Paul Crump is a Graphic Designer based in London and a recent graduate from the BA Graphic and Media Design course at the London College of Communication.

Paul is a self-proclaimed ‘versatile perfectionist’ with a keen eye for detail and he produces clean, well structured design and graphics. Every element of his work is well informed and carefully thought through and he strives to challenge existing formats in an attempt to make them more engaging and eye-catching to the viewer.

During his time at university he also worked with Alexander McQueen and joined WhyNotAssociates as an intern straight after completing the BA course.

It (WhyNotAssociates) was a great experience working in a multi-disciplinary studio, any questions you had they were happy to help and let you work in the way that suits you best. The feedback given was very helpful to feed into my own practice.

At the moment I’m working on the identity for the textile designer Finchittida Finch who recently graduated from the Chelsea College of Art and Design.

I can vouch for his meticulous and strong work ethic and this has been recently rewarded with a First Class Honours degree and features on both the Creative Review and Grafik Magazine’s ‘Great Graduates’. Paul is pushing on with this momentum and has big plans around the corner:

In the future I would like to experience working in New York. It’s a place I love visiting and has a completely different atmosphere to London. A job at Pentagram would be amazing. Just working alongside some of the designers there would be a dream come true.

Paul has also recently setup partnerships with two other recent graduates as part of DIVIDEBYTHREE in order to push their work further as part of a team.

To find out more behind the projects featured check out www.paul-crump.com.
Twitter: @paul_crump

Rich.

New large illustration piece in the same theme of work I exhibited as part of my degree show.
“Nothing is more real than nothing” is a quote taken from Samuel Beckett’s 1951 novel ‘Malone Dies’.

‘Nothing is more real than nothing’
Limited run
70x100cm
by Rich Sheehan

Full passage: ”I don’t like those gull’s eyes. They remind me of an old shipwreck, I forget which. I know it is a small thing. But I am easily frightened now. I know those little phrases that seem so innocuous and, once you let them in, pollute the whole of speech. Nothing is more real than nothing. They rise up out of the pit and know no rest until they drag you down into its dark. But I am on my guard now.”

Take a closer look below:

You can check out more of my work in the art, design and illustration sections on SickManSick in the categories menu.

Rich.

Next Wednesday is an exhibition by MA Publishing students from LCC- a celebration of the all things printed and bound.

As part of this will be the launch of the ABC Book Project which I was involved in earlier this year. I was one of 26 illustrators each contributing an illustration of a designated letter of the alphabet with a short written paragraph/poem to accompany it.

Really excited to see the finished article so please come down to The Book Club and check out the event!

From the LCC website:

Date: Wednesday 20 July 2011
Time: 6.30pm onwards
Venue: The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH

Are you a designer, illustrator, photographer or photojournalist who has created a book or magazine?

If so, LCC MA Publishing students – the New Publishers 2011 group – invite you to participate in an exhibition and Pecha Kucha night to celebrate new self-published printed books and magazines.

If you’d like to take part contact newpublishers2011@gmail.com or visit www.publishingchallenge.com for more info.

Rich.

The Private View was last night for the LCC Graphic & Media Design: Illustration degree show at LCC. It was packed out and I hope everyone enjoyed it! It runs until next Friday 8th July and a full post is to come on the show and about this new work.

I’m exhibiting four different framed pieces including a new illustration print.
Here is a preview of that new one, packed full of detail and referencing dreams, nightmares, western and eastern mythology and folk tales. I have produced a limited number for sale in the original black and white and four other colourways; orange, pink, green and blue on heavyweight 250gsm Parchmarque paper.

Thank you to those who picked up a print last night-

A new online store is in the works and hopefully will be ready to go soon, in the mean time drop me an email- rich@sickmansick.co.uk for more info about the show and the prints.

Rich.

‘The Obdurate King’

Indigo Print

Heavyweight 250gsm Parch Marque Brite White paper

420 x 300mm

Prints available to purchase, contact-     rich@sickmansick.co.uk

Rich.

I have just finished university and our final deadline was last Monday.
Here is the first of a series of prints I completed as part of one of the projects.

The image is made up of skull lollipops interconnected and supporting each other to create a complex but fragile structure.

‘Obelion Structure’, Indigo Print on Heavyweight 250gsm Parch Marque Brite White paper, 420 x 300mm

I hope to set up an online shop soon to sell the limited run of prints I have, (5 of each) so check back soon.

