Design by Solo | Design News

Aviator Desk

2010-12-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

This is the Aviator Wing Desk by Restoration Hardware. This could be a lot of fun to own! Inspired by World War II fighter planes, I can just imagine setting behind it clad in a bombers jacket and leather cap!

Free iPhone Wallpaper

2010-12-26T14:39:00.001-05:00

Here is a little holiday gift for you readers. Feel free to download and use this wallpaper set on your iPhone! Post in the comments if you like and you want to see more free wallpapers.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-26T14:23:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone has a a wonderful holiday season! Thanks for all the love and support! More to come!

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

2010-12-11T14:57:00.006-05:00

Another beauty from Gran Turismo 5, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione in black! Such an elegant design. And it only sets you back about 230k. Enjoy.

Ferrari California

2010-12-05T22:18:00.006-05:00

I've been addicted to the new racing simulator, Gran Turismo 5 lately. It's a very immersing experience and probably the closest I'll ever get to the real thing. The graphics are phenomenal, the cars beautifully rendered with painstaking detail. Polyphony Studios has been developing the game for over five years, and it shows (in a good way).
Gameplay aside, the game allows you to visit certain locations and photograph the gems in your personal collection. This photography mode has a surprising amount of depth. The camera has all the features of a mid-range DSLR, impressive for a racing game, I know.
Above are some photos of my gorgeous Ferrari California in red. I will be posting more photos as I take them, enjoy.

Pictures I Took

2010-12-03T08:08:00.001-05:00

It seemed like the obvious followup to my last post, these are some pictures I have taken recently. Enjoy.

Photos I Wish I Took

2010-11-27T16:12:00.001-05:00

Here are some great photos I wish that I had taken, enjoy.

Concrete House

2010-11-23T16:29:00.001-05:00

Above are some shots I found of an ultra-modern concrete house in Madrid. A bit big and extravagant for my taste, but it's still fun to look and marvel at this architectural feat. The contrasting grey walls poses an interesting interplay with the green hillsides and foliage throughout the interior.

iPhone 4

2010-11-21T14:59:00.005-05:00

For the longest time I had avoided the allure of the smart phone market. I made common excuses against the added cost, the need, etc. I admit that I couldn't have been more wrong. It's hard to imagine going back to a "normal" cell phone. I use my iPhone for everything now, from scheduling, blogging, web surfing, making notes, keeping in touch... the list goes on and on. Anyway, the purpose of this post is that if anyone is on the fence about whether or not to get this phone, I would highly recommend it.

Placemaking

2010-11-19T11:19:00.003-05:00

Found some great work on all fronts from fabio ongarato design. I was especially intrigued by their placemaking (interior space design). Above is my favorite example of their work, the office of CAE. A lot of time and money went into this design, particularly the honeycomb-like shapes on the walls. Fantastic, but probably a cleaning crew nightmare.

Double Tap T-Shirt

2010-11-18T08:31:00.001-05:00

Zombies are in right now and there is plenty of media exposure to them. After watching some such media the other night, I had the idea for this design. It is now available via my redbubble storefront, and would make a wonderful Christmas gift. The photos above are from sketch to shirt. I usually don't document my work throughout the creative process like this, but it's kind of nice to see how it all came together.

Parihoa House

2010-11-16T17:10:00.001-05:00

If your a reader, you probably know that I'm a fan of architecture. If not, I am. The Parihoa House is one of the closest examples I've found to my ideal residence. It has elegant, modern lines. It is low lying and flows with the environment. And speaking of the environment, that may be the best part of all. It's situated overlooking the Tasman sea on 600 acres of rolling, New Zealand grassland. Wow!

Mount Saint Helen's

2010-11-15T23:20:00.002-05:00

Found some amazing photos a couple of months ago of the Mt. St. Helen's eruption on May 18, 1980. Amazing to see the terrifying power of nature. The photos that I found were spectacular and they were coupled with the story and video of a journalist that was on site in Washington and survived the blast.

