shift click

WW1 Ships Camouflaged

2010-02-08T15:47:00.003-05:00

This is pretty neat!

http://twistedsifter.com/2010/02/razzle-dazzle-camouflage/

i'm a hipster. pardon me while i cope.

2009-12-09T15:51:00.006-05:00

yah. i'm still coming to terms with my hipster-dom. trying to understand it all O_O
hahahah.

anywho, a good friend of mine shared this with me (he is a hipster, too *pound*). it's of another hipster (graphic designer/illustrator) talking about what he does, why he does it, and some other insights. there are a bunch of other speakers on the website as well that are informative. take a peek.

Geoff McFetridge lecture:
http://www.dolectures.com/speakers/speakers-2009/geoff-mcfetridge

website:
http://www.dolectures.com/speakers/

Logos and designs in different languages

2009-09-25T04:28:00.010-04:00

Something you don't see everyday (at least in this country!). We're constantly surrounded by examples of typography designed using the Latin alphabet, so it's interesting to see typography from a non-alphabetic origin. I stumbled across some cool flags from Japan.

	Itami municipality: The kanji 伊 (i), symbolizing a swan of the Koya Pond. (Wiki)

Every municipality in Japan has a flag, which incorporates parts of its name into some sort of design or logo that represents what that area is famous for (like the one above). Some flags are actually "picture-puzzles," leaving the viewer to try and decipher how the name is represented (like the one below). To be honest, my untrained eyes don't recognize most of the characters, even the ones in plain sight.

Omura (in Nagasaki): picture-puzzle logo features the kanji 大 (ō) surrounded by six (mu) katakana ラ (ra).

What are some other nifty type designs you've seen in other non-alphabetic languages?

Typographic town logos in hiragana/katakana (via PinkTentacle)
Bonus one in Arabic, it's a poem! (via Flickr)

Birdsong

2009-09-20T09:10:00.001-04:00

Jarbas Agnelli saw a picture of birds on electric wires and created a composition based on the location of the birds. The resulting music is almost lullaby-like and just lovely overall.

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Please Say Something

2009-09-10T18:38:00.001-04:00

2009-08-31T14:34:00.001-04:00

super cool
http://www.capacity.tv/#/upgradeAndMobilize
haha, pardon laziness.

movie title stills collection

2009-08-25T15:29:00.004-04:00

film stills of opening titles from movies from 1920s to the future! i'm actually a part of the film stills community on livejournal, so this is an added treat. some films you have to pay to have access to their stills, but i think the title lock-ups are gorgeous to look at nonetheless :]

http://www.annyas.com/screenshots/1940-1944/

vintage wallpaper

2009-08-19T14:49:00.002-04:00

textures! tacky wallpaper! i know these will come in handy someday.
if not, they're pretty to look at.

http://www.5qm.de/index-en.html
http://www.johnny-tapete.de/
http://www.vintagewallpapers.be/

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale

2009-08-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

that's pretty amazing.

Gulp

2009-06-30T03:51:00.002-04:00

I love this Coke ad. It's just a beautiful piece of creativity and craft. [I first spotted this a year ago]

jim denevan sand art

2009-06-18T15:21:00.001-04:00

http://www.fatcap.com/jim-denevan-sand-art/

gorgeous environmental art! holy moly.

peur[s] du noir

2009-06-11T22:04:00.002-04:00

rented and watched this film consisting of french scary animated shorts after seeing gorgeous screen caps online. absolutely gorgeous black and white animation, however, the stories are hit or miss. the last one really captured my fancy because of the play of light and shadow, form and counterform. like the frames being full of emptiness. and it was creepy.

milo is a threat to human relationships

2009-06-04T14:49:00.003-04:00

this fricking pisses me off.

"meet a real character.. understands you, your voice, your emotions, that's fascinated about your life"

bollocks. sad. scary.

kokiriko bushi / omodaka

2009-05-13T20:41:00.005-04:00

I can't type much now, but I found an awesome youtube channel with a Japanese music/art project on there. Awesome music accompanied by some cool music videos.

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/user/fareastrecording

some favs of mine

the big picture - human landscapes from above

2009-05-04T15:20:00.005-04:00

boston.com does a really great series called "the big picture" which if you are unfamiliar with them, it's photography with a theme. and they're all really interesting, haha. i figured i'd blog this one of human landscapes because it's really gorgeous.. and also at times really depressing how humans are shaping the earth in the more negative spectrum.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/04/human_landscapes_from_above.html

you should also check out these sets of pictures too:
at work
scenes of the recession
these are really interesting to see because of the stark contrasts in employment and unemployment.

UGHHH, I LOVE TYPE

2009-04-06T20:34:00.002-04:00

GLORIOUS GORGEOUS TEXTURES OF TEXT!
http://www.houseind.com/

man. these are beautiful vintage-esque typefaces. i just asked for a free catalog of their stuff. eeee, typefaces in the mail!!

cellphone caprice

2009-04-04T13:40:00.002-04:00

i really love the music to this animation. there are a lot of synesthetic sequences that are really neat. i also just like the choreography of the characters, specifically the lonely pig that flips its phone open waiting for her sweet pork to call her. it's smart and quite telling of our dependency on cellphones and how it affects everyday living.

Paper Scupture fun!

2009-03-09T21:41:00.002-04:00

Honestly I don't know where this is from or who made them. The site I found them on had no info. Pretty sweet though

mozilla UBIQUITY is THE FUTURE

2009-02-25T16:05:00.001-05:00

Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

my green crocodile

2009-02-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

heartbreaking and beautiful.

