Victor Davila

Visual Geekerie

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Comic Strip Artist’s Kit by Carson Van Osten

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Annie Atkins’ 2017 AIGA Conference Talk

Graphic Design for movies is probably not one of the parts of the industry we think too much about, or at least as in depth as it really is. Check out this great talk by designer Annie Atkins where she speaks about her work creating graphic design for movies and TV such as The Tudors and The Grand Budapest Hotel and the intricacies involved in creating designs that propel the story.

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Todd McFarlane Interviewed

Check out this interesting, and at times intense, interview with comic book creator and entrepreneur Todd McFarlane for Complex’s Blueprint series. In it, McFarlane talks about how his success pretty much comes from just doing things others could’ve been doing anyways.

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Jack Davis, 1924–2016

Jack Davis, the great cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator, and one of the original Mad Magazine “Usual Gang of Idiots,” passed away today at the age of 91.

I remember when I was a kid being fascinated about how drew the human figure, especially how they twisted in space. It seems his characters often wore pants that were just a little too short for them, exposing long, thin ankles and slender, pointed shoes (he also seemed to draw the bottom of shoes more often than other cartoonist). His characters’ hands were always expressive and his crowd scenes were detailed, fluid, and full of energy.

He was truly one of the greatest.

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Richard Thompson, 1957–2016

Richard Thompson, the great cartoonist, illustrator, humorist, and creator of the strip, “Cul de Sac,” passed away today after a battle with Parkinson’s. Below is a short documentary showcasing him and his work.

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Everything Goes: Brian Biggs Illustrates

Great video showing the previously-posted-about Brian Biggs illustrating the cover to his book Everything Goes: In The Air.

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James Victore’s Paint Pens & Sumi Brushes

James Victore creates designs that are energetic, opinionated, and eye catching. Here, Victore gives you a peek at his process and how he customizes his brushes and pens to get the raw, dynamic lines he’s known for.

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Kelli Anderson at Adobe Creative Jam, New Orleans

In October of 2015, I had the great fortune of being in the audience for this talk by Kelli Anderson who, along with Becky Simpson, was one of the first Adobe Creative Residents. Kelli’s work is clever, fun, and, in a word, amazing. She seems to take an unexpected approach in solving design problems and tackling art projects. In this video, Kelli speaks about her work and process to an audience at the Adobe Creative Jam that took place during the AIGA Conference in New Orleans.

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Marion Deuchars Letters

Check out this video by the D&AD of designer/illustrator Marion Deuchars as she talks about her process and different techniques of hand-lettering posters.

(via The Casual Optimist and The Dept. of Research & Development)

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Learning From Letraset

Before technology put fonts in the hands of anyone who has a computer, designers and non-designers alike used rub-down lettering to avoid needing to hire a typesetter. The most prominent manufacturer of the rub-down lettering was Letraset. In this video, designer and researcher Dan Rhatigan gives a concise history of the company, the letters, and their usage at the Cooper Union as part of the Type@Cooper’s Herb Lubalin Lecture Series.

From the video’s description:

Letraset and other brands of rub-down type literally put typography in the hands of the people. Rub-down type made it possible for students, professionals, and everyone else to design with real typefaces, without needing professional typesetting services. A cheap and easy way to experiment with typography and other graphic elements, Letraset put a lot of care into making type easy to use well, but it also resulted in a lot of ways to use type badly, but with interesting results. With some care and attention, however, it was a great way to develop an eye for typography.

This talk was a look at Letraset’s type and other graphic supplies, showing how they put the tools of professional design into everyday hands. It also looked at how people had to improvise with Letraset, and made the most of the materials at hand.

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Darwyn Cooke: 1962–2016

I only met Darwyn Cooke a couple of times as he signed books for me at Megacon, but he was always super nice and generous as he sketched in my book and his wife played with my son, Lucas.

I first became aware of his work when I learned he did the opening sequence for Batman Beyond. From what I know, he worked as a graphic designer, in animation, and, of course, as a graphic novelist—all disciplines I love. He created one of my favorite stories, Justice League: New Frontier, and had a way of using his graphic illustration style to support intricate storytelling.

He was one of my favorites and will be sorely missed.

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Bethany Heck: Breaking the Rules of Type Systems

If you missed her talk at this year’s Creative South, here’s your chance to see Bethany Heck talks about why it’s okay to pair more than one typeface and tips on how to do it. 

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Floyd Norman Documentary

Check out this sneak peek of an upcoming documentary on Floyd Norman, the groundbreaking Disney animator.

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What makes a truly great logo

Pentagram’s Michael Bierut is one of the most celebrated designers and design thinkers working today. He and his team have been responsible for creating some of the most recognized logos in recent history for clients such as the Hillary Clinton campaign, Verizon, Mohawk Paper, and Billboard.

Vox created a short video of Bierut discussing logos and their current status.

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Font Men

Hoefler & Frere-Jones was one of the most successful, respected, and influential type design studios around. This short film, which was produced by AIGA to celebrate H+FJ's AIGA Medal, gives us a peek behind the curtain at the work and process of Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, and comes right as the duo is going through a nasty and public break-up.

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Bad Hair Day

This print by artist Lim Heng Swee (aka ILoveDoodle) just makes me smile.

(via Designers Go To Heaven)

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Edouard Martinet

French artist Edouard Martinet creates amazing sculptures using a variety of discarded scrap parts from things like old bicycles, cars, and mopeds, as well as kitchen pans, typewriter keys, and other found objects.

See more at MyModernMet, This Is Colossal, and Martinet's site.