This is an outstanding resource for all things book cover design related.
In addition to providing a database of well-designed covers, each archive entry also lists the designer, studio and font usage. Quite a fantastic bookmark for anyone interested in graphic or literature design. The archive is edited and maintained by Ben Pieratt of General Projects and Eric Jacobsen of Whisky Van Gogh Go.
Be sure to check out the interview and work of 18-year-old Henry Gunderson, he just completed his first year at The San Francisco Art Institute, and is preparing for his first solo exhibition later this Summer.
There doesn’t appear to be much information about the concept or construction, but Max Knight’s walking bike is a rather interesting piece of industrial design.
This site is certainly not art or design related, but I have a hard time resisting my fondness for candy and treats. Pimp That Snack is a treasure-trove of a resource for anyone searching out sugar, flour and chocolaty goodness on an epic scale.
I’ve never been much into cars, but it’s hard to argue against the beauty and overall design quality of this recently auctioned 1957 Ferrari 250 TR. The fact that someone paid $12 million for it seems like insanity to me — however, I have the same reaction toward the prices of some contemporary art as well.
CopyPasteCharacter.com allows for simple access to icons, dingbats and typographic characters that are underutilized due to unknown or overly complex key-commands. Simply click the characters to copy them, and then paste them (⌘ v) into a document, email or blog entry. ☃
This video proves that the power of the censor beep is pretty amazing. The implied impropriety can transform an innocent child’s show into something that would make my Grandmother blush. Just keep in mind, the mystery word is ‘count.’
Amsterdam-based Experimental Jetset has created a fantastic body of contemporary Modernist and Swiss International-influenced design work — and not only is it good, but there’s quite a bit of it. As impressive as the work is, their writing and project explanation’s actually rival, if not exceed the quality of the design work.
The site is a great resource and definitely worth a bookmark.
As time and interest allows, I have decided to integrate drawings from the 30 Drawings in 30 Days project into some new design and fine art work. The first piece in this undertaking is the poster titled, Something Good Always Comes Out of Failure.
Although it appears the site is no longer being updated, and the overall image quality is small and poor quality; I think the concept of TheKnockoff*Project has merit and is worth sharing.
The idea behind the site is to compile and compare famous album covers alongside spoofs, homage’s and direct rip-offs by other musicians. It’s an interesting resource for those interested in music history and album cover design.
My vegetarian readers will absolutely love this post — because if anyone can appreciate flattened, dried, and rigor mortised animal flesh, it’s the salad and tofu lovers.
Now I’m usually of the opinion that good is good. Meat = good. Business Cards = good. Unexpected concepts = good. However, I’m having a difficult time condoning flesh engraved business cards — it’s just wrong. Not morally wrong mind you, more like, everyone-will-be-disgusted-that-you-just-pulled-a-sheet-of-meat-out-of-your-pants-pocket kind of wrong. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is.
In my estimation, there are only three professions that could possess such an item and avoid utter revulsion: a butcher, a pig farmer and a beef jerky entrepreneur. Vice President of a global investment firm, not so much. Sorry, Mr. Bateman.
Lingering unresolved questions:
1. What is the best method for trimming out the individual business cards from the “sheet,” x-acto, carpenter’s knife or table saw?
2. What is the temperature of the average day-worn pants pocket?
3. How long can beef jerky stay in a day-worn pants pocket before it begins to emit a fragrance?
4. Must you pay for cards that omit vital information due to a hole or defect in the meat?
5. Can the cards be spot varnished to add an additional level of interest?
6. If received, would I put a meat card in my Rolodex? Hmmm...
Artist Yasmina Alaoui and photographer Marco Guerra are the creators behind One Thousand and One Dreams.
The work seems to exist somewhere between abstract fantasy and surrealist documentation. The duo cover nude models in contemporary Henna patterns, photograph them in black and white, and layer Alaoui’s ink drawings into the final photographs.
In addition to the work, I quite like the site, which utilizes a simple but effective layout and navigation system.
At least according to Oprah Winfrey — and I have conferred with several reliable soccer moms who have confirmed that Oprah is never wrong. So, you know, that’s awesome for us designers. Yea, us.
The UK Design Council offers an abundance of really informative design articles, interviews and in-depth explanations on various design disciplines. The organization looks at design as a comprehensive whole: from design education and process through design business and management.
The work of Ben O’Brien, a commercial illustrator based in Cornwall, UK, has endless energy and an engagingly playful quality to it. Most of his pieces have a strong sense of repetition and patterning, and if you visit his nicely designed site, you will quickly realize that his use of color is top-notch.
Late last year, I was invited to The University of Iowa for a few days — while there, I was introduced to the School of Art and Art History building that was completed in 2006. Unfortunately at the time of my visit, this building and several others were closed and off-limits due to severe flooding that ravaged the university campus.
Flooding aside, the building is an impressive feat of architecture designed by the firm Steven Holl Architects. The link provided goes directly to the School of Art and Art History building, but if you have a few minutes to explore, much of their additional work is quite impressive as well.
The Smoking Gun reports that FEMA has removed a children’s coloring book from its web site. The book was illustrated by a 68-year-old grandmother, and was intended to help kids “cope with disasters.” Criticism of the downloadable book stemmed from illustrations depicting the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.
What do you think; is this the case of an overly sensitive reaction to criticism, or completely inappropriate judgment by a government agency?
