GRADUATE WORK- PICTURE BOOKS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

Here’s a look at some recently released and upcoming books featuring work by BA and MA graduates;

Graduate JAMES OSES (who now teaches on Middlesex’s Foundation Course) recently illustrated British Cheese on Toast, a new release from HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP featuring over 100 recipes of the classic dish by Steve Parker.

Find more of James’ work online;

Website | Twitter | Instagram

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As well as our Illustration BA, Middlesex also runs an MA specialising in Children’s Books and Graphic Novels. This year sees the release of graduate FLORIAN GROSSET’S The Chagos Berayal which she wrote and illustrated as her Final Major Project for the course;

Through the book Florian examines the poverty and discrimination suffered by the Chagos Islanders when their eviction by the British enforced US military control of their Indian Ocean home. It charts the present-day diaspora of Chagossians, their fight for the right to return through protests and court cases, and the different strategies still being used to keep them away from their land. 

The Chagos Betrayal is available for pre-order now.

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Also available for pre-order is the latest picture book illustrated by 2013 graduate DANIEL DUNCAN;

Written by Mara Rockliff and published by Penguin Random House, The Girl Who Could Fix Anything tells the story of Beatrice Shilling, a woman whose brilliance and mechanical expertise helped Britain win World War II through her ingenious engineering.

Find more of Dan’s work online;

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

GRADUATE WORK ROUND-UP: OCTOBER

In this post we’ll be looking at some recent commissions, campaigns and new releases from our past students.

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THE CANDY MAFIA

Graduate DANIEL DUNCAN was commissioned to illustrate Lavie Tiehar’s new early reader’s book THE CANDY MAFIA. Released this autumn by Peachtree Publishing this book also marks the 10th that Dan has worked on since graduating from the course!

Find more of Dan’s work online;

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

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WORLD ROULETTE

Graduates YUNROO TAN and EMILY ABEYDEERA both contributed to LIGHT GREY ART LAB’s latest project, WORLD ROULETTE.

Each of the 150 artists who contributed to the project created a world inspired by four randomized prompts (a little toss of the cosmic dice) and developed a place that encompasses the attributes, beliefs, weather patterns, government, or other given parameters. In addition to developing a new landscape, each artist wrote a story about this new world. The illustrations were then compiled into a 200+ page book featuring the final outcomes;

Yunroo Tan- “Dawning”

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Emily Abeydeera- “Xah’raba”

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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BUUZA!! VOL. 2

This Summer graduate and GAA SHAZLEEN KHAN successfully crowdfunded the second print volume of her award-winning web comic BUUZA!! with the kickstarter campaign reaching its goal within 9 hours of launching.

BUUZA!! is a comic about found family, diaspora and religion, set in an urban fantasy 90’s middle east and central asia in which a misdialed number leads to an unexpected, long distance romance. It is available to read on both tapas and webtoons and was the winner of Broken Frontier’s best webcomic of 2019.

Find more of Shazleen’s work online;

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

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VAUXHALL SWITCH IT UP

Graduate and GAA ALEX MOORE was one of the illustrators commissioned to work on Vauxhall’s SWITCH IT UP campaign for the new Corsa E. Each artist drew a frame to create a 360 degree loop showcasing the car;

Find more of Alex’s work online;

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

GRADUATE WORK: DANIEL DUNCAN’S LATEST…

During his time at Middlesex, graduate DANIEL DUNCAN‘s picture book SOUTH was both selected for the Macmillan Children’s’ Book competition and AOI awards. Shortly after graduating he signed with the Bright Agency and has been producing picture books ever since! Here’s a look at of some of the titles he’s recently worked on;

 

 

“Writer Bridget Heos and illustrator Daniel Duncan welcome you aboard Captain Parrot’s pirate ship! Captain Parrot is here to tell you about the life of a real swashbuckler from the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1730).”

 

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“Mr. Posey is feeling gloomy. Everything seems dull. Maybe he needs new glasses? Perhaps a trip to the Cheer Up Thrift Shop with his energetic young neighbor, Andy, will help. But when the duo try on the glasses in the shop’s barrel, they’re in for a big surprise…”

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“Otis P. Oliver is taking a stand. He is NOT taking another bath–ever. But when your opinions matter to the rest of the family about as much as the opinions of the family dog (who, it’s worth mentioning, only has to bathe once a month), you have to get serious. So Otis borrows a spiffy suit from his dad and rouses a rabble of neighbourhood kids to stand up for what the know is right: a bathtub ban!”

