Badger

Shell

(unfinished watercolour)

Spot of packaging design

Triangles!

There were dozens of these exercises in 'space division' of a basic shape into two optional colours.

At the end of the week, we'd each take it in turn to present our ideas before the rest of the design group who would suddenly adopt an all but implacably critical outlook.

It was great actually; to detach the ego altogether and just stand next to your best efforts as though everyone was scrutinising a shoddy paint-job on a nearby car.

I'd throw in a spot of consummate naff here and there though (such as the cropped blue oval shape) for the more critically advanced to adore or analyse which usually bought a bit of breathing space.

Welsh Folk Museum (day trip)

An 'investigation' of this contraption provided a spot of reference for the opening scene of a later strip: http://www.alternatezone.com/tbc/comic.htm

'Tigers and Zebras'

Sometimes the tutors would just announce a few headings to choose from and then pretty much return a few days later to see what you'd made of them. . .

Art College stint

There's not a lot to say about the couple of terms that I spent at Howard Gardens - the tussles with tutors and general detestation of college life - because it really seems like someone else's memory of the 6 misguided months that I actually spent there.

As I recall, I learnt how to pronounce 'gouache' and that was about it although other students may well have derived more use or satisfaction from the experience.

However, a fellow inmate and comix enthusiast got me into thrash metal quite easily and a couplet from 'Caught in a mosh' by Anthrax really seemed to sum the whole situation up by Easter 1989:

"Can't stand it for another day,
I A'INT GONNA LIVE MY LIFE THIS WAY!"

You get the gist!

I've kept more stuff than I'd thought though so here's what I got up to for better or worse while the tutors weren't looking. . .