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
Inspiration can come from a lot places. I see a lot of things during the day, some of which will spark an idea. We've all seen those "13.1" or "26.2" oval stickers on back windows of cars. More power to people who can actually run that far. One day I saw a "0.0" sticker and … Continue reading Donut Runner
*NSFW* Talking about a couples-focused card deck. Mature audiences only please.
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
As some who have been following my design for awhile know, I've been slowly working on an Asian-themed card deck (link below for more details). Well, I'm trying to finalize the design to the point I could submit to a printer should I go the Kickstarter route. To make the design right, it's taking some … Continue reading Trigrams Update 20 May 2019
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
I recently discovered a company that makes PVC-based patches. Now, there aren't the 3D ones you might've seen. Instead, these are 2D flat patches. So, I gave it a shot with my flying monkey design and a few word-based ideas. https://www.mutinyshop.com/
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 