By Magda, 15 June 2010

Krystal Kings series of paintings

Krystal King Birdbear painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Krystal King Birdbear

The Krystal Kings paintings were sketched out by Marc, painted by Magda, and finished with fine black lines and detail work by Marc. They are painted with acrylic guache, pearlescent, metallic and day-glo paints, and feature an ultra matte black guached that makes them seem to be painted on black velvet.

Krystal King Froghawk painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Krystal King Froghawk

Krystal King Pinkrobot painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Krystal King Pink Robot

Krystal King Ghostbear painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Krystal King Ghostbear

Krystal King Pinkcat painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Krystal King Pinkcat

Krystal King Pinkcat painting by Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui

Marc Ngui with the Krystal King Birdbear painting.

By Magda, 6 May 2010

Art and Science Devices

The Devices illustrations were drawn by Marc Ngui for the Too Cool for School Art and Science Fair. Pen and ink, watercolour, pencil crayon, and jelly roller pens, 2009.

Making Unit, Devices by Marc Ngui, 2010

Maker Unit

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By Magda, 6 May 2010

Too Cool for School Art & Science Fair, Toronto 2010

The art and science fair is this Saturday!

Art and sciene unite!

Saturday May 8, 12pm – 4pm

Harbourfront Centre
235 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto

Free, open to the public

“The Too Cool For School Art & Science Fair was invented to turn the spotlight on the unexpected feats of imagination and exploration that are happening all around us,” writes Sally McKay of her most recent brainchil on the home page of the project, www.artandsciencefair.ca.

The website was designed by me and the illustrations were drawn by Marc. We worked closely with Sally to come up with the name and identity graphics. I also designed some print posters that are available as  PDF downloads from the website.

What is an Art & Science Fair?

The event is structured like a typical science fair, with fifty projects and their creators assembled for one day to share their work and ideas with an audience and to compete for awards. The difference is that the projects are a mix of both art and science.

Additionally, the participants in the Too Cool for School Art & Science Fair are from all walks of life, amateurs and professionals, many sharing their pet projects with the public for the first time. Participants are selected from an open call for submissions on the basis of originality, depth of inquiry, creative innovation and the element of surprise.

Read more about the project and check out all of Marc’s awesome illustrations on the Too Cool for School website.

By Magda, 9 April 2010

Crocodile Tears earrings up in Ladilola shop on Etsy

Some earrings are finally up in the Ladilola shop on Etsy. I’ve been trying out various backgrounds and styles of photography, experimenting with what works as a process for me and also how the photos then look in the shop and within Etsy search results.

Ladilola earrings in black patent leather in a geometric, pointy shape.

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By Magda, 4 April 2010

New camera goes to Band Practice

About a month ago I started using the Panasoni GF-1 camera, with the “pancake” lens (f1.7, 40mm lens equivalent). Very happy with the camera, and this is also my first time shooting RAW format files. VERY happy about that. Recently I took the camera on an outing to a friend’s place and shot inside with very little light. I used the Lightroom 3 beta release for post production, and I’m deslighted with the results I was able to achieve with the low light RAW files. I opted for black and white or super-saturated effects in Lightroom partly to test the setting and also to highlight the most aspects of the the low quality photos. There is a lot to learn in Lightroom and I’m planning on buying the video tutorial from Luminous Landscapes.

Below are a few of the photos – you can see the rest in the Band Practice photo set on Flickr. Thanks to Band Practice for the photo op. :)

Blue and yellow beats, Toronto

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By Magda, 8 January 2010

Digital knit pillows by Chic sin Design

Knit log pillows by Chick sin Design.

Knit log pillows by Chick sin Design.

I just love these knit bolster pillow covers by Hong Kong based Chic sin Design. Originally I found the items in their Etsy shop.

The pillows are in the shape and size of tree logs “chewed by beavers”, and the tree bark and other texture graphics are knitted into the textile in several colours, rather than printed on the surface.

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By Magda, 7 January 2010

New drawing collection preview for Monsters and Heroes

Here is a preview of five images from a new collection of Marc’s drawings that we are just about done putting together for publication.  The collection is called Monsters and Heroes and the drawings were chosen from Marc’s plethora of sketchbooks and notebooks from the last several years.

I’ll know we’ll have done it right if the final thing feels like a combination of instructive tale about the tricky nature of  face value,  colouring book, and high contrast, eyeball giddying stare-a-thron.

Monster drawing 2

Hero or monster? Hint: drool earrings.

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By Marc, 14 October 2009

Shamans believe…

Click the image to see a larger drawing.

Click the image to see a larger drawing.

This drawing illustrates a passage from Peru: Hell and Back an article by Kira Salak on the National Geographic website.  The author describes her experiences during several ayahuasca rituals conducted under shamanic guidance in the Peruvian Amazon.

All of the text in the image is taken from the article.

I originally came across the article via Arthurmag.

By Marc, 13 September 2009

Evolutionary roadblock : Software upgrade required

Evolutionary roadblock: Software upgrade required

This drawing from July 2006 is based on a photograph from an issue of National Geographic magazine.

It is sepia and metallic ink on paper.

By Marc, 13 September 2009

Rotate Thought Objects : I’m ready for my chip


This is the web edition of a large format painted art zine. It is 30 pages long. It’s dimensions are 12.5 inches by 19 inches. The paper is Rising art print. The materials include india ink, gouache, acrylic, watercolour, and Sakura gelly roll ballpoint pens. It was created between June and September 2009.