I was in London again last Friday & it happily coincided with the annual 'Pick Me Up: Graphic Design festival' held at Somerset House. I've always followed it when it's been on but this was my first visit & it was a great little showcase for new Illustrator & Graphic talent & a programme of talks & interactive workshops run alongside making it a brilliant resource for anyone interested or studying Illustration, print-making or Graphic Design.

My faves pictured above, feature (from top left to right) Luke Evans who is showcasing his final year BA project 'Xero' where he has created prints from the hidden patterns generated as a result of static electricity made from a Van de Graaff generator. I thought they were charcoal drawings of eyes on first glance but fascinating to watch the video that accompanies the piece & see how Luke's process-led prints are created, really experimental & different. Laura Jouan's work took me back to the print room at uni, with her purposeful investigation of layering using text, grids & image -Couldn't agree more, print-making is all about the layers! The clean, minimalist, Pop Art-style work of Sara Andreasson very effectively communicated her messages surrounding issues of feminine/masculine, ideals of beauty & fashion. Similarly, but with more of a playful mentality was the work of Yuki Bang. I liked the veined marble patterning created by Jennifer Argo's studies of Icelandic topography & finally the bright risograph printing of Glasgow based print-makers Risotto Studio. 
All the prints were available to buy as limited edition prints there & then on the day & their was a host of graphic adorned stationary to accompany the exhibition from various pop-up studio's on-site on the day & various illustrators working with giftware collective Oh Deer. Great place to buy some unique work by some emerging Illustrators & support up & coming talent, let alone bag some lovely printed notebooks & gift cards.