Digital Paper Trail

2012-01-24T18:20:00.001-05:00

Guys!

2012-01-21T20:27:00.003-05:00

I think I finally figured it out!

Exciting curves ahead.

2012-01-09T15:53:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqg_ZGcuybs

a note on new years sadness

2012-01-02T12:59:00.007-05:00

the guts of button 2 (and surprise rainbow)

2011-12-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

First Button!

2011-11-27T17:09:00.002-05:00

swipe

2011-11-27T13:41:00.002-05:00

Things I Have Been Told

2011-07-27T11:23:00.001-04:00

teekay.

2011-04-03T22:20:00.000-04:00

Reader, I Married Him

2011-01-25T17:25:00.004-05:00

I think I'm inhuman.

Getting Work Done

2010-11-29T13:25:00.004-05:00

Promise I'll post something soon!

Unacceptable Reasons Why I Procrastinate:
1. Obsessive daydreaming
2. Self-inspired ennui
3. Cat
4. Dog
5.

2010-11-08T14:31:00.003-05:00

"the ones who love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest..."

Stuff I've Been Working On

2010-10-31T21:50:00.007-04:00

Very sorry for the delay. I've been absorbed by the working world, commuter travel, and repeatedly banging my right elbow into a variety of hard surfaces. I think I've finally lost all feeling in my right forearm.

Here are a few things that I've been working on. Hope you enjoy!

1. Embroidering polaroids of my dog. Can't think of a better way to express my admiration for my best friend... 'cept by putting a teddy bear sticker on there! OMG so cute!

2. Dressing like a dude.

3. Hanging out with my bud, FMB.

4. Experimenting with lipstick.

5. Exhuming past projects.*

(*Not pictured: getting fat, indulging a dangerous retail addiction, resuming my interest in skating, dressing as Robin and fighting crime through enthusiastic whining, enjoying an amazing job with incredible coworkers, feigning a tolerance for alcohol, TA-ing, and crushing on the uncrushable).

I promise I'm working...

2010-09-12T10:43:00.006-04:00

I'm just trying to get the hang of time management.

More design work soon.

In the meantime, here's a shadowbox picture frame I made for my friend Mai. Still have to paint it, fill in the cracks, etc. I almost kind of like the wood grain as is.

Copywriting Portfolio in Progress

2010-08-15T19:01:00.005-04:00

Yep... I posted it backwards... brain teaser!

I've officially been listening to the Hot Tub Time Machine soundtrack for the past 12 hours.

Fetish Book (Final)

2010-08-08T20:56:00.003-04:00

I'm going to attach an introductory paragraph to each spread, in a scrapbook type format. Let me know what you think-- especially the last two spreads; I'm not sure which I like better.

Fetish Cover: Second Shot

2010-07-31T18:30:00.004-04:00

Here's an alternative to my fetish cover (the original wax version is the first image). I really liked the carved out title, but I think that the lighting has to be improved, or that I might actually need to pour a dark liquid (ink, coffee?) into the scratches I made in order to make the title more legible. What do you think?

Also, not sure how I'm going to incorporate the second half of the title... is the post-it working? Do I need the second half? How do you feel about the shavings? I sort of liked them.

I promise to update with more experiments later.

How Do You Kern Fire?

2010-07-19T22:21:00.006-04:00

I'm working on laying out type and lighting it on fire. Lame, I know. But I'm going to go for it, and hope it doesn't look as tired as it sounds. We'll see. (Edit: MWUAHAHAA!!!)

For now, here's an insert for the Against Me CD I've been working on. It's meh right now, but I hope to make it AWESOME.

Borowski (Final)

2010-07-13T23:32:00.003-04:00

Final Submission in Courier New:

I started working on some covers for the Tadeusz Borowski cover contest. Let me know what you think!

Updates on the Ill-Formed Offspring of My Feeble Brain

2010-07-10T11:31:00.007-04:00

Just a random, meandering post about my brain activity.

So, we agreed that I would attempt classic editorial layouts for my zine, which would help counterbalance some of the crazy pictures I have in there. I started to get excited when I put it together for the first time last week. I think the different sized layouts actually look pretty cool... even though I have to make TONS of changes so that everyone else can appreciate it as much as I do.

