AFreshPerspective

ToLove;ToExplore

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Getting Real; Fashion+Design

As a graphic designer I’ve been plaguing my mind with the thought of identity. Who will I be and what will I do, what are my options once I make my way out of school? What are my strengths and weaknesses as a designer? Who can I benefit with my skill-set? These questions are all normal and frankly, important to consider.

I know as a designer you are expected to take on new tasks and to be ready to explore the unknown, but if I were able to direct my focus; where would it be? Im sure most of you who’ve been following my blog could answer that question. The aspiration to create within the fashion world is a desire and dream of mine, whether it be working for a company that focuses on attire, makeup, home&living, etc. or creating and expanding by my own means. (creating a collection and a whole lot of self-promotion)

So I started to consider how my skills as a designer could benefit a company; when I thought about it, there are many connections that can be made between fashion & graphic design: the importance of colour, layout, hierarchy, detail, etc. being apparent in both worlds. so for focus on a job or what you can realistically look at I thought :

Editorial Design; creating layouts/spreads for magazines, creating promotional advertisements, etc. Package design; creating packaging for beauty products Product Creation; self made designs & products Textile/pattern design: being so familiar with photoshop & adobe illustrator I feel that illustrating & designing a pattern is within graphs for a graphic designer. Retail/Store-Design: Setting up fixtures, creating the appropriate atmosphere to properly promote that specific business.

There are many other directions and paths that can be taken, not all are the same and there can be exceptions. These are just a few of the options I have thought of, I shall explore further and maybe update what I've discovered. :)

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Funky Fresh

Hey all; I just wanted to share 5 low-key brands that have that unique twist on fashion design; I figured it wouldn't be fair to keep these treasures hidden away from you. <3 

1) Lazy Oaf Clothing

A brand selling clothing, jewellery, accessories, stationery and art for men and women. Ugh, so I stumbled upon these guys on Instagram and fell head over heels inlove. That dorky,don’t give a shit attitude meets youthful mindset.

2) FlyingTomato

Simply sophisticated & feminine. Flying tomato takes the heart of bohemian fashion which is perfect for that free-spirited individual. Flying Tomato is heavily inspired by world travels, 70’s era, and vintage fashion.

3) MinkPink

Minkpink’s style is influenced by high-end design, lifestyle/trends, as well as street style and vintage pieces. These garments are meant to be fun, fashionable, affordable. Each piece is designed with the everyday fashionista in mind - aiming to be fit, friendly and can be worked within the wardrobe to create individual styles.

4) CheapMonday

The brand is known for their idiosyncratic designs, and has expanded from their original focus on jeans to include sneakers, flannel, and shirts.

5) Modcloth

Mod cloth is an online retailer consisting of vintage-inspired and indie clothing, accessories and decor. If you want to look like you came right out of the 60′s this is the place to shop.

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Art in Beauty

Hey all,

So as you may have noticed, I’ve been kinda all over the place exploring myself and my interests. Jumping between beauty, creating, home&living, whatever the heck really. Sorry about that, ill try to refocus myself :)

Anyways, in a prior post I mentioned a makeup collection introduced to Sephora; Rainforest of the sea by Tarte and I just so happened to have gotten my hands on a few of the products in this collection. <3

I didnt want to focus on makeup too much in this post, rather the idea behind one specific product purchased. The colour correcting face kit which contains creme based concealers/primers meant to be applied prior to a foundation and address specific problem areas. I found this interesting, and it instantly depend my love for makeup, beauty & fashion. Ive always subconsciously known the issues found within skin & skin tones but the way that makeup artists and now the general public are able to address the issues found is mind-blowing.

Im sure many of you face the same problems that I face, the unwelcome blemish that appears when you are already dealing with so many stresses in life. In the past, basic concealers have existed to assist with these issues. Providing coverage of zits, dark spots, tattoos, highlighting areas, etc.

The Tarte, Rainforest of the sea colour correction kit mentioned is one of the many examples of what is available on the market for colour correction. Introducing greens,purples, yellows, pinks, oranges, etc. Each of these colours target a specific issue. So, having a colour correcting kit is beneficial for addressing several different problem areas.

Relating to design, I’ve found that that colour correction focuses on the ideology and fundamentals of the colour wheel, how colours across from each other compliment and are essentially neutralized.

