Happy Holidays 2021

 

  

           So, the year is now coming to an end. I would say I've had some accomplishments along the way. Sure, I'm not saying I couldn't have done some things differently,  but I'm still improving. I'll always be improving, and I'm sure you reading this will too! With that said, I just wanted to share some words.

             First off, I just want to thank those of you who have stuck around with me this long. I truly value the fact you care to look at these.  I would also like to welcome anyone new who's come over and began to read. I promise to do my best to keep you entertained and informed. 

   

            Finally, I want to talk about the future here. I do plan on doing more in graphic design. Whether that is freelance or internship work, I don't know yet, but I plan on doing as much as I can. Next, of course we'll have Road to Wrestlemania on my Instagram account, un_dusted9, so check that out! Lastly, I will still keep doing the blogs every other week, so keep a look out for those. 

          With all of that said, thank you so much for reading! Be sure to comment below, share your thoughts, and stay tuned. Make sure to have a very Merry Christmas as well!

       

The Fuss About Fonts

          For Graphic Design, you will find yourself using words most of the time. Yes, you can always convey thoughts through images, but words are always straightforward.  It gives people an easy way to get as much information as possible. However, you can't rely on just words alone, you need the right font! A font is a collection of characters with a similar design. (TechTerms.com, https://techterms.com/definition/font#:~:text=A%20font%20is%20a%20collection%20of%20characters%20with,to%20add%20a%20unique%20style%20to%20the%20text.)

             Now, the reason font is important is that it can help the words convey the message you want to give. Either that, or you need it to match the product or program that you need to present. An example would be the font I'm using for this blog. It is simple, and easy to read, so you'll find it used for books, menus, and most any form of written works. That said, it is possible to grow it, make it bold, or italicize it in prefer to convey a certain importance.

        

           However, font consistency is very important when it comes to kerning and tracking. The space between your letters can get easily messed up, and for a non-discernable message if you don't pay attention.  You also need to be aware of things like font sizes, the space between lines in a paragraph, color, and readability.  As such, it's an important task that when using the selected font, you make sure it matches the style in a precise manner.

          Now I could honestly go on and on about this for awhile but I don't want to make this post to long. Once again though, thank you so much for reading! Be sure to comment your thoughts below, and stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Photography 3

        Another year come and gone. Some things have changed, some are still the same, but I still have to do my pictures. Not that I am complaining mind you.  Anyways, with that being said, here we go.

    Once again, hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving,  and here's to a brighter tomorrow.

Good Again

     Hey everybody,  just wanted to give a quick update that I got a new battery. Thankfully this means I should be able to resume my usual style of designing. Anyways, that's all I really had to say. Be sure to stay tuned for next blog's photo collection. 

Technical Difficulties

   Hey guys, so just a heads up, my laptop is acting weird. The battery for it won't work normally anymore, and it needs to remain charging. I am really sorry about this, but I promise that I'll keep doing my best to do these blogs, and work in Graphic Design.

       On that note, I do think we should note that this is a common problem everywhere. We rely so much on machines, wi-fi, and flash drives to help with our work. In the field of design, this includes images, and words to print onto paper as an example. Because society has adopted ways to make the act simpler, there are few more archaic alternatives available if the printer breaks on you.

      This of course also includes videos, audio, and even cameras. The fact of the matter is, technology is like the bottom roll of paper towels at the store when it comes to Graphic Design. The minute you pull it out, everything comes tumbling down.

The Big Three Holidays.

 

         

         On the image above, you will see a representation of what I consider the big three Holidays. Those said holidays being Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The reasoning I have for this is that the marketing I have seen for them has greatly skyrocketed them farther than any other Holiday. Please note that I am mainly speaking from an American viewpoint, hence why I added Thanksgiving. If not for that, I would say it's mainly Halloween and Christmas that have the biggest impact.

        Now why is this though? Why do these holidays have so much marketing around them? Well, for starters, it helps that each of them happen near the end of the year, and at the end of their respective month. This gives all the more time to market any movies, candy, or miscellaneous products than other holidays. For example, Valentine's Day and Easter happen to be early on in their months, this they don't have enough time to establish their flair. That is the other reason these holidays do so well, each has its own way of marketing and history that can easily be commercially built upon.

