Friday, January 25, 2019

Graphic Design Superstar: James Victore























James Victore is an American art director, graphic designer, and author who was born in 1962. He teaches design at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. His work is described as strong, sexy, and memorable. Much of his artwork is typographically driven and usually includes a statement concerning inspiration, politics, or society. Some words that come to my mind when I view his work are motivational, funny, scribbly, handwritten, thought provoking, imperfect, sarcastic, and opinionated.




James Victore prints for Holstee 2015



























Holstee is a motivational community that provides a variety of inspirational art and content to their members. The Holstee website describes their content as "a moment of inspiration and clarity delivered to your mailbox every month."

"Holstee Manifesto" holstee.com Written by brother Dave & Mike Radparvar in 2009










I really love this set of prints James Victore created for the company Holstee. Done in his signature, messy, handwritten style, they were made to inspire other creative people, something Victore has always been passionate about.






James Victore "Celebrate Columbus" poster 1991

“Celebrate Columbus” came from my own desires and frustrations as a designer to use my abilities to comment on the news, society and culture. I wanted to use my work to make a statement, to work as a visual journalist to comment on culture and society. Printing and wheat pasting 2,000 posters around NYC can be very expensive. As a 29 year old designer, I did not have a lot of money hanging around, except for the dollars earmarked for rent— so I used my rent money. Thus began an obsession with posters (and a bad business plan).
    The only problem with the ‘rent money technique’ is that every few months, the doorbell would ring and waiting downstairs was a man in a suit. He would hand me some papers—eviction notices— and say, “You are served.”
    These legal notices were proof of my conviction— the price I had to pay to make posters. My girlfriend at the time was not happy about the eviction notices— she, too, was the price of my freedom." James Victore, Behance









Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Art of the Title Favorite

I chose the opening title sequence for "Almost Famous" because it is my favorite film of all time. I love the aesthetic of the entire movie. The handwritten credits and shots of backstage passes, album covers, and hotel memorabilia set the tone perfectly for what the movie is about. I think the choice of The Chipmunks Christmas song is funny because it never looks like wintery in California. We also  see shots of surfers, old cars, and the pier letting us know what era and environment the story is set in.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/almost-famous/

The title sequence was designed by Chuck Cohen, Director of Photography

Almost Famous (2000) was directed by Cameron Crowe and based on his own experiences as a teen rock writer in the 1970's.


Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Project 1: Continuous Line Squirrel


Word List:
acorns
nuts
tree
perch
branch
cheeks *
dog chasing
bushy
tail
hyper
fat
plump *
birdfeeder
park
flying *
gray
roadkill
flattened *
parks
oak tree
fidgeting
hand fed
burying nuts
bulking
slim
nests
attic
gutter
rooftop
pests
vermin
on a spit
powerlines *
electrocute
claws *
chew
whiskers *
upright
attentive
tame
rodent
rabies
front teeth *
furry
rocky
fences *
agile
curly *



My thumbnail sketches.



More thumbnail sketches





Inspiration photos of Philippe Petit:









Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Saul Bass Favorite

Vertigo film poster by Saul Bass

























Saul Bass' poster for the film "Vertigo" is one of my favorites. The design truly captures how vertigo feels. I love the beautiful white spiral and the black silhouette of the man.