Art = Good
Styrofoam cups = Bad

If I buy art that is on a Styrofoam cup, I am preventing it from becoming part of the increasing landfill. But eventually I will die and it will become part of the landfill any way… or will it live on forever reminding our future selves of the folly of non-recyclable containers. Or is the fact that the art is on a Styrofoam cup highlighting the ecological issues? What happens to the cups that go wrong? But then perhaps I over-think things…

Anyway, I saw his stuff again recently and I was reminded how much I like it. He does things in a variety of styles from Japanese hokusai, to realist, to his own random doodling style. But the cups are only part of what he does, if you check out his blog there is a whole other level of random fun to get involved with. In the same ilk as xkcd, it is an endless source of entertainment. Mixing the banal and the incredible and commenting on the idiosyncratic nature of everyday life. You can spend far too much time flicking through his journal and giggling to yourself, to get anything of any substance done.

So I figured with everyone needing to banish their January blues, I would share some of my favourites with you…

You can find all of Boey’s cups and blog based fun on his website, where you can also purchase a ethically confusing artwork for yourself.

Squidge Magazine: What have you been up to recently?

Emmanuelle Walker: I moved to Paris 2 years ago especially for the third year of specialisation in Animation Direction at Gobelins School.  Before that I was living in Montreal Quebec where I studied traditional animation in a three years programme at The Cegep du Vieux Montreal, and worked three years in the animation industry. Since a year now I have been working on a few commercials, TV idents, clips, in different commercial/post-production companies here in Paris.

SM: Après La Pluie was your graduation film from Gobelins, what sort of reception has it been getting from the festivals it’s been shown at?

EW: People seem to appreciate it.  We often receive kind emails and comment concerning ‘Après La Pluie’. It has been in a dozen of festival around the world, so we are pretty happy with that, even if we can’t afford to follow it everywhere! The film gets to travel alone now.

SM: What was the process behind the character designs?

EW: I made a first series of characters, with all its psychological attributes in mind, and showed it to the team. Then everyone told me what they thought about it, and I made a few more series of drawing with their comments in mind, until everyone was pleased by the final design.

SM: Your illustration style has a very relaxed, cheery feel to it.  Do you find it’s quite an easy thing to do or is it harder than it looks?

EW: Well it depends. Sometimes it’s easier, because I am more motivated. Also, the more the brief is precise, the easier it is.  But it also depends of the mood I am in at the time. But like anything, if you sit down and draw for a while, something nice will come out in the end.  Oh and finally backgrounds are hard for me to do, that’s why mine are always so simple… or missing.

SM: You’ve also done a lot of visual development and direction work for people like Virgin, Orange, Lacoste, Cartoon+ and Midas. Do they give you free rein with what you can do or are they quite specific about what they want?

EW: A lot of the things I have worked on were pitches, so they weren’t all developed in the end, but it depends of the client. When I work as a designer/director, they usually like what I propose at first, but in the advertising industry, there are so many stages of approval that it is rare to be free from A to Z. There will often be someone telling you that this is too green or not big enough or that the character on the bike has to wear a helmet. However, clients that trust you, and let you try things out exists… but it’s rare. I have worked on some projects that could have been clearer, and more coherent, but (I find) ended up going in all kinds of directions, because everyone (and often non creative people) needs you to apply their artistic advice. But this is advertising, you have to accept it, defend your ideas, and make the client trust you. That’s why I so passionate about my job!

SM: Having worked in both Paris and Montreal, do you think there’s a different mindset between the two?

EW: Yes. It’s two different cities, with two different mentalities and culture. With as much differences as resemblances. So obviously it’s different at work too. I prefer some of Montreal’s aspects, and others from Paris… It’s really hard to stop comparing… that’s the uprooted’s problem I guess.

SM: Are there any specific differences that come to mind?

EW: I don’t want to make generalities, here, but in France, people tend to be very direct and critical, and on the streets sometimes even aggressive. While Quebecers use a little more diplomacy to say things and are often more laid back and accommodating. With these in mind, I don’t think that working in Paris is a bad thing. On the contrary! Being surrounded by critical and frank people will push me to put more effort into my work and make me evolve faster.