For instance, red is directly across from green on the colour wheel, the colour green in colour correction will neutralize red areas, such as acne prone skin.

Green Concealer: Neutralizes red areas, Acne Purple Concealer: Brightens dull areas, eliminates yellow undertones on your skin. Pink Concealer: Brightening around the eye area, masking signs of fatigue Yellow Concealer: Hiding blues and purples, such as veins, dark circles, and bruises. Great for evening out skin tone, gives a bright base for foundation. Orange Concealer:  Lighter skin tones should avoid, unless used as bronzer. Darker skin tones works well for dark circles or spot correcting. White Concealer: Highlighting and contouring, use sparingly. Neutral Concealer: For people will minimal problem areas, choose a shade similar to your skin tone or a shade lighter and apply to problem spots.

Resources: http://theblondeshell.com/2014/04/17/color-correcting-concealers/

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Web Design Inspiration

Hey everyone, so just wanted to update y’all with whats going on in my life right now. In class we are starting to build websites for ourselves as designers (yayyy ), Its something that will be showcasing all of the blood, sweat and tears (projects) of the last 2 years in this course. So, I starting thinking about how my website should be laid out. As a new website designer, I thought that I should probably stick to something more simplictic until I understand the program further...but it wouldn't hurt to see some of the sweet layouts done by other designers right? :)

So here is a list of a few layouts that I thought were really amazing.

1) http://www.nrly.co

2) http://www.anakin.co/en

3) http://melaniedaveid.com

4) http://www.loisjeans.com/es/ss2015/campaign

5) http://www.sbs.com.au/theboat/

6) http://melanie-f.com/en/

If you would like to explore web layouts and good design further; here are a few websites that have proven to be quite helpful.

https://www.thebestdesigns.com http://www.siteinspire.com

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Article Illustration

Hey all, So I really wanted to share with you an illustration I had done last Friday for school. We were required to create an illustration for the ladybird spider, giving insight to the endangered species reappearance into nature (big thanks to the goodhearted bug lovers) Anyways,  I was really unexcited to illustrate a spider..I mean, I draw cutesie things. Spiders aren't something I really specialize in, but in the end I really did like the turn out. A big thanks goes to textures, they are something I usually stay away from just from sheer intimidation. However, looking into it I found out that there are many ways to apply texture and for this case I just found a free AI. texture online and added it to my image. I was super stoked how it actually looked pretty natural & created interest to my illustration. It kinda gave me the courage to perhaps try and venture photoshop textures and actions.. thats something i’ve really wanted to do.  Well heres my illustration :) Thanks for listening

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Please help me collect data

Tranquility is important in every persons life, its not tangible but wouldn't it be great if it was? Maybe it will be, with your help :) I would love to identify what tranquility is, so your answers are very important to me. Thank you:)

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Rainforest Of The Sea

Hey all!

Today I kind of can't help but go off topic a little bit.. I'm a total sucker for cute design and makeup; when the two are well incorporated/collaborated I'm literally giddy like a little child.

So let's get to it already! Tarte, a well known brand at Sephora has just released a breathtaking collection called Rainforest of the sea. It features a handful of girly goodies that I can't wait to get my hands on! Let me share the top 5 on my wishlist. <3

1) Eyeshadow palette

2) Limited-edition wipeout colour-correcting palette

3)Lipsaver Treatment Primer

4)Quench Lip Rescue

5) Double-Ended Highlighter Brush

Aside from the 5 I've mentioned,  Tarte has literally released the whole works. Heres a list of the items (by name) I haven't shown above.

-A wide range of brushes -Aquacealer concealer -drink of H2O hydrating boost -so fine micro liner -deep dive cleansing gel -skin twinkle lighting palette -water foundation -drench lip splash lipstick

The design on each item is so cute and so unique but collaborate and work with each other well. Giving it a cutesie feel without being overly tacky.

The repeating pattern and vintage, art nouveau style...ugh, im inlove. Overall smart design and I'm totally sold 😍

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Jack & The Beanstalk

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Jack&TheBeanStalk

Hey everyone,

So a few weeks ago I shared a gif that I had made for class and showed a brief tutorial on how it was made in Photoshop. I had the opportunity to create another animation but this time it was created in AfterEffects, the illustration process was the same; being done in Illustrator and working in layers.

So going onto AfterEffects ,  the process was a bit different but still straight forward.