What Katie Ate

2010-11-12T21:48:00.002-05:00

Ran across some threads that pointed to a little food blog called What Katie Ate. Food? I'll admit I was interested, so I checked it out for myself. Bear in mind, I haven't delved too deeply yet, but what I have seen so far has amazed me (so good that I decided to share it with all of you). Instead of trying to explain it myself, I'll borrow Katie's statement: What Katie Ate is a resource of info relating to all things food and drink. It includes recipes and food photography by Katie herself ~ a professional food photographer and food stylist and will feature what's hot and tasty within the Sydney and Australian food scene (with the odd global diversion thrown in here and there for good measure). It also offers tips and links to Aussie and world-wide food publications, food packaging, markets, wineries, gourmet stores, restaurants, bars and cafes.
Anyway, I would definitely encourage all of you to take a look.

All That Glitters Ain't Gold

2010-11-11T21:52:00.001-05:00

I was thoroughly impressed when I ran across these projects on Behance tonight. The process of creation for these pieces are just great fun. Instead of handling the layout digitally, these pieces are printed and cut, then meticulously assembled in a three dimensional scene, which gives them their incredible depth. Then the scene is photographed and voilÃ , stunning posters with visual weight!

Stamps

2010-11-11T17:23:00.004-05:00

Here are some stamps from a nice collection I ran across. These are from the Ian Fleming's James Bond collection. Some really nice one's with a lot of detail. I particularly like the detail on the From Russia With Love stamp with the Fitz modified revolver. My favorite has to be the hood ornament of the Rolls-Royce Phantom III for Goldfinger. Love it.

Computer Ads

2010-11-10T18:58:00.006-05:00

Dug up these old computer ads off of Flickr last night. I especially like the Packard Bell one. Our families first computer was actually a Packard Bell with the Windows 3.0 OS. Things have changed quite a bit since then.

New Site -- Solofolio

2010-11-09T22:01:00.005-05:00

Solofolio serves as an extension of the DesignbySolo studio portfolio. It is a clear-cut, no frills dumping grounds for all of my designs. It's set up for easy upload and navigation, so I can get more of my work online quicker. Currently I haven't linked the www.designbysolo.com homepage, as I am still working out some minor details, but all readers get a sneak peak! Buzz! Let me know how you like the experience in the comments.

Quality Poster Designs -- Kellerhouse

2010-11-09T21:51:00.005-05:00

Ran across these fantastic posters created by Neil Kellerhouse the other day. His work is very fresh with a lot of focus on simple lines and sleek typography. He's been involved in some pretty big projects, namely the superb The Social Network, which I recommend to anyone who has been on the fence about watching a movie about Facebook.

Naked As Fools

2010-11-08T21:34:00.004-05:00

Jonalee White single album.

The Lily Pond

2010-11-08T21:20:00.003-05:00

A banner that I did for my sister's custom hair bow shop.

New T-Shirt Designs

2010-11-08T21:16:00.005-05:00

Some of my newer t-shirt designs. Visit my RedBubble site to see more.

Schematics

2010-11-08T21:08:00.004-05:00

I love looking at schematics and technical drawings. Here are a few that I have drew inspiration from in the past.

T-Shirt Sale

2009-07-23T08:01:00.003-04:00

From today until Thursday, June 30 (one week from today) all shirts in my RedBubble shop will be 15% off. On top of that, if you purchase 5 discounted shirts, you will also receive free shipping. So, now is a good time to buy if you have had your eye on something. If not, it's a least a good time to look.

Behance Network

2009-07-18T00:20:00.003-04:00

For those of you who don't know what Behance Network is, it is a social network site for creative the exhibition of creative portfolios, projects, and collaborations. It allows you to set up a portfolio and showcase your work for free (pretty cool). Behance is becoming more and more popular and allegedly has millions of viewers monthly (including talent scouts for top brands). Right now Behance is an invitation-only based website. A few days ago I received an invitation to set up a portfolio site with them, which I intend to take advantage of. Hopefully soon everyone will be able to see my stuff on Behance.

Some Inspiration

2009-07-16T22:49:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to make a quick post with a few pieces of work that inspire me; hopefully they will be inspirational for you guys too.

We Belong Together! Shirt Design

2009-07-15T16:48:00.004-04:00

We belong Together! I have been wanting to do a t-shirt with a “message” for some time and this is what I came up with. I know that another Eco shirt might be more of the same right now, but this is my first eco based design so I hope it is still enjoyable. I wanted it to feel like an animal kingdom chart with an array of different animals (with humans included) and have a written message that indicates that we are all meant to live together, harmoniously. The more that the human race grows, the more that we have to expand and the more that we expand, the more that we encroach on the territories of animals. I know that this is inevitable, but I think that we should pursue new ways to share our space with animals and harmonize instead of simply driving them out.

