From The Drawing Board

HZ #16 Zombies

2010-12-15T16:51:00.005-05:00

When I heard that the theme for the latest HOWiezine was going to be Zombies, I immediately signed up. I love horror movies, especially Zombie movies so this theme was right up my alley. I knew I wanted to do something involving horses, but I wasn't sure exactly what. Initially I thought of taking a realistic looking horse, and zombi-fying it. Eh, boring. Then I thought of purchasing a blank plastic pony and painting a zombie body on it. Too easy, and done before (if you do a google search you'll see what I am talking about).

Then my brain started ticking...and I thought of my stash of My Little Ponies, buried somewhere in the basement. Hmm. Would I be able to find these favorite toys that had been a big part of my youth? So, flashlight in hand I ventured downstairs into the dark, cold, dusty and spider zone known as the basement. Luckily I had a vague idea of the kind of box they were in, so it did not take me long to find them. I remembered I also had a nursery and barn, so I searched further and found those too. I brought everything upstairs, laid it all out on the floor and sat...thinking. How could I use this stuff to my advantage? Then I had an idea. What if I were to have a sort of, "average day in the life...gone horribly wrong" sort of deal. So I took a few things outdoors to the safety of the backyard (where no one would see a grown up playing with My Little Ponies of course) and set it all up. Then grabbed my camera and tripod and did some test shots. Eureka!...a zombielicious idea was brewing.

But, like all zombies in the making, I needed fake blood. It was past Halloween. Crap. So I did a bit of googling and found some fake blood recipes. I jotted down some notes, and got to work. Luckily I had the right ingredients. Three different blood mixtures later, I headed back out into the yard...thanking the fact that no one was going to bear witness to what was about to happen...

With some rubber gloves and a basting brush I got to work. Splatter here, clump there..blood trail in one directions, entrails in the next. Satisfied with the carnage, I quickly took the necessary shots and then hauled everything back indoors.

I bring you My Little Ponies...which will never be the same.*
*(Ok, really everything got cleaned off with soap and water so no ponies were seriously harmed in the zine making...)

Once I had all the photos, I had to figure out how I wanted everything to play out on paper. I took my main shot of Applejack and used that for the front of the design, adding just a snippet in the bottom corner of the horror that was to come. I wanted to showcase the various angles and enough of the carnage so I used a series of photos for the corresponding page, and sort of went with a comic book style, breaking up the sizes and layout on the page. Then all that was left was the writing. Once the writing was in, the story was set in motion.

(Photos can be clicked on to view larger and read the text)

HZ #14 (15) Coffee

2010-06-10T18:08:00.006-04:00

With the HOWiezine having been on hiatus for awhile, I had plenty of time to mull over a concept for the covers. Initially I had a list of ideas, which then got narrowed down to 3 concepts. The first two involved photography, and the third involved chalkboard art. Photography would have been the easy route to go, so instead I decided to challenge myself by taking on drawing (not my strong suite) in a new medium. I liked the idea of using chalkboard art, because chalkboard signs are a popular form of signage in coffee shops, restaurants, and even some grocers.

Since I have never experimented with chalkboard signs before, I did a bit of research to find out if there were any tricks, tips or specific art tools that would make the process easier. I found that, taking the size of scale into consideration, that using pastel pencils would be the easiest way to get the lines and detail I wanted. Another option was to buy water soluble paint markers, as they can clean up edges nice and make hand drawn lettering much easier. Unfortunately, buying the exact amount of colors I was going to need for rendering the drawing, wasn't exactly cost effective for my budget. I found a set of 24 pastel pencils which gave me a good range to work with, so I settled on those. I used a old chalkboard I have had since my childhood, and masked off a 14"x14" area for the drawing. This made drawing easier, and I was easily able to scale down the size to the 7"x7" requirements later on.

I was pretty well set on the table, chair, window, cat, and mug of coffee, and wood paneling on the bottom of the walls. The top area of the wall is what I changed several times. I experimented with different colors, but found the neutral colors stood out the best on the surface of the chalkboard. The other area I struggled with was, what to put on the wall, above the table? Should I draw a few funky looking pieces of art, like you might see in a coffee shop? Or put in another window? Or even a light fixture? In the end, I decided leaving room for a simple sign, (coffee shop style of course!) was the best and most accommodating option for the 'zine title/number as well. Plus, it also allowed the natural surface of the chalkboard to be visible and really enhance the sign itself. Basically, this was a classic example of, "less is more." Had I decided to go another route, I think it would have been too far busy, and overcomplicated my original idea.

Click on the photos to view the full images on Flickr.

