Do designs just magically pop from mind to screen? Lord I wish so. Any artist will likely tell you that design or art is a process. A thought or inspiration sparks in the mind, then the fun of making that spark into something real. My prime design, the data monkey, was no different. Born about … Continue reading Design Darwinism
Six years ago, around the 4th of July, I received a message from one of my best friend's boyfriend. He and I never talked directly. The message was simple. Jacquie, my best friend since middle school, had died. At the time, my family and I were on a drive through rural Nebraska during a family … Continue reading Memoriam
We've all heard the universal phrase "can you photoshop this?" Yes, Adobe's raster/image manipulation software has become part of the English lexicon (at least American English). But is it the only tool out there? Short answer: no. Long answer: there are a number of programs that are free. The one I have installed and use … Continue reading Can You Tweak This Photo?
Playing cards. Usually 52 cards in a deck (I have one that's only 32, but another with 100-ish). Each one (can be) a work of art of design on a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" canvas (for a Poker card). A nice way to create a collection around a theme, and make it more than … Continue reading Design is in the Cards
Last time, I talked about using Inkscape to create many of my logos, patches, etc. This time, thought I would mention what I use when the need is more of a publication, not so much a single graphic. For these cases I use two primary tools/systems: Scribus and TeX/LaTeX. The FOSS realm provides a lot … Continue reading Layouts without payouts
As I've mentioned, design is a hobby of mine. So, I get to spend lots of money.... Not really. Then how does design work on no budget? One solution: Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). In nutshell, FOSS encompasses a wide selection of software that's free and open sourced, meaning the code is open to … Continue reading Design….on no budget
If you've seen my portfolio site, you've likely seen reference to Cheeky Monkey. Cheeky was a creation to 'brand' some of my more mature designs and concepts. Some of them are just not-safe-for-work snarky graphics and such. I've also worked on more adult-themed ideas as well. Some of these are just one-off graphics based on … Continue reading A More Mature Monkey
Many of my designs are on the snarky/sarcastic side. To those who know me, this won't be a surprise. I'll admit some of them are 'not safe for work' (or NSFW). As my design work is largely a hobby, much of my design inspiration comes from my 'real world.' In my life, I know many … Continue reading The Snark Side
The other evening my wife made a comment why I didn't pursue graphic design in college. The response was I really hadn't 'found' my design interest at that time (although I did enjoy a fairly freeform art class in 8th grade). The conversation then proceeding to a comparison between my design work and the work … Continue reading Design versus Art
Data Monkey Designs 