Here’s a little snap of the print framed amongst some of the other work- full post on that to come.

Email rich@sickmansick.co.uk if interested in picking up a print.

Rich.

Here is a preview of some work I have been doing for the ABC book project.

26 Illustrators and Artists are each illustrating a letter of the alphabet and have been asked to write a piece of text to to accompany the image.

I was allocated the letter ‘O’.

Still a few tweaks to go and still undecided on final colourways but I’ll post more images and info on the whole project once it’s all finished but hope that’s enough to get you interested for now  :)

Check out www.abc-project.org for artists profiles and more information in the mean time.

Rich.

Last Friday I went down to the private view of Jucapinga’s first solo show in London, “Facing Kabu”. Set in the Old Police Station in New Cross, it is the perfect setting for Jucapinga’s work where we find ‘the relationship between good and evil, crime and order is presented sequentially and limited by frames’.

From Plasticina,

“Born in Portugal to Cape Verdean parents, Jucapinga presents his work in London for the first time.

His true passion has always resided in creating characters, illustrating them and using them as compositions in fiction. His influences are firmly connected with his roots, background and research from the street culture where he grew up, João Abel Manta’s brush strokes, Sebastião Rodrigues’ graphic designs, Vasily Vereschagin’s strong-message war paintings and the revolutionary inspiration of Amilcar Cabral. All this comes to life with the warm colours he uses and the ‘cut and paste’ technique which relies on simple but effective materials.”

I really loved the work and highly recommend to check out the show before it finishes on Friday 11th February!

“Facing Kabu” – Jucapinga

The Old Police Station

114 Amersham Vale

London SE14 6LG

http://www.jucapinga.co.uk/

http://plasticina.co.uk/

Rich.

Opening night THIS Thursday 8th April 2010: 6-9pm at East Gallery, 214 Brick Lane, London.

Exhibition runs until 21st April 2010.

“16 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS VERSUS FAMOUS SONG LYRICS”

It’s come around again all you music and type lovers! Welcome to LYRICS AND TYPE: VERSE 2 -
another international typographic screenprint exhibition from the creator of the award-winning
arts culture publication WOODEN TOY QUARTERLY (AUS) with support from the good folks
at VNA MAGAZINE (UK).

Following on from the success of the LYRICS AND TYPE: VERSE 1 zine project at Gorker Gallery
(Oct 2009), comes the exciting second instalment in the series of LYRICS AND TYPE projects at
London’s East Gallery. Combined with an all new formula and a ‘bass dropping’ array of artists,
LYRICS AND TYPE: VERSE 2 aims to feature interpretations of both famous, past and present song
lyrics by 16 leading international typographers, designers, artists and illustrators.

Each of the 16 selected artists have been carefully invited by Wooden Toy and VNA Magazine to
respond to a project brief and discuss with the public through its exhibition on the importance
of music ‘versus’ influence and personal inspiration.

FEATURING ARTWORKS BY & DISCUSSIONS WITH:

ALLAN SANDERS UK
DREW MILLWARD UK
EINE UK
I LOVE DUST UK
KEATON HENSON UK
MORNING BREATH USA
MR GAUKY UK
NATE HOLMES TRAPNELL AUS
NICK DEAKIN UK
NICOLAS TUAL FRA
NUMSKULL AUS
PUZLE AUS
STEPH SAYS HELLO UK
STEPHANE TARTELIN FRA
TIMBA SMITS AUS
WASTE UK

www.lyricsandtype.com

www.woodentoypublishingco.com
www.verynearlyalmost.com
www.eastgallery.tumblr.com

Rich.

Keith Thompson is a freelance artist whose work features in everything from books and magazines to film, tv and videogames. You really need to explore his website to understand how great this guy is- incredible concepts and ideas with awe-inspiring style and execution to each and every piece. I hope it’s clear to see why he is one of my favourite Illustrators working today. I was fortunate to catch up with Keith over a very busy new year…

SICKMANSICK: Hi Keith, thanks for joining us for an interview, what have you been working on recently? Would be interested to hear about your involvement with ‘Leviathan’ and the videogame, ‘Borderlands’.

Lately it’s all been Leviathan, specifically the second book Behemoth.
Anything to do with Borderlands is from over a year ago (which was late in the game’s development, since usually I’m involved right at the start.)  A lot of my work was on the core story.  A lot of that got shaved pretty thin, possibly to make time for the art direction revamp that occurred very late in development.

