Non-Stick Plans

Post-depressionism

2011-12-25T10:06:00.003Z

Footpad's weapon

2011-11-27T13:14:00.001Z

I was trying to make a crown out of a cat's paw but it ended up looking like knuckledusters. It's very difficult sometimes, you know.

Submurine

2011-11-14T18:58:00.001Z

Just what is it about cats and water?

The best-laid schemes...

2011-10-27T23:15:00.002+01:00

...o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley.
- Robert Burns - ‘To a Mouse’

Perhaps six months is a little excessive as a gap between blog posts. I was hit by an idea drought and thought that was it. Getting ready to throw myself off a bridge in despair, my idiot brain seems to have at last stirred, hopefully not too briefly, into action and saved me a trip to San Francisco.

Beggar

2011-05-21T18:44:00.003+01:00

Stradivirus

2011-05-04T18:39:00.003+01:00

Violinly ill.

Imhopet

2011-03-03T18:20:00.003Z

(Imhotep)

Cat got your pencil?

2011-02-10T18:15:00.002Z

It’s good to be busy
but I've been neglecting
my blog duties and this
is my first post of 2011.
Sorry about that.

I’ve been trying to draw
a tabby cat but it keeps
coming out as a dog.

Disastronaut

2010-12-31T10:59:00.003Z

He caught
a falling star.

Happy new
year.

Happy Christmas

2010-12-24T17:40:00.003Z

Fishtank revolution

2010-12-02T16:12:00.001Z

Lion in wait

2010-11-22T09:29:00.002Z

Demi-urge

2010-11-18T16:53:00.002Z

A rite of
passage.

Food for thought

2010-11-14T19:29:00.003Z

You Are What You Eat Shirt by nonstickplans
make your own custom t-shirt at zazzle

This is a t-shirt with a drawing from September 2007, adapted into a circle for Mindfields College as a logo for a seminar or workshop on diet. Alas Mindfields has ceased trading and has morphed into the smaller scale Human Givens College, where humorous logos are spat upon and clean pastel colours and Swiss-style graphics are employed instead. With so many logos going spare I thought it was time for some recycling (with permission) and a few of them (the more interesting ones) have been Zazzled.
The .com link for this t-shirt is here, by the way, though I'm not expecting anyone to buy it. Judging by my past efforts to make money, this Zazzle lark is almost inevitably doomed to failure. It's already been plagued by technical problems. I've been reading an interesting series of blog posts by Robert Twigger about how to make money. I must study them more thoroughly - it could change my life. He's an interesting writer, by the way, and I recommend his blog, and his books.
Another by-the-way is that I've started a Wordpress blog where I'll be posting drawings from the Non-Stick Plans archive which I'm using on my Zazzle products. I realise I'm occasionally doing that here too, but over on Wordpress I'm posting them big enough to see. Surely a good reason to visit. Ok, suit yourself.

Emile Zola in his J'Accuzzi

2010-11-10T17:31:00.003Z

This bad literary pun is a remnant from my Paris Fraud series from February 2009 (starting here), which I never drew up. Having drawn it up I now realise that it's hardly an original bad literary pun as there are 869 results for it on Google. It's obvious when you think about it, but I may as well post it now I've drawn it up - that will make it a round number.

Body language

2010-11-08T17:58:00.002Z

SomNoëlent

2010-11-06T23:53:00.004Z

The words are, 'Happy Hibernation! or if you're staying awake Happy Christmas!' in case it's too small to read.
‘The Sleep of Reason Produces Funny Animals,’ as Goya almost said, and here’s one, asleep. This is my Christmas card, rather early I believe. Mainly because you won’t have the opportunity to buy it from Zazzle here (uk site), if I post it any later.
Zazzle has given me a big headache due to technical problems - nothing was showing up after I’d designed it, uploaded it, titled it, described it, categorised it, tagged it and posted it for sale. A quiet word or three with the Help! department got their technicians on the case and it now seems to be working ok. I’ve got about 140 ‘products’ so far, including this card and other funny animals. I’ll continue to add stuff if my stamina holds out. It’s hard work you know.
Perhaps only other people with Zazzle shops know.

