tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85042609717477150632024-02-20T15:11:04.620-08:00Ars of the WorldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-5567598061822716732011-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:002011-01-31T14:36:00.215-08:00January 31Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-59649852190110901452010-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:07.663-08:00Getting Along with...ContrastLife will lead to boredom if it is monotonous. You will wake early in the morning, go to the bathroom and clean yourself, eat breakfast, go to work, do the same task, eat lunch, back to work, out in the office, go home, eat dinner, clean yourself then go to sleep. By the next day, you will do the same routine again. Weary, isn’t it. Maybe you can try a little change, something that is challenging yet will make your day complete. If you are stuck on the things you always do, you might be moss-covered in a couple of years.<br/><br/>Design can be compared to human life. If its elements are all the same, it will be less interesting. To add visual interest to a design, there is a need to add contrast to make it more appealing. Contrast takes place in a design when two associated elements are different. With the fusion of elements opposing each other, contrast creates visual interest. It makes the design dynamic and unpredictable. But with improper or exaggerated application of contrast, the design might look messy and disorganized. Its use must be well planned in order to prevent it from making the design confusing to the viewers.<br/><br/>A typical example of contrast is the use of complementary colors. Complementary colors are pairs of colors on the opposite region of the color wheel. Examples of complimentary colors are red and green, blue and orange, yellow and violet. Even if the fate of these complementary colors is to eternally contest on the wheel, they still maintain to project color harmony and are widely use as guides for color combination.<br/><br/>Another example is the contrast in size. It is highly used to give emphasis. Examples are headline texts on news paper. They are bigger in order to shout out the main title of the article.<br/><br/>Contrast may occur on shape, value, alignment, color, direction, type, movement, and texture.<br/><br/>Contrast in Color<br/><br/>Contrast in Text/SizeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-24322439245782401362010-05-10T08:33:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:07.568-08:00Designing Business LogosA logo is an important aspect of any business' identity. It is usually the first thing that makes an impression on clients/customers and is key in presenting a professional image about a company and in establishing customer recognition (branding).<br/><br/>The company logo is seen everywhere: on business cards, stationery, invoices and receipts, website, corporate giveaways, advertising and signage and even on the side of the delivery vehicle. Thus it must be properly designed not only to attract attention but more importantly to convey the spirit of the company it represents.<br/><br/>A logo separates a company from the competitors. It provides instant recognition and helps customers remember a business. For a logo to be effective, the following tips can be a great help when designing a business logo:<br/><br/> Simplicity. A simple logo design is easier for customers to remember and recognize. It is also advisable to limit the number of colors. Always use simple shapes and minimal text as people remember images better than they remember words.<br/> Relevance. Make sure that your logo design has relevance to your business. Use images that customers can associate with your king of business. However, there are businesses that's difficult to symbolize using an image. In such cases, initials of the business' name encased in a simple shape would do.<br/> The Power of Color. Colors can present powerful messages in themselves. Choose colors for the meaning they impart and not because it's a personal favorite. For example, red is seen as fiery and energetic and is best used to attract attention. Using brown may not bring out the same effect.<br/> Scalability. Your business logo has to be scalable to suit all your promotional needs. It must look great on a business card, on a brochure, and on a billboard, for instance, if that's how you choose to advertise. Remember that complicated logo designs don't scale well.<br/><br/>Almost anybody can design their own company logo using various graphics software programs that are available online, some can even be free of charge. But if you don't have the time and prefer to hire professionals, there are many companies that offer graphic design services. We at New Harvest Design can help you with all your graphic design requirements. Our in-house team of highly-qualified and experienced graphic designers can help you design a logo that best represents your business. Contact us now for more information.<br/><br/>?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-43794652260608275552010-05-05T16:10:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:07.370-08:00How Could Art Be So Naïve?Naïve Art<br/><br/>Just like human, a work of art is considered as naïve if it looks innocent and childlike. Sour as it may sound but during the nineteenth century, a painting is labeled as naïve if its artist has no formal training in arts. Regardless of the charisma they portray, they are being criticized and ridiculed.<br/><br/>Naïve art is characterized with intense detail, luminous colors, coarse patterns, flat and lack of perspective. The French artist Henri Rousseau is notable for his naïve paintings The Sleeping Gypsy, 1897 and The Snake Charmer, 1907. The latter was used as a book cover of Anne Rice’s Merrick Novel. Jungle sceneries are Rousseau’s common subject matter even though he has never seen a jungle.<br/><br/>The paintings of Cornish mariner and artist Alfred Wallis are also examples of naïve art. Since he was a mariner, his subject matter is seascape. Inspired by his experiences, most of his paintings contain boats, ships, ocean and seaport.<br/><br/>If naïve art is quite unwelcomed before, its style never ceases and guiltlessly streams up to the present. It is now widely used on children’s book and greeting cards similar with Rousseau’s subjects of wild animals in the jungle on a bright day or twilight.<br/><br/>Doodles<br/><br/>Even with the advancement in technology, there are graphic designers who create naïve designs. Though the popular doodle drawings and designs seem to be separated from naïve art, the characters appears to look really childlike portraying raw expressions of delight, anxiety, anger, suspicion and madness. Their shapes are anthropomorphic, pastel in color and resembles like that of Joan Miro’s organic paintings. Doodles are used for designing murals allowing many people to paint. T-shirts and bags are now also printed with naïve doodles since they mostly appeal on teenagers. Doodles are also used for web graphics like wallpapers, templates, and banners.