Monthly Archives: July 2010

NEW ‘Hello Vancouver’ Postcards available!

By Lisa | Published: July 30, 2010

Due to success in selling my ‘Hello Vancouver’ postcards so far I have added three more designs to the collection, with more to come eventually. New are the Chinatown and totem cards. Currently available exclusively at Blackberry Books on Granville Island, Blim in Chinatown, Read Bookstore at Emilly Carr on Granville Island and Collage Collage. They are retailing for 2$ each at these locations so go and get one already and then send it to your friends who don’t live in Vancouver to make them all jealous that they’re not…uhm… right?….

#1 Science World

#2 Granville Island/Lions Gate Bridge

#3 Granville Island Entrance

#4 Kidsmarket Granville Island

#5 Totems (close) Stanley Park

#6 Steamclock

#7 Gassyjack

#8 Vancouver Umbrella

#9 Chinatown Gate

#10 Chinatown Gate Keeper

#11 Totem hello

All postcards are designed by myself and printed locally.

If you are interested in carrying several or all designs of this postcard line here is the pricing info:

At this point each card is 1.00$/a card.

Merchants are retailing them at 1.75$ – 2.00$ each.

Minimum order 20 cards.

All postcards are 4×6, have an informative & amusing blurb regarding it’s location on the back and have a glossy front.

Here are the 11 designs currently available.

Custom business ‘Hello Vancouver’ designs!!!!—If you are a local business who would like to have their own ‘Hello Vancouver’ card with your business featured on one of our cards please contact me for details and rates. —-lisa@lisacinar.com/ 604-875-8014

Filed under News

The Regional Assembly of Text

By Lisa | Published: July 30, 2010

While I was at the White Nights Comics show at the Regional Assembly of Text I couldn’t help but also take a few (not very good) photos of the R.A.T. itself. The shop is one of my favorite places in Vancouver and is owned and operated by two very good friends of mine Brandy Fedoruk and Rebecca Dolen. What they have created is a little empire all revolving around self published books, letters, mail of any kind, buttons, typewriters etc etc… You really have to go there to fully experience it. You can go to buy amazing greeting cards, and cards for pretty much any other purpose, get t-shirts printed on from a selection of designs you can pick, make buttons or have buttons made, buy amazing stationary and write a great letter right there in the store on a typewriter, join their bookclub and receive one of their books in the mail every month, it’s really pretty much the coolest. I’m so lucky to have these guys as friends, even though I’m of course horribly jealous of their store at all times. Here are some very bad quality photos of just a tiny bit of what to expect when you go there. So much better in real life.

Filed under News

Drawn Review in the Georgia Straight

By Lisa | Published: July 30, 2010

Just went to go check out my friend Adam Gandy’s show at 304.days which was cool and while there I was informed by him that there was a review of the Drawing Room show in the Georgia Straight. There is a quick mention of my piece in it right at the beginning. So thanks Adam and thanks Robin Laurence.

Filed under News

White Night Comics at the R.A.T.

By Lisa | Published: July 27, 2010

Just before it came down I managed to check out the ‘White Night Comics’ Show at the Regional Assembly of Text’s ‘lowercase reading room’. The show consisted of comics from the Baltic States and Finland curated by Laura Kenins and Jo Cook from Perro Verlag. Most of the books featured were serialized compilations of comics. One of my favorite among them I think was one called ‘Tell me more’. The book is a compilation of comics from an international comics exhibition by the same name. It serves thus a comic compilation as well as a catalogue for the show. What struck me about it, other than the amazing artists featured in it, was the overall design of the publication. Most comic compilations I’ve seen are designed along the same ‘anything goes, trippy/crazy/cool’ type of format. This one had a very simple and clean overall design thus letting all the attention go to the individual comics featured. It also featured an image of each artist and a bit of history about them on one side and their work on the other side. Very clean and matter of fact, and very effective. The type and overall presentation (cover excluded) could have been that of a catalogue made for an exhibition featuring a series of conceptual artists.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t mean to say that all comic catalogues should look like this by all means. I was however very pleasantly surprised when looking at it since it really seemed to reflect a kind of importance of the subject matter in it’s presentation. Visual artists working in narrative formats seem to get put into a category of less importance often. Publications that present these artists in a professional context are just as important as publications that refuse to abide by any current design trends.

Here are some photos of the show

Two of my favorites

And hey, don't forget that this here and more is the permanent collection of zines, small and artist books that is always available for your perusal in the reading room at the Regional Assembly! If you haven't been there yet, do check it out!

Filed under News

Pictures from Book Arts Institute

By Lisa | Published: July 20, 2010

Me at the Book Arts Institute with my helmet and glasses on. Looks like I'm trying to disguise myself, but really I was just about to get on my bike. Really! I also had a giant portfolio case for my presentation strapped on my back, but unfortunately you can't see that in the picture.

So as previously posted I got to participate and exhibit in this years Book Arts Institute again, which features Courses, Workshops, Events and Lectures and is curated by Celia Jaqueline King. This year my books Paulina P. for Petersen, The Day it all blew away as well as a one of a kind book I made while taking one of Celia’s classes at ECUAD are featured in the exhibition. The exhibition is on collections and showcases books from the Ian Wallace collection, Read Books, and the Regional Assembly of Text’s lowercase reading room, as well as some books from Celia’s personal collection.

