Development: The Robot Workers Union

What's the inspiration behind this design you ask? Robots are pimp. Nuff said...... Seriously that's all. Thanks for reading.

Screenprint of the design

Ok, besides being really cool and awesome, I like the idea of having several perfectly functional humanoid-robots respecting and doing as I demand- but unfortunately we live in reality and not the 50's utopia of the future. How I wish it was so..... Sorry for the unneeded cussing, but I really want a mother-flippin robot. Seriously is that too much to ask......?

I make posters.........

Besides my own selfish need for a metal comrade, I also think the proposed uses for them are really awesome. Sure we have robots in many forms now, but not in the way that reflects human-like abilities or thoughts. They're also exclusively used for commercial purposes or brand awareness. However, some of the robots that are currently being developed in Japan are not just for the manufacturing needs of companies, but rather to eventually take care of the rapidly ageing population and those who can't take care of themselves. These companion robots are what I really want to see in the near future, but unfortunately where decades away from seeing them common place. To be more specific about two decades. Don't keep your hopes up though, to many dreams have already been crushed with the supposed hoverboards of the near future. To many......

Elektro by Westinghouse 

Why 1937? It was chosen as Elektro was constructed in 1937 by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Elektro is considered to be one of the very first American robots. It could smoke cigarettes (among other things) and had a robotic-dog companion named Sparko. An aspect of Robots that I like is the vast amonts of visual interpretations- some are human-like while others are a lot more mechanical and heavy in form. Elektro was limited to technology of the time, as you can see from the arms and it's limited movement- but it didn't stop them from making it it look life like or trying to give it human qualities such as speech. Although, this was limited to 700 words through a record playing. What happened to Elektro? He became a D-list celebrity and then dismantled by the CEO of Westinghouse when presented as a gift many years later. I will forever remember you Elektro and your short stint at fame- his robotic antics will never be forgotten. 

Screenprinted tee.

Anyway, I know I won't get that mother-flippen robot of my dreams but this design does establish my love and future appreciation of their existence. I'm good at daydreaming so I'll carry on doing so......

Thanks for reading.

The next article will either be about one of the new designs ( Minor Keys and Stay Manly) or the development of The League of Manly Merman.

Launched! (2012) poster

Have you ever wondered about the things that lurk underneath that cosy bed or inside that slightly-empty closet of yours? Well.... imagine that, but on an alien planet were mysterious and not-so-cuddly creatures are the norm- that is what this unsuspecting Space Adventure is currently going through. Will he notice in time or simply be devoured by the space-bear? The suspense........ is minimal at best. 

Or is it?!

Launched! (2012) poster. Final image.

Like the other poster I wanted to display a narrative, rather than just a patent, straight up and cheesy promotion for Mountainman. I really don't feel comfortable with just advertising Mountainman. I want the poster to be visually engaging and have the viewer be intrigued enough with the artwork that they would (themselves) go to the website and view the products. I really don't like being sold too, and I don't want the viewers to feel the same; where already bombarded with advertising as it is.

Was originally going to have the Space Adventurer looking for
a fallen comrade.  

This page also displays a layout for a similar idea, but instead of the torch- the Space Adventurer was going to hold a ray-gun. This was changed as the previous poster already included a character holding a weapon. I didn't want the Space Adventurers to look or being characterised as violent, as they (in my fantasy world) are a mixture of Charles Darwin (scientific exploration), Giacomo Casanova (building 'relations' with the locals), Marco Polo (discovering trade links), and Lewis and Clarke (exploration of the natural landscape)- I guess in the same manner as Captain Cook's voyages in the HMS Endeavour. They explore rather than blasting ones lasers upon the inhabitants. If they could be personified though; they would be a mash-up between,

-Clint Eastwood as Blondie

-Sean Connery as James Bond
- Errol Flynn as Robin Hood 
-William Shatner as Captain Kirk 

-and lastly, Bear Grylls- just because.

The series would also be developed by Genndy Tartakovsky, but I go off topic.........

As you can see the images on the right- this
was the first incarnation of the idea.