This shirt is available on my RedBubble storefront in several color variations.

Japanese Mon Shirt Series

2009-07-14T17:54:00.009-04:00

This is a new set of shirts that I created based on Japanese Mon (Family Crests). A few are recreations of old family crests from Japan, but most are my own designs based off of similar themes used in traditional Mon. All of these shirts are available at my RedBubble store front.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park

2009-07-13T17:14:00.009-04:00

Here are a a few of the promised shots from the honeymoon, which we spent just outside of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee. The park is the most visited park in the United States.

Featured in Blanket Magazine

2009-07-11T20:59:00.003-04:00

My submission for the newest issue of Blanket Magazine (The Portrait Issue) was picked up and featured with a lot of other photographs and designs. Blanket is a great conduit for exhibiting work (for the outgoing artist) and drawing inspiration (for the passive art connoisseur). The picture is actually a reflection of my wife that I captured off the glass of our hotel during a trip to Mexico.

Just Married

2009-07-11T19:49:00.002-04:00

Sorry, once again, for the hiatus. I have been engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos lately. My girlfriend and I recently decided to get married and we have spent the last couple of months planning our wedding and the thereafter. Everything went down on June 20th, so I am now a happily married designer, lol. I will be posting some pics from the trip we took, shortly.

The Tate Creative - Logo Design

2009-05-18T08:44:00.006-04:00

Here are some final mock-ups for the identity designs I created for the Australian designer Tate.

Truth

2009-02-18T14:48:00.002-05:00

New shirt design that I just got posted today; Truth. Based on my composite style of design the shirt depicts some different elements and the word Truth. Hope you enjoy.

Revolution featured on Little Wonders Blog

2009-02-18T13:57:00.003-05:00

I was recently contacted by Damien Mason who asked for permission to post one of my works, Revolution, on a blog he hosts called Little Wonders. Little Wonders is a compilation of inspirational works of the highest caliber found on RedBubble. I very graciously accepted and a post for my print has been made. Damien Mason is a very talented illustrator and I would recommend anyone to check out his work via the link listed above.

Mask of Terror

2009-02-18T13:19:00.003-05:00

New shirt design available for sale at the DesignbySolo Shop. Modeled after an iron Ressi Men style mempo (Japanese Samurai battle mask). The mask design is from the Momoyama period in Japan and was employed by the samurai to inflict debilitating fear upon enemies whom they faced in close combat.
The design is off-white on white to simulate the face emerging from the mist or fog.

Bubblesite Storefront

2009-02-17T23:40:00.002-05:00

Got my new Bubblesite Storefront up and running today courtesy of RedBubble. Here you can view some of my apparel and art designs which are available for purchase. Check it out here.

Fear

2009-02-17T23:18:00.005-05:00

This is a design-for-screen, typography based work that I did for a competition a month or so ago. The premise for the competition was to create a design that described fear in some way. This is a compilation of quotes relating to fear from the NIV Bible.

Logo Designs

2009-02-17T23:10:00.005-05:00

Here are some recent logo designs that I have done shown in the manner which I usually present to clients. Logo designs are for Limelight Productions and Pertuset Car Wash, respectively. View more logos that I have designed here.

Shirt Designs

2009-02-17T22:54:00.010-05:00

I am sorry that my posts have been non-existent for a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working. Here are some shirt designs I did for a company. The first is based on the film Cry Baby with Johnny Depp, the second is based on the anime show Naruto, and the third is an original design of my own.

Typography -- Newport

2008-10-22T22:53:00.002-04:00

Some pretty good, metal-cut typography found on a fountain downtown Newport, Kentucky.

Font Design

2008-10-22T22:22:00.005-04:00

This is a simple font design that I drew up on paper some time ago. The font is designed with a modern, san-serif look based on the Cyrillic alphabet, which consists of 33 characters. This design was never turned into a usable font on the computer.

Website Debug

2008-10-22T14:29:00.003-04:00

As you probably know, I recently launched my new website. The design is completely HTML based, something that I am new to (my previous sites were Flash based) and there were a few bugs that showed up across different browsers/resolutions. I think I have the majority of these issues debugged and I will be able to sleep more peacefully. If you run across any bugs, please report them on this blog or via email. Thanks for your continued support.

Heredity and Training.

