words by Russ

location : Brighton, UK

My name is Russ, at the moment I'm an illustrator, painter and designer type bod. Byroglyphics was born in the wee small hours of the morning one day in 2004, when I used to be a world champion alconaut, the name was shouted by my friend Hambot and it stuck in my head, we used to make up many words, most far more expressive than the one's in circulation today.
My illustrations are not too scientific, they begin life as sketches in ink, the tool of choice is the Bic 'fine' because it gives me a lot more mileage than more expensive, snootier fine liners that break if you give them too much stick. The sketch is transported into my ageing mac and then abused in photoshop (you may have heard of it) i use this because of the joy of multiple undo's plus its the closest I can get to painting without painting.
The next stage in byroglyphics' life is to turn these illustrations into big canvases, it's taken me many attempts to get to a stage where i'm confident enough to attack canvas and leave the relative safety of the computer, as with everything else it's a constant learning curve, sometimes a downward one. The results of these curves will be in circulation soon.

 FAQ by Russ

WHAT METHODS/MATERIALS DO YOU USE ? For my Graphic work I compile as much source material as possible in the form of textures , random marks and scribbles etc and scan it all, the primary image is drawn and also scanned. I then manipulate the constituent parts on the computer, I keep the amount of layers to a bare minimum so the results are as spontaneous as possible. I dont use any filters at all to keep the 'digital' nature of the image to a minimum.

WHO ARE YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES ? There are too many to list, but if you look at the people I have linked to it will give a good insight. Additional past masters such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Pollock, Basquiat also have a great influence in what I do.

WHERE DID YOU STUDY ? I studied at Illustration at Leeds Met. University and specialised in experimental film/animation there are a few bits on YOUTUBE. The quality is pretty terrible but all pre digital. Prior to Leeds I studied Foundation at Northbrook College in Worthing. In my opinion foundation level is by far the most important because it helps you decide whether you want to pursue a lifetime of creative endeavour. Universtity allows you the freedom to piss it all away which is exactly what I did. Use the time wisely and work like your life depends on it, DONT make the same mistake I did and reach your 30's still not knowing what to do with your life.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING ARTISTS/DESIGNERS ? This is such a vast question it is extremely difficult to answer in a concise fashion but some fundamentals are- Patience Perseverence Discipline Commitment. DRAW ALL THE TIME, sketch or doodle as much as possible or at the very least write down ideas. Carry an A5 black book always. Be aware of what others are doing, seek out the best of the best and learn from their approaches. Never be satisfied with what you achieve. Above all enjoy working and over time nurture the necessity to work. This doesn't even scratch the surface but is food for thought at least.