 

Find more of Dan’s work online;

Website | Twitter | Instagram

GRADUATE WORK: SOUTH

With his upcoming book Mr Posey’s New Glasses with authour Ted Kooser coming out later this month, we’re taking a look back at graduate DANIEL DUNCAN’S SOUTH. Released last year, Dan both wrote and illustrated the book for Abram Books, having origianlly created it during his 2nd year for the Macmillan Picture Book competition;

 

 

Find more of Dan’s work online;

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GRADUATE WORK: THERE & BACK AGAIN

 

This summer graduate collective THE DRAWN CHORUS staged their latest exhibition THERE AND BACK AGAIN at the Espacio Gallery. The show featured over 90 pieces of work by 30 Middlesex graduates, staff and guest artists on the theme of exploration;

ZANNA ALLEN

Website | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

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DANIEL METSON

Website | Twitter | Instagram

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AMBER COOPER-DAVIES

Website | Instagram | Twitter

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CHARLES JOHNSTON

Tumblr | Instagram | Twitter | Website

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DANIEL DUNCAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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MICHAEL O’BRIEN

Website | Tumblr| Instagram | Twitter

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SUMMER DU PLESSIS

Portfolio | Instagram | Twitter | Website

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SHAZLEEN KHAN

Website | Instagram | Twitter

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ALEX MOORE (GAA)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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CHLOE SMITH

 Website | Instagram | Twitter

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DIONNE KITCHING

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram | Facebook | Society6

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BEN HENDY  (GAA)

Website | Twitter | Blog | Instagram

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HECTOR LLOYD

Instagram | Portfolio

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NICOLE COWAN

Website | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

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GRADUATE PROFILE: DANIEL DUNCAN

While studying on the Middlesex Illustration BA 2013 graduate DANIEL DUNCAN was highly commended for the Macmillan Children’s Picture Book prize. Since finishing university he had been signed by the Bright Agency, worked for clients including Aquila Magazine, Mundail Magazine, Vice’s THUMP, and illustrated a number of picture books including SOUTH which he also wrote.  

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1. What have you’ve been up to since graduating from Middlesex?

When I left Middlesex, I was working part time at a shoe shop but then started a full time job at a fabric company run by my girlfriend’s Dad. A year or so after graduating I was signed up by the Bright agency who saw saw my work at the AOI awards shortlist exhibition. Now the illustration work is coming in more regularly I have gone down to working 2 days, spending the rest of the week in the studio working on commissions.

2. How do you go about producing your illustrations? Are there any parts of  your process you particularly enjoy?

My work has changed since graduating but similar in lots of ways. I used to use pencil on paper and coloured in photoshop. Now most of my process is done digitally on a Cintiq.

I start an illustration by sketching lots of thumbnails in my notebook, I’ll develop 1 or 2 digitally adding in more detail etc. This is the most creative and fun part of my process. Then I’ll fully render the piece using a variety of pencil, paint and paper textures brushes in Photoshop. I find working digitally frees me up and gives me more confidence to try out different things.

3. What does a typical day of illustration work look like? Do you have any tricks to keep yourself motivated?

I’m lucky to have my studio in my house, so typically I’ll be sat at my desk all day if I need to be. One of the good things about working from home is that you can be more flexible with your time. So if I’m not feeling too motivated I can take a break and do other things around the house, or even pop down the road to the gym! If I don’t have any work on I’ll develop portfolio pieces, book ideas or tidy my studio etc.

4. Your portfolio includes a number of self-initiated pieces. What made you choose the projects you did and what do you think is the importance them?

For me self initiated work has always been about adding new things to the portfolio and trying to get more work, as well as developing as an illustrator.  When commissions are coming to an end and I have nothing lined up , i’ll work on self initiated pieces or  stories to show new and current clients, which will hopefully bring in more commissions.

5. You’re currently signed with the children’s book illustration agency Bright. What’s it like having an agent and in what ways has it helped your career?

I was I initially skeptical about having and agent, as some people prefer going solo.  But it’s the best thing to happen to me as an illustrator! I’m able to focus on jobs, portfolio pieces and new stories whilst they take care of invoices, contracts, and networking with publishers/clients. They’ve also been great at giving me tips and suggestions on my portfolio and helping my develop as a children illustrator.

6. Are there any projects that have felt like milestones in your career so far? What made them stand out and why do you feel they’ve been important?

My biggest achievement so far would be writing and illustrating my own published children’s book , South (Abrams 2017) . It felt like a big step towards making illustration an actual career, and has given me the confidence to write more!

