Skip to content
confessions of a design geek confessions of a design geek

Award-winning UK design blog established in 2010 to discover, champion and inspire new designers.

  • Home
  • product
  • furniture
  • features
  • About
  • Contact
confessions of a design geek
confessions of a design geek

Award-winning UK design blog established in 2010 to discover, champion and inspire new designers.

here’s one I made earlier :: graphic design with anthony burrill

Katie, July 10, 2011June 16, 2020
This article was published 15 years

A few weeks ago I went along to a graphic design workshop with Anthony Burrill at Outline Editions. Anthony had provided lots of his designs copied onto brightly coloured paper. The idea was to take his designs, cut them up and make them your own.

A selection of Anthony's designs ready to cut up
A selection of Anthony’s designs ready to cut up

It felt a little sacrilegious taking scissors to Anthony Burrill’s designs and starting to arrange them in any way other than the way he had done, so I was slow in getting started. However, I was surrounded by confident children diving right in, so I steeled myself for the first snip and was soon cutting away.

I wasn't actually cutting one-handed; I just needed one hand to hold the camera!
I wasn’t actually cutting one-handed; I just needed one hand to hold the camera!

I tentatively tried a few different combinations of images and words…

Work in progress
Work in progress

What interested me was how you could change the meaning of something, but just taking a part of it, and putting it next to a part of something else. Eventually, I settled on something I was happy with and started sticking.

Sticking
Sticking

Et voila… my very own Anthony Burrill.

My very own Anthony Burrill masterpiece
My very own Anthony Burrill masterpiece

Now, you could argue that simply re-arranging Anthony Burrill designs doesn’t really qualify as creating original artwork, and you’d be right. But it did get me thinking about what you could do with other things; newspapers, magazines, packaging… any printed materials could be cut, rearranged and have their meanings changed in this way. Food for thought.

There is another Anthony Burrill graphic design workshop at Outline Editions on Saturday 16th July, 10.30am to 5pm. Email info@outline-editions.co.uk to book a free place.

You may also be interested in:

  • interview :: anthony burrill
  • here’s one I made earlier :: yellow owl workshop
  • here’s one I made earlier :: screenprinting 
  • here’s one I made earlier :: cyanotype
Further reading for the especially geeky:
  • https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.199755033406571.43514.181947435187331 (more photos)
  • http://www.outline-editions.co.uk/clear-your-head-every-day-new-workshop-date-announced (More info re the graphic design workshop)
  • http://www.anthonyburrill.com/
  • http://www.etsy.com/listing/73260609/human-muscle-skeleton-vintage-dictionary?ref=cat2_gallery_17 (Mixed media on etsy)
  • http://www.etsy.com/listing/69568521/acrobat-5-original-abstract-collage?ref=cat2_gallery_40 (More mixed media on etsy)
This article was published 15 years
Confessions of a Design Geek here's one I made earlier Anthony Burrilldesigngraphic design

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Related Posts

Confessions of a Design Geek Bouroullecs and Lee Broom

out and about :: london design festival 2012 in pictures (part 1)

September 19, 2012June 16, 2020

This article was published 14 yearsI am rushing around like a mad thing trying to see as much of London Design Festival as possible, but I didn’t want to neglect my little blog, so I thought I’d try to at least share a few photos of each day’s events and…

Read More
Confessions of a Design Geek

interview :: ross kemp

October 6, 2015June 16, 2020

This article was published 11 years This is the latest in our series of interviews with new designers identified by the Design Council as ‘Ones to Watch‘. Ross Kemp‘s ‘Asap’ electric waterboard helps coastal rescuers get through the surf more quickly to reach people who are drowning. Inspired by a jet ski, it is significantly…

Read More
Confessions of a Design Geek

here's one I made earlier :: sketchbooks

January 7, 2011June 16, 2020

A sketchbook is a great way to collect and explore ideas – and of course the best thing is to keep one on you and get into the habit of using it every day. I’m usually terrible at remembering, but I do always make sure I find the time when I go on holiday. On my latest two trips, I tried to push myself to develop my ideas as well as just recording what I saw – and also to feel more able to take risks and make mistakes.

Read More

Comments (2)

  1. Robert says:
    July 10, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    Hands on… love it!
    It may not be original work, but it’s a remix of sorts.

    Reply
    1. design geek says:
      July 11, 2011 at 10:13 am

      Thanks Robert. A ‘remix’ is a great way of putting it – I like that!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

©2026 confessions of a design geek | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes