Sam Downend /Illustrator

Mac still not fixed!!

2012-02-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Creaturemag Artist Spotlight

2012-02-07T03:21:00.000-08:00

Artist spotlight #80 featured on creaturemag. Go take a look HERE

iMac News

2012-02-03T05:57:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would give a quick update on my iMac, its been taken away and is now in getting fixed and pimped, Its going to be super! I will be back and working next Friday. Cannot wait, have lots of new work to be uploaded.

My iMac ist Kaput.

2011-12-15T03:12:00.000-08:00

My iMac has finally died, I have been unable to update website or blog with new work. Rubbish. Fingers crossed all gets fixed/replaced as soon as possible and I can get back to regular updates.

PDF samples

2011-11-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Its been a lovely day of creative CV writting and PDF making, coming soon.

Hi Viz

2011-11-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

*New work* Neon dogs and man. Part of my ongoing personal project Mr Hi Viz and Mr Invisible, Lots more colourful work coming soon.

More Hi Viz

2011-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

Sprinter

2011-11-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

Combo - Happy Colour and HiViz

2011-11-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

Experiments of image combination, Images taken for two different sections on my website. Happy Colour and HiViz combined purely for fun.

Days of the week

2011-11-18T08:29:00.001-08:00

Monday Blues.

Friday Feeling.

Perfect Match (revisit)

2011-11-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Revisit to a previous project 'Perfect Match' they would probably be better timed around Valentines Day, But I've done them now because I wanted too.

The Perfect Match.

Your Hot.

Scrabble Dog/cat and elephant

2011-11-17T07:44:00.001-08:00

Scrabble Dog experiments. The Scrabble Dogs I have been drawing so far are starting to look like cats!! each line is important and positioning of the ears eye and nose can easily change the character from a Dog to Cat. I need to make the dog look more dog like. I've also been working on some Scrabble elephants.

Scrabble Dog

2011-11-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

Scrabble Dog: a dog that eats scrabble letters.

Recently you may or may not know that I have been working on an animation with animator Tom Gran, Unfortunately the working anamatic cannot be uploaded. (see below screen shots of rough) Inside Scrabble Dogs belly scanned scrabble letters will rumble and move as he walks, poo's etc. Scrabble dog lables things with his Scrabble Poo.

You can always hear Scrabble Dog coming as when he walks the scrabble pieces bounce around inside him making a 'jingly' noise.

Scrabble Dog gets his comeuppance as Scrabble Elephant returns the favour.

The animation will mainly be black and white marker drawings, except the scanned Scrabble letters and possibly a little bit of colour taken from the Original Scrabble board game.

At the moment I am working my way through the list of drawings to be completed, First of all its important I get the dog looking nice and doggy/vacant. Hopefully If I can get the anamatic uploaded you will be able to see timing and pace of the story and the all important sound.

Bloggy Blog Blogs

2011-11-12T06:23:00.001-08:00

Thats right my works on Print and Pattern and Little Chimp Society

Colourful Work

2011-11-03T07:50:00.001-07:00

New colourful work, rainbow clouds, and colourful legs.

Confsusion

2011-11-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Confused samples of new work.

Bottoms Up sneaky peaks.

2011-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Little samples of forthcoming 'Bottoms Up' traveling exhibition. More details of exhibition dates and locations coming soon.

Colours, Shapes and Patterns

2011-10-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

I dont know why but at the moment I am really liking repeat pattern. I always love vivid colours and bold shapes, I have started playing around producing repeat patterns with these in mind.

Have yourself a very colourful Christmas

2011-10-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Its ONLY two months away now! its come round very fast indeed. Colourful Christmas text for Jotta's christmas window display wrapping papers.

Fresh Air

2011-10-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling with the production of my idea for the 'Bottoms Up' exhibition. Not knowing whether to pick up a paintbrush or pen. I thought I would try something new and play with combining drawings with digital photography. I'm still not 100% sure what the final outcome will look like but I'm getting there.

