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Posted: 25 May 2012 02:16 AM PDT
Another epic week's about to close out and we're here again to serve you with the best design news we can scour from the web. Make sure to prepare yourselves for some awesome geekery for this Friday's International Geek Pride day! Remember: Enjoy, keep calm, and may you live long and prosper!
Poster for Tomorrow 2012 A poster design competition that calls out for creative individuals to create posters that are relevant or may contribute to Gender Equality. You can submit your designs to Poster for Tomorrow until July 10, 2012. You can check out their website for more details.  100 Ideas that Changed Film Brainpickings have recently made a short look about the book 100 Ideas That Changed Film. It's an interesting preview about the book that tackles different innovations that changed cinema since creation during the early 20th century. Check out the review at Brainpickings.  New Arabic Fonts from Hiba Studio Ever since reading a short entry on Clients from Hell about a client asking to change the font of his project to Arabic, I’ve been on the prowl for actual Arabic fonts. Somehow I’ve succeeded in finding one, you can check it out the release at Fonts’ blog. Now, my next plan is to learn to read Arabic fonts.  Type Masters Week 2012 If you’re a budding typographer, or want to hone your skills in creating typefaces, you can join Type Directors Club’s Type Masters Week. It’s a six-day workshop hosted by different well-known typographers and type foundries. You can check out TDC’s site for more information.  Kickflip for The Cause Contest Here’s another contest that involves designing skateboard decks, but this time it’s sponsored by DeviantArt. You can submit your design until May 31, 2012. Check out DeviantArt’s page for the contest for more details.  BORN IN 1987: The Animated GIF The popularity of animated GIFs seems to be reaching its peak now. The Photographers’ Gallery, a London based gallery dedicated to photography, has called artists practicing different media — from photographers to writers — to create their own GIFs. If you’re interested to submit your own GIFs you can send them to Joy Of GIF tumblr.  The Role of Women in Design: 11 Designers – 11 Opinions If you’re looking for inspiration and great design, you can check out Graphic Art News’ feature about 11 different female designers and their different opinions regarding women empowerment and their role in the design industry.  That’s all folks! If you’ve got some comments, suggestions, or something awesome to share just hit us up via Facebook or Twitter. Subscribe to our RSS Feed for more amazing design news and inspiration. Read more posts by Cadence Wu  |
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Posted: 25 May 2012 02:15 AM PDT
It’s often said that great things come in pairs, and we couldn’t agree more when we think about some of our favorite visual artists. All artists featured here have distinct styles, mediums, and audiences. When paired with their spouse, however, their combined body of work looks more remarkable and somewhat complementary. Graphic designers like you, our dear readers, often work alone. So why not collaborate with another designer and prove that two heads are better than one? Read on and find out how these visual artists thrived with their significant others.
Subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up for our monthly newsletter to get all the latest articles, freebies, and news from You the Designer! Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner Reading about the life of the couple gave one the impression that Pollock and Krasner gave each other reassurance when none of their work was appreciated. Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner moved to East Hampton after they wed, into what is now known as the Pollock – Krasner House and Studio. Here, both artists explored their respective techniques. Pollock worked on his famous drip paintings, moving away from figurative expression and created art that boosted his popularity. Krasner, on the other hand, did not receive critical recognition until her husband died. Nevertheless, she is an Abstract Expressionist painter of some distinction. Her technique included cutting her own drawings and paintings to create collages.           Leo and Diane Dillon Leo Dillon met Diane Sorber at Parsons School of Design in New York. In an interview, Leo told the story of how on the first time they met, he noticed a drawing on the wall that he described as “so good.” Later on, he would find out that a fellow student named Diane was the artist behind it. 50 years of collaboration and marriage led to thousands of images made with joint effort and compromise. Their illustrations have received critical acclaim, including back-to-back Caldecott Medals for Children’s Book Illustration. According to the couple, observation and careful study are skills every illustrator should have. Both artists see art as the epitome of everything, and it is evident in the work they do.           Mary and Lee Blair Mary Blair and her husband Lee Everett Blair worked for different animation studios before ultimately joining Disney. Mary is known for her bold colors, as seen in her mural art for the Tomorrowland Promenade. Lee’s art is composed mainly of watercolors and drawings. Both are important figures in commercial and fine art.           We hope these creative couples and their respective artworks inspire you on your next graphic design project. Tell us about other artistic couples you admire through our Facebook and Twitter accounts! Read more posts by Cadence Wu  |
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Posted: 24 May 2012 11:38 PM PDT
Creating a logo is probably the most complicated project any designer would handle. It requires an extensive study of the company and their market, creative thinking, and possibly a few sleepless nights. A logo is a complex specimen: creating one is a science by itself.
A proven technique in logo design is the extensive use of negative space. We've seen this used by different successful companies on their logo, and these company logos are well-received by their market and by different consumers. What's Negative Space?You may have first encountered negative space through images projecting optical illusions. It's tricky, because the space around the subject creates an interesting shape that becomes the "real" subject of the image. A popular image using negative space that's been circulating the internet is Rubin's Vase. The image shows a well-proportioned vase, where once the space around the subject is given emphasis it provides an image of two faces in profile.Although it's a bit confusing when applied to artworks or designs, it can easily be adapted in creating minimalist logos. Negative space in logos can be manipulated to create relevant imagery that can easily be associated to the company. Why Go Negative?Negative space has its advantages when applied to logos. It makes your logo standout and it provides a unique first impression to a company's market. It'll also provide a unique visual experience to the people who'll encounter the logo. Here are some reasons why we think taking advantage of the negative space on a logo will benefit you:Effective Logos that utilizes negative space works effectively in catching a person's attention by tapping their curiosity. This will lead the person to investigate and eventually discover the brand and the company it represents, and the products they sell.  Subtlety Negative space is often used to create subliminal images that are relevant or directly related to a company's type of business, tradition, or symbolism. A popular example can be seen through FedEx's logo. If you're going to look closely on the negative space between the letters E and X on their logo, you'll notice a directional arrow. This symbolism can be related to FedEx's type of business and a possible reference to movement or transfer.  Straightforward One of the primary goals of a logo is to be straightforward. This can be achieved through honest design and some negative space. If you haven't noticed, logos that are designed based on negative space already incorporate multiple images into a single logo. This is achieved by creating multiple layers of negative space combined with a color selection.  Recognizable Being able to add multiple images in a logo can lead to a recognizable and unique logo. With the use of negative space you will rely less on common logo imagery, and use more relevant images or symbols related to your client's needs.  If you're planning to make a logo using negative space, you can check out samples of Noma Bar's artwork for inspiration and techniques. I've written a guest post featuring his works at Slodive. If you’ve got some awesome idea that you want us to publish just hit us up via Facebook or Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to our RSS Feed for more awesome design news and inspiration. Read more posts by Cadence Wu  |
