Looking for inspiration # 385967078 Great songs

Hi. Remember me? The owner of this blog? Well, I'm back and I don't know how long for. I won't apologize since I don't have any readers (I think), and I already forgave myself for the blatant abandonment of my posting.
Is monday evening after another busy day at work. I still design magazines. I still work at the same place. I still haven't been able to make the things I want to make.
But I have found an amazing band that transports me to a sort of white, calm, glam-like 80's, sophisticated place where I wish I was born. Porcelain Raft, and it's album Strange Weekend.
I don't know much about music but they remind me of New Order and The Jesus and Mary Chain (and Pitchfork has a better way to define it its album review) and I'm posting it here because the "visual information" that pop-ups in my mind when I listen to it. In it's lyrics and music, I look for inspiration.
I have to give credit to the trailer of Celeste and Jesse Forever movie, where I discover it and I think everyone else did. Not sure about the movie, I haven't seen it, but a great choice of music for the preview.
Cheers to good, beautiful atmospheric music.
Hope to see you soon little blog.

x

Portfolio Book Part 1

B is for books

 E is for Editorial

G is for Graphics

I is for Illustration

I'm currently working in this letters which will be used for the construction and design of a little presentation and portfolio book to give away.

Next step, do the backside of each page. 

Over again

I'm definitely not a blogger but not posting for over 4 months makes my presence on this website practically nonexistent. I probably should just slam myself against the wall.
But I won't whine about it and instead I'll do a wrap up of what's been going on in the past months because I'm planning to take up writing and posting again. After all, the aim of this blog is showcasing my work and reflecting on my practice as an artist and graphic designer.

I'm still working at my magazines and although it started as a job I had to get in order to pay my debts, I had learned to love it and grow through the experience of it.
When I accepted the position I felt I had to sacrifice a lot of my creative freedom and the idea of being an independent artist, just for a monthly pay-check. I started nearly a year ago and it's still a hard craft that I'm just starting to learn.
I've done very little or nothing in terms of my artist work; november and december last year were hectic planning and designing the last year's editions of all of our magazines.

The office environment consumes a lot of my time, and my energy. The pressure of getting things done on time and in the right way give little space for projects aside.
I've been constantly leaving short ideas, words and unfinished drawings all over little notebooks I start from scratch over and over again.
Despite the lack of focus and drive to start a new project, I have set myself the goal of applying to three international residencies that might give me the opportunity to create without money or time constraints.

Since last Friday, I started to develop a new project which is completely raw so far but somehow containing potential and good visual material.

This blog will continue to document my process to complete a coherent project that hopefully will make it into a creative work backed up by one those residencies. Good luck to me.

P.S. In the past months I sure did some visual research through the newly discovered Pinterest. This virtual pin board is a fantastic resource for new ideas and inspiration. Sure there's a lot of commonplaces to find in there but also some beautiful work and images to classify according your needs and preferences.
Follow my own Pinterest boards by clicking on the P red button on the top left.

Boredom and paradise

The good thing about being bored (I get easily bored) is that you're so desperate that your mind escapes and knows no limits as how far to go. At least mine.
I attended an infographics seminar at the beginning of September and despite of being interesting for the two first days, the third last one felt like one bad long monotonous film. And the room was terribly cold.
To keep my self awake and sane I started drawing and here are some good (although a bit delirious) results:
1. This is how the brides, for my Brides magazine, should look like:

Happy, floating women in complete state of bliss (No Bridezillas allowed)

2. I think of a girl living in a movie. And in that movie I think about the girl creating a movie which she invents but she cannot be part of, because it's fiction. And it's called Hello, my number 1, The story of a girl who can't even speak to the man she secretly loves.


3. I dreamt of a place where I would like to live. My own place. I'm almost certain it would be really hard to have it. At least in the near future. So I draw it. The drawing came out so good that I want to make it perfect. And that would be the next step.

Looking for inspiration # 56756576 Great songs

Any time will do, my love...image found here

TV on The Radio, Will Do
Video/song (and soundtrack) of my season. Amazing.

wow!

Image taken from Curled up with a book

I've just discover this amazing blog while listening to this song...so it felt quite special and worth sharing

Happy 12 months in Bogota!

