Once again I turn to some outdated printed media to craft some envelopes. They’re for personal use, so I doesn’t matter what the end result looks like. They fair fine enough in the post. I used a copy of YCN Student Annual 2010/2011. As the name implies, it’s a book full of graphic design work by students.
These aren’t a standard size envelope, but they fit A5 paper folded in half. And that’s good enough for my personal correspondence needs.
Using these makes snail mail quite a lot more fun and personable than it already is.
I hope to share some more of the specific art and design books that reside on my bookshelf in the near future. I’m reading a few essays that are not directly related to design, but I may find myself sharing such media here, too. Sometimes it’s good to read outside of your interests and you may find yourself some nugget of wisdom that’d otherwise go overlooked.
Long time no blog, huh?? I thought to share some books on my shelf that others may find of interest for design reference and inspiration. The book I picked out today is Modern Heraldry VOL. 1 Seals Stamps Crests & Shields (2015) published by Counter Print. This blog entry isn’t an endorsement of the publisher, rather it’s my desire to point others to useful printed references in place of using the internet for the majority of gathering material to spark projects and the imagination.
I won’t be ‘reviewing’ the book here; I don’t feel the need to. All I can say is it feels good to have on the bookshelf. You never know when such a thing will come in handy. (Even for rendering fictitious logo designs for movie or stage prop design, or environment/background illustration.)
The book is akin to a visual dictionary. The language of design in dense, and this books sorts the best of the best modern symbolic logo designs into easily referenced sections of shields, seals, crests, flags & ribbons, and laurels. It’s a very pleasant book to page through.
The blurb states: “Modern Heraldry is a comprehensive and profusely illustrated guide to more than 350 trademarks, based in heraldic symbology, from all over the world.” Indeed, the book is an eye-opener to overseas logo design that otherwise would go unnoticed to me. It’s always a treat to see how other countries navigate design ‘trends’, and what design rules their work adheres to. The world is far more connected now than the previous century, so it’s reassuring to see vastly different takes on say, a café logo from different countries. (Of course the intended market audience and the quality of the product or service sold effects the image and logo even within the same country.)
I hope you can enjoy the few images that I’ve shared here. At some point, I’ll show some of the second volume of Modern Heraldry. I’ve a small number of other books by the same publisher, but I do own some interesting and equally specific graphic design books that I would like to share here. A previous graphic design book I covered on my blog would be Logos from Japan. It’s a fascinating insight into foreign logo and symbol design.
I made a cute (and perhaps even funny) animal illustration out of a quick sketch I scribbled down in trying to cheer myself up. I’ve not seriously looked at the subject in question before though, and I rather enjoyed looking at reference material for the giraffe caricature. I learned that there were many types of giraffe, which I suppose shouldn’t have been a shock. I boiled down the essence of the creature in my illustration.
You probably recognise the animal below from the long neck, the horns, and the spots. But! Did you know, giraffes actually have those camouflage spots all over their bodies? For ease of reading, there’s no need to adopt physical traits 1:1. Spots all over the body would have made the figure too cluttered. You have to be the judge of what you simplify and what you discard, when creating a cartoon out of a pre-exiting subject.
I know I’ll sound like a broken record for those who have read my more recent posts that contain my works, but this really is the last vector art I’ll be making in Adobe illustrator for the foreseeable future. I’m going to look at using different programs that I can make more experimental digital paintings in. The overall style will change in relation to the tools, but my sensibilities remain the same. I’m exited more than nervous to venture into Clip Studio Paint. It’s not an ‘industry standard’ but at this point, I don’t see why I shouldn’t use it to make personal work.
One drawback I found in using Abode illustrator for this mid-century style illustration was that I could never render enough elements to form a background unless said background elements lacked in texture. Obviously, I don’t use the program in a standard way (if there is one) but it was frustrating how slow the program would run if I began to use too many textures (or individual objects) in a piece. I’m lacking in skill when it comes to drawing environments, so I want to improve in that area, and moving to raster painting, I can draw with much more freedom.
I found the same digital image prints differently on varying card stock. It’s muted on this textured, cream card, but the image is more vibrant on a rougher, grey card I had on-hand. There are pros and cons to the characteristics of both card types mentioned. I’ve still yet to look into different card for mass printing from home. I am in the middle of researching those who stock card and envelopes for bulk purchase. I’ve gotten my hands on some free samples, to mull over the colours, sizes, and textures of envelopes. Testing paper for printing on… is much more intimidating.
It might be quite some time before I share any more polished work, given I want to teach myself digital painting, but I’ve been wanting to share some graphic design books here, and maybe other media and resources, too… who knows!
