Tell us a little about yourself?

I am an illustration student going into my third year. I like to draw whimsical characters and environments inspired by nature or surrealist paintings. My favourite mediums to work with are inks, watercolour, graphite and pencil crayons. Recently, I’ve been enjoying the process of creating textures using ink washes which I then like to scan and colour digitally.

What influenced your decision to major in Illustration?

I don’t think there was one specific moment or person that influenced my decision to pursue art. However, I remember one of my teachers asking us to envision one thing we see ourselves doing for the rest of our lives, and the answer, for me, was drawing.

I chose illustration because I always liked the storytelling aspect of illustration. In high school, I volunteered at a local art hub near my home, and I met a few artists who graduated from OCAD. Some of them had majored in illustration, and I liked their artworks, so I would ask them questions about how the program was. Their experiences at the school left a remarkable impression on me, which helped me decide on illustration as a major.

Who is your favourite Illustrator?

Victo Ngai is one of my favourite illustrators. She does illustrations for newspapers and magazines, book covers, and packaging and advertising campaigns. What I love most about her work is the surreal atmosphere composed of whimsical characters and playful environments. Her process inspired me to play around with unique perspectives to tell a story.

Rovina Cai and Zoe Van Dijk are two other illustrators whose work I admire. I really enjoy Zoe Van Diijk work because her process inspires me because I enjoy drawing with ink and experimenting with washes to get textures.

How do you discover illustrators?

I discover illustrators mainly through social media such as Instagram and Pinterest. I also look through the Design Annual books like American Illustration and Society of Illustrators annuals in the library for inspiration. For one of my classes, I used Artstor Digital Library to search for historical artists who impacted art movements.

 with Atika Tariq

Hi my name is Atika Tariq. I am going into my final year of Environmental Design and minoring in Sustainability. As a designer, I believe in the ability to strengthen to improve our communities and have a positive influence on the environment through architecture and research combined with design thinking. I don’t just want to create buildings; I want to inspire others with my imagination and ingenuity, designing structures that are out of the ordinary and make people feel at ease in their surroundings.

Drawing has always been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I enjoy making realistic drawings, focusing on the nuances, and attempting to mimic anything I see. I took an architecture class in high school because I enjoyed drawing and wanted to learn how to use AutoCAD and SketchUp. I’ve always loved creating things that people can build and use.

Do you have a favourite Architect or designer or style of architecture that inspires you?

Islamic architecture is a style that inspires me, Islamic architecture is one of the world’s most celebrated building traditions. It’s known for its bold colours, intricate patterns, symmetrical silhouettes, and meticulous attention to detail. Geometric designs adorning Islamic architecture have always captivated me.

What are you reading?

Currently, I am reading Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz written in 1960. This book is about changing your perception of yourself and mastering your mind. It focuses on how to use your mind to help you achieve positive goals and achieve success. As the name suggests, psycho- cybernetics takes you on a quest to discover how the human mind perceives the world and its psychological makeup.

Be sure to visit the OCAD  U Library and discover your next read.

with Camille Gan

Welcome to the Learning Zone’s first post in the series “What are you reading?” We start this series with Graphic Design student, Camille Gan. Camille is also an avid zine collector and maker. When not reading zines, Camille enjoys reading art history books and discovering designers from the past.

Camille’s first impression of art began when she was 3 years old, doodling a spider web on a square piece of paper which she has long since lost; she is 99% sure it was because she took it outside of the house at some point. By the time Camille entered elementary school she would tell her teachers that she wanted to become either an artist, historian or archaeologist. In some ways she has become all three when she enrolled in OCAD U to study design. Since middle school, Camille has enjoyed reading art history, something that she still continues to do in her spare time.

What influenced your decision to major in Graphic Design?

I heard from many people that graphic design is a really flexible degree and it opens doors to many disciplines. For example, I can do packaging design, web design, branding or even illustrations. It seemed attractive since I’ve always been plagued with the idea, what if I don’t like this specialization?

Who are your favourite graphic designers?

I tend to look at specific movements as inspirations more than individual graphic designers, to be exact, Art Nouveau and the Vienna Secession are my favourite movements, I think many people are familiar with Alphonse Mucha and I am also a big fan of Julius Klinger.

The later 20th century graphic designers I like have an illustrative approach to design; Tome Eckersley, Olle Eksell, Alvin Lustig and Hervé Morvan. I think the cartoony, boldly coloured forms used in their illustrations may look childish to some people today, but I think how clearly those designers expressed ideas in those illustrations is what makes their work endearing to this day.

What are you reading right now?

Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Lately, I’ve been digging into Russian literature. I haven’t  encountered many people who have dabbled into that nation’s literary traditions. Despite the novel being over 800 pages long and over 150 years old. I think it still offers a great look at how the human condition and emotions haven’t changed.

Have a passion for art history and Leo Tolstoy’s works? Please visit the OCAD U Library.

Join us in the Learning Zone this January as we host a series of workshops to help jumpstart your creative process in 2020! These introductory workshops are designed to cover basic skills, techniques and tools to create digital artwork, self-publish your zines or publication, or learn the art of bookbinding.

All of the workshops are led by Marta Chudolinska, librarian, artist and zine maker. Marta brings her many years of experience with publishing her comics and art, and is happy to share and demonstrate her skills.

Introduction to Photoshop Tuesday Jan. 14, 2-4 pm

Get started with the Introduction to Photoshop (Jan. 14) where you will learn the differences between Raster and Vector images, file resolution and all the nifty tools on hand in the toolbar to create or retouch your images. This workshop is intended for current OCAD U students who are new to Photoshop and are ready to get started with this powerful tool of image editing. Bring your laptop to follow along, a notebook to take notes, and any questions you have.

Self – Publishing 101 Tuesday Jan. 21, 2-4 pm

Self-publishing 101 will cover the steps in publishing your zine or publication no matter the size. Learn how to design, price, and choose a publication method in this introductory workshop.

Softcover Bookbinding Wednesday Jan. 29, 2-4 pm

Ready to give your publication a handmade touch? This workshop will cover the basics of softcover bookbinding,  including cover folded bindings, pamphlet stitch and Japanese stab binding.

If you have a special paper that you would like to use for the cover or for the interior pages, bring it with you! Otherwise, all material is provided. Maximum attendance is 12, first come, first served.

Open to OCAD U students and is free, including materials.

Come visit and browse a collection of over 2500 zines, from uniquely handmade multiples, minicomics, poetry chapbooks, perzines, and much more! We will have a special display of recent acquisitions with a focus on Indigenous voices, decolonization and multilingual publications.

When? Tuesday July 10, 10 am to 6 pm at the Learning Zone located at 122 St. Patrick Street, Level 1, also accessible from 113 McCaul Street.

This event is part of Art Book Week, a week-long series of events and activities that parallels the Toronto Art Book Fair. Art Book Week 2018 takes place from July 4 – 11 at various locations across the city. The goal of Art Book Week is to celebrate the unique artists’ book community in Toronto, as well as increase the visibility of new and exciting projects, spaces, and artists. www.torontoartbookfair.com/art-book-week-2018