CREATIVE BRIEFS #29

Welcome to CREATIVE BRIEFS, a list of links, news, and resources related to three of my favorite things: design, photography, and art. My hope is you will find something that inspires you and maybe helps you create something new, in whatever medium(s) you prefer.

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That’s my intent.” –Saul Bass

I too want to make beautiful things. I wish I could say even if nobody cares, but I’m not quite there. I care and think that people can tell, even if they don’t. It’s a quandary for creatives like myself who are both artist and designer. My current modus operandi is “One for me, two for them.” For every one art piece I do, I create two designs for clients. And vice versa. Like everything, it’s a work-in-progress and I’m still figuring it out. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Keep up the great work!

Brian

DESIGN

Why funky ’70s-style fonts are popping up on brands like Chobani and Glossier (Eliza Brooke/ Vox) Did someone say fonts? If you didn’t already know, I’m a HUGE font freak. My collection of fonts spans the years and I’m personally excited to see some of these oldies-but-goodies dusted off for a new generation.

50+ Best Photoshop Actions of 2019 (Design Shack) If you haven’t played around with third-party actions, they can help your designs reach to new heights.

Helvetica, the world’s most famous typeface, gets a makeover (Mark Wilson / Fast Company) Another story about fonts? In a word, yes. I really do like them. A lot. And this is Helvetica, so it’s a BIG deal.

Is this free US government font the new Helvetica? (Dom Carter / CreativeBloq) Nothing can replace Helvetica, but I always enjoy seeing what our tax dollars are being used for. If you’re sensing a theme in this issue’s design offerings, you’re right: I LOVE FONTS!!!

Pete Buttigieg debuts a radical new approach to campaign branding (Elizabeth Segran / Fast Company) Politics are a personal thing, but I personally approve of the direction Mayor Pete is taking, both in branding and policy. I’ll be watching this campaign closely.

New Logo for WNBA by Sylvain Labs: Thinking Outside the Box (Armin / Brand New) I recently discovered this site and love their discussions of rebrands, good, bad, and somewhere in between. As for the WNBA rebrand, the ladies are doing it their way. And it works.

When Work Becomes Play: What We Can Learn from the Bauhaus 100 Years On (Ruby Boddington / It’s Nice That) In a relatively short time, a school changed the way the world saw architecture, art, craft, and design. And the world was a better place for it.

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Art of the Personal Project: Sara Forrest (Suzanne Sease / aPhotoEditor) Personal projects are a great way to grow as a creative. This photo project about a rural prom in Kansas is more than photos of teenagers dressing up. It’s documenting a right of passage.

Photographing black holes is just like making panos (Levi Sim / Photofocus) My first introduction to panos was through one of my best friends, long before it was an automated feature in Photoshop. He had gone to Stonehenge and taken a series of photos that he painstakingly stitched together by hand. The end result was breathtaking…and well worth the effort. I need to try my hand at panos again. It’s been awhile.

A Complete Guide to Color-Effect Gels in Portrait Photography (Angela Marklew / Rangefinder) After reading this, I went to Amazon and bought myself some colored gels to try out on my next shoot.

A Quick Comparison of the Bokeh From Budget Friendly Vintage Lenses (The Phoblographer) I’m heading to Seattle next week and taking a new-to-me vintage lens to test out. I didn’t have a 135mm lens and didn’t want to break the bank, so I researched and decided to go with a Asahi Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 135mm f/3.5 I bought off eBay. It’s built like a tank and based on the reviews, it takes amazing photos.

The Story and Impact of One of the World’s Greatest War Photographers (Alex Cooke / Fstoppers) This 10-minute video chronicles the impact war photographer Frank Capa and his iconic body of work.

ART

How Technologies Both Old and New Can Help Rebuild the Fire-Ravaged Notre Dame (Naomi Rea / artnet News) The world watched as the iconic, historic Notre Dame Cathedral burned this week. It was shocking and heart-breaking. Luckily, much of its collection was removed for restoration, so at least not all is lost.

Eric Zenner (Gallery Henoch) – From May 16 – June 13, Gallery Henoch in NYC will be hosting a solo exhibition of an artist I recently started following. His oil-on-canvas photo-realistic depictions of water, people in water, and trees take my breath away. To me, they’re like remembering a dream, full of color and wonder. If you’re interested in watching the artist work and talk about his paintings, click here.

A Painter Who Left the Art World in Order to Actually Make Art (Tess Thackara / The New York Times) I don’t know about you, but I can definitely relate to the idea of wanting to get away from it all and only work when the mood/muse strikes. It’s a short-lived fantasy for me, but it’s the right thing for some people.

Forgotten Household Objects Cloaked in Cross-Stitch by Ulla Stina-Wikander (Laura Staugaitis/ Colossal) Sometimes artists reminde us of the beauty of and the joy that can be found in everyday objects. My face still hurts from this brightly-colored collection.

Surrealism and the Subjective: James Flynn (Juxtapoz Magazine) What I know about Surrealism I could fill a thimble. But Flynn’s work remind of some digital art experiments I’ve done over the years. Interesting art and interview.

Van Gogh Museum reveals conservation details for stolen paintings (Artdaily.org) Two stolen paintings are returned, a little worse for wear. Master restorers to the rescue. They are the art world’s unsung heroes in my book.

David Hockney and Luchita Hurtado named in Time 100 list of most influential people (Anny Shaw / The Art Newspaper) Hockney is 81 and Hurtado is 98. And they’re artists. So it’s both surprising and exciting to see their inclusion on this list. I’ve been a Hockney fan for years, but am a new fan of Ms. Hurtado and her work. If you’re not familiar with either, do yourself a favor and look into both!

Thanks for reading! If you’d like to suggest a link or resource, please drop me a line.