Non-stick mugs on Zazzle

2010-10-29T16:26:00.003+01:00

See more personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Apologies (again) for the continued absence of posts on Non-Stick, if anyone is still looking in. Here's another reason for that.
I'm spending time designing some of the drawings from this blog (of which there are many) into products for sale on Zazzle. Mugs is all I've got so far, and only a few, but I thought I'd flag it up now before it's well-stocked as I've got little else to post at the moment. I'm new to online selling so it's going to look a bit disorganised for a while. Any feedback (or requests) would be very welcome.
This widget will take you to the UK site. Here are a few links to other countries: US, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Brazil. I think that will do for now.
The mugs I've ordered are top quality and would make fantastic Christmas presents!

Running late

2010-10-15T11:31:00.003+01:00

I did this drawing of a slow boy in an egg-and-spoon race a couple of years ago as a birthday card. 'Sorry I'm Late' was the inevitable message - a phrase bursting with possibilities for the cartoonist, or indeed anyone else. Thinking of situations in which being late has consequences, foreseen or unforeseen, pleasant or unpleasant, is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. I recommend it.

An inhibition of drawings

2010-09-28T12:59:00.003+01:00

Some people may have noticed a slight hiatus in activity on this blog. I know I have. This has been caused, in part, by me having to get my act together for a small local exhibition (or inhibition). It takes place over the next couple of weekends as part of the Woodford Festival Arts Trail. See picture for details.
Like all small local exhibitions it has involved large amounts of time, effort and money. From an initial selection of 25 drawings I’ve whittled it down to 60, all of which have appeared on Nonstick at some time or other. I suspect quite a few will have to be culled when it comes to hanging day, but how does one decide? I’ve never decided to find out.
Do come along if you’re visiting this planet on those days. There are plenty of clouds to park on, and Woodford is not known for its passport controls.
When the above occurrence has played out, like occurrences do, the slight hiatus may cease and frenetic activity on this blog will resume.

Tortwice

2010-08-27T15:49:00.002+01:00

Leonardo's ghost

2010-08-18T17:06:00.003+01:00

Artist's conscience:

"Madre di Deo! Call yourself
a painter?"

Pondlife

2010-08-15T18:23:00.003+01:00

Two stages of development.

Out of one's element

2010-08-05T17:31:00.003+01:00

This penguin cannot be said to lack direction.

Shanks' pony

2010-07-28T16:58:00.002+01:00

Optical delusion

2010-07-18T17:06:00.002+01:00

Torque of the town

2010-07-13T15:47:00.001+01:00

(It's too tight).

At the OK Canal

2010-07-07T18:07:00.001+01:00

Aspirations

2010-07-03T13:07:00.002+01:00

Bagmouth strikes again

2010-07-02T10:04:00.003+01:00

Also known as the Fish-and-Chips Monster, the Bagmouth is a common sight in British seaside resorts during the Summer. This one was sketched very hurriedly, but it's fairly accurate.

Mousing off

2010-06-30T12:46:00.003+01:00

My brief jaunt to Eastbourne produced almost identical photos to last year so that’s scuppered my plan to post them here.
My brain has been giving me some trouble recently, and is refusing to cooperate. This blog will therefore be continuing without it for the foreseeable future, otherwise it will just go into hibernation, so expect non-ideas and a lack of effort on the drawing front. You never know it might be an improvement...

Eighth Sister

2010-06-13T15:40:00.002+01:00

I don’t suppose anyone will notice my absence due to the sparseness of posts here, but I’m off this week to Eastbourne again, to watch some tennis in either punishing sunshine, squally showers or bone-chilling sea breezes. Last year I took some very boring photos of the place so will endeavour to take some more interesting ones this year, though it will be a challenge as I have a very boring camera.
In this drawing can be seen a personification of Beachy Head, the next cliff along from the Seven Sisters on the south coast of England. Goodbye.