This first picture is what the finished drawing looked like on the chalkboard. I found that using the blue painters tape allowed me not only a clean edge, but a place to rest my wrist while working on the drawing. Not that I didn't have a accidental smudge here and there...whoops! I found it easy to work around the drawing by rotating the blackboard and leaning it up against a wall while I worked. I did attempt to do the letting by hand, but it proved a bit too difficult to get the letterforms as solid as I wanted. So I put the pastels aside, photographed the chalkboard (ok, so "technically" some photography was involved), and added it in on the computer.

This is what the end result looked like, after the type was added and the color was ever so slightly adjusted.

As for the interior pages, I had found two quotes I wanted to use. I knew that I wanted to do the drawings on brown paper bags, for a few reasons. The first was that I couldn't bring myself to erase the cover off the chalkboard yet! The second was the paper offered a nice, neutral and gritty service to work on, which captured the color really well. When it came time to draw, I was a little unsure of what I wanted to do. Once again, I found myself over thinking the drawing(s). After a few failed attempts, I decided to use a single coffee mug for the one, which looked a little like the mug from the cover.

As for the other, I decided to toss in a little humor, and play off the graphic of a slippery road sign. This gave in to the notion that sometimes a person just can't wait to break out of the office to grab a coffee. Since this is a HOWiezine, and the HOW Design Conference was coming up, I thought I'd also add a little thought bubble to the driver with the words, "HOW or bust!"

I used a white paint marker for the steam on the mug page, and for the thought bubble on the car page, which wound up being more visibly solid than using a white pastel. Once the drawings were done, both pages were scanned and the type was added in digitally as well.

Watkins Glen

2010-06-10T14:27:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite gorges here in NY, I've also photographed this one to death. Once again, the smaller cascades in the gorge tend to go ignored, so I thought I'd showcase them a little rather than the main falls/attractions of the park. The sun really played off the bright green foliage of the trees, which resulted in some never before seen (at least by me) highlights in the water.

Stony Brook

2010-05-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

I've been to Stony Brook more times than I can count, so it's always interesting to not only see what has changed each year, but to also be challenged by finding new things to photograph. I wandered down into a different area of the creek today and got some different angles of a waterfall, and also did some studies on some of the smaller cascades that typically get overshadowed by the main waterfalls within the gorge.

Doodle Swap #5 Hand Drawn Typography

2010-04-08T14:09:00.002-04:00

I have decent handwriting, but for some reason when I actually attempt to draw type, everything turns out not as how I wanted! I went simple this round, and picked a few sharpie colors to use for my doodles. Here's the better looking ones, as this was not my strongest round!

Spring Garden Show

2010-03-20T13:57:00.002-04:00

Some shots from this years annual spring flower show at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens

Clydesdale Mare

2010-01-26T15:25:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I was out at the barn, holding a gate while my friend was checking on her horse in the field. The winds were light, the sun was shining, and this mare was peaked with curiosity while I was waiting there. I had my point & shoot in my pocket, so I snagged a couple of shots...before she thought my camera was something for her to eat. :)

Creative Reuse of Horseshoes

2009-12-15T14:12:00.005-05:00

I recently made these for 2 friends for Christmas.

I had acquired some horseshoes from the last farrier visit to the barn, and decided to put a few to good (re)use. I cleaned them with some diluted detergent and a stiff brush. Once dry I used a wire brush to remove any remaining residue, or loose metal.

The horseshoes were then repainted with metallic paint, to regain their luster. I then picked out a range of beads appropriate for each of the recipients. The beads were then strung on 24 gauge wire, and wrapped around the shoes. Wire was also bound across the top, for hanging purposes. The final touch was the attached pendant, which read, "create, dream, soar."

Originally I wanted to photograph them outdoors before giving them out, but the weather has been pure crap to try and set something up. So I grabbed a small stool, and placed it near the patio doors to our deck where the most natural light was coming in. I placed one piece of wood across the top of the chair, and leaned the other against the wall. I was pretty satisfied with the results, and I think it probably worked better than my original setup for outside.

The Best of Autumn 2009

2009-11-24T13:57:00.001-05:00

I love shooting Fall foliage. Walking through the crunchy leaves, the sweet mixture of smells, watching the colors change from week to week. This autumn saw lots of color, which meant plenty of photo opportunities. Here's some of my favorite shots.

Hector Falls. This waterfall is tough to get, as it is often has low water. Not this day!

Drops 2 and 3 of Hector Falls. Can you imagine the view from those houses below??

Series of small pools at Watkins Glen

Another series of small pools at Watkins Glen

Red maple leaves

Bridge along the Gorge trail at Letchworth

Fillmore Glen

Fillmore Glen

Finding a Photo Opportunity

2009-11-01T20:37:00.004-05:00

I actually took the shot below at a state park, believe it or not. I was shooting Cavern Cascade at Watkins Glen, and after you walk behind the waterfall, you have to go up those stairs to continue up the gorge trail. Normally there is a ton of people, and shooting right there is next to impossible.