Regarding my fetish book, I think I'd like to start exploring different methods of presentation. I'm curious how it would look if it was a fold-out poster or a insert to be included in a packaged fetish.... or some kind of book with a ritual that would cause people to be more involved in my fetishes, sort of like the CYOA. (Gimmicky? Lame?) I think I secretly really want to go down the packaging road (as I've been pushing other people do packaging for a lot of different projects, even when it's not exactly appropriate.) But I guess we'll see where the day takes me.

Surf Party Dude

2010-07-05T16:43:00.006-04:00

A few mini-spreads:

Here's a spread that was inspired by a P+G spread. I tried to imitate it, succeeded in butchering it, and wasn't happy until...

... I did it my way!

Sorry for the dummy copy, I am still locating the right version of this story.

Not sure if this is the right way to go about it... but I'm having fun either way!

Here is a rough draft of my Dog on the Roof opening spread.

One of these days, I have to learn about the rules governing body copy...

Updates to the Fetish Book

2010-06-22T09:18:00.004-04:00

First Stabs in New Zineland

2010-06-21T19:33:00.004-04:00

I decided I'd like to make a zine containing three stories I've written, "Dog on the Roof," "Coney Island in Winter," and "Who-Dust." Here's my first try so far.

Calendar Girl

2010-06-21T09:19:00.003-04:00

Preliminary List of Summer Intensive Projects:

1. Fetish Book

2. Anxiety Zine

3. CD Packaging

4. Portfolio Website

5. Self-promotional item

6. Memorial Booklet

7. Craft Projects

8. Self-Branding

Against Me Patches

2010-06-20T20:39:00.004-04:00

Some CD Covers

2010-06-16T01:28:00.005-04:00

Rilo Kiley: More Adventurous

I know the type in the first picture is crazy-horrible, but I think it could work if I just really focused. I'm more interested in the direction embodied in the last two versions.

She & Him: Volume 2

This music is saccharine-sweet, so I wanted to make a cover that reflected that. My original plan was to spell out the name of the band in Candy Buttons, but I had a hard time finding the correct size. This version is just a trial until I can find the real deal.

Against Me!: I Was a Teenage Anarchist

I'm not a big Against Me! fan, but I thought their original cover could be improved. The first version is a literal interpretation that will need some more work/research. The second version involves an inverted die-cut crown that reveals some plaid flannel, to which an Against Me! patch will be pinned on the inside of the cover... could be interesting...

Work in Progress!

2010-06-15T22:47:00.003-04:00

Version 1

2010-06-14T22:25:00.000-04:00

Future Swipe

2010-06-14T22:17:00.004-04:00

Updates to Fetish Book

2010-06-09T19:10:00.015-04:00

So, this is what I've been working on this week. I'm not satisfied, and plan to keep working. I find that sometimes I just need to take a break for a couple days in order to figure things out. I think I have something to say, I'm just hitting a wall right now.

Revised Memorial Booklet

2010-06-08T23:42:00.003-04:00

I am pleased.

A Few Pages from My Fetish Book

2010-06-07T01:32:00.002-04:00

Swipe for Second Assignment

2010-06-03T22:17:00.007-04:00

I'm going to make a booklet of the top ten fetish objects of my childhood, including Russian dolls, bumble bees, and Cheetos. I want to focus on producing a more conventional print response for this assignment.

Fetishes of My Childhood

2010-06-01T11:21:00.006-04:00

I think it should technically be "Fetishized Objects," but I kind of like the primitive, slightly ignorant feel. Our assignment was to produce 10 graphic responses corresponding to 10 different objects of political, cultural, religious, or personal significance. I chose items that I feel I've "fetishized" in order to expose a bit about my socioeconomic background, and started to create a booklet.

I'm not really sure how I want to proceed. In fact, I feel like I usually hit the same stumbling block at this stage of the game. I love concepting, and I love to physically create and assemble things on the fly. I usually have a hazy, general idea of how I'd like to something to look, but somehow, when I sit down in front of the computer, I just get a bit lost. Hard to get the ball rolling, I guess. It's also difficult to sort of identity an aesthetic and stay true to it. These are all things I'd like to improve.

In the meantime, here's my first shot at a couple different versions of my cover. I sort of tend to get lost when it comes to depicting abstract concepts, but I kinda think that if I can just work up lots of options, I might have a better sense of direction.

