My rant of the day that appeared on Gizmodo speaking to idiots who are so locked into the what the iPad is “not” that they forget to see the tool that it “is.”

RANT:
I am a professional illustrator and designer. About 5 years ago my publishers required me to move 100% digital. I was hesitant, but saw the writing on the wall. I used (and still use) Sketchbook Pro, Photoshop and Painter to accomplish this task. I rarely touch paper /pencils / pens / or paint anymore. All of my thumbnails are done digital. All of my concepts are rendered digital. And my drawing and paintings are completely digital.

Sketchbook Pro has a built-in email feature that allows me to sketch hi-rez and and email low-rez concepts on the fly with one button. This past year I bought SBP for my iPhone. It works the same way. I use it a lot for “napkin doodles” as I sit in lunch meetings with clients, or sit in my car (parked!) sending off creative ideas in one direction as I travel in another.

As a long time Wacom user, it took a conceptual jump to produce anything of value on the device using my finger. But like making the jump from pen to stylus; jumping from stylus to finger is worth the small investment of time.

I can’t wait for this app and my iPad.I am not obtuse enough in my thinking to assume that it is meant to replace the tablet or even my desktop. It is a tool. I turn it on, the software and hardware disappear, and I work productively and transparently — just like Apple devices are meant to do.

If you are waiting for Microsoft to engineer something innovative that reflects the cultural meme of creative gestalt; You have other serious issues than not being able to draw with your finger.

Sometimes, logos come easy for me. I see them clearly in my mind’s eye and trace them from this vision I have inside my head. Sometimes I struggle. This generally comes from me trying to push a square solution into a round hole. Regardless, it is a frustrating exercise to almost be there, to be so close, and see that I am close, but recognize that something is missing. It is a loop that I visit again and again. The loop will spawn new ideas, and I will start tangent paths, that end up in the same place. Close, but no cigar.

This grouping of logos fall onto this tortured creative ground. I have been working them on-and-off for two weeks. They are making progress, but the final solution eludes me.

This is an assignment overview for my digital Illustration class. We emphasize the use of multiple applications as tools to achieve singular results. This assignment is a lead-in for our next assignment; creating
gaming textures!

There is a weblog called Monsters in Real Places. You draw a monster and place it in picture. This week’s submission calls for the use of a Vancouver Olympic mascot in city close to you. I created “Quatchi” at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Yes, I know that my version of Quatchi is less cute and is sport’n a tude. Go figure! A quick Friday morning distraction. Drawn and painted in Photoshop.

The descriptive blurb that is supposed to accompany the picture:

“The now famous Vancouver Quatchi, with the Winter Olympics behind him, settles down to some golf and sunshine at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Shhhh … he is about to take his shot.”

The Website: Monsters in real places
The Real Quatchi (and friends)

Yep, three posts within the same week. Life is getting back to normal. School is covered, Studio work is doing good, and I actually spent time with the family this weekend. OK. So, a client gives me a thumbnail of a character they want drawn for a product display. The client sells (amongst other things) custom barrettes for little girls. This client gives me a thumbnail for the design / illustration and gets me started.

Over the course of my career, I have seen hundreds of client provided illustration thumbnails. They range in quality from the vaguely intelligible hieroglyphic, to the amazingly adept.

This is an example of one of the latter. The thumbnail gives me great distinguishable lines, direction, size, product display, gender, and proportion.

When I receive thumbnails from clients, I will often provide thumbnails back to make sure we are talking about the same thing. In this instance, I drew a nice tight mockup in Sketchbook Pro, directly from their thumbnail.

I finished up the illustration, in Adobe illustrator using a custom pressure sensitive brush. To top it all off, I have been using it as a classroom sample for an assignment we are currently working on.

I been working on a few different logos these past couple of weeks. One of them was for a new imprint of Bitterroot Mountain Publishing called living oracles. My sketches around the idea started with The oracle of delphi and the concept of a font of knowledge. I worked several thumbnails that included water but after some playing around I ended up with this book motif that also looks like a Grecian column. I included a tongue of fire over the column / book as a representation of the spiritual foundation of this imprint. The books will be inspirational in nature.

After years of stringing my tablet to my computer; Often at the expense of comfort or natural positioning, Wacom has introduced a wireless solution. The only question left to be unanswered is why they did not send me one to review?

Now I have two pads on my wish list. An iPad and now a wireless tablet. Hmmm … I wonder if I cold get the two of them talking via my Sketchbook Pro iPhone app? Now that would be VERY cool!

I can honestly say that from the view of the lifeboats I now know exactly what not to do when Icebergs unexpectedly enter the mix. In other words; I am going to handle next semester in a different more successful way. These past three months have been a nightmare of developing course curriculum, grading, juggling studio work, and family. Although all four were addressed and tasks completed, all four suffered. It was a mess that I am still pulling out of. I know that it can be done. That fact that I have finsihed the race at all is a testiment to the viability of the concept. But my process was nieve and not very organzized.

Luckily, I have survived the test and I have somewhat firm ideas to manage the second round.

As a side note: I am thinking about redoing the blogfolio again. I am split between the traffic that I get from making and keeping a blog updated and the self-promo aspect of new clients just wanting to see my work. Most of my new clients say that the blog is a great reflection of my laid-back style and practical “no hidden agenda” approach.

Then again. Some people just want to see work samples. This part is not really me. Not sure, not sure, not sure. Well … like I said, I am thinking about it.

After TV commercials, billboards, handbills, lawn signs, newspaper ads, and a website, I am now creating postcards for the final push towards election day. Here are the set of the final four. I have really enjoyed this years election. It has been a lot of fun and of course Mike is a great guy. I really ought to put together a self promo sheet documenting all the integrated campaign materials.

One might think that keeping everything in balance while I juggle my responsibilities of school, studio and family life is a trick. And you would be correct. Oddly enough, I am actual more productive when I am busy. I manage my time more efficiently, I am more creative, and it seems to breed more work. All of which are good things.

My eye candy for today is a mock up I did for class as an example of thumbnails and comprehensive layouts. I still find it amazing how many “new school” designers don’t take the time to freeform noodle. I almost always present thumbnails and comps to clients before traveling down the path of photography and physical computer layouts. It is not that I am against the computer. I do my thumbnailing and comps on the computer. I just find that the creative process is more enabled when concepts are discussed with a client before nitpicking about 6 point type in an ad.