Go to Composition, create new composition. This will create the file that your animation will be laid out on, review your settings. Mainly the amount of time needed for the video, this can be adjusted later on though so don't worry to much.

So, I had created several different scenes in Illustrator, thinking a bit about how I wanted my animation to play out. I imported those scenes and that is what makes up the entirety of my animation.

To import your illustrations from Illustrator you go to File-Import- (find your file- select it. Change the setting below from footage to composition) hit okay

This will create a folder containing all the layers you created in illustrator, which I had mentioned in my last animation post. (Everything you want to animate, put in a different layer on illustrator)

From here, you drag down your folder and all the images in that file will appear in your video, of course you will need to take the time to organize the timing of everything and create the movements/effects but this is just to basically import and start your animation.

Overall I'd say AfterEffects is a pretty user friendly program and id recommend it to anyone interested in exploring animation.

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Amigurumi Love

Hey all! 

I hope everyone has had a happy Monday. Today I wanted to share with you a book that I had bought since exploring crocheting. I figured that it would be a good idea to understand and be open to all the different directions found within the crocheting world.

So, It's a fun little book called “ The Big Book of Little Amigurumi” , in this book you will find amazingly cute crocheted art. The style of these stuffed toys are traditionally from Japan.

The word amigurumi is derived from combining the Japanese word ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.

Anyways, 

These cute little toys are apparently simpler to work with in comparison to other crochet projects due to the specific and minimal stitches used. These amigururmi are created by crocheting in the round, with the use of a single crochet stitch which is easy to master.  ( not gunna lie, I still have to master crocheting in the round, it's process is a little different ) The size of these crocheted toys make for quick fun projects and I will definitely be making one when I have the chance!

Going through this book, I found that it contains a wide selection of patterns to choose from..72 in total, all unique and fun to do.

At a first glance this book seems like it would be for people who are more familiar with crocheting but going towards the back of the book there is a lot of useful information, a basic guide containing terms/abbreviations and a diagram of the stitches, also the author has provided the materials used, all of which is nice for anyone that is a beginner .

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Crochet Exploration

Hey friends! Sorry for the delay on my post but I have been super busy! Anyways I just wanted to update you on my progress with crocheting .... Yes I was being serious haha.

So I've spent some time trying to wrap my head around crocheting, there's many techniques available depend on on what you are trying to create. However, in most if not all cases crocheting will require you to make something called as a slipknot. This will be your foundation and is what will keep everything from falling apart.

That is the first thing I learned about crocheting, it's very important but easy to do!

The second thing I learned about crocheting is creating a Chain stitch, from my knowledge and from playing around with creating it, it seems to be what creates the initial length of your project. This will probably be the second stitch you'll need to learn to create a crocheted piece.

So, I got a bit confused when working on this next stitch and had to practice it a few times to really get the hang of it. It is called a Single Crochet. You will crochet the Single stitch into the Chain stitch and this will create your width .

From these three basic stitches I was able to crochet a little square which I'd like to call a coaster haha.

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Handmade Goodies

Ive always been one to be completely fascinated with the different things you can create with your hands, whether it be felting, sewing, embellishing, crocheting, etc. 

Its important to take the time to learn and gain experience, with that drive, dedication and passion you will be able to achieve any desired end goal.

So, I’ve decided that its time to learn more indepthly about a specific area of creation; first through research and then tackling the project hands on. So the first area of design I’ve been looking into further is crocheting, its something that seems so intimidating and I feel like you’d have to be taught through generations of expertice but the things that I’ve seen made from crochet needles are just breathtaking. So I’ve decided that its time to pick up a pair of needles and wool and try it myself, I think I will be trying the 4th example I’ve shared below.

So without further adue I will be sharing a few crocheted hand-made pieces that I’m absolutely inlove with, and most of these patterns are free to use so enjoy creating :)

1) Crochet Cat Bed 

http://www.eilentein.com/2012/05/pesa.html

2) Crochet Fruit Coasters

http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2013/04/crochet-fruit-coasters-pattern.html

Crochet 3d Apple Friend http://www.downgrapevinelane.com/2015/04/tutorial-crochet-apple.html

3) Crochet Blanket

http://rescuedpawdesigns.com/2015/08/12/simple-crochet-blanket-pattern/

4) Crochet Pineapple

http://crochet.craftgossip.com/page/5/

5) Crochet Cake

So as you can see, there are plenty of crafts that will spike your interest. Just take the time to learn!

For Beginners who don't know where to get started. I found this website to be extremely helpful, there are plenty of diy tutorials and projects to get you started. I will be referring to this website a lot over the next few months. :)

http://crochet.craftgossip.com

How to Slip Stitch Learn Basic Crochet Stitches

http://crochet.craftgossip.com/crochet-how-to-get-started/2015/07/25/

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Photoshop: Timeline Gif Animation

Hey all,

I just wanted to discuss the timeline tool found in Photoshop, it's an easy way to animate illustrations you've created digitally.You can create your image in Photoshop but personally I am more comfortable using Illustrator and exporting the file into Photoshop after for animating.

So it's pretty easy, all you have to do is create your image in Illustrator (which I'll talk about in my next post.,..since there might be a few people who don't know what illustrator is. But for those of you who do, perfect.) This will be a basic instruction/tutorial.

1. In illustrator; organize your image components on separate layers, esp items that you want to animate. (Eyes that blink, a smile to a frown, a wagging tail, etc) 

2. Once your satisfied with your illustration it's time to Export your image. Go to, file - export. This will open the screen where you choose the file type and name. under the Format section, select Photoshop (psd)  and click export.

After, this screen will show up. Make sure under the Options section you have Write Layers selected, hit OK.

3. Close Illustrator 4. Open your saved image in Photoshop , since you exported it this way it will show each of the separate layer instead of a flattened image.

5. In Photoshop, Click: Windows- timeline

7. From here you will lay out each frame for your animation, selecting and deselecting layers that you want to be seen in each frame. ( Notice image one has ‘Meow Text” view turned off, in the next photo it is turned on. It will play this way in the animation)

You can play your video and make changes as you see fit, when it comes to saving this animation for internet use. you will want to go to, File-Save For Web- Review the save settings and click okay.

You now have a functioning gif animation. Congrats:) I was really excited too, I'm not the most tech oriented person so I loved how user friendly this really is. Once you get the hang of it, its not so bad. Hopefully this helped:) Talk to you next week!

April Bennett

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Design Life

Hey to anyone who might be reading my blog, it’s been a while since I’ve added content to my page and I’m sorry for that.  <3

I just wanted to briefly discuss the life and process of a designer, mainly because I will be focusing my blog’s content on what interests and inspires me.

The life of a designer is a constant battle of creativity, learning, and staying relevant. For me, it’s helpful to step back and take a look at what the world has to offer. There are so many things, from natural beings to man-made structures. When I think about this I get a bit overwhelmed, what do I do? What do I pick? Well, I decide that maybe it would be helpful to see what’s trending or new in society, this might be stressful or seem pointless to some people but I find it to be a helpful route to creating good, smart design.

It’s important to strive for knowledge; when you can, learn from others. Of course know your past and what you’re familiar with but don’t be afraid to explore and take inspiration from your surroundings, learn what makes a good design. What decisions were made to create a piece that you like? Why do you like a certain design? Why is a certain colour, pattern used in this piece?  

Back to my post, I’ve been doing a bit of research for an upcoming project and I thought that creating 3d paper objects could be an interesting direction. Some of the examples I’ve seen are just stunning; creating a rounded object out of paper is no easy task. Seeing a designers process and how they create each shape is really helpful. 

Here are some examples of skillfully created 3D objects: 

  By: Charlotte Smith

By: Helen Musselwhite

By: Maria Laura Benavente

By: Wolfram Kampffmeyer

Lastly, Mr.Printables.Com.

This site has a few 3D object templates available to download for personal use and it’s absolutely FREE. I thought this was great, I get to rebuild the structure and see how it is made up. It’s hard for me to imagine a 3D shape broken down into a net, so this is extremely helpful for the creating process. Aside from the help it’s a super cute decoration to just have at home.

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Fashion Meets Art- Fab Finds

Art In Fashion

Every now and again we will see artwork take on larger influence within the fashion world. People love the look of something created and hand-done, whether it be colour combinations, styles (medium), layouts, designs, etc. Its nice to see the works of smart designers be recreated in the fashion world. I wanted to share the works of designers many of you may know and love.

I would love to do something like this one day <3 such a dream.

