Joe Baron Design Presents The Designer's Blog

Design Critic by N.C. Winters

2012-01-28T12:33:00.001-05:00

click to enlarge

Simply Complicated Spring 2012 Sneak Peek

2012-01-26T09:38:00.001-05:00

T-shirt company Simply Complicated are going to release their new Spring collection on January 31st. You can see a sneak peek of the 6 tees in the video above.

Best Looking Beer Cans

2012-01-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

For all you packaging designers out there, this might tickle your fancy. YouthDesigner.com showcases what they believe are some of the best looking beer cans. I will say that some of them are on point and designed well. The two photos I posted are some they chose. You can view their chosen beer cans here.

Sticker Mule contest over at Gomediazine

2012-01-24T09:21:00.000-05:00

Lately I've seen Sticker Mule contests popping up on design blogs and that's not a bad thing at all, especially if you're a fan of stickers. If you have a design that you want printed you can head over to Sticker Mule and/or you can try to win a chance to have some stickers made free over at the contest at Gomediazine. I have stickers I want made, so I'm going to enter.

If you're wondering about Sticker Mule stickers, they are some good quality stickers. I've used them and I do like them and their customer service is on point. They're a company I stand behind and recommend.
Head over to Sticker Mule if you want to get your stickers made right now.

New prints by Craig Robson

2012-01-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

Artist Craig Robson has some new silkscreened prints available in his store. They are hand printed onto 10 X 12" 300gsm plum Canford paper. They are strictly limited to 30 individually stamped and numbered prints. The prints shipped first class ROLLED in a protective tube.

Purchase here http://daggersforteeth.bigcartel.com/

Photoshop for LIFE contest by Appsumo

2012-01-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

Appsumo is having a great contest, because YOU have the chance to win Photoshop for LIFE. That would be awesome. This ends January 20th at 11:59 CST. Tweet, share on Linked In, like it on Facebook, pass along the link. I'm definitely going after this, but hey maybe you might be the lucky one to get this awesome deal.

Participate here.
http://www.appsumo.com/~7FAaa/

Cool Tron & Tron Legacy Posters by Martin Ansin

2012-01-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

Martin Ansin has some really great work and I think you should take a look at his portfolio for more inspiration. View his site at http://martinansin.com/

Click the photos to enlarge.

Burning Desire Illustration by Me, Joe Baron

2012-01-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

One of my goals this year is to create more fine art work, besides making some digital art. This was a fun and relaxing little illustration. I entitled this "Burning Desire." This is on a 5" x 7" canvas and I used black and gray markers. I don't know why, but it looks a lot better in person, than when I scanned this. Either way I like it and has me focused on making something better next time I pick up my markers to work on a new drawing.

Art Prints from Paul Granese

2012-01-16T09:04:00.001-05:00

Artist Paul Granese has a couple prints that you may like to frame and have in your home/office. They were originally sold at an art show, but he has a few left over. You can purchase one of these bad boys for $15. My favorite has definitely have to be his "Time & Tremors" print. They are screenprinted posters on heavyweight A3 matte finish paper. 11"x 15" You can purchase his prints at http://www.paulgranesesucks.bigcartel.com/

Android Apps for Designers

2012-01-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

If you own an Android you may want to take a look at the apps that DesignrFix.com listed on their site. From Fontest which can help you with viewing fonts on mobile devices to Color Dictionary. There are some apps that I feel are worth checking out.
Check out the list here

Comic Stormtrooper clones

2012-01-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

This is might be a geek favorite, but either way I thought it was kind of cool. The line art was done by Jon Bolerjack, while the colors was done by JJ Kirby.

Computer Arts- Create better annual reports

2012-01-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

Computer Arts has a very useful guide on how to create better annual reports for companies. The notes highlight on subjects on focusing on the back cover like you would focus on the front, what typeface is best used for the reports, and more. You can read the article here.

Sports Mascot Logo- Grizzly Bear by me

2012-01-06T15:43:00.001-05:00

One of my goals is to create more sports logos/mascots. I post every now and then of sports logos and mascots, so this is another one, except it was done by me. I always wanted to create some bears mascot and here it is. I chose the colors for the helmet and the face mask. It's okay, I'm not completely satisfied, so I'm sure my next go around on a bear mascot will be a lot better.

Hydro74 Cobra Time Lapse video

2012-01-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

Hydro74 Cobra Time-Lapse from Joshua Smith on Vimeo.