Alien safari

2010-06-07T15:50:00.002+01:00

Ripley
visits the
Serengeti.

(It's
supposed
to be
Ripley
anyway).

National dress

2010-06-05T17:38:00.002+01:00

Thistle
turn-out
for the
best.

Exit

2010-05-31T19:26:00.003+01:00

Thanks
to Alex for
featuring
me on the
Neatorama
art blog.
And to
Apelad for
suggesting
me.

Early knight

2010-05-27T12:22:00.002+01:00

Saga

2010-05-25T12:05:00.004+01:00

You can click on this Viking literary invasion to see it larger but don't look too close or you'll see all sorts of glaring errors. I'll redo it one day when I've learned how to draw in perspective and warp pages of text in photoshop.

Freelance pigeon

2010-05-24T00:23:00.003+01:00

Tap tap
tappin'
on the
window
pane.

Ode to Joy

2010-05-17T09:58:00.003+01:00

Ludwig van
Beethoven
with a face like
a slapped violin.

Lovebird

2010-05-12T18:12:00.002+01:00

This blog has dried up lately. This is probably because work has dried up, inspiration has dried up and life has dried up - in fact I'm thinking of buying a camel.

Max: Box 7

2010-04-27T15:57:00.003+01:00

That's the last of this Max sequence, which turned out to be in slightly slower slow motion than intended.
Coming up: I dunno.

Max: Box 6

2010-04-26T17:51:00.002+01:00

Max: Box 5

2010-04-24T16:33:00.003+01:00

I almost forgot to post anything today, due to the fact that I'm grappling with some sort of flu, which might be of the Swinish variety. It's not very pleasant, whatever variety it is - perhaps it's just the not-very-pleasant variety.
Visitors are advised not to sit too close to the screen.
There are another two drawings from this Max story. Then I'll post something new, if I can be bothered to get out of bed.

Max: Box 4

2010-04-23T18:57:00.001+01:00

Max: Box 3

2010-04-22T14:39:00.002+01:00

Max: Box 2

2010-04-21T15:24:00.002+01:00

Max: Box 1

2010-04-20T15:29:00.003+01:00

Well, my attempt to sell out having been somewhat underwhelming, it seems time to resume old habits. One of the things that has attracted people to this blog has been my postings of Pericle Giovannetti’s Max drawings, so I thought I’d put up another ‘story’ from ‘The Penguin Max’. Prepare for another week of slow-motion slapstick, hamster-style, this time concerning the perils of carpentry.

Bird-spreads 8

2010-04-18T10:32:00.002+01:00

This is the final spread I’ll be posting from ‘Where the Birdies is’. From now on my attempts to sell out will be confined to the sidebar. The drawings are ‘Wren’s egg’ and ‘Pecking order’ from December 2007 and January 2008.

Bird-spreads 7

2010-04-16T13:30:00.002+01:00

Here are two parrots from the book ‘Anomalous Instances of Ornithological Hybridism’, a scholarly work of avian punditry by the distinguished academic Professor Gert Lummox.
Fig.1 is ‘Excalibird’ and represents the visual correlation between sword and tail, the title referring to Excalibur, the sword of Arthur, and thus to the correlation between the Sword in the Stone and the probable origin of the word Parrot - Perrot, diminutive of the name Pierre in early C16th Dialect French, or Peter in English, from the Greek petros - stone.
Fig.2 is called ‘Plaititudes’, pointing up a relationship between the Macaw’s plaited wings and tail and the word Platitude, an overused moral statement, thus correlating with the parrot’s tendency to repeat phrases at random, with no understanding of their meaning.
NB. This information is implicit in the book and is spelled out here merely for those unused to the depth of intellectual sophistication in academic discourse. The book may be enjoyed as entertainment without knowledge of the foregoing facts.

