Tag: dundee

Charity of the month!

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Cover by Ashling Larkin

We are very pleased and honoured to be The Rank Foundation‘s charity of the month for December. Rank are our main funders, and the DCCS project would not have come so far in the last 18 months without their valuable support and financial assistance. Thank you to The Rank Foundation!

One of the many projects we have worked on for Rank was creating the cover for The Rank Foundation Charities Evening booklet in November. DCCS artist Ashling Larkin created the beautiful cover (above) from a design by our Operations Director Professor Chris Murray.

For more details on our relationship with The Rank Foundation please see the post on their website.

 

Introducing the Artists: Elliot Balson

eb-self-portraitTell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Elliot Balson, 23, I’m from the Scottish borders and came up to Dundee to study Animation. After that I went on and did the Comics MLitt course.

What made you want to become an artist?

The same as most people I guess, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t wanting to draw. I suppose it mostly comes from  watching my favourite cartoons and reading comics as a kid.

Do you have a preferred style of art?

At the moment it’s mainly digital, but I’ve been trying to work in more traditional stuff now that I’ve got the studio as well.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Video games, comics, and at the moment a lot of watching film and video essays about storytelling techniques or film techniques. Mostly because I find it interesting but hopefully I can use some of it in my own work as well.

What is your favourite comic of all time?

I knew that was going to come up! There’s quite a few, but the most recent big one I love is Punk Rock Jesus by Sean Murphy – whilst reading it I was like, this is everything I want out of comics put in one nice little package.

What is the best thing about working in DCCS?

Definitely having the space – from uni I’m quite used to having studio space in Animation, but everybody is kind of in and out a bit more in this one, so you keep to yourself a bit more but there’s also the chance to collaborate. Like if you’re stuck on something you’re able to ask someone else if they’re able to help and vice versa. Also having a dedicated area, not only for working in but specifically for comics, is great.

What are you working on at the moment?

Probably too much! I’m actually working on one of the comics we tried to do as an animation in fourth year but we didn’t get finished, so I thought now was a good time to try it. I’m working on a comic – what was originally a short comic – where the writers made the script 150 pages, so I’m slowly working on that in the background. I’m also working with a couple of other people to produce a few short comics for pitching things they want to do, like short films; it’s a nice short way for them to show what they’re hoping it to look like.

How can we follow you on social media?

Instagram – @ellbalson

Facebook – Ell Balson Art

ArtStation – https://ellbalson.artstation.com/

Thanks Elliot!

– Caitlin

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Introducing the Artists: Anna Coughlan

Our social media volunteer Caitlin has been catching up with some of our newest artists at DCCS. Drawing of Anna by Jules Valera.

 

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Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Anna Coughlan and I’m from Cork in Ireland. I moved to Dundee because I wanted to do the Masters programme – I just graduated in August from the MLitt Comic Studies course! There’s a really good comics community in Dundee; it’s a developing city but it’s worth staying here just for the comics scene!

What made you want to become an artist?

I’ve always been drawing, I was just kind of obsessed with drawing as a kid and I started reading comics when I was 8, so as I got older it seemed like a natural thing to do!

Do you have a preferred style of art?

I mainly work traditionally, but I’m trying to learn how to do more graphic stuff. I tend to use a lot of dark saturations, with a lot of black and deep hues in my colours. So yeah, I mainly like to draw with pens and markers and ink.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

When I’m not drawing.. I guess playing computer games and reading comics! My favourite games might be Fallout and Resident Evil.

What is your favourite comic of all time?

My favourite series would have to be Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher; and my favourite graphic novel is Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s Arkham Aslyum: A Serious House on A Serious Earth

What is the best thing about working in DCCS?

The facilities – there’s a decent computer with all the programmes you could want, and a graphics tablet. Also it’s a nice atmosphere; everyone’s respectful of each other’s work, and quite quiet. It’s also really nice to work with the kids, to encourage them to pursue comics; it’s an area that isn’t really encouraged in schools as much as other kinds of art. So it’s nice to be part of that.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently doing two commissions of album covers. I’m also doing an autobiographical comic and a short comic on H.G. Wells’ Red Room – so I have a lot going on!

How can we follow you on social media?

Instagram: @annaaack

www.behance.net/AnnaCawlan

Thanks Anna!

– Caitlin

Ink & Pixels exhibition ends Saturday 26th November

Ink & Pixels ends this coming Saturday (26th November). The exhibition was curated by Louise Quirion and has been a great success – it was billed as the number one thing to see in Dundee this month!

This free exhibition is an opportunity to discover (or re-discover) Dundee’s comic scene! From The Beano to Treehouse, and all points in between. Humorous comics, serious comics, big and small, drawn with ink and pixels… This exhibition highlights contemporary graphic creation in Dundee. It also offers the chance to see comics by the next up-and-coming generation of comics makers – the DCCS Comics Clubbers!

Curator Louise Quirion will be on hand on Saturday to talk about the exhibition and provide information about the comics and artists. Open 12 to 6pm in DCCS HQ at Unit 7, The Vision Building, 20 Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB.

Look out for details of our next exhibition coming soon!

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poster by Elliot Balson

Dundee – One City, Many, Many Comics!

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Art by Claire Roe

To whet your appetite for Ink & Pixels, our exhibition opening next week looking at contemporary comics creation in Dundee, our Operations Director Dr Chris Murray is giving a talk tomorrow which examines the extraordinary history of comics in Dundee.

Dundee – One City, Many, Many Comics! is part of the 2016 Armitstead Lectures series, and takes place at 7.30pm on Friday 14th October at the University of Dundee and costs £2 on the door.

“Dundee has been at the heart of Scottish, and British, comics publishing since the 1930s. This lecture will briefly discuss how the medium of comics works, then will examine the extraordinary history of comics in Dundee, from DC Thomson and Valentines to the wealth of comics currently being produced in the city.”

Venue: Dalhousie Building, Lecture Theatre 2, University of Dundee, Old Hawkhill, Dundee, DD1 5EN. Click here for a map.

Ink & Pixels exhibition

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Next week come along to Ink & Pixels our new exhibition at Dundee Comics Creative Space – discover or re-discover Dundee’s comic scene! From The Beano to Treehouse, and all points in between. Humorous comics, serious comics, big and small, drawn with ink and pixels… This exhibition highlights contemporary graphic creation in Dundee.

This free exhibition is open Saturdays 12 to 6pm from the 19th of October until the 26th of November in DCCS HQ at Unit 7, The Vision Building, 20 Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB. Other times by appointment, contact d.herd@dundee.ac.uk

You are warmly invited to the opening event at 6pm on the 17th of October, including a comic market organised by PopDundee, numerous artists will be present and refreshments available!

EDIT: opening times updated

Ex Libris Book Fair at Dundee Literary Festival

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As part of the Dundee Literary Festival in October our Comics Clubbers will be selling their comics at the Ex Libris Book Fair! Young artists from our Tuesday and Wednesday workshops have been working to produce a comic book each, full of their own work, and they will have the chance to display and sell this at the fair! Wildly creative and incredibly talented, we are very proud of our Comics Clubbers and the work they have produced. This is a great chance for you to see the magic which happens at DCCS! Feel free to swing by our stall to check out (and buy) the comics!

This event will be running from 11am to 3pm on Sunday 23rd October in Bonar Hall, and is a free drop-in event. The Ex Libris Fair is run by Ess Publications and this is the third time it has been featured in Dundee Literary Festival! Celebrating talented artists working in book formats, the fair will feature small presses, indie comics creators, artist book makers and – of course – the Comics Clubbers’ books! See you there!

– Caitlin Mitchell