MACHAS

Ray Oranges collaborates with Creative Review

Ray Oranges is steadily working his way through his dream client list as he ticks off none other than the prestigious Creative Review!

Almost a month ago at Machas we received a brief for an editorial illustration commission for Ray Oranges! The piece was to accompany an article written by the talented York based Writer and Graphic Designer Daniel Benneworth Gray.

For the first time to collaborate with Creative Review, Ray jumped at the idea of lending his well defined style to Daniel’s column. This month’s piece is an interesting insight on people lucky enough to have a job they enjoy so much, they would consider it their hobby too.

Daniel wrote of the possibilities of separating work and pleasure and pondered whether they could be something different, or the same thing. He briefly toyed with the idea of joining York’s Viking dress up scene - surely a bold move in a bid to nail down a hobby of his own away from work!

Ray used this witty quip as the main inspiration for his illustration and in applying his own trademark textures and play on scale signature he perfectly captured the playful attitude of the author.

Will we see Daniel Benneworth-Gray stomping around the cobbled streets of York donning an axe and horned helmet? You’ll have to read this months Creative Review to find out!

We had a chat with Ray to find out all the juicy bits of his first collaboration with Creative Review!

Hi Ray! So tell us, is the first time you’ve worked with Creative Review?
RAY: Yes! Machas rang me up saying there was an editorial commission for me and I was absolutely thrilled when I learned the brief was from CREATIVE REVIEW. I have always been a huge fan of the magazine, I was very very happy indeed to work with them, they are a globally recognised publication!

What was your inspiration for the illustration?
RAY: The brief was for an editorial to accompany an article written by Daniel Grey and in his article inquired whether it was OK to be so passionate about one’s job that there’s is no need for anything else or if one’s need to find a hobby outside his career! Daniel lives in York, England, famous for its Viking history and toyed with the idea of taking up a viking based hobby!

Did you face any challenges in this commission?
RAY: After having already sent three roughs to present to the client, I felt unexcited and unsure by what I had put forward. It was at this point I decided to make another option, which I managed to present just in time! In the end, I was really happy with the result. I really liked that I was able to take extracts from the text and convey them in a simple illustration.

We hear Daniel Gray contacted you personally!
RAY: I was in a business meeting in Milan with my agents Valentina and Rita when I received a Twitter notification from Daniel Gray who wrote: “Have not seen this month ‘s yet, but looking forward to a @ ray_oranges creation…Perhaps Involving Vikings”.