KH: Yes, I studied illustration at Central St. Martin's School of Art and Design in London, England. I also did some basic Audio/Visual courses there and sort of taught myself how to do drawn 2D animation, which I then did for a living for a couple of years out of college.

KH: I always draw with brush and ink on paper for my illustration work. I then color the image digitally because it gives me more options when I am doing an assignment. I will always draw on paper first just because I really don't think there is any substitute for it digitally. There's a signature to every hand that is somehow almost mystic. The rest of my process is digital, but I don't want to lose at least that part.

For L.A. Times Weekly © Kristian Hammerstad.

KH: There are so many…. I have always been a huge fan of comic-book artists, even before I knew their names. In general the things I grew up with as a kid are probably the things that remain influential. Comic-book artists like Will Eisner, Carl Barks, Katsuhiro Otomo, Moebius, Bernie Wrightson, Jack Davis and Hal Foster were big for me. Later on I also developed a love for american 'indie-artists' like Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware. Another big influence when I was a boy was the skateboard-artist Jim Phillips. I am also a geek when it comes to horror cinema and have been influenced a lot by for instance the director John Carpenter and his joyous storytelling and characters.

For Noronna Magazine © Kristian Hammerstad.

SL: If possible, name your favourite artwork of all time. (If not, name a few!) 

KH: Maybe John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (film), or Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Domu' (comic book).

SL: I usually never listen to music when I work, I find that it sort of takes me out of whatever I am trying to work on. Maybe it is just too much for the senses in a way. I do listen to a lot of radio shows and talk-based podcasts. I kind of have it on in the background. Like background noise.

Thanks to Kristian for the insights into where his illustrations draws inspiration - and for taking the time! Wanna see more of his work? Head on over to his website.

Enjoy the interview? You can check out Springleap's other interviews in the Spotlight On series here.

Inspired Architecture

Thunk. That's the sound of Monday, landing with a thud. Or possibly, the sound of your weekend leaving by the back door! Welcome to Great Design Monday here on The Leap - today we've got a real treat for lovers of original design: some of the most inspired architecture out there. Of course, no post on architecture would be complete without at least a passing mention of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, whose influence on modern architecture continues to be seen. Hinting at the harmony which can be reached between nature and man, his 'Fallingwater' is still a monumental statement of form and function finding balance.

Next up, a truly unique testament to the imagination of one individual - the remarkable Antoni Gaudi, whose creativity set a new level which few others can ever hope to reach. With numerous amazing buildings of his scattered across Spain, the one true icon of his originality is the unique Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. If there's one thing everyone must see when they visit Spain, this is that thing. Enormous, with so much detail that anyone could easily spend an entire day simply gazing at the incredibly complex sculptures which cover the entire surface of the building both inside and out, it's an experience that puts the awe in awesome!

Signing off and leaving you with even more inspiration, we give two of the most impessive buildings out there - firstly, there's the truly space-age and utterly crazy Atomium in Brussels, Belgium, which was built in 1958 for the Brussels World Fair and forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times! It's as sci-fi as anything else out there (unless there are other planets out there with crazy architects!)

Lastly, take a look at the Kansas City Public Library - quite simply one of the most creative ways of communicating the purpose and contents of a library.

Sheer brilliance, which looks similar to the beautiful stage setup for the Tomorrowland festival:

The Anglepoise Lamp

The Anglepoise lamp is on the face of it not the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, but rather a triumph of balance between form and function. Designed by British car suspension system designer George Cawardine in 1932, it was originally devised as a result of the need for a flexible and adaptable lamp for workshop spaces - such as an automobile engineer's workshop. With its angular joints and exposed spring mechanisms, you could have expected the public response to have been somewhat muted when the lamp was first sold. Yet within only 2 years, Cawardine was forced to drastically expand his business to meet increasing demand. Eighty years later, millions of these lamps have been sold - in particular, the original 1227 model pictured above.

The most versatile lamp of all time

The design that so many people compared to the human arm was hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic and became a standard feature in millions of homes, offices - and workshops - the world over. Cawardine's design made use of the best arrangement of paralell steel arms with counterbalances created either by springs or weights in order to be moved into any position without being clamped - he was inspired by the 'continuous tension principle' of human arms, which allowed the lamp to be flexible but stable. This saw it becoming particularly favoured by surgeons, technicians, engineers and other fields where a versatile design that allowed the lamp to be moved into specific position was crucial to the job at hand.