Mini Bub Munny Time Lapse Drawing by Me

2012-01-03T21:19:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I thought it would be fun to kick off the new year on my blog with something done by me. I recorded myself working on my first Kid Robot Mini Bub munny. If you don't know they are vinyl figurines that you can customize yourself. I know I have plenty of improvement and I kind of felt what method works best after awhile. I started off with pencil and then followed it up with my markers. I think I would like to try using paint next time around and see if that's any easier. Also, recording wasn't as easy as I'd hope for either. I think if with this video I'm one step closer in being a hand model.

-Joe Baron

Creating Goals

2011-12-31T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of 2011 and it's been a wacky year from pop culture to the more and more designs. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of the world, if you happen to believe that sort of thing. Either way people tend to start resolutions for the new year, that's all fine and dandy, but how many people follow through. Resolutions are kind of a joke, because it's a fantasy. You can start a goal anytime, but once you title it a "resolution" it becomes hard to follow through. Let's just keep it simple and not create a new word for it.

I did have a goal sometime before 2010 that in 2011 I will create "365 days of creativity". Originally I wanted to post it on my blog and then I realized I preferred to keep my personal project personal and only share what I felt like. It was something I want to accomplish on my own and I did enjoy sharing it, but besides it being difficult to post everyday, it was something I wanted to do for myself. I felt like there was some added pressure to share with the world what I've done and I don't know who really wanted to see it. I had fun doing pursuing it and trying to get better, which is great. Having fun achieving your goals is important. I know some goals suck, but you can try.

What was important about my goal or any other goal I have in particular is writing my goal down. Writing down your goals and having it visible is crucial in reminding you to achieve it. About a month ago I picked up a dry erase board to write down my goals, I'm not saying you should get one, but having it on a post it on your fridge or some where visible is important. Chances of you achieving after your goal when you see it everyday will be a lot higher than when you don't.

I hope your new goals in the future go very well for you. Whether you're trying to improve as a designer, businessman, becoming a road scholar, losing weight, whatever it may be, just focus and get on trucking.

-Joe Baron

A multilayered photoshop surreal portrait

2011-12-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

Digital Arts Online has a tutorial from Rob Shields. Rob takes us through how he composited The Rose, his contribution to the Restoration phase, using a mixture of photographic and painted elements. He also explains how you can achieve more organic portraiture when you’re working digitally. The tutorial covers digital painting techniques and gives some advice on colour and composition, as well as different effects that will help to integrate your physical work into the digital world.

Click here to read the tutorial

Just My Type by Luke Lucas

2011-12-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

Luke Lucas created this and submitted it for the Go Font Yourself exhibition. View more of his typography designs here http://www.behance.net/Luke_Lucas

Close up:

Passionately Curious

2011-12-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure who put this together, but this quote should be shared.

Dave Tevenal: Tattoo Flash

2011-12-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

David Tevenal: Tattoo Flash from Seanie G Productions on Vimeo.

A quick montage giving some insight on how artist David Tevenal does his tattoo flash. This is badass, well at least I think so.

Check out Dave Tevenal's website here: davetattoos.com

Music: Dodge & Fuski - Python
facebook.com/dodgeandfuski

Inspiration: Liam Brazier

2011-12-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

Liam Brazier does a very good job of creating illustrations with geometric shapes. His work remind of stained glass windows through the shapes and the vibrant colors. If you wish to see more of Liam Brazier's art then click here to view his portfolio.

Inspiration: Chris King

2011-12-27T09:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some art done by fulltime illustrator Chris King. You can view his portfolio here http://www.chriskingillustration.com/ He also has a couple prints available for sale like the image above here

15+ Illustrator Tutorials on retro effects & vintage lettering

2011-12-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Vector Tuts has compiled a list of vintage & retro effect tutorials from across the web. If you're looking to add some more tools in your design toolbox, check it out.

Click here to view

AppSumo + Sticker Mule Die Cut Stickers Sale

2011-12-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

Daily deal site for designers AppSumo has a new deal up for anyone interested in die cut stickers. They teamed up with Sticker Mule to create 50 3"x3" die cut stickers for only $29. That's a pretty good deal for die cut stickers. I have personally used StickerMule.com and there stickers are made of real good quality. The Statue of Liberty Gangsta stickers for Branded Baron was made from Sticker Mule

Make sure you sign up, so you can see the deal and the daily deals that App Sumo provides you. Check out the Sticker Mule deal and the other deals here http://www.appsumo.com/sticker-mule-holiday-special/

Vintage Wooden Photoshop Brush

2011-12-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

Download these Vintage Wooden Photoshop brush at Creative Nerds.

Pencil vs Camera by Ben Heine

2011-12-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

More work like this on Ben Heine's website http://www.benheine.com/

Most beloved street art photos of 2011

2011-12-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

Street Art Utopia provided 106 beloved street art photos. Some of them are really good showcasing talent, creativity, and a touch of wit. The ones I am showing on my blog are some of my favorite ones. You can look through the photos by visiting Street Art Utopia's site here.

Click on the photos to enlarge

Branded Baron Buttons

2011-12-20T12:35:00.000-05:00

Great for last minute gifts and stocking stuffers. Buy yours for $.50 at http://www.brandedbaron.com
Choose between the Ace of Spades and the Crown buttons. The missile buttons are sold out.

Art by Cody Vrosh

2011-12-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

Here is some work by Cody Vrosh and if you would like, they can be purchased at Cody's etsy store.

Video: Control tonality w/ Photoshop's Black & White filter

2011-12-20T11:36:00.002-05:00

Control tonality with Photoshop's Black & White filter from Computer Arts on Vimeo.

How to Motivate Yourself: 14 Easy Ways

2011-12-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Inc.com provides you a list of 14 ways to keep you motivated. Read the article by clicking here

Zombie Wrapping Paper by Think Geek

2011-12-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

ThinkGeek.com has some interesting and cool items for sale. If you're looking for something to get that's definitely out of the ordinary, I suggest checking them out. Zombies and vampires have been all the rave recently, but only one has their own wrapping paper. The zombie wrapping paper is $5.99 plus shipping, which you can choose, and it makes the present much more special when its next to all those traditional Christmas wrapped gifts. The quality of the paper is quite nice too and I had to order some more of them. It comes in 4 20" x 24" sheets and I feel like it's worth it. If you have any issue Think Geek's customer service is nice and very helpful.

T-shirt Sketchbook now available

2011-12-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a creative Christmas gift or even something for yourself, the t-shirt sketchbook is a good one. Pukka/Dank manufactured this t-shirt sketchbook that contains 170 pages for you to get your creative juices flowing. You may not have to be a t-shirt designer, but it'll be fun doodling all over while helping you get into your zone. For $15, I say it's worth it, but then again I love sketchbooks and fill them up pretty quickly.

Purchase the T-shirt Sketchbook here: http://www.pukkadank.com/products/t-shirt-sketchbook

Lead & Light Winter 2011

2011-12-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

Lead & Light released a couple new t-shirts as well as one new hoodie, which is all printed on American Apparel. I'm not sure if they have any printed tags inside the shirt, but the one shirt I own from them did not, so chances are it's only 1 color design you're paying for. I personally like his "Only Paper" design with a dollar bill is shredded. I believe it's the textures that are used in the design that makes these tees look good. The hoodie costs $40, while tees cost $22, plus $5 shipping and your state's tax. Buy shirts here. http://www.leadandlight.org/store.html

Only Paper

Free Shipping from Branded Baron

2011-12-08T20:28:00.000-05:00

Get your graphic tees, hoodies, buttons, and poster at http://www.brandedbaron.com

Intense Stippling by Miguel Endara

2011-12-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

Artist Miguel Endara created "Hero" using 3.2 million ink dots. That's a lot of stippling and the outcome looks good. The illustration is after his hero, his dad. Check out www.miguelendara.com

Indie Game Dev Bundle Out Now!

2011-12-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

3DOcean, GraphicRiver, ActiveDen and AudioJungle are proud to announce the release of the Indie Game Dev Bundle! Containing more than $500 of the best game development resources including 3D models, Unity game starter kits, textures, audio packs and more, all for only $20! It will inspire you to get your game on. This offer will only be available until 12pm on Monday the 12th of December, AEDT. So secure your copy of this unbeatable deal now and get creative!

Buy the games for $20 HERE

Making of a futuristic city Photoshop Tutorial

2011-12-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

CG Arena give you a brief description on how to make the above image in Photoshop. Read the tutorial here.

InDesign Tutorial: Create an Interactive Magazine for the iPad

2011-12-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

For this tutorial you’ll need InDesign CS5 or later, Photoshop, and the Mag+ plug-in. Publishing on a tablet device is in vogue now. This tutorial will get you up to speed with a workflow for creating iPad destined digital magazines. Learn how a popular fashion magazine is brought to fruition on the iPad and how you can do it with your own publication.

Read this tutorial here

Vector Pack- Trees

2011-12-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

10 highly detailed vector trees with their shadows. You can change colors with ease and size for perspective with no quality loss. Just drag and drop into your design to create any type of forest in seconds.

Download this pack from Pixeden here

Watercolor face paintings by Mario Bolognesi

2011-12-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

Here are some cool water color face paintings. The colors chosen really help enhance the emotion depicted on the face. I have even seen one of his paintings appear on an older t-shirt by Tank Theory. You can view more work from Mario Bolognesi on his website here: http://www.marion-b.com/

Inspiration: Pablo Jeffer Da Silva

2011-12-05T09:09:00.000-05:00

Here are some pieces from Pablo Jeffer Da Silva's portfolio that you can use as inspiration. A lot of his stuff is vector art and they look good. View more of his work here.

Montreal Meets 2

2011-11-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

Montreal Meets 2: Speakers Announcement from Montreal Meets on Vimeo.

Here is a what Montreal Meets is from their website
"
The idea is simple. To connect with the creative world. This is our main goal. To create events that will make people get inspired by the design industry. Especially by the people mastering their vision. We want you to joins us on the exploration of the unknown. It's also an opportunity for you to learn from the people of the industry. It's their gift to us. It's our legacy!"

The speakers line-up for the upcoming Montreal Meets 2 Event of April 7th and 8th, 2012.

(No Specific Order)

Fabio Sasso | Abduzeedo.com
James White | Blog.Signalnoise.com
Radim Malinic | BrandNu.co.uk
Shelby White | Blog.Wanken.com
Scott Hansen | Blog.ISO50.com

Spread the word

François Hoang / Aoiro.
aoirostudio.com/v3

Credits:
Montreal Meets Images by Aly Youssef
Shelby White by Ian Matteson
Scott Hansen / Tycho by Tim Navis
Music by Vital | thevitalep.com

For more information: MontrealMeets.ca

I don't do ART for free by PearlEden

2011-11-30T08:44:00.000-05:00

This is a true phrase.
See more work from Pearl Eden here

Dark Bronze Skin Tones Tutorial

2011-11-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

Here's a tutorial on changing the colors of a portrait and giving it a bit of a darker tone. As you can tell from the picture above, it gives the image a bit more dramatic look. I came across this tutorial a couple years ago from FubarGenre and liked it. I figured maybe someone else out there might like this simple tutorial and apply it to their work.

Click here to read this tutorial

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T17:35:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Here's an illustration that also fits today's day for all who celebrate this holiday. Turkey &Football! I hope you all have a very happy thanksgiving, eat well, enjoy friends, family, and the festive atmosphere. This illustration was done by J.C. Leyendecker.

Vanessa Lake & tentacle by Serge Birault

2011-11-24T17:24:00.000-05:00

Serge Birault also known as Papa Ninja released his new digital illustration. A friend of mine showed his work in progress to me and then I came across this image on tumblr and thought the final product is really well done. Serge definitely has a knack for creating some really good digital illustrations. I liked the added touch of the tattoo on his arm. Hair is difficult to do in general whether you're using traditional art tools or with a wacom tablet. He based the model Vanessa Lake. It's amazing what you can do in Photoshop.

Click on the image above for a larger view

Thread's Not Dead by Jeff Finley Black Friday Sale

2011-11-22T13:04:00.000-05:00

For those who are interested in running a t-shirt company or any graphic designers interested in working with companies, this ebook is very good. I personally read it and I'm a big fan. There's a lot of useful information and I recommend anyone interested in the subject to purchase one.

Since Black Friday is coming up there will be a 25% off coupon on the ebook. Unfortunately if you were looking for the physical copy that coupon will not be valid. The ebook does come in a pdf format that is easy to read and I've read it on my iPad perfectly fine.

Get 25% off @jeff_finley's ebook Thread's Not Dead with #coupon code BLKFRI2011 (ebook only) http://threadsnotdead.com

Propaganda Posters by Aaron Wood

2011-11-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

Autop-sea by Monaux

2011-11-22T02:45:00.000-05:00

Here is an illustration by Karl Kwasny aka Monaux that I wanted to share.

NEXT: The future of T-shirt graphics

2011-11-22T02:40:00.000-05:00

NEXT: The future of T-shirt graphics from T-world on Vimeo.

1,000+ T-shirts on display
150+ T-shirt artists, designers and labels
40+ exclusive portrait photographs by Nicole Reed
15+ T-shirts of the future from high profile local and international artists and designers

Presented by T-world, NEXT is dedicated to the past, present and future of the T-shirt industry. From November 4 to December 11, the intriguing industrial spaces of Sydney’s Cockatoo Island will come alive with the Outpost Project – a world-class showcase of street art. Within the cavernous steel confines of the Heavy Machine Shop lies NEXT, a vibrant display of the planet's most comprehensive collection of graphic T-shirts.

In 2011, whether you’re an advocate for design, graffiti, skate, street or urban, the T-shirt is the singular identifying uniform speaking the voice of youth culture.

Presented by T-world
facebook.com/Tworld.Journal

Directed by VERSUS
versusmedia.com.au

Music by:
Squabz soundcloud.com/squabz
OneTwoStudios onetwostudios.com.au

VIDEO: How To Draw Sports Logos: Text Beveling by Fraser Davidson

2011-11-16T18:25:00.000-05:00

I was looking at Fraser Davidson's site and he has a couple videos on creating sports logos. You can definitely check out the rest here. I happen to really like this text beveling tutorial and it was helpful. Maybe it'll be useful for you as well.

Badass Goomba & Koopa Illustration

2011-11-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

This illustration comes from Darren Calvert.

How to make money from your personal work

2011-11-14T09:18:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey Bowman wrote an article for Computer Arts about how to make money with your personal work. It's a small article, but I agree with the points made. It's very good to have an online store, because you have people from anywhere that can purchase your designs. Plus, having an online store can potentially make you money when you're not working, which is always great. Besides having someone purchase something that you loved working on feels amazing.

Now to read what Jeffrey Bowman wrote click here.

Free Vintage Labels

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

PixEden created 4 vintage style labels for you to use.

Click here to download

Create a vintage label

2011-11-14T08:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a tutorial on creating a vintage label. This will give you a nice base, before you add your own flare to your label.

Click here to read

Some kind of artists featuring ME

2011-11-10T01:42:00.000-05:00

My former coworker and friend Dana Calabrese has a blog called "Some kind of artist" and she featured me along with other wonderful artists. Not all are digital artists, some are singers, photographers, or as she puts it "some kind of artist." She has me as a clothing designer for the work I've done for Branded Baron which is cool and I thank her for it. So, Dana I know you're reading this, Thank you!

The other artists are talented and Dana is as well. She's a very creative person and I think right now she's working in L.A. as a photo retoucher, but when she gets in her zone she creates some awesome work. I know she loves photography and she has fun when she works in photoshop as well. Definitely check out her blog, because there are some good posts on photography and art related stuff as well.

See the feature here: http://danaleecalabrese.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-kind-of-artists.html

Coventry Bears by Ink Tycoon

2011-11-10T01:33:00.000-05:00

One artist who's mascot I work is Mike Ray from Ink Tycoon. I'm sure if you used iStockphoto and looked for certain illustrations you may have come across his work. His creations are vector and clean, I know, because I had to find an image for a project one time and I ended up using one of his. I can appreciate good vector art and I also like mascot logos. I wanted to share with you his branding for the Rugby team Coventry Bears. You can see the sketch and the final result with the logo on the team jerseys.

Sketch

You can see the logo being worn on the left side

Fraser Davidson Interview at Noupe.com

2011-11-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

Noupe.com has an interview with motion graphic designer and sports branding specialist Fraser Davidson. Being that I enjoy sports branding, I thought this was an interesting article.

Here is a comment he made regarding on what his process is like regarding sports logos:

"Its important that logos have movement and the feeling that you have captured a particular attitude or emotion"

Read the interview here

15 Free Vintage & Stained Paper Textures

2011-11-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

You can never have too many textures in your toolbox, so here are some great textures to add to your design arsenal. These textures were brought to you by Lost & Taken's Caleb Kimbrough. Enjoy.

View Lost & Taken site with a preview of all the textures here
Download Zip

Photoshop Hidden Gem: Automated Lens Correction

2011-11-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

In this tutorial, Photoshop Senior Product Manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes shares how common lens artifacts like distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting can be easily corrected with Photoshop CS5.

View the video above or watch it on Youtube here

Cap'n America

2011-11-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

Here is a fun design I created. I haven't seen anyone parody Cap'n Crunch and Captain America like this, so I decided to combine both of them. It was fun creating this piece.

