More art, but starting to focus more on graphic design

I worked a bit more on my canvas last week, unfortunately the picture I took of it was when it was drying, so the blue colour in the middle looks a lot lighter than it actually is:

I spent about another 1.5 hours on this from last week. I'm happier with the clouds on this now, as at least they look like clouds, but I still need to add more shadows and highlights, rather than them just being a flat purple colour!
Something from my first picture of this as well is that initially it looked more like a sunset, and it's actually a sunrise, adding in a little of the green to the sky has helped with this.
However, on this day when I painted it I wasn't happy with the colours at all, eventually I gave up for the evening (rage-quit!) as it was making me more and more frustrated. I've yet to go back to it, I tend to paint on a Sunday at the moment, but we have another Bank Holiday tomorrow, so I will probably paint tomorrow.

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I've come across a website called Briefbox, which is where they post fake briefs to give designer something to practise with. I was over the moon when I found this, as I've been struggling to create briefs for myself to keep me busy and boost my portfolio. So this afternoon I've worked on a cafe menu, and the initial design only took 20 mins (which I think is a bad thing). However the brief said they wanted the new menu to reflect the qualities of their cafe (and to be 3 colours max): relaxed ambience. So I opted for a simply elegant design:

I did toy with the idea of adding a watermark, but the 'simple' design I came up with just looked like a child had done it, so I scrapped that idea. I've submitted it to Briefbox anyway, and I'll upload it to my portfolio too.

Week in week out I'm applying for graphic design job near where I live. I thought I might've been in with a chance at one job, but after speaking to the agency the design house wanted someone with good HTML & CSS knowledge. I only have basic HTML knowledge, and no CSS knowledge, so guess what I'm learning now! It seems graphic designers in this country seem to be a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to graphic design, not only does it encompass graphics, but web design, design for social media, etc. Good job I like learning new things!
The agency called me back and said they may be willing to train someone too, so here's hoping I get an interview!

I haven't worked any further on my logo yet, although I think I know what names I'm going to use. I think now I've done something for Briefbox (and my portfolio) I'll get working on my logo.

Anyway, as I've been teasing for weeks, please find below my original logo design:

Why does everything on this blog make white backgrounds slightly grey?

However I didn't like the name as:
1) It was too '90's'.
2) It reminded me of my old places of work

Also, (and again not sure if I've mentioned this), my partner and I think we've finally thought of a company name to run our own mobile catering business, so I get to design not one, but two logo's!

So I have plenty to be getting on with next week, hopefully I'll have a bumper crop of pics to show! 

Starting my landscape piece & Schoolism

Well, what a wonderful week of weather we've had here in Blight! (That isn't sarcasm) We've been going for a walk every single evening, so I've not had any time to do art or research going freelance this week! That and the fact I committed to spring cleaning the house the next weekend we have crappy weather (which is this weekend).

I did however start my new painting on Sunday last week, as we didn't get the internet back until Monday. I bought a new easel from our local stationery shop, and now I have something to rest my canvas on.

I've had an idea for painting a bigger picture for a while, and last Sunday I had this dilemma with my spare time in the evening; play South Park's The Stick Of Truth, or start my painting, so I did the latter, and I'm glad I did:



Believe it or not that's supposed to be a sunrise!

I've spent 2 hours on that piece so far, acrylic on canvas, and I'm hoping to work on in some more today. I did do another piece before this, on a tiny canvas, it was a Formula 1 car, but I forgot to take a photo of it (I'm writing this at the in-laws so no option to take a photo either), and it's rubbish, I could not get the cockpit to look right! I'll post the picture next week.

I've also signed up to Schoolism's Kickstarter campaign, where I get 2 months' of access to one of their online courses. I've been interested in Bobby Chiu's stuff for a while, so it's great he's making his courses so affordable.