Bird-spreads 6

2010-04-15T16:21:00.002+01:00

Another spread from ‘The Bird Way’, a mystical guide to reaching nirvana by sitting on the fence and eating insects. or your money back. Here we see two drawings (it’s a visual guide), one called ‘A bird in the hand’ and the other named ‘Top hat and tail feathers’, from September and October 2007. These titles are approximate and shouldn’t be relied on in the event of litigation. A generous donation at this site will ensure your happiness, in this ten minutes and the next (allow 6-8 days for delivery).

Bird-spreads 5

2010-04-14T11:56:00.003+01:00

A couple of Christmasy-type doings from my book: ‘Birds Do the Funniest Things’: ‘Hot and Cold’ and “Yin Yang Merrily on High”, both from the Christmasy-type month of December in 2007. So long ago, and yet here they are - fresh from the freezer.

Bird-spreads 4

2010-04-13T12:54:00.002+01:00

Here’s another spread from the worst-seller: ‘Where the Birdies is’. In it can be seen ‘Nightfever’ from March 2008, and ‘Bathtime’, also from March 2008.

Bird-spreads 3

2010-04-12T13:04:00.002+01:00

The latest bulletin from Lulu.com tells me that I’ve now sold 3 copies of 'Where the Birdies is' but the sales ranking hasn’t changed! Some mistake, surely? No-one told me selling out was so complicated. I thought I’d be off to the private jet shop by now.
These two drawnwings are ‘Flying Scot’ and ‘Homing pigeon’, both from October 2007.
Apologies to anyone who’s seen all this rubbish before. There are just a few more of these spreads, then normal service will be resumed; or what passes for normal service these days. Tch.
Did I mention my book? You can buy it here.

Bird-spreads 2

2010-04-11T17:41:00.003+01:00

My total sales figures have now gone up to two (2) and my Lulu Sales Rank is 217796, which is more than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you to the buyers, both of whom are friends.
Here is another spread from the book (which you can buy here!), featuring ‘Flamingo flamenco’ from November 16th and ‘In cahoots’ from November 23rd, both 2007. Click for larger view, or lean back for smaller view.

Bird-spreads 1

2010-04-10T17:07:00.003+01:00

I can't help thinking that blogs are reaching rather deeply into the barrel when they start repeating old stuff, but, in the interests of selling out, I thought I'd post some spreads from 'Where the Birdies is' to show how the old stuff looks in a new context. And who can be bothered to click through archives. You can click on this (if you can be bothered) to get a larger view - or you can buy the book and see it on paper! (I realise the clicking bit is cheaper).
These two drawings are 'Brooding' and 'Petshop Quartet' from 3rd February and 30th January 2008 respectively (note the chronic illogical order). More to follow.

Plan C: Sell out...

2010-04-09T09:55:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday-before-yesterday to Non-Stick Plans! It's now 3 years (and 2 days) old. It will be going to school soon - don't they grow up fast?
Anyway, to mark the occasion-before-yesterday, in my usual on-the-ball style, I'm doing what people asked me to do 2 years (and 2 days) ago, which is to put some of the now 500+ drawings on this blog into book form.
My first, experimental, effort in this direction could loosely be described as a book - it's more of a glorified pamphlet - and it's up on Lulu now. It's called 'Where the Birdies is' and is a sort of ornithillogical anthology of 60 birdie-themed drawings (plus the one above on the cover and a little one on the half-title page) from this very blog.
Being Lulu and print-on-demand it's neither perfectly printed (partly due to my habit of using gradients for backgrounds) nor cheap. Am I doing a good job of selling it to you? It's paperback, 7.5" (19cm) square, 64 pages, in full colour (apart from the black and white bits). It even has a contents page, like a proper book. It's only available on Lulu for now.
I'd appreciate it if someone would buy a copy. You can get it here, here, or here. (It doesn't really matter which one you click on as they all go to the same link). Think of it as a charity donation.
It would be nice to have some feedback too (even it's to complain about being ripped off) so I can improve on it with the next one, if there is a next one. Of course, if no-one buys it I shall go back to the monastery.