Barack Obama: The Font

2009-02-11T05:15:00.003-05:00

I rolled my eyes when I read about this. Never too late nor shy about capitalizing on Brand Obama(TM), Insign Design has created a font based on President Obama's handwriting. Yes, for a mere $16, you too can create inspirational pieces of literature with The Hand of Obama(TM), with its magnificent curves, loops, and left-handed slantiness. (To be fair, I think it's kind of pretty, almost something I'd use to match with my Hello Kitty stationery.)

It's only a matter of time before I'll be seeing Obama-brand 2% milk or Obama-brand oil pastels. I guess that's one way to stimulate the economy.

Now excuse me while I finish off the last of my Obama-edition Altoids.

Source: Gizmodo

zap gas

2009-01-29T19:19:00.005-05:00

Ridiculous, satirical flash games with the theme of global warming. Obviously political. The one where you have to save Venice from tsunamis kinda freaked me out, hahah (i have this fear of tidal waves). I really like the game where you are a polar bear and have to defend the planet from CO2 balls coming from the four major countries that emit the most greenhouse gasses. It's got the photomontage, surreal feel to it – illustrated by artist Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung. I don't know if it's just me being awful at flash games, but these games are pretty hard. That might be a commentary on how we just won't be able to win against global warming.

Gaszappers site is pretty interesting though, if you get the chance to look through it..

http://www.gaszappers.com/

naked slave for naked art's sake

2009-01-26T16:27:00.002-05:00

i don't need to say anything. this is ridiculous. discuss.

protitutes.

2009-01-20T14:54:00.007-05:00

for some strange reason, i've been unconsciously borrowing movies about prostitutes from the library. no, not porn. it's really strange.

never on sunday (1960), lola (1982), gate of flesh (1964)
(ordered from happy-happy to omgthisiswhack)

it's strange how i sympathized with prostitutes watching those films -- like, at some point i've felt like it was ok to sell your body for sex, and i didn't want them to join society and be respectable. but ultimately, i just felt bad for them. i think in the end, what made them change their minds about their profession was the realization of what real love is.

LASER GRAFFITI

2009-01-09T13:18:00.004-05:00

Check out more here!

HOLOGRAMS. ARE REAL.

2008-11-14T13:36:00.003-05:00

secrets revealed. what david borman says about the future of holograms really disturbs me. "it allows for a much more intimate possibility for a remote interview." intimate? scary times ahead.

Toshiba Time Sculpture

2008-11-12T12:56:00.001-05:00

The making of:

Awesome Mario Comic

2008-11-10T14:32:00.002-05:00

Wait for it to load...

Amazing Ink Technique

2008-10-30T17:46:00.005-04:00

I have been a bad Shift Click Blogger. Bad Dony *gently slap face*.

Hopefully this will make up for it.

Looks like magic!! This guy created an entire graphic novel using this technique. Info on the book here.

The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics

2008-10-24T17:01:00.004-04:00

talk about dot and line compositions from principles class! bocket just shared this with me. i've never seen it before, but i love it, narrative-wise and design-wise.
maybe i won't love a square, but lines are pretty hot.

Is there anything else left?

2008-10-23T18:10:00.002-04:00

Autodesk buys XSI (i.e., Max/Maya eat up SoftImage)
Is there anyone else left? I wonder if it's only a matter of time before Autodesk and Adobe merge. Oy.

reading typefaces

2008-10-18T15:37:00.009-04:00

these are so right. LOL IRL, dawgs.
check out the rest of the dude's studies on flickr.

seredipitous!

2008-10-15T23:48:00.004-04:00

these two pictures came one after another on an rss feed. it's super ironic.

before: "yay! so pretty!"

after: "oh crap. time to go home."

Banksy's new pet shop

2008-10-13T16:56:00.003-04:00

I will never eat another hot dog again. Maybe at least for another week.

Banksy is a popular graffiti artist known largely for his satirical street murals. Unfortunately, sometimes his anonymity garners more attention than the messages he tries to send through his art.

This week he opened a "pet shop" in New York City, which is really an art gallery in disguise displaying bizarre, life-like, animatronic sculptures and installments. This is his first ever official art exhibition, after his identity was outed by the British media.

BBC Video

we are all just tiny little ants

2008-10-08T20:01:00.001-04:00

take on me - literal music video

2008-10-08T14:45:00.002-04:00

i love this music video, even without the funny dub. who doesn't?

i fail

2008-10-08T07:02:00.005-04:00

sorry about being unfaithful to this blog :[
good thing is that i have a bunch of stuff to share through research -- primary sources are pretty rad.

but this will have to do till then:
http://photosthatchangedtheworld.com/

some of these are amazing. familiar, but profound on its impact on the world and society. ch-ch-check it out! it's updated everyday as well.

first picture on the internet 1992

Rainbows are made from panda vomit

2008-10-05T07:14:00.003-04:00

Not sure what Flickr has up its sleeve, but here's a nifty Easter Egg. If you happen to explore the panda category, you'll be greeted with a (happy?) panda with rainbow vomit and photographs spewing out of its mouth.

It's just so bizzare and awesome at the same time, you'll need to view it for yourself.

http://www.flickr.com/explore/panda

Photoshop toolbar through the ages

2008-10-04T03:47:00.002-04:00

Things haven't really changed much, huh?

Puppies and Flowers

Food sculptures

2008-10-03T05:32:00.003-04:00

Don't do it!!! It's not worth it! You have so much to live for...