The show would either be shown on Cartoon Network or during the Adult Swim block and have a similar visual style to Sym-Bionic Titan. The main protagonist will be Scottish and accompanied by a Scandinavian mechanic. Sorry. Again I drift off topic.... The series.... I mean the picture above shows the template of the image (bottom right) that was used for the line art. As you can see I was going to add a background, but then I remembered the image was set in pitch black- so that was quickly scrapped. Really like the purposed visual contrast between the illuminated areas of the torch and the background. This was one of the main reasons for the further development of this poster concept. 

This image contains the early development of the
Space Adventurer. This was used to guide the
line art in Illustrator.

One of the hardest parts of the image though was the possible hand placement of the Space Adventurer and the facial expression of the creature. Always wanted the Space Adventurer to hold a piece of fur, but had problems settling over how close it should be to the character's face. Any higher I had to compensate for the helmet and it would have also cut off majority of the face. The facial expressions were important for both characters, but more so for the creature. I wanted a hint of playfulness (like Sally from Monster's Inc), but not too much as the creature would look as if it would be going for a hug rather then a good feed. Colouring was fairly simple as I didn't have to worry about the background this time. The illumination of the torch was fairly touchy, but chose a flat light instead of placing shadows and gradients all over the place. This would have made the poster way to complicated for its own good.

Launched! (2012) poster. Line art.

Anyway, this poster was really awesome to make. It was a bit touch and go in some areas, but love how the characters have turned out, especially the creature. Certainly a big step up from the previous piece.

Thank you for reading.

The next article will be about the development of the The Robots Workers Union tee, one of the four shirts available in store.

Development: Headphones

Music is deeply personal and has been an important part of any generation. We cling to music as it kind of does define who we are and expresses what we feel and believe. The rockers and greasers of the 50's-60's had Elvis Presley, while the Mods had The Who. The 70's and 80's you could have been categorised as either a Punk, New Wave or a New Romantic. Can't really say I'm apart of a subculture or possess a great knowledge of music (like this guy), but I do know what I like.

Screenprint of the design.

Headphones was designed for all those who have a deep connection with music of any genre or decade. Music has a strange way of fusing with our emotions and our current state of mind. Pressing play and letting the burdens fall away, or getting that one song that expresses and gives a slightly better insight into our loneliness, happiness or anger. The iPod (or another portable media device of a previous music loving generation) has made music more personal and has allowed the music to be on a continuous repeat and at our control- this personalisation of music is what I wanted to capture.

A concept I did last year. Click image for larger view.

The image I did above illustrates some of my favourite artists and albums- they include Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, Astro Coast by Surfer Blood, Yuck by Yuck and lastly Gimme Some by Peter, Bjorn and John. On the back of each LP cover it lists a couple of my favourite tracks from each album.

Screenprinted tee.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that music is toe-tappingly awesome. Once the headphones are on we can't help, but go into a pleasure zone free from clutter. 

 Thank you for reading.

The next article will be about the development of the Launched! Poster (2012).

Mountainman- A 'Brief' Blurb

Mountainman logo. The name comes from a song by The Kinks on their album 'Muswell Hillbillies'

For the last four years I had the idea of starting my own business. Don't really like or want to call it a business, as the profits for Mountainman are not the objective.  I wanted to create and share what I was making, rather than being pushed along by the possibilities of $$$. I see Mountianman as a way to develop as a designer, illustrator or advertiser. It's a place where I have the ability to find my true calling and experiment with the things I want to do and like. It's a platform to push me creatively.

As stated above it was in the pipe works for the last four or so years, but it wasn't always called Mountainman or had the same objectives. It was called Yukiotees and it was created out of the want of accumulating currency. It wasn't based on the joy of making or developing- it was created on the bases of greed more than anything. The concept was pushed along for this want and died quickly within a year. Looking back on it I can't see the reasons behind it or how it even survived that long. Thankfully, it was never ever published, but it still somehow managed to take up a considerably amount of my time. It wasn't going to be anything special- simply dropping way below average, half-thought out designs on to tees.

