Pinstripe 23 - Threadless

So I thought I would try to give threadless another shot and I decided to work with an earlier design from the summer. If you look back a little,  you might see that 23 on a pair of headphones that made it all the way to the final stages of the Skullcandy Aviator headphone competition last summer. I wanted to see what I could do with the design and so I ended up making this. It's currently up for votes and if you happen to have a moment to spare, any positive input would be greatly appreciated. 

Follow this link to see.

As for other work, especially my on going series and projects like the "Plastic Beach" images, well to be honest I have done little to nothing with those. It's not that I have forgotten they are there, it's just that I've begun to lose motivation to bother with them. It's a shame really, because I was hoping to have these images completed one year ago. Despite certain personal setbacks, I'll at least finish most of them . . . if not all.

Stylo v.2

The original Stylo, the very first piece made for the Plastic Beach series over a year ago. I made it as a school assignment and had the idea to expand it into a series from there. Very found memories, although I think I can try to take another crack at this one.

Since I was using the objects and characters from the music video in the last piece, I was thinking perhaps using the car from the video would hit truer to home. The 1969 Z23 Chevy Camero, an American icon. Also possibly a deathtrap. I tried doing some line work directly from a picture of this car, but it just ended up making me feel frustrated and hating life. Not the result I was looking for. I think for situations like this, it's better to trust paper and pencil rather than go straight to digital.

I've also started working on Rhinestone Eyes (months of neglect on that one), Glitter Freeze and To Binge. Not sure which ones you'll be seeing first but we'll see what happens.

. . . Now what?

So with the Wry, Raw Whimsical Wall completed and put away, I've been focusing on mostly academics for the next few weeks of my last semester of school. This is all well and good I suppose, but it still leaves a large vacuum where the seminar project. Of course I've had ideas of what I could try but I think what is important is to finish what I started. That being said, my Plastic Beach series has been on going for over a year as of March. I thought I would have finished it by now, but as I look back to see what I made I feel compelled to redo them. But that, we'll see.

The remaining ones are as follows:

• Welcome to Plastic Beach
• White Flag
• Rhinestone Eyes
• Superfast Jellyfish
• Glitter Freeze
• On Melancholy Hill
• Broken
• Plastic Beach
• To Binge

I've done some ground work from a couple of these. Should have at least one done by the end of the month. See you all then.

Preperations for Phase 2

It took me a while to get as far as I have but I still have a long way to go. Even with my glorious break from academics, I've been attempting to get further along with my seminar projects since I had what I'd kindly call "a late start." But that is all behind me now and I'm glad it is. I got my bearings, now I need to accomplish my goal.

100 pictures for 100 captions.

Despite my set goal, I will probably be making much more art than I need for the sake of being able to pick the best from the best. Although I have plenty of artwork made and finished, some of the earlier pictures no longer have a place with my ever changing thesis and so I have much less to work with than I originally thought. I am able to salvage what I can, but I'm still in a spot now where I have to make images and make quite a bit of them.

All other personal pursuits like the Plastic Beach series that I started close to a year ago will be placed on hold, but there is always a chance I could make another one by complete chance. After all, I am making more than I need. As for the Gundam model, well it's finished. I'll post more about that later.

In theory, making 100 random images should not pose too much of a challenge. I'm hoping I'm right about that because next semester's work load is much more on quantity with more classes to worry about and an independent study for writing. However, I'm not looking for a mercy angel just yet so I'm still hopeful.

Cloud of Unknowing

You'll have to pardon the watermark, but I'd feel better knowing that the clean version of this image wasn't on the internet.

Another addition to the Plastic Beach series I started in March, using the song "Cloud of Unknowing" by Gorillaz. I haven't completely forgotten about it, it's just been difficult to make the images I want with the skills I have, so it's been finding compromises.

I saw Gorillaz live in concert the other month and during the show I got to see a lot of visualizations for the different songs they played. Luckily for me, there was a lot of their new stuff during the show and that helped me figure out what I could do for the songs. Cloud of Unknowing has been a favorite on the new album, Bobby Womack's vocals really capture a melancholy that's just absolutely perfect for the sound with slow strings ensemble.

