Samalou too The Art of Lou Simeone | Illustration, Graphic Design and Art Blog of Lou Simeone

Bully Free Zone Poster For Download

2011-11-25T14:33:00.001-05:00

This is for all the little ones out there. There were times when I was bullied as a kid. It's not a good feeling. I'm glad to see schools and parents taking action against bullying.

Click on this link to download a PDF of the above Bully Free Zone poster. You can color it or hang it up as it is. The choice is yours. Either way, hang it up for everyone to see that you choose to take a stand against bullying. Please feel free to share the PDF also.

I like to try to make a difference with my artwork when I can.

Happy Thanksgiving Coloring Page Download

2011-11-23T02:32:00.000-05:00

Download my new Thanksgiving Day coloring page by clicking this link. Once you hit the link the coloring page will begin to download.

I'm inviting everyone who downloads it to post their finished page to my Samalou Facebook page wall for all to see.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

The Jaws of Life

2011-11-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Just me having some fun.

Another Spotlight On My Samalou Style

2011-10-11T21:13:00.001-04:00

In September the website, What An Art! featured the "Vivid, Cartoon-like illustrations of Lou Simeone". It's cool when people appreciate the work I do and feature my artwork on their websites. I take that as a real compliment. Thank you to Shashika Ranasinghe, the website's editor and creator, for putting a spotlight on my work. Shashika was really diggin' the bright colors I use in my artwork.

Everyday there are many talented artists featured on What An Art! - so art lovers - check it out.

Disguise - Poker Face

2011-08-27T09:14:00.001-04:00

This one has always been one of my favorite illustrations - no special reason why I just always liked the idea. It's fun when you think of an illustration and it pretty much comes out the way you planned. I think maybe it's also because when you think of someone wearing multiple faces it usually has a negative connotation but this illustration is playful. What do you think?

Come join me on Facebook...

Influence - Griffin Eye

2011-08-22T07:03:00.002-04:00

I've loved the work of artist, Rick Griffin ever since I was in high school (a long time ago). If you've ever looked through my portfolio of illustrations and designs it would probably be pretty clear to see his influence on my work. Rick Griffin was an amazing, talented artist who illustrated countless album covers and posters in his day. His work has influenced many of today's top artists. If you aren't familiar with his work check him out online - you'll be glad you did.

If you aren't familiar with my work, I invite you to check it out online also.

Come join me on Facebook.

Buy the Griffin Eye t-shirt

Heavy Metal T-shirt Illustration

2011-07-23T10:53:00.005-04:00

I posted another heavy metal t-shirt to my Zazzle shop. I'm just going to keep doing more of these bad boys. While you're at my Zazzle shop check out my other heavy metal t-shirt. And remember what I said. If you're into these metal t-shirts pass the link on to Eddy Trunk of That Metal Show. Actually it's Don Jamieson who always wears all the cool metal shirts. How cool would it be if he walked out on stage in one of mine?

You can contact Eddie Trunk at his website here.

And you can contact Don Jamieson at his website here.

Yeah - I'm serious - go ahead - send my links. There's strength in numbers - unless it's a mob of smurfs then it's just plain ole silliness.

Buy the new t-shirt on my Zazzle shop.

And don't forget - Buy this shirt or remain a vagrant on the sidewalk of life.

Rocket Man Illustration

2011-06-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

For some reason I listened to and was inspired by Elton John's, Rocket Man song. Funny thing is, I'm not even an Elton John fan. I like about two of his songs - the other is Daniel. By when I was making ti=his one I listened to Rocket Man over and over again. Huh - go figure.

Drawing - Everyone's A Bully

2011-03-26T15:15:00.000-04:00

Give me back my doll - or you'll get what's coming to you...

I finally got smart and switched paper. I sketched this one on 2 ply vellum bristol. Man - what a difference to work on. I was using copy paper before. I know - I know - duh. The things is, I always use copy paper when I'm doing rough drawings that I plan on finishing in the computer. I recently started to do sketches that I would like to sell at some point. Well, it didn't hit me until recently that I should switch to better paper. I switched and it really is much easier to work on. Amazing what quality paper does. Next I'm ordering a better scanner.

Stirring Things Up

2011-03-13T13:37:00.001-04:00

Cedric continued to stir doubt into the mind of his friend. Lie after lie he would fold into the mix. Trust was slowly dying, and it seemed as though Cedric could no longer be depended upon. He had become just like the others...

Dragon Tales

2011-03-07T20:51:00.002-05:00

How would you like to be this guy? Talk about a rough day. Warning: May cause severe burns. Approach with caution.

Warning! Who would have guessed it?

2011-03-05T14:19:00.002-05:00

WARNING: THIS BEVERAGE IS EXTREMELY HOT!

Surrender To Winter

2011-01-29T07:25:00.004-05:00

Winter has been kicking our butts this year in New Jersey. A lot of folks are ready to throw the white flag up and say "I surrender! No mas! No mas!" According to the Weather Channel we've had three major snowstorms in a month. That's rough! I actually think it's been more but who am I to argue with the folks at the Weather Channel.

Well while most people round here are tired of the snow I've been using it as a bit of inspiration. This is a vector illustration but I did a little experimenting with texture. I like to play around with my work. It keeps things fresh. Let me know what you think.

Harry Borgman Biography on Illustration Pages

2011-01-13T16:25:00.002-05:00

I have a great bio and career retrospective of Harry Borgman running this week over at Illustration Pages - written by Harry Borgman himself. Check out this illo posted up over on Harry Borgman's blog announcing the feature on IP. Pretty cool - huh?

Throughout the Harry Borgman feature on Illustration Pages readers have the opportunity to see his art from present day - going as far back as his early childhood years. It's a real treat - you outta stop by and check it out.

SmashingShare features Lou Simeone Design and Illustration

2011-01-05T12:39:00.001-05:00

Between Christmas and New Years the site, SmashingShare featured some of my design and illustration work. SmashingShare is a blog dedicated to the design community, sharing web resources, design inspiration, freebies and tutorials. Thanks so much to Steve, Executive Director over at Suite48 Media Inc. for reaching out to me to showcase my art.

Other artists featured on the blog include illustrators Rod Hunt and Justin Maller SmashingShare also has some great interviews, resources, and tips.

See No Evil T-shirt Illustration

2010-12-29T09:22:00.004-05:00

These little guys are my take off the proverbial principle, “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Did you know that there was a fourth monkey in the original lineup? I didn't know this until I did some research to figure out what order I should put these guys in. Apparently the fourth monkey represents "do no evil". They have names too. Allow me to introduce to you, from top to bottom, Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru. Or, as I like to call them, Moe, Larry and Curly.

You can find the t-shirt online at my design and illustration shop along with other fine Simeone threads.

Inspirational Illustrations by Talented Lou Simeone - My Feature on Recave

2010-12-15T17:01:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the folks over at Suite48 for featuring my illustrations on recave.com last week. I haven't had a chance to post about it I’ve been so busy lately. It’s always nice when people in the industry give you some props. Recave is creative blog dedicated to finding and featuring the best artists, graphic designers, illustrations, films, architecture, photography, fashion, music and cool products. They’re always worth checking out for a regular dose of inspiration.

Heavy Metal Madness - T-Shirt Illustration

2010-12-06T12:19:00.006-05:00

I love all kinds of music and I’ve always loved Heavy Metal. Maybe my love for Metal has been even more re-energized by watching episodes of That Metal Show. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I had such an urge recently to create a cool illustration of a skull and lettering for my own Metal shirt. And yes of course you can buy one for yourself over at my online shop.

Quick, somebody call Eddy Trunk over at That Metal Show and tell him he needs to add another cool shirt to his collection. Did you catch the episode with Lemmy from Motorhead? Love that guy.

New Products on the Lou Simeone Zazzle Shop

2010-11-22T09:30:00.001-05:00

I just cleaned up my Zazzle shop and added a few new items like my deviled egg illustration above. I also pulled down a couple of things like the Denman illustration I wrote about in a previous post. I like to try and keep things fresh. I'm working on another fun idea to go along with the deviled egg. When it's finished I'll post it up to my shop.

A New Illustration Pages Poster for Download and Print

2010-11-11T11:56:00.002-05:00

If you read my previous post you already know that about a month or so back I approached J.R. Mounger, asking him to create a cool illustration of a pencil and pen breaking through a skull. I wanted something that I could hang in my studio - something personal that paid tribute to my Illustration Pages site. Well, I was undecided on whether or not I would be offering it up as a downloadable poster to the IP readers. But it came out so awesome I just couldn't keep it to myself. Plus so many fantastic artists have contributed to the IP site I couldn't justify not sharing this fantastic artwork with the IP community. So here's the link to Illustration Pages where you can download and printout a copy of your own poster. Enjoy! And thanks again to artist J.R. Mounger for his great work.

Illustrator J.R. Mounger - Paying Tribute To Illustration Pages

2010-10-28T11:04:00.004-04:00

The very talented illustrator J.R. Mounger is creating a phenomenal drawing for me that pays tribute to my Illustration Pages site. I asked J.R. for something "metal" - a personal piece that I can hang in my studio. He shot me over a jpeg yesterday and as expected it's awesome. I've been kicking around the idea of offering it up as a free downloadable poster for the IP readers. If I do decide to offer it up as an IP poster I'll have to figure out a way to get it to a good resolution for printing and a manageable file size for downnloading - not really a problem. The only problem is I'm feeling selfish right now and want to keep it for myself. Above is a small peek at the drawing without giving too much away. Trust me when I say it kicks butt! And right now I'm leaning toward keeping it all to myself.

