Gouache Paintings

These are a couple of really well made gouache paintings. Notice how the painting is extremely consistant and there are no flaws in the paint. No brush strokes detected or spots. The bottom one was done in colored gouache. 

YES! Andrew Byrom

I attended Andrew Byrom’s talk last Friday and it was awesome! (totally worth skipping my class for). He talked a lot about how designers work with constraints and how these constraints allowed him to create his successful designs such as the kites, chair letters, and neon typeface. He emphasized how constraints are important and how a designer should use them to affect their designs.

Furthermore, I found it interesting how he was able to observe everyday objects and turn them into typography! Whether it be desks, chairs, curtains, or even kites, he was able to successfully mold them into an incredible design. What’s even more inspiring is how he didn’t use any photoshop for his works; he built all the designs and took multiple pictures in order to get the right shot. It might have been easier to simply edit them on a program, but the hard work he put in his work clearly shows and further amplifies the design.

Byrom definitely inspired me to continue to plan and work on my designs, but also be open to failure and be willing to scrap all the work I’ve put in if a better design comes to mind.

Some great quotes from Byrom:

“Experiment for fun, give yourself time to fail.”

 “Graphic design shouldn’t have easy answers.”

 “Letters are things, not drawings of things.”

“It might be great, but it might not be the answer.”

 “The uncommon beauty of common things.”

“Allow constraints to shape your design.”

“Be memorable yourself.” (In regards to Business Cards)

His site: http://www.andrewbyrom.com/

-Ivan
Design 102 

Tues & Thurs 9-12

Clever Logos

As design-nerdy as it sounds, I can never get enough of looking at really great logos. Some of my favorites use visual puns or negative space to convey multiple messages as concisely as possible. My favorite part is the magical aha! moment when you notice something that you didn't see before. Below are some example of really clever ones:

Andrew Byrom

    That lecture is really really amazing. There are some key points Andrew Byrom mentioned during his talk. Remember what Professor showed us about Paula Scher? She said she believed in the instinct of creating arts. There is no long process, but only that moment of having the image in her mind, and for the next second, she knows how to do her works. Andrew Byrom said the same thing, but he said that "it takes only five minutes, but there are five or ten years before that five minutes". It's all about experience. Most of the instincts are from the things we have seen before. The five minutes therefore do have its process.
    There are another thing that I finally found an answer, that is the differences between art and design. According to what Andrew Byrom said, design is the work that will bring audience to certain direction; art, on the other hand, might cause different thoughts and moods of each viewer due to the different experiences they have.
    The last thing I have noticed, and is the most important part of the talk, is his passion toward his job. "...I love my job, arts and design, and my family..." he said. I think this is the crucial part of being an designer/ artist, or just to say, of life. He does this because he loves it. It's not because of his parents' or the social expectations, but solely because he loves it. And to me, it's the main reason that makes him and his works so amazing.

Art. sy

Hey guys!
I recently discovered and joined this website Art. sy, it's basically pinterest but completely art based. You can follow artists, genres, filter searches by color or medium, and browse pieces they choose specifically for you based on your personal preferences/style. Really helpful for research and inspiration!

Andrew Byrom's talk

This past weekend I went to Andrew Byrom's presentation on how he became involved with his own style of type face and how it inspired his works 'til this day. One of his most accomplished work is this type face below: 

He first found his inspiration by seeing an "H" in the shape of a simple chair. From there on, he developed the rest of the alphabet by looking at them as common objects. Most of the letters he developed are common functional objects like chairs and tables. After working with steel to make these letters come alive and be tangible, he went unto working with different materials such as neon. 

Although Mr. Byrom said that working with neon was awesome and interesting, he let his "home" work be his last experiment with neon. He continued to work more with steel and other materials.

Mr. Byrom saw different type face all around him. He tried making letters and words with different shapes of common band aids, blinds, kites, and bathroom steel handles.

As of now, he is self-advertising and promoting his own work. His works have shown in some magazines but he is still trying to have his type face be more known and used by other people.


Some of Mr. Byrom's own personal goals as a designer:
-"finding constraints and allowing constraints to shape his work"
-"develop a system to develop work"

Some of Mr. Byrom's personal advice:
-"give time to fail-- like a scientist, if you fail, you keep it documented as to why it failed"
-"something at first might be great but try and experiment more because there might be something better"
-"the time spent on your work does not define the quality of your work--the best ideas count"
"a good designer will work until the minute to the deadline to come up with the best work as possible"

To see his works: http://www.andrewbyrom.com/interiors.php

Sources: 

"Totally Awesome Typography: Andrew Byrom’s Fonts." We're All Mad Inhere. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://wereallmadinhere.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/totally-awesome-typography-andrew-byroms-fonts/>.

Byrom, Andrew. "Interior Lights." Interior Lights. Andrew Byrom, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.andrewbyrom.com/interiors_light.php>