None Too Safe

I have been working and working with the How Safe spread and it isn't getting anywhere... until now that is. This is a very very rough comp and the text is awkward but I think its a fun spin on the food article (Death to super market photos!) The images are relief prints that were provided by my sister (www.toniadee.com). She made them when she was in college and I had her send me them in pdfs and I hath since done some tinkering. We shall see what the red pin thinks.

Native American Posters {Rough start, but a start}

These are the first draft of my Native American Heritage Month posters. I got a really late start on them but I really hope its worth it. My late start actually have method behind it. I had no concept until this Friday. Rather than use a lot of my time developing posters with no concept, I focused my attention on digging up something that would go farther than just stating the event. One night, when I had to admit to myself that I wasn't getting anywhere, I asked Matt for help, and thank God I did. We went through and advertising book that he had and talk about why the posters in it were so successful. They were selling a product with out stating what it was at all. Several of the things we looked at were also in a series of three with is really helpful for this project in particular. Another reason the ads were so successful was because of the photography and imagery. Sadly, I don't think my imagery is quite up to par and I really need to work on manipulating it to make it look better  with the two color limitation. Also, these haven't gone through a crit yet, so I am hoping that the concept translates well to someone other than me.

Design Pet Peeves

To be boring and start with the obvious, I too have become frustrated with lazy typesetting. Widows, line breaks etc. I can no longer look through a Better Homes and Garden Magazine without circling errors with the closest, handy writing utensil. Thank you vis comm, you have literally ruined even the most simple joys in life. 

Another is about the programs we use. Why can't Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign have the same short cuts? Is this a test? Oh, hey, whats up Photoshop? One Apple Z is all your going to cough up? Really? Nonsence. Illustrator, command D, look into it, InDesign's got it, you do not. InDesign, you need to work on keepin' track of my links. Embed them with a tracking device, give them a prefix of  "Don't Move this File Somewhere Else, Dumbass", ya gotta do something, you're not really keeping up with my needs or the needs of my layouts.

I do not like posters (or any other lay out) that asks me a rhetorical question. It is lazy and nagging. "What's In Your Future?" Well, nosey poster, I cant be quite sure, but, right now Im going to finish my coffee and walk away from you.

Stock Images. Vector brushes. The whole like of them. I am quite unimpressed with your ability to copy and paste. Use them if you must, brag about using them if you don't know better.

I like white. The white of paper, something clean. Clutter and information close to margins stresses me out a tad.

...To be continued.

Approving Of Herp

I had to re size this whole (amazing) picture and then, in turn, recreate the National Geographic logo. I think it was worth it though, because it hath since been approved. Also, the type was been much improved, after a long session of what Rusty calls "text massaging" (I call it bitch slapping the text). Anyway, although it looks quite effortless, I did have a hard time with the vertical text arrangement, but its soooo worth it to get the measly, little red "OK" in the corner of the print out. And exhale.

Daily Diet {Food N' Pills}

Nom Nom Nom! Just the daily diet of a "Vis Vommer" ..... Thats a joke, we dont really have time to eat, but pills on the other hand, MmmMMmm. Ok, seriously, these are pretty self explanatory, these are just 3 of the 48 photos I took to use on the Secrets of Feeling Full spread. But, to add to the post, I will complain below and explain why we should be given pills when declaring vis vom as a major.

                              

My hands are purple because this lab is unreasonably freezing. My pandora stations are all wack right now. My eyeballs hurt. But, worst of all, I can hear the screams and laughter of the Theatre majors. You know, the people that are ALWAYS on the couches on the OP lobby. Those people need to get a real major and stop being so happy, it's pissing me off. Love, the angsty Art Major

Playing Catch Up {Desperate Attempts Of The Angsty One}

Hokay, so I know the layout about is really gross, but to point out the positive, it is MUCH better than my first one (it was too bad to even make it to the blog, and thats saying a lot, seeing as I have no shame). Another high note, I managed to use yet another kitchen aid product in a design {Kitchen Aid = love FOREVER}. Pretty ok colors as well (minus the gross brown/black chunk in the bottom corner). I did make the peel shaving my the peeler and photoshopped the peel off the potato. They are by no means very well crafted, but I was a little excited about it. That was, until I stepped back and saw how bad this was..Then I moved on to better things (Below)

Im sure Rusty's infamous RED PEN will still do a doozy on this one (even though the colors will totes clash--uugggh) But I think I'm on the right track with this one. Fingers Crossed!  

The First Version of this bad boy didn't have an image on it. (Nice image in this one though eh? Why thank you very much, I thought it was nice as well.) I also changed the type a TON, but you will never know because Im not putting the first yucky thing on here. Again fingers crossed for diss one!

THANK YOU FOR NOTHING, YOU WORTHLESS REPTILE

Hehe that's a line from "How to Train Your Dragon" (my favorite line to be exact, but who watches Disney movies, come on, we're all mature designers in the making here) Anyway... moving on... This is the Herp  poster. That word is still making me cringe. I said I wasn't going to put it on my poster but it ended up being hard to avoid so I just made it a 12pt font. Yuck. Well this isnt really what I wanted to do for this, I actually had a concept that I was just too incompetent to accomplish so I took the same, stupid, cheese, cliche route that 90% of the class did and put an effing lizard on it. Take a moment, let the disappointment soak in.... Ok now, again, trying to throw something positive in there. I kinda know what's up when it comes to choosing colors.

Progress?

Approved: Above is my news letter (about the millionth draft) Today, it was finally approved. Getting something approved by Rusty consist of him using his God forsaken red pen and writing "ok". This really doesn't feel as exciting as one would hope

Approved: Red Barn Poster. According to Rusty, the $ signs could be tampered with some more. I saw we treat it like cat shit and sweep it under a rug. Lets go Vis Vom.

This is my Jazz poster in progress. (This is from the 'Just for the yumm of it'  pictures). The cooking was by far better than this layout. Going to keep playing with it to make it better but this too, because of Rusy's wishes, is getting the "Cat Shit" treatment.

Just for the "Yumm" of it

 Tomatoes and Garlic Mmmm

 Onions Peppers and Celery 

 All together now!

 Finished Gumbo (With Shrimp, Kielbasa, and rice)

     So here's the thing, I can't draw. That being said, Rusty suggested that I use a photo instead of an illustration to show the Gumbo in my Jazz poster rather than the crappy computer illustration. I have no idea if it's going to work with the high contrast/ two color thing, but I cook better than I vis comm, so I though I should share