Less is More?

Sourced from David Airey and Designed by Antrepo

I find the idea of stripping back elements of a design to redesign it fascinating and reinforces how keeping something simple can be more powerful at times. I think that the 'Lindt' and 'Nutella' probably work the best once minimalist, where as the 'Mr Muscle' and 'Corn Flakes' are more successful as the original designs. Once the Nutella and Lindt are stripped down it seems to give them a more prestigious classier feel due to the minimalism. Will bare this in mind when my designs start getting too busy!

Design I love right now

Illustrated by Nadia Flower
Sourced from Nadia Flower

Nadia's illustrations have a fantastic attention to detail and imagination. She uses a mixture of digital and hand-drawn artwork to create the beautiful finish on her work. Her designs spread across fine art painting, fashion and textile, and illustration for editorials and advertising. Her style really inspires me and makes me want to get drawing as soon as I finish blogging! 

....................................

Artist: Robert Lee
Sourced from Poster Cabaret 

I really like the tactile quality of this is a silk screen poster by Robert Lee. I think the bold colours in contrast with the intricate detail make it a really unusual piece. Lee is a joint partner in Methane Studios with Mark McDevott, they create gig posters, art prints, and packaging, and much more, check them out!

 ....................................

Illustrated by Jayme McGowan
Sourced from Roadsides Project Blog

I was inspired by this piece when creating the James and the Giant Peach book cover. I really like the three dimensional quality to to the design and the use of bold colour. I felt that this sort of style would give an usual twist to the classic novel. Take a look at Jayme McGowan's blog for more info.

....................................

Illustrated by Blanka Gomez

Sourced from Grain Edit blog

Gomez creates beautifully simplistic designs that capture endearing atmospheres and emotions. I think that this design depicts a kitsch aspect of London, and I admire how she has done this whilst keeping the design so minimalist, yet maintaining a warmth and personality. There is an interview of Gomez on Grain Edit blog, and to see more of her work check out Blanka Gomez's blog.

....................................

some of my recent work

One Hundred Years of Solitude- Penguin Book Cover Competition 2010

Through my research of One Hundred Years of Solitude it became apparent to me that a key theme of the novel was transient themes and characters within the town of Macondo. A constant element in an ever-changing place is the chestnut tree that is made reference to consistently within the story. I aimed to depict the age rings of the tree trunk to represent the seven generations of the Buendia family. The age rings are separate elements within the trunk to signify the new people and technologies that enter the town through the generations. Furthermore I incorporated the aspect of alchemy, which is a strong theme, and is said to be the ‘elixir of longevity’. This relates to the aspects of time, life and death that run as a constant themes throughout. I sought to capture the essence of the traditional theme of the book, whilst juxtaposing it with a more modern geometric twist. 

....................................

James and the Giant Peach-Puffin Book Cover Competition 2010

The essence of the book is playful, with exciting and vivid visual references throughout. I aimed to capture a range of elements that appear within the book and portray them within a child friendly, yet sophisticated and modern way that could appeal to a range of ages. A key part of the book is when the peach runs over James’s aunts and they are described as ‘as flat as paper dolls from a cut out book’. This inspired the visual identity of the design, which lends itself towards a cut and paste collage style. The aspects that are included relate to different aspects of the journey, without revealing too much of the story. Furthermore the lines that lead from the peach represent the journey theme that is pivotal to the story. Overall I believe the design creates an original, playful child friendly interpretation of a classic novel.

....................................

Newbie

I'm a newbie to the land of blogging... 

Can see writers block maybe being an issue, but I'm going to just blab!

Enjoy!