graphic monday: graduate edition

Here is more work from my class. Next up is Arron Croasdell. A very talented designer and an insanely talented illustrator (we have hinted many times at him that he should pursue that road.) Anyway, here are some pieces of his exhibition piece for this years graduate show. We were all in awe of it. He created several illustrated postcards and wooden blocks with some of his illustrations transferred onto them.

His piece is called Sailing the Sea of Simplicity. In Taoism, Wu Wei is a concept which involves knowing when and when not to act. Literally translated it means without effort or without action. It is also likened to water, due to its soft and yielding nature. The idea here being that one should not try to force things, but to go with the flow and follow nature's course. The woodblock is also another metaphor for Wu Wei, as it is like a blank canvas unaffected by knowledge or experience. So it suits as an appropriate material for this project. The world is a very busy place and maybe we try to do to much.

To see more of Arron's work just follow the link to his online portfolio. Arron is also selling those gorgeous wooden block on etsy so feel free to take a gander and maybe purchase something.

graphic tuesday...

I am terrible at keeping up with Graphic monday. Shame on me! Anyways, enjoy (a hopefully once off) Graphic Tuesday. These interesting yet minimal illustrations were created by the Project Twins, James and Michael Fitzgerald. They own a graphic design and illustration studio down in Cork ( yes, right here in Ireland of all places.) They have done so many things (including work for Bulmers, the Dublin Flea Market and the Cork Film Festival) but what I want to show you is one of the latest collections which is called A-Z of Unusual Words. It's exactly what it says on the tin... They visually described words in the English language that are unusual/lost and rarely spoken.

I think they are quite beautiful and I wouldn't mind a few for my walls. See the whole collection here

graphic monday...

I can finally get back into Graphic Monday... It may not be the most popular segment of my blog but I think it's important for me to keep up to date with all things aesthetic in the world of graphic design and I enjoy showing you guys. Plus who doesn't want to look at pretty things right?

Anyway... This is The Design Society journal, it is a bi-annual journal created for The Design Society (TDS) of Singapore. That is really all I know about it I'm afraid but I do find it quite impressive. In particular their use of the one punchy colour over black and white text. And how they play with large sections of all caps (which apparently we shouldn't do but I think it looks gorgeous!) I wish more magazines were daring like this (no matter what the content), I mean you pay a hefty price for a magazine these days. The very least you deserve is to be visually stimulated at ever page turn. But maybe that's just me...

Images via behance.net

graphic tuesday?

*I do realise that I usually post graphic design shtuff on a Monday but sure it was a day off, so I posted about something else. Anyway back to college and back to graphic design.

 A nice little typeface we got here! It is a "layered" typeface which I think means you develop the type any way you desire, whether you use all the parts or just one! A really cool idea which allows you to be far more experimental if you wish. It's cheerful, it's fun and it's retro... What more do you need to know?

graphic monday...

This is a super cute typeface by Grayhood for Lost Type. Have you ever seen a typeface that makes you want to smile more? If so please do tell me! But seriously, ain't this precious? It looks like a font that would be used in an awesome/offbeat wedding invite of that cool couple you know. I think that's why I like it so much. It's retro, it's indie, it's GORGEOUS!

Also I love the colour choices... Yum!

instagram...

Believe it or believe it not I am using instagram for my latest project in college. The photos that I need to take have to have a seventies/faded/blurred look and nothing seems to do that quite as good (and quite as easy) as the auld instagram app! Delighted so I am...

So I have been snapping left, right and center the past week getting the right shots for the project. And I just thought I'd show some of them to you. The project is based around the Edies of Grey Gardens, describing how they became the way they are and why. I could go into more detail but I'm sure that would bore you...

Anyway, enjoy!

graphic monday...

These are poster designs from Amy Rodchester. She had to create posters for the Newcastle Festival of Dance. I really think her final solutions are AMAZING! But you know me, give me pastels, clean type and geometric shapes and I'm anybody's!

Check out more of her work here.

graphic monday...

This is MUSE. A fashion magazine that is not afraid to have a bit of fun with type. Not enough magazines do this. Hopefully this will change. But for now look at the pretty type and the pretty pictures of pretty people.

From Behance Network.

graphic monday...

These are chalk designs by Dana Tanamachi. I just think they are so fun and interesting. I want one on my wall (if it would actually stay). They are all over the place (including some wine bottles and on the cover of Oprah's magazine). That is all I have to say... Check her out here!

graphic monday...

Thought I'd share these with you... Super cute little designs, simple and with a lovely colour scheme. My favourite is the "Bon Jour" one, how dotey! Found them on More Design Please which is a beautiful website. Check it out! 

Thanks Emma for introducing the website to me...