More can be found here: Wacky Archives

Hey Stuff

2008-09-26T16:29:00.004-04:00

Hi. I'm Rendering. So here' a couple exploding dog pictures i liked.

"I'm already leaving"
"I won a cookie."

3D ^ 3

2008-09-24T14:04:00.002-04:00

These look pretty cool...it's 3D, but in real 3D. Not your mom's old school red/blue 3D.

RabbitHoles 3D Motion Holograms: Gnomon Gallery, SIGGRAPH, and Pixologic / Gnomon Party

The pieces are printed in the amazing form of RabbitHoles state-of-the-art digital motion holograms, which display 1280 frames of full-color, 3D imagery with up to ten seconds of fluid and seamless animation on a completely flat surface.

http://www.rabbitholes.com/

evolution

2008-09-24T06:44:00.001-04:00

the missing link is a pair of wireframe glasses that are more oblong, but i don't know where they went. the progression totally makes sense though :þ

go speed racer

2008-09-19T01:22:00.004-04:00

so i watched speed racer a few days ago, and i have to be completely honest and say that i enjoyed it. of course, i wasn't taking it seriously, and while i was watching it, there were two toddlers running around and screaming, so my attention wasn't focused on the plot or the cheesey acting. however, both of those things are justified when you're remaking an old cartoon. there's a difference between speed racer and the scooby-doo remakes, and that is that speed racer rules.

the impressive thing about the film was the hyper reality of it. cat in the hat on crack. mario kart + fast and the furious mash-up. i loved the color. simple as that. i really liked the wardrobe, the set design, it all fit.

bottom line: awesome, fun visuals. don't take it seriously. cheaters never prosper. rain is so hot.

(note on the poster above: that is the MOST STATIC composition ever, making it the worst ever solution for speed racer. DUMB. however, rain is hot.)

Have your coffee and be a photography nerd too.

2008-09-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

How deliciously adorable.

Photoshop Filters

2008-09-13T15:31:00.003-04:00

When used sparingly, Photoshop filters can turn normal ho-hum photos into snazzy, awesome works of art.

But what happens when you go overboard and apply every single Photoshop filter on the list, top-down?

Lens flare makes everything better.

Every Filter @ Very Small Array

giant mural comic

2008-09-12T09:53:00.005-04:00

it was nice to wake up and look at such pretty pictures. stuart kolakovic created a 9+ metre-long comic called never been. it's a mural that spands across a wall and requires the viewer to move about to read it. the story is about a small eastern European village community. see the piece in context here, and view the entire thing as an interactive website. i love the illustration style and the textures. try to find the dancing bear.

let's get ready to rumble

2008-09-11T09:54:00.005-04:00

i love rootin tootin putin, hahah.

R.I.P. Nagi Noda

2008-09-10T21:23:00.005-04:00

You might remember this post I made earlier about hair hats. Nagi Noda, an uber-creative, talented pop artist and fashionista passed away last weekend.

Her death was apparently due to complications from surgery she had after a bad car accident last year. She must have known she was going to die, because she got dressed up for it—she was wearing a Mark Ryden dress, Chanel boots, and Viktor and Rolf black lace eyelashes.

What a way to go. I remember having a conversation the other day about dressing up before dying, and if I can help it, Nagi is my inspiration.

Hair hats off to you, dear lady.

Creativity Online Obituary
TOKYOMANGO Article

The "Out of Reach" Project

2008-09-10T17:52:00.004-04:00

Over at the Cursive Buildings blog, photographer Joshua Heineman started up a project called Out of Reach. He took a bunch of stereoscopic images from the 1800s and early 1900s and compiled them into animated gifs. His goal:

i’m breathing new life into the past using old digitized photographs from the new york public library. i’ve spent hours rekindling these moments. & they will not be the last. i’m so so deep on these funny little things… it’s like the past has rediscovered a dimension!

Sure, creating two-framed animated is nothing new, but there's a traditional beauty about these images. It's actually neat to see an almost "living" image of times past.

Although after a while, my eyes started hurting, heh.

Out of Reach (at Cursive Buildings)

Sia "Soon We'll Be Found"

2008-09-10T09:57:00.004-04:00

This is the music video for Sia's "Soon We'll Be Found." It uses sign language to tell a narrative and does so using about 3-4 different visual styles. But the core theme to keep them unified is the basic idea of sign language: using shapes (particularly the silhouette) in motion to convey thoughts and emotions. They really found great ways to capitalize on the silhouette and negative space, with the movements breathing life into them, to create a really beautiful video. This is what Sia said about it:

The movement and expression just appears, to ignorant-hearing-me as a dance… a beautiful, emotive dance. But the real beauty is that, hidden in these perfect shapes, is communication.

Basically: It's pretty. I like the song too.

