Linda Olafsdottir
Posted by Amy on Fri Feb 3, 08:33 PM
I can almost see Iceland-based illustrator’s Linda Olafsdottir work come to life as animated shows. Her characters are a joy to look at, and there’s a certain heart-warming quality to her illustrations that I’m sure would endear those who see it between the pages of picture books.
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Happy weekend everyone! We’re coming round to the last day of the Chinese New Year this weekend so I’ll be out and about meeting up with friends and watching the last lion dance of the year.
Oh, and don’t forget that Michelle Fifis’ The Sellable Sketch class is filling up quickly and Alexandra Hedberg’s self-study Art as a Business class starts next week so if you haven’t enrolled yet, this weekend would be the best time to do so!
See you all on Monday!
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Lumadessa / Josh Brill
Posted by Amy on Thu Feb 2, 08:30 PM
These brilliant prints by Josh Brill are selling quickly since I saw them last year! The Portland-based artist and designer who set up his label Lumadessa (which originates from the words luminous meaning ‘light’ and odyssey, meaning ‘a long eventful or adventurous journey’) focuses on limited edition art prints and design products that are almost collectibles in their own right – classic and timeless.
See more of his work over at his shop.
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Pikaland desktop wallpaper/calendar series: Feb 2012 / Mogu Takahashi
Posted by Amy on Tue Jan 31, 08:42 PM
If your virtual desktop has been showing the same cat/dog/cutesy image since 2004, then you’re in luck. Get ready to perk up them up each month with Pikaland’s fun and free monthly desktop calendars (with an accompanying iPhone background image as well!)
Kicking off February 2012 is Tokyo-based artist Mogu Takahashi.
Download her calendar for your desktop, load up her background image for your phone below, and voila – instant pizazz for 2012!
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More creating please.
Posted by Amy on Mon Jan 30, 08:30 PM
You heard Rita Gomes. Now hustle and get back to work!
Happy Monday folks!
Review: A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days
Posted by Amy on Fri Jan 27, 08:30 PM
A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days – produced by Studio 3 and Gestalten – is an illustrated journey of one boy and his grandfather as they maneuver through the history of graphic design.
A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days
Hardcover: 204 pages
Publisher: Gestalten
If you’ve gone through texts on history – any sort of history at all – you’ll notice that it’s drab and dry. What A History of Graphic Design for Rainy Days seeks to achieve is a new way of storytelling. One that engages and interests readers through its full-page illustrations, dialogues and facts littered throughout the 204-page book.
The book is linear in fashion – going back in time and re-tracing history made in the field of graphic design from 1776 to 1994. In between, the young boy (and his grandfather) steps into various studios of designers and inventors who has made a mark in the field. Snippets of info and narrative text by the grandfather accompanies each spread, along with clean visuals and an interesting play with two-color illustrations for each section.
While I do appreciate the efforts of the studio, I thought that the book needed a lot more editing – in terms of flow and structure. But most ironically, I thought that the style of the book would have made for an interesting game instead of its current book form. It’s linearity would be a great idea for gamification aspects, and if that were to happen, it would have a better shot of achieving its goal of engaging its reader/audience.
CLICK HERE to read the entire review!
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Alison Worman
Posted by Amy on Thu Jan 26, 08:30 PM
I am enamoured by the works of Alison Worman, in particular these gouache sketches/mini paintings. I find myself drawn to illustrations like these because I love the idea of being able to communicate ideas in a simple, yet effective format. I find that illustrations that manage to encapsulate a whole experience within a minimalistic (yet arresting) aesthetic is something that is harder to achieve than it looks.
See more at her Flickr stream and follow her on her blog.
Disovered via Brwn Paper Bag
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Michelle Morin / United thread
Posted by Amy on Wed Jan 25, 08:30 PM
I’m poring over the amazing details of Michelle Morin of United Thread’s watercolor artworks. She currently resides in Massachusetts with her fiancé and the subject of her artworks are primarily based on flora and fauna; the love of the former she picked up in Portland, Oregon where she worked at a plant farm and greenhouse.
I love watching the gradual transformation of her style and work from 2009 – it’s amazing. You can also read her blog here.
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Tattly
Posted by Amy on Tue Jan 24, 08:30 PM
Tattoos have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I can identify and understand the reasons why people have it, but I’ve always been chicken to have one thing permanently marked on my body. Call me indecisive or that I’m being irrationally fickle – but if I had my way from the beginning, my whole body would be covered in all sorts of illustrations that you could just hang me up on the wall.
But you don’t have to go through such permanent measures any more because Tattly is here! The site was founded by Tina Roth Eisenberg (of Swiss Miss) and features adorable designer temporary tattoos from the likes of artists Julia Rothman and Marc Johns. The sets on Tattly will be able to satisfy those who have cravings of self mark-making, with all the fun but without the pain and regrets.
Top to bottom: Menagerie set by Amy Blay, You’re Very, Very Late set and Complete Kitchen set by Julia Rothman.
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Happy {Chinese} New Year!
Posted by Amy on Mon Jan 23, 08:49 PM
It’s a little weird to have two “Happy New Year” posts one after another, especially if they are less than one month apart; but today marks the first day of the new lunar calendar as we head into the year of the Dragon! This year we’re celebrating it a little low-key – me with my parents and sister, and it’s been brilliant so far, mainly because it meant that I had to stop myself from further spring cleaning (and I’ve used up a good few weeks for cleaning not one, but TWO houses!)
I’m a little exhausted, but I’m extremely happy for being able to put my weary feet up just a bit before I commence work again! Here’s to a fabulous dragon year ahead with lots of exciting things to come! :D
{Artwork credit: Year of the Dragon 2012 Zen Sumi Original Painting Art Card by ZenBrush on Etsy!}
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Review: Quoteskine Volume 1
Posted by Amy on Fri Jan 20, 09:37 PM
When the tough gets going, some people buckle or wring their hands and cry about it. But not Lee Crutchley, oh no. After he came back from a solid year of traveling (after selling off his stuff and quitting his job), he found himself in a recession. He braced himself for a job-less time, but didn’t want his downtime to be of waste – and so Quoteskine was born.
Featuring lyrics and quotes that he has gathered along the years, he started the Quoteskine blog (quoteskine is a combination of the qord “quotes” and “moleskine”) with the mission of drawing a quote every weekday to keep his creative juices flowing. His blog got picked up by quite a few website (including ours) and gathered momentum from then on. Last year, Lee published his first Quoteskine book – a greatest hits of sorts from his weekday exercises – all filled with quotes that he has penned down in his Moleskine in chronological order.
I like how simple his idea is, and that he lives and breathes it completely. His passion for his quotes and lyrics shine through in every page; but most of all I admire his can-do attitude and how he chooses to be an optimist in a time where it was simply easier to just be pessimistic about things. And look how far he has come!
You can get a copy of Quoteskine Volume 1 at his shop where he also has postcards, tees and prints for sale!
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Happy weekend folks! The Chinese New Year is coming up and there’s much spring cleaning to be done to welcome the year of the dragon – so I’m putting down my drawing brush and my mouse and picking up a broom and duster instead for the weekend!
Catch you here again next week!
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