First sketches.

So here are the first sketches of the process book for the semester I'm looking to have it post bound and I'm going to begin doing some digital mock ups and make a dummy or two. So I began with an outline of what needs to be covered allotting a page count to each section and working out how many total pages I would need. I went on and sketched out a dummy to work out the spreads and then made an actual dummy of one section with other pages like the cover page and title and table of contents.

I see this as a chance to explore some ideas I cam up with diring the semester but wasn't able to execute because of time. I used the idea of a pull out or centerfold style spread on my second process book in VISC 204 and I have made a pop up book in my drawing for design class. So I was thinking of an exploration in those directions as long at it would add to the book and wouldn't just be fancy crap for no reason.

I'm also looking for a design style or aesthetic concept for the book so I just threw down a few quick ideas and let this simmer in my head these last few days. Tonight I plan on further exploration of these concepts and research into other options. I really want to be able to make one section and replicate it for each project and then only do tweaks and modifications to enhance the visual hierarchy. I do know one of my objectives is a simple and compact design.

When looking at size solutions a landscape 8.5x11 seems to be the best compromise reducing the footprint of the gutter and increasing the total printable area. I am open to other sizes and formats, but I think from my experience this semester this first option will prove to be the best fiscal/design compromise.

Process Process Process

I am in the midst of a gigantic series of upload to Behance. As pretty as the site is it is still very cumbersome as I found out today when it showed a project I should have published a few weeks ago still waiting for me to hit the publish button and that was all it needed. These works will be updated over the next few days to include better descriptions and some of my process work.

As for my DVD cases, I'm shooting them this weekend and uploading the shots as well, the flats just don't do them justice. More updates to come in the next few weeks. As well as some of the work I've been wanting to do but haven't had the time to. And of course I'm going through and reworking many of my pieces with the guidance I have received through the final crits.

My only concern now is fixing my credit score so I can get a loan to pay for the classes that are keeping me from enrolling in the next semester, so most see this as a break I'll probably be working just as much over the next 4 weeks, if not more so. Funny it will be faster for me to pay these fraudulent bills then it will be to dispute them.

UPDATE: So I was able to get the first round of my sketches up on behance and I have the beginins of my things for the Badlands project started. Just need to compile all the bits and bobs I made for both into a web friendly format, a task easier said than done.

Project 3

So I'm looking over the information for this packaging and so I went to look at the Criterion Eclipse line just now and whoa. Yeah this is kind of a packaged line that includes a few films from a director and the design fo all is pretty much the same except for variations in color an stills from the movie. So I'm looking down at a bunch of sketches that are nothing like that and I can't use stills from the movie as well. Oh the joys of the ill defined problem, this is our lot in life I guess. Here is a link to the Eclipse line.

How to over simplify a logo.

Okay it's four dots and a small grey dot and this is a reductive logo. I haven't checked but I thing it's for Hulu based on the color. Check out the many many creations like this here.

Here is some creative use of Typoghraphy.

I could re-sum up this blog post but hell the image speaks for it's self.

Sometimes it's okay to cheat

Saw a class e-mail about keyboard shortcuts and remebered tha Fordummies had cheat sheets so her it the link for the CS5 keyboard shortcuts. And further searches of the site will yeail cheat sheets for many other programs and most of the keyboard shortcuts in cs4 are the same in cs5. Good luck and happy designing. And don't let Joey Greco catch you.

Please tell me about your colors.

Just run through these questions go with your gut and everything will be alright. Don't forget to click on the finish survey at the bottom of the scroll box.

How to make a blogger Poll

Poll

Don't fear the future embrace the computer.

Technophobia will not be tolerated!

What

Need 5 good things I can survey the class for to begin making info graphics. So I figure it's going to be a class filled with people wanting to ask about sleep and drinking and computer use. Those were my first thoughts and I've overheard more than a few people say the same thing. So I'm looking for something that has some depth and could offer a chance for some great visuals.

1. Marijuana use: Looking at different aspects such as frequency of use vs how often they purchase or how much they use now vs in high school. I think there is a large set of imagery we already associate it could be a fun challenge to try and go away from those and try something new.

2. Color: here I could have many options from what your favorite and least favorite are out of a sample scale to what color reminds you of what emotion and comparing the results offering many options and a colorful palette.

3. Death match: Got this idea when talking to my friend Jonathan, a series of vs situations like Ninja and Zombie. This is all just fun and a chance to doodle some fun things. Nothing here is very serious at all.

4. Paid vs Pirate: software use and how much is pirated, this could be a stand alone or juxtaposed against data on media. Many obvious images and graphics but they also seem like great starting points.

5. Social Whore: Figure usages stats for various social media including txt messaging, do you message more than one person a lot. are you a follower or do you lead the group sort of thing. Maybe I could also include a 1 to 10 scale on satisfaction with the media type.

So those are the first 5 maybe I can come up with some more.

Behance.net Update

Finals for both visc202 and 204 are up on Behance. Oh and Behance could I get a batch uploader of simple interface, give flickr and picasa a look and you'll find some good ideas.

Here come the Rabbits

Almost the end of this project and I'm really ready for it to be done. The final revisions are all but finalized and the process book is just about 100 pages and near to final. here are some of the images that will be in the final.

Attack of the Lepus

So I have to create icons for an animal, and I chose rabbits. Not just rabbits but hares and bunnys as well. I did an intial set of skecthes with out photo reference and some explorations with sand and chalk. The chalk was more of a whim and since I found the chalk and remebered that there are white rabbits thought it was a good idea to try it out. The sand was a chance happening, I saw the sand and thought of the enviroment of the hare or jack rabbit(I think they might be the same). I found the sand to be a lot of fun to use, I tried to funnel it from my hand and avoided touching it with my fingers so it's like a Rabbit our of time(hourglass).

Rabbit fact: Rabbits are born hairless and eyes shut, hares are born with hair and eyes open.