No1) Piet Mondrian Label: Yves Saint Laurent, 1965

This dress was inspired by artist Piet Mondrian, you will likely notice the design features the artists use of graphic black lines (both horizontally and vertically) aligning white and primary color blocks. This dress is not only an icon for Western fashion but also records the importance of Mondrian’s work during the 1960s.

No2) Fabrizio Plessi Label: Louis Vuitton, 2008

In April 2008, Louis Vuitton was in preparations to open a store in Hong Kong. The luxury giant invited Italian artist Fabrizio Plessi to partake in the designing of the boutique’s interior.

The collaboration ended with giant LED screens that featured molten gold cascading down golden walls, the design is carried over to a variety of fixtures in the store. Plessi was given the opportunity to create a bag of his own design. Fabrizio Plessi then created the Molten bag, a black tote made of EPI leather, it features a die cut LV logo that reveals a TFT LCD screen displaying the image of the same molten gold featured in the Hong Kong boutique. Plessi’s purse is limited edition with a total of 88 bags, they retail for $50,000.

No3) James Nares Label: Coach, 2012

It's super cool to see how artists actually go to work when designing for corporations. You would think the process changes when creating or something. When James Nares was given the task to create Coaches purses, he was given a large blank canvas and had him suspended doing his single stroke masterpieces!  They have created a limited edition of 175 canvas bags in black, green, blue, orange, and fuschia. One of these Nares x Coach totes will retail at around $800, which is by no means the cost of a typical canvas tote bag, but is far less expensive than the large-scale painted canvases Nares is used to selling.

No4) Takashi Murakami Label: Louis Vuitton, 2007

The Louis Vuitton began with multicoloured L’s and V’s made a bold statement when working with Takashi Murakami. The cultural masters of ‘pop art’ and ‘high fashion’ collided, leaving the masters to collaborate brilliant ideas and in turn created a mutually beneficial collection. These purses feature googly anime eyes and the happiest of flowers that are well-known within Takashi Murakamis past work.

No5) Keith Haring Label: Nicholas Kirkwood, 2011

Focusing on the crème de la crème of shoes, footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood is on-point during the collaboration with the Keith Haring Foundation. The collection was available exclusively to Joyce boutique located in Hong Kong; the full collection was later released at Mr. Kirkwood’s retail store on Mount Street, London in July 2011. Haring’s classic works such as Safe Sex and Radiant Baby were used in a bold yet playful manner. The collection is the perfect statement to Haring’s sophistication as an illustrator but also to Kirkwood’s clever and elegant approach Haring’s style.

No6) James Lilies Van Gog, Alphonse Mucha Label: Black Milk Co, 2014. 

Black Milk Co made its debue during mid 2009 and they are strictly online sellers. They are a rather new company and their story to success is different; Lillius had nothing and wanted to create things with his hands so he sold his belongings and bought a sewing machine. He then focused his sights on creating a pair of leggings; using a model and at least 10 tries he was successful with his first pair of hand-made clothing. The model asked to buy the leggings right there, she paid James and left. From this interaction, and failed attempts to get his line in-store, he moved his company online and the fan base grew like wildfire. Instead of a famous artist creating these pieces I wanted to focus on the smart approach taken with fashion when featuring works of the Masters of Art.

Reference

Cohn, H. (n.d.). The 50 Best Artist Collaborations in Fashion. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://ca.complex.com/style/2013/04/the-50-best-artist-collaborations-in-fashion/

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Simple Enjoyment- Colouring Book: Lost Ocean

It’s been years and years since I’ve owned and used a colouring book. It’s something I did more growing up when practicing colouring techniques, testing mediums, and staying within the lines haha.

So a few days ago there was a little stand in my school, when I took a closer look on what was available  (since there’s usually great deals for students) you could see the table lined with markers, paints, pens, pencils and just about everything to get someone into the basics of art.

There was a single book available and the glimmer of its gold leaf accent caught my eye instantly. It goes by the name of Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure & Colouring Book by Johanna Basford. I flipped through its pages and it contained a wide range of aquatic themed designs ready to be coloured in. I had to buy it, I mean it was marked down to 16$ instead of the usual 21$ you’d find at other retailers.

So now I have this wonderful colouring book. <3

A Little Less Blue

I looked into the illustrator and book, and it just so happens that this book has therapeutic qualities that are to help anxiety and just relax the mind. Focus on colouring, that’s it.