So I was shooting the falls from the opposite angle, and noticed how the stairwell was empty...dark..and the rocks were glistening with all the moisture. Maybe it's the fact we were 2 days from Halloween, but I was like damn, I've got to get this shot.

Halloween Doodleswap

2009-10-16T13:32:00.002-04:00

I tried to doodle some old window clings I had. This series was done in metallic ink, on black matte board.

Doodle Swap #3

2009-08-15T17:22:00.002-04:00

100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers

2009-07-07T15:15:00.012-04:00

I'm very honored to have some tips and work featured in the latest book released from Rockport Publishers. "100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative", authored by Steve Gordon, Jr. and edited by Laurel Saville.

Released in May of 2009, the book showcases work from from a small list of international contributors, coupled with tips directly from each designer. It is the first book my work has been featured in, and hopefully the start of greater things to come!

About Steve Gordon, Jr.
Steve Gordon, Jr. has been a professional graphic designer for the better part of a decade. He's run the full range of the career path with experience from in-house design at internationally recognized Fortune 1000 companies, agency and studio work, to now working as a independent designer and creative consultant, RDQLUS Creative.

Magnetized!

2009-06-25T00:22:00.020-04:00

Several months ago over in the lounge on the HOW Design forum, the Traveling Roadshow thread celebrated its 3rd Anniversary. The roadshow thread is a place bursting with creativity from designers, photographers, illustrators and other artists as they share their work.

HOWies ksavage and ladycupcake, who are fellow thread contributors, collaborated to create a limited edition set of magnets to commemorate the anniversary. Soon to be released to the public, this set of 12 magnets features some of the best work seen in the fridge over the past 3 years. All proceeds from the sale of the magnets will be donated to Operation Nice.

Pictured below in greater detail (L-R)
Row 1: Von Glitschka, Mickey Rat; Keith Bowman, The Lawbreaker; Janet Little Jeffers, Ampersand; Mary Ferguson, The Frog Prince
Row 2: Jeope Wolfe, Jeope's Seal; Steph Doyle, Wulfpack on the Rabbit; Geoff McManus, Roller Skate; M, 'A' for Apple
Row 3: Marco Echeverria, Mad Bomb; Joe Blend, Summer Travel; Jeff Andrews, Twitter in Blue; Judy Rozbicki, Autumn Rain

Information on purchasing details will be posted soon, so stay tuned!

Buttermilk During High Water

2009-06-12T19:12:00.005-04:00

Can't believe I almost forgot to post photos from Buttermilk! A few weeks ago I managed to make it there after a heavy rainfall, and the creek levels were the highest I've ever seen. I did some longer exposures, and got a series of shots in the 8 to 20 sec. range. With the high water volume, they are quite impressive.

Doodle Swap #2

2009-06-09T19:10:00.000-04:00

Watkins Glen 5/26

2009-05-27T12:11:00.005-04:00

Lucky for me Ih ad my rain gear yesterday when visiting Watkins Glen (including my Lowepro backpack with rain shield!). The park wasn't too crowded, but the gorge all but emptied out once it started raining. I didn't take as many shots as usual, since there were few dry spots on the gorge trail. Here are a few of my favorites though.

Rainbow Falls

Cavern Cascade

Pluto Falls

Small Cascades

The LOST Bears

2009-04-01T02:10:00.002-04:00

I've always felt that I was just "average" when it came to drawing. Which is probably why when I was in college I switched my major from illustration to design. I'm not really one of those people who can sit and sketch for hours. I am more akin to drawing when the mood strikes, or when I am frustrated from sitting in front of the computer all day. Which is good I guess. Variety is the spice of life! So when the opportunity to participate in my first doodle swap came up, I jumped (ok, pushed) at the chance. I figured it would be a fun test for myself. I broke out my set of watercolor pencils for their first use. (Yes, first use!) Once I got into the groove, it reminded me of my freshman drawing class in college, and doing these quick ink wash studies.

At first I was sort of worried my little doodles would, well...look like crap in comparison to everyone else in my group. But then I remembered..hey, these are just doodles. They are supposed to be fun, unrestricted...whimsical. Whatever. I was quite satisfied at the end result. They had the lost, sad, forlorn edge I was going for. You can check out the rest of the bears here, on flickr.

Client Nightmares, OH MY!

2009-03-20T01:55:00.004-04:00

Recently, Liz over at CMD+SHIFT Design, posted a query on twitter looking for some client nightmare stories. Having had a few of my own, I sent her a little gem from a few years ago. Click on over to her blog entry and check out the story next to Freddy Krueger...

