The Creative Condition podcast

Ep 73: Character design & development with writer & artist Karen McLeod

Fiction, non-fiction, TV shows, film, stage or real life experiences at the pub. No matter the medium, we all love a good character. But what makes us engage with them? Why do we loathe a good movie villain? What makes us cry when we know a sad moment in a book is not real and what gives you the best chance of succeeding in the world of graphic novels? Author and artist Karen McLeod joins me to talk about her alter ego Barbara Brownskirt, who has a series of upcoming live shows and has performed at the Royal Albert Hall. She takes us along on a fascinating journey, which led to her sitting at the bus stop, reading the world’s worst poetry to anyone who’ll listen. Why is it important to understand the backstory of our creations in order to inform what the reader or viewer will see and how much of yourself should you use in character creation? This is a fascinating insight with much valuable advice for anyone interested in creating literary, audio or visual characters in all disciplines. Send us your character ideas and creations @arrestallmimics on Twitterhttp://www.karenmcleod.co.uk/http://www.karenmcleod.co.uk/barbarabrownskirt.htmlhttps://www.brightonfringe.org/box-office/shows/view/who-do-you-think-you-are-barbara-brownskirthttps://twitter.com/kazzymcleod?lang=enhttps://twitter.com/BBrownskirthttps://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Search-Missing-Eyelash-Karen-Mcleod/0099507978

Ep 72: Andy Council on his mix of illustration & street art, trash monsters and the Bristol dinosaur

Andy Council is a multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator. His iconic dinosaur and monsters, built from cityscapes and trash are full of life, energy and a dry humour.I meet Andy to discuss his roots, the origins of his creature creations and the Bristol creative scene. He has some hilarious tales of public interaction with his works, whilst out working live.We talk about the balance the range of digital and large scale works and the smell of Montana 94. Mmmmm.....Get us your thoughts on Twitter @arrestallmimics and don't forget to review the show on iTunes!http://www.andycouncil.co.uk/http://www.illustrationweb.com/artists/AndyCouncil/viewhttps://twitter.com/andycouncilhttps://www.instagram.com/andycouncil/https://www.facebook.com/AndyCouncilArt/

Ep 71: Lucinda Rogers: Iconic award winning reportage illustration & travel tales

The work of Lucinda Rogers was pasted front and centre in my university workspace. Her expressive, loose reportage illustration left me in awe and eleven years after my graduation, she kindly gives me her time to hear her inspiring journey.We discuss drawing on location and the challenges, joys and oddities that come along with public working. Lucinda tells some great stories about working in new York City, Marakech and London.The importance of making sure we have great art directors and protecting London's creative scene are hot topics as one of the illustration industry's greats joins the show!Get us your thoughts and any of your own on location stories at @arrestallmimics on Twitter now!Episode 71 is supported by: http://illustrationweb.comhttp://heartinternet.co.ukhttp://printed.comShow notes:http://www.lucindarogers.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/Lucinda-Rogers-691769897581010/https://twitter.com/lucindadrawshttp://theaoi.com

Ep 70: Stephen Bliss on his iconic Grand Theft Auto artwork and his fantastic new creative evolution

Here are five things we learned about creativity from Stephen Bliss.Illustrator and artist Stephen Bliss moved to America to take on a job with Rockstar Games. Nobody could have envisioned the explosion of controversy that was the Grand Theft Auto video game series. I met Stephen in Brooklyn to talk about his journey pre-Rockstar, how it felt to be the man behind the cult video game artwork, and his fascinating new direction since leaving the company. New York City and its wealth of ripped subway posters have provided the basis for his stunning new large-scale originals and we talk about what it means to feed off the environment around you and why New York is so unique. Creating large-scale street art is something new to Stephen and we talk about breaking away from screens and how he's successfully transitioned to work on buildings. These are fascinating insights from a man who continues to set trends and move forward fast.http://stephenbliss.comhttps://illustrationx.comhttp://instagram.com/stephen_blisshttp://twitter.com/iamstephenblisshttps://www.facebook.com/stephenblissart/http://www.ba-reps.com/https://www.rockstargames.com/

Ep 69: Fancy a creative role in film/TV? Director David Cohen takes us inside film production

David Cohen, film director joins me to take us through The Lost Sands, his finalist movie in the Sci-fi London 48-hour film competition.See the film at: http://www.davidcohendirector.com/gallery-3/In a golden era of television and with mainstream movies reaching new levels of possibility, David pulls back the curtain to discuss what it takes to produce a film. He details the creative roles, what they mean and what is required of that person and the overall team.Set design, art-direction, direction of photography and sound are all covered and we talk about the advantages of disadvantage where budget and small crew numbers are concerned.This is must listen for anyone with aspirations of working in film.Get us your thoughts and own film production experiences over @arrestallmimics on Twitter.http://www.davidcohendirector.com/https://vimeo.com/davidcohendirector

Ep 68: Sandra Dieckmann shares the inside story of her brilliant debut children’s book ’Leaf.’