100th post is a ba-doodle

2008-09-09T00:27:00.000-04:00

hitchcock covers

2008-09-07T23:51:00.004-04:00

vanity fair held photoshoots recreating some memorable moments from a selection of alfred hitchcock's films featuring contemporary celebrities. among them are scarlett johansson, robert downey jr., seth rogan, and naomi watts, just to name a few. these are really good. classic hollywood rules.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/03/hitchcock_stills200803

saul bass on titles

2008-09-06T12:37:00.003-04:00

everyone knows saul bass, the father of film title sequences, but have you seen his totally rad 'stache? heard his weird accent? here he is, talking about his creative and technical process in title design. if you watch all the examples, film titles have really come a long way.

danielson: a family movie (2006)

2008-09-05T23:50:00.005-04:00

just in case you're wondering, i'm trying to watch a film a day while i'm unemployed. so today's movie was danielson: a family movie, featuring the christian indie family band the danielson famile led by daniel smith (aka brother danielson). he's known for his totally rad 9-fruit tree costume and nurse/doctor outfits. oh, and he puts out sufjan stevens' records on his record label, 'sounds familyre.'

it's a colorful documentary. it was really interesting to see peoples' reactions to their music and whether or not they minded that their music was about God. daniel smith is really neat character -- someone you wouldn't expect to be christian, but you know is totally christian. there was an emphasis on family and of course spiritual freedom. it explored the boundaries of the christian music scene -- how it's presented and perceived.

oh oh, it was very weird that there is footage of him and daniel johnston together, especially since yesterday was daniel johnston movie day. (side note: i am listening to him nonstop.)

if you don't know danielson, they're quite good, fun, and morally sound, haha. watch this. it's cute.

the devil and daniel johnston (2006)

2008-09-04T12:22:00.010-04:00

just finished watching this, and i am so amazed by this guy's prolificness/osity (does that word exist?). daniel johnston is an underground music legend that has manic depression. the film tells the story of his life, his career, his illness, and his battles with the devil. i haven't actually listened to his music, but the way the people were talking about it, it's apparently amazing songwriting. i can tell right away though that it's the kind of truthful songwriting that anyone can identify with.. fears, loves, happiness, things like that. it's that uninhibited creativity that i really admire.

this film also inspires me to do a better job of documenting my life. writing things down, taking pictures, videos, etc. daniel johnston had tapes and tapes of him just talking and drawings and notebooks. those things are nice to have, and i think kind of prove that you exist. yah.. making things.

EDIT: ok, yip! jump music (the album he's holding in the picture) is pretty fricking awesome.

HOLY MOLY FRIGHTENING

2008-09-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

scary simulation with bad default type.
the wailing in the song is totally appropriate, haha.

Google Chrome, the Comic

2008-09-02T16:31:00.006-04:00

EDIT: So apparently there's a lot of controversy going around about Chrome's EULA. In it, there's a simple sentence that says:

“…By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services…”

In simple terms, it means that anything you post, publish, e-mail, blog, or create while using Chrome will automatically belong to Google. Scary, huh? So scary, in fact they banned us from using Chrome at work until a modified EULA is made (since we post a lot of stuff on our intranet website).

I guess this means that Google owns the rest of my post below (but not this edit, heh).

END EDIT.

Today Google is releasing their much awaited (although I hadn't heard about it until this weekend) open-source web browser called Chrome. In order to introduce it, they created a 38-page online comic book (drawn by Scott McCloud) explaining the back-end of how Chrome works, and why it's efficient and faster than most other web browsers. It's actually quite informative (if you read through the whole thing).

I thought the introduction of something technical via means of comics and illustrations was pretty neat in trying to explain concepts to the masses. Sure, they could've done screenshots and written globs and globs of boring documentation, but most people would just skim over it (like EULAs) and take for granted the fact that it's working. In the comic, Google employees (in all their monochrome 2D glory, somewhat reminiscent of Chris Ware's stuff) explain the problems of current web browsers and how they go about fixing those problems.

Comics and art aside, you should really try Chrome. It's quite fast and not much clutter. Also, the fact that they even have an "Incognito Mode" (a.k.a. "pornsurfing mode") shows that they are in touch with the needs of today's internet junkies.

AGGHH!!

2008-09-02T10:23:00.003-04:00

WE WON AN AWARD!
(OMG YOU CAN SEE MY NAME)
http://www.segd.org/awards/2008/15_discover_world.html

happy september

2008-09-01T01:00:00.008-04:00

i love dancing cats. totally dumb.
simple technique, simple aesthetic -- nice and clean and silly.

MEG - Precious @ Yahoo! Video

found on cuteoverload.com

reminded me of this video. it's something along the same lines, except more complicated and less cats:

fritz klaetke's 10 rules to live/design by

2008-08-31T09:26:00.009-04:00

this was from when i was a silly sophomore, fritz klaetke, a boston-based graphic designer came to give the first lecture ever at our art + design department. all of it still rings true, but i couldn't really have known until years of school and work experience. so here they are:

FRITZ KLAETKE'S 10 RULES TO LIVE/DESIGN BY (03.16.05):

1. you can't turn it off; design even in your dreams

2. a good designer can create anything from a spoon to a car.

3. you need input to give output. be interested and invested in your projects. experience the world with a visual thirst. read books, magazines, visit galleries, etc.

4. remember the form/content equation: if form > content then audience is jipped; if form < content then no audience interest.

5. tell why you did what you did. don't just say you did it because you liked it.

6. God is in the details. the details hold the lifeforce.

7. know when to help someone whose car is stuck in the snow. demonstrate that you're doing what you can. (note: i'm still kinda unsure what this means. but what i get from it is that you can't always help your clients when they're stubborn or otherwise just plain difficult. know when to say no.)

8. good people, good project, good money; you need at least two out of the three.

9. deal with the decision maker. go straight to the authority to get answers.

10. you don't ask the doctor for three options. just offer the best solution to your client, otherwise they might pick the worst option. (note: i've actually seen that happen, haha)

11. trust your gut. make your own rules.

Test Your Color IQ

2008-08-29T17:47:00.002-04:00

Click Here!

