Roberta Dylan is graphics girl

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 17

Roberta Dylan is graphics girl

The creative mind responsible for the graphics featured on S.P.T.’s “Kaleidoscope” programmes belongs to Roberta (“Robbie”) Dylan, a member of the graphics team of seven attached to S.P.T. She trained at the Leicester College of Art in England for four years, specialising in graphic design, and in 1964 she emerged with a national diploma of design. Later she worked for advertising agencies in England, then emigrated to New Zealand in 1971. Robbie Dylan worked in photography for two years, later moving to the “New Zealand Woman” magazine. After the magazine closed she did design

work and some, book illustrations for “Thursday” magazine. But “Thursday” was also ili-fated, and before it closed she left to go “free-lance.” Much of the free-lance designing was in advertising, and she spent a short period on contract for agencies, then joined TV2 as a casual worker. With this foot-in-the-door, she was soon on permanent staff. Gouache is the principal medium used for her art work, which is mainly in the opening and closing graphics for programmes such as “Kaleidoscope,” and in animation sequences, for example for “Perspective.” Art work for props (letters, posters, signs) and window displays is a sign-

ificant portion of the workload. One such display was put in the window of Anzus House, Auckland. to promote “Kaleidoscope.” She completed the graphics for “Kaleidoscope” last year, and when an opening animation was suggested this year, it was a logical conclusion that she should tackle it. In spite of shortages of animation equipment, but with the aid of the carpentry department, problems were overcome and the animation was completed in just over a week. The filming commenced one evening at 10 p.m. and a long night was in store for all those concerned — it finished at 6.15 a.m.