The visualizations at the concert was WW2 footage, planes crashing and falling into the sea. It was powerful stuff and helped me figure out how to finish this particular image which I have made with samples of photos I have taken of the sky from here in the US to some taken this summer during my trip to Japan.

You can see the visuals here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S02Sb_KnndQ

I do have a few shots from the concert, although to be honest many of them aren't worth noting. Blurry color a good picture does not make. I'll have to post the few good ones up later. With this piece done, that leaves the total remaining to 8. Not only under 10, but even too. Hoping to finish this series up before we reach the one year anniversary of starting it.

Sweepstakes

And here we have another completed addition to the Plastic Beach series, I present to you: Sweepstakes. After hearing all the various noises and sounds that are featured in the song, my mind created a sort of image that is created with several parts acting as one. This is much like the same logic used to create Some Kind Of Nature, multiple pieces acting together. I have thought to present this piece much like that of my Speech series, incorporating various layers, one over the other, to create a full image.

I also thought about the idea of a Sweepstakes acting sort of like an analogy for life and death, which is why I placed the skull in the middle. When we die, is it like our number has been drawn and we run on up to the front? Is death the ultimate prize we wait and wait to win in life or perhaps is there something after all that? Clearly you can imagine that my musings of life and the afterlife have heavily inspired this idea for Sweepstakes.

Unlike the other pieces, which have been graffiti/grunge, I decided to go with something a little more precise and cleaned up, although it carries that same chaotic theme with the repetition of numbers and lines. I've been told it resembles the designs of the 90's film, The Matrix, and I suppose they have a point. With the numbers, the greens, the transparent digital appeal. It's sort of odd that it turned out that way to be honest, I was thinking of doing this piece as an old stock ticker rather than an analog clock. Although I have to say I am happy that I chose the clock over the ticker.

Another influence for this piece is the concrete poetry of Ferdinand Kriwet, whose work I discovered in y Design Stories class last year. That is what inspired the circle of numbers floating out in the middle of the piece, a sort of rhythm and repetition that creatures the illusion of motion. I'll show you a sample of his work below:


This makes 5 out of 15 down! It's been a long way from March when I started all this but I'm finally a third done! Sweepstakes definately help break up some of the mental barriers in my head and I've concocted new ideas for the remainder of the series. I should be able to make at least one more piece for Plastic Beach by the end of the summer.

Rhinestone Eyes: Work in Progress

Ah, to get back into the Plastic Beach series with some fresh ideas. I tell you what, I've got a good feeling about the rest of these. I've been touching up some of my other "finished" pieces like Pirate Jet after discovering that there were some much deserved touch ups to work out. What we have here is Rhinestone Eyes, or what will become Rhinestone Eyes in the future. Ended up tracing off a trace to get the bodies down, but as far as I'm concerned it's not like it's theft. I'm merely utilizing tools that I have the good fortune to use (oh, if only I gave Illustration courses another chance).

Here's hoping I don't blow it.

Rather Inactive

My apologies for not updating in some time, end of the year and everything and to make matters worse I will be leaving the country in a few days time. I will be staying in Japan for a good month or so, soaking up the culture and living it up for a month. I fear that this lack of activity will continue for longer.

Plastic Beach has come to a grinding halt, a lack of motivation and a lack of inspiration I'm afraid. But don't you worry, I'm going to work on it and hopefully finish it by the end of the year. I'll probably rework some other pieces as well, such as "Pirate Jet." A shame that I'm not being paid to do these. I haven't done much with other series, but Speech has some additions in the works.

Music is great still, but I haven't really written any reviews for any of the new material I've obtained. (Not that people really give three shits about things like opinions, but hey I try anyway)

I might post a few things here, but if I do not I'll see you all in a month.