I got 11!

photo: lost cloud

2008-08-29T11:49:00.001-04:00

fleshmap

2008-08-28T16:58:00.003-04:00

taken from information aesthetics

an online visualization designed by Fernanda Viegas, Martin Wattenberg & the crowdsourcing specialists at Dolores Labs, which explores the relationship between the body & its visual & verbal representation.

the Touch body heatmap investigates the collective perception of erogenous zones, based on the input of 100s of people that ranked how good it would feel to touch or be touched by a lover in different points of the body.

the Look interface analyzes the individuality and hidden surprises that each body reveals when bared by abstracting & categorizing visual forms of male nipples & female breasts.

the Listen interface charts how often a specific body part is mentioned in different music genres genre, based on a sample of 1000s songs.

[link: fleshmap.com|via doloreslabs.com]

i love how hip hop is all ass, hahah. hooray, info arch!
it's interesting how no one ridiculously enjoys being touched on their butt, but hip-hop is all about wanting to touch "ass". shows what they know. regardless, fascinating.
kinda nsfw.

creative genius on bbc radio 4

2008-08-28T13:56:00.005-04:00

i came across this 3 episode radio show last night from bbc radio 4 that explores creativity -- where it comes from, can it be measured, and can you enhance it, among other things. it's neat because they look at it not purely artistically, but scientifically and include a lot of experiments, examples, and experts talking about the issues. for example, a lot of people get ideas when they're in bed or half asleep, and the reason is because slower brain waves allow thoughts that are usually inhibited to filter through. it's pretty fascinating, i even took notes, haha.

some tips on how to be more creative:
.observe observe observe! notice things!
.make and take the time for yourself to think
.read widely
.travel
.have courage to think in a different direction; allow yourself to ask questions
.realize that you are the only you; you have your own unique way of experiencing things

here's a link to the show.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/creativegenius.shtml

Good Bye Workplace

2008-08-28T13:53:00.005-04:00

Today is my last day working at TSE Natick. While I'm happy to be moving on I will most certainly miss the people I've caused all sorts of mischief with for the last year or so. I was actually just presented with the requisite good-by-card and a box of chocolates (double YAY). I don't have a picture of it to post so I'll just describe it. On the cover are three white people crying (literally white, not ethnically) and a tiny dog and pig standing at their feet. On the inside the dog is passing the pig a tissue. It's the best card I've ever received, but I don't understand what a dog and pig have to do with an office. Below is a picture of me with my computer. I don't usually wear a suit at work though.

tattooed teeth

2008-08-27T14:34:00.005-04:00

it's true, you can finally get abe lincoln's ugly mug on your crowns; when you smile, people can see a little amy winehouse or a mini simon cowell or the queen mum in the gleam. the "tooth artist" recommends to choose a simple design because the portraits are so small that if it's too detailed, no one will recognize it. it'll probably just look like a really rotten tooth.

that rooster is pretty sweet. i think it'd be cool to have a plaid pattern or a pokemon on a crown. which one? psyduck, duh.

you can look at other work and learn more at http://www.toothartist.com

They're Really Into Hair

2008-08-26T08:40:00.003-04:00

I don't know if the name of this band is pure gimmick or pure awesome, but I dig some of their tunes either way. They're called "Natalie Portman's Shaved Head"....(wtf??) and they have not one, but TWO songs dedicated to hair. Here's one below (may induce seizures btw):

natalie portman's shaved head - sophisticated side ponytail from thatgo on Vimeo.

You can check out their myspace page here. You can find their beard song there.

gez fry can draw. so can you.

2008-08-24T22:42:00.004-04:00

just read an article about Gez Fry, a London native who really wanted to do japanese-style illustration. initially, he wanted to be a diplomat, but he changed his mind (i know what that's like, heh). so with no art background whatsoever, this guy locked himself in his room for 2 years and learned how to draw.. and draw super well. he gets a lot of jobs from the UK and the States, but he's determined to make it big in Japan, which is extra hard for foreigners. i have to admire this guy for his talent and his drive and his big dream.

here's the full article from pingmag:
http://pingmag.jp/2006/06/02/how-japanese-style-illustration-works/

transformers ballroom dancing

2008-08-24T22:05:00.004-04:00

twas watching ballroom dancing with my dad on tv, and i can't believe i saw this. i'm just so glad it's on youtube.

yay new jersey.

Laundry Day

2008-08-22T19:36:00.005-04:00

This is a student animation project made by Guillaume Chartier from Sheridan College. The synopsis is that a guy's girlfriend finds something incriminating in his pants pocket while doing his laundry...and the genuinely unexpected plot twist that ensues.

I honestly can't stop laughing.

more weird japanese stuff

2008-08-21T22:18:00.002-04:00

first adorable. then funny. then super strange.

pizza-la

2008-08-21T21:01:00.003-04:00

shared by ish.
everyone: thank you, ish!

Japanese Portrayal of Chinese Horse

2008-08-20T12:10:00.003-04:00

Doesn't this horse have crazy hair? ....That is all.

website: alex ostrowski

2008-08-20T11:18:00.004-04:00

alex ostrowski is cute.
he has a lot of good ideas.
i'd like to be his friend

www.alexostrowski.com

irrational fear of scary japanese school girls

2008-08-19T05:21:00.005-04:00

i found this while clicking around; i thought the title was funny. they are all cg images of macabre japanese school girls -- totally disturbing. this is probably NSFW, haha, but whatev. i figured it's worth sharing.

images on designyoutrust.com
original source (in japanese)

suburban kids with biblical names

2008-08-19T00:08:00.005-04:00

these nerds are on repeat.
they sound like magnetic fields + jens lekman. it's music i would i like to write.

there is something fascinating about those subtly subtle pans. i like.
it's also worth it to listen to these:
loop duplicate my heart (uber nerd song)
trees and squirrels
seems to be on my mind

(time to eat taro ice cream!)

beangrowers - not in a million lovers

2008-08-18T10:30:00.006-04:00

this video is kinda like the dude that took a picture of himself for like.. 20 years or whatever and buck's want2bsquare piece. but i think it uses the technique in a really smart way to get the song's point across. it lies in their design decision to simulate real photos from different times and places.. and men. i especially like the lip syncing.

