I love finding art by chance.

My mom recently cleaned/organized my grandparents garage (one of the best places to find hidden/forgotten gems) and came across these pieces which she thought I would love. She was right, they are just beautiful and have found their place in my display of favs. It’s amazing how a simple line art illustration can pull so much life into it’s details. I was naturally curious as to who this artist is and where these pieces came from (one of my acquired nicknames is “Becky Checkers” ha).

Ernesto Garcia Cabral (aka Chango) is his name and ranks as one of Mexico’s most important illustrators of the 20th Century. Cabral was one of Mexico’s greatest political cartoonists and illustrators. He studied art in Paris just before WWI, and became well known there as a cartoonist. He returned to Mexico in 1918 and quickly became one of the country’s leading illustrators. He was known for his expressive caricatures, which illustrated the posters for Mexican film comedies throughout the forties and fifties. His talents also included working as a muralist in the US and in Mexico. Cabral died in 1968.

Fun Fact: Some of Cabral’s posters are featured in the film Ghost World (2001).

Just in time for the Holidays! I got lost today in the huge art gallery of Society6. S6 empowers artists and designers by selling, packaging and shipping their work so they have the freedom to focus on creativity. Find a whirlwind of genres from stylistic comic art, graceful illustrations and photography. These super cool designs are available in prints, stretched canvases, iPhone cases, laptop, iPad and iPod skins, t-shirts and hoodies.

Not only does Society6 support our illustrators and designers but they also lend hand to the environment. All products are produced when you order them, on-demand, to avoid waste and keep the business sustainable and they only use the highest quality materials and processes.

All in all, I heart Society6! So get on-line finish your Holiday shopping and support our designers and illustrators.

Here are a few of my favs from artist Valentina Ramos…hint hint wink wink

Watch the Video Version HERE

This is typically something I wouldn’t think of sharing on my blog but Kanye West’s short film ‘Runaway’ is a moving piece of art and a graphic masterpiece. The colours, movement and imagery, together create a dynamically beautiful piece and kept me glued through the whole film, who admittedly has a chronically short attention span. My fav cuts of the film hands downs are the classically trained ballerinas dancing to hip hop. I love the juxtaposition of these two elements, absolutely breathtaking.

OIL & WATER DO NOT MIX from Happiness Brussels on Vimeo.

A project by Happiness Brussels, designed by Anthony Burrill. { anthonyburrill.com }
Limited edition of 200 posters, screen printed with oil from the Gulf of Mexico disaster.
The oil was picked up on the beaches of Grand Isle, Louisiana.

Buy a poster at gulfofmexico2010.com – SOLD OUT : (

All benefits go to the non-profit organization “Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana” (CRCL) crcl.org
More photo’s HERE

This is a logo I designed for the 35 year anniversary design competition at Over the Rainbow. Although I didn’t win, I did get honorable mention and after viewing the TOP ENTRIES I have to say I was quit disappointed in the quality of design. So, I felt compelled to share the basic design principles in the making of a GOOD logo.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LOGO?

A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic, simple in form and conveys an intended message.
There are 5 principles that you should follow:

1 Simple

Good logos feature something unique without being overdrawn.

2 Memorable

This is achieved by having a simple, yet, appropriate logo.

3 Timeless

Although this particular logo marks a point in time, a good logo will stand the test of time. Trends come and go, where brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.

4 Versatile

An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of mediums and applications. For this reason a logo should be designed in vector format, to ensure that it can be scaled to any size. The logo should be able to work both in horizontal and vertical formats.

5 Appropriate

Does the logo represent the brand and the intended audience?

I came across this web design book featured on the FWA site a couple years back, but it’s still a must share. I Flipped through it, fell in love and immediately purchased. It’s called “Guidelines for Online Success.” It wasn’t only the good tips but also the funny and witty quotes that made me heart it, oh and it’s pretty. If you’re into design and web it’s a must have.

VIEW DIGITAL BOOK

BUT ALSO PURCHASE! CLICK HERE

SYNOPSIS

The dos and don’ts of web entrepreneurship

Have you ever wondered why your websites didn’t quite match up to the success of your competitors or peers? Have you ever looked at other sites and thought: “Why didn’t I think of that?” Have you ever spent too much time trying to find basic information that was buried deep in a needlessly complex website? You are certainly not alone and this book aims to change that by bringing together some of the world’s most highly acclaimed designers and developers, spanning every continent, all of whom share their knowledge and experience.

With chapters arranged by subject (interface and design, marketing and communication, technology and programming, technical advice, content/content management, and commerce), a clear do/don’t structure, and plenty of real world examples of successful and award-winning websites, this book has all the advice and examples you will need to give your personal or business website an edge on its competitors and also win industry acclaim as well as respect from your peers. Your visitors will thank you.

Editors:

Rob Ford founded Favourite Website Awards (FWA) in 2000, a recognition program for cutting-edge web design. His work has featured in the Chicago Tribune, Guardian and various web related magazines. He has judged many industry award shows, contributes regularly to web design sites and magazines, and writes a regular column in Adobe’s Edge Newsletter.

Julius Wiedemann was born in Brazil, studied graphic design and marketing, and was an art editor for digital and design magazines in Tokyo. His many TASCHEN digital and media titles include Illustration Now!, Advertising Now, Logo Design, and Brand Identity Now!

Smashing Mag has taken a look around, selected “fresh” high-quality free fonts and presented them in a useful and colourful overview.
I love when I come across hot free fonts, so I’m passing them on. I hope you heart them as much as I do.

VIEW FULL COLLECTION & DOWNLOAD