CR Blog
CR: The Johanna Basford issue
Posted by Gavin Lucas, 16 September 2009, 13:20 Permalink Comments (23)
Last week we received a package in the post - from young illustrator Johanna Basford who was keen to grab our attention. Said package contained a copy of Creative Review - one that we'd never seen before...
Rather than send a CV or simply a link to her website, Basford created bespoke, hand drawn artwork and worked it up into a special CR cover - complete with spine text reading "commission me - www.johannabasford.com" which she then had printed so she could cut and paste it, rather cheekily, onto a copy of our August issue.
On opening the issue we found that Basford had cut into the pages of the issue to make a slot for a portfolio CD to sit. We're not entirely sure this was necessary (we can't condone cutting up lovely issues of CR!) as CDs aren't all that thick - but it shows that she's made quite an effort with the package...
Dutifully checking out Basford's site, we found that she'd posted a rather charming blog about the project which includes shots of her drawings, the printed out cover, her in the act of hand embellishing the printed cover – and even a copy of the email she sent to Manchester studio Music, apologising for defacing a copy of the August issue which it had designed the cover for.
Whether she's defaced a copy of CR or not - you've got to give credit where credit's due: 10 out of 10 for getting our attention!
To read her blog post, entitled How To Get Commissioned By Creative Review? - and to see more of her work, visit johannabasford.com/blog-article/157
23 Comments
I'm pleased to have come across this story as I'm spending time searching for work. Getting the work in is one of the hardest aspects of being freelance. Something that self employed newcomers to the visual industry discover quite quickly.
Well, editor, surely, this effort can only be rewarded with a commission for Johanna!
Bip.
2009-09-16 13:48:04
Basford's work is absolutely lovely. You can see more of her work on her portfolio at YCN:
http://www.ycnonline.com/portfolios/view/57/johanna-basford
2009-09-16 14:09:58
What a brilliant idea, huge applause to her, that's pretty brave. And cheeky! I love her work though, she's really talented. Commission her immediately, if not sooner!
2009-09-16 14:32:09
Yes, please commission her, it would be a great end to the story and her work looks fantastic.
2009-09-16 15:21:22
The big question is...
did it work?
2009-09-16 15:25:38
Ohh, if only she got the CR font right.
Lovely work. Inspiring endeavour.
2009-09-17 00:49:07
Great work on the front cover, wonder if she'd sell it as a print?
2009-09-17 10:45:38
Gorgeous! -I love line work so It would make me pick up a copy if I saw it amongst all the other design magazines for sure!
2009-09-18 14:46:00
i used some of johannas work on a cover for a cd by rodina, very lovely it is too (johnannas work, that is, not my cover design)
2009-09-18 15:05:03
Well thats a great bit of work :) Hope she does get commisioned... and while were on the subject, Hello I'm mimic, id love to do a cover for CR. Ive designed a few production designer toys with the likes of TADO, Jon Burgerman, Huck Gee etc but have found my changing style is more suited to flat artwork. Keep up with the good work on the mag :)
mimic :)
2009-09-18 16:29:39
Nice work.
From Hong Kong.
2009-09-18 20:34:51
A brave approach -- fingers crossed for her. Tell us whether it worked???!
2009-09-20 15:27:23
Great work! well done Jo!
Annette
2009-09-21 07:11:50
I know Jo from uni days - she's not only a very talented artist, but a great girl as well. Get involved CR!
2009-09-23 13:31:35
I hope you do commission her, her work is great and the chutzpah made me grin.
2009-10-15 21:16:42
The story continues.... I've been commissioned by CR! Happy days! Watch out for my work in the Christmas Issue!
Thank you for all the super ace comments :)
2009-10-16 16:51:57
Fantastic idea, great story, please feature Johanna's story in the issue!
2009-10-16 17:39:59
Amazing cover...beautiful line-work.I might as well join everyone else as well, hello i'm Brett - Please commission me, I've just completed cover artwork for Digital Arts and would love to have a go at creating a more design-orientated piece for a cover. Thanks, Brett :-)
2009-11-28 10:59:19
This story is an example for all young graphic designers out there!
2011-03-01 10:55:05
Johanna Basford did get your attention-congrats for being so creatively aggressive! - SNT
2011-03-01 11:00:40
what a lovely idea! you should be expecting a lot more covers like this from now on then!
2011-03-01 11:09:55
Hmm, commission her and your CR cover will look exactly the same as the Edinburgh Fringe cover, that Starbucks cup and pretty much everything else she's ever worked on.
2011-03-02 01:00:11
to the comment above - Johanna has a definite style which is totally identifiable. The client knows exactly what they are getting with beautiful results!!!
2011-03-25 18:51:13
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