No matter what, time marches on, huh? It’s already spring! I’m very happy about that, though. A change of season is exactly what I need.
I said a while back that I’d practice raster illustration – digital painting – and… I’ve not yet done that. Some time last year I did invest in Clip Studio Paint. Unfamiliar programs are always intimidating, not unlike new mediums, and since I’m in no rush to familiarise myself with the program, I’ve only drawn a little in it. I really should have made it a New Year’s goal to work in it and understand the interface and tools.
While it was still the cold and rainy winter, I made a vector illustration of a little ermine in the powder snow. You might not tell if I wasn’t to say, but each snowflake here is unique. I would like to print these next winter on cards, mayhaps.
I dug into an older illustration that I’d used for risograph printing, because I still liked the full-colour image and I made a mock birthday card illustration out of it. I still have a lot to learn typography-wise, but it’s good practice. I want to make new purposely made illustrations for occasion cards.
With the weather brightening up, and even heating up, I’ll have more drive and energy to make!
It’s been a while sine I had written about a designer or illustrator. Today, let’s look at the artist Malika Favre. Favre creates artworks that incorporate the sensilbilies of op art (optical art manipulating the viewer’s perception of colour and form that often result in illusion) and pop art.
Cover illustration for Equality Highlights issue 18Window display illustration for Bucherer
Favre has worked for many magazines as a cover illustrator, including, Vogue, Metropolitan Magazine, and The New Yorker. She has designed book covers for Penguin Press, too.
Personal Works
The few personal works that Favre offers as prints, are sensual and evocative. The confidence in line work, the vivid and emotive feel are sensibilities that are felt throughout her works. With the very limited colour palette, here you can see Favre pushing negative space.
EgyptianThe Kama SutraAlpha Pin Ups
Object Design
Let’s have a look at Farve’s design choices applied to physical media.
Below are DVD covers for reprints of the films Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Favre’s covers were made in 2015, and 2017, respectively.
For those who are already fans of Pedro Almodóvar’s films, I can see the appeal in owning these reissues with Favre’s slick cover and disk designs, but I feel that the illustrations would surely draw in new viewers, too.
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! DVD case, insert, and disks
Favre’s also illustrated many covers for The New Yorker, and illustrated editorials for the same publication. Given the demographic of the magazine, the sophisticated and informed fiction, poetry, and articles are a good match for Favre’s sleek and precise artworks. The illustrations are not going to steal the readers’ attention away from the body copy, and instead elevate the overall presentation.
The New Yorker cover illustration, 2016Editorial illustration for Covering the Cops, The New Yorker
Favre’s distinct style and work suits very much print media; magazine and book covers, editorial illustration, poster design, etc. Because the feel of these works aren’t chasing a trend, I don’t see these illustrations losing their charm in future years. As with any particular style, it’s worth noting that they work best with particular demographics and themes.
I am very much impressed with Favre’s use of colour – all of it is flat, leading to ease of reading the optical illusions. What characteristics within Favre’s work stand out to you, dear reader?
I’ve been test printing work at home to see how my digital illustrations look in full-colour. I made a new tiger illustration, which just so happens to be the Lunar New Year animal of 2022.
As I want to experiment with digital painting, this may be the last vectored illustration I make for some time unless I invest in the programs for it. I’m exited to learn digital painting, however. I’ll have more freedom in regards to texture and line.
Some of my work has been saved as pdfs for future printing as postcards or greeting cards; I’m very happy with these motivational tiger! I also made a birthday tiger graphic (with alternate text).
I still have a lot to learn in regards to typography, but it’s fun to experiment with different typefaces, and learn as I go. I suppose when I make future greeting cards, I’ll be revising my understanding.
First post of the New Year. A little mid-century bear illustration. He’s having a grand old time jamming out the tunes!
I made this with the intentional limit of colours thinking I’ll try to print it as a Risograph at a later date. I’ll be happy if it turns out well, but most digital pieces will end up in a portfolio regardless.
I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions or promises to myself – I never do. It’s not directly related to creativity, but just being honest with myself, and being kinder to myself is something that I am woking on. Always. I do, however, have goals to reach. It helps to set those.
I tore into an old Illustrator file and took it apart to experiment more in Risograph printing before winter break. I chose to revisit the circus horse that I vectored much earlier in the year. Separating the layers and simplifying the image was a little bit of a pain, since I made the original image with no intent to print it as a Risograph. But the outcome is something that I’m very happy with!
Riso circus horse!!