2008-10-20T15:51:00.003-04:00

New print design, Heredity and Training. The basis for the typography is a partial quote from Mark Twain's, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court; quoted as, "We speak of nature; it is folly; there is no such thing as nature; what we call by that misleading name is merely heredity and training." The photography was taken downtown Cincinnati.

Distortion Experiment 1

2008-10-20T15:49:00.002-04:00

Wanted to do a little bit of experimentation on photo manipulation/distortion. This is pretty basic, but I think the result is interesting.

Joshua & Proverbs in Print

2008-10-17T12:09:00.004-04:00

Here is some photos of the printed works, Joshua & Proverbs. Thought you might want to see. Enjoy.

7M3 Poster

2008-10-17T11:59:00.005-04:00

I made this just for fun. I have been looking over a lot of musical event posters lately (mainly at gigposters.com) and I was inspired to try my hand at the style. Seven Mary Three was one of my favorite bands several years ago (their American Standard album is still one of the best in its genre) and I wanted to feature them on the poster. Let me know what you think.

Bridge

2008-10-15T20:11:00.003-04:00

An overexposed photo I took of one of the bridges going from Newport to Cincinnati this evening. The treatment is up for interpretation.

Planet of the Apes

2008-10-15T14:54:00.002-04:00

This is one of the best movie posters that I have ever run across. It blew my mind. The design is by Todd Slater.

New Prints -- Proverbs & Joshua

2008-10-06T12:24:00.006-04:00

Here are a couple of new prints that I just finished working on (I will be posting them on the website soon). These posters are inspired by quotes from the Bible. These are a few quotes that stood out to me and I wanted to present them in a manner in which you probably are not accustomed to. Both quotes are presented in a low contrast colour layout which emphasizes the fact that they have to be truly look at and examined to absorb the meaning behind them (you can't take everything in at a glance).

Downtown

2008-10-06T12:07:00.004-04:00

Finally, I have the new site up and running (smoothly, I hope) and I have time to post some of my work again. I hope to be able to make regular posts once again on this blog, so stay tuned in. Here are some pictures I took of downtown Cincinnati. These were taken with my Canon 350D.

New Website

2008-09-30T21:53:00.003-04:00

The new website relies solely on HTML and does not require any Flash player add-on's for viewing. This means that the DESIGNBYSOLO website will be more accessible to non-conventional web browsers (ie. ipod, cellular phones, nintendo wii, etc.) Hope this is helpful for anyone who has had trouble viewing my website in the past.

New Website Live

2008-09-30T16:37:00.002-04:00

Just finished getting my new website online... It was quite a chore. The new design is much more expansive than previous versions while it maintains an ease of navigation. Please, check it out and let me hear your thoughts on the new design. Hopefully you will enjoy.

Sorry for the Delay

2008-09-24T11:50:00.003-04:00

Sorry everyone for being gone for so long. If you have been checking the blog for new updates, I apologize for the the disappointment. I have been caught in the middle of a big relocation process. I have now settled into a new location in downtown Newport, KY (across the river from Cincinnati). I have been working on a huge new website re-design for DESIGNBYSOLO.COM and will be releasing it within the next few days (hopefully by the end of the week), so hopefully that will make up for some of my absence. I plan on no longer using the blog as my frontpage, but instead I will be directing all traffic directly to my portfolio/menu page. The blog can be accessed by clicking on the link entitled RECENT NEWS. Hope to hear what everyone thinks about the new design. Also, I should be back to posting work/etc. on a regular basis after I get the new site up.

New Print -- Worth Fighting For

2008-07-01T13:19:00.002-04:00

The second of a new series, Worth Fighting For.

The small text reads :
Butterflies, crickets jumping through tall grass. Red and black lady bugs and spiderwebs with dew drops in the morning. The song of the robin at dawn and the call of the nightengale at dusk. The blades of wheat dancing in the fields. A cool breeze. Swinging from the branch of a ancient oak tree; fallen leaves of red and gold and orange. Puffs of dust and drops of rain, the creak of an old forest and the rustle of high grass. The quite murmur of water running over smooth stones, the roar of a waterfall. An owl’s hoot, a wolf’s howl. The magic of the autumn wind, the hot days and cool nights. The sight of freshly fallen snow. The complexity of a snowflake. Frost on the grass. An unopened bloom on a wild flower; the perfection of a rose.
Something Worth Fighting For.