Tilt Shift Photography 2

2009-03-09T19:27:00.002-04:00

Tilt Shift Photography

2009-01-26T03:30:00.005-05:00

Some recent work

HZ-14: Positive/Negative

2008-10-30T15:34:00.005-04:00

The basic idea behind my pages was essentially that positive doesn't always equate good, and negative doesn't always equate bad. For the positive page, the image is a digital photo of a section of a CT scan my Dad had done last fall when he went into the hospital. This test was the one where we found out he had new tumors. To achieve the right look of the scan, I photographed the film while it was positioned on a lightbox. I then black barred the information I wanted kept private. Originally I had the "My Dad" text positioned in the upper left corner, but due to the binding I moved it to the right to make sure it would not be obscured once the HZ was assembled.

For the negative page, I used negative ions as my focus for the page. Any serious waterfaller knows about the phenomenon that absorbing the air around waterfalls can give you a positive feeling. But for those who don't, I included a bit of background information about them. I chose to use a portion of a macro waterfall photo to showcase the flow of the water, as well as to not distract the viewer from the ions floating about the page. I tried to create simplistic looking ions that I could easily play with, and overlap...changing the opacity about the page.

The other reason this page felt good in conjunction with the other page, is more of a personal reason than a visual one. Last fall I spent so much time in hospitals while my Dad was sick, that being outdoors and photographing waterfalls was the only thing that kept me sane. Ironically, the last day he was home (October 31st), was probably one of the best days I had, in terms of weather, fall foliage, and the shots I got. As if almost by design, it all started with the scan...and ended with waterfalls.

To view the rest of HZ-14, you can check out the set on Flickr.

HZ-13: Phobias

2008-07-21T17:43:00.004-04:00

The theme for HZ-13 was Phobias. For those who don't know, the HOWiezine is a limited edition, handmade collaborative book project created by HOW forum members, also known as HOWies. There is a theme and participants create two pages based on their interpretation of that theme. Only the participants are guaranteed a copy of the book, which makes it all the more special.

If you haven't already guessed, I have a fear of needles. That was the source behind my first page. I did some extensive searching online and found a hypodermic needle rubber stamp. I used some of my paint for the initial stamp mark, which I then scanned and brought into photoshop. The background was created by painting the palm of my hand and pressing it onto a sheet of paper a few times, which was then crumpled up, re-flattened and then scanned. I combined these two in photoshop, first altering the tone of the background. I was angling more more of a subdued tone, since my intention was for some of the red to be bright.

I experimented with the angle and number of needles quite a bit, ending on a group that I saw as a small army...that are coming to to get you. Then I used some kbowman PS brushes to get the final bloody effect that you see. I wanted a variety in intensity, size, shade...like if you were walking onto a crime scene.

My second phobia is tornadoes. Initially, I had attempted to start out this page using the same techniques. I had found a storm cloud/lightning stamp...but when I tried it out, I wasn't satisfied with the result. Though I was using stamp(s) I didn't want it be be apparent. So I was sitting around trying to draw a tornado with my wacom, but again, I wasn't satisfied with the result. Out of frustration, I started scribbling all over one of my reference photos with a black gel pen. About halfway through my scribbling, I thought it was actually starting to look like something....so I kept going. Pretty soon I had covered the entire thing. Out of curiosity, I scanned it.

I attempted to throw it onto the same background, but it wasn't working. So I dug through my photos and found one of my cloud shots I had taken last fall. I liked how even though they weren't storm clouds, they were akin to the type of clouds you would see accompanying a severe weather outbreak. They had just enough of a bubble effect to look like the underside of a supercell. I made a back layer of clouds red and some blood-red rain, to try and tie in with the first page. Also lost into the background, is a somewhat hidden explanation of when my fear of tornadoes began, but only those who look closely will be able to find it.

These images will be added soon to imagekind, as part of my HZ Gallery.

Seen the Zine? ---> HZ-12!

2008-06-17T17:16:00.003-04:00

What a reward it was to see the end result from the contributors to the 12th edition of the HOWie Zine. For those who don't know, the HOWiezine is a limited edition, handmade collaborative book project created by HOW forum members, also known as HOWies. There is a theme and participants create two pages based on their interpretation of that theme. Only the participants are guaranteed a copy of the book, which makes it all the more special.

As you may have seen in my previous post, I chose a mixed media route for my submission this time around. For a more in depth look at the inside of HZ-12, I've created a special gallery on Flickr, so everyone can see the top-notch work submitted by all the HOWies who participated.

Once again, the assembly crew did a fantastic job on the chain link (yes I said chain link!) binding, and added little extra spooky goodies for each HZ-12 participant. Also check out cover designer's Nicholas J. Nawroth blog, NSQUARED DESIGN, where he explains the making of the covers for HZ-12, Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

HZ-12: Nightmares & Dreamscapes

2008-06-16T16:46:00.005-04:00

The theme for HZ-12 was Nightmares and Dreamscapes. For those who don't know, the HOWiezine is a limited edition, handmade collaborative book project created by HOW forum members, also known as HOWies. There is a theme and participants create two pages based on their interpretation of that theme. Only the participants are guaranteed a copy of the book, which makes it all the more special.