<br/><br/>The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau<br/><br/>The Snake Charmer by Henri Rousseau<br/><br/>Hold House Port Mear Square Island by Alfred Wallis<br/><br/>St. Michael's Mount in MarazionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-35486668350978759142010-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:07.247-08:00Design ConceptualizationGraphic design strong emphasis on mastering the software often neglects some practices or elements necessary to create an effective design. Often times the contentment of a graphic designer relies if he was able to apply some extraordinary techniques or rather he’s done with the design that he thinks is pleasing enough for him. Design conceptualization, choice of subject matter, themes and defining the elements of design are being ignored. Stunning designs are common especially with the use of graphic design software. But if you look at its bigger picture, there’s something missing that you just can’t point out.<br/> <br/><br/>Creating a design is not as easy as opening your software and selecting the tools you know you can use. There are procedures you must consider. You can start with gathering the information you need. For example, if you are designing a corporate identity, you need to know the nature of business of the employer, background, list of products or services, target market and selling location. <br/><br/>If you have all the data you need, you can do the draft for your design. You can ask your client the color they want. For sure they can only give you those in the color wheel. It is up to you to determine the color scheme and CYMK. The whole concept of the design usually anchors on the logo and tagline since they are unchangeable and represents the company’s image and goal. Logo design is essential to branding. Simple logo design is advisable. Decide whether your logo will be a typeface, an image or combination. What’s important is it’s readable and will surely be recognized by the public. The theme also plays an important role. Determine if your design will be vintage, grunge, psychedelic, etc. depending on your subject matter. This applies especially on packaging and poster making because you are trying to catch the public’s attention. <br/><br/>When all your ideas are already synchronized, you can begin putting your concept into details. You can now sketch it or do the detailed drawing. It will be faster if you have your sketch first rather than doing all the drafts in your pc. <br/><br/>Design conceptualization is something that is abstract and can be learned through research and experience. Subject matter and themes are basic elements that will make your design meaningful. You will also notice that some marketing aspects are considered since your design is created for the purpose of magnetizing customers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-71707069657412411932010-04-28T13:51:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:07.109-08:00Psychedelic DesignIf you will hear the word “psychedelic,” you may refer to the hallucinatory state of mind, distorted perceptions, altered state of consciousness caused by drug use. For broader description, neon colors of yellow green, blue green, orange, and red violet will penetrate your mind. Maybe some flowers, peace sign, a floral sprayed designed Volkswagen and long-haired hippies or afros will come across your imagination. To box all these attributes, psychedelic is best described as the 1960s pop culture.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Before the term psychedelic become the 60’s fashion of fit, trend neon, wide collared longsleeves and bell bottoms, it was coined by the psychiatrist Humphry Osmond as an alternative descriptor to hallucinogenic drugs. That could be the reason why hallucinogens are also known as “psychedelic drugs.” Indeed, psychedelic seems to be paired with drugs from the day it has emerged. Beyond its psychiatric definition and fashion statement, psychedelic has extended itself to music and arts which led it to create its own movement. Psychedelic art and psychedelic music gather inspiration by inducing oneself with drugs like marijuana, LSD, mescaline, or psilocybin. These drugs are derived from herbs and fungus.<br/><br/>But just like Chronos devouring his children, the popularity of psychedelic was eaten by time. It would be rare to see people wearing the psychedelic fashion unless it is a Halloween or retro costume party. Even the 60’s retro music is mostly played only during weekends. But its influence on graphic design still lives and is widely used in the music industry for posters and album covers. Psychedelic design preserves the neon play of colors, warped typeface, paisley, fractal, concentric circles, kaleidoscope effects, and theme of fantasy, ecstasy, euphoria, and hallucination.<br/><br/>Incubus’ A Crow Left of the Murder (2003), Mojofly’s Now (2005) and Oasis’s Dig Out Your Soul (2008) are examples of cover albums with psychedelic designs that were released by the 2000.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Shroomery.org<br/><br/>Psd.tutsplus.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-58742742998149501412010-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:06.925-08:00Vector GraphicsVector graphics with all its stunning designs remains quiet compared to its loud photo manipulative companion. It appears that majority of graphic designers use raster-based, image manipulation programs. Perhaps one reason that many designers use vector graphics less is because of the complexity of its interface and its high regards to the techniques of traditional drawing and drafting which was somehow given little importance by other graphic designers who solely clings their skills on graphic software.<br/><br/>Vector graphics maintains its math origin “vector” a specific mathematical structure that has the ability to represent magnitude and direction. Since a vector graphics is mathematically defined, it is capable of modifying its mathematical location and prevents the graphic from pixelating when enlarged. Expanded vector graphics can retain its fine and delicate quality.<br/><br/>Vector graphics has many uses. If you are the person who has passion to draw, you can add vector graphics to your technical drawing skills. You can start by scanning your freehand drawing, studying the vector graphic program interface, watching tutorials and start with the basics. Mastering a vector graphic program will definitely take time as if you are studying freehand drawing from scratch. Only this time, you can easily edit, scale and duplicate your drawings.