Archive for Art & Design - page 13

Designing with Letterpress: A Webinar from PaperSpecs.

This webinar was educational and had wonderful examples from Judith Berliner (Full Circle Press) and Josh Chen (Chen Design Associates). Here are a few tips from what I learned today:

The Process:

- Know you press before you start your design and determine if the design is fit for the equipment – not all designs are right for letterpress
- film is created from your design
- a photopolymer plate is made using a light sensitive process
- printing begins

Considerations every designer should know:

Color and Ink:
- Work with solids and not screens of colors – 1 color at a time is important to remember
- Pantone books are printed offset so letterpress will look a bit heavier
- Designers should know how different papers influence color
- Minimum line weight should be .25 but preferably .50

Size and Runs:
- most printers have capabilities to run jobs from business card size to 21″ but size will depend on the press you have
- 250 minimum quantity for a run is suggested, but any quantity is possible

Paper:
- You can work with a family of papers for the same job
- Type of paper also determines the impression depth, 80 lbs is probably too thin – need thicker paper for deeper impressions
- Uncoated sheet: You can print on both smooth and textured paper (letterpress is almost always printed on an uncoated stock)
Coated paper: “It doesn’t really jive with the feel” as Josh says.

Special effects:

Example 1: A two color job with overprinting gives you more depth and more colors. Also, an additional color was added with a custom rubberstamp (stamped each month).

Example 2: A blind impression adds extra depth to a design.

Example 3: Unique Applications - Advent Calendar

People say that print is dead. When you see these beautiful samples you know why they are wrong!

Tomorrows Flickr Friday will feature more Letterpress samples so stop by the blog to see those! If you have some letterpress samples I would love to see them, share your link below in the comments!

Images and content from PaperSpecs.

Continue reading →

My etsy shop is open for business! The shop features my photography and will soon carry prints from my graphic design collection! I am working on some poster designs now. I also have a few holiday and gift items for sale since it is almost ‘that time of year’. I will be adding items regularly and I’m planning a giveaway through I Just Might Explode in a few weeks so visit Ciera Design on Etsy and stay tuned!

Paper art in image from Pugly Pixel.

Continue reading →

Amelie G Magazine is a style magazine, based in New Orleans, that started out a year ago with monthly online issues. The focus is on emerging artists, designers and innovative minds of this city that we love. They feature everything creative, from the latest styles and fashion designs, to music, architecture and art; if it’s compelling, they will be there to write about it.

I have been working with them to get their first print issue produced. The launch party for the premiere print issue was on Saturday night at LePhare. It was a celebration of creativity and fashion in New Orleans and was great to see everyone enjoying the printed magazine!

Cover image presentation

Alex and I celebrating the premiere print issue

Everyone enjoying the magazine!

Beautiful cake that my mom made for the event

Amelie G Team

Continue reading →

A friend of mine, Rob Clemenz, is the mind behind Saints for Sinners. He created special edition medals to honor the New Orleans Saints! These one of a kind medals are imported from Italy and hand painted in New Orleans.

A few Saints style medals, including the Touchdown Jesus, are shown here. Read more about how Saints for Sinners got started and view the other Saint medals & stories on their website: saintsforsinners.com

Close-up photo by Zander White // ZanderWhite.net
Board photo by Michele Campisi

Continue reading →

Since I was a kid, I have always loved finding these on the beach. I hadn’t seen one in a while until I was at the beach on Martha’s Vineyard a few weeks ago. I took some photos and drew it when I got home.

You can keep up with all of my sketchbook entries here on my blog.

Continue reading →

A PaperSpecs webinar about How Habits Influence Creativity by Stefan Mumaw.

I really enjoyed this webinar that I watched yesterday, so I am sharing some of the key points.

Habits play a role in our creative level. Creativity and habits coincide and we gain creative energy through the habits we employ or don’t employ. We can control our creativity.

We define creativity as problem solving. We sometimes mistake artistry for creativity. The two often overlap but you can not be creative without a problem to solve.

Habits that positively influence creativity:

- Journaling: you need to record ideas and get them out of your head – make room for new ideas
- Puzzles: problem solving, you can train yourself to be better
- Creativity Exercises: you need a purpose to be creative
- Million Dollar Idea List: something that can grow creatively. Products, services, silly ideas etc. What would make you a million?
- Texture Exploring: Pay attention to the things you usually take for granted – daily route, your desk
- Purposeful Exploration: find creative inspiration in traditional media – take a purposeful look at these things – pay attention while watching tv, reading newspaper and find ways that others have expressed their creativity. Often we use these mediums to escape but we should look at them in a different way.
- The power of Novelty: we want what is new, a new solution, a way it has never been done but what are our personal habits (new way home, new lunch spot)? We have to be willing to take in the novelty around us and experience new things. The habit of trying something new should be encouraged.
- Human Interaction: we are communal creatures – creativity is born from experience including other peoples. All people solve problems – surround yourself with people different from you. We need new perspectives.

Habits that negatively influence creativity:

- Failure to Start: scarred to get ideas off the ground.  creativity is meant to be a process and it is better to start even if you don’t finish.
- Failure to Document: leaving ideas in your head takes up space for new ideas to form
- Poor Time Management: need to make room to develop ideas
- Boredom: completely solvable – you have a mind and body to fight off boredom
- Routine: challenge routine, can we find a better routine or better way.
- Isolation: influences creativity in a negative way. A bad habit is creatives only surrounding themselves by other creatives.
- Apathy: have to be purposeful and want to solve the problem

Fear squashes creativity. Two significant areas of fear that play a role in our creative level:

- fear of failure: not willing to take a risk
- fear of judgment: plays a role in how creative we choose to be

For example: Steve Jobs doesn’t care what people say and that is why Apple has continued to stay innovative and creative. He has ability to put fear of failure and judgment aside.

Exploration of our own creative habits

- Concept Choices – is it always the same?
- Design Choices: fonts, colors, etc. Do we need to break a pattern?
- Paper Choices: do we use the same stocks all the time? are we afraid to try color and texture?

Habits we can form to improve creativity – three concepts to apply to yourself:

- No Creativity without Purpose: create the problem and define it if you need to. You can not be creative without a solution to solve.
- No Creativity without Restriction: the more restrictive the problem, the more creative the solution.
- No Creativity without Action: need to pursue it and make it our own responsibly to make ourselves more creative

WE CONTROL OUR OWN HABITS! Creativity is a habit you need to practice everyday.

Images and content copyright Stefan Mumaw.

Continue reading →

The Young Leadership Council (YLC) is a non-profit organization created to develop leadership and generate a positive impact on the quality of life in the New Orleans region through volunteer-created community projects.

When I  joined the YLC in March of 2009, I wanted to get involved in something to help the city I love. I imagined that I would be working with a program like Park It, a beautification program that works to clean up neighborhood parks. As a designer, I stare at a computer screen all day – I wanted to get outside and get my hands dirty.

Once I became a member, project leaders started contacting me to help with their design and marketing needs. Over the past year, I have teamed up with numerous projects of the YLC in order to help them effectively communicate to their audiences by creating sales tools, invitations, signage and web graphics. Some of the projects that I have worked with are: A Streetcar Named Inspire, Where Ya’ Rack, Role Models Gala and One Book, One New Orleans.

My role as a YLC volunteer has not been at all what I imagined it would be, but so much more! I really enjoy being involved in so many projects and working with so many great people who have the same love for New Orleans. I have still not gotten my hands dirty, but I am thrilled that I have been able to share my talents with such a great group of people and for a great cause! View some of my YLC work.

Photograph by Zander White | Photography

Continue reading →

I started my trip by flying into Boston from New Orleans. Zander picked me up to head straight to the boat for Martha’s Vineyard where we spent a few days on the beach and getting to know the island. Next we headed north to Maine to stay at Zander’s family house. We did a lot of relaxing around the house and took a few day trips sailing around Boothbay and swimming in Damariscotta Lake. The house in Maine is so beautiful I wanted to share some photos!

Continue reading →

I am very excited to announce that I am participating in the Art House
Co-op’s Sketchbook Project this year! You can keep up with all of my
sketchbook entries here on my blog.

This year I have the theme Lines and Grids. As a graphic designer, I always start with a grid to keep organized. I chose the lines and grids theme because it can keep me structured but I can always break the grid!

My Art House Co-op profile.

Continue reading →

This is what I would tell myself if I could go back 20, 15, 10 and 5 years.

What would you tell yourself?

You can keep up with all of my sketchbook entries here on my blog.

Continue reading →