I had a few options (recurrent dream-wise) this time around, but after some thought I knew what I wanted to do. I created the pages using a collage with a acrylic paint overlay to get the effect I desired. Then the scanned the images and brought them into illustrator to add the type. Underneath each photo you can read the type, which gives the explanation into the dreams that inspired the images.

Six years later, there's a nightmare I haven't forgot. One time I had a nightmare where I looked out the front windo and saw a small fire burning on the front lawn. Afraid it was going to spread I threw on my old sneakers and ran out the door with a pail of water. Put it out. A few minutes later there was yet another out there and after I put that one out I just stared at the spot sizzling on the ground. After I had the nightmare I found out that dreaming of fire is generally seen as an omen of impending trouble. To observe a house or building that is on fire forecasts an urgent appeal for help from a close friend or relative. To dream of putting out a fire or escaping from one predicts ultimate success over all obstacles. A dream of setting fire to a house, building, or anything of value is telling you to control your temper or be prepared for serious consequences. A roaring fire (contained in a grate) signifies new hope after a time of discouragement.

Some dreams are so real you feel part of them even after you're awake. Shortly after my Dad died, I had this dream where I was outside walking around my house during the winter. When I turned the corner into the backyard, I suddenly was face to face with a white owl. It was quiet, almost noble looking. I remember feeling calm as it turned it's head and looked me square in the eye. A breeze came along and ruffled the feathers under his chin. This is the image that stands out in my mind. According to Indian customs, a dream featuring a white owl is considered a companion of the goddess of wealth and therefore a harbinger of prosperity. Many sources also claim that white owls signify wisdom and clarity.

I applied a feather to each of the owl pages to bring a sense of movement to the page, and recreate that moment of the dream. In addition to my pages, I also made a funky little bookmark to be passed on to all the participants. Each was cut in a different haphazard manner, so they had a bit of a unfinished flair to them. All my work for the Howiezine is now available for purchase online, in the HZ Gallery.

Recent Work

2008-06-04T15:12:00.005-04:00

On Saturday May 24th, I photographed the wedding of Jennifer Karlinski & Benjamin Pearce. The wedding was held inside the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, with photos at several locations afterwards. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Walking through the Gardens

Dress detail

On the steps at City Hall

City Hall

Candlelit bouquets

Featured in JPG Mag Blog

2008-05-22T22:44:00.007-04:00

About a month or two ago I sent the people of JPG Mag a link to my HZ-11 cover design and Flickr set to see if it could be put on their "Brave New Photography Blog." Well I just got an email saying they mentioned the HOWie Zine in one of their blog posts this week: Projects and Exhibitions.

They wrote: "jroz was recently part of a collaborative book arts project, the HOWie Zine. jroz was selected to create the cover of the 11th edition and you can see her photographic work, and find out more about her book project on the HOW Blog."

I wish they had written *the* book project rather than *my* project since Ms. Patti is the leader on the 'zine and it takes alot of HOWies to get one done...but I was glad to see they used the links I provided so everyone can see what the HOWie Zine is, and take them to the HOW Blog. In the email they sent me they noted that my photo set on Flickr looked pretty amazing and it was awesome to see such a great collaborative project. [:D]

HOW Toot'n Good!

2008-02-26T20:31:00.006-05:00

My 'zine covers have been spotted over on the HOW Blog!
Thanks, Bryn!

Seen the Zine? ---> HZ11!

2008-02-21T18:24:00.028-05:00

What a reward it was to see the end result from the contributors to the 11th edition of the HOWie Zine. For those who don't know, the HOWiezine is a limited edition, handmade collaborative book project created by HOW forum members, also known as HOWies. There is a theme and participants create two pages based on their interpretation of that theme. Only the participants are guaranteed a copy of the book, which makes it all the more special.

As you may have read in my previous post, I was in charge of creating the cover design for the 11th HOWie Zine, for which the assigned theme was the Alphabet. When I opened mine up today, there was such an amazing array of work that I knew right away that a single blog post with a few photos would not be able to do it justice! For a more in depth look at the inside of HZ-11, I've created a special gallery on Flickr, so everyone can see the top-notch work submitted by all the HOWies who participated.

