Some drawings from Christmas...

I brought my box of prismacolor markers with me out to my parents' house where I had to stay over the holiday. The markers provide a very bold color treatment, and they have a tendency to bleed through the page. The solvents are so strong that they layer very well without muddying together. This is an experimental set, my favorite is the second one down. I laid down the plaid pattern first with my markers and then disregarded it, drawing observationally right on top. I really enjoy getting away from the controlled environment of the computer.

way too long...

The snow is driving us all a bit crazy...

It's been icy and snowing off and on for over a week now. Snowfall in most areas is well over a foot. I've been stuck inside for days now. One would think this would be a perfect opportunity to get some work done, but it's not coming so easily. The cabin fever is starting to set in. Hopefully things thaw out a bit before New Years Eve.

While stuck inside, I've been experimenting with patterns, both repeating and non-repeating. For a repeating pattern it's as easy as making a concise sketch, scanning it and tiling it in photoshop. For non-repeating I try to develop a set of rules in my head to guide my drawing. With the above example I just drew polygons, playing around with scale and layering. I've been working with patterns for a few years now. Over the past month I've been doing a lot of work for a wrapping paper company (more on that later...) Patterns have factored in heavily. For Christmas Sarah got me Over & Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns. By Mike Perry. It's a must-have for the library of any pattern aficionado. Perry has currated a vast collection of beautiful patterns by a diverse array of contemporary illustrator's and designers. It's really gotten me back into the pattern creation drive. Check it out, as well as the rest of Mike Perry's work. I'm a huge fan.

Snowed in...

It's soggy outside, so I'll stay in...

A week ago, Sarah and I looked at a two-bedroom apartment in North Portland. We decided it fit our criteria, ample space being the number one and aesthetic value being the second. We filled out the application form and paid the fee. The next day we heard from the leasing agent and the place fell into our hands. Saturday rolls around and I'm trying to get some client work off my plate, while slowly boxing up my earthly posessions. No moving takes place on saturday. Sunday hits and we're under the snow, people are sliding all over the place. If you have lived in a place that experiences substantial snow on a regular basis, I'm sure your municipality knows how to cope. Here in Portland we can handle the rain, but when the snow hits we all turn into idiots. People are slip-sliding all over the place like a bad round of bumper cars. Every time it snows here it seems there's a sledding related death, last year there were two. That being said, we haven't gotten a chance to move anything into our new place. I'm choosing to stay inside and get some work done and do some drawing.

Rip City!!

Sunday Snow...

I watch the kitchen while the others watch TV...

It's been too long since I've done some serious observational drawing. Lately I've been using my sketchbook to record thoughts on a certain project, prioritize tasks, thumbnail logo concepts, hand draw type, write down recipes and many other banal life tasks. I'm going to try to dedicate more time to patient observation and recording of my environment. This drawing was done not with my typical Micron pens, but a Staedtler Liquid Point 7 ballpoint pen. It lays down much too much ink for my liking, so I think I'll stick with my Microns when working in my sketchbook.

Testing...

BMX - War

BMX - War, Listen Here

I spend a decent amount of time in front of this here computer screen. As I work I'm constantly in search of new tracks that inspire me to keep at it. This band is a standout that has yet to garner significant hype here in the States. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, this quartet crafts bouncy pop that makes you want to throw on your Walkman and cruise down to 7-11 for a slurpee. Inspired by their music, I threw together this graphic to go with their track on my iTunes. It makes me wish I was in Australia at the beach right now...

BMX on myspace

in the spirit of Hitchcock...

Over the past few years I've been amassing a small library of reference material and clip art. When I go out to thrift shop I've gravitated more towards the bookshelves than the clothing racks. While I'm still on the quest for the perfect fitted shirt, my thrift library has grown. I could write a book about how graphic design is like producing music, and maybe I will. A designer should know the context that his work will be entering into. Like hip-hop, the design world has always sampled past material. With sampling you can subvert the original message into an idea that's entirely new. By juxtapozing a few old ads together, the copy takes on new meaning. It's all about context...

55DSL Logo Remix Challenge...

I just uploaded my entry for the 55DSL logo remix challenge. The contest is through Cut & Paste, so I figured I'd represent Portland to the best of my abilities. Hit the link below and vote me up! I will love you forever if you do.

http://logoremix.55dsl.com/logo/1041

The creative conundrum...

I think this clip will strike a chord with anyone trying to make a solid go of it as a creative professional. NPR's Ira Glass lays out the primary struggle that we all face in our creative development; the stage at which our skillset doesn't live up to our taste. I find myself there right now, I've been there for a while actually. It's the struggle of waking up every morning, knowing that you have to create, but not really feeling up to the task. My sketchbook is my roadmap, itinerary, idea repository, personal assistant and friend. I will say that the creative life isn't as easy and glamorous as it may seem from the outside. Regardless of the creative blocks, developmental struggles, deadlines, bad clients, good clients, meltdowns and moments of sheer panic, I would much rather be doing this than anything else.

Get Pumped!