When Yukiotees died I quickly moved towards a new venture- Manatees. One of many favourite animals and also a good novelty pun to base a t-shirt business off. Not sure what it was really or how it differed from Yukiotees. One can see Manatees as Yukiotees in sheep's clothing. Just as the name rang novelty so did the proposed tees. Rather not talk about them..... they were horrid. What Manatees and Yukiotees had in common though was how one dimensional they were- in both thinking and execution. To me they lacked craftsmanship, passion and creativity.

Craftsmanship, Passion and Creativity

The reason why Manatees and Yukiotees were never published was because I was never proud of it. They lacked everything that I would soon see as important in a project- but they did lead the way for Mountainman though. These three topics are just some insights in to Mountainman.

One of the early character showcasing the new style. Drew a lot of
inspiration from Genndy Tartakovsky's Sym-Bionic Titian.

Craftsmanship

My family comes from along line of carpenters, but I have never had the urge to pick up a hammer myself. The craft I wanted to get into was in the world of animation and advertising. This was something I really wanted to pursue; dropping anything to spend as much time drawing and doodling as possible. My reward for the hard work was seeing my skills develop and developing a style that I felt comfortable with. What I did get from my father however, was the need to make things and one of the main reasons why I got into screenprinting. Just simply designing dosen't feel right- I wanted to be apart of every stage of a Mountainman product.

Branson looking introspective. Really enjoyable read,
especially the early years of Student and Virgin Records.

Passion

Everything seems easier if you enjoy it- and that was certainly the case for Mountainman. Patience was tested, but I always knew that success would follow if I stuck with it. The only problem was trying not to force it out, rather letting it flow naturally in the form of 'Floating Vibes'. The importance of passion and persistance was reinforced when I read Richard Branson's autobiography Losing My Virginity. The book was actually a really surprisingly enjoyable and insightful read- where I use too think of Branson simple as just a billionaire playboy. Branson's journey and story is a true testament of following ones passion and persisting when all odds are against you. Not sure what Mountinman will be or become, but hopefully I'll always remain passionate in everything I do. 

A concept scene from a pipe-dream animation. Made last year. 

Creativity
When it comes to design and art, I have always pushed myself to do that little bit extra. Not for the extra grades or praise, but for the satisfaction I get from making and crafting something I can be proud of- even if its for a couple of minutes. Knowing I made something beyond my abilities and setting a new bench mark too surpass is my goal when I create something new. This satisfaction doesn't always come after a finished piece (and there has been times when I have become completely self destructive and overly critical), but this is where persistance comes into play.

Anyway, hopefully you see the craftsmanship, passion and creativity that went in to Mountainman.

Thank you for reading.

The next article will either be about the development of the Launched! Poster (2012) or the development of the design Headphones, one of the four shirts available in the store.

Development: Salaryman

Salaryman is the first t-shirt to be designed; way back in late 2010. This was (at the time) a test of my abilities and to experiment with some new techniques I picked up in Illustrator. In 2010 I was in two minds about the direction that I wanted to take for what would later become Mountainman- I was more focused on the web design then the actually product that would be sold.

Screenprint of the design.

The design is of course inspired by Japanese culture. My interest in Japan comes from my father who has worked for the Japanese for about 20 years. He always tells stories (along with photos) about his experiences working with the Japanese. I was also obsessed with Poke'mon- like most young children at the time. One of my main future plans is to spend sometime in Japan and see and experience it for myself. 

Development and refinement of the character. Started with a brush pen
image, then moved into Illustrator. The whole development of this design
spans over a year.

So, the image is of a Salaryman (サラリーマン), one of the primary workforces in Japan. What really drew me to do this design is the contrast in Japanese culture. Japan has this quirky persona and I really wanted to capture it. It's laden with tradition and a strong work ethic that surpasses many, but they have developed some of the greatest leisure and entertainment products of recent time. I spent most of my spare time as a child either playing on a Nintendo Gameboy (Poke'mon of course) or watching early morning anime (again Poke'mon). All my early drawings were of anime characters and also created my own Poke'mon cards. This was an obsession that was driven by my father's experiences; especially for someone who hasn't really ventured far from Adelaide. 