Huge props have to go Pad Thai (zine creator!) and to the following HOWies who made the assembly line for HZ-11 run oh-so-smooth: ksavage, LadyLuck and HowKom. This crew did a fantastic job on the binding, and added little personal touches for each HZ-11 participant. When I opened my zine today, it was clear that this crew worked hard to custom tailor the packaging to each HOWie...and several little gems were included throughout. Each zine was carefully wrapped in Braille paper from the latest edition of Harry Potter, and secured with a sticker for each HOWie's first and last initial. One special HOWie will even find their zine wrapped in the HP cover! And then wrapped up, were two pins...featuring the A and Z photos from my cover design. (And yes, Zoey is excited at her new found social status!)

More surprises laid beneath the Braille paper, as there were box letter beads attached to the binding that would spell out each HOWie's name. The binding was a very effective choice, as it made all the pages easy to view (plus photograph!) and allowed the book to lie flat during viewing.

Here's a glimpse of my pages playing their starring role...

Here's some of the inside pages featuring work by HOWies Christian, darcylea, aikohead, SAW, fantomas, Delineate and creative bean....

HOWie Zine creator Pad Thai and assembly woman ksavage took their pages up a notch and created a Collaborative Music Book, which came accompanied by a special 2 disc cd-set. The cd's were HOWsed in a specially designed disc jacket complete with a little HZ-11 beads and tassle. Within the book, Pad Thai covered the first half of the Alphabet, and ksavage covered the second half of the Alphabet.

The far left photo is one of Halftone Dot's pages, which had a black envelope attached containing a cryptogram, and a tool to help solve it. Once the crytogram is solved, it directs you to a hidden location online where you may retrieve a reward.

All the work by the HOWies was so diverse in style and interpretation, that I hope everyone checks out the rest of the photos over on Flickr.

The Photographic Alphabet!

2008-02-17T18:32:00.019-05:00

ABCDEFG....

I had so much fun with the Robots HOWiezine, that I signed to create the cover design for the 11th edition of the HOWiezine. The theme this time was the Alphabet, and right away I had a fair idea of what I wanted to do. Right away I thought of doing something similar to this photography project from when I was in college. Unfortunately, a death in my family and the rapidly declining weather forced me to put a bit of a different spin on my idea...which ultimately wound up being a bit more challenging, as well as pay homage to my father who passed away in December.

Instead of finding letters within objects, I decided to find objects around the house that started with each letter of the alphabet, kind of along the whole ABC's book we all had as children. All the objects chosen were photographed with a DSLR, with an aim towards more macro shots, and then thumbnails were created of each letter and arranged along a grid in AI to form a "from A to Z " photographic cover. The extra space in the center of the grid was filled with a special shot that I composed, featuring some of the most basic tools a designer uses (especially at the start of their career) and included the HZ edition number.

HZ-11 Center shot

The front and rear cover designs were essentially the same, with the only difference besides the orientation was that the center shot on the front, which also represented the letter "H" (for HOW, of course!) was replaced by the photo for "Q" on the back, so that my grid would be effective...and to poke a bit of fun and make everyone think and flip back and forth between the covers to (hopefully!) notice the subtle difference.

Without further adieu, let's take a look at the front and back covers:

Front Cover of HZ-11
Back Cover of HZ-11

I wanted to have a variety of shapes, colors and textures across the covers so a few images were scrapped along the way to include one's that were more visually appealing and working in the overall appearance. The photos went as follows:

A - Apple
B - Bear
C- Candle
D - Dishes
E - Eraser
F - Film
G - Grass
H - HOW
I - iPod
J - Jeans
K - Keys
L - Lamp
M - Markers
N - Newsprint Paper
O - Orchid
P - Paintbrush
Q - Q-tips
R - Rollerskate
S - Saw
T - Tacks
U - Umbrella
V - Velvet
W - Wrench
X - X-acto
Y - Yashica Camera
Z - Zoey

As mentioned earlier, several of these items paid homage to my Dad. The bear was one of the few that kept him company while he was in the hospital after surgeries. The keys were his. The ladder is the paintbrush photo was passed on to me when I started painting murals. The saw is one he bought me a few years ago to add to my toolbox. The umbrella is from my grade school years, with my name carved in the handle by my Dad. The wrench was one of his favorite tools, and he helped me pick Zoey out from the pet store last summer.

I decided to keep the interior of the covers tied in to the exterior by picking two of the thumbnails, and showcasing them at their full size. I labeled each photo with their description in Helvetica, taking into consideration that Helvetica is one of the first fonts a designer uses when starting their education. I liked the texture in the "G" grass photo and the combination of color and composition in the "U" umbrella photos the best, so they were my choices for the interior.

Interior front of HZ-11
Interior back of HZ-11

Seen the Zine?

2007-09-28T20:48:00.000-04:00

Scenes from inside HOWiezine #10 ----> Robots!
The covers...and binding!

Interior Shots...

Fun With Robots!

2007-09-28T20:15:00.000-04:00

For anyone wondering about my pages for HOWiezine #10...
here's a sneak peek.