Often copied, never bettered

Since 1932, original Anglepoise lamps made by Terry's Spring Company in Bath, England, have become collector's items with some high prices for excellently-preserved early models. In the years since the design came to market, many imitations and interpretations have emerged with slight alterations to the basic design, among them the Luxo lamp (best known as the lamp which features in the Pixar animated logo) which was created by Norwegian lighting designer Jacob Jacobsen, as well as very large standing lamps now popular with modern interior design. Often copied but never bettered, a real Anglepoise is the kind of design icon that will undoubtedly be around for many years to come.

Little-known fact: Carwardine originally intended to call his lamp the Equipoise but the name was rejected by the Trade Marks Registry at the UK Patent Office on the grounds that equipoise was an existing word, so they settled on Anglepoise.

Spotlight On: Alastair Laird

We're back putting the Spotlight On another creative, we're headed towards Friday at breakneck speed and we're happy to bring you an interview with illustrator whose work is as distinctive as it is humorous. Ladies and gentlementals across the interweb universe, please put your hands together for the subversive from Stone City, the guy who puts the ill in illustrator, that cat whose work has graced more Mahala posts than even Sweatface McGee - yes, it's true, it's Alastair Laird! 

SL: Did you study to become an artist, illustrator or designer?

AL: I did (all three really)! I started out studying Graphic Design at Durban University of Technology; I initially wanted to study Fine Art coz I’d always considered myself an artist more than someone honing in on selling their ideas and adapting them to industry, or for corporate environment. I made that decision based on money; with a background in design I believed it would give me the savvy to make a living as opposed to being some type of highly skilled draughtsman without any way to pay his bills or market himself. Design, as much as I loathed it as a youth, equipped me with things I’d have never known if I didn’t put myself through it. I only lasted one and a half years at D.U.T though and then relocated to The Centre for Fine Art, Animation and Design which taught me invaluable things and allowed me a little more freedom. Mostly I drew comics and there was an appreciation for them at C.F.A.D, unlike Durban University where my sketchbooks were looked at as some sort of crutch and interference to my assignments. At D.U.T the lecturers were total dicks anyway. Just the whole approach at the C.F.A.D was what won me over, they cared. At D.U.T they’d just shove some worksheet at you and go to lunch, then shit all over you if the outcome wasn’t exactly what they’d envisioned.

SL: What's your preferred medium?

AL: I’d like to say brush and India ink, but it’d be a total lie. I’ve used technical pens for so long it’s what I think in. Permanent black inked fine liners of varied point sizes, permanent markers. I use a brush when I can but I’m mostly still training myself to use one and it’s a slow road. Maybe in a decade or so I’ll have mastered it the way I have the line work I achieve with my pens. It’s something you have to do every day for your entire life to be able to be content, I also think it’s important to not be too self-congratulatory but appreciate your level of skill and where you’re at. It’s a continuous learning process.

SL: Why?

AL: Coz it’s a skill that has been developed after many gruelling hours paired with rigorous routine and diligent practise. And with my chosen medium I can keep a time sheet and control my output, knowing exactly how long a piece will take me. When I wander too far astray, making use of other materials it becomes a matter of me losing time and money, so I just stick to the pens. They get it done on time.

SL: What other designers or illustrators have influenced your work?

AL: Some design or folks that call themselves designers enrage me! I truly believe if one wants to do something and dedicate their time or life to it that chosen area of expertise or practise must be done with one hundred percent dedication. Unfortunately in this day and age no one seems to have a work ethic. I really like a Tumblr called This Isn’t Happiness which I read like one would the daily news over coffee in the mornings. It’s got a lot of the most visually indulgent and highly satisfying design, photography and typography I’ve seen. Then again that’s just my humble opinion (and I’m no designer by any means), as I am a fan of minimal art it pleases me and it has a deviant twist. Aside from that there aren’t many illustrators per se whose work I can say I’ve fallen for hook, line and sinker. It’s mainly cartoonists which do dabble in illustration. Should I mention a few names? Johnny Ryan, creator of the Prison Pit series, published by Fantagraphics. His parodies are brutal and unforgiving, as well as hilarious— he’s number one. Peter Bagge with his comic book Hate (also published by Fanatgaraphics) is a huge inspiration, his art is so his own that it’s impossible to explain or compare to anything. Joe Matt’s Peepshow, and mainly his book The Poor Bastard that was published by Drawn and Quarterly. Chester Brown’s art in his book I Never Liked You is sweet and innocent, I love the way he uses a brush. Come to think of it, it has a lot to do with the brilliant writing that these cartoonists are capable of and how they tell their stories. They’re all unique. Ivan Brunetti’s Schizo. Joe Sacco’s Palestine is a thing to behold. It’s a comic diary of his travels in the Middle East. Dave Sim’s Cerebus, the artwork, the fact that it was self-published, a 6000 page story and 300 issue comic. Unfortunately due to his views on women and religion people in the comics community view him as a pariah more often than a legend. Of course the South African underground comic Bitterkomix. Lastly, I want to mention Chris Ware that created The Acme Novelty Library, his other books Quimbie the Mouse and Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth. I admire his body of work, it’s extremely intricate and involved. The book design is crazy. He is a bit of a dork though— there’s no enough funny cartoonists anymore. People need to be funny again, and get a sense of humour.