Fresh air supply: Real tree making lovely fresh clean air into the air tank, then supplied through a tube into the mouth of the man breathing.

Girls and Christmas

2011-10-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

My submission and working roughs for Volume magazine "GIRLS" issue.

Colourful christmas wrapping papers. My submission for Jotta's window display wrapping papers, I have also been asked to provide some hand written wrapping-paper, soo I best start writing/drawing merry messages.

BlogBlog

2011-10-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

Blog, Blog, Blogs. Blog this, Blog that, Blog any.. cat, Blog, Blog, Blogs, Bloggy, Blogish, Bloget, Blogs, Bloging, Bloger, Blogid.

Illustrator of the week on Volume magazine, see \\HERE//

And Featured on JustUsCollective's blog \\HERE//

And now my works also on FeatureMe blog \\HERE//

BDAC celebrates its birthday.

2011-10-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Bristol Debt Advice Centre's annual report has been printed! its done!
(Please excuse picture quality, photographs taken from my phone.)

Credit: Jack Archer Designer/Photographer.

Recent Sketchbook activity.

2011-10-12T04:23:00.000-07:00

Trees, trees are everywhere. More playing around with ideas for 'Bottoms UP', (the tree that will grow anywhere/ plant a tree today) Also I have been running out of sketchbook space so have gone back and drawn over pages that were of no use. As part of my self initiated project "drawing over drawings and drop colour"

Bristol's Big Green Week Logo.

2011-10-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

Below are designs and roughs for 'Bristol's BIG green week' logo.

Suggested logo design.

Suggested alternative logo options.

Experimenting with type logo and flat colours.

Mostly happy leaves (starting point)

Wet Inventions - 'Bottoms Up'

2011-10-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

Current workings for "Bottoms Up" Exhibition, (see posting 'Bottoms Up Briefing' for details of the brief etc.)

Workings below,
Head Tubes ...the only way to breath underwater,
and The No Handed Umbrella... for when it gets really wet.

Promo Cards

2011-10-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

New postcards double sided print are now ready to start sending out. Printed by HartleyWilPrint in Cardiff. Time to start trips to the Post Office. If you would like one please ask.

And below are early sketches/ideas of scary faces, I am currently working on mask ideas for halloween sets.

Bottoms Up Briefing.

2011-10-04T09:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to the briefing of "Bottoms Up" a traveling exhibition and short film film project.

The brief is to produce two humorous images about changing our lifestyle choices today to help prevent extreme climate change. The project is for the Forum for the Future and will be exhibited at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol Late Jan early Feb 2012.

Some initial sketches from the brief below. top to bottom: Personal air supply, Underwater headtubes, Be nice to your lightbulbs switch them off.

Birds and Sheep.

2011-09-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Self initiated project based around sleep. "My morning wake up call" my neighbors has chickens! "Dreams" counting colourful sheep. and New hompage, flock of birds.

BDAC, Annual report.

2011-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

Bristol Debt Advice Centre: BDAC annual report editorial images to fit along side passages of text in their annual report. The main aim was to not have a colourless text heavy report, so i went Bright. The final printed version will be on its way shortly.

CreatureMag.

2011-09-26T02:05:00.000-07:00

CreatureMag header and CreatureMag 1 minute creature
(elephant + giraffe = an eleraffe or a girant)

Website little revamp

2011-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Moving some images from my homepage onto my blog. top to bottom: Split personality, Colour Box, Conversation and Two Faced Pig.

More recent Sketchbook activity.

2011-09-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

More bits and pieces from sketchbook and website clearouts. From top to bottom; decisions...which way to turn/ scary faces experiment/ will work for.../ dont pick your nose/

Finally done it.

2011-09-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've only gone and finally joined twitter. Why not follow me?! whats the worst that can happen. #downends.