I spent pretty much all day on Granville Island for this event. First up was a Print and Press Tour that consisted of a free tour led by Celia King of some of Granville Island’s print studios and small presses. Here are some photos from this. Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos from Malaspina Printmakers which seemed most appealing to me.

Thanks! also to Laura Kozak and Celia King who were kind enough to send me some of their photos which are featured here

Two printing presses. One is just about to get tossed because no one wants it! So sad.

Angela Grossman print being shown at New Leaf Editions

At Black Stone Press, home of the two printing presses and more

After the tour was the Panel discussion featuring Celia King, Ian Wallace, Grace Partridge, Kathy Slade and me. Here are some photos of this. I wish I had some of the other participants as well. The photos I have of this are courtesy of Celia King and Laura Kozak.

Ian Wallace

Me showing progressions of illustrations for Paulina Petersen and The day it all blew away

After the Panel my good friends from the Regional Assembly of Text wheeled in a trolley full of letter writing materials, typewriters and amazing gingerbread cookies baked by Rebecca Dolen herself! They also had some killer Iced Tea. So good! Again, I have no photos of Brandy and Rebecca and Celia which is a shame. I have to get better at taking photos! Sheesh! Here is the letter writing club in action.

LetterWritingClub And here are some photos of the Exhibition ‘On Collections’

The wooden one of a kind book I made during a class with Celia King

Work by Owen Plummer

From the Ian Wallace collection and publications by Read Books

Amazing book by Andrew Dadson published by Read Books

Filed under News

The Drawing Room exhibition

By Lisa | Published: July 17, 2010

My drawing ‘The Meeting’ is now on display at the Pendulum Gallery in Downtown Vancouver. The juried group exhibition entitled ‘The Drawing Room’ is part of this years Drawn Festival. The launch was last night and as per usual I was GOING to take photos but then of course forgot! I will try to go again and take some. The piece I submitted is a hybrid drawing so to speak. Part tactile drawing part photoshop. Not the kind of work I usually put up on this website but oh well.

Filed under News

Drawing a Character in a Sequence

By Lisa | Published: July 6, 2010

Another reason it can be good to make a 3D character model is that it can help you to draw your character in a sequence. I will be doing this in class with my students as well; think of a short action that you want your character to do and then use your dummy to help you draw it.

I drew these using the dummy I made in my previous ‘Making a 3D character model’ entry.

Two things that I find especially helpful when using this technique is having the reference for shading, and reference for angles. I did these in about 45 minutes I think, but you could of course get way fancier and add your own lighting to bring the light contrasts up, or, to create a spooky effect… either way, this is a great exercise for anyone dealing with character development. Children’s picture books, comics/graphic novels, animators… have I forgotten someone?..

2sequence
3sequence
4sequence
5sequence
6sequence
7sequence
8sequence
9sequence

Filed under Sketchbook & Projects

Different styles, Different moods

By Lisa | Published: July 5, 2010

So here are some different drawings resulting from my 3D character as starting point. I tried to keep it relatively quick again, but also to focus on conveying different moods for each drawing. This can of course be achieved in several ways. Through, the way you depict your character, through the medium you choose, through the overall style of the image you choose. And of course… colour.

Here are my studies of my model. The original drawing as well as the colour study for some of them.

mood1
mood1_color purple_variations_opt
mood3_highcolor mood3_variations copy mood4_opt
mood4_color 1sequence_opt
mood5_color mood7w_color_b copy mood7_color_a mood8_opt
mood8_color

Filed under Sketchbook & Projects

Making a 3D character model

By Lisa | Published: July 5, 2010

For my Children’s Picture Book Illustration class that I am currently teaching at ECUAD, I will get my students to make a 3D character model and then use this model to draw their characters from various angles, in a series of movements as well as in different styles and moods.

Here is the 3D character I made in preparation for the class. I wanted to make it in a short amount of time, so not to make it perfect by any means since the point of the exercise is not the actual model, but how to utilize it. All you need is a glue gun, stuff from the dollar store and some found objects; in my case a chestnut for the head. The possibilities are endless! This is a great start for a character development exercise. … Or, you could of course also make a stop motion animation of your character once done…. i might give that a shot in a little while.

Here’s a quick little photoshot I did with my model. Not very good lighting of course, but the point is more to use the 3D character as reference for the drawn character and concentrate on angels, shadows, shots etc..

Filed under Sketchbook & Projects

Collected Conversations: A Panel Discussion

By Lisa | Published: July 1, 2010

On July 17th I will be partaking in the panel discussion ‘Collected Conversations’ along with Ian Wallace, Grace Partridge, and Kathy Slade. Moderated by Celia Jacqueline King. I feel very honoured as well as slightly pertrified to be included in this discussion.

I will also have a book I made several years ago while still in Celia’s class in the Book Arts Institute Exhibition. The Exhibition ‘On Collections’ curated by Celia King will run daily from 9-6pm from July 14th-24th in the Concourse Gallery at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Filed under News

Some ink/photoshop experiments

By Lisa | Published: July 1, 2010

Here are some images I made using ink and photoshop. Looking at them now I am really reminded of my friend Julia Feyrer’s work she was doing several years ago. You never know what’ll happen when you try new techniques. C’est la vie.