Well you tried it just the Once (nsfw)

 and found it alright for kicks, and now you finding out that it's a habit that sticks... The opening lines from the Buzzcocks debut single.The front cover which was very controversial and very famous for featuring a nude lady with an ironing board for head and hearts for nipples. A song and piece of design I value very highly as one of the finest pieces of punk graphic design. The collage originally created by Linder Sterling, but designer Malcolm Garrett change it to blue monochrome.

This piece being the influence it was I decided to do a pastiche of it to sharpen up my photo collage skills, something I have not done in a while. So if you are in a place of work or just don't wanna see something that could be considered distasteful don't look below. Only problem is these images is they look very dance orientated instead of my punk pastiche but I still feel that they are funky. The colour choices are available here two different varieties.

Concrete Jungle

Bloc Party can hunt for witches and I can hunt for work. I have been messaging companies on companies asking if they need any work doing. I have been asking; cafe's, Bar's and anywhere that I can think of. I got a number of rejections but one reply was from the biggest clubs in Carlisle, concrete. They wanted two posters both in quick succession. One for a UV Party and one for a Battle of the Halls event both to be held at their low ceiling venue. Glad they liked the style of them as it's something different to the standard club night poster. 

Doing Good out of Something Horrible

My most successful set of posters to date. In another attempt to promote mental health awareness, I used a set of found photos from my late grandmothers house and put some "inspirational" text over it. So in some of these ways these are a dedication to her. Mental health awareness is something that I care about deeply and at every opportunity I will raise it's awareness.

I consider these the most successful posters because on social media they have reached five "shares", 10 likes, as well as positive feedback and inquiries about usage from multiple sources.

Watching You, Watching Them

Rave like no one is watching.

This is a song by Jamie XX, a great song by Jamie XX. A man on a mission to bring back house music to the fore. A member of The XX; that really cool band which hipsters love. Nevermind that. This is a poster that could be used for one of his DJ nights (if he has them). I like designing night club posters and this one is one of my personal favourtes.

1979

A lt happened in the year 1979. It's the year that for many people killed off punk, with the rise of post punk and the nail in the coffin was London Calling by the best band in the whole world ever The Clash. It saw debuts from many of the established punk bands that are still around today, or at least the ones who split up when punk died and then re-emerged due to the bank manager knocking on their door.

One of the main figures in the music scene, a man responsible for giving a lot of early press to punk and new wave was mr John Peel. Who turned my dad as well of a lot of young people at the time onto The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, The Jam, The Ruts and The Undertones as well as rock classics and dub cuts. I have never paid this man a tribute apart from once on instagram cos I didn't know how to and then I came up with this and it seemed to work a treat.

So above you see before you the festive 50 of 1979 in the cut out and facial hair of the true man myth and legend Mr John Robert Parker Ravenscroft OBE aka John Peel. Thank you for the music

Go Explore, I dare you

People need to get out more. I say that as a designer who spends most of his time inside spending all of his spare time in my room designing away or looking for work. but yeah I admit it. Going out in the open air, walking the hills or on the beach. I should do that, so people like me need motivation to get on up. Using exclusively type, cos that's my thing at the minute, I aim to motivate people to get out and enjoy themselves. If you feel motivated to do something, anything, go outside and breathe in the winter air then proceed to walk. 

Walk out to Winter

 

 Illustrator is not my strong point but this was good practice. I had the idea while being ill myself to come up with the best ways to have fun while you are ill and these where the best ones that I came up. As you can see that they are very clearly inspired by the original itunes and iPod advertisements. simplicity was very key in this as well as recognizably.

Try these out next time you are ill or have a cold and PS don't blame me.

a boxing match with yourself

My favourite female musician of recent years who just records such beautifully simple but quirky songs. I have designed for this aussie before, sending her my previous poster of her work and getting a response. still fan girling. but this is a clash of her two best known songs, set up as a boxing match poster as each of the songs could be perceived as a persona or guise that she has. The black and white colours are a reflection of all of the design that she has done is of this nature. The images have the spotted treatment cos they needed something extra and a little Lichtenstein goes a long way.

PS her new album is coming out soon. *faints due to over fan girling*

Christmas then Birthday

Later on today my super uber mega fabulous mother will be receiving this marvelous birthday card done by me. The first piece that i have ever done to feature the font "Langdon".  Welcome to my favourite font category. It's a joke traditional that has developed into an obsession of mine, making e cards for family and friends. I hope I don't forget yours.

Alphabetter

 The alphabet. letters used to spell the words that we say and the words that we write. Not universal to every culture but the 26 letters are the letters of my culture. stretching from A to Z. letters are universal to everyone in this culture but typeface and presentation is not. Handwritting is different depending on the person, typeface preferences also vary person to person and I now here you ask why are you saying all of this.

I before new year went a little bit mad and using the idea of negative letter spaces, outlines only. made posters of letters, letters of the alphabet. starting with the first 6. colours change, layouts change, but treatment remain the same. the result varies and some interesting ideas have been achieved and garnered, i am not one to blow my own trumpet but these are good posters me thinks.

click to investigate them closer or just see the madness from the distance you see them now.

are you TALKING to my HEADS?

this band are a constant stream of influence every time you put on a record of theirs you hear something new even on the 20th listen. Speaking in Tongues is the best. anyway... these are the result of my last listening session to remain in light and fear of music. "Stop Making Sense is one of the best lyrics from a song ever. Life During wartime is one of the best songs from them. I implore anyone to have a fear of music the thing that I love more than anything apart from the obligatory friends and family.

A clean fresh colour scheme that resembles the sound you hear when you first hear the band. the white space that resembles the minimalism involved in their compositions and the typeface, it's just a beautiful typeface that I used to hate.

No Future

I am gonna set the scene. what if four of the countries most hated politicians formed a band and put party differences aside to play politically charged songs for the people. what would they be called? who would play what? what songs would they play? actual answers don't exist. because this could not and will not happen. but if it did the above would surely be the result.

Band name: No Future
Members:

• Ed Millibanned : Vox
• George the Unborn : Guitar
• Nigel Sabotage : Bass and Vox
• Theresa My Not : Drums

Songs: TBC

I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing

I wouldn't normally do think kind of thing is a thing, the Pet Shop boys once said and they are wise people. I, taking advice from them are saying this now because this is out of the ordinary. it is not normal for me to talk about social media because I am still not a big fan of it's use. I am more about the physical pressence but needs must.

I am using this post to promote my facebook page. I have already made you beautiful people aware of my website, a thing that I am very proud of and is for all intent and purpose a portfolio. My facebook is a platform where I can talk to you, the public, my friends and family, show off experiments. Very similar to this, my blog, but it means not leaving the comfort of Facebook. So if you have an account on this platform go ahead and drop me a like. I will love you forever. it has just had a rebrand so hopefully you'll find it pretty. Click the image below to get to it;

Happy new brrrrr

I am currently 2015ing it up in the middle of Northumberland in a hut with le family and dogs. Well the dogs are the family but you get the picture. Its raining its pouring and I had a cold night sleep. Hence the title.

This is just a review post. Last year was the year this blog "started", got my first 1st at uni with a 92 and made a dog for a uni brief. I've
Lost family, gained friends and have 12 months ahead of me to make 2015 count.

Remember my website is up jamesreaydesign.co.uk

Thanks for reading my ramblings.