OFFICIAL TRAILER: Ctrl+Alt+Compete

2011-11-03T22:21:00.000-04:00

Ctrl+Alt+Compete is a new documentary that takes a revealing look at the startup and emerging business scene through the eyes of 5 founders and their teams and tells a story of the passion, fortitude and insanity that is bringing a startup to life. We'll follow these visionaries as they face the challenges and obstacles of making their vision a reality alongside the insights and analysis of seasoned, industry watchers and tech sector pioneers.

http://www.ctrl-alt-compete.com
http://twitter.com/CtrlAltCompete

Halloween art by Simon Weaner

2011-10-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

Sticking with the halloween theme, this was done by Simon Weaner. Check out the portfolio here: http://majora28.carbonmade.com/

Super Mario Halloween Pumpkin

2011-10-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

I don't know why I'm posting this, but I was feeling festive and never seen anyone carve a Super Mario pumpkin and decided to show it. This is unfortunately not mine, but a fellow graphic designer friend of mine who did this with his girlfriend who is another graphic designer as well. I don't know, it's cool and halloween is coming.

Zombie Homer Simpson 3D

2011-10-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

Homer Simpson gets a 3D zombie redesign in deviantARTist TranzorZ3D’s new fan art model. We even get an original Homer to compare to.
“Mmmmmmm braaaaains…” - Zombie Homer
Zombie Homer Simpson / Original by TranzorZ3D

Klopenstein T-shirt by Skummie

2011-10-19T08:29:00.000-04:00

A new well done fun horror t-shirt done by graphic artist/designer Kory "Skummie" Schuerman. He has a cool rugged style which has been used for clients like Metallica, Pantera, Guns N Roses, and more. This particular design is a new shirt off his personal line and for $20 it gets you this American Apparel t-shirt and a free collectible postcard that is signed and numbered from the artist.

You can buy this shirt here http://store.skummie.com/product/klopenstein

Sticker giveaway from Winter Artwork

2011-10-14T09:24:00.000-04:00

Designer Winter Artwork is giving away some stickers that fit the festive Halloween spirit.

There will be a new sticker pack winner for the next 13 days!
check out my FB page for more details!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=290861047608628&set=a.184614381566629.50926.150149308346470&type=1&ref=nf

Sped up Poster Proces by DKNGStudios

2011-10-14T09:18:00.001-04:00

Explosions in the Sky - Poster Process from DKNG Studios on Vimeo.

Fright Rags Breast Cancer T-shirt

2011-10-13T11:50:00.001-04:00

Fright Rags is a horror movie themed t-shirt company and they hired BeastPop Artworks for this Breast Cancer tee.

Here's the info from Fright-Rags' website:

Last year we released this t-shirt to help a friend of ours as she battled a very aggressive breast cancer. The sales of this shirt helped us raise over $7000 to help her and her family through this trying time.

The outpouring of support and messages we received when we put this shirt out was incredible. I had not realized how many of our customers had been affected by this deadly disease. So this year we decided to bring back the We Belong Alive shirt design to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

HOW LONG WILL THIS SHIRT BE AVAILABLE?
As a result, we are allowing pre-orders for this shirt until Sunday, October 23. Since it is a pre-order item, I ask that you allow 4-5 weeks for it to ship. If we have any left over after shipping our orders, we will make those limited quanitites available on the website until they sell out.

HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU DONATING AND WHERE IS IT GOING?
60% of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt will be donated to METAvivor (www.metavivor.org) to help the research of metastatic breast cancer.

PRE-ORDER HERE AND HELP SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE!

Yuko Shimizu art

2011-10-10T10:47:00.000-04:00

Here are two illustrations from Yuko Shimizu that I felt like sharing. You can view more of Yuko's work here: http://www.yukoart.com/

Clever Oliver Sacks Book Covers

2011-10-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

Coming this weekend from RIPT Apparel

2011-10-07T10:37:00.000-04:00

I'm personally digging the Street Fighter design. I might cop a hoodie and tee, maybe. I know a tee will definitely be mine. The other design, I don't really get the reference and even if I did I still think I would not care for it.

Photoshop Mastery: 25 Techniques Every Designer Must Know

2011-10-03T11:06:00.000-04:00

Here's a link provided by WeGraphics showing some techniques and actions that everyone should know. Photoshop is a great program and learning new shortcuts or anything that will beneficial is a win in my book.