What does this have to do with airliners?

2008-08-18T09:50:00.006-04:00

A friend shared some United Airlines commercials with me today that I thought I'd share with you guys. I'm sure you've seen some if not all of them by now, but I thought it would be nice to have a couple of them collected in one spot. They don't necessarily say anything about their company so much as the experience of traveling or the enjoyment of flying. Still cool stuff.

Here are links to some more:
the meeting
hearts
butterfly
two worlds
sea orchestra
moondust

I'm sure I missed some, but a quick search online will bring 'em up.

Life as told by LEGOs

2008-08-16T16:06:00.004-04:00

Wired has a gallery on Mike Stimpson, a programmer who recreates historic photos using LEGOs, then takes photos of them. While the recreations are pretty neat, it's sometimes eerie seeing those plastic smiley faces looking so happy during what originally were times of crisis.

Lego Tableaus Re-Create Classic Photos via Wired

a life of paper

2008-08-16T01:01:00.004-04:00

i am convinced that i've been drawing for almost my whole life.

i threw out a lot about 4 years ago and i threw out a lot this past week, so this isn't everything. i drew so much, it's almost obvious that i should've been an artist at an early age. to think i was pursuing genetic engineering.

how and when did you know that you wanted to be an artist? animator? designer? whatever it is that you do?

What? How?!

2008-08-15T19:37:00.001-04:00

Amazingness. Check out this guys youtube page. He's got some other fun papercrafts.

bleep bloop bop

2008-08-15T12:40:00.003-04:00

BLIP FESTIVAL: REFORMAT THE PLANET trailer from 2 Player Productions on Vimeo.

i saw this documentary on pitchfork.tv today. its there for a week. these are the most adorable dorks in the world. dancing around to lots and lots of bleeps and bloops. everything has a scene now. you can officially be "so scene" by playing gameboy on a stage and dropping a backbeat to it.
this is infectious stuff, and i think a bunch of you will, and probably already do, enjoy
'chiptunes'.

The Big Picture

2008-08-15T11:27:00.008-04:00

Some of you may know this site since many of you are coming out of Boston. But if not...pull your heads out of the sand children, for it is time to see the world through Boston.com's photographic collections of Worldly happenings!! I love this site because they cover so many events around the world with some amazing high quality images. Topics include, The King of Tonga, the Conflict in Georgia, a Royal Funeral in Bali, and previously uncontacted Brazilian Tribes! Check it out to get your daily dose of Worldliness!! A warning though. Some of these images can be a little grim, and even a bit depressing. I just enjoy them, because it adds so much to the bigger story. Often times when I read the news, I get a small image, or no image at all with the article.

Now unfortunately, they only archive a few months back. That or its new. If it is not new, than these links may be dead after a few months. Even still, new content will surely be added. So enjoy them now when you can! Here are some of my favorites.

Over 100 slaughtered pigs are offered to King George Tupou V during the taumafa kava ritual and coronation ceremony in the sacred Pangai Lahi gathering area of Nuku'alofa on July 30, 2008. (Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images)

Visitors swim in a pool at the scenic spot called Salt Lake, also known as China's Dead Sea, at Penglai Township in Dayin County of southwest China's Sichuan province Saturday, July 12, 2008. Officials said Sunday that tourists can now travel safely to Sichuan's scenic spots, apart from those in 30 counties seriously affected by the May 12 earthquake. (AP Photo/Color China Photo)

Not knowing the plane flying overhead was, this previously uncontacted Brazilian tribe attempts to shoot it down.

"Like It Or Not" - Architecture in Helsinki

2008-08-15T05:45:00.006-04:00

So you think stop-motion animation is hard eh?

Well how about stop-motion embroidery? The stitching and re-stitching of threads over and over for one measly frame of animation. It might be just me, since I'm not very good at sewing, but this has probably got to be one of the most tedious (but definitely beautiful, charming, and well-executed!) types of stop-motion I've ever seen. I definitely need to give props to the embroiderer (embroiderist?)...I take back all the whining I've ever done about claymation.

The last video to be made for the 'Places Like This' era... 'Like It or Not' was painstakingly stitched by The crew at Mathematics (who made the AIH clip for 'Debbie'), directed by Josh Logue and interpreted from a coconut concerned psychedelic love fantasy emanating from the stream of consciousness of Cameron Bird.

Architecture in Helsinki - Like It Or Not from helsinkids on Vimeo.

Trembled Blossoms

2008-08-13T19:18:00.004-04:00

Advertising Prada's Spring/Summer collection is this colorful video by James Jean. The concept is a bit silly (everything in nature metamorphosizes into a Prada product), but the art style is gorgeous. It reminds me of Okami, Prince of Persia (the new one), or even Odin Sphere. Although the girl walks a bit funny, but I guess you can kinda attribute her to having that "model" walk. The music sounds like Sigur Ros with a female vocalist, but I think it blends well with the video.