<br/><br/>Once you have absorbed the skills you need to acquire, you can begin voyaging the wide ocean of graphic design. Definitely you’ll meet other designers too like photo editor, layout artist, animator, web designers, and videographer. Its primary use is for logo design and other business set. It is also used for creating technical illustrations and web design graphics. Hip vector portraits and posters are among the popular uses of vector graphics. Vector graphics seems to make its way to fashion industry. T-shirt design now uses vector graphics especially those with decorative swirls, paisley, or anthropomorphic characters. 2D cartoons and comics are also designed using vector graphics. If your hunches suggest that vector graphics has limit itself to flat prints, it has now innovated its features and can now model 3D graphics and even realistic human images. Vector artist who would dare to bring their skills to this extent will definitely need to master perspective and proper toning.<br/><br/>Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw are the famous vector-based programs.<br/><br/><br/>Illustrationclass.com<br/><br/>Gomediazine.com<br/><br/>Computerarts.co.uk<br/><br/>Adroit Designs<br/><br/>Blog.spoongraphics.co.uk<br/><br/>Voidix.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-21759040937836564052010-03-21T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:06.229-08:00March 22Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-74808985825662965632010-03-20T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:06.213-08:00March 21Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-86569474679465353642010-03-19T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:06.202-08:00March 20Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-72246212355249791242010-03-19T04:45:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.958-08:00What is Vintage Design?If you are into graphics and asked about what is “vintage”, you might answer that it is a graphic design with a 1950’s theme that is old, worn out, exhausted, and almost deteriorated by time. If you will search for vintage designs on the internet, you will mostly find posters of old advertisements like transistors, television, Volkswagen Beetle, movies, and sexy Hollywood blonde bombshells like Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield.<br/><br/>With the descriptions and samples provided for vintage design, you might think that the word “vintage” is similar with retro which means outdated style or trend. Well if you go to Google and type “vintage,” what you’ll find will lead you to “wine making” instead of visual arts references. Confusing isn’t it? To attach strings between vintage and vintage design, let’s begin with defining the etymology of the word vintage.<br/><br/>Etymology of Vintage<br/><br/>Vintage came from the French word “vin” which means wine. Just add “t-n-e- r” and you’ll have a winemaker called “vintner”. Combine “vint” and “age “, to form the word “vintage.” Why is “age” attached? It is because vintage wine is grown and harvested in a single particular year and region. With this means of production, vintage wine refers to wine that is “old” and with high quality. This made vintage associated with a style that’s old, antiques, or outmoded.<br/><br/>Vintage as Graphic Design<br/><br/>Vintage style is widely used in the field of graphic design. Vintage design gives emphasis on typography, rustic color harmony of brown, red, and yellow, and<br/><br/>It can be applied to poster designs, packaging, banners, and website. Starbucks Philippines is using vintage designs for their marketing collaterals like flyers and brochures. Human Clothing, an apparel company in the Philippines also uses vintage designs for their prints on t-shirts and bags which started by the early 2000 up to present.<br/><br/>Vintage design is also applied to fashion and interior design.<br/><br/><br/>Psd.tutsplus.com<br/><br/>Myinkblog.com<br/><br/>Psd.tutsplus.com<br/><br/>X24d.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-5802447041021101982010-03-18T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.927-08:00Indie Nation RadioThey say (and I have no clue who "they" is) that the third time is a charm. Well, I'm not sure about the charm, but what I can tell you is that I've chosen to avoid my radio guy voice today — just for you. That's just my way of charming the pants off you.<br/><br/>Why three? Well, if for some sick twisted reason, you haven't been keeping up with our daily journal, today is the third logo in the same amount of days for the man we've been referring to as the radio romeo. His actual name is Paul Saunders and he has a butt-load of followers on Twitter. He's like the Aston Kutcher of internet radio (minus Demi Moore).<br/><br/>We first brought you 977 Media, which specializes in internet radio solutions for folks like you and me. Next we brought you Stream Realm, which provides reliable and affordable streaming solutions to improve your poopy stream that costs too much. And finally, we bring you Indie Nation Radio.<br/><br/>Now this one is special. This is a big-ass network of online radio stations, focused in on specific genres and locations. When it's up and running, there will be up to 300 different cities and more than 15 different genres. All indie-style baby and all free. It's about the music, not the money. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Clear Channel. Damn the man.<br/><br/>We the people, demand a billboard top 100 that's not created by record executives up in their ivory towers (which look really nice by the way), but one that's created by the people listening to the music. We won't be spoon fed Justin Timberlake music anymore. We're going to unite in wearing earplugs every time Lady Ga Ga says poker face. We won't be ignored. Power to Indie Nation.<br/><br/>Sorry. Sometimes I get to be a bit much. Look, enjoy the logo, hang out with Paul on Twitter and keep coming back for logo fun.<br/><br/>I'm going to go make a couple of prank calls to my local radio stations to release some of this tension.<br/><br/>Feel the music.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-74964789029293916612010-03-17T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.906-08:00Stream Realm(Return of hyper radio-guy voice) Welcome back to the program folks. You were just tuned into the sweet style of Paul Saunders and his company 977 Media on the only station that brings you logos all day, every day — p-p-p-power internet radio I.D.Y.L. If you liked that, you're going to looooove this. Quickly climbing its way to the top of the charts is another stylistic original from the internet radio romeo ... it's Paul Saunders, with Stream Realm.<br/><br/>(Normal voice returns) Well, you would have thought that I had learned my lesson yesterday. Apologizing profusely for my lameness. But, no — I just went ahead and did whatever the hell I wanted, didn't I? Shame on me. After this year of logos is over, I promise I'm going to see someone about my tendency to spew useless jargon.