Collaborative Book Project and Thoughts

My typography class, along with a few other classes taught by Paige Taylor, were required to create a page for a collaborative book she's compiling. Without any delay, here's my piece added to the project:


My class' focus is the past, and I know every now and then, there's a dispute about who gets the cereal prize. I'm sure many can relate to that, especially if you have siblings. LOL :)

This project alone got me to do something I haven't done at all this year, let alone stopped a while ago: drawing comics. It's not just drawing the layout and determining the perspective or the facial expressions. It's also coming up with a good storyline and dialogue (if any) for the comic strip. Getting back into my cartoonist roots took a while, seeing I haven't been doing it for a long while, and it was rocky. At the end of the day though, I'm happy to bring my cartoonist juices to the table, and just let it fly.

It's like finding an old friend that you been waiting to come back to...I'm happy I found my cartoonist side again, you just don't know. ^___^

Anyways, hope you enjoy the comic! Ads coming tomorrow!

7 Creative Principles By John Lasseter

I ran across this article of John Lasseter giving advice on creative principles, thanks to Darren Rawlings (who happens to be a professional illustrator).

Here are the subjects Lasseter goes over in the article:

1. Never Come Up With Just One Idea.
2. Remember the First Laugh.
3. Quality is a Great Business Plan. Period.
4. It's the Team, Stupid.
5. Fun Invokes Creativity, Not Competition
6. Creative Output Always Reflects the Person on Top.
7. Surround Yourself with Creative People Whom You Trust.

I really think what he spoke on can work, not just for animation, but also graphic design and other artistic outlets. I hope this read will be inspiring and interesting. Have a great weekend! :)

Art Stroll At Castleberry Hill

I was able to go to the Art Stroll provided by GSU's Art Student Union earlier tonight. Lots of different compositions from different art clubs and programs. From sculpture, to drawing and painting, to interior design, etc.

Our own Patti has a composition in the gallery! :)

There are plenty of pieces being showcased there, and if you missed tonight's showing, there is one tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, from 1pm - 5pm. That one will be the last showing for the Art Stroll. If you get a chance to, stop by for a little while, I'm sure you'll enjoy the different works by other fellow art students.

And hopefully, if they do one next year, there will be graphic design works up there as well.

Back To The Drawing Board...Apparently..

I didn't talk about my initial idea for my ads on my blog...however, I feel that my proposed vision is starting to become...and I hate to say it...boring and stale. I'm just not having as much fun working with a dry erase board as I would with a piece of paper when it comes to drawing.


I thought of doing some sort of illustrative background with a photograph of an individual in the forefront of the dry erase board. Something different than what I normally do, sure. Still, just after trying to work and rework a few possible illustrations on the dry erase board, it just didn't interest me that much anymore. The lines weren't meeting my desires and whatnot.

With that said, back to the drawing board. And this time, really let my cartoonist side dictate the flow.

The New Wacom Intuos4!!!

So I was going through my e-mail, when I got an e-mail from Wacom announcing their new Intuos4 tablet. (Check the site out, it's great!) After viewing the video, I began to drool (not literally, but my cartoonist/illustrator side did)....

I so want one! At least the small tablet size, I already have a big Intuos3 tablet. The specs on this new model is making me really excited...more than CS4 from Adobe. : /

And in fact, seeing I am talking about tablets, if anyone wants advice, here's my view on getting a tablet (had mine for almost 3 years):

1. While there are many different companies that builds tablets, professionals will tell you to go with Wacom. And I will tell you too, Wacom, and nothing else.

2. There are different models for different needs. Bamboo is the cheapest of the models (if you plan to use it for a short period of time, might as well go with this one). Intuos3 (which I have) provides twice the power of the Bamboo, and is mostly use by professionals. Plus, you get more size options for the tablet. Intuos4 has more powerful specs than the Intuos3, as it is twice as powerful. The Cintiq has a few size options, as well as it being the monitor tablet. This model is the closest to actual drawing on paper. Be warned, expect to spend more than $2000 for any Cintiq model. The other models don't cost that much though, so you should be good. ;)

3. Do not believe you need a big size to get the job/task done. Whether it's illustration, animation, digital painting, graphic design, etc., you do not need a big size to get the job done. The power and strength comes from your wrist, and getting use to drawing on the tablet (if the model is not a Wacom Cintiq). The more you practice and get use to the tablet, the easier it is to use the tablet for any size imaginable.

4. DO NOT BUY WACOM TABLETS FROM ITS' SITE!!! And don't buy it from e-bay either. If you are a student or faculty, the best place to purchase is at Academic Superstore. I saved money compared to the prices at Wacom's store. All you have to do is verify that you're either a student or faculty member, and you're good to go. That simple, that easy, and cheaper. ;) Now, I just recently checked Academic Superstore, and they do not supply the new Intuos4. So my best bet is it will be a long while before the new tablets will be provided. But the Intuos3 still works great, and plenty of sizes to choose from.

5. And to finish off, I think the best size, with it not being the smallest size for the tablet, would be a 6x8. I do not know if the Wacom Bamboo sells at that size. I do know that Intuos3 and Intuos4 does. The next biggest size to the 6x8 would be the 6x11. Reason I mention this is that having that size at 6x8 is still good to move the tablet from home to school and vice versa. A 12x12, not so much. And a 6x8 will work great with laptops, or even the 4x6. Not much space being utilized, and it can fit in your lap too for comfort, if desired.

