Berlin based project Pictoplasma is regarded as the world’s leading authority on contemporary character design. Starting with the first Conference in 2004, a diverse, international audience has been attending Pictoplasma Festivals in Berlin, New York and Argentina establishing a vast creative network and lively exchange of ideas. It’s numerous publications and events focusing on the impact and role of character design within the world of contemporary art and design have found international acclaim.

Their latest publication, Pen to Paper, launches in the UK with an exhibition at Concrete Hermit on the 25th March. The book presents the most adventurous images of a select group of international artists whose work finds its genesis in traditional analogue techniques. The recent revival of analogue skills has injected immeasurable visual wealth into the world of illustration, fine art and especially character design. Artists reject the computer and channel their creativity through spontaneous freehand drawing. The spontaneity of this kind of creativity allows for a more free-flowing form of expression, leading to edgy and untamed beings, erupting with energy – the perfect antidote to the plethora of digital imagery abundant today.