As always, your opinion is most appreciated.

NYT Responses: The Thrilling Conclusion!

2010-05-26T23:06:00.021-04:00

6. "Arakawa, Whose Art Tried to Halt Aging, Dies at 73" I created a maze to keep the mind sharp, one of the methods Arakawa advocated to slow the aging process. I used foam, which was really tough to cut evenly, so I apologize for the rough edges.

7. "Bids Total $11 Billion for Wireless Spectrum in India" I created a graphic...thing based on the folded instruction page/booklet you often receive with a new cell phone. It actually reminds me a lot of my bestie Nicole Rincon's work... only not as good. :D

8. "Scientists Fault Lack of Studies Over Gulf Oil Spill"

My plan was to spraypaint "THIS IS BULLSHIT" on a bed sheet and toss it over the sign at the BP by my house. However, my lofty goals to make tonight's deadline were thwarted by the rain.

9. "Winter Leaves Mongolians a Harvest of Carcasses" This was a really gripping article. Originally I had this idea to take some yarn and freeze one ratted-out end in an ice cube and do an editorial spread. But then I couldn't get the ice to freeze clear. So two days of that. Then I thought I might able to use unflavored gelatin, but I just couldn't get around to trying it. And by then my spirit was broken.

So I came up with this alternative. I plan to keep working on it... unless I can figure out the ice situation.

10. "Memorial Page" I'm in the process of constructing a booklet that contains some methods of memorializing lost loved ones. This is my first draft.

Favorite NYT Response So Far

2010-05-26T18:50:00.008-04:00

5. "Authorities Say Passenger Voices Were Recorded in Cockpit of Doomed Polish Plane" I created this video using the only recording of my uncle's voice I've found since he passed away this past October.

NYT Responses: Halfway There...

2010-05-25T22:13:00.011-04:00

A few responses to NYT articles.

1. "In Ambush, a Glimpse of a Long Afghan Summer" While reading this article, I started thinking about what other men of military age might be reading, if not in combat. I picked up a copy of Men's Health and incorporated some quotes from the NYT article into the more frivolous ads and articles.

2. "Spain: Fighting Bull Is Cloned" I usually love reading the world briefs section, because the articles leave so much to the imagination. The thought of cloning a fighting bull was just to provocative to pass up. I'm not sure how I'd like to use this image, but I like the way it looks.

3. "Zimbabwe: Officials Defend Sale of Animals to North Korea" Another fascinating world brief. Apparently Zimbabwe sold baby elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hyenas, and monkeys to North Korea, a country with an unfavorable record for animal rights. I wanted to convey how unusual/ridiculous/disappointing the idea of a country selling exotic animals was...

4. "When It Gets Ugly Next Door" I made a simple editorial spread to relate to the topic of this article, which involved marital conflicts in tight-knit apartment buildings. I used graphic fields and sharp lines to signify compartments and disorder. This needs more work.

First Assignment Testing

2010-05-23T21:06:00.003-04:00

So excited for this class!

I have a lot of thoughts about our first assignment, but the first thing I really dove into involved memorials. I've been interested in the obituary page for a few years now, specifically the memorial section. It's interesting to think about what remains after you pass away, how people remember you, construct you as a person, the person you'll become to people who have never met you, etc.

Here are a couple photos. I was just trying to test out an idea, but I think it's predictable and boring. I just had to get it out of my system, and now I can move on.

Portfolio Refinement

2010-05-17T12:36:00.007-04:00

If I can carve out some time, I'm going to work a little more on my portfolio this weekend. I'd like to really get into the anthro theme. My initial layout was sufficient for a late-breaking interview, but I plan on taking the time to make my concept more apparent...ly awesome!

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I'd like to express my continued appreciation for the design concept behind Interpol's Our Love to Admire. I just think that the taxidermy/predator-prey direction is completely absorbing.

More Spreads

2010-05-11T23:46:00.002-04:00

First Shot

2010-05-11T23:30:00.004-04:00

Still have to apply my theme, but here are some product shot spreads... thanks to Maureen for the excellent photography!

El Tiempo Del Portfolio!

2010-05-07T15:36:00.001-04:00

I've decided that I'm going to base the design of my portfolio on a field journal or an ethnography, possibly also with influences from vintage National Geographics... Though I'm not entirely convinced that this is an effective marketing technique, I'm really excited! More work to follow!

