February 2012
5 posts
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One design entry preview
Here’s a preview of one of the contest pieces I’m working on. I won’t reveal which contest it’s for until I’ve already submitted it (sorry!) but this came to me during a serious bout of insomnia. I’ve been thinking about doing this kind of format since I read about the contest but the execution kicked gears at around 5:00 AM this morning after an aha moment.
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Experimenting with Type 6/30
I’ve been busy with work and a couple of design projects among other things. So allow me to make up for the lack of designs and illustrations with type experiment number 6 :)
You can check out the rest of the type experiments here.
And because a blog post in Tumblr can be submitted in way too many forms (it can either be as a text, photo, quote, link, music, or video… whew!),...
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Instagram and unfinished drawings
I finally found time to finish a couple of drawings that have been left untouched for quite a while on my moleskine. My prehistoric Nokia phone finally died on me so I decided to get an iPhone. I can finally take decent photos of sketches and drawings (yes!). And because most of my friends are on instagram, I created an account for it too! You can follow my instagram account (melizzaaratan)...
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Experimenting with Type 5/30
Design number five. This design challenge is therapeutic in many ways especially when I make them accompanied by a playlist of hardcore rock songs. And, as ridiculously cheesy as I may sound, it’s inspirational too! :P
Check out the rest of the type experiments here.
On a random note, remember the DJ Shadow design invite I joined? It turns out they moved the announcement of winners til...
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Keres and the moment I said, 'Screw it'
I posted a sketch of Keres awhile back in time for Halloween. It’s unlike most of the usual illustrations I make - bold and dreamy, but I welcomed the change. I worked on her halfway through November before taking a break because, frankly, I had no idea what to do - what look, what approach, and what feel. I hit a dead end.
She had this sort of heartless, detached look at first like...
January 2012
7 posts
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Experimenting with Type 4/30
Here’s design number 4 while I keep my fingers crossed for a design invite I joined. It uses a familiar background which you have already seen in Protogenoi.
Don’t you just have backgrounds or textures or elements you’ve created and you’re extremely satisfied with you feel it’s a shame to use it on just one illustration? Anyway, as the quote implies, never stop...
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creative it list: james jean
Describing James Jean is a bit difficult. He is, after all, a multi-hyphenated soul talented in many art forms. He does just about everything. He’s the visual lead behind DC’s Fables series and the artist behind Prada’s coveted Fairy bowler bag. But this isn’t about high-profile clients, it’s the sort of magic he does that ultimately draw you in.
I first came...
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please support my DJ Shadow Secret 7" entry
Secret 7” is an exciting project combining music and art in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. DJ Shadow, along with several other recording artists and bands, invited creatives to design the artwork for a seven inch vinyl sleeve inspired by one of their songs.
A total of 45 designs will be selected and printed per artist. The project will culminate in 700 unique vinyl sleeves displayed in...
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Experimenting with Type 3/30
While I pray to the heavens for my cold not to worsen and become a flu, here’s design number 3 with a quote from one of my favorite writers - Neil Gaiman.
I used to make a resolution list every year. It became shorter as years pass. The shorter the list, the more liberated I felt of burdens. Not that nothing ever came of it. But it’s less dysfunctional to not base my entire year on...
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Experimenting with Type 2/30
Here’s design number two. I like working with a max of three types when designing. There is just enough variety to play around without going overboard and over the top. The design also uses a couple of vector elements.
Check out the rest of the type experiments here.
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Experimenting with Type 1/30
One the things I said to myself I need to do is experiment more. Revisit techniques I’ve given up on and have more patience. Great things, after all, don’t come at a swish and flick of a wand.
I’m starting it off by playing around with types - 30 designs - using some of my favorite quotes.
Most of you have also noticed it by now, the sudden change in my blog layout. It took...
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December 2011
7 posts
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Illustration Process: Protogenoi
Normally, when I make illustrations, I work on the background first because it adds depth to any illustration - the more complicated, the better.
For Protogenoi, I decided to mimic acrylic and watercolor brush strokes for the background. I recreated brush strokes from an unfinished painting into Photoshop brushes. That’s what I’ve been using ever since. There are also a lot of...
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30 Must Read Infographics on Social Media →
Infographics (or information graphics) and other forms of data visualizations are helpful in reaching out to more people. It allows even the most complicated data and the most boring of topics an easy read.
Interpreting data and making it visually appealing is always a challenge. Infographics is becoming common practice in decribing complex information effieciently and more audience...
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November 2011
2 posts
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October 2011
11 posts
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creative it list: yosuke goda
Yosuke Goda makes large scale illustrations with awe-inducing details using just a black marker. How awesome is that? It’s a 360 illustration work we don’t see quite often.
He does an impressive job of creating immersive environment rooms with so much detail and texture. He is a creative monster. I wish I have the patience to fill an entire room with detailed artwork. :)
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September 2011
8 posts
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that second-best life
I had an interesting conversation with a friend over the phone. While people know what having limits mean, creating them isn’t something we can easily or even want to do. Everyone has had their fair share of experiences where defying limits seemed like the right thing to do. Like giving up something important to fulfill a dream - no matter how ambiguous, out of reach, and out there that...
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“Don’t expect to get anything back, don’t expect recognition for your efforts,...”
– Paulo Coelho
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creative it list: yoshitaka amano
At one point during high school, I wished I had the hands of Yoshitaka Amano.
Amano is a Japanese illustrator whose body of work reaches across several genres including anime (Tori no Uta, Vampire Hunter D, Angel’s Egg), video games (Final Fantasy), illustrations, and paintings. He has also collaborated with writers illustrating pieces like Hideyuki Kikuchi’s “Vampire Hunter...
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growing pains
Mistakes are like pretentious wolves. The it-will-pass-and-you’ll-get-over-it bit is hardly ever true. We had it easy when we were kids, like having a reset button. You make a mistake, cry about it a little, and move on. The consequences were minimal and people won’t accuse of anything but being innocent.
All of it, of course, eventually changes.
Making mistakes become dangerous...
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the little things give you away
The human emotion is a complicated terrain to navigate. No matter how many times you walk forward, and move on; sometimes you keep coming back to that same spot, that same emotion. But every single time, something changes. The air is different, the sky less blue, and your footsteps heavier.
Most adults will tell you that every time a part of you is broken, you can always recover the pieces and...
August 2011
4 posts
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a letter to my self-deprecating side
Someday, mistakes won’t hurt as much as they used to. And the things that once broke your heart will just be silly reminders of way back whens.
In the meantime, allow yourself to cry, feel hurt, and be depressed over the most random and petty of things. Get mad when you feel like it and pretend to be happy when you have to. Tell people you’re fine when you’re not. Eat what you...
July 2011
2 posts
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June 2011
2 posts
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May 2011
2 posts
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