Some Kind Of Nature

The latest addition to the Plastic Beach Series, "Some Kind Of Nature". This was a fun one to do, but the idea was hard to grasp. There were a lot of ways to do this but I didn't want to make this play off the words too much by using a scene in nature (grass and trees) or personalities (happy, sad, etc.) which left me with using abstract imagery. Each different piece of the image incorporates a visualization of a different sound or beat used in the song. Everything save for Lou Reed's face that I repeated over and over. No, that's just show that this image is the song he guest-sang on for the album. Not the easiest thing to grasp from just looking at it, that's why I'm explaining it.

So, four out of fifteen out of the way, not too bad. Although ideas are getting harder and harder to come by for some reason. Hopefully my previous sketches can give me a hand of what to do next. On this note, I feel that I've run into a creative snag with everything I've been working on. Ugh. Here's for creative solutions in the future.

Pirate Jet and Dynames Model Complete

The third addition to the Plastic Beach series has been completed with "Pirate Jet - Taps Running." Traced out a F-86 Sabre in Illustrator, went to town with some dripping brushes in Photoshop and gave it a color job that would make the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine jealous. Funny thing I should mention Scooby Doo, because the song "Pirate Jet" reminds me terribly of that show with it's eerie and cheery melody that makes for a good last track for the album.

The melting effect is there to illustrate two things in particular, the fact that the plane is plastic and that plastic can be a sort of creative force. The lyrics of the album Plastic Beach (see the posts of March 2010) concerns consumerism and ecology-related themes, how we pollute and how we aimlessly follow and what have you. After all that bitterness, the last track comes with this happy tune, saying that there is some optimism to be found within all this if you consider the other side of this perspective. Plastic can be used for creative means and expression as well as destruction of ecology, after all, plastic is made from materials found on this planet so perhaps it isn't as fake as we all think.

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but since I didn't have a camera to use it was placed on hold for some time. I finished Dynames last month, a couple of nights after I posted it's unfinished state here. It has been an enjoyable model to build as well as have completed on my desk. The design they used for this model is amazing, a lot more points of circulation that I was expecting for those dynamic poses. And best of all, painting it wasn't as much of a hell hole as it had been with other models I've done in the past. A good model all and all, although it could probably stand a few more touch ups on the smaller sections.

Pictures of Dynames taken by Teague Lyons of Zuul Arcade

The Plastic Beach Series - Empire Ants and Future Additions

I recently finished the second addition the the Plastic Beach series with "Empire Ants - Marching On."  Please pardon the watermark.

A LOT of tracing done here. The giant ant that was used as a mask with the W11-2 sign characters used in repetition where all outlined and turned into vectors that I made much use of. I made different variations to the same image to be used in a repeating series.

The song itself comments on how society moves on with it's routines like ants marching on (hence the the secondary title). But I interpreted from the lyrics that the song is saying as individuals, we have the choice to free ourselves from routines society places on us. It all depends whether or not you have the courage to leave behind the security of a daily regimen and jump into whatever.

Speaking of marching on, this makes 2/15 pieces done for the series! Still a long way to go, but I think I can finish it. Although trying to make each piece not too similar is rather trying, in fact I might have already failed. Either way, I have high hopes for the remaining pieces. Currently drafting "Melancholy Hill" and "Rhinestone Eyes", but the ideas are very illustration heavy (not my strongest suit, I'm still quite amateur when it comes to drawing things on the realistic or biologically correct side). I'm also thinking of using photography for some of the other pictures, but I fear that might come off as a more minimalist approach.

Plastic Beach aside, the Speech series might be getting a new addition in the near future. Been working with people like Ghandi and Mother Teresa, but I think it's time to try someone outside the lines of advocate for peace.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach: It wasn't what I was expecting

Plastic Beach, the location on the globe where all the collective rubbish and trash has been collecting for hundreds of years. Formed by debris and scraps and held together by oil and muck. Sounds interesting, very much like the album it's named after.