Ads!

2010-04-29T23:44:00.006-04:00

Here are some rough sketches of my favorite ads this semester. The first is a series for Fung Wah Bus highlighting their corner on low-cost/high-filth travel. The second set includes a couple of ads I made for Lucky Charms in order to appeal to an older crowd nostalgic for the singular taste of shamrocks, moons, and shooting stars. Enjoy!

2010-04-25T21:24:00.002-04:00

Thoughts & Experiments

2010-04-25T15:26:00.002-04:00

Some Test Pictures!

2010-04-24T18:47:00.003-04:00

I've been experimenting with some pictures for the final version of my CYOA book. I starting shooting through the viewfinder of this overhead projector I borrowed. I don't know if I can actually use these for this project, but I thought they were really interesting and wanted to share them!

Book Covers

2010-04-11T16:11:00.002-04:00

Still concepting... I will try to post some sketches later tonight, depending on my success.

So... not much success there, as that was written last weekend!

I'm posting this book cover to get it out of my system. I HATE everything about it because it looks EXACTLY like every other Miller cover I've seen. I ultimately want to produce a cover that's a collage of different images. But the books in the series are so similar that it's getting difficult to create images that are unique to each volume. I'm going to continue working, and I apologize for the delay.

A Couple More

2010-04-04T19:17:00.002-04:00

For now, let's just agree to ignore the fact that the back is totally blank.

Some Prototypes!

2010-04-04T18:13:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of early versions. They need a lot more work, but I think I like the concept so far.

Book Covers I've Been Working On

2010-04-03T22:44:00.004-04:00

So I've taken a break from my adventure book to work on a few covers for Henry Miller's trilogy Sexus, Plexus, Nexus. These books were written later in Miller's life, and address a lot of the material originally covered in the Tropic of Capricorn. I wanted to produce images that would signify construction and progress, and eventually depict Miller's self-discovery as an author. I took some quick photos with a point and shoot just to get a feel for the project. I ultimately plan on including a much more interesting backdrop than my bedroom, don't worry. What do you think of the idea so far?

Here's one layout for Nexus. I want to include some other elements, maybe flowers and a blue sky, as the last volume ends with Miller's flight from New York.

Here's an idea for how my spines might look. Each brick would be on one spine.

Revised Pages

2010-03-14T23:34:00.005-04:00

I think I've finished most of the pages for the flipbook, other than a few more minor alterations (fixing photos, reshooting etc.) I'd also like to add a few more branches, but I think I'm happy with the progress so far.

See you tomorrow!

Might Sound Crazy...

2010-03-14T12:11:00.002-04:00

So I don't know this is even possible, but I was thinking about maybe extending my CYOA project as an installation. I was thinking I could set up a sort of house-like obstacle course, with doors and windows labeled with the different choices, and the "rooms" behind these doors and windows illustrating the results. I'm imagining opening an innocuous wooden door with the word "designer"painted on it, and finding a vividly painted room filled with interesting design pieces and off the wall creative elements. Maybe another door, or window, with "writer" stenciled onto it and a room full of typewriters and paper on the other side. I'd like it to appear sort of Alice in Wonderland, trippy, illogical, and surprising.

Again, it might be sort of pie in the sky, but it could be REALLY cool. Maybe I can find a way to do it on a smaller scale.

I was also considering making a giant poster, with the life choices set up like the doors on an advent calendar. Once you rip the door open, it would lead you to another numbered door, where the story would continue. Not as much fun as my first idea, but probably more practical. I'm not sure how this would affect my imagery...

I'm going to finish the current flipbook version tonight, and keep it as a sort of blueprint for my other ideas. Hopefully it will all come together!

Time to Get Crackin

2010-03-13T10:11:00.007-05:00

Here are a couple of pages from my CYOA book, and I'd like your opinions. Sorry for being really lame in posting lately!

I've gotten frustrated with the "designer" and "writer" pages because it's sort of a tall order to encapsulate either one in a design. I don't really know where to go from there. I was trying to use the comma as a writing element and a design element, to sort of link the two together.

CD Cover For Gourmet Type

2010-03-02T14:58:00.004-05:00

Trying to figure out some hand drawn type... it's freaking hard. I liked the original version I drew out, but sorting this out on the computer is a little different. I plan to keep on working on it, but it gets kind of frustrating when you can't express an idea :-\ But I will remain positive.