Looking for inspiration (#1282849) Movie credits

When I'm doing very little apart from being a slightly trained helper monkey at work I desperately look for an escape and I just watch one movie after another. I'll post a list of my july favorites and some of what I consider the best frames. Sometimes they give me ideas and get me thinking about new projects I might want to start to work on.

Blue Valentine
I really liked the whole film but specially the final credits that perfectly fit the sad ending to this love story. Photographs of the characters are interrupted by the sparks of the fireworks playing to the music of Grizzly Bear. I thought it was so simple but stunning.

Submarine
I was looking forward to watch this film and it didn't let me down. For me it was like the Amélie of the English but in a much funnier way that only English know how to do it. A welch teenage boy tries to find love and also himself. With the 70's on the background it has the best of vintage and lovely music by Alex Turner.



Thumbsucker
There is nothing wrong with a teenager sucking his thumb while he searches for answers in this world. Perfect timing in both opening and ending credits with music of The Polyphonic Spree.



Finally...
Two for the road
It's such a cliche to love Audrey Hepburn, but I think is inevitable because most of her films are really good and she always looks amazing. In this one we see a couple going through different stages of their relationship, only to see how close they are to be separated forever despite of always shared a big passion for each other. I think everyone can identify with the characters and they're problems and situations. Me, I identify with her outfits...

Looking for inspiration (#2495969)

Some pictures I took in April when visiting Paloquemao Market, looking for some colorful inspiration. Later.

Happy 11 months in Bogota!

I remember but I don't celebrate. A lot has happened since I returned home but at the same time nothing changes. Every morning I take the bus to go to work. If I get the chance I take a seat next to the window and as I look through, the city seems static. I keep my eyes wide open and I never sleep, because I always inevitable daydream. I meticulously elaborate perfect fantasies where I'm happily heading somewhere else where I'd rather be.
As I get off from the bus and head towards the office, I promise myself that tonight, the very least I'll do is draw it, and then I'd make it happen.

Weddings preparations 2

I'm now working on the babies magazine. Is kind of fun but I'm struggling with the temptation of relying only on stock illustrations. To make a magazine coherent and beautiful there should be a good combination of typography, visual hierarchy, proportions, good understanding of the grid and more than anything, creativity. My boss thinks the magazine is just too full of illustrations and that it won't be easy to create rhythms and guidelines for next issues in the likely case that is not me how is designing them. Pfff...I really have to think of everything.
In the mean time Isa (my best friend and bride to be) is keeping me over busy (and happy to do it) by designing the inside of her wedding invitations and naming me...the made of honor!! I'm really looking forward to the wedding day...but I'm also going nuts thinking about the dress.
I'll keep posting.

A fetish

Queen Victoria, The Boleyn Sisters, Marie Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth I and The Duchess

From now on I'll be illustrating for a weekly cinema article published on the IPad version of El Espectador's blog.
The first issue is called A Fetish, where the author explains her fascination with the art direction and costumes of period movies featuring the lives of famous queens and other royalties.
In this one I tried to get rid of the characters and actresses to then highlight the clothes that identify and give them life.
Since I have a deadline every Friday I'll be posting an illustration every week.

Wedding preparations

Is wedding season (at least here in Colombia) and I'm surrounded by all things flowers, shades of pink, fluffy for two main reasons:
1. I'm designing a Brides magazine.
2. My best friend is getting married (yei!)

As for the first one, since the magazine has been published already I would talk about it looking back a bit. The first number of my very own redesign was a bumpy road because of my inexperience in editorial design (in the well meaning but incredibly painful boss's words) though a great experience that leaves me wanting more.
I did a lot of visual research on the subject so I'm publishing it since I consider it just as important (or even more) than the final outcome. Also a list of websites and blogs for future reference on the subject.

InStyle Weddings

Real Simple Weddings

Domino Mag (closed but some spreads and cover can be found on Google images)

The Knot

Brides

The Wedding Style Guide

This is a new world to me. Magazines, brides, office environment.

I always liked magazines (specially Vogue and Elle) but somehow I thought they grew in trees all beautiful and glossy without nothing to do with graphic designers.

I do like weddings but don't know when I'm going to get married or if I will ever find "the love of my life" so I generally avoid the subject.

Working home alone had its cons but the pros were that you could work in your pajamas all day long if you wish, make your noise and don't bother talking to anyone.
Things have change and still got lots to learn.