BLU

Artist Blu creates some pretty crazy drawings on public walls. His latest film "Blu: An Ambiguous Animation Painted on Public Walls," is drawn in Buenos Aires and Baden and is simply overwhelming and intriguing.

Check out his blog for more drawings and illustrations.

Every Person in NYC

Jason Polan (of the "Every Piece of Art in the Museum of Modern Art" book fame) is now trying to draw every person in New York City. Talk about some serious ambition!

Valero Doval

The fine ladies over at Pica + Pixel have enlightened me to the work of Valero Doval. All of the work is great, but I especially love the "Haunted Houses" series.

Klaus Industries

Sometimes, there really isn't anything else to say.

May 1968: A Graphic Uprising

"Forty years ago next month, the streets of the French capital saw workers and students protesting against the increasing levels of unemployment and poverty that were all too apparent under Charles de Gaulle’s conservative government.

In Paris, on 16 May, students and faculty took over the Ecole des Beaux Arts to establish the Atelier Populaire (the Popular Workshop). The organisation went on to produce hundreds of silkscreen posters in an unprecedented outpouring of political graphic art."

A gallery show of these posters is now at The Hayward Project Space in the Southbank Centre in London.

Creative Review has an interview with the curator. Also, Keep Calm has a very limited number of these posters available for purchase and they are going fast!

Illustrator Hennie Haworth

Hennie Haworth illustrates book covers, type, people, food, drink, and many things in between. via INT.

Penguin Books + Nicholas Felton = Great New Work

SwissMiss has directed me to a great new book designed by Nicholas Felton. Nice information and beautiful type!

Amy Ross

The fantastic artist, Amy Ross, has joined the ranks at Keep Calm and her first offering is quite nice!

Shannon Rankin

You probably know that I have a massive love for maps, so I instantly fell in love with Shannon Rankin's work! Thanks to Frank for finding her Etsy page.

Zeichen Press

Zeichen Press (pronounced z-eye-shin) makes some nice and clever letterpressed materials. via swissmiss.

WPA Posters

For those who do not know, during the United State's great economic depression in the 1930's, the government created an organization called the Works Progress Administration. The WPA created jobs for millions of out-of-work Americans including a branch devoted to the fine arts.

Many posters were created to advertise different aspects of the WPA and here is a fantastic collection of them on Flickr.

Emmanuel Polanco

Some very nice work by Emmanuel Polanco can be seen here. Some may say too close to Ewardo Recife, but I think he has his own thing going on.

(Trophy) Size Matters.

Nice little graphic comparing the sizes of different trophies. via Coudal.

Elsa Chaves

It's Nice That has lead me to the very nice work of Elsa Chaves. Type, motion, colour, moustaches? What is there not to like?

Collections

Wow. I love collecting things, and this photoset by Glen Mullaly makes me want to keep it up! Also, check out his vintage book covers.

Via p+p.

Jeff Canham

Jeff Canham makes art, design, and paints signs the real way! Simply fantastic!

Words Are Pictures

Craig Ward creates some really nice work - most of it typographically inspired and created.



Also, some nice work by Andrew Holder. Both link via the ever-nice It's Nice That.

Drawings by Marc Johns

Marc Johns draws. He draws nice things. Sometimes on Post-It notes.

Frank Chimero: The States

Wow, I can't believe I haven't yet posted about this! My good friend, Frank Chimero, is currently creating an illustration of each state of our blessed Union. Nice, smart, and clever - as always.

Frank also has a book of his illustrations that you should purchase.

Julianna Swaney

All I'm saying is that if you embroider a squid vs. ship scene, you are awesome in my book.

Children's Record Guild

A nice set of illustrated Children's Record Guild covers. Also, NewHouseDesign has some other nice mid-century sets as well.

Hall of Best Knowledge

The fantastic Ray Fenwick is about to release "Hall of Best Knowledge" on the world! I can't wait!

See a few samples here.

Big News!

AceJet170 has provided the perfect way to announce some pretty big news with images of a fantastic Swiss Air DC-7 Seven Seas brochure.

The big news is that my wife, as part of her work towards her Masters in Public Health, has received an internship at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland for the summer! So, during the months of June and July, I will be trading countries with SwissMiss and posting from Geneva!