It's been 5 years since Gorillaz released their album "Demon Days", which climbed up the charts with it's single "Feel Good Inc." You can imagine that when I heard that they were close to releasing a new album, I was very excited about it. I picked up the Experience Edition of Plastic Beach the day it came out at FYE, since they sell most of their CDs for $10 or less. I had read previously that there would be a lot of talent on this album, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Snoop Dog, Mos Def, etc. It seemed to me that they were pulling all the stops to make this album as good as it could be. I'll admit that it made the album seem much more exciting to me. It was all very eclectic, but then again this album is named Plastic Beach.

However, this idea of bringing so much talent in also comes at a price. Nick Butler of sputnikmusic.com brought up a good point when he wrote that the album was a "identity crisis caught on tape."

"It all comes down to the massed rank of vocalists here, ultimately. There's no doubting that the most fun thing you can do with this album is put it on, having never heard it before and never looked at the tracklisting, and wait in amazement for the moment you say 'holy crap, is that Bobby Womack?', or 'wow, Kano!, or 'seriously, Snoop Dogg is on this?'. It's the defining feature of the album, but it's also the biggest failing, because it destroys this band's own personal identity." - Nick Butler, sputnikmusic.com

Although a very valid point is made here, it doesn't change the fact that this is still a Gorillaz album. I've listened to it several times and I am more than qualified at this point to tell you that it's got some good sounds. With every piece of criticism that comes with this album, there is at least one good review to match it. In fact, most of the reviews I have come across have given this album AT LEAST a 7 or higher.

Ratings aside, I found the album very enjoyable. It's got a very pop-like beat, but the lyrics are what really give it depth. Songs like "Rhinestone Eyes", "Stylo" and "Superfast Jellyfish" are good examples of this. Then we have tracks like "Broken" that I personally have not interest for, the beat is too slow and the singing really doesn't do much for me. I have to say that the instrumental work was nothing short of classy, making tracks like "Cloud of Unknowing" even more interesting to listen to.

It's not the same as Demon Days and depending on your point of view, this could be a good or a bad thing. The only thing I wish Plastic Beach took from Demon Days was how it used it's guest talent for more instrumental purposes rather than vocals, I'd rather enjoy listening to Damon Albarn's singing voice. Personally, I don't think it was worth the 5 year wait, but it has grown on me. This will definitely be a good summer album, with it's overall beach theme they are running with. If you are a Gorillaz fan, I would recommend this for your listening pleasure and if you haven't listened to them before, it might be best to start with Demon Days or even their self-titled album from 2001.




gorillaz.com
sputnikmusic.com review

Current Ideas and Project

Over the past couple of years, it seems that there have been several times when I tend to unknowingly create a series of images. It wasn't until recently that I felt that any of that work was worth showing off.

And Asterisk
My first attempt in abstract typographic work from last year. I used the characters "*" and "&" to create these images, which explains the title of this series. Using the Baskerville font gave these images a sort of elegant look with the serifs on the characters. These images came off to me as some sort of abstract baroque style, with their simplistic yet graceful appearance.And Asterisk - Emblem

Plastic Beach

With the recent release of the Gorillaz newest album "Plastic Beach" (which I will address later on in this blog), I've been completely caught up in some sort of (for lack of a better term) "Gorillaz fever." That being said, their music has begun to inspire me to do a series based off the songs on the album. The example shown here is for their single "Stylo". I'd prefer to make them so they didn't look too similar to each other, or seem like a direct translation from the song lyrics. These works will be seen in the near future in this blog.

Stylo - Yippee Ki Yay

Speech

Another recent series that I have been playing with. The idea I want to explain is that people live on in their words. The example I show from this series is one of Martin Luther King Dr. whose image is constructed from the words of his public speech "I Have a Dream" from 1963. The shaded letters on the color background form the image. This particular series has received a decent amount of praise, although getting the image and the speech featured to work together isn't always a walk in the park. I'm looking forward to continuing these series.
Dream

Please visit my DeviantArt page if you want to see better quality versions of these images and their respected series. And my apologies for any personal rage you might experience by dealing with DeviantArt.