Rebecca Morris

Red Rock & Illustration Rally Competition

2011-12-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

A fashion illustration entry for Red Rock fashion:

House of Illustration Festive Competition

2011-12-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

My entry :) "Joyeux Noël"

Elizabeth, Audrey & Grace.

2011-10-09T10:53:00.001-07:00

A series of three illustrations that I'm currently working on, based on the empowerment of women in 1950's & 60's cinema. They will work alongside my thesis, which I weirdly can't wait to get started!

My illustrated book made it into the press!

2011-08-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

The book, Sarah Jayne has Staring Moments, that I was commissioned to illustrate was covered by the local press! The journalist came to the opening night of my exhibition and interviewed me and the author, hopefully giving us a closer shot at getting it published. Find the article here.

The Newest Addition to the Collection

2011-08-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

I spent today creating this illustration, just as a personal piece. I have my issues with it, but it's all practice!

Experimenting with Kuretake pens

2011-08-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

Handmade Portfolio

2011-08-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Made from an old paintbrush box and brought to life using fabric, buttons and ribbon!

New Sketchbook Work

2011-08-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Baking beats boredom any day!

2011-06-24T09:21:00.001-07:00

Cassini Club @ FAC:251, July 2011

2011-06-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Follow me on Twitter!

2011-06-22T07:01:00.001-07:00

Follow @rebeccamorrisx

My Exhibition, June 2011

2011-06-22T06:38:00.001-07:00

Still up for another week or so if you'd like to have a look, at The University Centre, Blackburn.

Sarah Jayne Has Staring Moments

2011-06-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

I was contacted and asked to illustrate a story written by a local author, based on her little girl. The story educates children about epilepsy - in particular absence seizures - by following Sarah Jayne through her time at school.

Sophie & Milo - My Children's Book

2011-06-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

As part of my degree I decided to write and illustrate a children's book. My brief was simply the folowing - 'Visualise the development of creativity and drawing within children.' This left my options quite wide open...

The inspiration for my book came from my initial research into children and creativity - when speaking to a social worker I discovered that 'Art Therapy' is a technique used by professionals to help children either tell their story, or relieve their emotions through art activities.

My book aims to encourage children to draw, paint, etc and escape the real world for just a short time.

Although it has been written with children with a history of abuse in mind, it can also be enjoyed by all children irrespective of background.

Bluegrass Festival Backstage Pass

2011-06-22T06:11:00.001-07:00

An assignment set at university, I had to create a backstage pass suitable for a bluegrass festival.

My finished piece is simple but effective - the design is focused around the banjo, and the strings work as both a decorative feature and a practical one as they loop around to create a neck tie.

Anthologies Commission

2011-06-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to illustrate a poem written by a local author, as a contribution towards an anthology based on my hometown of Blackburn that will hopefully be published this summer.

The poem itself is about an encounter with a drunk in the library, so I felt that a collage of book pages, covers and library stamps worked well to suit the theme.

Cassini Club Poster, April 2011

2011-06-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!

2011-06-17T15:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay, I've been extremely busy over the past few months with all of my projects and my exhibition.

I'll post a few pictures and a quick update of what I've been up to soon...

Cassini Club t-shirt, up on Etsy

2011-02-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

I recently designed Cassini Club's first t-shirt, and first piece of merchandise.

You can get yours here.

Rob Ryan at Leeds College of Art

2011-02-25T12:58:00.001-08:00

So I spent the last day of my half term as well as I possibly could - after a very long train journey I found myself in Leeds waiting to see Rob Ryan do a short 'informal talk' (I can't really call it a lecture) about his work.

The talk was more chatty and relaxed than I expected, and I enjoyed every minute. I learned many things about Rob and his work, and found him to be a really down to earth guy. They say you should never meet your heroes, but I'm really glad I met this one.

After his talk the questions came and I found it hard to think of one due to the detail he went in to, but nevertheless I plucked up the courage to ask if he had any tips for me with respects to the children's book I have been asked to illustrate, and he gave me some very valuable information.

