Pikaland

Semi by Francesco Zorzi

Happy new year folks!

For the first post of the year, I’m thrilled to share these series of acrylic paintings done by Francesco Zorzi, who created them for use in his master thesis in product design. Called SEMI, which is an Italian word that carries the meaning of ‘seeds’, ‘half’, and ‘partial’, Francesco has successfully brought meaning to the concept by evoking a sense of incompleteness through a combination of elements within each piece.

For me, I personally love each one. He has strived to make his thesis book much like a magazine, and in turn, these illustrations are very editorial in design. You can see more over at his portfolio.

5 Popular posts

It has been a rather productive year here on Pikaland, and we’re just talking about the posts! We know that some of you may not have been able to catch up, but here’s a tip – inspiration-based posts and discussions are held every Monday, and it’s something I’d love to continue into the new year.

So without further ado, here’s a top 5 list of posts that gathered quite a few feedback from our readers and is also among my favorites so far:

1. Why artists and illustrators should get a job

Here I share about what I still do to keep food on my table while I keep Pikaland running; and what you can do too.

2. Why artists and illustrators should blog

Keeping a blog is going to change the way you look at your work and connect with others. And no literary-prize winning writing skills needed at all!

3. 100 things to draw

I made up a list of 100 things to draw – for fun. Available as a free downloadable PDF!

4. Copycats and lessons we can learn

Take a leaf from the fashion industry and see what you can do about copycats. Hint: it’s a new way of thinking about the issue at hand! See also Creativity, competition and copycats.

5. Illustration and innovation

Don’t just do what’s current – experiment, fail often and throw lots of ideas around!

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And whoa! Can you believe it’s a mere two more days before 2012 is here? I’ve resolved to draw more, and you can see some of my work in progress over at Instagram (my username is pikaland!)

5 things: Books

While waiting for 2012 to arrive in just a few days, I thought that I’d do a collection of posts to mark some of my favorite things on the blog that I’ve featured throughout the years. First up: books.

I’ve reviewed almost 30 books on the blog, and I’ve grown fonder of some more than others (they don’t know it – shhhh.) Whittling down the list to 5 is a little tough, but here’s some of my favorites in no particular order:

Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

A fun book that made me want to hoard it for myself. See why!

Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman

Beautiful illustrations and a fascinating read on what goes on in those barns! Read my review here.

Behind the Zines

Big, beautiful and full of zines – what more can I say? See more pictures and read up more here!

Problem Solving 101

My first ever book review here on the blog, and it is still my go-to book when I’m stuck. It helps that the illustrations are beautiful! Read all about it here.