           Now, while Thanksgiving doesn't have costumes, candy, or a Santa Claus, it is positioned nicely between the other two don't. I believe this has led to companies being influenced to try and make Thanksgiving more popular in some way, at least by sticking Black Friday next to it. That is another reason why I think these three Holidays are so successful, influence. You see everyone wanting to get creative with what they see this time of the year; card designs, characters, commercials, and who knows what else. Since this is the case, every holiday will want a piece of the action, some way or another.

The Damage of Hype

           Have you ever seen a commercial for a movie, restaurant, or anything that talks about how great the product is? Then you keep seeing similar commercials and advertisements just popping up everywhere you go? Eventually, it might get to the point where you just might try it out yourself. After that, one of two things happens; you agree with the advertisement, or you absolutely hate the product.

              A lot of the time, what you see isn't what you get, but what the seller knows you want. So, the seller will want to make sure the advertisement hypes you up as much as possible, wanting you to try it out. This however can easily backfire if the product just isn't any good. Good example, take the infamous 'E.T.' game for Atari.

 Image courtesy of Wikipedia

          This game was built up heavily by Atari to be a great one. Combine that with the fact this would be the aliens first ever videogame outing, and there was a lot of expectations out upon it. However, as we know, people didn't care for the game too much, and it was widely panned. So much so that 'E.T.' for Atari is a scapegoat for the infamous videogame crash. 

            Now, the same can sort of be said about something you hear is bad. The product is hashed all the time, it gets you interested, and you wish to see it. After that, well, your opinion might be different. It might not be that the product is good or great, but that it is not that bad. Of course, instances like this usually happens a few months, maybe even years after the subject came out.

        All in all, whether it be due to too much advertising, word of mouth, or other factors like lies and it being an anniversary, hype can easily put too much on a product. Most of the time, something that winds up hated really just fails more due to his much it was built up. Not saying that to improve opinions, but because that is usually the case. So, if you are going to hype your own products up, make sure not to go crazy, and think ahead.

Holiday Cards 2021!

       

            Just a quick post to tell you I have made my Holiday Cards for this year. It was a bit of a process to make these. At first. my idea was to make them seem like baseball cards. A bit strange I know, but thankfully I reversed that idea. I also thought the border was a bit too cramped. Thankfully, after some feedback, I made this nice template. Anyways, thank you for reading, and stay tuned!

 

Digital vs Traditional

            So this has been a bit of a topic I see people talk about from time to time, so I figured I'd give it a shot as well. First though, some quick definitions. Traditional art is usually defined as art made on paper, a wall, or any physical surface. This could also mean traditional art in the sense of statues, clay figures, or anything as long as it was made physically. For me, this usually means art made with a pencil and paper. As for digital art, this could be 3-D, 2-D, Photoshop, or anything that is made in a digital space, usually in a computer. Now, one could say photography lends itself to both since a lot of the work done with it is digital, yet it physically exists in a way that makes it, sort of traditional. For this argument though, I will leave it out.

              Now for me, I do prefer the feel of traditional art. Being able to just go in, draw what I like, and have the comfort of how I hold my pencil. Now that being said, if I make too many mistakes, that winds up wasting paper. This of course is quite problematic in this environmental conscious society, and I want to try and avoid that most of the time. However, I do enjoy the work that goes into making a physical, one of a kind piece..... Then again, I am judgemental of my work. When comparing it to something digital as well, I find the coloring to be off in several ways. However, I will say that traditional art is still a good starting point for other ideas, and can be fun to do every now and then with quick doodles.

               As for digital art, it has made waves in mimicking the styles of traditional art. Tools like a stylus help make the process easier, and help it seem like you're working on a traditional piece. However, that is IF you have a stylus. If you're stuck with a mouse or track-pad, that will take a long while to get used to. Now, it is worth noting that if you're making a logo, digital art is definitely the way to go for the final draft. Considering you will need to put it on all sorts of signs, cards, and who knows what else, having a PNG or JPEG of a good resolution file is a must. Now unfortunately digital art does not have that convenience factor for quick doodles like traditional does. You would need the right set up for when you are on the go, and if you don't, get ready for a clunky time.

              All in all, I would say both have their ups and downs. I do not have a particular preference, considering both are for different things a lot off the time. Heck, you could even make a traditional art digital by scanning it or taking a photo of it to put online. Vice versa, you could print out digital art and make it physical. It all depends on you, and what you prefer.