Do check out his other artwork on his website. Especially the exquisitely beautiful concept art for this video.

James Jean official website

guess what i ffffound

2008-08-13T17:20:00.007-04:00

FFFFOUND!

this is such a magical place. it's nothing fancy or anything, but it's just a place where people tag images as their favorites (what they refer to as "image bookmarking"), and from those images, they are recommended similar images. it's a great place just to click around for hours and find something inspiring. you never know where you'll end up. unfortunately, this service is by invite only. *sad sad me*

but it's definitely worth looking at. i love it love it.

PC Case Mods

2008-08-13T03:08:00.010-04:00

Since I'm currently in the (physical!) process of building my PC (the sexy, silent, stylish powerhouse that it is), I felt this post would be appropriate to match my nerdish fit of excitement.

I happened to come across an old article over Dark Roasted Blend about PC case mods. The article itself is really a giant photo gallery of some interesting mods, some I consider to be ingenious works of art, others which are downright trashy. There are also links to sources that show you the step-by-step process on how those mods were created, which I always find fascinating.

A metal box with cathode lights, grapefruit-sized exhaust fans, and tribal-patterned glass etchings does NOT make a good case mod!!! I find those types of case mods to be irritatingly annoying; they all seem so industrial and uncreative. It's like The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in a box. Also, what the heck is up with aliens, skulls, and gothic towers? It's horribly cliched and flat out UGLY.

I like cases that show ingenuity, something that makes me go "Oh! Why didn't I think of that?", something where form meets function. Something simple, artistic, elegant, not outrageous for the sake of having a hulking, mechanical beast.

This mod shown above is actually pretty clever. The case itself is made from an IKEA trash can. I like it because it takes something that I commonly see everyday and transforms it into something unintended. Yes, there is a lot of wire tubing, and even a cathode, but the way this was constructed makes it seem clever and innovative. And it looks quite simple. Plus, the trash can itself is $4, so you can't go wrong with that!

No doubt some of you may have already seen the Victorian-era PC mod. I think it looks beautiful, and is truly a work of art and craftsmanship. The flowery/ivy etchings on the sides of the monitor look exquisite, and the adjustable railings look smart. Don't get me started about that webcam (or microphone?), although the mouse looks a bit painful. I like my mice ergonomic and comfortable, thank you very much.

What are some interesting case mods you've seen?

Faced

2008-08-12T13:33:00.007-04:00

I see we are breaking form here, and posting things on off days. I am actually fairly happy with the flexibility since I usually find things, and don't want to wait till the next week to post it. Hooray! Anyways, found this neat guy named Levi-van-Veluw (I think) on the web who likes to use his face as a canvas. Check it here. (Edit: fixed broken link -ksoh)

Here are some of my favorites:

Looking back, I guess this could have waited till tomm. Ah well! Anywho, looks like this guy has a good face for what he is doing. I wonder if it would look as cool if his eyes weren't as deep set into his head, or his nose wasn't so prominent. Kudos to him for having the mind and the visage to make this work.

Have to admit though, not horribly excited about half of the sharpie/ballpoint pen work on his face.

principles are principles for a reason

2008-08-12T11:21:00.006-04:00

john kane on graphic designers:

we're actually little nerds going around solving problems.

written on my principles of design syllabus, 2004
and always remember:

.content dictates form
.less is more
.God is in the details

Olympic Mascots = Cute

2008-08-11T13:39:00.003-04:00

Hot on the heels of the last post about the Olympics is this related post. These little guys are the mascots for the Beijing games. They were designed by Han Meilin and each features a motif reflecting an aspect of China's culture. For more info check out their wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuwa

A lot of work went into these guys. The designer went through a 1,000 possible models and suffered two heart attacks during their creation.

I think it's awesome that the designer would even work on them considering his past. He lived through some hard times during the Chinese cultural revolution and even had his wrist tendons cut during a session of torture. The ability to use his thumbs was restored after surgery.

888

2008-08-08T18:33:00.003-04:00

Although there are a lot of issues with government, environment, and society in China (which would best be discussed in another forum), it's seeing photos like this that makes me really glad that the Olympics are held in Beijing this year.

2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony @ The Big Picture

outtaspace

2008-08-07T23:32:00.008-04:00

made in an hour. i will miss this.

Inspiration!

2008-08-06T19:52:00.007-04:00

Since our blog is all about creativity (more or less), this entry will be about its partner-in-crime, Inspiration.
Inspiredology's goal is to find and post about things that will hopefully inspire you to get out of that creative rut you sometimes find yourself in. There is a heavy emphasis on website design, as well as design in general. I find the entry on business card design to be very interesting, and it makes me want to redesign my own. I thought this was subtly cute:
And speaking of the source of this inspiration, here are some puppies and flowers for you, dear Shift-Click bloggers. ;)

subaquatica

2008-08-06T15:15:00.005-04:00

kinda like spain's giant robot, subaquatica is a gallery/publication that showcases urban/street art in madrid. you know, it talks about toys, art, design, books, etc. etc. but for the spanish scene. i always like to know what's going on outside of the country. more input for more output. pretty pretty things. oog.

http://www.subaquatica.com/

tunes: future song - mkf and the itchy heads

2008-08-05T08:51:00.010-04:00

here's a recording of me and my band, the itchy heads, performing a little ditty called, 'the future song (i'm old)'! i wrote it a while ago for one of the monthly art shows that we used to hold, but i never recorded it. the theme of that particular show was "portraits of your future self" so when i started to think about the future, the first thing that came to mind was that my parents were going to die, and it took off from there.

future song (i'm old) from mk f on Vimeo.

i have a 500mb quota on vimeo, so i'm slowly uploading videos from last saturday's show. check back for more in later weeks.