Front side:Back side:

My idea got inspired from a creepy photo I saw online in conjunction with the quote seen on the front side. I toyed with the notion of having a body limb sticking out from the shadows, or a figure tied to a chair with writing on the wall, but was unsatisfied with those results. So I took one of the HOWies from the forum who tends to cause some raucous here and there..and used their avatar to my advantage. I thought it worked well, keeping in tune with the dark humor I was going for.

The original was done on canvas, with a mixture of acrylic paint and collage. The type was scratched into the surface with a x-acto knife, intended to look haphazard and creepy. Reprints were done on Strathmore Texture Paper to achieve the original look and feel.

One of Thirty-Nine

2007-08-20T00:25:00.000-04:00

JPG Mag's Blog is featuring the currenty story, "39 Perspectives on How Photography Can Make You a Better Designer."
Here's mine.

HOW Poster 2007

2007-06-25T22:05:00.001-04:00

Got my HOW Poster a few days ago in the mail. I'm including some pics for everyone who couldn't participate, or haven't gotten their posters yet. As for me, I hopped on the poster bandwagon somewhat late in the game (seeing as though I wasn't on the HOW forum last year...but once I spoke to the designer in charge about the project, I knew I wanted in. Even though I'm relatively new to the forum, I've been trying to get more involved with other projects and designers, and this one was perfect for me to dive into.

Basically, poster particpant's (aka HOWies) were asked to tint their avatar by picking a color from a set of swatches provided by Art Director, Jas Wabbington (aka WabbingtonDesign). They then were also asked to include a short quote, and note their design profession. Stars (which generally note the number of posts submitted by HOWies) were then color coded to match their profession (ie: Art Director, Print, Web, Illustrator, Photographer). The template for the avatars was set up to coincide with the appearance of pantone swatches. Swatches were then nestled among the leaves on the tree to give the illusion they were part of the tree's foliage. The final product was a 18 x 24 poster featuring avatars by 37 creative HOWies.

At the time I signed on, I was filling in of the empty spots that had been vacated by another project participant. It was probaby a good thing too, since Jas needed some help comandeering some extra troops in the final stretch to keep the project going. For my team participation I received PM prop's (thanks Jas) and a few post-it's with my poster.

Now I just have to make a frame for this bad boy. The poster has garnished some great reviews, and is even featured in a writeup on fellow HOWie Jeff Fisher's Blog, bLog-oMotives.
I've been trying to decide what kind of frame I want. Originally I had thought about buying one, but then Jas mentioned that a handmade frame would be cool, and I was reminded of all those frames that people construct out of found tree branches. We sure have a selection around here, after the storm we had back in october. I like the idea of making one, and using leather latigo straps to bind the corners. We'll see what happens. Either way, you can expect more pics in the future.

Signs

2007-05-21T00:55:00.000-04:00

Illustration Friday Theme Submission.

Gammp Family +1

2007-05-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

There's an empty lot alongside my house, and then a brush line that separates our yards with the neighboring yards. And, believe it or not...there's some tombstones in there. In the first photo we have The Gammp Family, Benedict, Pauline and Frank...with some William Miller Dude parked in front of them. Kind of makes you wonder where the rest of his family is...but what's even stranger, is there's more buried there. I found two more behind those, one which I uncovered by stepping on it while trying to get a photograph of a different one. And then while moving a piece of granite that was partially sticking out of the ground, I found yet another one...but this one was so buried that I couldn't make anything out on it. I also found broken pieces of two more underneath some more brush. I hope no one saw me...they'd probably think I was pretty creepy crawling over random tombstones and flipping over pieces of rock. I wonder how long they've been there, and if they were dumped there like I suspect. All in all, very strange.

More pics are on my JPG page.

So I Had This Idea...

2007-05-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

I figured i might as well do something else while I was uploading my photography to my imagekind site, so I rounded up some paint brushes and some other necessary supplies and did this....heh heh!! Traffic was slowing down while I was attaching it to the mailbox...

Unexpected Find

2007-04-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

This photo made it worth getting caught in a thunderstorm today. If you can't what it is, think back to the last time you paid a quarter for one of those giant gumballs, and you'll figure it out.

25 Reasons You Might Be a Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer

2007-04-16T01:25:00.000-04:00

Well, are you?