                

Manipulation

 

fat

                So, does anyone else feel media has been manipulating you to watch it? Do not get me wrong, I enjoy a good twist every now and then, but there are twists, and then there are lies. To put into an example, let's say you get excited to see a sequel to 'Harry Potter', and the marketing heavily shows off Harry. He's in all of the trailers, mentioned heavily in the description, and even dead center in the poster. You go to see the movie, and..... Harry is killed off in the first scene and the rest of the movie focuses on some new students at Hogwarts. How would you feel if you saw that?

                Now, a lot of this tends to happen as a result of studio execs fearing audience interest. Take the movie 'Troll 2' for example.

                     

 (I do not own this image, it is property of the rightful owner.)

                   This is not a sequel to the original 'Troll', but it was kind of turned into one because the higher ups feared it wouldn't make enough money. (To be fair, they weren't wrong to fear that. Watch clips of the movie to know why.) However, this does show a problem where one could profit off tricking audiences.

                 Now, there is one argument that I would like to bring up. 'Well, it never said 'so and so' on this poster, so maybe you shouldn't complain.' To that I say, you're right in some cases. Again, if the main use of marketing is focused on attracting the audience to what they want to see, only to have it be taken away, I can not blame people for being upset. Especially if what the actual product was focusing on was featured very little in marketing. Also, so keep in mind that this type of manipulation could be used to dodge certain problems companies could face in the future.

                  Think about it like this; you want a fast and tasty meal; the sticker on the box says it will take five minutes to make; the back of the box has several instructions you need to complete before the five minutes. All in all, good design and media should avoid lying to the customer to produce cash. It never works out for anyone in the end.

    

Familiarity

            Chances are, if you saw the image above, you would think, "Wow, that looks like a bad McDonald's parody" . Now, obviously you would be right, I just made this image to discuss the topic of familiarity. When creating this image, I had the intent of wanting it people to immediately associate it with the McDonald's brand. I wanted it the image to seem 'familiar' enough that you would associate with the restaurant brand. I'm sure hard I maybe taken out the words, and changed the colors, you wouldn't connect the two.

             So, the ability to recognize a product is very important. This is why redesigning logos is tricky. Sometimes you want to move your brand to a new direction. Be it because of controversy, wanting to find a new audience, or just an pitching an idea. So, in that instance, you would see a more drastic logo change. That being said, other times you more of less just want to update the logo or brand. In that case, it's best to keep some semblance of what you originally had, that way people still recognize you.

 

               Something else you want to factor is nostalgia, and people's comfort zones. A lot the time, you probably prefer the look of things in the past than now. So, since companies want to speak to the masses, they'll try to cash in on nostalgia, and lure people in. Whatever makes their audience comfortable, that will be the route they want to go.

               You can make your logo seem familiar to a place, time, or feeling. At the end of the day, whatever your audience is, you want to show them something they would recognize. Give them something they could understand from just one look. With that however, thank you for reading. As always, make sure to comment your thoughts, give any criticism, and stay tuned!

            

 

Why I am done with WordPress

 

 Image courtesy of WordPress

      So, I figure this might come off as lazy, but as I feel there people who don't read both blogs, I need to say this. Due to a domain that is soon to expire, I will no longer be blogging on WordPress. From now on, I will be here in Blogger, with bi-weekly posts. Be they big, or small, you will find me writing here. Apologies for no post two weeks ago, I promise to keep things a bit more under control now. So, just a quick update, stay tuned.

Story of the Logo

         Well, I have finally done it! I have now made a logo for a business to be used commercially! This a very big deal for me, as I hope this leads me to getting future work. With that said, I want to tell the story of how I would create the logo for Bad Dog BBQ.

        So how did I get the chance to make this? Well, back when I worked at Krispy Kreme, my manager had decided it was time to move on in his life. For him, that meant starting the food truck, Bad Dog BBQ. I, of course, made sure to let him know to contact me if he needed a designer. Low and behold, I believe a month later, he does just that, and first just asks that I trace an image for digital format.

     However, soon my former manager came to me with an idea to add a fire or smoke ring instead. So, after a bit of tinkering, and many screenshots, I came up with a base fire design, Shortly afterwards, I started playing with textures to see what kind of effect that could give. It was then I had an idea to give it a wood-fire feel, and made a wooden background.

                 After testing out colors, shapes, and the use of the truck image I liked, we finally had a compromise. After that, I did a few more slight edits, but eventually, it all lead to the image you saw at the top of this post. It might have been a long process, but I would say it was worth it! SO, hopefully you can see what I am capable of, and if you are in Lakeland, Florida, come check out Bad Dog BBQ! It is a true delight!