These colouring books have been known to make their user feel less blue; or feel a little less stressed in a world with busy schedules and never ending day-to-day tasks. It’s nice to just take a breather and rest your mind for a little. I’m sure many of you could relate. The colouring books by illustrator Johanna Basford are specifically designed for grown-ups and have topped Amazon’s bestseller lists in Canada and the United States.

An article on The Star explains why these colouring books have such a positive effect on adults:

Orem Amitay, a clinical psychologist, is not surprised by the effect of Basford’s books and others in the same genre. He likens it to how some people might go to a café to play a board game. “Anytime people feel really stressed out in a fast-paced work with high technology, doing anything that reminds them of their childhood is almost meditative,” he explains. “It brings them back, psychologically, to a simpler, slower time. People have to remember with all the technology, our brains weren’t wired for this. So anything that brings us back to our roots is soothing. “He believes colouring is one of the best ways to evoke childhood and remove stress from the adult world. “It really forces you to be focused on the now, on the present,” he said.

“If you think about it, if you’re focused on staying within the lines, getting the right colours and keeping everything together, you’re mind is not racing about the future — What do I have to do tomorrow? — And not ruminating about the past — Oh my God, how did I do so poorly in that presentation? It’s all about staying in the present. To me, that’s the No. 1 stress-relief benefit. It keeps you grounded and present in the moment.”

Art therapist and artist Kim Abramowitz, who offers programs across Toronto and out of a private practice in Thornhill, says she hasn’t seen Basford’s books but she has used colouring books with her clients.

“Any form of art can be really cathartic, really therapeutic; colouring can be a mindless activity and you can get lost in it,” she said. “It can also be a form of self-care, dedicating some time to yourself to do something you enjoy. For some people that might be exercise, reading or doing something else they enjoy. But for a lot of people turning to art is a wonderful form of self-care and self-expression.”

A Word From The Illustrator of Lost Ocean - Basford On The Guardian Newspaper.

“I think it is really relaxing, to do something analogue, to unplug; and it’s creative. For many people, a blank sheet is very daunting; with a colouring book you just need to bring the colour. Also there’s a bit of nostalgia there. So many people have said to me that they used to do secret colouring-in when their kids were in bed. Now it is socially acceptable, it’s a category of its own. These are books for adults. The art in my books is super intricate.”

My Opinion:

Aesthetic: It is a beautiful book filled with intricate pen and ink illustrations that bring to light the whimsical beauty of the vast ocean.  I love the exotic fish, coral reefs and barnacle- covered shipwrecks. The illustrations in this book are very well done and it should not be overlooked just because of the style of work that is done. The cover of this book is absolutely captivating, a intricate underwater line art laid on white background with accents of gold leaf. It’s the perfect example of organized chaos. You analyze each section of the illustration to see what is really contained in that area.

Enjoyment: I took the time to colour in one of the free templates available on Basford’s website. And I must say that it was great to relax and clear the mind of mundane tasks and problems. Just to get a breath of fresh air and bring everything back to check. I would recommend this book to anyone that lives an up beat, busy, lifestyle. This could really help bring down your stress levels, even if you just take 15 mins of your time. I also recommend this book to anyone who appreciates intricate patterns and designs; it is a great example to use when creating intricate, themed patterns.

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The Book of Life- Review/MyOpinion

So Ive been watching movies that I could possibly be inspired by to use for my book cover. I found this animation called The Book of Life, this movie is both insightful and charming. It shows the viewer the deeper beauty behind the Mexican holiday; The Day of The Dead. People often recognize this holiday for the bright colours and skull candies, however, don't know what it all signifies. It is a day for remembering and celebrating family that has been lost.

The Book of Life is a simple story about the rivalry and friendship of two boys who constantly compete for the love of a girl, Maria. This movie follows their life, growth, and overcoming many obstacles. This story is basic but beautiful.

My Opinion

The story line is somewhat simple and you can guess the ending of the story 15 minutes into the movie. That should not deter you from watching the movie however, Its smart, insightful, and unique. It shows you the beauty in celebrating this holiday and what it means to the people of that country.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys animation. Anime has a way of showing the viewing a section of life/the world that would not be as easy to show in live action movies. Anyone who could respect and understand that should definitely appreciate what this movie has to offer and should take some time to watch it. :)