(Plans A, and B).

Native species

2010-04-05T19:31:00.003+01:00

I had a more interesting drawing planned for today but it involves Vikings and boats and they're both giving me trouble, so this will have to do for now.

By the way, I'm just waiting for a proof copy to arrive for a little experiment I've been working on, and if it's ok there may be something to buy on Lulu. Imagine that - Nonstick sells out. Birds are involved. Watch the skies, but keep an eye on your wallet.

Storyteller

2010-03-31T18:35:00.003+01:00

In
Arabian
Nights

(it's a
book)

(a good
one).

Cognic band

2010-03-24T16:45:00.003Z

For
narrower
thinking.

A Cavelier hattitude

2010-03-19T13:12:00.004Z

Anybody
think of
an ostrich
pun?

(If you've
got
nothing
better
to do).

Secondary target

2010-03-17T12:19:00.002Z

In season

2010-03-13T09:26:00.003Z

Poseidon

2010-03-09T09:02:00.002Z

S on G bird

2010-03-02T12:51:00.002Z

A new Mac and CS4
now give me no
excuse not to drag
this blog up from the
pit of apathy into
which it has sunk.
So a new start is
imminent.
The Spring has
sprung (almost),
The Grass is ris.
I wonder where the
birdies is.
Here's one.

The gardening of Eden

2010-02-23T16:00:00.004Z

Adam and Eve
grow their own
apple tree.

(A bad workman
blames his tools)

Dressed to kill

2010-02-17T11:38:00.002Z

...or cook,
or make cutbacks,
or something.

Captain's log

2010-02-09T11:28:00.002Z

Medical update: I've had my x-ray, in the Palace of Illness. Results unknown, as yet, but I seem to have avoided catching the lurgy. I don't like hospitals.

I keep promising more stuff on this blog, but it hasn't materialised. I think that's because stuff doesn't actually materialise by itself; I've got to produce it by working, rather than promising. If only they'd taught me that in wizard school.

Birds of a tether

2010-02-03T11:46:00.004Z

Stork's inbirdanity to Stork.

My pleurisy has resurfaced for the third time, so after this I'm hoping it will drown (or I will). I'm supposed to be going for an x-ray but my local hospital is in the grip of a vomiting bug epidemic and has virtually shut down. Much as I enjoy vomiting it doesn't really mix with chest pains.

I'm sorry this blog is turning into a medical bulletin. I used to scoff at my elderly relatives who seemed to get together just so they could discuss their ailments. Now I can join in, and eat all the biscuits.

In need of a jump start

2010-01-26T10:26:00.003Z

My pleurisy came back with a vengeance after the last post, in spite of vast amounts of antibiotics. After more vast amounts of antibiotics, it seems to have receded again, apart from the odd twinge. Now I just have to find some energy from somewhere and go out and catch some flies.
Advice on pleurisy: don't get it - it will only make you ill.

Rare find on eBay no.4

2010-01-09T15:56:00.004Z

Ancient Greek
Olympic hurdle
(signs of wear)
$7001.

(nos 1, 2, & 3)

Lack of activity here has lately been caused by an attack of pleurisy, which has been less than pleasant. However a double dose of antibiotics seems to have repelled boarders and no ransom was paid.
Consequently this ship may be back on the high seas fairly soon, though still without much of a sense of direction. I feel I ought to say Happy New Year, though it's a bit late.

King of the leaves

2009-12-30T12:56:00.004Z

I showed this to
two people who
couldn't see
anything in it
beyond a bug
on a leaf.

