Is modern London older than you think?

London 2012: The eyes of the world are on us, eagerly waiting to see what we end up doing with the Olympics. The latest technologies are being used to showcase one of the greatest spectacles on the planet. But how well do you know your London history? I'm betting there are quite a few classic London landmarks and everyday items that you may think of as 'modern' that have actually been around far longer than you think...

More pictures after the break...  

Star Wars Episode VI Retold in Iconoscope

ITS DONE AT LAST!

At long last, after nearly a year of planning, illustration and design, the final part in the Iconoscope trilogy is complete, like the circle in that bit that Vader mentions when he meets Obi Wan in Episode IV to have a fight.

This was a biggie. The first Iconoscope was a single page of 32 line of icons - but then the story was actually quite simple, when you look at it. For Episode V, It took much longer to design and lay out, running double the length of the original - but there were many more costume changes, and plots that spanned multiple lines.

And then I started on Episode VI. Just thinking of it from memory, I recalled it to be a fairly straightforward story - there were the iconic scenes that everyone remembered, and some not so memorable ones too.

But then I watched it again, took some notes and started to list out everything that I would need to create the Iconoscope - and it went on... and on... and on...

Illustration - Beyond Christmas Cards

Christmas time again! Beyond needed some card ideas pronto, so I went away and came up with a few. Didn't have a huge amount of time, so all the ideas were simple, quick gags.

In the end it was voted to use the photographic designs - these are using studio shots of some of our team that we had done earlier in the year - they were actually holding blank white boards, so I comped in an iPad instead.

More designs after the break...

Merry Christmas!

Illustration: More Beyond wall art

Beyond has now expanded into a second office (which I'm now in). With a couple of large plain walls they asked us designers to come up with some illustration ideas. This was mine, kind of following on from the other office illustration that I did.  The map used is actually our location (with the "b" pin showing our office.) I had to piece it together from dozens of full-screen captures of a Bing map to get it high res enough for a wall. I also added in some "easter egg" type detail of putting in additional fake location names on the map (see after the break for enlargements).

This one didnt make it to the final choice - which is cool. The design that my colleagues Neil Fox and Tony Georgiades came up with is excellent. And another concept I did (not shown here) was adapted in part for one of the walls, so something of my work appears in it (including the Beyond London logo above).

Illustration: Goodbye Chris (another one)

Weirdly, not too long after Chris Phillips left Beyond, Chris Bullen left also, so I was asked to do another "Goodbye Chris" illustration.

For this one I asked some of the staff to give me a single word that they thought summed him up - som good replies.

We got this printed out and framed to present to him on his leaving party.

Illustration: Goodbye Chris

This was an illustration I did when Chris Phillips left Beyond earlier this year. This was the background to a video we put together of all of us saying goodbye to him. In true Beyond style it was left to the last moment and when it came to present it to him, it wasnt actually completed. Also, his present hadn't been ordered in time.

He seemed well pleased with that.

Movie Poster: Face Test 1

This is something that I've always dreamed of doing as a job - creating artwork for movie posters. Over the years its changed from being a traditional painting industry, to a purely digital. Whilst I fondly remember and admire the works of the great movie poster artists such as Drew Stuzan, my own skills are more focused on the digital side.

Original portrait photo found on Google

In this first test I've taken an ordinary portrait shot I found on Google, and using a series of colour overlays, a few background shots from Google, highlights, Photoshop Brushes and some detail touches, I think it demonstrates how you can dramatically change the mood and detail of a photo just by working over it.

This only took me about an hour and its not for any kind of professional work - you'd probably want to add more detail for a finished piece.

I'll be doing more of these as the months go on as I just love doing them.

Illustration: The Pea of Lies

This is perhaps my most important illustration of my career to date. For too long the dangers of misleading peas has gone by unhindered. How many of us have been duped or conned by a pulse of some kind in our lives, leaving nothing but tears and shame?

Well it ends HERE. We draw our line in the sand and say NO MORE, peas! Together we can unite against such unspeakably sinister veg, to ensure that our future generations are never bullied or ridiculed by them ever again.

Or I maybe I'm wrong and none of that is true. Im not really sure to be honest.