I've also only recently moved house...Again. now living in Caerleon in Wales.

the flat and fairwells

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of the flat in the last few days. Lots of stuff has been collected over the last 9months, sad to be leaving. Im now off to go live in a real house.

Recent sketchbook activity.

2011-09-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

A few images from website clean up and recent sketchbook work.

Without an audience.

2011-09-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Sofa. A conversation with no audience. please see post below "A talk about talks" for more information.

A talk about Talks

2011-09-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.spikeisland.org.uk/events/talks/abake

What was true and what was a lie i just dont know. A very interesting talk about the format of lectures and talks. Talking about how we as an audience take what is said by the speaker as truth. In the talk they showed photographs of previous audiences looking interested and dying to ask questions, these photographs lied, they were staged. The format of talks/lectures is simple one speaker and a large audience, it is very hard to get a conversation flowing naturally and hard to involve the audience in this. I think for a conversation/talk/lecture to be completely natural there needs to be no obvious audience as soon as you put a camera/audience in front of someone they act different. The talk about talks was very interesting and full dry humor.

Pooetry

2011-07-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the picture quality, photos taken from my phone. Character designs for an animation about a very talented dog, who has the ability to write poetry... very rough roughs.

more to come.

Athletics roughs.

2011-06-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

recent rough sketches drawn from the european team athletics... very rough.

Wimbledon.

2011-06-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

Seating Ergonomics

2011-06-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Currently working on producing a drawn list of chairs sold at Back In Action and how to sit and how not to sit. (top image) Variable Kneeling chair, (bottom two images) Aeris Swopper.

work work and new homepage.

2011-06-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

2011-06-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Top to bottom, "Giant" Post it series, Mole, Two Faced Pig, "Help Me" from collaborative book, Neck Generation, Inner thoughts editorial rough, Balance bird, Balance elephant.

Boy Who Can't smell images.

2011-06-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the process of rearranging work from my website.
The images below are from book "the boy who can't smell"

Card Concepts.

2011-02-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

2011-01-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

Re-Visiting Flu projects.

2010-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ive decided to go back and re-do my Flu book series. I am also finally preparing my portfolio, Getting everything ready to go to print and have been working on new projects all will be revealed.

Go to this! I wish I could.

2010-07-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

Anybody in London should go to this, I only wish I could!!!

Long time no post.

2010-07-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

After a hectic month or so I seem to have time to post some stuff up. The three exhibitions were all a great success, Bath Spa degree show "reading reading" Here shop exhibition "Dont be Sad" and The London show "ephemeral" were all great fun, busy and very hot. Now its time to crack on with the studio work.... The walls are now all white and cobweb free, my desk is wonkey but its built and the place is starting to feel like a proper place of work. Still yet to decide on a name for the place but we'll get there.

Inside Ugly

2010-05-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

feature on Insideugly contemporary illustration blog.

http://www.insideugly.co.uk/sam-downend/

Eat Big Pig.

2010-05-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on an EatBigFish animation. The story i have been chosen to animate is the story of the pig, and how pigs are used for much more than just meat. The drawings above are my late night image rantings and character development.

A View Through A Hole.

2010-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

As part of the Little and Large exhibition, Bath. A view through a hole is an installation piece where the viewers are invited to place their heads into one of the three holes not knowing what is on the other side. Once in they are confronted with a large mirror reflecting what exactly they have become apart of. Many other faces stare back at them, the idea is to confuse and make the viewer feel small.

Little and Large Opening Night.

2010-04-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Little and Large Exhibition

Opening Night was a great success thank you all for your help. Many beers were drank many prints were sold and a good was had by all. The exhibition is still on for another week ending on the 30th of April, so come along if your in the area. The address is

The Old AV Shop
7A Lower Borough Walls
Bath
BA1 1QR

NOW OPEN!

2010-04-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

Little and Large exhibition is now OPEN! its on until the 30th of April and is defiantly worth a look. Myself along with eight other illustrators works are on show and many prints are available to buy. So if your in and around Bath come along. Visit the Little and Large Blog for more details.