This is a list of things that I wrote down one day that I feel are actually worth fighting to preserve.

New Print -- Stop the Terror

2008-07-01T13:13:00.003-04:00

This is the beginning of a new series in a true representation of my new style. I tried to give the design an elongated form because I am trying the convey a substance, or infection if you will, that lives inside of people like a fear. I wanted to convey the terror that people from war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East, etc. live with inside them every day. A fear that spreads throughout your body, extending to effect every part of your life and making every day miserable. Thats my message with this design, that we have to Stop the Terror.

New Print -- A-74 Plus

2008-07-01T13:05:00.006-04:00

This design is a compilation of a lot of elements into one organic, flowing shape. It was designed almost entirely in Illustrator and is meant to eventually be printed on wallpaper and put up in my house.

New Print -- Life Aquatic

2008-06-30T21:55:00.003-04:00

This is one of my earlier designs that I created in this new style, and I feel that its outside influences can be seen, where they are much more subtle or absent completely in the newer designs I have made. The title of this piece is Life Aquatic and is a representation of underwater life, in specific, the life along a coral reef. I think that coral reefs are one of earths greatest treasures and natural beauties and they are all in danger from pollution and other man-made problems. It is up to all of us to take care of the planet and preserve wonders such as these. This design is the only that I have for sale as of right now. It is available here, at my shop.

New Style

2008-06-30T21:46:00.002-04:00

I have recently "developed" a new style which I have been working in over the past couple of weeks that is different from most of my previous work. I hope that this is a style that I can elaborate and evolve into a viable means of communication that I can use on a vast array of different projects and will serve to represent me as an artist (at least at this time). The idea all started when I was conceptualizing for the Oddinary Box exhibition. What I created for the show laid the groundwork for a style that I feel holds many possibilities. It is a style that communicates a message with a mix of reality and abstraction with a merging and layering that gives the designs depth and a uniqueness that is rewarding to look at for an extended period of time. Broken down to its basest, it is simply a collage system of mixing and layering objects together in an aesthetically pleasing way. But, as you will see, the designs are not shallow like the typical collage design, but have a depth, both visually and emotionally. I hope you enjoy.

New T-Shirt Design -- Post Apocalyptic Peace

2008-06-24T13:25:00.004-04:00

Have a new t-shirt release for sale in the shop. The inspiration for this new design was a over-the-weekend t-shirt competition for a group of Futurologists. This is my take on things 250 years into the future. Here is my t-shirt description:

The year: 2258
This design is a symbol of the post apocalyptic era. Purpose driven war has given way to war for the sake of war. The land’s have suffered irrevocable trauma and humankind is on the brink of extinction. Man’s only hope is seek solitude in the only region left unspoiled by the Great War, the depths of the Sea. Underwater colonization could act as savior to the Human race.

My design is a play on the “Dove and the Olive Branch.” The dove holding the Olive branch symbolizes hope when all hope was lost, a peace in the midst of turmoil. My design is a Guppy (fish) holding a strand of Kelp. The fish holding a strand of kelp symbolizes the hope for mankind that waits for him beneath the waters, a new frontier untouched by war.

New Work -- Fifth Third Bank Campaign

2008-06-19T13:26:00.004-04:00

An ad I did for the Fifth Third Bank Goal Setter savings account. The goal setter account is a savings account offered by Fifth Third Bank which allows the user to specify a certain "goal" between $500 and $25,000 to save for. When you reach your goal, your are rewarded by a bonus interest rate. This ad emphasizes the goal aspect with the businesswoman considering what her goal may be (in this case, a beach vacation, surfing, etc.)

Image of the Week -- Wk. 17

2008-06-16T10:11:00.004-04:00

This is one of my first good shots that I took with my Canon digital camera. I haven't really taken much photography lately, and I would really like to get back out there while the weather is nice.

Inspiration -- 12

2008-06-16T10:07:00.004-04:00

A really great find from FFFFound! Check out their website to see all kinds of great work that is scattered throughout the web.

New Work -- This Time Around

2008-06-16T10:05:00.004-04:00

This is a book sleeve design that I have been working on for some time. The book is written by Jason Ottley, the Washington D.C. based author, and is entitled This Time Around. This was a fun project where I had complete artistic freedom. The book is about relationships and the struggles of life through a Christian perspective. I covered all aspects of the project from location scouting, photography direction and shooting, photo manipulation, typography/layout, etc. Hope you enjoy.