Is it me, or is it
them?

It's all in the mind...

2009-12-25T01:34:00.003Z

... but it's
the thought
that counts.

Perhaps
Santa will
bring me
some new
thoughts
so I can
get this
blog going
again.

Happy
Christmas!

Penny Gwyn

2009-12-16T09:34:00.003Z

Sister of
Nell Gwyn.

Bonesplitter

2009-12-08T11:39:00.001Z

Yellow dog

2009-12-04T09:09:00.003Z

Could be a
Fyffes terrier.

Bow peep?

2009-11-25T09:30:00.001Z

Poet quoet

2009-11-20T10:04:00.002Z

The absence of drawings on this blog recently is probably more distressing for me than it is for anyone else, but it looks as if it may continue for a while. As a substitute, and for a change, here's a quote from my favourite dead poet, Ted Hughes. It's about writing but it applies equally well to drawing, and neatly ploughs over acres of theoretical claptrap about how to write - or how to draw:

… imagine what you are writing about. See it and live it. Do not think it up laboriously, as if you were working out mental arithmetic. Just look at it, touch it, smell it, listen to it, turn yourself into it. When you do this, the words look after themselves, like magic. If you do this you do not have to bother about commas and full stops or that sort of thing. You do not look at the words either. You keep your eyes, your ears, your nose, your taste, your touch, your whole being on the thing you are turning into words. The minute you flinch, and take your mind off this thing, and begin to look at the words and worry about them… then your worry goes into them and they set about killing each other. So you keep going as long as you can, then look back and see what you have written. After a bit of practice, and after telling yourself a few times that you do not care how other people have written about this thing, this is the way you find it; and after telling yourself you are going to use any old word that comes into your head so long as it seems right at the moment of writing it down, you will surprise yourself. You will read back through what you have written and you will get a shock. You will have captured a spirit, a creature.
Ted Hughes

He played an étude...

2009-11-12T09:06:00.002Z

...and lost.

Notice: Due to
Health and
Safety Chopin
will no longer
be played at
concerts.

The James Gang

2009-11-07T09:05:00.002Z

This is a 3D drawing. If you click on it you'll find that it magically comes towards you so you can see it more clearly. I hope I haven't let this technical effect get in the way of the story.

To bacco and beyond!

2009-11-03T09:28:00.003Z

This pipe dream is another old drawing from around the time of the previous two old drawings.
Using a charcoal pencil with coloured pencils caused me some misery. My Derwent pencils are a joy to use but they tend to obliterate the drawing, so it needs 'topping up' to give it some weight. If there was any subtlety in my line it was gone by the time I'd finished with it, and I'd end up with something remarkably unsubtle like this, which also seems to have suffered from not enough fixative.
Lesson: don't do it.

The birds on the baize

2009-10-31T09:50:00.004Z

To 'celebrate' Hallowe'en here's something that has nothing to do with it. This is from about the same period as the last drawing, but has nothing to do with that either.

A laugh in blue and yellow

2009-10-28T09:37:00.002Z

This drawing is probably from around the turn of the century (this century). It represents an absence of colour-sense, or maybe just an absence of sense.
Sorry about the lack of work here at the moment. Things will change soon (or so I've been told by a cricket).

Bounder

2009-10-19T09:34:00.002+01:00

Almost part of the furniture

2009-10-12T09:00:00.002+01:00

Pencilence

2009-10-05T09:39:00.003+01:00

Nonstick is coming unstuck (but not like Billy Pilgrim).
Discerning viewers, if there are any left, may have noticed a gradual decline in the quality of posts on this blog; an absence of snappy ideas and well-honed puns - to wit: no wit. There are many reasons for this (I can think of three already) which I won't go into. It seems sensible, therefore, to take a break before things get any worse (pages from my sketchbook may have been next), and think about a new plan. For a while I'll just post the occasional drawing and see where it goes from there.
Thank you for visiting Toys'r'ubbish.