If anyone else has any questions, I would be happy to answer them. :)

Portrait Done....For Now

From last year, I was taught that a composition is never finished, unless it's set to fire and disappears in the air. In this case for graphic design, it's finished if I delete my project.

Anyways, I am going to call it finished for now. I know in my heart that it's not finished, and that I may not ever finish it. My reason is that the more I work on it, the more opportunities I can do to this portrait, detail wise or using different letters for other areas in the portrait.

It's looking good, but I know it'll be really something when I push this further after today's critique. So cheers! :)

Self Portrait (Almost Finished)..And Other Things

Coming down to the wire with finishing this self portrait. I'm liking how it's coming along so far. As you can see, that's my layout, using different family styles for Optima as my typeface choice. And using individual letters to create the image. It's tedious, but together, it comes out very smooth.

I believe so. :) I hope others do too.

I was able to take pictures for my ads earlier today. I will be taking more tomorrow to tie everything together. We'll see how this direction will go. :) More to come by Tuesday.

Naturally 7

Just saw this on CNN Video, and I was blown away by the skills and talent of this group. I know lots of experimentation and hard work prepared them for this moment, that's for sure.

Hope this inspires someone for their projects. :)

ASU Art Stroll Next Friday

Georgia State's Art Student Union will be hosting its' own Art Stroll next Friday, March 27. It'll start at 6pm and should end around 11pm. There will be some refreshments at this event, so it should be a great time! :)



I had the pleasure to design the postcard for the event. I was inspired by the interior look of the Bigstudio House, where the event will be held. It took a while to come up with a simple design to capture the event as a whole, but I believe this does give one a peak how it will be. Thanks again to both ASU President Sean McCormick and Vice President Alec Addleton for the opportunity to work on this. Also thanks to ASU Advisor Stan for inspiration and insight on the design. :)

Hopefully this event will be an annual event for ASU. That way, the graphic design program can showcase their projects next year. :)

Check This Advertising Book Out

It was this past weekend I saw this book at Barnes & Noble. What makes this book interesting is that it doesn't just show you what good advertising looks like. It also talks about how to do good advertising, how to capture your audience, and other things. It's a thick book too!

Now, I think it was really expensive over at Barnes & Noble...Amazon has the same book, and it is cheaper. You'll definitely save your money if you decide to purchase a copy.

It's a really good read, very inspirational, and a nice addition to one's collection of art books. :) Take a look at it when you get a chance!

Semester Project: Stationery Complete

I couldn't be more happy. :)

Semester Project: YES!!!

My envelope was able to print through the printer without any ink smudges! Thank you God for this! :D

I'm so happy....I'm so happy.

The best part is I was able to print another copy of the envelope without any ink smudges.

Final Score:

Printer: 2
Tres: 2

:D Back in the game! LOL

Semester Project: Envelope

The envelope was able to print through the printer. But I am going to try again, just make sure it looks perfect. I do like the fact that it is printed, just to see how it would look. Also, to feel it and stare at it. It's amazing how one can hold something and look at an object for a long period of time. Until one's stomach growls. LOL :)

Cards are going to be next.

Portfolio: Paper Has Arrived

Awesome! My semi-gloss paper has arrived, in preparation for my portfolio submission. Normally, I use matte to do my class critiques (seeing I get more sheets for my buck). It will really be my first time using semi-gloss for both printing and mounting, when I get started to print my previous and recent works.

Any advice and suggestions on handling this paper is welcome. :)

Now, I got two packets (yes, I know they are expensive)....but I got them for a total of $93. Yep, better than paying $125-$140 for them. So I was able to save money there. :)

More blog posts to come on my preparation for my portfolio, as I get ready for the upcoming deadline.

Semester Project: Advertisement Inspiration/Preparation

I'm taking some thought to what I could do with my ads for this upcoming project. The theme, the audience, the concept, etc. I want to capture the connection between the viewer and the tag line "it starts with I".

After talking with Stan, I found some advertisements that started to inspire me for a certain direction:







I didn't want to go look at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts...or anything coffee related. To make the coffee the most focal point. I really want to focus on the individual who is holding the coffee cup, reading a book, or doing something else. It's more of a connection between the individual and "it starts with I" in my opinion.

I will try to do some sketches to post, in hopes to gain the attitude and look for the ads. Any suggestions or advice are welcome. :)

STOMP!

I remember seeing STOMP! back in high school (around 2001, so long ago! LOL), and just seeing these videos again really excited me again.

Both performances here needed to be precise, to the smallest detail. The choreography, the beats, as well as the scenery. I'm very amazed how they will take different objects, and figure a way to use as percussive instruments (used to play drums - I need to play them again). Bringing outside sources and references into the medium to spark life and more experimentation.

I really like the warm color scheme for the basketball one. I'm just a sucker for orange, ever since I started doing graphic design. And, would you know? The brooms video is using a blue scheme. Orange and blue, my favorite complementary color scheme.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy these videos, as I did.

Semester Project: Stationery Presentation

Here's my final look for my stationery project. I believe the only items I will tweak more (due to test prints) will be the letterhead and the envelope. And I'm really anxious to see how the business cards will look. :) I want to see how it looks when I get to hold the card in different perspectives (horizontal and vertical).

Have a great weekend everyone! :)