Comments on: Old school graphic design

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:16:39 +0000

Ross,
your Mother has some great stuff. It’s brings back alot of memories when I was younger and worked with people just like her.
I was in Paste-up and Prepress areas and worked around other artists with similar skills. I learned alot from them. It was a great time then and it was considered having a valued skill in those days. I was one of the first in those early days of computers in the business and they terrified the Old timers. Back then I didn’t get what they were so afraid of but now 25 years later I see what scared them. Computers have made commercial art kind of soulless. You can’t beat the physical contact of handling work like this in your hands and seeing it up close while you get it print ready and color match with various darkroom color correction techniques. Now you just pull a GUI lever or adjust a GUI tab. It might be easier now but it really requires no skill in the big picture. Lots of really good and skilled people lost their jobs back then because of the changes the CPU brought to the business. Photos now replace everything. Treasure these works, they are a real window to another time when real skill mattered. Thanks for sharing.

By: Michel

Michel — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:53:50 +0000

Wow! This is what graphic designers did, before computer was invented. I’m impressed! Thank you for sharing these images!

As a comforting thought, it occurs to me that if I was born before computers, I still could have a chance to work with graphics professionally (as I do now). Only difference would be, everything would be a bit (a lot) harder. Now I can use Illustrator, Fireworks, tablet+pen… It’s so much easier…

By: Leigh Dyson

Leigh Dyson — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:23:21 +0000

Awesome stuff! Still remember doing that way too, before the age of computers… what took two weeks to do then, now takes an hour! Nothing can replace the strength of true creativity from the hand though ;]

By: Ross Allchorn

Ross Allchorn — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:58:40 +0000

Thanks Ant. Yeah, I thought it appropriate to bring her work into the digital realm so as to inspire graphic designers of today and see what once was. Wannabe graphic designers can also see what was done in the days before Photoshop and Illustrator.

By: Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:53:53 +0000

Great Idea Ross, living next door, I kinda got used to the interesting work she did in the studio, and now looking at it from a different perspective -WOW, she was an amazing woman.

By: Ross Allchorn

Ross Allchorn — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:03:55 +0000

Thanks Chris. Very proud indeed.

By: Christian mugnai

Christian mugnai — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:17:35 +0000

What a wonderful tribute to a woman I respected and was fortunate to know. It was my first ever visit to Pams studio, that opened my eyes to the world of graphic design( then known as commercial art). Back then people like Pam were real artists, there were no shortcuts, every single job had to be a hand crafted masterpiece.

Pam really was an extreamly talented artist Ross.
I’m sure you are very proud of her and her work.

By: Jon Aston

Jon Aston — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:55:27 +0000

Wow. What a terrific post. Thanks!

By: Ross Allchorn

Ross Allchorn — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:41:05 +0000

Thanks Brad. Like I said in the post, people whose opinions I respect share my sentiments. And yours is one of them.

That background is amazing, I agree. That is a current style too, if not starting to get over-used.

By: Brad C

Brad C — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:27:03 +0000

Yes, I think it’s fair to say your mother was one of the best designers of her time, these are fantastic!

The Michael Denham Marble illustration/design looks modern and fresh now. The background behind the products is something that would be extremely hard to replicate on a computer (believe me I’ve been trying). It’s so technically precise but has that great texture to it, wonderful stuff.