Click here to read

The earth without art

2011-09-29T09:53:00.001-04:00

This piece is brought to you by "theinksociety.etsy.com"

I Am AN Artist - Truth

2011-09-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

I just came across this and had to post this.
No Spec work

Dead Wrestler's Society Exhibition -WWF

2011-09-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

There's a new exhibition honoring former wrestlers who have passed. I must say this was cool to see, because I remember when I a used to watch wrestling when I was a young child, even attending a WWF event at Madison Square Garden and enjoying some of the performances by some of the wrestlers depicted. Here's some of the art from this exhibition.

The Dead Wrestlers Society Show opened on 21st September at Aspex Gallery, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth - and runs until 30th October.

Double Click to enlarge the images.

Johnny Cupcakes X Nickelodeon Tomorrow!

2011-09-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

Johnny Cupcakes will be releasing their latest collaboration t-shirts. They released previous t-shirt collaborations with Warner Bros. and Hello, Kitty, but now it's time for Nickelodeon. Johnny Cupcakes puts out a limited amount of t-shirts and they're not reprinted, so if you like them and it brings back memories, I suggest your purchase them. If you can justify the $35.99 price tag that is great. The print is good for the most part, not the best, sometimes they use soft inks, but the shirts are soft. They have a hemtag and a mitten for the tag on the inside, which is smooth and won't scratch the back of your neck.

Check out the video about this project here: http://youtu.be/aNXkQJe8tuk
Expect to see the shirts released online tomorrow http://www.johnnycupcakes.com/.

Lovin IT

2011-09-23T11:36:00.000-04:00

This was apparently sold at Teefury.com yesterday and this image is quite creepy. The combo of a Stephen King horror story mixed with the friendly Ronald McDonald is funny.

Clever Victoria's Secret Ad

2011-09-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

7th Ink Releases Haunted Collection Series 2

2011-09-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

3 new designs that are out on t-shirts and hoodies from 7th Ink. There's an nifty laser engraved wooden box set that contains all the shirts, but for $95.00. The best piece out from 7th Ink's latest collection is the "Midnight Owl" which has two different colorways, the blue colorway is limited to 10 pieces. I remember voicing my opinion when Matt asked publicly which of the 4 colorways worked best for this design. I think the outcome is very well done, with the owl being very eery and for lack of a better word haunting. It's by far the best piece with the red or blue colored circular pattern in the background. The design that I am not a fan of at all is "Shakespeare's Wolf". That is released on a navy blue tee and navy blue hoodie. I believe he nailed it with the colors, but the illustration does not strike me as one that should be worn. He made a werewolf and added a skull with the quote from Hamlet to give it a theme, but it's just not horrifying cool.

The tees are $25 while the hoodie is $45 and they come with a limited edition wooden engraved coin. 7th ink prints on American Apparel. Having owned t-shirts from them, the colors are nice and the ink doesn't fade. The downside is that it's a bit heavy and think if they printed with waterbase or discharge inks, it would make it top notch. The personal touch added to the package is great for brand loyalty, but I believe Matt does it with a sincere "thank you" to all those who purchased from his company. So, when you receive that note thanking you and hoping you enjoy that shirt, feel good that he cares about you, the customer. Overall, it's a good release and from a brand that cares on providing you with something awesome to wear.

Things aren't always Black and White

2011-09-21T13:43:00.000-04:00

Mega Man 2 Arcade Design by Derek Deal

2011-09-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

From Derek Deal about this piece:

Here’s my piece for the Video Game show opening tonight at Gallery 1988 Venice. It’s a tribute to my favorite platform game of all time, Mega Man 2, and is inspired by classic Nintendo arcade panel art of the 80s a la Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr & Popeye. I’ve always been hugely inspired by arcade machine art since i basically grew up in game rooms, and because Mega Man was never in the arcade I decided i wanted to take a crack at creating the panel art as if it had.
Screen prints will be available at the gallery starting tonight Sept 16th - Oct 6th. Thanks to Mama’s Sauce printing for knocking it out of the park for me once again!
18x25 4 color screen prints on 100lb French Lemon Drop paper. Edition of 50

Bill Gates & Steve Jobs Biographical Infographic

2011-09-16T15:07:00.002-04:00

Click to enlarge

If you want to see the original post, please go to

WebDesignShock.

