That, there, is Al-Amin, the convenience store, deli, import foods, post-office, butchers, tobacconist on Mill Road; if you can name it, they’re selling it.

Illustration Practice
Visual Research through Drawing
Brief One

We have each been allocated a business to research. The brief is to gather as much information as possible about the building, the space and the culture it contains. We’ve been dropped off at businesses along Mill Rd and told to draw. Everything.

At first I was a bit daunted by Al-Amin, it’s not the sort of shop I like to browse, something about overstocked shelves as high as the ceiling and dim, dingy lighting kind of puts me off shopping but I happen to have the friendliest business I’ve come across on this road so far. Gina and I (we’ve been paired) were invited to do lunch with them. Okay, so the first mouthful I took was full of marrow bone, and it disturbed me – something that tough to chew should be clearly labeled before it goes in your mouth as far as I’m concerned – but I actually really enjoyed it.

It’s a fascinating shop so stuffed full of worldly delights that I can’t even begin to pronounce and full of such wonderful colour, just, unfortunately crammed, juxtaposed by a dingy, disorganisation of delegation. That’s not even an insult, they’ve been there 14 years and have expanded the shop over that time, they’re doing something right, right?