Apology?

"I'm not sure if this friendship can continue when you're just so unreliable."

Books and Brides

It's been awhile since I've posted -- most of that has to do with the fact that my computer hates me. Still have exporting and importing problems. About a month ago I took my computer in to have additional memory put in. The problems have persisted since that time. I know-- I need to go back and have them look at it. But that seems like so much more work than spending hours cursing at my computer while banging my head against a desk.

Anywho, here's what I've been up to.

Finalized by book covers (yippie!) Here they are:




(February has been deleted from the final file).

Also, began work on my magazine spreads. Feel free to browse my flickr stream to see full description of process up to this point. Here is the cover as it stands now:



I'm still working with typography along the side. I'm thinking of replacing Perpetua with Futura Light.

I also started working on the TOC. It came down to two choices:

1.

2.

I discussed the two options in class, and decided that option 2 is the best to pursue. I will also continue working on the typography here... add a little color!

Finally, I started working on the interior spreads. Here's what I have so far:



I'm hoping the title is legible now. I'm thinking about adding color to the "trendsetters" to set it off a bit more.



I think I need to widen the distance between columns and the pictures -- but it's a general idea of the layout.

Now that I've discussed a bit about where I am in the process... I now want to rant about scanners to my undoubtedly captive audience.

Scanners are nearly as bad as computers. I have scanned, rescanned and re-rescanned so many of my picture that I'm beginning to see resolution controls in my sleep! Why can't a descreener really descreen? Do they just put that button there to mock those of us who might even consider the possibility that the moire pattern might be removed by simple technology during the scanning process? It's a conspiracy in my humble opinion -- a conspiracy designed ingeniously to drive design students crazy.

Anywho... that's my theory... meticulously conceived by overwrought design student/ insomniac at 1am in the morning (as trustworthy as that sounds).

Computer Hell

Computer problems -- story of my life. My computer has temporarily decided that it wants to corrupt my files. This is not making me very happy. Sadly, technical difficulties have kept me from posting... will post once they're figured out. Everything seems to work internal to my computer... but it won't export anywhere.

This is what pissed chick has to say about all that:



Somehow I feel better now.

Huge Post -- with some rewards if you read carefully

It's certainly been a whirlwind of weekend. I've gone through several ideas for the book cover designs, and I think I've finally landed on a route I like. Well, here's the weaving path that got me there.

1. Thought I would do illustrations (as seen below). However, after some time considering it, decided an alternative route to my typical illustrative style would be a good exercise.

2. Thought I would do photography. Got everything set up, got my sister to agree to pose, art directed the shoot, loaded everything into my computer, tweaked the photos, added text.... realized it had all been done before.

In the risk of pure embarrassment... and with the prerequisite note that I had never before seen the actual Lolita cover... I'll share with you the similarities between my photo and the existing cover. Here's my cover:



Here's the cover of an existing Lolita book (Again, I swear I never saw this before making mine... so weird)



Can you believe that? Same pose and everything!?! Have to admit I shed a couple of irritated tears when I found this (found it in the process of looking for summary text for the back copy of MY cover).

3. Stewed over my hard luck for a bit

4. Got a cup of coffee

5. Stewed a bit more

6. Drew a ton of sketches

7. Hated all my sketches

8. Doodled in my notebook -- likes what I saw. Thus -- the doodle idea. The idea I've finally arrived at that I think I like best, is to have the cover based on how the character might write -- i.e. Lolita is a teenager, so the title is written in typical teenage girl fashion on notebook paper surrounded by doodled hearts and flowers. Here's what I have so far:



Still need to work on the spine and some details -- but I'm pretty happy so far.

The Breakfast at Tiffany's cover is more elegant cursive on a day planner:



Yay for Marian Bantjes research!

Finally, the Baby Doll cover is the most simple -- with child-like drawings and handwriting.



That was actually the hardest one. I wrote the text with my left hand -- an activity easier said than done. Finally put to bed any aspirations of being ambidextrous. So sad.

