Blog

03Aug

Illustration studies

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / August 3, 2016 / Comments are closed

So just a quick update today.  There aren’t really any illustration courses offered in Sydney. So the only place I could see myself studying illustration at is at the University of Hertfordshire. I really wanted to do their idesigni.co.uk top up illustration degree. But that would cost a grand total of about four thousand pound, which works out to about £288/month. I am still seriously considering enrolling, but I need to be able to commit to studying for 16 months part time with enough spare time to be able to produce decent work.

So as a sort of go-between, last May I decided to sign up to #ilustaller, but unfortunately had to postpone that because I had too much stuff going on what with the NEIS course and everything. The good news is that I enrolled again, this time in both the beginner and intermediate courses simultaneously.

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So why #ilustaller? What is #ilustaller?

Ilustaller, pronoucned “illustayer” [rough translation illustration workshop], is a Spanish illustration course that operates online from Bogotá, Colombia. Yes, you read that right. Bogota, Colombia. It is run by Carlos Higuera.

The thing is, it only costs US$100 for a course that lasts 4 weeks I think. I think it is extremely good value. As a kind of bonus, it will be fun to practise my Spanish again after not really speaking or listening to it properly for about two years. So the way I look at it, it is an Illustration course and a Spanish refresher course all rolled into one.

I completely missed day one of classes. And then today I missed the first 30 minutes of the intermediate course. Oh well. I feel like a proper art student now. So far Carlos has been understanding and welcoming.

The good news is that I have already drawn some quick ‘sketches’… I’ll share those with you all next week. I’ll probably sign up to the advanced course a bit later on, because some of the other work is of quite a high standard all things considered.

Chao,
Les

01Aug

Recent tweaks to the website…

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / August 1, 2016 / Comments are closed
  • Added FAQs page
  • Added 404 error page
  • Added new book review category
  • Added Amazon reseller account
  • Resorted existing blog categories
  • Added new blog categories under main menu
  • Reorganised portfolio
  • Added new social icons
30Jul

My thoughts on Corel Draw vs Adobe Illustrator

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / July 30, 2016 / Comments are closed

Corel Draw is SO much easier for editing points. I can do an illustration in half the time. I don’t have to keep pressing A and V on the keyboard to switch modes. I can double click on a line.

These programs are all about editing curves. Whoever makes that easier gets my vote. So much so, I can’t fathom working in illustrator.Read more →

26Jul

BOOK REVIEW: Illustration pocket essentials

If you found my review helpful and would like to purchase this book, please cLick the link below. It ends up being exactly the same price for you, but purchasing the same item through the link below enables me to earn a few cents in commission from Amazon. That way I can continue to make many other book & product reviews! Thanks! Les

23Jul

Professional logo design — AUGUST SALE!

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / July 23, 2016 / Comments are closed

Hello dear readers,

I would like to announce a sale for small business owners: next month I am offering professional logo designs starting from only AUD$299. The standard price for a logo in the graphic design industry is well above that, so I hope some of you will take advantage of my generosity. Sale ends 31st August, 2016.

10Jun

My new etsy shop.

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / June 10, 2016 / Comments are closed

Hello,

I just wanted to let you know that my new Etsy shop, vayakora, is now open for business. I don’t have any of my own stuff on there (yet). At the moment, I have 37 original vintage illustrated charts by Stanley from 1951! Printed in England.

You may or may not know that I am also very interested in industrial (product) design, so I intend to list some eco products in the coming months… stay tuned!

07Jun

Recent commission for the biodiversity alliance.

In Illustration by Leslie Dean Brown / June 7, 2016 / Comments are closed

Here is a recent series of illustrations commissioned by the biodiversity alliance. The four illustrated dragons depicted here represent “overpopulation”, “non-sustainability”, “global warming” & “the fragmented nature of conservation movement”.

02Jun

Brief graphic design survey for small business owners.

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / June 2, 2016 / Comments are closed

I wonder whether any small business owners would mind filling out my graphic design survey?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N8HYYM5

Thanks!

Les

25May

micro business operations

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / May 25, 2016 / Comments are closed

Hello!

So last Monday the 9th of May, I started a small course called “micro business operations” as part of the “new enterprise incentive scheme”.  I am told that for every successful applicant, at least three are rejected.

It goes for 18 days and at the end of that I will have a detailed business plan. I started this website last year and already had a fairly strong vision about what I would like to do, but before I did the course, no goals ever appeared on actual paper.

I know this is a very boring post, but I thought I really should let my followers know that that partly why I haven’t updated the blog in a few weeks…

The good news is that I only have eight days to go! After that I have 10 months of limited financial support and you will start to see me adding regular new visual content. I would like to thank Australian taxpayers for helping to fund this course (seriously).

Thanks,

Les.

25May

Why I like working for myself…

In Daily grind by Leslie Dean Brown / May 25, 2016 / Comments are closed

Here’s the most important quote of the day (which is from day 2):

“if the wider moral context of society fails to instil a concern for being good people, then the owner/authority of the business must work all the harder to create consciously an ehtical climate.”

I think that is just one of the many reasons that I would like to be self-employed, so that I can choose not to work with companies that I think are unethical. To be able to put the environment before business, the way it should be.

But there are many other reasons too. The comfort of being able to work from home. Not having to travel to work. To manage my own time. Being able to use my own workflow without my boss having to tug my arm and say: “you should be using illustrator”. Because I think a 9–5 office job is a form of modern slavery. To be more creative wherever and whenever I want.

leslie dean brown — illustrator | designer background image