7. How did you find the transition from student to practicing illustrator? Do you have any words of advice for students who may be in that position right now?

When I was at Middlesex I felt like I built up so much momentum. I think its vital to keep it all going when you graduate. The hardest thing when leaving university, is that you have to get a day job, often doing things you don’t really want to do. These take up most of your time so it’s difficult fitting in illustration. I’ve always made time for it though. Wether it’s getting up a couple hours before work, drawing on lunch breaks, staying up late, or staying in all weekend. My advise would be, find time and don’t give up!

8. What are you currently working on? Are there any future projects coming up that you can talk about?

At the moment I’m working on the roughs for a picture book called “Mr. Posey’s New Glasses” written by Ted Kooser, published by Candlewick Press, I’m really pleased with how its turning out so far. I’m also just about to start work on a non fiction project with Macmillan too. In my spare time i’m trying to write another story of my own which I’m hoping to have roughed out and ready to pitch to publishers by the end of the year!

Find more of Dan’s work online;

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GRADUATE WORK: STEW MAGAZINE

During its run STEW MAGAZINE has featured illustrations by a number of graduate from our course. Each issue set out to provide plenty of food for thought for curious children from 8-12 with fact filled features, brain teasers and short stories.

You can see some of the work by our former students from various articles below;

AMBER COOPER-DAVIES

Website | Instagram | Twitter

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ALEX MOORE

(Graduate Academic Assistant)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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DANIEL DUNCAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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FREDRIK EDEN

Website | Instagram | Twitter |Facebook | Tumblr

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DAWN WILLIAMS

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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MICHAEL O’BRIEN

Website | Tumblr| Instagram | Twitter

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SACHIKO OGURI

Website | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

GRADUATE WORK: MUNDAIL MAGAZINE

MUNDIAL MAGAZINE is a football lifestyle magazine that explores the culture and history of the beautiful game. To celebrate the kick off of this year’s Euro Cup, Mundail commissioned a number of illustrators to re-create moments from previous tournaments. Included in the line up were Middlesex Illustration graduates MICHAEL O’BRIEN and DANIEL DUNCAN;

MICHAEL O’BRIEN

Website | Tumblr| Instagram | Twitter

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DANIEL DUNCAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Dan has previously produced artwork for a number of Mundail’s events and issues of the magazine;

Illustration for Fiorentina Le Coq Sportif kit launch last year hosted by Mundail Magazine.

Illustration for a feature in a recent issue of Mundail about why Leadbelly’s ‘Goodnight Irene’ is the anthem of Bristol Rovers fans.

GRADUATE WORK: AQUILA MAGAZINE

AQUILA is a monthly children’s magazine filled with facts, articles and brain teasers. Each issue is richly illustrated and had featured work by a number of graduates from the course.

The two most recent issues, Daredevils and Living Underground feature work by DANIEL DUNCAN and BEN HENDY– you can see their work below;

DANIEL DUNCAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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BEN HENDY (Graduate Academic Assistant)

Website | Twitter | Blog | Instagram

THE DRAWN CHORUS COLLECTIVE PRESENTS ‘EASY AS’

The DRAWN CHORUS COLLECTIVE are a group of Middlesex Illustration graduates who have been working together on a variety of exhibitions and publications since 2013. Their latest project, EASY AS is a fully illustrated 64 page ABC book featuring illustrations by The Chorus plus a number of guest artists.

Showcasing an eclectic mix of styles the book takes an illustrative romp through the alphabet by way of animals, darkness, zeppelins, mysteries and much, much more.

EILEEN KAI HING KWAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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NADINE SCHERER

Website | Facebook

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MARTIN URSELL (2nd year tutor)

Website

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BEN HENDY (Graduate Academic Assistant)

Website | Twitter | Blog | Instagram

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LEFKI SAVVIDOU

Website | Instagram | Facebook

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ALEX MOORE (Graduate Academic Assistant)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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MICHAEL O’BRIEN

Website | Tumblr| Instagram | Twitter

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AMY JOHNSON

Website

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DANIEL DUNCAN

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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NICOLE COWAN

Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

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ZANNA ALLEN

Website | Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

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Cover by ALEX MOORE

Easy As is available now from the collective’s ONLINE STORE. Learn more about the book on the Collective’s website and in this video for their Kickstarter campaign which was successfully funded last year;

 

Find the Drawn Chorus online;

Website | Facebook | Twitter