New Work -- Oddinary Box

2008-06-12T13:55:00.006-04:00

This is my design for the Oddinary Exhibition hosted June 27 & 28 in Singapore. This is part of the brief: This gathering of creative ingenuity will showcase a gallery of ordinary paper boxes made extraordinary. These simple unembellished paper boxes will be transformed into various pieces of art, under the nimble hands of students and international guest artists. Hope you like it.
This really was a fun project with no real limitations. My box turned out well and I keep it on my desk now for a little visual stimulation.

Bonsai -- Japanese Maple

2008-06-12T12:01:00.006-04:00

A taste of my organic artistry, lol. This Japanese Maple is my pride and joy... Here are some before and after pictures I took yesterday before/after I trimmed off a lot of the new growth. Shaping up to be a nice broom style; for now. Enjoy.

Inspiration -- 11

2008-06-12T11:23:00.002-04:00

This is a fantastic, fun piece by The State of Things. Go ahead and check out his work, its really nice (there is a link to his page under Design Friends). His work with short movies inspired me to create my own movie, Cloud. Anyway, his stuff is fun to muse over... kind of reminds me of a modern day Dr. Seuss.

Image of the Week -- Wk. 16

2008-06-12T11:20:00.002-04:00

Works well with Spring. Wildflowers with nice, muted colors... Enjoy.

Solo Archive Work -- 13

2008-06-12T11:16:00.003-04:00

This piece was originally constructed as a splash page submission for the online graphics website graphic-elements.com. The work is entitled Courage/Freedom and I think that this piece more than others really embodies its name visually. From subject matter to color scheme, the name for this design came to me easily and seemed to fit perfectly.

**Available for Hire

2008-06-12T11:11:00.004-04:00

As a freelance designer, I am constantly looking for new projects and new clients. Hire DesignbySolo for your design project, today. Spread the word, tell your friends, don't be afraid to drop me a line (or a call). If you have a design project you need a hand on or are looking for a artistic new spin on an existing entity, contact DesignbySolo. From print graphics, to identity (logo), or web I can be your design solution. If you don't have a current project but want to hear what my design principles are like, want to see more of my work, or simply want to discuss design in general, feel free to get in touch.

Disarmed Wampa

2008-06-12T11:07:00.001-04:00

I have now made the Disarmed Wampa design available for purchase at my Redbubble shop. Click here to check it out.

Back From Another Place

2008-06-12T11:00:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't wrote anything new for quite a while. It has been difficult to feel motivated to write anything lately... with as little comments as I get on postings, I don't know if anyone reads this blog or not. Anyway, the weather has gotten much nicer so I have been spending a lot more time outdoors. My girlfriend and I recently got new mountain bikes and have been trying that out; it has been great fun so far. Also been spending time at the pool; it feels good to have the sun shining on you. I have several bonsai trees and I spent some time yesterday trimming them up and making them look fit again after all the early spring growth (I will post before and after pictures soon). My Disarmed Wampa shirt scored a 1.96 overall which is the best I have scored on a Threadless submission before, but still not good enough to be printed.

Vote for Disarmed Wampa

2008-05-24T20:57:00.001-04:00

My Disarmed Wampa design is now available for voting on the Threadless website. If you have the time, I would really appreciate your vote. You can vote for the design here.

Image of the Week -- Wk. 15

2008-05-16T16:27:00.003-04:00

I know that I posted a new Image of the Week yesterday, but I have a reason to post this picture (which turned out wonderfully) and I figured that others might enjoy it as well.

New T-Shirt Design -- Disarmed Wampa

2008-05-16T01:04:00.003-04:00

Don't know if you are familiar with Wampa's or not... They come from the world of Star Wars, in particular, The Empire Strikes Back. In the beginning of the film Luke Skywalker attacked and kidnapped by a huge ice monster (the Wampa) and held captive (for later ingestion). Luke makes an escape by retrieving his lightsaber and cutting off one of the wampa's arms. Hence the inspiration for the design Disarmed Wampa. I am having it critiqued on Threadless.com right now, if anyone has any comments or suggestions about the design head over and check it out. I will be submitting it to actual judging in a few days and would appreciate your vote if you have a threadless.com account (they're free). I will post again when I submit it for judging.

