Trafalgar Square. Deserted.
I live in central London and go running most days. It feels very different now.
Nasty thing. Difficult to believe something so small can have such a huge impact.
COVID 19. Stay safe!
Keep safe!
The Ultimate Face Mask
Creative Retouching | Radio Times Christmas Quiz 2019
A complex composite of over 100 images from many sources, photography, illustration, cgi, with added snow.
There are clues to the titles of 50 TV programmes in this picture. How many can you find? There’s a big prize to be won - the rules are in the ‘Legendary’ Christmas issue of the Radio Times.
I’ve been creating this quiz for many years: it’s one of my favourite projects, even though it takes ages. It’s become an institution and I know it has a very enthusiastic following. I occasionally look at the online forums as people try to solve all 50 clues, which is fascinating. BUT I never post anything there. AND please don’t ask me anything until the competition has closed!
Christmas Typography
I have a thing about Christmas lettering…
Alamy.com Image ID: 2AE706B
Golf vs. Baseball
Great use of colour by the art director of Golf Magazine. Those stitches were challenging.
One week, 4 Radio Times Covers: Rugby World Cup
Out this week. Four different covers for the same issue, one for each region. A big dilemma for the Radio Times - the rugby was the the same week that Strictly Come Dancing starts. Which to go for?
This was the outer cover, the one you could see in the shops. But - take this cover off to fill in the results wall chart on the other side and voila! - like Russian dolls, inside this cover is another, Strictly cover.
Stellar Plate Snowflake v1
I’m experimenting with showing 3d models on the web. Most embedded players use lots of individual images - slow and limiting, but this is uses a real 3d model and can be seen from any angle at any scale.
Translucency is brilliant. Take a look at it from the back. Click on the stack of papers icon & you can play with the textures yourself.
Sir David Attenborough
This weeks Radio Times. There’s a lot more work on this than you might imagine. The image of Sir David is a composite of a number of photographs by Ray Burmiston
Safe as Houses
I finally got around to finishing this image for a picture library. You can find it at Alamy.com The Christmas picture quizzes are brilliant for spinning off ideas.
Radio Times Christmas Quiz 2018. Creative Retouching
By popular demand…
This years Big Picture Quiz for the special Christmas issue, created with Jacob Howard from an original idea by Paul Smith. There are visual clues here to 50 popular TV shows on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Netflix and Sky.
3d printed snowflake 2018
I was delighted when Don Komarechka, the Canadian photographer asked me to model another snowflake this year, building on what we learnt last year and taking it further. Don’s having them printed in silver (contact him if you’d like one) - and I’ve produced a few in plastic, available now: IanMcKinnell.com/store
Radio 2 in Meltdown
Radio 2 are having a few problems illustrated by this commission for the Radio Times. Modelled entirely from scratch, but closely based on the iconic Roberts Radio. I really enjoyed creating the badge & working out how to create the grille in full 3d with maximum detail but with minimum polygons.
Logitech Tattoo
This has to be the weirdest use of one of my images ever…
On the right is an image I created for Logitech a couple of years ago. It’s an individual key from a gaming keyboard. Gamers like big old fashioned mechanical keys.
On the left is an image my son found on Reddit. I struggle to believe it!
Olympics concepts and ideas.
There are always lots of ideas discussed before we go ahead with the finished design. Some of those get to be turned into roughs. like this one, for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. One that got away. I hope to reuse this idea one day…
Radio Times World Cup Cover
Out today. A previous version was finished & ready to go to the printers when the publisher saw it in horror & deemed that a Russian flag on the cover, given the current tensions, was financial suicide. This was the alternative, quickly put together over the weekend. With no mention of Russia...
You should have seen the ones that got away...