Early development.

The character was (at times) difficult to draw as I wanted a sly personality. Another aspect of the design I wanted was a brush pen look of manga- not sure if I achieved it, but fairly happy with the final result. One of the aspects I really like from the design is how the bottom half has merged with the character. As you can see from the development sketches It was something that was going to be troublesome. 

Screenprinted tee.

Anyway, I'm really proud at how the design tuned out as it has lead the way for my other tees. It stands as one of my milestones and a beginning in what would be the direction Mountainman would undertake. It would also be the first to be developed into a screen and printed. 

Thank you for reading.

The next article will either be about the development of the Launched! Poster (2012) or an insight of Mountainman.

Launch! (2011) Poster

This is the first poster made for Mountainman. The main reason (besides promoting) was to actually set a solid date for the launch as I find it hard to go through with plans. The theme behind the poster is Space Adventurer's as they are among one of my favourite things to draw and in effect has become a reoccurring aspects of future posters.  

As well as being something I like to draw; it is also something I draw on as a major influence in my work- using Genndy Tartakovsky's Sym-Bionic Titan and Ben 10 as constant inspiration and references. What I wanted to do was construct a story within each poster. This would be something new to me as I usual concentrate on character design rather than there possible involvement in an environment. The rocket ship works as a metaphor (I guess.....?) for Mountainman, either succeeding or crushed by alien tentacles before it could reach it's full potential. Man, it really sucks when that happens, but one has to avoid the negative and focus on the positive.

A page of sketches. One of a few, but the main one used for
the further development in Illustrator.

The sketches above are extremely rough, but Illustrator was used to produce cleaner and stronger line work. Illustrator allows me to develop the character further and gives me the ability to create lines that will contribute to the overall image, with the sketches acting as a blueprint. The red lead also helps, where the traditional leads made it harder for me to work on line art in Illustrator. I've been using the same tools for the last couple years- a Rotring 0.5mm mechanical pen and Staedtler lead, either red or blue. My mechanical pen is about four years old;  developing groves in the grip.

Illustrator line art. Moved into Photoshop for colouring.

Many aspects had to be taken into consideration when colouring the two separate characters, I also had to keep in mind that I was constructing a scene rather than a character. Wasn't the greatest experiences as Photoshop as the program kept crashing and truly tested ones patiences.

Coloured image. 

I coloured the two Space Adventurers first, as it would be easier to build the scene around them- tweaking areas if need be. After finalising the colour palette I transfered and placed the characters into Illustrator where the planned background was placed underneath.

Illustrator screenshot. 

Fairly straightforward, but colouring would be the hardest part of the piece. What made it harder was selecting a palette that would work with rather than constructing a strong contrast. The lunar surface was going to be more of a greenish teal rather than the grey selected. One of the more fiddle bits of the poster was the interaction between the rocket and the tentacles. The gradients from the flame and the shadows are definatly things I need to work on in the future. Another area that took up considerable amount of time was the variations in the lunar landscape; this gave the poster some needed depth.

The interaction between the rocket and tentacles. Colouring and final composition
was done in Photoshop.

Overall, fairly pleased at how the poster has turned out, but some areas I defiantly could have done better. However, this was a reasonably good first attempt at something new. This first attempt showed me the importance of planning and early development as one of the key areas that makes the process somewhat simpler and more fluid.

Thank you for reading.

The next article will be about the development of Salaryman, one of the four shirts available in store. 

Launched! (2012) What is this blog going to be about?

What is this blog going to be about? Mostly it's going to be used to post the development of Mountainman. The future posts will showcase what has gone into each of the designs and what I have in the works. The greatest thing about creating is seeing the development and the changes that went through to construct a piece. From the early developments with thumbnail sketches through to the publication of the final product. The development and story behind each design is just as interesting as the final product. 

This blog will hopefully communicate this. The first entry will look into the Launch! (2011) posters.