And the winner of the 2016 Presidential Election? Graphic Designers. The battle will be fought on Twitter. Whatever your view, at least both understand the power of visualization and design in delivering messages. We first have Hillary with a warning shot across the bow:
Jeb! with the return volley:
…and its only August 2015!
If you are a fan of The National, check out Matt Berninger collab with Brent Knopf:
El Vy – Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo)
Documenting a legacy: A lesson on how to creatively archive inventory.
Artist Lee John Phillips is in the midst of an impressive undertaking. The resident of Narberth (Arberth), Wales is illustrating every single object in his late grandfather’s toolshed. That amounts to over 100,000 items—every nut, bolt, washer and old hammer. Phillips estimates the project will take about 5 years.
To get an idea how big, this is the shed:
Penguin, Pelican and Puffin – A journey into Grafik Design evolution and admiration of Allen Lane:
“Traditional accounts of the story of Penguin’s logo usually from this point simply skip ahead to Jan Tschichold’s 1946 tidying-up of the logo before leaping head-first into talking about Angus Hyland’s slightly boggle-eyed 2003 update. But this misses the magic, eccentricity and contemporary relevance of the mark.”
“While the penguin is approachable, the pelican is serious and confident and the puffin friendly and eager. This is a truly advanced logo (or series of logos): it is able to convey complex layers of information on both a semiotic and a highly functional level. It’s a logo where the form can be entirely changed and yet still be recognized as part of the overarching Penguin group.
With the original Pelican version of the logo, it’s particularly satisfying seeing the elegant bird in mid-flight on the cover and yet standing stationary and relaxed on the spine.”
“Later in the nineteen-forties, when the children’s imprint Puffin was started by Lane, the answer was again the same: a puffin drawn similarly to the original penguin. Thinking in terms of the first three forms of Penguin books (Penguin, Pelican and Puffin), the Penguin logo can be seen as simply one iteration of a shaping-shifting logo, where the consistency is found in style of drawing, occasional use of an oval frame – and the image of a bird beginning with the letter ‘p’.”
“It’s an easy thing to overlook, but it’s the sort of negligible detail that gives the design, both of book and logo, that little bit of something – a knowing smile, a wink, an in-joke – which sets it apart from the rest. In all which they turned their mind to, Lane and his series of talented designers did what had been done before, but with more imagination.”
Credit:
Keepin’ it tight:
Space Saving Fonts – David Sudweeks
Made with economy in mind, these examples of typefaces fitting more characters per line and more meaning in less space demonstrate the different priorities that accompany a given exercise in designing efficiency. If for example you run an eight page weekly paper and have nothing to say, then say that and save yourself eight pages. But if you must say something, be clear and concise, set it in a typeface that reads comfortably while minimizing its own footprint, and use the space you saved to improve the reading experience for your audience.
Welcome to the new website! Plenty of updates to come. Please continue to contact me through email, social media or inquire into commission pieces by filling out the form on the website.
A Brief History of Graphics
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Upcoming event! This Saturday, November 22, I will be showcasing prints and originals along with fellow local Virginia artists Sam Clayman(@art_vandelay_1983), Andy Harris(@4ndy8ch) and Chris Boylan at the Belmont House of Smoke. Show information is below. No entry fee so come support local art, listen to live music and knockout some holiday shopping while enjoying some adult beverages.
Below is a tease of a collaborative piece with myself, Andy and Sam. We look forward to seeing everyone and sharing some of our new work with the fine folks of Hampton Roads.
