Filtering by Category: Television,IC Feature

Last year we received a call from our favorite software company, asking us if we'd like to preview the soon-to-be-released Illustrator CC. The one caveat was that we had to create whatever we wanted and document how we did it. Our answer? A resounding 'Awesome!' and "Uh-oh, what are we going to create?" There were no guidelines, save for a few key words: Modern, fearless and reborn. Adobe's theme for the new release.

Since we had just recently bought a farm outside of the city, we were in the thick of having our normal lives turned upside down - yet at the same time, we were having a blast with our new lifestyle. 'Reality. Reborn.' is inspired by that personal transition ... blended together nicely with the amazing new features of Illustrator CC and Adobe's willingness to give us carte blanche on creative direction.

We've been using Adobe's products for almost 20 years now and rely extensively on their tools to create our projects. Huge thanks to Terry Hemphill and the Adobe team for asking us to do this. We had a lot of fun with CC's great new features.

Without further ado, download Adobe's awesome iPad magazine, Inspire to check it all out - or read it online. And to top it all off, grab the mega-huge uber-limited 25" x 46" poster in our shop now.

Read about how we went from sketch phase to final color blocking ... and how our process always evolves as we work.

One of the coolest new features in CC is the Multiple File Place tool, allowing you to adjust the size of your file before dropping them on the artboard.

CC's new Touch Type tool is especially great as well, allowing you to manipulate and edit individual characters without creating outlines.

Those are just 2 of my favorite new features. Read about the rest. A few details below:

... and pick up the giant 25" x 46" poster in the shop now for only $40.

We had the pleasure of working on a number of User Profile and Achievement illustrations for the brand-spankin' new Xbox One, which happens to be out today. IC was commissioned by Xbox to create 30 gamerpics for users to choose from on the new system. Monsters, space scenes, animals, objects and more. We were also asked to create 5 achievement illustrations that would be displayed once a user accomplishes a specific challenge. 10 Hours Of TV, 25 Hours Of Movies, etc.

This project was a blast, and it's exciting to see some of our gamerpics end up in the Xbox One: Invitation spot (see below). Big thanks to our A.D.'s Ramiro Torres and Michael Guss for the opportunity. Now I just to need to get my hands on one ...

Is there still a role for designers in the music industry? We're honored to be amongst 7 studios interviewed and featured in IdN's Music Graphic issue.

Recorded music has always been packaged, from the very earliest days when wax cylinders came in cardboard tubes, and has therefore always involved designers. In the palmy days of vinyl LPs with sometimes stunning cover art and often erudite liner notes, the presentation was almost as important as the product.

But with the industry morphing so rapidly into the field of digital-download delivery, where do the graphics come in now? This is a burning question for all those working in the area of visually representing music. To see what their answers are, read this feature story, which solicits the views of seven specialist music designers.

Featuring: Telegramme Studio | Invisible Creature, Inc. | IWant Design | Daniel Reed | Matteo Meta | Leif Podhajsky | Giottographica

// Grab a copy here.

We're honored to be part of the fantastic new book Kern and Burn: Conversations With Design Entrepreneurs curated by Tim Hoover and Jessica Karle Heltzel. Featuring Aaron Draplin, Heads Of State, Arman Vit and many others.

'Kern and Burn: Conversations With Design Entrepreneurs' is a beautiful two-color book that features candid conversations with 30 leading designers who have founded startups, channeled personal passions into self-made careers and taken risks to do what they love. In this book they share their failures, successes, and perspectives. Our hope is that you can learn from them — not to follow in their footsteps, but to chart your own course in parallel, one that allows you to thrive, add value to the world and love what you do.

The entire Kern and Burn project was brought to life by a successful Kickstarter campaign, but here's where it all started. Tim and Jessica's spirit and passion for this book is an inspiration, pick up a copy if you can!

 

So it's kind of a long story, but when my buddy Vijay, who owns and operates Artist Series Guitar, mentioned that his good friend, Ryan Hurst, would be doing a photo shoot for his custom Demon Hunter and Throwdown guitars, I had to make sure I was there. For years now, people have said I look like Opie, a character that Hurst plays in the always-enthralling Sons Of Anarchy TV show. All of us in Demon Hunter have become huge fans of the show over the years, so this was a really cool opportunity. Oh, and my wife made the dope leather vest Hurst is wearing in the shoot. Checking off that bucket list, one day at a time.

I was recently turned on to Showtime's amazing series, Dexter, and my wife and I are doing our best to catch up in order to be prepared for the 3rd season, which begins September 28th. In watching the opening title sequence for the show, (which is phenomenal) I couldn't help but assume, by the beautiful macro shots and clever insinuations, that Digital Kitchen might've been responsible for this. Alas, I was correct: "Entertainment" section, row 2, column 3 here. Oh, and in case you don't know anything about this show, and just so the titles make sense, Dexter is a forensic scientist/serial killer.

Demetre told me to check this show out a few weeks ago and I finally got around to it. Wow, I didn't realize how late in the game I was, but I guess the best do come to those who wait. Mad Men is brilliant on many levels - and EVERYONE is raving about it. It's shot perfectly, the era (1960's) is executed beautifully and the story ... well, it's great in a way that only cinema can pull off. Double lives, crooked ad men, drinking and smoking on the job, racism, sexism. It's like The Soprano's meets Leave It To Beaver, but without the killing or June Cleaver. 

Season 2 just started, but the entire first season is available on Comcast On-Demand HD (!) for 5 more days. However, if you wanted to purchase it, the packaging looks pretty killer.