Solo Archive Work -- 12

2008-05-16T00:57:00.004-04:00

I created this identity some time ago for a local computer hardware store. Kept a tech feel incorporated with the flow of movement and speed that has a great importance within the computer world (always upgrading). One of the few (maybe the only) logos I have designed that incorporated an effect (the glowing red dot) but, after much deliberation, I decided that it was significant enough to incorporate (like a power light) and it made the design a bit more dynamic.

Inspiration -- 10

2008-05-16T00:48:00.003-04:00

Been doing some freelance work for an ad agency recently and it has been a trial to deal with the obscene limitations that so many businesses have on the marketing campaigns. It is so refreshing to see packaging like this, devoid of sub-par imagery, crazy fonts, and neon colors. I wish I had the opportunity to do designs like this...

Image of the Week -- Wk 14

2008-05-16T00:41:00.003-04:00

In my design work I am always trying to come up with new and interesting patterns to supplement or communicate in a print. It is awe inspiring to see such brilliant patterns created in nature by the omnipotent Master of design.

Design Talk 2

2008-05-16T00:37:00.002-04:00

The second design talk went over very well with a good turnout. We are having an encore lecture this Saturday for anyone who missed the first one. Stop by, pick up a copy of the limited edition event poster.

New Event -- Design Talk 2

2008-05-06T15:49:00.000-04:00

Poster design for the next design conference (opening night is tomorrow at 7:00 pm at my studio). Stop by if you can. The speeches will be as follows: The Colors That Bleed Into One (my talk), Color Theory, and Name, Type and Color. So I think you get the idea that this conference is color focused. There will be two talk, the first is this Saturday, the second is next Saturday.

Upcoming Event -- Design Conference

2008-05-02T14:16:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to remind everyone who is interested that the encore presentation of the first design talk will take place tomorrow at the DbS studio at 7:00pm. We had a really good presentation and turnout with last weeks talk, so if you missed it or want to come again please stop by.

Solo Archive Work -- 11

2008-05-02T14:10:00.003-04:00

This is the branding I did for the country music singer Jonalee White (with and without her slogan). This was primarily created for the branding of her t-shirts and a stage backdrop, which I also designed.

Inspiration -- 9

2008-05-02T14:05:00.002-04:00

A really nice design with a great color scheme and layout. Really like the positioning of the copy at the bottom of the page and the different hues used in the title are very complimentary.

Image of the Week -- Wk. 13

2008-05-02T14:01:00.002-04:00

Thought this might be a fun pic for the spring time. Captured this last summer with my Canon 350D at the farm of friend. Cattle are pretty fun to observe... It seems pretty amazing how docile such a large, powerful animal can be.

Opening Night

2008-04-29T09:17:00.001-04:00

The opening night of the design conference went really well. I snapped a few photos, which I will be posting as soon as I can. If you missed opening night, stop in for the encore that takes place this coming Saturday (05-03) at 7:00. Hope to see you then.

Design Talk Tonight -- Opening Night!

2008-04-26T12:54:00.001-04:00

Stop by the DesignbySolo studios tonight for opening night of the design talk. Everything is taking off at 7:00 pm (lasting till 11:00). Hope to see you here.

Upcoming Event -- Design Talk

2008-04-22T17:23:00.007-04:00

Want to announce a design talk I will be hosting at my design studio in the Cincinnati Area (hosted/funded by DesignbySolo). Several key speakers will be present and doing separate design presentations. I will be giving a presentation entitled, The Art of Graphic Design as Through the Eyes of One Man (long title, I know...) and some friends will be making presentations entitled, Print as Design, Today and Helvetica, Wacom, and Everything inn Between. Opening night will be 4-26-08 (this coming Saturday) and an encore conference will be held the next weekend, 05-03-08 (both starting at 7:00pm and lasting until 11:00pm). The poster above has details about the event and will be printed as a limited edition of only 100 worldwide. Contact me to order an event poster, US size, 24x36.

Breaking Down Complexity

2008-04-22T16:52:00.002-04:00

Here is something you might want to read if you have some spare time. This is an interview posted on Tshirt Island about DesignbySolo clothing. The article talks about my Japanese influences, especially Sesshu Toyo (a favorite). Read full article here...

Design A Green Bag!