More to come as it gets closer!

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

My good friends at Keep Calm have a new print for sale - and it is so very nice!

WWII Navy Training Films

Interesting collection of declassified WWII US Navy training films.

Ornamental Typography

BibliOdyssey has a great post about some very interesting ornamental typography and illustrations.

Visual Inspiration from L.A.

Dispatch from LA is a nice visual blog showing inspiration from Los Angeles, California. Linked from one of my students, James Mulvenon.

Illustrator Adrian Johnson

It seems as though all the new illustrators I find are from the UK! Something good must be happening across the pond, as Adrian Johnson shows off in his new website.

Illustrator Joe McLaren

Joe McLaren's work work is wonderful, fantastic, and all-around great!

Flags as Communication Design

Icaro Doria, a 25 year old Brazilian designer working in Portugal has created a series of advertisements for Grande Reportagem (the "Time" magazine of Portugal) that are simply and beautifully well done.

Collage, Ephemera, & Design - All in One Place

Flickr user Daily Poetics puts all the best in one place! Her great collages, ephemera collection, and photo set of business cards provides great work and inspiration.

You can also visit her blog/website.

OBEY Obama

Although I am not one to speak much about politics, Shepard Fairey, of OBEY fame, has created a nice poster for Barack Obama.

Also, see how flexible a political logo must be these days.

VW Bus Cutaway

I have always loved cutaway images and this one is very nice.

Vintage Fabric!

Vintage Fabric set on Flickr! This will definitely become one of my wife's favourite links!

Who Needs Friends ... When You Have Pens?

More than you may ever want to know about pens...

Fresh Type.

It seems that Letman loves type as much as I do - which is both exciting and a bit disturbing! (via The Serif)


Merci Bernard creates some very interesting typographic experiments using three-dimensional space. Nice! (via Monoscope)

1920s and 1930s Travel Ephemera

Another great website with 1920s and 1930s travel ephemera for airlines, the automotive industry, Russia, France and more - from the collection of David Levine. Via Monoscope.

Vintage Travel Posters!

Here is a great link that is speeding over the internet: Vintage Travel Posters!

Obsessive Consumption = Kate Bingaman-Burt

Over the holiday break I got the pleasure to meet the wonderful Kate Bingaman-Burt and her husband, Clifton, in the great state of Mississippi.

Kate is the creator of Obsessive Consumption which is a collection of daily drawings of her daily purchases. She helps with a non-profit design firm that her husband started, has had multiple big-city gallery shows, teaches at Mississippi State University, has been featured in many books, and still has time to sleep (I think)!

If you want the full list of her awesomeness, visit her website!

Maira Kalman

How can I describe Maira Kalman? She is a fascinatingly original, simple-minded (in the best sense of the term) creative illustrator, story-teller, speaker, and day dreamer that lives and creates in New York City.

She recently came out with a new book entitled "The Principals of Uncertainty" (based on a series she did for the New York Times) which I just finished reading. I would recommend that everyone pick up this book and read it in one sitting!

Brilliant Collections!

Flickr user Maraid has some great photo sets! Among my favourites: Photo, Film & Sound Ephemera and Matchbox Labels

Maps by Paula Scher

Paula Scher's maps at the Maya Stendhal Gallery in New York are quite fascinating!

Illustrated Supermarket Signs

Yet another great find from Flickr user RoadSidePictures - Illustrated Supermarket Signs from the early 1960's!

Jason Munn = The Small Stakes

I have been a fan of Jason Munn/The Small Stakes for quite some time now, but after finding this interview, I realized that I have never posted anything about him or his work. He always has great concepts that are well executed.

Illustrator James Datz

As is often the case, Frank tipped me off to a very talented chap - James Datz.

Student Field Notes Fall 2007

I teach Advanced Typography at Missouri State University and at the beginning of the semester, I gave each of my students a Field Notes to fill with whatever their little hearts desired.

It was not an assignment because I wanted to see how creative they could be without the pressure of grading. Some of them filled them just to fill, but others really put a great deal of work and love into their Field Notes. Enjoy!

The Human Body and How It Works

Thanks to Frank, here is a great Flickr set of Vintage Science Book Illustrations. I have a bunch of these I need to scan in!

Mid-Century Children's Book Illustration