Contemporary Reblog: KEITH HARING’S EASTER MURAL

reblog of: http://thefoxisblack.com/2017/04/16/keith-harings-easter-mural-at-the-white-house/

Sometimes it is just fun to see look at a nice visual and forget about any real message or subtext. I really admire this artist. Some people might have created a series of pieces which are more easter related but this most no context so it can be viewed at any time (unless one views those circles as eggs).

I think the illustrations are fun and the character designs are very unique. Everything certainly stays to the same illustrative style. However what fascinates me the most andy I chose to reblog this post was the color. I love that Kieth Haring did not color within the lines. The drawings and the color really have no relation to each other and yet they interact in such a way that is just so much fun to see. Since I have been taking a digital illustration class I have been drawing more (I drew my mockups rather than finding them and downloading them). I think it would be fun to take my line drawings (perhaps even the mockups) and do a similar overlay color idea. I think that would be fun to do.

Anyway, I just enjoy this fun style.

Contemporary Reblog: JESSICA HISCHE’S POSTER

reblog of: http://thefoxisblack.com/2017/04/18/jessica-hisches-poster-how-to-live-life-gives-damn-good-advice/

In my previous blog entry I talked about how I struggle with typgraography and admired a design group for their determination to not have a visual but merely depend on typography. I have the same admiration and respect for Jessica Hische. I believe we spoke briefly about her in class (either that or we talked about her in my digital illustration class). In any event, I think Jessica Hische is an amazing typographer and letterer.

Her type is amazing. We have said many times throughout this semester how typography is very important. It sets the tone and having a cohesive vision is very important for great design. Jessica Hische has that great design. The font is has so many playful spirals and the is rounded in such a way that it fits the the playful yet determined statement. I cannot stop looking at it because I keep discoing something new which draws me in (some little quick notch, a clever twist...it really is wonderfully designed).

This particular post sort of connects to our discussion on logo design because it exhibits the importance of type and how with the choice of typeface alone voices a powerful message (even forgetting the actual meaning of the words and their particular message). While this design is more of a motivational poster, I think the same basic spirit could be applied to many various designs to reflect that same message.

Contemporary Reblog: Sorbet

reblog of : http://www.aisleone.net/2016/11/07/sorbet/

As someone who considers himself an illustrator and as someone who loves color (I have been told I have a colorful personality) I don't have a major relationship with minimalism. I often find it bland and unattractive at times. However, I must admit sometimes there is a sense of sleekness.

This particular set of designs is by a New Zealand based multidiscipline design studio made up of Nicole Miller-Wong and Sheahan Huri known as Sorbet. The visuals are either very minor or nonexistent. However, there is something exciting about these. I can't say I am overly impressed by the designs (I want things to be eye catching) but I am impressed by the designer's courage. It shows a lot of courage and confidence in ones design skills to depend entirely on typography.

I personally struggle with typography. I am still learning the ways of layout and what fonts to use in what situations. So even though I am not overwhelmed by these designs I have a deep respect for these designers. And I hope one day to make something better than these mockups to impress someone else.

Contemporary Reblog: Nejc Prah

Reblog of: http://www.grainedit.com/2017/05/01/nejc-prah/

This particular post is focused on explaining the graphic design work of Slovenian Nejc Parah who is based in New York. I think his work is really quite fasinating. He blends photographic with strange (almost vector-like) shapes that have multiple angles and curves and points. His work plays with dimension and 3d effects. Everything about his work defies the normal design rules. He creates pictographic titles uses shapes to create words and what normal text he does use is skewed, slanted, wavy, and otherwise twisted rather than a traditional layout. Even if the publication or organization he is designing for already has a design identity he seems to throw them out the window in favor of his own (somewhat ordered) chaos.

We are always talking about pushing the envelope or doing things which others don't. I can't say I did all that many unusual things in this particular class design wise, but I do think this artist is extremely relevant to the museum ID project. I mean we had to design event posters for specific artists and the below image is a great example of what someone could have done if they had to create an event poster for the Yale MFA art gallery:

If you look at the art gallery you immediately notice the use of Helvetica or san-serif typeface as part of the museum identity. Nejc Parah continues the use of this typeface in his event poster. However, he makes the more traditional san-serif typeface more playful by hiding behind other elements, thus adding to the diamentionality of the elements. It is rather interesting and almost makes me want to go back and play some more with my own Museum ID's event poster. almost.

Contemporary Reblog: Paint Software

Reblog of: https://www.dexigner.com/news/30013

I'm actually including this reblog because I really am interested in the software. I had been playing with watercolor brushes in my digital illustration class so of course this was fasinating to me. Basically, this post talks about a new program called Rebelle (or at least new in the sense that it is new to me). It is a digital painting program in its 2nd edition which visually looks like regular watercolor.

I think this blog connects to the class because everything design related is connected. Any form of art can used to create logos, posters and the like. Therefore it is extremely important to keep up to date with new and different techniques or programs so one remains cutting edge. I could easily use this program to soup up my homemade illustrative mock-ups. It would really take them to the next level visually especially for the food truck project where I used so many colors. Then again, perhaps not. Perhaps vectors are best for that specific graphic identity. But in any case I think it is a nice resource I will need to play with some time soon.

Contemporary Reblog: David Mach

Reblog of: David Mach is live streaming the installation of his latest epic newspaper sculpture

This article detailed the latest large scale sculpture by Turner Prize-nominated artist David Mach to be displayed at Griffin Gallery. The amazing aspect of the sculpture, in addition to the scale, is the material: 20 tonnes of newspaper. That is just amazing to me.

I think design wise this post connects to our class because this installation piece takes different elements and combines them for effect. Just as we combine photographs/drawing/graphics with text to make logos or posters, David Mach takes both large scale objects (like the shells of cars) with small objects (like coat racks) and combines with his large, shifting newspaper forms.

Like our designs, David Mach must keep in mind the environment his piece is going to be placed. He has two worry about how it looks and how it can be interpreted and also how it interacts with the environment. 

Contemporary Reblog: Crawford & Son

reblog of: http://www.underconsideration.com/artofthemenu/archives/crawford_son.php

This is another menu design which is a nice idea inspiration for the upcoming food truck ID project (especially the menu portion). Like the previous entry I posted, this menu is very minimalistic in tits visuals yet it makes up for that minimalism with elegant almost subtle lines that are extremely elegant. Everything seems to have a logic as far as place or layout is concerned.

I really enjoy the mockups because not only do they show the designs in a context for size but also they reflect the tone of the restaurant. And I think that is something a few of my class mates were lacking in some of the previous projects because they just downloaded the ones they could find but they did not fully embody the tone of their designs.