Melted Records

My inspiration for this week (and for the 3D drop cap) comes from several months ago when I located this blog, which inspired my interest in making bowls out of melted records:
http://thepaperseed.com/?p=82


And here's where I learned the origami lilies:
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-lily.html

3D Drop Cap

I made my 3D drop cap out of an old record. I cut out a circle from the center of it that was about 2.5" in diameter. Then I put my oven on and held the record in there  till it became pliable. I continued to model it with my hands till it achieved an "S" shape, and then I made the top and bottom curves a little wavy to give it some interest.
Before deciding to use the record, I was toying with the idea of using origami. I was going to make a whole bunch of origami flowers and then string them together on a pipe cleaner, which I would then bend into whatever letter I wanted to make. I ended up with the record idea instead because I  thought it was a little more unexpected. Here are my initial origami experiments:

Radial Posters

The blue poster was inspired by two things-- the "old world" feel that is associated with classic English writers like John Bunyan (from whose book "The Pilgrim's Progress" the band has derived the themes for a lot of their songs), and also the nautical theme of a couple of their songs ("The Perfect Storm" and "Fool's Errand").

Here's where I got the compass image:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05222003-124212/ 

This yellow poster was inspired slightly by one of the posters in our Typographical Systems book, random experimentations with rectangles of varied transparency, and a little of the late '50s/early '60s aesthetic found in one of my favorite movies "That Thing You Do," where a lot of the advertisements and commercial arts featured brightly colored rectangles at slightly askew angles:

http://songbookofkartika.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/the-wonders1.jpg

Edited Axial Posters

For the black and white poster, I adjusted the size of the hand-written text to make a clearer hierarchy. I also got rid of the awkward little "presents" under the ACL logo.

For the color poster, I changed the display font for the band name to make it match the modern feel of the rest of the poster, and then I created more of a hierarchy with the body text by repositioning things and putting the "Will you be there?" in a bolder font than the rest of the small text.

 

Sometimes surface design is a hinderance to something's inner potential to inspire...

There is a cafe in Asbury Park that I absolutely love. It's in a part of the town that has been highly restored and is full of examples of good design. The facade and general interior layout of the cafe are quaint; it's got a rustic feel with the sophisticated but oversized chairs you'd expect in a cafe of this sort, and it's run by a very sweet couple who are into living sustainably and cooking/baking the food themselves. You enter with the expectation of having a sketchbook and/or a book with you because you won't want to rush to the door when you've got 1293198 new teas to sample and coconut curry soup to sip on a frigid winter afternoon. When I went there last year, I was really productive, did a lot of sketching... had myself a swell ol' time. I s'pose you could describe my experience there as "inspired."

All around the place are little signs that bring patrons' attention to new menu specials and the week's list of local musicians that'll be performing in their little live music corner, etc. BUT, these signs, besides bringing a slightly more than desirable level of chaos to the otherwise well-thought-out space, are all in everyone's favorite font face: BIG, FAT, 36-72 pt. PAPYRUS. Their logo and website are also done with this font. WHY??? It deters people from entering and supporting a local coffee shop with unique menu items rather than one of the standardized coffee franchises that shall remain nameless (The only reason I found it was because I was specifically looking for a Vegan eatery). Here's their website:    http://www.twistedtreecafe.com/

Final Axial System Posters

Here are the posters after I edited a few things (unfortunately you can see the trim marks on the second one... they are not part of the design, of course). Most of the editing was done on the black and white poster. I thought that the type setting of the body text was separating too much from the hand-done lettering I had done for the band name so I just hand-wrote all of it. 

I will edit the posters again soon because I want to make the call to action/where to buy tickets a little bigger in the black and white one, and then make the hierarchy clearer in the color one. I also will probably stray from Rosewood for the display font.... :)

Inspiration: UD grad appears in CommArts

I found this interview on the Communication Arts Magazine website:

http://www.commarts.com/insights/taking-balance-seriously.html

She graduated from UD and majored in Visual Communications!

2 Axial System Posters

Here are the rough versions my two posters, but please ignore the attempt at a job slug on the upper left corner of each one, and the big ugly whiteness that is surrounding the artboards. 

I tried to go in really different directions for both of them.

The idea for the key in the first poster came from the fact that it is used as a symbol in one of John Bunyan's incredible works, The Pilgrim's Progress, which is the inspiration behind a lot of The Race's songs. I found the photo at:

http://marthacalderaro.wordpress.com/2009/01/ 

I also went with the key rather than any of the other symbols in his writing because it worked well as the axis against which I could line up the type.

Also, I couldn't find a font face that I liked for the band name, and after experimenting with a few different hand drawn versions, I decided to go with the simplest one of all (that took me less time than all my other attempts, of course haha) because I think my other designs were too busy for this poster.

Here are some of my sketches:

For the second poster, I decided to start by letting myself freely experiment with geometric shapes and color in Illustrator rather than come to the project with any semblance of a concept like I did in the first one. Eventually I arrived at what you see here. It has a completely different feel than the black and white poster and I'm happy to say that I like the way the color scheme and overall design completely diverged from what I have typically made in the past.