2008-04-21T13:44:00.003-04:00

Kroger food store is hosting a design contest called/at designagreenbag.com. They are trying to stop the waste of plastic bags by promoting cloth bags (with winning designs printed on them). This is a great endeavor and a fun contest. Kroger estimates that by using a cloth bag, 1000 plastic bags will not be used within a year period. Also, by entering the contest you automatically get a free cloth bag that you can pick up next time you go into a Kroger store. Above is my design for the contest. I would really appreciate it if you would go here and vote for my bag (you can vote once a day). Thanks.

2008 Calendar

2008-04-21T13:16:00.002-04:00

I have seen several nice, creative calendars on the net lately and since I didn't have a 2008 calendar, I was inspired to design one. I know I am a little late but the thought of designing my own calendar never came to me until lately. I found a really great semi-condensed font that worked out perfectly for the design. Hope you enjoy. Let me know if you like the calendar and I will send you a copy of the file so you can print it out and never be without a date again.

FITC Toronto 2008

2008-04-20T11:47:00.002-04:00

The FITC design festival is going on right now (April 19-22) in Toronto, Canada. All kinds of graphic design, motion design, etc. speakers will be presenting at the festival including North Kingdom, ISO50, etc. If you are attending the festival or have attended any of the past events, I would love to hear from you about your experience.

New Layout

2008-04-18T16:46:00.002-04:00

As you see (unless this is your first time here) I have implemented a new layout for the Solo design blog. The original layout was only meant to be temporary until I got around to coming up with a more permanent design. The old layout used the color scheme from my portfolio and the header from the Solo print studio... Therefore I redesigned a new header (complimentary of a new Solo typographic-based identity, S/) and several new color schemes (the one that is on display now is called the "White Theme.") Hopefully this will be the theme that I keep for a while, though the color schemes will most likely be interchanged periodically.

Inspiration -- 8

2008-04-16T01:49:00.004-04:00

Some more really nice examples of hand-drawn (and other) typography. Really creative work with the hands.

Inspiration -- 7

2008-04-12T13:48:00.003-04:00

A really nice illustration with hand-drawn text. Great vintage colors and texture to it. Found on FFFFound!

Image of the Week -- Wk.12

2008-04-12T13:44:00.002-04:00

Spring is Back!!

Solo Archive Work -- 10

2008-04-12T13:33:00.007-04:00

This is a logo design I did for a Southern Ohio based campground/resort. It is very rustic, located in the middle of nowhere, nestled within 300 acres of woods and hills (a great photo spot). The grounds were recently opened and I handled all aspects of the identity and design, from signage to postage. I have included some of the works I was commissioned to put together to show the logotype in action.

OFFF Lisbon '08

2008-04-12T13:28:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything during the past few days... It's been busy. Since I have been gone I got an email notifying me that my submission for the OFFF Lisbon '08 Catalog (under the theme, a wi-fi, a wi-fi, my kingdom for a wi-fi) has been excepted and will be printed for the festival. Very Exciting news, I just wish I had the time/money to fly to Portugal for the event.

Essence Featured!

2008-04-01T20:52:00.003-04:00

My print, entitled Essence was featured in Blanket Magazine's issue 9 (Music Issue). "Blanket is a free PDF art + design + photography magazine that is released bi-monthly. It is aimed at uncovering new, emerging talent from around the world." A pdf version of the magazine can be downloaded at the Blanket website, with my print featured on page 57 of the magazine. The Essence print is available for purchase in a variety of formats at the Solo shop.

New Shirt Design Available

2008-03-31T18:38:00.005-04:00

Three new shirt designs available in the DesignbySolo clothing shop. The first design is entitled Ambit, and is based off a sketch that I made several years ago (while still in college). The second design, entitled Live Free..., is a continuation of the Be Free... design, which features running horses (a herd of horses are featured on the Live Free... shirt). The third design is called Rainy Day, and is based of the animated movie I recently released on this blog, entitled Cloud.

Inspiration -- 6

2008-03-31T18:30:00.003-04:00

A fantastic print by Build. Such a great typographic feat (and highly illegible)... I am pretty sure this is a personally designed font, as I can not recall ever seeing it anywhere else. Great placement with information breakdown.

Solo Archive Work -- 9

2008-03-31T18:26:00.002-04:00

A piece of work I did in honor of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros upon the release of the song Glosoli. The lyrics and other information about the band are featured on the print (in Icelandic). If you haven't heard their sound already, be sure to check them out.