12/31/09

Best Job Ever

One of my dream "if I had to do it all over again" jobs is to be a caricaturist. Drawing—specifically faces—was one of the first things I really loved to do. I wasn't the best artist in my high school class so I wasn't asked to adorn the backs of denim jackets with the "Yes" logo, but I was able to produce the occasional snicker with a ballpoint rendering of the English teacher. The chance to take drawing classes is what lured me away from architecture and into an art program in college. Surviving by only pen and paper becomes more attractive with each Adobe CS upgrade, Apple product launch and new battery charger I have to pack. I still threaten to return to to the fold, but with each passing year the distance between pen and paper grows exponentially larger and scarier. Besides, David Levine's already done it all. Remembrances here and here and here.


12/26/09

12/24/09

12/21/09

Kids today...

A few projects from this semester's book and cover design class that I teach at SVA.

Modern Thinkers book series and Scarlet Letter cover by Suwon Paek:

Treasure Island cover by Yedidya Silber:


Modern Thinkers book series by Leigh McCarron:


Joke book and Modern Thinkers book series by Sophie Gerritsen:



Personal book cover by Beatriz Torrecillas:


Joke book by David Baylor:

12/18/09

More book art



OK, there's only a hint of book in this guy's sculpture, but check out Michael Johansson's work. Very cool.

12/14/09

Elephants Graveyard 5


Mostly I want to direct viewers to the phenomenal Agence Eureka, who supplied the art (which I later used on a Murakami cover).

12/10/09

www.designbloggingischangingeverything.com

Fresh Dialogue's 25th anniversary with the creme de la creme of the design blogosphere.

Allan Chochinov of Core77
Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss
Josh Rubin of Cool Hunting
Khoi Vinh of the NY Times and Subtraction
Alice Twemlow to moderate.

December 16th.

On Publishing

In case you missed Rob Giampietro's six part serial on the "production of text from the text’s point-of-view" when it first ran in Dexter Sinister's The First/Last Newspaper, you can begin reading here.

12/8/09

Endangered Species

Word is the end might be in sight for another publishing staple: the printed catalog. These catalogs are used by the sales team and feature books to be published in the upcoming season. As everything publishing related migrates to the digital side, the function of a printed catalog is becoming less and less useful as a sales tool. We've already merged all of our imprints (Knopf, Doubleday, Vintage, Anchor, Pantheon) into one catalog. They used to be individual publications. 


Staff designers take turns designing the catalog covers. The great thing about the covers is the freedom we have to interpret our themes: Knopf always showcases a borzoi, Vintage always has something "vintage". Posted above are a few I've done over the years. I'll put together a more in depth look once we reach the post-mortem stage. Shouldn't be too long.


12/4/09

Bromides


I'm sharing some Japanese baseball cards over at

12/2/09

Upcoming

Tomorrow, Dec 3: the art of collaboration with
Tobias Wong and Jose LePage


Next Thursday, Dec 10: the amazing typography of Craig Ward