<br/><br/>But, before I do that, we have another branch of 977 Media to discuss. This one is called, Stream Realm.<br/><br/>Let's pretend that you are a great internet radio mind. You already have your online station built, you've got virtual fans throwing their digital bras and panties at you and you've got the ultimate face for radio (ok, just kidding, that was mean). What's next? Well, your streaming sucks and you're paying to much.<br/><br/>You see, that's where Stream Realm comes in. Paul Saunders and his team offer reliable streaming at an affordable price to people just like the pretend you.<br/><br/>In designing this identity, we wanted the message to be internet radio first, speed second. We brought those things together with a stylized font and graphic that everyone can relate to.<br/><br/>Go on over to streamrealm.net and tell him how much the guys over at IDYL want to give him a big smooch for buying three consecutive days. After that, either start your station or upgrade your streaming. You owe it to your listeners.<br/><br/>Dana -gerous is out (that's my new radio handle)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-89035380694937583262010-03-16T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.863-08:00977 Media(Insert hyper radio-guy voice) Happy hump day internet, this is D to the ANA come at you live on the station that brings you logos all day, every day — p-p-p-power internet radio I.D.Y.L. We're bringing you a commercial free set of logos next ... so, turn your screen brightness up and get ready for 977 Media on I.D.Y.L.<br/><br/>You might be wondering why in the world I would subject you to that. It's a valid question. Because I'm borderline nutty? Sort of. Or, because I want to show you the things that go through my mind, that may be consider by most to be disturbing? Yeah, we're getting closer. Maybe it's a cry for help? I dunno.<br/><br/>Alright, the truth is that I was practicing my internet radio speak for the recipient of today's logo — 977 Media. You see, they're a full-service media company that specializes in providing internet radio solutions to companies like you and me (and a few other specialized niches). In other words, they're here to make you a star and help you become part of the social broadcasting revolution. Those were Paul's words and I dig 'em. I might have said something like, 977 Media killed the terrestrial radio star.<br/><br/>Again, I'm sorry for doing that. I'm really not sure what's wrong with me.<br/><br/>Paul and his team turned to — I.D.Y.L, the station that brings you logos all day, every day — to come up with an identity that communicated their line of business in a professional, yet fun, way. We gave it our all and came up with a concept that did just that.<br/><br/>Now it's time for you to shine my children. You're ready to spread your wings and fly. Flap those wings over to 977media.com and get the skinny on what it's going to take to make you into the next Ryan Seacrest or Casey Kasem. The internet is waiting for you.<br/><br/>D to the ANA out (A little Seacrest vibe there)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-14747112463805737302010-03-15T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.852-08:00Alive MarinI live in the Midwest, Minnesota to be exact. Tony lives in Chicago and Jason lives in Jacksonville. Of the three of us, I think I was screwed the worst. Yeah, I know ... it's beautiful, right? Maybe. But only for one week a year. The rest of the year is filled with sub-zero temperatures, god-awful humidity, endless road construction, colonies of mosquitoes and sub-zero temperatures. Yes, I know that I repeated myself there, it needed the extra emphasis.<br/><br/>Having said that, we have the "nice" thing going for us, which is good. Quite frankly, we're only nice because we've have been trapped indoors for six excruciating months, and by the time we get to come out of hibernation, we're just happy to see other survivors.<br/><br/>I'm being a bit extreme, I know. Other Minnesotans will disagree, and that's fine. It's just my opinion, so they can shut their pieholes.<br/><br/>I've dreamed of moving to a better place, a utopia of sorts ... a place like Marin County. Where the grass is green and the mosquitoes are dead. Jay has put together this lovely site called, alivemarin.com, that has provided a snapshot of what life could be like outside the State of Minnesota penitentiary walls. Zip-it Minnesotans.<br/><br/>His plan is to eventually broaden the franchise to include other places like Orange County, Chicago, New York, etc. That way I can just live vicariously through the pages of his sites. Ahhhh, even the thought brings a smile to my face.<br/><br/>In the meantime though, Jay has asked us to develop an identity that spoke not just to Marin County, but one that could be carried over to the places to come. We focused on a color scheme and element design that helped to communicate the message of being alive. A fun design with the colors of life.<br/><br/>So hop on over to alivemarin.com and check it out. Then, jump back on Twitter and Facebook and tell us when you're moving. I'll pack my Paddington Bear suitcase and meet you there.<br/><br/>ToodalooUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-88237736673335081192010-03-14T17:40:00.000-07:002011-01-28T16:12:05.834-08:00PDM ShiftLadies and gentleman, boys and girls ... it's time to spit out your pacifiers, take off your khakis and turn off "Dancing With The Stars", because we have a special treat for ya.<br/><br/>Today isn't the day to wear your Sunday's best. Today isn't the day for you to call your mommy. Today isn't the day for the faint of heart (seriously, if you have a heart condition, maybe you should doing something else).<br/><br/>Call your work and tell 'em you're sick. Text your spouse and tell 'em you won't be home for supper. Tweet your tweoples and tell 'em you won't be tweeting. Set your email auto-responders to "out of the office" (you don't want to get fired). Get your BIC iPhone apps ready, BECAUSE ... coming to the stage (or blog I guess) is none other than ... the legends of Jacksonville ... the one, the only — PDM Shift. HAAAAAAAA! The crowd (or site visitors) goes wild!!!!<br/><br/>Just wanted to give you guys a little taste of what it's like to live the life of Justice and his band mates. I mean, c'mon, wouldn't that just kick ass? But, if you're born with a rock star name like Justice, you really have no other choice but to rock. Right?<br/><br/>I know that you want a link to the tunes, so do we. The truth of the matter is, PDM Shift has been on a long hiatus and is in the process of reforming. But I can tell you this: PDM Shift is a progressive hard rock band that has a sound similar to what you might hear from Dream Theater or Tool. ROCK ON!