Companies and the Rainbow

           

    

                So, first off I want to say happy Price Month! I hope that if you are part of the LGBTQ+, and you have read my blogs, that you get some sort of substance out of it. I also hope you live your life as happily as you want, and as what you want to be. That said, I apologize the way some companies use your symbol. The rainbows on every pride flag are iconic, no doubt about that. With that in mind, you do have people incorporating ten into their logo to show support. However, you also have big companies who use the rainbows in a place like America..... But not in other places where LGBTQ+ pride is hated.

          So, I am sure this has been gone over before, but usually big companies like Bethesda, Disney, or even BMW, they don't use the rainbow logos in certain countries. They also never mention anything about Pride Month, at all. Now, I will acknowledge that there are other people running foreign branches, these are pretty large companies after all. Not everyone is going to agree on certain politics. However, I am sure if one of those countries changed their views, then they would hop on the Pride Month wagon to make the extra money.

             It doesn't stop with the LGBTQ+ either. There is issued of race, religion, and other views that, if a country is negatively against them, a company will go along with to make the extra money. The question of 'would they agree to an older, more corrupt' mindset becomes much more clear if you look at the logos they use. Even the most simple design tells a story, especially when paired with another one. So, make it known you do not stand for this. Let them know they should not try to cash in on an issue of they don't really care. With that said, thank you for reading, and happy pride month!

Returning to Normalcy

             Well, it's good to be back to regular posts every two weeks. Sorry for the weird break for the past while, too many life changes happened all at once. Anyways, this blog mostly be a semi-sequel to another post I made, The Effects of the Pandemic!

https://h8l0v.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-effects-of-pandemic.html

               My reasoning for this is very simple, as we begin to exit the cursed effects of 2020. The vaccines are being rolled out, more places are opening up, and now we designers need to create around that. We need to welcome people from their houses with positive imagery, advertise for them to get back together, and of course, relearn to draw faces.

             That said, it will not be the normalcy we remember. There was more than a disease that made 2020 The utter nightmare it was. Namely some political disagreements that have people more split than ever before. This has unfortunately affected the subject of Covid-19, and the standings of many businesses as well. On top of that, many people learned from last year what they are worth, how to make money easier, but also that they may have liked certain things after quarantine. Not to mention certain features like delivering food, masks being sold, etc. made great money for businesses.

              All I can really say now is this. The effects from last year will never, and I mean NEVER, be forgotten. Whether that is someone continuing to wear there mask until they die, sitcoms and tv shows referencing how we live today, or another argument between the left and right whatever, probably toilet seats. We're returning to the normalcy, but it is not the same. 

The Minimalism Problem

 

The following images are courtesy of PR Newspire, uiconstock.com , and seeklogo.com

            So minimalism can really be a double edged sword. On one hand, it makes logos easier to make and print out to consumers all over. On the other hand, it can make a logo boring, cause someone to ignore it completely, and strip a famous logo of their identity. For example, the third logo above is the new FireFox logo, and yet that looks nothing like a fox, just fire. The BMW logo above also has lost a bit of added intensity now that the logo looks more flat.

         Another problem with minimalism is that really it feels lazy. I honestly can not say if I feel much time was spent redesigning these logos, and instead the teams just did what corporate told them to do. Keep in mind, while they may not be the most advanced logos, they look to be easier to have on a business card, and probably require less resources to make.

         So Another problem with minimalism is that really it feels lazy. I honestly can not say if I feel much time was spent redesigning these logos, and instead the teams just did what corporate told them to do. Keep in mind, while they may not be the most advanced logos, they look to be easier to have on a business card, and probably require less resources to make. Another problem with minimalism is that really it feels lazy. I honestly can not say if I feel much time was spent redesigning these logos, and instead the teams just did what corporate told them to do. Keep in mind, while they may not be the most advanced logos, they look to be easier to have on a business card, and probably require less resources to make.

         Now what does this mean for me, and graphic design in the future? Well, it might show a future where everything is clean, sterilized, and no creativity really shows. On the other hand, if enough people feel it, we will get new designs that are exciting to look at, and force companies to change their methods. Only time will tell what happens. So once again, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article, comment below what I could change, and stay tuned!

Finished With Keiser

           At long last, I can finally say I have completed my time at Keiser University. It has been a ride really, getting to learn new things, having to complete assignments in time, and just getting to know the teachers and staff. I have now had an experience that I can not replace, and I hope that by graduating from here, I will be able to move on to bigger and better things.