SICKMANSICK: Could you tell us a bit about working on Scott Westerfeld’s series ‘Leviathan’, how it came about and a bit about the process of producing the artwork for the story?

Scott dug me up while looking around for steampunk artwork.  From my perspective at the time, a lavish fully illustrated book mimicking those from the time in which it was set, sounded a little too good to be true.  Scott was awesome enough to really fight for the vision and managed to get it to happen.
The actual process of creating the book was extremely conducive for creating artwork, and work has been quiet and smooth.  In fact looking back on the complexities involved, especially in the early stages, shows what good luck was had.  The visual designs for the rest of the book were established very early on without the freedom of time to test them.  Since the books are being written as the artwork is created it’s also great that the two visions of the world of Leviathan are running parallel.

SICKMANSICK: I loved the ‘Leviathan’ advert which brings your illustrations to life by combining moving-image; could you tell us about how that was made and how much of your work is eventually realized in some form of moving-image? (View trailer here.)

The publisher, S&S, got Motherland (http://www.motherland.us/) to work that up.  I think everyone was definitely impressed with how it turned out.  Normally I would balk at someone chopping up my illustrations for a flash animation, but seeing those framed portraits emerge and fold open was really spot on.   Great sound work too, I love it when the sound work makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

SICKMANSICK: You have a remarkable ability to create whole new worlds and characters, what is your usual approach in order to produce a selection of illustrated characters or environments? Where do you source such inspiration?

I love getting the opportunity to really be idle and explore things in my mind.  I’m able to conjure up such persistent and intricate places to explore that it’s been a big source of fun since I was very young.   I’m voracious for enjoying other people’s imagined worlds, and I spend as much of my spare time as possible doing that as well.  When I work I simply schedule time to pace around thinking about interesting parts of a world and all the little details that would be compelling.  The real trick is gently directing these worlds to overlap something I have to work on so I can call on them for inspiration.

SICKMANSICK: I am familiar with the great work of ‘Visual Futurist’ Syd Mead. He is renowned for his incredibly thorough approach to Concept Art and Image Making. Is this very thorough approach something you share with your work process or do you feel the image-making process shouldn’t need to go to such rigorous lengths to become ‘justifiable’?

It depends on the overall approach to a collective work.  It’s very rare that a rich background and highly realised technical foundation doesn’t contribute hugely to a project’s worth.
The danger with heavy research and technical thoroughness is a stiffness and constriction of the
evocative elements in a work.  It’s important that the work is fluid and visionary, and that the technical parts support this core vitality rather than impeding it.

SICKMANSICK: What is your background as an Illustrator?

In highshool I worked at an animation studio (this is where I picked up the habit of using animator’s pencils.) I also started freelancing as an independent artist.  I studied Illustration at Sheridan College and simply continued freelancing during and after.

SICKMANSICK: For many years now there has been ongoing debate about the boundaries of Graphic Design, Illustration and Fine Art becoming blurred and transgressed by many practitioners; is this something you can identify with or have you had a strong focus with your work from the outset?

While there are definitely different concerns and disciplines in those general categories, I’ve always viewed them as a collective group of skills an artist would usually be interested in.   While I completely understand specialists in those areas bemoaning the sloppiness that comes with blurring boundaries, I really view those skills as fundamental aesthetic traditions and foundations that can only benefit from being expanded into more areas (despite initial dilution.)

SICKMANSICK: As a professional Illustrator and doing what I assume you love for a living, how does Keith Thompson like to relax when not at the drawing board?

I’m not great at relaxing these days.  I relax well when I really sink into sources of inspiration.  Just finished up the game Demon’s Souls which was unbelievably wonderful.  Anything that conjures up a really evocative atmosphere is something I love to lose myself in (books, music, games.)

SICKMANSICK: Who/What would be your dream client/project to work on?

Anything that gives me the opportunity to produce the most evocative work I can, unfettered from fiddling.  I’m really not picky on the details as long as the finished thing at the end is something I can then go and truly experience first hand.

SICKMANSICK: What does 2010 hold for Keith Thompson?

Not sure, I try to flow organically through what I do artistically at the moment.  Should be making some public appearance finally; things like Comic Con.

Thanks Rich!

-Keith Thompson

SICKMANSICK: Keith, Thankyou very much.

Check out Keith’s website www.keiththompsonart.com

Rich.