<br/><br/>Wouldn't you know it, they've asked IDesignYourLogo.com to set the stage for them by designing their logo. We're kind of like groupies with Macs. Because Tony is a musician himself, he was eager to jump on the bandwagon (couldn't help myself there).<br/><br/>We developed their logo with a custom, stylized font to give the band a unique look that screamed hard rock. For the extra kick, we incorporated a subtle red element that can be used to define their identity independent of their name.<br/><br/>Hook up with us on Twitter and we'll feed you some more info on these monsters of music. In the meantime, keep on rockin' people. Keep on rockin'.<br/><br/>lnnl (those are devil horns)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-59272098574896856782010-03-13T16:40:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:05.685-08:00Service 365Let me get serious with you for a minute. I know, I know ... when I make poop references and butt pinching suggestions, it's tough to take anything I say serious, right? Just bare with me for a moment and I promise I'll get back to my crassitude.<br/><br/>Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING breaks my heart more than the thought of a child suffering. Suffering from neglect, abuse, illness ... whatever. Children don't deserve it — ever. In my opinion, those who harm a child deserve nothing less than a lifetime in prison — no exceptions, no parole, no T.V., no internet ... nothing. The should stare at four blank concrete walls for the rest of their life and just think about what they've done.<br/><br/>Alright, I'm done now. It felt good to get that out.<br/><br/>Now, I didn't tell you that for shits and giggles, and I didn't tell you that because I'm ready to go all vigilante like Charles Bronson in Death Wish. No, the reason I got on my soapbox was to explain how I intend on using what Stephen is putting together with Service 365.<br/><br/>You see, I'm always on the look-out for great causes and/or organizations that support children in need. The truth is, with three kids of my own and a 365-day logo business, it's difficult to find the time to jump into something new without fulling understanding what's involved. That's where Stephen is going to come in really, really handy.<br/><br/>Amongst other things, Service 365 is going to provide a snapshot of what organizations do and help people like me, better understand exactly what I should expect when I choose to get involved. That's going to save me a butt-load of up-front effort, providing me more time to volunteer.<br/><br/>I happen to personally think that this business idea is pretty frickin' awesome. But, then again, Stephen's pretty awesome, so I should have expected it. He's so awesome in fact, if you happen to run into him at a charity event, McDonald's or a WalMart restroom, grab him by the ears and pull him in for a big wet one right on the smackers. Crassness is slowly coming back.<br/><br/>The logo embodies what Stephen was going for. A professional image with a color bold enough to attract the eye (BTW, Orange is his life color). We used the circle image to represent the amiable nature of his organization.<br/><br/>Now that you know Stephen and Service 365, it's time to get involved. Start by becoming a fan and a follower. Trust me, Stephen will not disappoint.<br/><br/>P.S. Remember, if you see someone harming a child, punch him in the nads. And, if it's a lady ... I'll leave that up to you.<br/><br/>Later mater (I'm not sure why)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-71393879799489860932010-03-12T16:39:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:05.615-08:00Ahab's AdventuresI hate flying. There, I said it. It's not the pilots' fault, it's me. I have a hard time coming to grips with the fact that something that big (and heavy) is anywhere but on the ground. And, the tight quarters don't help either. So, needless to say, I fly only when I have to.<br/><br/>My distaste for the panicky-skies also means that my travels are kept to a minimum. And, having three kids, three and under doesn't help either. That said, I love adventure. In fact, if I had the choice to be either Bill Gates or Indiana Jones, I'd pick Jones in a New York minute.<br/><br/>But now I've met Ahab. He just might very well change the way I look at traveling. He's motivated my human spirit. He and Geeg have challenged me to; turn a stranger into a friend, do something that I've always wanted to do, volunteer, and finally ... be a bit greener. Like I mentioned before, Ahab is like a little mini Anthony Robbins, but without the annoying voice and chiseled cheek bones.<br/><br/>If I haven't quite described Ahab for you yet, you'll need to go and check him out for yourself. He's a short little little fella with an adorable outfit. According to Geeg, he's a wannbe pirate trapped in a fisherman's jacket. How's that for cuteness? He's also an adventurous guy, always looking for his next challenge. Again, go to the site an check him out for yourself.<br/><br/>The directions for Ahab's logo were clear, they were looking for a skull and cross-bones design with an Ahab touch. And, you know us, we aim to please. They want a skull for Ahab, a skull for Ahab they shall receive.<br/><br/>Now that you've seen the logo and read the background, go check out their site and spend sometime fishing around their pages (get it? Ahab. Fisherman jacket. Fishing.). You'll sure to find a cute little guy with a big message.<br/><br/>Ahoy Mates.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-8885347489800008872010-03-11T16:39:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:05.598-08:00Les Is MoreYou may recall me saying something about being a complete mess. Well, in the week that's past since I've made that statement — surprise, surprise — nothing has changed. I will say though, the Poken that I received from PokenGirl.com has put my contact management on track. Plus, I make one hell of a Poken Girl. But, the rest of my life is a complete unorganized mess, and it drives my wife eff'n nuts. Everywhere I go, I can't help but do some "tasmanian devil" type move and leave everything in complete disarray.<br/><br/>Needless to say, Leslie Jacobs, and her company Les Is More, is just what the doctor ordered. When I say Doctor, I'm not talking about Doogie Hows ...<br/><br/>Folks, sorry to interrupt this post, I'm just beginning to get word on some developing news. Tony Holmes, of IDesignYourLogo.com fame, and his wife, are just moments away from having their second child. Reports are coming in (from Tony) that some kind of plug has fallen out, which apparently was holding the baby in place. By the time you receive this message, baby Holmes should be out and ready to take on the world, while Tony and his wife will have gotten zero hours of sleep. As in zilch, nada, nothing. Be sure to keep up with our Twitter posts for further details.<br/><br/>Now back to your regular scheduled post ...