Category Archives: illustration

architecture, illustration

Vector experiments

April 22, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

For a recent commission, I found myself with a background problem to solve: how to render a psychedelic background in a couple of hours.

After various experiments with fractal vector failed to get the desired results, I gave up and began to search the web for some old-skool hippy patterns and/or trippy posters etc. until I came upon one packed with all manner of day-glo, spiral eye-candy. As anyone will tell you, I cannot stand this sort of thing so after an hour, I decided to turn the background into vectors with Live Trace and, as an afterthought, de-grouped the lot and applied a gradient. I then expanded the gradients again into steps.

Although it’s still not what the client wants, I found the random architectural shapes quite astonishing.

illustration, movies, prints, propaganda, retro

FREE MSFF posters!

April 13, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

BRUTE! Propaganda created this poster specially for the Manhattan Short Film Festival, in 2007.

Printed on glossy photo paper, this heroic poster comes in two formats and is signed by the artist, Aidan Hughes.

For a limited period, we’ll be giving these posters FREE to customers who buy items from BRUTE! Products Shop.

Spending over €70 will get you the A4 size while those purchasing items over €150 will receive the larger A3 format.

We only have a limited number to give away so order your items now to take advantage of this free offer!

for sale, graphics, illustration, stickers

BRUTE Republik stickers now on sale!

March 23, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

Due to considerable interest following the BRUTE! Republik opening in Prague last week, BRUTE! Propaganda are pleased to offer stickers from the show. Printed on glossy, self-adhesive vinyl by Twisted Sticker and measuring 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ these limited edition stickers are all-weather durable for 5 years and come in packs of 12.

To order please go to our Products page.

illustration

Rare BRUTE! pulps

March 13, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

Another haul from the UK vaults uncovered some extremely rare back issues of the original BRUTE! pulp nasties.

This is what started it all back in 1984. Tiny but brutal slabs of white-hot pulp, BRUTE! debuted to universal praise and sell-out print-runs. Beloved of schoolkids and pensioners, trendies and boozers, BRUTE!’s amalgamation of hard-boiled pulp and savage illustration exploded onto the literary world with all the subtlety of a steak hammer to a bunny head. Taking their inspiration from men’s magazines of the 40s and 50s, authors Aidan Hughes and Malcolm Bennett turned literary convention on its collective head throughout the 80s, the magazine spawning a cartoon, a kids’ TV series, a best-selling paperback and several major advertising campaigns before breathing its last in 1989 with issue 7.

I have available for sale several copies of issues 5, 6 and 7. These are in a very good condition, having been stored in air-tight containers, and the colours are still vivid.

Printed on glossy A6 format art paper, these are sure to increase in value and are a bona fide collector’s item. They are nowhere to be found on the web nor any book nor comic shops, to my knowledge.

Before I auction them on eBay in two month’s time, I am offering them here for 60 euros each + shipping (multiple orders possible).

Please contact me via bruteprop@gmail.com or purchase direct from the products shop

Be sure to order yours today!

art, for sale, game art, illustration

MESSIAH – game concept art

March 12, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

Back when I was working as an art director and writer for Zombie Games in Seattle, I came up with a, for then, revolutionary game concept called Messiah.

To play, you set out as a child and worked your way through eight quests, each one leading you further onward to eventually become a wise elder who unites and frees the enslaved populace.

As there were no weapons involved, the player had to use their wits, charm, stealth and cunning to get to the top. Unfortunately, it was such a revolutionary concept in 1998 that it was unable to be made into a game.

Maybe next time…In those days, my usual way of presenting an idea was in the style of a graphic novel which normally took me between a week and ten days to flesh out. The above illustration was hand-drawn in ink on A3 paper and represents a few of the levels contained in the game which would later be expanded on by the level designers.

I presented this concept to GT Interactive and Zombie shortly before I left the company to go freelance.

This original artwork is available for purchase. Offers to: bruteprop@gmail.com

art, for sale, illustration, prints

BIG RED – Women’s Day

March 8, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

To celebrate International Women’s Day, I wanted to choose an iconic female that would speak volumes about the women in my life and their best qualities: their concern and resolve, their nobility and beauty.

PS. I used the lovely Tina Louise (Ginger in Gilligan’s Island) as the basis for BIG RED.

The image is available form the Products shop as either a canvas or art stock paper print.

illustration, news, portrait

‘Christine’ portrait unveiled

January 10, 2010 Aidan Hughes Leave a comment

I was asked to create this portrait of the lovely Ms. Christine Moeller a few days before Xmas but I was still able to spend lots of time getting the hair and expression as perfect as possible. To reflect Christine’s sparkling personality, I added bursts and gradients instead of block colours and added her little dog (who looks like anime anyway).