I managed to get my book, 'This Is For You' signed by him at the end which made my day, and then went to counteract my nerdiness by visiting the Spice Girls exhibition on at Leeds Museum - I can not believe how infatuated I was by those girls when I was younger...

New Rob Ryan screen print, in aid of Haiti

2011-02-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

Taken from Rob Ryan's blog:

http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com/

As you all know, just over a year ago on 12th January 2010 Haiti was hit by a catastrophic earthquake and 13 months later, the country is still in need of so much help. To try and do my bit to raise some money, I’ve designed and printed a brand new limited edition screenprint which will be sold on Etsy and in my shop, Ryantown on Columbia Road. The price will be £200 and with Paypal and Etsy fees from the online sales subtracted, this leaves at least £186 going straight to the Haiti causeper print sold. If we can sell the whole edition of 200 of these, we could raise over £37,000.
The print reads: ‘We are all part of each other and this is my promise, I won’t pass you by and I won’t ignore you and look the other way but I’ll help you build your nest again. This is my promise’

Prints will be available to buy from Etsy on Friday and Ryantown on Saturday.

Cassini Club at Factory, Manchester!

2010-12-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

I got the once in a lifetime opportunity to create a poster for a gig at Fac 251: Factory, Manchester... The pressure was on! I'm not sure how pleased I am with the result, I think I expected it to turn out a little better than this.

New card designs by Izzie Klingels

2010-12-15T10:45:00.001-08:00

I just love these new cards by Izzie Klingels, hopefully soon I will own a few of them and they will take pride of place on my walls! I love them too much to give them away...!

These designs and more are available to buy at her Etsy store, just follow this link:

http://www.etsy.com/people/LYDEX?ref=pr_profile

And follow her Tumblr here:

http://lydex.tumblr.com/

Happy Birthday to me...

2010-12-13T13:01:00.001-08:00

It was my birthday yesterday, and I got some amazing presents... But this one really stood out! I can't bear to eat it, it's too beautiful!

Rok Pool Photography Competition

2010-12-09T11:42:00.001-08:00

I've just entered a competition (courtesy of my sister!) that requires photographs from any source of music - live gigs, people busking in the streets, etc. These are the photos I entered, all taken of Cassini Club at different venues:

Dry Bar, Manchester

41 King Street, Blackburn

Lino Cutting

2010-12-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at lino cutting - the first image was my first try, and even that turned out better than I expected! I am so impressed with the result as I love the technique, and I will be using it alot more in the future. I decided to come up with a more refined design, so with it being winter I decided on a reindeer - always useful for Christmas cards! I experimented with different surfaces - the acetate and the bronze paper proved to be most successful.

Graphic Novel Style Illustration

2010-12-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

This was another quick brief set for my illustration module, however this time we had to used mixed media to illustrate a piece of text we had been given. It had to be a gritty, graphic novel style so I used pen and ink, tracing paper, airbrush techniques, paint and cardboard to create this effect. The text was about a man being trapped inside a psychiatric hospital, with someone constantly hidden inside his head, mocking him.

Ghandi Caricature

2010-12-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

This was a quick brief set for my illustration module, where I had a week to decide on a well-known figure and illustrate them as a caricature. I had many ideas so I sketched them out roughly to see who would work best according to features, clothing etc. I didn't expect Ghandi to be my final choice, but when I sketched him the drawing made me laugh so much that I had to choose it!

A bit about me...

2010-12-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Firstly, welcome to my online portfolio - I hope you like what you see. My name is Rebecca - I have studied a National Diploma in Graphic Design, and am currently in my second year at the University Centre at Blackburn College. The course I study there is a BA(Hons) in Design, specialising in Illustration and Animation.

I am a very committed person, and I am very passionate about design despite my age and amount of experience. I avidly collect design/illustration based books (I own around 50), and I read magazines such as Creative Review, Computer Arts and Design Week regularly. I am also a big fan of the Guardian, and read it weekly. I find that these sources really help me creatively, and can be great inspiration for different assigments I may have to complete.

I find influence from many different sources; books, magazines, TV, the internet... even when I'm out and about. My favourite illustrators do change regularly, however at the moment I am really interested in 1960's illustration, such as lifestyle, and book jackets. I am particularly enjoying looking at the work of Brian Sanders and Frank Haselar.