<br/><br/>As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted by baby Holmes' poor timing (nah, uncle Dana was only kidding kiddo), Les Is More is just what a guy like me needs to get my organizational responsibilities back on track. Not only does Leslie offer one on one phone consultation, she also offers weekly tips, a great book and two cool card-deck systems called, Les Mess.<br/><br/>As you can imagine, a business that is built around cleanliness and organization, requires a logo that is ... well, clean and organized. We came up with a design that was both fun and descriptive. We used a box to represent the idea of structure, with a color scheme that accurately communicated the different segments of her business.<br/><br/>Go check out lesismore.net and see all of the wonderful things that Mrs. Leslie and her company are doing. Buy a book, consultation or whatever and then get your things in order for goodness sake. It's about time you get your sh@* together. Yeah, yeah, I'm one to talk.<br/><br/>goo goo, ga ga (That was for Tony)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-19428904541045489112010-03-11T03:52:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:04.396-08:00Surrealism Across Centuries, from 1920's Painting to 2000's Graphic ArtsSurrealism is an early 1920’s art movement which influenced visual arts, literature, film, music and philosophy. Surrealism can be easily enjoyed in the field of visual arts. The Surrealist art movement was lead by Andre Breton. Prior to Breton’s leadership to Surrealism, he used Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic methods on treating soldiers with “combat stress reaction”. Dr. Freud’s free association, dream analysis, and untapping the unconscious are the psychoanalytic methods are the core essentials of Surrealism.<br/><br/>There are two types of Surrealism, the organic and narrative. Organic surrealism is characterized as non-representational, amorphous, and organic in forms. Narrative Surrealism is delusional and representational but absolutely defying rationality.<br/><br/>Among the famous surreal painters are Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Jean Arp, Andre Masson, Joan Miro, Rene Magritte, Marc Chagall and Yves Tanguy.<br/><br/>Surrealism is more than an art concept but a revolution. It has gone through lots of research and published journals. The Surrealist Manifestos, the first was written by Andre Breton contains their theoretical stand. The second was managed by Breton and the third was not released to the public.<br/><br/>Though surrealism in visual arts lasted until 1930’s, surrealism as modern art movement, seems to be timeless. Just one more decade away and Surrealism will be a century old but its artistry is still highly appreciated today. The 1920's surreal visual arts are portrayed by surrealists’ paintings while now, they are depicted by graphic software. This graphic design technique is known as “surreal photo manipulation”.<br/><br/>Photoshop’s ability to edit images makes it widely used for surreal photo manipulation. Common narrative themes are distorted body parts, metamorphoses, fantasy, torture, dream, destruction, and death. Most of the deformed body parts themes resembles like that of Magritte and Dali’s paintings.<br/><br/>Compared before, surreal photo manipulation is easier than surreal painting. The former can be edited without damaging other areas because of the layers used in Photoshop and the availability photos lessens the effort. Surrealist painters had tedious works to perfect their masterpiece since they are the pioneers and paints are the popular medium used back then. They even have to induce hallucinations in order to create an idea for their painting.<br/><br/>The advent of computers especially in the field of graphic design revives numerous classic concepts like surrealism. But regardless of the medium used, surrealism will last as long as humans make their way to royal to the unconscious - dream.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Max Ernst, The Phases of the Night (1946)<br/><br/>Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory (1931)<br/><br/>Man Ray, Observatory Time – The Lovers (1936)<br/><br/>Jean Arp, Plastron et fourchette (1922)<br/><br/>Andre Masson, Ibdes in Aragon (1935)<br/><br/>Joan Miro, The Two Philosophers (1936)<br/><br/>Rene Magritte, The Sirens (1952)<br/><br/>Marc Chagall, Liebende in Vence<br/><br/>Yves Tanguy, The Ribbon of Excess (1932)<br/><br/><br/><br/>Truth by damnengine<br/><br/>You grow inside me by<br/><br/>A new life by Stefano83<br/><br/>C O R E by adnrey<br/><br/>Undecided by Stefano83<br/><br/>Hollow Hills by ~brideinblacklace<br/><br/>Escapar by ~Prince-K<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Beyond Reach by `n05feratu<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Tangled angels .II. by ~temporary-peaceUnknownnoreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-64238655721083532232010-03-10T16:39:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:04.236-08:00Elite CSSI'll be honest, Connor's like our little brother. He's almost an extension of us. In fact, if you hurt his feelings, Jason is going to take his t-shirt off and be mean to you on Ustream. And Tony and I will yell at you on Twitter. Watch yourself. I'm just saying.<br/><br/>Ok, now that the uncomfortable part is out of the way, let's move on.<br/><br/>Do you see all those words in the green bar up above? If you bring your pointer-thingy up there and roll over it, a line appears under the word. Did you see how that works? Connor did that. The little underline thing was our idea, but Connor made it appear magically like that. That's what he (and his company) does. They make websites work.<br/><br/>I'll admit, we're HTML dumb. In fact, until we met Connor, I thought HTML was pronounced, hit-mil. But, you give us a Mac Book Pro, magic mouse and Adobe Photoshop and we'll whip something up lickity split. You see, that's why we're in love with Elite CSS. They take those designs of ours and convert them into exhitmil (also known as xHTML) and sis (also known as CSS) within 24 hours. It rocks.<br/><br/>For us, it's the perfect partnership. Elite CSS is the like the peanut butter and we're the jelly. No, they're like the tomato and we're the bacon on a BLT. Wait, that doesn't even make sense. Who's the lettuce? Plus, I don't even like tomatoes. Alright, we're the poop and they're the toilet paper. Perfect. We push something out and he gets it all cleaned up. Forget it ... I give up. You get where I'm going though.<br/><br/>Connor was looking for an identity that helped tell the story of what Elite CSS does best, converting Photoshop files into code. We used a simple illustration to represent the process of sending multiple files and ending up with a finished product. The colors we used, along with gradient, represent the process of going from a Photoshop file (Blue) to a Dreamweaver file (Green).