Star wars

2009-10-04T09:36:00.003+01:00

This is the third in my series of drawings from my 'Nonstick Possibles' folder that have stayed there, unblogged, for a year or two in the hope of being rethought and redrawn. I liked the idea of this one but felt the drawing wasn't right for it.
Sometimes an idea is not quite enough on its own and needs something added to it to give it a more interesting dynamic. You can usually do that with a title, but often it has to do with the drawing itself.
This one implies the star has been shot out of the sky (hence 'star wars'), but the 'extra' would have been about the context, ie. a beach, where starfish hang out. I may still redraw it and see if I can get something more engaging out of it.

Chick lit.

2009-10-03T09:12:00.002+01:00

Another old Nonstick
drawing that didn't
get posted.
I seem to remember
I thought this one was
a bit too 'editorial'.

Wader

2009-10-02T08:46:00.003+01:00

An old drawing
drawn when
I was drawing
one drawing
a day.
I can't recall
exactly why I
didn't post it,
but you may
be able to tell
by looking
at it.

Furniture fable

2009-10-01T08:33:00.003+01:00

Androcles
and the
Table.

Waste disposal

2009-09-30T09:39:00.002+01:00

John.

Max: missive 5

2009-09-29T09:24:00.003+01:00

The end.
I could go on posting these Max sequences until I get through the entire book, but I think I'd better put him back in his cage for a while and post something else. Blogs, after all, need variety - so I'd better go and find some.

Max: missive 4

2009-09-28T09:28:00.002+01:00

(last one (two) tomorrow)

Max: missive 3

2009-09-27T09:22:00.002+01:00

Max: missive 2

2009-09-26T09:14:00.001+01:00

Max: missive 1

2009-09-25T09:15:00.003+01:00

Max again. This time he's trying to write a letter, which would seem fairly straightforward. Notice I'm posting these two at a time otherwise this sequence would last ten days, which is stretching it a bit too far. The final drawing, however, is well worth the wait.

Off the shelf: Bob Gill

2009-09-24T09:26:00.003+01:00

I have a link to Bob Gill in that I was taught by an ex-student of his, and also by his ex-wife, Bobby. He's probably therefore my strongest influence.
These slipper-carrying dogs come from a job he did for Pirelli in 1965 when he was based in London and a third of Fletcher, Forbes, Gill. They're scanned from the book, 'Forget All The Rules You Ever Learned About Graphic Design. Including The Ones In This Book,' published by Watson-Guptill in 1981. Its dedication reads:
'If this book helps only one
designer get only one original
idea, then all the months
I spent putting it together
will not have been worth it.'
The book was my bible for a while (at a time when graphic design was treated as part of the cosmetics industry). It was full of the kind of unexpectedness that snaps you (temporarily at least) out of automatic thinking patterns. Gill's idea was that if you ignore what you already know and focus exclusively on the problem you're working on, redefining it according to its unique attributes, you can't help but come up with a unique solution. He illustrates this with his own work.
These dogs have the caption:
Original problem:
Counter display for slippers.
Redefined:
What can hold a slipper and be fun to look at?
So you could call them a bad illustration of his 'method'. However, the idea is terrific and one of my favourites and, no matter how familiar to anyone who's ever flicked through a book on the history of graphic design, it's still worth seeing again.
There are a couple of interviews with Bob Gill here (Eye) and here (Graphis), and a biography here (Art Directors Club).

Interdependensea

2009-09-23T09:21:00.003+01:00

It's only a mouse...

2009-09-22T09:08:00.004+01:00

...it won't hurt you. In fact it's not even a mouse. It's just an old drawing which was once ironed onto a shirt, just above the pocket.

Babee

2009-09-21T09:29:00.001+01:00

An
in-flight
infant
insect.

Max: Dressing up 6

2009-09-20T09:20:00.002+01:00

Giovannetti, I salute you.