9. Passed out from exhaustion. (yeah right.. I wish!)

10. Woke up to write this.

11. Who knows what the future brings? Coffee I hope.


Oops! Almost forgot to calendar out the rest of the term:

Tomorrow (today... Oh my gosh... I need to go to bed): digital version of three covers -- ACCOMPLISHED! See above.

Thursday: Complete the spine of all three covers and edit details

Following Tuesday: Complete book covers. Beging magazine redesign. Have digital version of the cover and beginning of table of contents.

Following Thursday: Make revisions on cover and post ideas for spreads

Following Tuesday: Have digital version of the cover, toc and 2, 2 page spreads

Following Thursday: Make revisions

This Calendar may be subject to change -- changes will always be made in advance at prescribed meeting times.

If you're still reading this post... here's your reward:



Pissed chick wants you to have this tasy ice cream cone.

Process!

Just experimenting with blocking in the color. I think it gives it a bit retro look -- or at least that's what I'm hoping.

(what, aren't most people blue?)

She'll have both legs eventually, I swear. The bear's body issues will also be resolved. :-)

Book Covers

Wow-- I've gone through about 500 sketches (perhaps an exaggeration)... and I haven't been happy with anything. On the 501 sketch I finally arrived at a possible solution I like. From the get go I've been thinking that I would like to do the minxes series for the book covers. I had the idea of using legs for each cover. When I started sketching, however, I thought a lot of them were coming out a bit too suggestive... still, Baby Doll, Lolita and Breakfast at Tiffany's certainly have their suggestive sides. Anyway, I toned it down a bit, and I think I'm still going to pursue the leg theme as a unification for the various covers. For all of them I want to stick to a pastel color palatte suggesting innocence -- an irony in light of the various subject matters.

Without further ado... here are my sketches so far. I think I'm going to start playing with type in Illustrator... my handwritten type stinks.

Here's the sketch for Lolita:



Again, the color palette will be pastels... I'm thinking of also "coloring" the legs in large blocks of solid color that don't necessarily match the forms. Also thinking about placing the back cover type at an angle so it mimics the angle of Lolita's leg on the cover.... just a thought.

Here's the Baby Doll sketch:



Again-- pastel colors that will tie in with the Lolita cover. Still working on a sketch for Breakfast at Tiffany's. I think my hand may fall off soon.... so I may work on the typography with the existing sketches for now.

And so it begins!

Well, I did quite a bit of brainstorming over the weekend, and I think I've settled on my two projects for the rest of the term. First off, I would like to work on the book covers. I'm still trying to narrow down which series of book covers I'd like to do, though. I'm tied between "Lovers," "Minxes" and "Spine Tinglers." I did a series of quick thumbnails for each. Super early ideas at this point (and drawn horribly to boot!)

So here, I'm thinking about doing a series of leg images to illustrate either "Lovers" or "Minxes." For example, "Babydoll" might be a childlike drawing of a small girl from the waist down. Breakfast at Tiffiany's might be a sultry leg in heals, etc.

Here's page two.



If I do the "Spine Tinglers" I really want to avoid cliches. I was thinking about focusing on large, kind of intimidating typography with a small figure in silhouette in the center. For Frankenstein in might be a small bird (freedom), for Dracula a deer (innocence of an animal before it's attacked). For Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I'm still thinking -- possible a rat.

Sigh, I'm still not sure which one I'll do though.

For the other project, I'm going to do the "Rad Maker" series of Posters. My Rad Maker: Marian Bantjes

Here's some initial examples of her work I absolutely love!!!

What can I say? Funny stuff. Can't bring yourself to make bad type for the bad type conference--- make the type literally bad. The part I love the most is that it's at St. Brides.


LOVE THIS! I love the line of the figure and how it bleeds into the text. So beautiful .
Don't you love all the curls! I do. They kind of remind me of snakes
Love this! Reminds me of Arabic writing.
The texture on this one is really nice. Very natural.
I find this super interesting -- incorporating illustration with a beautiful swirl design.