<br/><br/>Ok, it's time for me to stop writing now, I just went an entire paragraph without making fun of myself or someone else. I'm out.<br/><br/>XOXOXO (It's a complicated coding thing, Connor gets it)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-313862453966707022010-03-10T05:18:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:04.030-08:00Graphic Design 101: The BasicsGraphic design is the art and process of putting together text and graphics to be able to effectively communicate a message. Companies usually hire a web solutions company which provides graphic design services. These graphics firms are knowledgeable on the elements and principles of graphic design and can churn out professional-quality websites, logos, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, and any other type of visual media.<br/><br/><br/>There are quite a handful of graphic file formats that are available but internet browsers only support a few of them. This article discusses the different graphic file formats that can be used when building a web site.<br/><br/>Presently, the most common graphic file formats that are supported by most popular web browsers are: Graphic Interchange Format (GIF), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), Portable Network Graphics (PNG) and vector graphics.<br/><br/>These kinds of graphic files have gained enormous usability because ofthe following properties:<br/><br/> Transparency – allows the image to be varying degrees of opaqueness from solid to completely transparent or see-through.<br/> Compression – allows images to be stored in a much smaller file by using a mathematical algorithm to handle groups of pixels as a single item.<br/> Interlacing – allows an image to be loaded by first drawing the odd rows and then going back and drawing the even rows. It allows the visitor to see the picture sooner.<br/> Animation – gives the appearance of movement by using a series of successive still pictures. Animated gifs do not require a browser plug-in and can work on almost all devices.<br/> Progressive loading – similar to interlacing in that it only loads a portion of the picture initially but is not based on alternating rows and allows the user to see the picture quicker.<br/><br/>GIF<br/>Developed in the 1980s, GIF was adopted by web designers in the early 1990s as the preferred graphic format for web pages. GIF files use a compression algorithm that keeps file sizes small for fast loading. Because of its smaller size compared to a JPEG file, most web designers use the GIF format for backgrounds, boxed, frames and any other graphical element that look fine using 8-bit color. These files also support transparency and interlaced graphics but are limited to 256 colors (8 bits). GIF also received immense popularity because it can be used to create animation: by using a series of successive still pictures. Furthermore, All browsers can display GIF files.<br/><br/>JPEG<br/>JPEG files are the preferred formats as far as good image quality is concerned. These type of files are compressed and support “true color” (24 bit), allowing faster download speeds.<br/><br/>PNG<br/>PNG is the newest in the game. It was introduced as an alternative to GIF files. Just like JPEG, PNG supports up to 24 bit color, transparency, interlacing plus it can hold a short text description of the image’s content for use by search engines. However, most browsers do not support PNG yet. Web design companies offering graphic design services believes that time will come when PNG gets fully supported by most web browsers. By that time, PNG will probably replace GIF as the web designer’s choice for non-photographic page elements. But GIF will still be used for animation.<br/><br/>Vector Graphics<br/>Vector graphics are created by using programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand. Vector drawings must be converted to either GIF, JPEG OR PNG format to be used on a web page.<br/><br/>Web solution companies like New Harvest Design offers cost-effective graphic design services that can help a company, big or small, get the graphics they want at a price they can afford.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-79860737434230429322010-03-09T16:39:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:03.982-08:00Jay Masunaga Consulting ServicesSo now that you have a friend named Jay, what are you going to do with him? Yes, he's a computer guy, but don't let that deter you from busting loose with him. Quite frankly, I think that there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to techies. Do they play Dungeons and Dragons? Probably, but they also know how to hijack the neighbors internet and cable. I'll have a beer with that guy any day of the week.<br/><br/>All of that said, our friend, Jay Masunaga is so much more then a D&D playing, cable stealing, tech monster. Maybe he has a couple of hacker secrets he can share with you if you're nice, but what he really does is much different than that. In fact, in addition to technology consulting, Jay offers web design, auction selling services, web strategy, digital archiving, SEO support, hosting, e-commerce and toe nail clipping.<br/><br/>Opps. I'm not sure how that last one slipped in there. Maybe it's because I've always want a personal toe nail clipper and by mentioning it, Jay would start offering it. It's just a thought.<br/><br/>In terms of the logo, Jay pretty much let us have free reign. We took the open invitation with arms wide open (not the Creed kind) and did what we do best — took a nap. But, after that, we did what we do second best — designed a professional logo that will help position Jay as a technology and marketing consulting rock star.<br/><br/>Take-aways and to-dos: Become a friend of Jay — literally. Not an electronic friend on Facebook. A real live friend. Next, leave us a comment and tell Jay what you think about his schnazzy new logo. Lastly, come hang out with us on Twitter and Facebook. Cool?<br/><br/>Bye bye computer guyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-90265188548093013222010-03-09T04:01:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:03.188-08:00Color and Custom Web Design: Using the subliminal effects of colors for