Through studying Graphic Design I was introduced to illustration, and have been excited by it ever since. My ambitions at the moment are to become a freelance illustrator, however I am not sure what area I would like to specialise in. I also like to experiment within animation as I feel that it can really enhance my studies, but I do not like to be too heavily based on this subject. I am hoping that in the near future I will begin my career, creating exciting new outcomes and meeting interesting new people.

Please find a short insight into each piece of work I have displayed below the image.

Thanks!

More sketchbook drawings...

2010-12-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

Life Drawing

2010-12-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

This is the result of my first ever life drawing class, using conte crayons. I must admit, it looks much better than I anticipated.

These images are from my second class, where paint was introduced. I was forbidden to draw in pencil first, which is something I always do to reassure myself, however I'm quite please with the result. The use of paint was to roughly highlight areas of dark and light.

Sketchbook Drawings

2010-12-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Some examples of my sketchbook work.

Local Band Identity & Promotion

2010-12-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Local band Cassini Club approached me and requested that I design a logo, and several posters for their upcoming gigs. I studied the band whilst on and off stage, and feel like the pieces I provided them with are relevant to their image, style and personality. They have many different influences, and each one of them is different from the next. Their stage performances are lively and energetic, and I feel that the designs I came up with encompass this well.

5 Second Story

2010-12-04T06:29:00.002-08:00

Five Second Skate Video... from Rebecca Morris on Vimeo.

The aim of this brief was to communicate something in a five second video. Most of my time during this project was spent planning and storyboarding, until I finally came up with my concept.

Animated Self Portrait

2010-12-04T06:29:00.001-08:00

Stop Motion Self Portrait from Rebecca Morris on Vimeo.

The aim of this project was to create a moving self portrait of any kind. I decided to use stop motion animation, as that wasn't something that was touched on during lessons. I wanted to experiment with this technique to give myself a broader view of animation. I simply assembled the pieces of paper, taking photographs at every step, and assembled them using Apple Motion. I then added music to make it more interesting.

3D Stage Set in Apple Motion

2010-12-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

Bella's Playroom - 3D Stage Set from Rebecca Morris on Vimeo.

This animation was done during my time at the University Centre at Blackburn College. It was created as an introduction to Apple Motion, and the effects that using three dimensional stages can produce. The brief did not state that any animated characters or audio should be used, however I completed my work before deadline, and used the time to enhance the animation.

Local Hairdresser Logo Commission

2010-12-04T06:27:00.001-08:00

This was a commission by a local hairdresser, to produce a bold logo that communicated her profession quickly, to the correct target audience. She was thrilled with the result.

Creativity Works in Business Nomination

2010-12-04T06:25:00.001-08:00

In 2009, I was nominated for the Creativity Works in Business award, for the issues of a fanzine that I had created as a self initiated project. It featured interviews with established illustrators such as Izzie Klingels and Dan Mumford, and also featured the work of local art students, articles and images. I was in close contact with Izzie Klingels, and still am today.

Salford University Competition Winning Illustration

2010-12-04T06:24:00.001-08:00

This illustration was created from just three simple shapes for a short brief at college. It was then entered by my tutor into a competition hosted by Salford University, and I was invited to attend the awards ceremony as I had won the illustration catagory.

Packaging

2010-12-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

For this brief, I had to come up with a clever and contemporary name for a cafe, and design the packaging that would be used there. During the development stages, I came up with the idea of 'Food Guru' - somewhere that encourages you to eat healthily, but will forgive you if you fancy a sweet treat once in a while. I based my idea on the 'Confuscious Says' theory, and came up with quotes that reflected the cafe's ethos. The logo was devised using simple shapes and colours, and reflects the indian culture, linking to the guru aspect. Each product was carefully considered, and the logo was changed appropriately to suit each; for example, the logo on the curry sauces changed humorously to reflect the heat of the sauce. I feel that I looked at this brief in a different way, as I didn't want to just produce every day packaging that didn't really stand out.