SL: Name some of your favourite artworks of all time.

AL: Picasso’s Madame de Moiselles, Dali’s The Madonna of Port Lligat, Brett Murray’s The Party VS The People, Johnny Ryan’s Soft 9-11. There is so much art that I adore in many forms.

SL: What music are you listening to at the moment?

COIL, Skinny Puppy, Minstry, CoF, Jedi Mind Tricks, NIИ... Sometimes I shut all my music off in a fit of rage and need total silence. I also listen to this radio show where they talk about comics. It’s called Inkstuds. It reminds me I haven’t lost my mind by being a cartoonist and there are others out there doing it too.

So there you have it, Springleap fans - some indepth insights from the inkstained mind of a prolific South African creative whose work is increasingly been seen in both high and low places. Keep an eye on Alastair Laird - his work just gets better and better!

Enjoy the interview? Check out Springleap's other interviews in the Spotlight On series here.

Hello Leapers and welcome to the first Spotlight On! 'What's Spotlight On?' you ask - well, basically we scratch our brains and identify those all-time epic graphic artists that have influenced illustration and graphics across the board. In this particular case, we’re talking skate culture as we're putting the spotlight on Jim Phillips, the man whose most recognised work was done over the years 1975 - 1995 for Santa Cruz. Screaming Hand? Roskopp face? Jason Jesse’s Neptune? Slimeballs wheels? Yep, Jim’s the man. Here’s the lowdown:

SL: Firstly Jim, thanks very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Right, let’s talk shop - your designs are globally recognised icons of Californian skate and surf culture - where did the inspiration for designs such as the Screaming Hand and Roskopp face come from?

JP: From the cosmos I guess. During high school I drew a lot of surfing cartoons and often included a clenched hand sticking out of the water with shark fins circling, like a drowning surfer. The hand was sort of a character I drew on my book covers and notebooks. When Santa Cruz asked me for a logo for their Speed Wheels line I drafted the Hand for service, and to give it enough edge for skaters I added a screaming mouth.

SL: Were artists such as Ed Roth and (surf and rock illustrator) Rick Griffin instrumental in shaping your particular style, or were there earlier artists who contributed to the direction your style took?  

 JP: My first paying art job was also during high school, “Jelly-Roll” Parody, one of the upper-classmen who drove a custom 54 Oldsmobile, asked me to paint a “Big Daddy type” monster on the dashboard. I made up my own monster but Big Daddy was an inspiration for all of us. The Slasher skateboard deck is my tribute to Roth. Rick Griffin is one of the most amazing artists of his time. We were both drawing cartoons in competing surf magazines in the early 60s and becamefriends. In those days we were both influenced by the cartoon work of Pete Millar from Hot Rod magazine, and some of the Mad crazies like Wally Wood and Bill Elder, and even each other. 

SL: Over the years 1975 till the 1990s, your output for Santa Cruz consisted of hundreds of different designs for decks, wheels, decals and T-shirts. Of these classic pieces, are there any that your standout favorites?

JP: The favorites of my skateboard designs are Screaming Hand, of course, Slasher, and the Roskopp series two to five. I guess there is a tendency for me to like the designs that perform well and become icons. I’ve had plenty of designs I thought were good but didn’t get traction for one reason or another. There are a lot surprises and some bumps in the road for graphic artists, especially when marketing becomes all important. 

That’s it for this week’s Spotlight, design lovers! Stay tuned for Part II, where Jim gives us the lowdown on his influences and inspirations (and how B-grade monster movies helped him become one of the world’s most recognised illustrators!)

Till then, keep it colourful!

Enjoy the interview? Check out Springleap's other interviews in the Spotlight On series here.