The Art of Blank Space

2007-04-10T17:19:00.000-04:00

I found myself in the art supplies section of a craft store this afternoon while waiting for someone in my family who was buying fabric. As per usual, the area around the sharpie marker display was covered with random doodles, scribblings, and bits of words. But what caught my eye, was the brown paper lined shelves. Now, if you're an art student, or have been an art student, you know the paper. It's akin to a brown paper shopping bag, and comes on a huge roll, and chances are you used it in drawing class. I still have large, life size figure drawings on this brown paper floating around my house. Blank paper is fun. It's demands to be covered with random snippets of whatever pops into your mind. Sometimes I wonder what they do in restaurants where brown paper and crayons line the tables. Do the busboys/girls read these sheets after clearing the dishes away? Does anyone ever save the paper? Once again I'm getting ahead of myself. So here was this paper. Most was untouched. But someone had started a line of quotes down the edge of the shelf, inbetween all the price tags. I saw a quote from Edgar Allan Poe, a title from a Goo Goo Dolls. In dark ink someone had wrote, "The nail that sticks out the farthest gets hammered the hardest." Followed by that little quip, I found one that caught my eye. "Too much fear and self doubt make people hesitate and lose out. - Sons of the Dark" I thought it was pretty neat to actually see various people had written quotes. I love quotes. To find them in an art aisle peaked my interest so I added a few that have been bouncing around my head lately.

I also stopped at borders today, to price some design books I am going to purchase to add to my arsenal of business information and inspiration. Most are more expensive than what I would pay on Amazon, so Amazon will probably be getting more business from me in the near future. I did pick up one book, "D.I.Y: Design it Yourself" which can be found at Design it Yourself. I haven't fully looked through it, but it's got some interesting pieces of information in it.

The other news for the day is I'll (hopefully) soon be upgrading my imagekind site so that I can upload more images, and make more galleries from the hundreds of photos I have had sitting around. I went to the botanical gardens again yesterday, and took some more pictures. Alot of it was random shooting, but the pictures came out really well in the lighting of the late afternoon. I also picked up two tulip plants, one is white with purple tinting around the tips, and the other is a red and yellow mix. Different from most you usually see. And next month, I am
going to go back and purchase some bulbs for these tulips called "Queen of the Night" just like the ones pictured above.
So deep purple, they almost look black. Very cool, if you ask me.

Imagekind!

2007-04-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. It rained in the morning, but by the time I went in the afternoon, it was turning out to be a decent day. I got a handful of good shots, which I have uploaded here. You can actually purchase them as basic prints, framed art, or on canvas. So if you've got cabin fever, and want to bring some color into your home, please support a emerging artist and make a purchase. I won't hate you if you don't, but I'll love you if you do.

It was pretty crowded there, with being near the Basillica and all...I think alot of people came straight from church, since I saw more than a few kids decked out in spring dresses. And the Easter Bunny was there, so parents brought their kids to get pictures taken with him. And the Corning Museum of Glass was there doing demonstrations. My friend Sue, who I went with, tried to take a picture of me while I was loading a new roll of film into my camera. I wouldn't look up, because I never really like how I look in photos, so I told her to just snap one while I wasn't paying any attention and adjusting my camera. She didn't want to do that, and called me a chicken. Some guy was walking by with a camera, overheard the exchange and said "Don't you know photographer's don't like having their photo taken?" And I said "That's right!" That's why I always say I like being behind the camera, rather than in front of it.

I'll probably go back there next week, before the Spring Show ends, to get some more photos when it's not as crowded, and I have more film. Yesterday I had both my brother's digital, and my 35mm and it got a little crazy switching back and forth. I think I looked all bad-ass with all my gear hanging all over the place. I can't wait to get a digital SLR....

It Happens, Once in Awhile

2007-03-29T12:26:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, when I was downtown for the Switchfoot/Copeland concert at the Town Ballroom, I took this shot. It was one of those you take on a whim, not paying attention to your camera configurations, because you're too lazy and it's the last shot left on your roll of film (or in this case, the last little bit of space on my memory card). I wish now I had gone armed with my 35mm as well, but do you really ever see someone at a show carrying two cameras? Sometimes it's hard enough just to smuggle one in. Not that I'd recommend it, but you know people are doing it. I like how it was one of the first warm spring-ish days we had. I liked how the fog had lifted by the time we got out. I liked that the street was empty, the streets washed clean by the day's rain. I just like this shot.

So aside from the photo, what else is going on here? (Not the photo, I mean, like -- here.)

After realizing I'm now worthy (and having gotten the GREEN light) of sending my work off to some places (which, will remain anonymous, because, well, hey - I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch) I need to start logging what the hell I am doing everyday - in terms of this stuff anyways. Maybe get some feedback from creative types like myself. What I've been fighting is my gut is screaming one thing, but my brain dosen't want to be in check with it, because that nagging little doubt always has to sneak in the back door, pull up a chair, and say "what do YOU think YOU'RE doing? what is going to set YOUR work APART from everything else out there?" I wish I could've figured out closer to having gotten out of college that, guess what - the advertising agency/design firm dosen't want me, and I in turn, don't want it.

I just have to believe in what I do, what I am capable of, and ignore all the rest, right?