Head Shapes.

2010-04-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

As part of my sisters nursery i created three silk screen head shapes. A triangle, square and circle to act as a learning aid, and to look great on the wall. The two images above are overlayed screen prints playing with colour and line.

Under the Sea.

2010-04-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Heavily inked wood block prints. Each print consists of a repeating overlaid pattern. I intend to use these sample prints in an upcoming project Under the Sea.

Politics.

2010-04-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

After the first ever televised debate between the three major political parties I was inspired to go work. I have been watching the debates on ITV.com and I love the graphic representation of the worm. Watch it here!

5 One Day Briefs.

2010-04-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Living in a house of five designers and illustrators we all decided to set one-another a 24 hour brief, So at the end of the week we would have five projects completed. The end product is planned to be a book of everyones five outcomes, so a 25 page book.

Dont Be Sad.

2010-04-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Recently myself and Andrew Joyce made the website dontbesad.co.uk

Dont Be Sad is a group of 16 young illustrators who have been invited to exhibit at the Here Shop Bristol.

More details to follow.

Transport London

2010-04-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

Finally completed the "Transport London cycling competition" entry and some roughs.

Attack of the Clones.

2010-04-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

A double page editorial piece, entitled "attack of the clones" as part of my Chris Long masterclass.

Be Ultra Happy.

2010-04-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

A few days of bordem, have led me to finally work on my dossier. its slowly coming together.

Some Holes and Little and LARGE.

2010-03-30T04:14:00.001-07:00

Some of the photographs i may or may not be using in the little and large exhibition The idea will be to confuse the viewer and make them feel small, currently ongoing so i dont want to give too much away, more images to follow shortly.

Bearded Heads.

2010-03-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

Winter Olympics.

2010-03-25T03:20:00.000-07:00

I produced a series of silkscreens based loosely around the theme of the winter olympics. I took inspiration from the skeleton and luge especially the aerodynamics and clothing worn. Although originally taking inspiration from the winter olympics they now work as a teaching tool for young toddlers.

Smelly Things.

2010-03-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

I am working on a 32 page children's book. The working title for the book is "The boy who cant smell" a simple funny story about a boy who loses his nose and the problems he faces.

Little and Large mocks.

2010-03-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

I am planning an exhibition in Bath with the theme being 'little and large" we have decided to set a format for the work on show, an A1 piece and an A5 piece. My idea involves the A1 piece eating/interacting with the smaller piece.

Imaginary Friends

2010-03-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

A short project about imaginary friends, still in progress.

Man Cakes and Man Flu.

2010-03-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Set of four posters, advertising the graphic fundraiser 'MAN CAKES' Posters were made as quickly and cheaply as possible so were photocopied onto coloured paper. From this i created a short book about the terrors of Man Flu.

Consequences.

2010-03-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Some pages from a book i had made 3 years ago now. A collaboration piece between myself, Oliver Sin and Tom Gran One person drew the head one person drew the body and the third draws the legs.

Bikes.

2010-03-24T04:47:00.001-07:00

Some images from the big book of bikes.

Bath Fringe 2010.

2010-03-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

'Risk taking' concept ideas for the 2010 fringe festival in Bath.

Personal Space.

2010-03-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

Set of images showing conflict and personal space. All images varying in size from A3 to A2, acrylic,ink, chalk and pen.

Meatphors.

2010-03-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

Images created as part of a metaphor projects, im ages depicting the words Omission.

Sketchbook Samples.

2010-03-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Personal Space

2010-03-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Images varying in size from A3 up to A1. Images showing the conflict of personal space.

There was once an old lady who swallowed...

2010-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

An old print I did in second year, A hard ground etching and pressed paper print, telling the story of the lady who swallowed a fly.

2009-08-02T11:36:00.001-07:00

www.samdownend.com

I have just set up my website, please take a look.