Illustrator Sandra Dieckmann returns by popular demand to talk about her debut children's book, Leaf. The story is an incredibly moving and visually impactful tale of acceptance, understanding, alienation and empathy, published by Flying Eye Books.Sandra's stunning array of colours, warmth, detail and natural world are showcased in spectacular fashion as we follow the journey of a polar bear who one day arrives unexpectedly in the woods, facing distrust, fear and isolation from the residents. She joins me to talk about the process of getting the book published, how she created Leaf and what challenges came with writing the story, ahead of its imminent release.Sandra is much loved in the world of makers and illustration and her second outing on the show gives us more invaluable insights into those industries and children's publishing.This is must listen for anyone interested in children's literature and conveying an important message through their work.Get your thoughts over to @arrestallmimics on TwitterPre-order Leaf NOW!!! flyingeyebooks.com/shop/leaf http://www.sandradieckmann.com/http://flyingeyebooks.com/http://nobrow.net/https://twitter.com/sandradieckmannhttps://www.instagram.com/sandradieckmann/https://www.facebook.com/DieckmannSandra/

Ep 67: From high-street employment to an independent art career. Angela Morris-Winmill shares all

Angela Morris-Winmill joins me to discuss her intriguing journey, switching from a successful career at the forefront of London high-street fashion, to working as an independent multi-disciplinary artist.Angela took bold steps in leaving the world of full-time employment to pursue her creative ambitions when the time was right. She talks about knowing when to make such a big change, the risks and challenges in doing so and how she went about making the leap.We also explore the idea that coming from a different background into the art world can be a huge advantage and how to recognise stand out skills leaned in employment. Angela's fusion of fashion, sculpture, painting and drawing has brought about unique results with a sexuality and character and we dissect the eyeballs, torso and anatomy of her brilliant work!Let us know if you'd like to switch from freelance to employment, vice versa or whether you have done so at @arrestallmimics on Twitter.http://www.angelamorriswinmill.com/https://twitter.com/sculptressbydayhttps://www.instagram.com/sculptressbyday/

Ep 66: Arsenal photographer David Price on being self-taught & maximising your passions

Pricey has been working as a photographer at Arsenal Football Club since 2002. He works in many areas of the club, for both the women and men’s teams and on the media side of the game. Self-taught, he worked his way up the ranks, beginning with a trainee role at Colorsport. For a man who admits he never really harbored any serious creative aspirations, his portfolio of football photography is second to none and loved by Arsenal and football fans globally. We discuss the lessons he’s learned along the way, the magic of the moment, the crucial balance of instinct and technical ability and why former goalkeeper Jens Lehman now refuses to play in goals! Let us know if you’re self-taught and favourite sporting photograph @arrestallmimics on Twitter.https://twitter.com/priceyd101http://arsenal.com

Ep 65: From education to the real world of the creative industry. Where and how do you start?

The transition from education to the harsh environment of the 21st century creative industry is not an easy one. Few of us know where we want to go or how to get there, even if we do.Hazel Mead, 3rd year illustration and fine art student at the University of Coventry details the experience, how she’s starting to build bridges into industry, hopes, fears and dreams. The lack of guidance upon entering the industry can be a culture shock and we discuss ways to help your self, make those crucial early connections and more.Get your experiences and thoughts over on Twitter @arrestallmimicshttp://hazelmead.wixsite.com/artisthttps://twitter.com/HazelMeadArthttps://www.instagram.com/hazel.mead/Graduate portfolio/support site: https://www.artsthread.com/

Ep 64: The iconic film & TV artwork of Paul Shipper!

Paul Shipper’s stunning film and TV artwork began with movie posters on a bedroom wall and inspiring trips to the video library in Manchester. His contemporary twist on a classic era of movie posters has earned him a following comprised of both cinema fans and industry icons alike.He joins me to discuss the journey, from being wowed by the artwork from such timeless films as Star Wars and Indiana Jones as a boy to joining Simon Pegg for movie premieres! Paul and I also discuss why digital is not a dirty word, his wonderful Carrie Fisher tribute illustration for Empire and upcoming Star Wars work.Get us your feedback over @arrestallmimics on Twitter.http://paulshipperstudio.com/https://twitter.com/paulshipperhttps://www.instagram.com/paulshipper/https://www.facebook.com/paulshipperstudio