I think I probably like this bottom one the best so far...

Finally! Some progress!

2010-02-28T13:51:00.005-05:00

So after a long and arduous journey, I've finally made some progress on my Choose Your Own Adventure Book... okay, so it's only just the cover for now, but it's definitely coming along! I focused more on the construction of the actual book, with the flipping and ripping, etc. but I plan on making it look significantly more AWESOME design-wise by the end of the semester.

I don't know if you remember the subject matter, but it's supposed to portray my attempts to decide between becoming a writer and a designer, and it's been great because this project allows me to do both!

I don't have a camera, so I decided to just post the pages as I designed them in In Design. When I get a camera, I can show the actual process of flipping the pages and ripping off the perforated pieces. The second page shows what will appear under the perforated sections. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Second Assignment (I'm not sure where to go with this yet, and this is sort of rambling post of my brainstorming process.)

2010-02-13T15:28:00.008-05:00

For our second assignment, we have to respond to a selection of essays on design as authorship. I think it's supposed to include some socially-minded themes as well. My favorite essay of the three suggested was definitely "What Design Means to Me" by Karel Martens. There are a lot of interesting quotes in there, but here's one that I thought was pretty outstanding:

"Because-- like much in life-- designing is making choices. Choices for an often large number of possibilities and in the light of an analysis on the job and an idea of the audience. Yet even after this selection, there are sufficient possibilities remaining to establish uncertainty. Each choice always shuts out other possibilities."

The idea of irrevocable change is sort of interesting. It made me think of "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels, where your decisions as a reader/author affect the destiny of your character. I was thinking of developing a visual way of communicating that sort of novel, but I'm not exactly sure how I'd like to go about it. Acetate? Pop-outs? I want to find a solution that will be straightforward and accessible, and that will also lend itself to social change applications.

Initially, I thought of having the reader physically construct the story, maybe through piecing together different elements? I might also try to find another essay that might help me figure it out. I LOVE reading, especially critical/theoretical essays, so that would be pretty awesome!

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

PS The examples of previous work on the blog are so cool!

UPDATE: Well, I attempted to do a little demonstration of my project, hopefully a discussion in class will straighten all the kinks out.

Finally... Some Revisions...

2010-02-06T21:37:00.008-05:00

Hi all,

I did some work on the type specimen book this weekend, and I wanted to get your opinions. I included some graphic elements in order to wrest myself from my stylistic rut. I will definitely take them out, if you consider them to be particularly offensive. As I was feeling like a dingbat this weekend, I couldn't resist using those bats-- what do you think?

In general, I'm concerned about how my typefaces are interacting-- and if they're too overwhelming.

I feel like I lost a little steam somewhere in the process, and might need a break to get back on track. Here's hoping!

Anywho, here are the new spreads I've been jabbering about:

New Spreads Coming Soon

2010-02-04T10:25:00.002-05:00

I earnestly promise to post new spreads from my type specimen book as soon as humanly possible. To be honest, I've just been overwhelmed with day laboring and the pressure of thinking up jaw-dropping ideas, which I've been having quite a bit of trouble with lately. But I guess this is good practice for actually being an adult someday.

Until I have some sort of plan figured out, I remain, panicked and agitated,

Kristie

Update on the Big Mama Jama List

2010-01-31T19:23:00.002-05:00

Sunday Afternoon Updates!

2010-01-31T16:11:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple pages without the color fields. I think the "goddamn animals" page definitely benefits from the yellow color block, but I think the "I feel lightheaded..." section might be better in black and white. Maybe more bats? What are your thoughts, world?

I've also uploaded a page that's been giving me some trouble. I think the 2 might be throwing it off-- maybe I should make it grey and a little larger, to cover more of the list? Let's see.

I definitely like the negative positive space interacting with the "75 pellets of mescaline," but I'm not sure if this version is much better...

Type Specimen Book Spreads!

2010-01-30T23:38:00.001-05:00

I've been working on my spreads for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Let me know what you think!

Progress on the Type Specimen Book

2010-01-29T19:46:00.002-05:00

Making some headway on the type specimen book. In the meantime, here are some images from my swipe book.