maximum impactIt is a scientific fact that colors can have psychological effects on people. Properly used on a website, colors can go hand in hand with graphics and well-written content to effectively communicate to your target audience and even compel them to make the desired call to action. Colors can be a great design element that can help visitors with site's navigation, the grouping of content and their relative importance, relationships, etc.<br/><br/>It is, thus, important for web designers to know the subliminal effects of different colors and their combination can make. The colors they choose can either work for or against them, depending on how a visitor unconsciously reacts to them during that critical first few seconds.<br/><br/>Below is a list of color qualities that can have both positive and negative meanings:<br/><br/>Red is commonly associated with love, passion, danger, warning, excitement, food, impulse, action, adventure and is, thus, good in attracting attention. In it's negative side, red evokes aggressive feelings, and can suggest anger or violence.<br/><br/>Blue has a calming effect on people. It evokes a sense of belonging and trust, reliability, coolness, peacefulness, tranquility, security and is often associated with high quality, faithfulness and dignity.<br/>In its negative side, it can imply alienation, sadness, passivity, or depression.<br/><br/>Yellow evokes feelings of happiness, warmth, and sunshine. But in its negative side, over-use of yellow can cause eye-strain and vague feelings of irritation.<br/><br/>Orange evokes feelings of playfulness, pleasure, approachability, informality and warmth. Orange and black together are often associated with ambition and drive. in the negative side orange may imply a lack of discrimination or quality.<br/><br/>Green is easiest on the eyes. It is usually associated with feelings of growth and abundance. Also, depending on the shade, green can bring to mind nature, healing, freshness, money and freedom. Some shades of green, on the other hand, suggest decay, fungus, mold, toxicity, etc.<br/><br/>Purple is the color of royalty, dignity, sophistication and spirituality. Purple can evoke feelings of luxury and abundance.<br/><br/>Violet evokes feelings of playfulness, impulsiveness, and fantasy. In its negative side, it can suggest nightmares or madness.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Pink evokes feelings of being nurtured or pampered. It is also associated with sweetness and femininity.<br/><br/>White is most often considered pure, innocent, clean and mild.<br/><br/>Black evokes feelings of elegance, authority, sophistication, and power. Black is often associated with mystery, sobriety and seduction. In its negative side, it represents evil, sorrow and death.<br/><br/>Gray evokes a sense of solidity and reliability. Grey is associated with authority, creativity and practicality.<br/><br/>Brown evokes feelings of masculinity, reliability and affectivity. Brown is associated with dependability and affluence.<br/><br/>Gold evokes feelings of prestige, influence and money.<br/><br/>Silver evokes the same feelings as gold, but silver can also be perceived as cold, hard and distant.<br/><br/>Tips for web designers on using colors for websites:<br/><br/> Use colors that would match the overall theme of your website and the impression you want your visitors to get. Avoid choosing colors based on what you like.<br/> Use a color scheme that would enhance your website and your content not distract or confuse your users.<br/> Colors can have different effects on people. For example, men prefer blue to red, while women prefer red to blue. Also, men prefer orange over yellow, while women prefer yellow over orange. Furthermore, a website designed for a younger audience should use brighter colors than a website for an older audience, which should use sober and restrained colors. web designers should take these are facts backed by academic studies into consideration when picking colors for their websites.<br/> Different cultures have different meanings for colors. Keep your target audience in mind when you choose a color scheme. Choose two or three main colors and one or two secondary colors, and stick with them throughout your entire website.<br/> For consistent colors across different monitors and browsers, Use web safe colors. Employ colors that come from the 216 colors that can be displayed on every type of monitor in every web browser.<br/> Make sure to use uniform color scheme all throughout your web site. This is essential to create a “brand” for your site and prevents your visitors from getting "lost".<br/> Use lots of blank space between design elements and content elements. Blank spaces act as a wonderful balance between your other design elements. You can also make your web pages easier on the eyes by leaving blank space between blocks of text.<br/><br/>If you are planning of building your website or updating an old one, it is ideal to rely on the help of experienced designers and developers who are knowledgeable in all aspects of custom web design - including the use of colors. This will ensure you and your company that no time and resources are wasted on creating a website that best represents your company and sells your products and services effectively.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504260971747715063.post-33341769415948251462010-03-08T16:40:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:12:03.143-08:00Alun Evans, Real Estate BrokerOk, this is a bit awkward. Just last week we told you that if you we're looking for a home in Ontario, you should give Alexx Coelho a call. Well, with Alun now in the mix ... um ... maybe they'll split the listing? No, wait, I have a better idea. What if instead of buying just one big house in Ontario, you buy two littles houses and use both Alexx and Alun? One other option, and I'm just spitballing here, maybe Alexx and Alun can have a jousting competition over each client, much likes two 12th century Knights dueling for the love of the princess.<br/><br/>Alright, enough about that, I'm sure something will work out. Let me tell you more about Alun Evans. Aside from having a pretty rad name, Alun is a broker of high-end real estate in the Oakville Ontario area. When we say high-end, we're talking like half-million to 12-million dollar homes. His territory is no joke. And neither is Alun.<br/><br/>If you recall, I might have mentioned something last week about being connected to a blog that focused its attention on making fun of bad real estate advertising. Well, guess who you won't find on that site? Yep, Alun Evans. That's because he knows that you don't sell million dollar homes by dressing up like a leprechaun and screaming, "Everything I touch turns to sold". He's classier than that, and that's why you need to give him a call, send him a tweet or pinch his rear-end.<br/><br/>For a guy that represents Ontarios' finest, Alun needed a logo that stood him apart from the competition (and Alexx). We gathered our data, dressed up like Mr. Evans, walked through a few mansions and finally came up with a look that we all felt best represented the Welsh-named king of Oakville.<br/><br/>After you've mentally downloaded his new brand image, go check out his site and then shoot him an@alunevans on Twitter. And finally, when you're in Ontario, you now have two things to do: Give Alexx Coelho a hug and pinch Alun Evans in the butt.<br/><br/>Later rollerskater (I'm assuming Alun likes to rollerskate, who doesn't)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2