 Keiser University Logo

                What else does this mean for me now? Well, I'll have more time and freedom to find and work on graphic design jobs. I did promise myself that I would get something like that this year. There is also the fact I have new honors to put on my resume, and that I should hopefully go back to a standard blogging schedule. I know that recently I have not really been the most attentive here.

                 I know I should not make too many promises. There is so still an ever lingering doubt in me saying I am too lazy to continue this, or that I am not good enough. It is hard not to listen to that voice sometimes but..... Hey, I am sure I can figure this out better along the way. I will admit I am not the best, but I can be of you need me to be.

                  With that said however, thank you once again for reading. Make sure to comment below what you think I could change, what I could start doing, or if you just want to talk. I am always eager to here from you guys. Other this, I hope you guys enjoyed reading, and ask that you stay tuned.

The Science of Graphic Design

                       The day was Tuesday, January second, and I just finished my class at school. Wanting to wind down, I watched some videos on YouTube and saw the recent episode of Binging With Babish. In said video, he makes and Angel Food Cake twice, and states directly that "Baking is a science".

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2d6VmncdK-E

                      As time passed, I soon started to think of Graphic Design as the same way. There is several steps one must take to achieve their goal, multiple factors that can determine the outcome, and the best work usually comes from studying your material.

                     Just like there is many fields to science, there are many fields to Graphic Design as well. An example that comes to my mind is how photography and photosynthesis both require light for what they accomplish. Another one is how both web design and biology have a multitude different subjects. In fact I would dare say that it is because of science that we can better explore graphic design.

                      So what does this mean for people wanting to get into Graphic Design like me? Well, it means that maybe a science class might be a good idea to take. Let it get you into the process of performing experiments and tests; see if the study of animals and plants inspires future designs; you can even just draw illustrations for science books of you want. Whatever the case, try a science class out!

                   With that said, thank you once again for reading! Make sure to comment down below, tell me how I can improve, and if you just want my services. I'm glad I made this connection, and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Perfection To No Return

                             All of us want to be better than what we were. It is simply a desire to reach perfection is all. A nature humans follow due to insecurity and ego. Not saying that self-improvement is a bad thing though, in fact I applaud those who can home their skills every day. However, I would like to take a look at the effects one can have when trying to perfect their craft. Keep in mind, this won't be a negative analysis, just an analysis.

 

Images courtesy of JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia.

        

              As you can see, the two images shown above are radically different. However, they are both works of the manga artist Hirohiko Araki; drawn for his ongoing series 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure', which has been around since 1984. Over the course of his career, Araki has changed his art style and theming up several times to fit his characters and environments more. However, at the cost of this, it is clear he's fallen out of practice with his older styles, despite those being much simpler.

            So the point I wish to make here is that perfection can cause people to possibly become imperfect in another area. Think being good at writing legal documents, but being bad at writing fiction. Then over the years, you write more and more fiction, creating beautifully woven stories; have not filed a legal document properly for awhile though. Again, keep in mind that I am not painting this as bad, if you prefer your later work, that is fine, just be aware that you will not recreate what you once made easily.

             With that said however, thank you again for reading. I just want to also make the statement that you must know what you want to perfect. Some people just go in the wrong areas, and focus more on the business aspect instead of the design. However, if you like what you read, please share this around, comment below, and stay tuned!

Embracing Stupidity

               After the train wreck that was 2020, I feel most of the world has been left with little joy in their lives. Maybe this is too much to ask, but how about we just embrace a little bit of stupidity to bring the joy back? Hear me out, it's important to buckle down and be serious most of the time; the world also need some way to tone down that serious nature or else everything will be a chore. Even in the most professional setting, you need a way to alleviate your stern demeanor of you might hate life forever.

             So in a sense, I might not really be talking about stupidity, but laughter, free thinking, just writing a group of lines that make no sense. Just some form of mindless act to relieve oneself after such long periods of focusing on business and such. Let me remind you again, we do need to be serious, or else we can not grow as people. However it must also be said that we won't take anything seriously unless we learn to balance life out. After all, what's the point of anything if pleasure will not show itself?

             Anyways, that should be it for today. Thank you once again for reading, make sure to comment your thoughts below, and stay tuned! As for any stupidity I could recommend you to help you in these trying times, here's this guy called Ordinary Sausage.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JLnPDXnAlB0