Time honestly seems to be speeding up at the moment. I don't know how I let it get to April without updating this page but better late than never I guess.
I've had my head buried in all sorts of projects and have found myself busier than ever before. I've done a whole bunch of tutorials, two for Advanced Photoshop and one for Digital Arts with more on the way. There is also a full profile on me in this month's Web Designer magazine. Hopefully I'll manage another update before the end of the year.
Ok, own up, who stole my year? I can't believe it's the end already. It's been busier than I ever expected and still won't let up. I have some interesting projects on the way as well as a full interview in the next issue of Advanced Photoshop magazine. Have a great end of year and I'll see you guys in 2008.
A few days ago this site received its 1,000,000th visitor! It's taken just over 3 and half years to get this far, but when I first launched the site I really had no idea that there would be this much interest in my work. A huge thank you to everyone who has dropped by, and here's to the next million.
I have also added several new images to the art page from the 'Adobe Creativity Conducted' project. This is an interactive animated project of which I was one of several contributors. More info and videos of it in action can be seen here
This month finally sees the release of '60 unite for Children', a book bringing together work by 60 artists and illustrators for UNICEF. I'm very proud to have been included in this and urge everyone to buy a copy, all profits go directly to UNICEF. Many thanks to APAG for inviting me and putting the whole thing together.
You can also see my work on the cover and inside this month's Digital Arts magazine.
I've added two purely personal pictures to the art page, the first I've had time to do in months. There is also an article about my working practice in this month's issue of Computer Arts Projects (the illustration issue). It gives a few insights into how I go about building my images.
I also have iPod skins with my picture 'Imagine' on for sale with People Like Us Style, you can get it here. I've got some and they're spiffy.
I will have several pieces of work in a carnival themed exhibition at the Dray Walk Gallery in Brick Lane, London, over the bank holiday weekend this month. The public launch night is on the 23rd and I'm hoping I'll be able to make it as there are some very talented artists taking part.
There are also some new interviews available here and here. Hope you're enjoying the summer!
I really can't believe it's July already. The first six months of 2007 seem to have flown by so fast I suspect someone is playing a huge practical joke on me by tampering with my calendar and it's actually March.
Anyway, this month you can find an illustration and full tutorial of mine in Digital Arts magazine (formerly Digit). The tutorial finally gives away the secrets of my 3D lettering in exquisite detail. You might be surprised at how easy it actually is.
I am also extremely pleased to announce that in conjunction with ClickforArt I now have high quality prints available of my work. These are different from the poster prints I have previously had as they are available on better materials (canvas and box), larger sizes and with better frames. See what's available here.
Some of my work will be appearing as part of the Grand Designs exhibition in London on the 8th, 9th and 10th of June. Apparently it will be located in the Grand Interiors section next to the champagne and seafood bar, which sounds like an excellent reason for going in itself. I hope to pop in some time over the weekend.
Apart from that I am inordinately busy with various forms of commercial work, keep watching the art page to see new stuff appear.
The inkthis 2 exhibition I am taking part in reaches London this month, running from the 8th to the 11th at the Coningsby gallery. The launch night, rather oddly, is the 9th which I hope to be attending. It should be great to see everyone's work up close for once.
And here are some pictures of the 115 exhibition.
A few more projects added to the art page, and I have been working on getting hi-res prints of my work into shops. It seems there has been a sudden increase in interest for them and I have been approached by various different vendors but I believe I have chosen the right one. More news on that when they launch later this year.
Several of my pictures are on show as part of the Art:PartTwo exhibition at the 115 Digital Art Gallery in Bucharest. More info and pictures here.
For readers in China I am also featured in a profile in this months Computer Arts China magazine.
I've no idea, you should probably ask them yourself.
Projects are still trundling along for me in the background, but it will be a while yet before any of them become public. I have managed to crank out a new wallpaper to celebrate 2007 (only a month late this time) which you can get on the art page.
It seems my work will be appearing in a brand new digital art gallery opening in Bucharest soon. More info on that when it opens next month. Some of my work also appears on the album covers of both Chantelle Pike and Wiretree this month, give them a listen and enjoy.
2006 was a year of growth here. From 50,000 visitors in 2005 to 420,000 last year. A terrabyte of bandwidth used and just over 10,000 emails received. So I have to say a big thanks to everyone who came here and helped make it such a good year!
Anyway enough of that ancient history, it's 2007 and I want this to be a year of change. Digital art moves at such a pace that what looked cool last year is already starting to look stale. I'm going to try and inject a big dose of innovation to keep things fresh around here, even if it means pulling this whole place apart and starting again.
In the meantime, I am excessively busy with various exciting projects coming up, most of which I can't give more details on just yet. However I am pleased to announce I will be taking part in inkthis 2 which looks to be a very exciting project. Oh and some new art is on it's way and all the usual stuff.
Welcome to Shinybinary version 2.1. It's slicker, blacker and you don't have to keep opening new pages to view all my pictures any more! There are still a few more details I want to add so don't be surprised if things keep shifting around slightly over the next few weeks.
So things are pretty much the same around here, lots going on behind the scenes and a fair few exciting projects coming up. You can find an illustration of mine on the front cover of Computer Music Specials magazine this month, and I should shortly be appearing in the Digit showcase. I have also signed up for a couple of projects that should see my work in books and then galleries. How exciting!
I have made the plunge and set up a myspace page at last which you can find here. I have also made some hefty investments in my pc, so am currently drooling over my new 30" LCD monitor running off a Geforce 8800 GTX. Must... resist... temptation... to play games...
This month is a particularly good time to see my work appearing in print.
Computer Arts Projects have a full profile and interview with me in their latest issue, which is really well written. So thanks to them for taking my inane ramblings and some how forming them into a coherent article. For those of you in China, CG Times magazine also have an interview, as well as Khooligan magazine for Russian readers. Other appearances include the front cover of Photoshop Magazin (Turkish I believe) and a brand new illustration in Digit.
Or for those of you who can't be bothered to move away from your computers, like me, I have also provided a fairly wafflesome interview for the Little Chimp Society which you can read here.
I am currently planning a series of new personal works, which for the first time will be available as high quality limited edition prints. Keep watching for news on these as I am quite excited about the prospect of making some seriously funky art!
Two of my designs are now available on
t-shirts for both girls and boys from the Imaginary Foundation. You can see them being modelled on the right by the lovely Jess (thanks again!).
A picture of mine has also found its way onto the cover of Digit this month. The mag's definately worth a look if you have any interest in visual media, or even if you don't... actually that's not true at all, only read it if you are interested. You'll see updates slowly seeping onto the site this month, and I have a few exciting projects on the go which should make their way here soon.
Hello, it's been a busy old month. I have just taken delivery of the first batch of t-shirts printed with my designs.
They will soon be available to buy online from the Imaginary Foundation as well as in shops around the world.
In other news, be sure to check out the Illustration issue of Computer Arts Projects for a double page spread by me, available from the 14th September. Also worth a look is ANTI, a brand new online art and design magazine with some astonishing work inside, and one by me.
Oh and the site's now IE 7 compatible. See you soon!
After many months of hard designing, coding, writing and slacking off playing pointless Flash games, version 2 is finally here. It's a fairly radical change in style from version 1, and I know some people will miss the nature orientated look that has come to be associated with this site. However change is nearly always a good thing, and I am happy with the direction I have taken things in.
For anyone looking for old artwork or tutorials you will still be able to find them all archived in version 1, although no longer updated.
I hope you enjoy it, and look forward to any feedback you might want to send me. *Phew* I think I've earned a bit of a lie down.
© Nicholas Ainley 2003-2008