EDIT: just uploaded the whole show on my youtube. i'll eventually get it all on vimeo though! make sure you watch it in higher res so you can see how handsome my itchy heads are.

http://www.youtube.com/user/antoineetmoi

herc fern's digital story

2008-08-04T22:48:00.010-04:00

fellow contributor herculano, shared this movie about his experience as an animator at northeastern university. i think he did a really good job, compared to the other kids who did the same assignment at his previous co-op at EdTech. they were restricted to use only iPhoto to create their little narrative, which would be used to teach faculty the potential of the software. the thing i appreciate the most is that all of the motions were considered and thoughtful, unlike other videos where there's way too much panning, zooming in and out -- really just doing it because they could. it doesn't feel like a slideshow, which is the problem the other movies have. the choice of music and phrasing, though sometimes rushed, helped move the story along; his tone of voice sounded like a reader from 'this american life.' it wouldn't have hurt to slow down more though.

but the type -- it needs a little more work, kid ;]

it's time for the world to know how hard these art kids work.

photo: haymarket dude

2008-08-01T01:13:00.001-04:00

happy august :]

Op-Ed: When money enters the equation...

2008-07-31T19:10:00.015-04:00

Chris sent me an interesting article today from Lifehacker asking its readers, "Does compensation kill your motivation?" This question applies to all professions and industries, but it's a pretty interesting read for anyone.

People in the A&E industries are driven by their motivation to create and entertain. We are one of the few very lucky industries where people pursue their hobbies as professions without the underlying pretense of money or compensation (i.e., you're not painting that picture because you expect someone to buy it). We do what we want because we want to, because we're driven by our love for the arts, and because we want to share our creative talents with the world, or have a genuine interest in entertaining others (sort of like how doctors have a genuine interest in saving lives). We spout creativity in school, have big dreams, and want to show our ideas to everyone.

But when you finally reach that goal of having your hobby become your profession, not everything is always peachy keen. Suddenly, what you enjoy doing becomes work (a chore), and although you still enjoy doing it (or think you do), the motivation to pursue other creative avenues outside work become less and less defined; instead, you just want to relax after a long hard day's worth of work, instead of doing more "work." Suddenly, job satisfaction does not equate to happiness, and at the end of the day, you start feeling empty and wonder "what went wrong?"

"[People] thought of it as something they really enjoy and like to do, but now they do it in order to get money, and they think of the task as an instrument to get money and not an activity that has value in its own right," Deci said. "Human beings both want to -- and, in a deeper way, need to -- feel a sense of being autonomous. When someone else begins to seduce you into behaving with an offer of a reward, it takes away your sense of being autonomous. Now you are doing it for someone else."

OK, so the above was a somewhat morbid scenario. It doesn't happen to everyone! Personally, I think it depends on what you do. I've seen plenty of people in my industry pursue their hobbies actively outside of work, even though they work with those hobbies for a living. I've seen others fizzle out and spend their free time contently not doing anything related to work, or frustratingly searching for that lost drive and creativity that led them to accomplish their goal in the first place.

Another example, does an artist do commissions because he wants to, or because he is motivated by money? At what point does the fun end, and the need for compensation begin?

I make video games at work, but I certainly don't make games outside of work (I play them with urgent fanaticism, rather). I do enjoy 3D modeling, but by the time I get home, I don't feel like investing my free time in any sort of 3D modeling project, even though I don't specifically do it at work. All I do at work involves scripting and coding, and yet, I enjoy scripting macros for certain games in my spare time. How does this fit into the above "motivation vs. compensation" equation?

So what do YOU think? Do you sometimes feel the same way? What's your motivation outside of work, and are you doing what you do because you enjoy it, or do you find yourself slowly doing it more because of money?

Discuss!

Original Washington Post article

on graphic designers and moving out

2008-07-31T11:42:00.013-04:00

i'm moving out of my boston apartment next week, so i've been doing my best to throw stuff out, clean up, and pack my belongings. i think being a graphic designer entitles me to being a pack rat, which is a good and bad thing. i keep A LOT of things around -- fliers i pick off the street, product packaging, lame doodles, ticket stubs, dollar store toys, vintage publications, candy wrappers, neck ties, etc.. everything can be used as a reference, whether it's some kind of tutorial or cultural reference or metaphor or a bad example of what not to do; or as material itself (i can't get rid of my foam core!!). good ideas and little hints that can help you along the way potentially live in this debris. you have no idea how painful it was to throw out a lot of my trade magazines. ughh.

but i did it. *sniff*

one of my design professors actually rents storage space to house her growing collection of crap that she won't part with. among a bajillion other things, she collects broken things and fasteners, things that keep things together. she explained that she liked the dichotomy. i can't imagine having more space to hoard things that were neat only to me. but at the same time, i'd love to if i could. it'd spare me from this emotional and mental anguish from parting with my crap that i so fervently accumulated. alors, it's important for me to move on, in life and in visual style. yeah, that's the post-modern spirit! and sifting through and picking out what is really cool and worth keeping just reinforces what i value in design already.

but don't even get me started with books. why do art and design books have to be so fricking heavy and oversized? moving is hard. i can only imagine what it'll be like later in the future -- more difficult.