a lot of fun with it!

Mail Me Poe

This was inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe Poem 'The Conquerer Worm'

Guache and letter stamps on brown envelope.

Mail Me Monkeys

This was at the same time that I was designing the Astro Chimp character.

Markers and stamps

Mail Me Skulls

This one comes from a song by The Misfits' called 'Skulls'.

It's a highly intellectual ditty, concerning issues such as

"I want your skull I need your skull I want your skull I need your skull "

Front

Back

Plastic zip lock bags, card, various markers

Hand made cartoon handbags

2010-04-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

I love making stuff. I thought it would be fun to put some of my characters on to the handbags I make.

Crackmouse Handbag

Felt, stitch, handmade bag.

Tape Monster Purse

Felt, stitch, all handmade.

Band Art

2010-04-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Band Art

Sea Dog

Wizards of the Coast 12"

Acrylic paint. A lot of it.

Bastard Youth 7"

Record sticker. Record now out of print.

I also did the cover but the file has escaped me.

Marker

De Novissimis

Used on the cover of the self titled cd

De Novissimis

Another record sticker, used in the split 10" with Wreck of the Hesperus.

De Novissimis/Tunguska 7"

De Novissimis

Band Photo.

Posters

2010-04-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Posters

Heres a few old posters I did for gigs. The originals of some are gone or very tatty so excuse the state!

I managed to spell timothy wrong in this one. I really liked the initial image, then I spilt a glass of water on it too close to the deadline, and for some reason wrote the text in really awful marker. I didn't see the type-o till it was back from the printers!

The Bunny and the Bear

2010-04-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

The Bunny and the Bear

Paint and pen on black paper

Knot

2010-04-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Knots

This was a representational project to show complex forms that convincingly weave together.

We were bound to stipple, cross hatch and contour. I also used some pen line work.

Life Drawing Sketches

2010-04-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

Life Drawing Sketches

I have very little here so far purely because we work on A0 Newsprint in class, which photographs badly and wont go near a scanner. Whats shown is a couple of smaller exercises and sketches until I get around to shrinking the years class work.

Semi blind

Point to point

These two are not particularly correct, I just liked the pen!

Mushrooms

2010-04-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Mushroom study on acetate

Acetate has a nice thick scratch away layer of toner if you put it through a photocopier!

Mushroom Studies in pen, ink and bleach.

I REALLY love the way the bleach pulls the ink off the page. The orangey colour it leaves looks so perfect with the blue in the ink.

Shoes

2010-04-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

Shoes

This project was to treat the drawings as descriptive, as in the context of a history book or an instructional book in some way. We were to use the absolute minimum of line, yet the ones used had to be accurate. The drawing is totally to scale.

Front

Side

Underside

The last two pieces had to show form through stipple, crosshatch or contour. I chose to try stipple for the fun. Turns out that making a large picture out of tint dots takes a really really really long time!

Stipple Side

Stipple Views

Cowboys

2010-04-18T19:45:00.001-07:00

Cowboys

These drawings are from a project I did rather obviously on cowboys. I didn't really have a highly conceptual plan, I think I just liked drawing cowboys! The project really was to try out different media, so I tried out a few new things. It's so nice to get out of the media you use by default. I'd definately like to incorporate lots of techniques into the next sequential/comic thing I make.

Lunch Break

Pens.

This was the first thing I drew, so it put me on my cowboy thang. I reproduced it in the photocopy machine, and made aged looking duplicates with acetone. I really want to get the time to stick it in illustrator and colour it, maybee in the summer holidays!

Dancing Cowboy

Coloured pencils and pen.

I just like his wobbly dancing arms and his rosy cheeks!

Cowboy Coffee

Coloured pencil, watercolour and pen.

Again its all in the cheeks!

Nothin' but a mean ass gunslinger

Black paper, acrylic paint, colouring pencil and pen.

I love drawing the pointy boots!

Nightime at the Camp

Paper collage, stitch, pen/pencil/paint.

I love the flat colour a paper collage gives a background. I also love to work with stitch. Im always irrationally excited by pictures that make me want to touch them for some reason! (I set off a lot off alarms in galleries)

Detail

Detail of the above picture. I like it on its own as a composition though.

Cactus

Masking fluid and paints on black paper.

This was to try to think subtractively for a change. I also like the quality of the colours you get from working on top of black.

Even whiskey drinkers and gunslingers get the blues

Acrylic paint on canvas.

This came out of the initial pen drawing of the cow-couple in the dinner. I guess it was actually pretty damn lonely being a cowboy. I chose acrylics because of the weight in their texture.

Astro Chimp comic!

2010-04-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Astro Chimp

Astro Chimp is a comic that I had been making for a college project. The brief was pretty much just to make something sequential with no colour and no text, which pushes your brain to find more visually descriptive ways to tell a story. Around this time I had an irrational fascination with the story of Ham the chimp who was sent to space in 1961. I wanted to write a story about how bizarre it would be to one minute be a normal chimp in a far off jungle, and the next minute be whisked off for astronaut training in a concealed air force base in new mexico. I spent a lot of time wondering what the training was like, and what happened to all the other monkeys. Astro chimp is my possible explanation to the incident!

I had a lot of fun making this, and I'm currently working on a second part to the story. Astro chimp threw me on a massive climb of learning what not to do, and figuring out just how long some stuff takes. I now know that if you spend most of your time on page 1, you won't have enough time to make the other pages as detailed, making it a little sketchy on the old artistic continuity! In the end I almost prefer the slimmed down style towards the end, it's less muddy in places. I think also that even though I did a bunch of research and character work before I started, it was only at the end of the story that I really felt I understood them and could comfortably be able to draw them in various situations. Hopefully that will make the next one a little more steady. Plus there will be some new characters! Yay!