September 2011
3 posts
Inspiration
A fantastic blog entry about procrastination myths led me to the realization:
Waiting for inspiration to strike before starting to work is wrong. How would it come from a vacuum? From idly sitting around or doing something else?
My dear friend and admired illustrator John Howe always says that he has no idea what an artist’s block is. You just have to draw, let the pencil run around the...
"writing it down means that you can stop paying...
That’s why writing is therapeutic. And that’s why I like writing draft emails (that never get sent) so much.
Things anyone should know about me
Especially future employers.
I have the sleep needs of a 5-year-old. 9 hours in the night at least, with some quiet/dozing time in the afternoon on occasion.
I’m not a morning person. I’m damn serious about that.
I eat slowly and a lot. I’m not overweight at all but I need to eat. A lot. And regularly. 4 or 5 times a day. It takes 5 minutes to shower in the morning but it...
7 tags
White is the Color
Beyond the rules of contrast and the principles of visibility, regardless of subject area or target group, irrespective of in-house designer, even stretching the borders of reason, there is a remarkable trend emerging in book cover fonts.
The trend is called “white.”
From crime through memoirs & romance to young adult fiction, designers seem to have a penchant for white font...
June 2010
1 post
8 tags
In the wake of…
…the night
…the dragon
The first shot was taken in June 2010 by @HadriansWall (Cumbrian photographer Joan Thirlaway), the illustration below was painted by John Howe (Canadian-born illustrator) in 2005.
A curious coincidence. I’m not sure if John used a shot of Hadrian’s Wall (not the person but the construction this time) as a reference for the painting, but the explanation...
May 2010
3 posts
8 tags
Thinking outside the lunchbox
Yes, why? What does it have to do with school books? Why is the apple an indispensable design element of “back to school” campaigns, welcome signs, blog posts, and iTunes rebates? (Okay, the latter has a logical explanation.)
Can anyone enlighten me? I’m trying to think outside the lunchbox.
8 tags
If I was to direct a movie on The Shack by William...
January 2010
5 posts
8 tags
5 tags
That's Heart.
Not all can do this, but help in your minor way.
wrists:
I’m so proud of my cousin Shaun. He’s heading to Haiti today to assist in the relief. That’s heart.
1 tag
350 Rooster Heads
This is a story my father told me as a little girl. I got the meaning but I had no direct contact to the artists’ world back then that could have made me truly realize the greatness of the story. Now I have seen from up close how they sweat blood and persevere until they are content. The story expanded with a new dimension of meaning. It’s time to retell again, albeit the exact details...
1 tag
Great design inspiration
When an inspired web designer (who seems to be able to do just about anything he dreams up) finds design ideas worth sharing, you can be sure you’ll be impressed. Here’s a small selection of striking ideas stumbled upon by sketch2day, also known as Alarie on Twitter.
When Less Is More . minimalist webdesign
Find the Hidden Messages . 23 brilliant logos
The Dreaded Signup Page ....
3 tags
Looking Back
Starting 2010 (and this blog) with a retrospective title might sound weird. But the New Year is the perfect time for reminiscing, and browsing the iTunes recommendations this morning gave me ample opportunity to do so. As I flipped through CD-covers, a trend seemed to emerge. While it might be nothing more than the presence of the classical, finding 10 examples in 10 minutes is definitely...