I had planned for the illustration to use four inks, and I would have liked them to have been black, teal, red, and yellow. The yellow ink would have been used for detail on the blanket and to add texture to the background. However, I wasn’t happy with the results, so I cut that colour out all together. I think the three colours used here work together well.
The majority of the horses are printed on different coloured sugar paper. Some are printed on white card. I would like to look into printing the illustration on card of different colours in the future. I might even be able to include the fourth colour if I can tweak the original image enough, but I don’t consider it a necessity for the image to work anymore.
Horses on different coloured papers
Thinking about it, I would like to try printing grey horses, with dappled fur either using black or teal for the detail. Really, there’s nothing stopping me from printing fluro pink horses other than my own sensibilities.
I tidied up the tiger assets I already had for a mini print
After cleaning up the tiger illustration I had practiced Riso prating with, I made the graphic into an A5 mini print and then printed the same image onto card to make B5 greeting cards. It’s just experimentation, but I’ve learned a lot thus far. I’d like to make some illustrations from scratch with the intent of printing them this way – it’ll streamline the whole process.
There are a couple of personal projects that I’ve been slowly chipping away at. It’s difficult to move any faster than I am when most critique is from a small number friends who want to give any, and I’ve been away from academic pressure. I’ve feel like I’ve had a difficult time structuring myself. I don’t have access to all of the tools needed to reach the end of projects, so nothing I’ve done really has a ‘completed’ feeling. I’m going to log some project progress here so that I can better see how much farther I have to go.
Assets from last year that I’ll put to use on stationery
I’ve wanted to make stationery for some time now, I’d like to finalise some of the letter paper designs that I had worked on. I do need more specific critique on those works though. I thought making sticker sheets would be a fun (smaller, and more straight-forward) project.
You may think stickers superfluous, but they can brighten up diaries, notebooks, and workspaces in general. I’d argue that their surface value of being “nice to look at” is good enough.
I have a few assets from digital illustration experimentation in that I’d very much like to put to use, such as these pair of tigers. The current plan for a tiger sticker sheet is simply both of the tigers, with a small selection of leaves. The colours are bold and cheerful.
There are two dragon graphics I made with the intent of printing them as large stickers, rather than part of a sheet of stickers. Personally, I’d like to have some big stickers to place on sketchbooks and such, and I know others would, too.
I don’t want to squander space when printing, so I’d like to add some smaller stickers to avoid such waste. I’d like to add relevant objects such as coins, pearls, or jewel encrusted daggers or staffs – anything that you’d find in a dragon’s hord. But It also depends how competent I am at designing them!
I know the compact design of the first dragon graphic is much less fussy than the second. I anticipate the red dragon may be a little more difficult to peel and stick place. I don’t have any plans to adjust the design however. I’d like to see how practical it is once printed.
To help remedy some creative blocks I mentioned, I do want to support students though the alumni scheme I was offered, and I feel it will help build up confidence weakened though lack of any real meaningful academic discussion and exercises. I’m more than happy to share skills and methods of creativity with students. I hope that I can visit the school campus safely, and even have the access to tools I don’t have. Maybe even make use of the facilities from departments outside of graphic design (such as the textile department). I’ll be printing stickers the first change I get. I look forward to recording the results of trial sticker printing on my blog!
Being stuck inside most of the day, with no plans to go anywhere anytime soon, I’m daydreaming about travel. I wrote about hotel luggage labels from the ‘golden age of travel’ last year. Now, I want to share some posters by British freelance illustrator Maurice Laban (1912-1970). The following poster advertisements were were made in the late 1950s, and were used to promote the British Overseas Airways Corporation (or BOAC) and Qantas.
The images I’m sharing here are from the art auction site invaluable. Go have a look over there to see these posters at a higher resolution (as well as other vintage posters from this era) if you’re into this type of commercial art.
U.S.A. | Canada
This is my favourite of the posters. I love the racoon’s eyes being stylised as stars! Quite dazzling! The racoon is a little more anthropomorphic than the other animals in this set – standing on its back legs, and wearing a bow tie.
Far East VIA EUROPE AND INDIA AfricaAustralia NEW ZEALAND Britain / Europe
Another poster that I really like. I just find the dogs’ faces very humorous.
These digitised images here aren’t likely as vivid as the physical posters; the original works having been produced through serigraphy (screen printing).
Creatives behind commercial illustration in the 20th century weren’t generally recognised for their contributions as graphic designers are today, and it makes finding information on freelance illustrators such as Maurice Laban difficult. But the fact that these pieces were preserved at all shows their lasting appeal… thank you for the inspiration, Maurice Laban!
DESIGN WORKS 