Edited Drop Cap

I didn't make too many changes to my original Drop Cap. Mostly I cleaned up some of the spacing issues, made some parts more evenly proportioned, was more careful about keeping the initial pencil outlines from mixing with the watercolors, and added more detail to the henna motif on the big swatch.

Old:

New:

Here are some process photos:

The first one is my attempt at being neater while working on these projects and the ones for Ashley's class:

And here's some of the images I've got in my sketchbook that inspired my drop cap:

And here are some of my initial sketches for the letter:

Making Meaning II

To anyone who is willing, please give me feedback on which of these are working! Thanks!!

1. Heart + Pyramid = Love Triangle2. Pile of Fruit + Pyramid = Food Pyramid/Healthy Eating3. Money + Pyramid = Ponzi/Pyramid Scheme4. Ice Cream + Pyramid = Ice Cream Cone5. Garbage + Pyramid = the dump6. Flat Dress Shoes + Pyramid = High Heels7. Pom Poms + Pyramid = Cheerleading/Cheerleaders/School Spirit/Sporting Event8. Seal Sitting on Snow + Pyramid = Iceberg9. Skeleton + Pyramid = Mummy/Mummification10. Hershey's Chocolate + Pyramid = Chocolate Kiss11. Bees + Pyramid = Bee Hive12. Ruler, Compass, Protractor + Pyramid = Geometry/Math13. Tooth + Pyramid = Fangs14. Mona Lisa + Pyramid = the Louvre15. Hair + Pyramid = Up-Do16. Business Meeting + Pyramid = levels of power within company/climbing to top/American Dream of success 

Scott Stulberg

Using "Stumble Upon" I found 'Scott Stulberg Photography':
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/AHsebr/www.asa100.com/

Incredible work.

Drop Cap & Inspiration

This is my 1st Drop Cap:

I was inspired by the henna/mehndi designs that some of my Indian friends have gotten me into, and by the gorgeous fabrics and incense implements that my friend Atulya always brings me when she comes back from a trip to India. The context for the letter would be a chic bohemian boutique that sells home decor, furnishings, clothing, accessories that have an international influence.

Cats & First Drop Cap

Here are a few shots of my workspace while working on the 1st Drop Cap Assignment and part one of Ashley's "Making Meaning" project:

















I should probably spend more time on keeping my space organized while I work. I'm going to try to work on this over the semester...

My mother calls me a "hoarder" because I never throw anything away. One of the type of things I never throw away are glass bottles and jars. I think being able to fill clear glass with anything is something that inspires me to start new projects with these old jars and create new stuff. I also love the aesthetic of the simple curves with few other added details besides a rustic old metal latch for the lid. Below is a picture of oregano that I started growing in my room. Every day there are noticeable advancements in their growth which is pretty inspiring. Last semester caterpillars took over my plants so I'm starting from scratch this semester.... 

First Class, First Post

When we first sat down in the typography room last fall and we were introduced to our professors, they asked us to name something that inspired our creativity after we introduced ourselves. Though the professors' request was just an ice-breaker kind of question, I have thought about it more since then. Here are a very few things that at this particular moment come to mind:

1. Providence, RI
http://www3.providenceri.com/
I've been here twice and if I wasn't going to school in DE and had family in NJ, I would love to be in RI right now. I love the mix of contemporary and beautifully historic architecture, the small scale shops and little streets, steep hills and cobblestone, and the fact that the community is so supportive of the arts. Outside the city-- which I love because it's not as overwhelming as NY or Philadelphia-- I am equally inspired by the countryside, greenhouses, Cape Cod style houses, and antique stores. Plus, living here would bring me closer to the annual Newport Jazz Festival. And, if I end up going to grad school after UD, what an incredible experience it would be to get to attend RISD (not getting my hopes up or anything)!

2. Andy Crouch's book "Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling":
http://www.culture-making.com/
This is a great book. It gets you thinking, regardless of whether you are an artist, musician, actor, dancer, accountant, librarian, window washer, whatever. He discusses how culture is not some abstract, illusive thing, but something that is shaped from tangible, concrete artifacts/objects that we create. The best way to disagree with the culture you're in is instead of criticizing and being negative all the time, make and do things that inject a culture of hope. He is a learned man who does a great job of talking about culture from a Christian perspective. I really want to reread this. Really makes you think.

3. Natural Home-Made Air Fresheners made of Cloves and Oranges:
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-65-67-1827,00.html
With so much time off of school because of the snow, I've been cleaning and redecorating my place quite a bit. I came upon this website and it made me think about how I can use things I already have to create projects and decorate, rather than trashing things that seem to have no apparent use and wasting money on new things. Over the past year or so I've been inspired a lot, through school projects and online sources, by the usage of found objects to create new things.

4. Beatrix Potter:
http://www.peterrabbit.com/potters-world.asp
When I was young I loved reading Peter Rabbit and the other books she illustrated, and watching the VHS tapes that animated her illustrations. I don't know too much about her, but I love the aesthetic of her watercolor work and loose hand writing done with pen and ink.