But working in Montreal has its good sides too. I think people trust you more easily, as well as personally than professionally. When I was working at Spectra Animation on Toopy and Binoo series, the boss often asked me if I had personal projects I would like to develop. I nearly didn’t have any previous experience in the animation field at that point so I was surprised by his offer.

Also, I could add that it’s harder to approach new people and to make friends in France, but once you are friends, it’s stronger and true. On the other hand, in Quebec, it’s easy to talk to people in bars and on the streets, but you probably won’t see these people again. Some people I spoke with think of it as hypocrisy, I don’t think it is… you might be friendly with everyone, but you can’t be friend with everyone.

SM: What are you working on at the moment?

EW: I just finished working at Wizz. A communication and post-production company based near Paris, on an ‘Origami Star’ commercial for Orange. At the beginning I was on the development team. Then I worked as a 2D animator and did a little coordination as well. I am developing my own personal project at home, whilst taking new animation/visual development offers in different companies.

Emmanuelle’s portfolio site including acres of great sketchbook stuff is here. Her blog is here.

A short while ago I did a short introduction on Ed Clews, an artist based up in Yorkshire and an old friend of mine from my Uni days in Surrey, and he kindly did us some illustrations on the theme of ‘Squidge’. Now Ed has agreed to become a regular contributor, so I caught up with him as we talked about sly dick jokes, his love of pies and Brian May flavoured pot noodles…

Squidge Magazine: Hi Ed, can you tell the readers a little about yourself, what makes you tick?

Ed Clews: I’ve always drawn things and I like doing it, although I’m very conscious of artists being interviewed always saying “I’ve always been drawing since I was very small” as it comes across as the equivalent of bands being interviewed saying “I’ve always listened to Can/Nick Drake/Joy Division/whatever my parents supposedly listened to”.  Then again, I suppose you’ve got to start somewhere.

I did the usual art subjects at school and college, then went on to do a Packaging Design course at what was then the Surrey Institute of Art, which was the only place that would let me in.  It involved loads of drawing and drafting, so I would crowbar illustrations into all the technical analysis bits and hide dick jokes in the actual labelling – I made a pot noodle knockoff where one of the main ingredients was Brian May.

During all that time, I ended up drawing event posters for the Students’ Union, then worked on the gigs then more bits and ended up there on and off for about 5 ½ years.  I quit a few years ago then moved back to Yorkshire and have worked in all sorts of places since, until I got laid off in November and haven’t worked since.

SM: Can you tell us a little about your work?

EC: Most of my work usually starts out with a once sentence idea that I’ve scribbled down or noted on my mobile.  I carry a notebook around with me and just scribble down anything that comes to mind; 90% of it is utter bollocks and never gets used.  What I’m left with is usually some sort of joke or situation that I can draw out either in pen or direct into Photoshop, it doesn’t really matter which.

SM: Cool. Would you say you gave a certain ‘style’? Is it possible to label it in that way?

EC: I suppose the way I’m currently drawing has developed over the last two years or so, it’s quite textured and cartoony although if I see an aspect of another style I like I’ll give that a try as well – it usually merges into something nice and tangential.  Some of the stuff can be quite quick and flippant, others I can spend a day or so on just dicking around with the background.

SM: Do you have any major inspirations from the art world?

EC: I liked Great Pop Things when it was in the back of the NME.  I read bucket loads of stuff; newspapers, books, anything online and usually see if they spark ideas off.

I also tend to read lots of artists blogs.  There’s been a massive explosion of them in the past few years and some of them have really gone at it with gusto.  There’s a whole range as well, from people who work on feature films like matte painters, fashion designers and the like to someone who makes pottery mice and sticks it online.  B3ta is always worth a look as its people just doing it for a laugh, never mind whether it looks cack handed or not.  Plus they always appreciate a dick joke on there.

SM: Pie or Cake? Discuss…

EC: Pie will always win over cake for me, although I do like a nice Eccles cake.  I’m spoilt for choice here as you still get proper butchers making their own pies around here – a meat and tater from the Crag goes down a treat.  I started a pie blog with some friends after a meeting of minds in the pub but its sort of ground to a halt.  I think we’re too busy stuffing our faces to actually write about it.

Awesome. Hopefully you all now know a little bit more about how Ed ticks, which is good, as his first contribution will be up shortly. Until then, you can check out his portfolio here.