Jay Wise Shoelace Design Process

2011-09-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted a design of mine, so here is the latest creation. Hip Hop artist Jay Wise is a "sneakerhead", he literally has two closet full of sneakers and he wanted his name created in shoelaces. I originally took a pair of shoelaces and tried creating his name with them. I wanted to get the shapes, take a picture, and work on it on the computer. Well, the shoelaces did not go as planned and were quite difficult to form a letter, although I was able to create a mean "O", but there's no "O" in Jay Wise. I decided that sketching would obviously work best, so I sketched it out and finally came up with one I liked.

The design was only going to work in script, but I wanted it to be fun and wavy. I felt I was able to achieve that when I worked on it in Illustrator. I like the text by itself, but felt it needed an outline, which I feel is better. Lucky for me, Jay loved them both, so they'll be used in designs for him.

Feel free to comment

Live With Art, It's Good For YOU

2011-09-14T08:55:00.002-04:00

The Joker's "Why So Serious" Typography

2011-09-14T08:50:00.000-04:00

The fact that this whole image is made up of letters aside from the eyes, it is incredible. For those unfamiliar, it's a line that the Joker says in the Batman movie "The Dark Knight" Once I came across this image, it had to be shared. Good typographic images are always impressive and Edno Pereira Jr. definitely made an awesome design. View more work here http://jrdragao.deviantart.com/

Color Illustration from Zakhar Krylov

2011-09-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

The colors caught by eye and I love it. The concept of the drips forming a face is also a nice touch and you can't if the face is crying due to the drips or is it just closing its eye and having the paint form the face. I appreciate what Zakhar Krylov has done and if you want to see more of his work click here

The Essential Part of Creativity...

2011-09-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

$10 Ten Buck Tony Sale at Threadless

2011-09-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

For 48 hours you can purchase Threadless tees for $10 including some of their hoodies!

http://www.threadless.com

How to make a car advertisement

2011-09-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

Polish graphic designer Wojciech Magierski posted a tutorial on how to create a car advertisement just like the one shown above. This is a very good tutorial and worth reading.

Click here to read tutorial

Branded Baron - The Force Graff T-shirt

2011-08-26T10:48:00.002-04:00

Here's a design I created for Branded Baron I think this is a cool concept that combines both graffiti and one of the most popular badasses of cinema Darth Vader. The concept pretty much came to me when I had a hard time breathing during exercising at one time.

This is available in t-shirts and tanktops. Well there's only one tank top left, but if it's your size grab it before it's gone. Tees are $21.99 & the tanktop is $15.99 w/ $2 domestic shipping.
Purchase the t-shirt here
Purchase the tanktop here

You can see the tanktop worn in the music video for hip hop artist Jay Wise. http://youtu.be/UO7JGC0aQyQ

Warphabet by Viktor Koen

2011-08-26T09:33:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge image

All I have to say is Viktor Koen has weird art. It is weird, but awesome.
http://www.viktorkoen.com

Banksy Piece

2011-08-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, this is a popular Banksy piece that someone even dressed up as for Halloween. The phrase is important and I feel should be passed along.

Redesigned Movie Posters

2011-08-26T09:03:00.000-04:00

If M.C. Escher's "Drawing Hands" was photographed

2011-08-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

Protoman Typography design

2011-08-26T08:48:00.001-04:00

If you're a fan of the Mega Man video game franchise, then you will certainly know of Protoman. This was created by Josh Mirman and it made into the Mega Man tribute book which features chosen fanart. Josh also has a limited supply of 200 shirt designs on sale at RedBubble.

Super Fighting Prototype by Josh Mirman (Blog) (deviantART) (Twitter)

VNM's "Copstopper" tee

2011-08-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

This is a very interesting t-shirt. Everyone likes to bitch about the cops and what the boys at VNM did was flip a popular shooting range piece and insert a cop. If you ever get mad at a cop, this tee is proper attire. If you shot a cop, chances are you're in jail.

This tee can be yours for only $30 at the VNM online store

Cool - Dexter Intro

2011-08-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

Cool Dexter intro made by David Smith in After Effects. I think all you Dexter fans will like it.

Envato Birthday Bundle $500 worth for $20

2011-08-22T10:31:00.002-04:00

Envato is turning 5 years old. To celebrate they have a bunch of great, awesome, and very useful items for you for $20. Yes, $500 worth of items are available for you for $20. This is only happening for 4 days!

But Joe, what the hell are we getting? Good question, made up person that I used for this article. You're getting themes and templates, codes, music loops and sound effects, video, tutorials, a couple awesome stock graphics, stock photography, flash files, and 3D graphics. Trust me, this package is worth it.

Click here to go view the whole bundle.
Enjoy, I know I am.