Children's Story Book

2010-12-04T06:14:00.000-08:00

During this assignment, I was required to write an effective children's story, illustrate it, and create the book myself. The concept for my story was acheived quite early, and thanks to my young nephews, I had received some useful feedback. The story was about a bird living in the city, who found a shoot growing in the pavement and wanted to help it grow. After much trial and error, I decided I wanted to illustrate this book using three dimensional sets built from paper. This was very time consuming, but also extremely enjoyable. After planning each scene, building and photographing it, I added the type to each layout and printed my pages. After a couple of short lessons in bookbinding, I glued my pages, together with a hard cover, and created a dust cover that suited the theme of the story. This was made from felt, and attached to the book using two poppers on the inside of each cover, making it fully removable. As I finished with a lot of time to spare before the deadline, I decided to create a presentation box and some other items that could go with my story. I created a packet of seeds, a plant pot. some children's gardening tools, and a small stuffed toy.

The Book of I

2010-12-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

The aim of this brief was to develop and create a book that reflected our personalities - every page based on one statement beginning with "I..." During the development stages of this project, I experminted with many different styles and techniques, finally producing each separate page. My preferred technique was to hand render the images, and the only digital process was scanning and printing.

Type Anatomy Postcards

2010-12-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

This was a task set over the Christmas break, with no tutor guidance at all. I was required to produce twenty-five postcards, each with an image that explained a piece of typography terminology. The method I used was to cut out every element by hand, with a scalpel, and arrange them in a way that would make the definition clear, but also be aesthetically pleasing. Each piece was photographed, and I assembled a matching case for the postcards to be collected in.

Illustrative Vinyl

2010-12-04T06:09:00.001-08:00

The aim of this project was to create an illustrative design on a vinyl portraying a song of choice. My decision was Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush, and I focused on creating an eerie mood, as you would associate with the moors. I began by painting my vinyl white, and then roughly brushed on moody shades of blue and grey. I then worked into this base with pastels to create a foggy look. The type and the tree were applied using a photocopy, and rubbing the reverse with paint stripper. After this was applied, I finished by adding slight amounts of pink and yellow, to add an area of interest. When I had finished the piece, I encountered a 'happy accident'; as I proceeded to spray the surface with fixative, the nozzle was broken and the substance created rain-like droplets on the vinyl.

Stationery Set for an Acupuncturist

2010-12-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Each student was given a different occupation, and had to produce a creative and thoughtful stationery set that could be sent out to customers, business partners etc. The profession I was given was Acupuncturist, and after much development work, my final design consisted of a digitally arranged logo made up of tiny dots, and a row of embossed circles that represent (in a sophisticated way) the use of needles during the practice. The card stock was an off-white colour, and the type was a duck egg blue - these colours were chosen to communicate the calm, relaxed environment of an acupuncturist's studio.

CD Cover, Booklet and Sleeve

2010-12-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

Another first year brief was to create a CD cover, booklet and sleeve for a band of my choice. I decided to redesign a Feist album, as I felt that this band worked well with the illustration style that I chose to use. I painted a wet A4 sheet of watercolour paper with red and yellow ink, and used the mask tool in illustrator to create shapes of flowers and other elements that I had scanned in and traced.

Self Portrait (in the style of a contemporary artist)

2010-12-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

This was an assignment set in the first year of my BTEC course. The brief was to create a self portrait illustration, in the style of a contemporary artist - in this case, Stina Persson. I simply painted the image onto wet watercolour paper using inks, and added the white-out ink splashes digitally.

Blackburn with Darwen Health Centre Brief

2010-07-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

A snippet...

A lovely find...

2010-02-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

I received a link to this video in an email ealier today - this lady is the winner of 'Ukraine's Got Talent' and rightly so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg

Cassini Club at Dry Bar...

2009-10-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of my favourite photographs from the night... Hope you like them!

Latest Assignment...

2009-10-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

This is my final piece from a brief we received at uni. The aim was to convey the phrase 'Cut a Fine Figure' using just 1 A4 sheet of paper... I decided to go for a silhouette of a female figure, first drawing up the design and then using a laser cutter to cut out all the delicate details. Sorry about the photo quality..!