My Deviled Egg Icon On The Little Chimp Society

2010-10-27T15:49:00.000-04:00

I got a nice surprise this morning when I popped over to The Little Chimp Society website and saw my Deviled Egg illustration on the homepage. That’s a nice way to start a rainy Wednesday. Don’t you think?

NYC Marathon Logo For A Friend

2010-10-23T09:37:00.004-04:00

A friend of mine is running in the New York City marathon in a couple of weeks. A bunch of my other friends are going to watch him run. I was going too but I'll be away that weekend with my beautiful wife. Anyway, my friends thought it would be fun if I created an illustration so we could all wear it on t-shirts. And they were right it was fun! I'll still be wearing my t-shirt in the spirit of the run and rooting for him even though I won't actually be there.

Putting my illustrations and designs on gear is really cool and Zazzle makes it easy to do. This shirt is up on my Zazzle shop right now but it won't stay up there after the marathon. I only put it up there so my friends can grab it. The guy in the picture above isn't me by the way - LOL.

Come join me on Facebook too.

Deviled Egg Icon Illustration

2010-10-19T21:21:00.003-04:00

I had this fun idea to illustrate a deviled egg. Hey - and just in time for Halloween. One of my favorite times of the year. I say when inspiration hits - run with it. Wouldn't you agree?

Follow me on Facebook too.

X-Wives Club - Half of Yours Is Mine!Logo Illustration

2010-09-27T22:22:00.007-04:00

The latest edition to the Samalou family of illustrations. Isn't she cute? Well, listen, you have to find humor in life. Right? At least that's what I believe.

If you belong to the club pick up your coffee mug and t shirt at my Zazzle shop.

Owen's Birth Announcement

2010-09-14T21:50:00.001-04:00

OMG - it really bugs me that I'm so far behind on my own blog. Been crazy busy. I know. I know. That's no excuse - blah - blah - blah - lol.

Anyway below is a birth announcement I recently designed. I love projects like this.

Front

Back

Kage Pencil Sketch

2010-08-08T11:39:00.003-04:00

I thought Kage would make a good name for an album cover.

Lou Simeone Graphic Design Business Cards

2010-08-04T10:30:00.004-04:00

I got my business cards in the mail yesterday.What is it about getting your own stuff printed up that's so much fun? The minimum order for the cards was one thousand. You should see the size of the box they came in. Now I should have enough cards to last me until 2030.

Messin' Round Sketch

2010-07-22T11:57:00.002-04:00

I was sorting through my pile of sketches - forgot about this guy.

Ripple Submission

2010-07-21T10:04:00.003-04:00

My contribution to the wonderful ripple blog.

Louie's School Program Illustration

2010-07-15T12:03:00.001-04:00

I finished the program for my Little Louie’s graduation. The theme this year was "Wet N’ Wild”. Fun right? As you can see I have two kids surfing on the front cover. The inside spread was packed with info so I decide two colors were plenty – not too conflicting with all the text. I had a blast illustrating this one. And most importantly I got the thumbs up on it from my little boy. I’m so proud of him.

Beach Open Letterforms For My Son's School Program

2010-05-31T06:54:00.005-04:00

My little Luigi graduates from preschool in June so I'm working on the program for his school. I did one for his class last year and they loved it so much they asked me to do one again this year.

I created the letterforms above for the inside of the program. For the outside I have two kids surfing. I'll post that when it's finished. I posted these letterforms on my Samalou Facebook page and someone suggested I create an tyeface in this style and name it Samalou wavy. Isn't that a great idea?

Samalou.com Website Redesign and New Illustrations

2010-05-19T07:11:00.002-04:00

My illustration site, samalou.com now has a whole new look and feel and I couldn’t be happier with it. Stop by the new site and have a look around. It’s also a gateway to my Zazzle store, my illustration Facebook page, and of course this fun and informative blog of mine. You'll also see some of my new work on the site.

My previous site was two years old and I felt it was time for a change. Plus it was a hassle to add new illustrations to the old site. But now - zip - zip - zip - and I can upload my new work. Hope you enjoy it.

The redesign of my graphic design site should be done any day now. I also have another fun site in the works. Wait 'til you check that out.

Lou Simeone Illustration and Samalou.com Website Featured On Escape From Illustration Island

2010-04-24T22:24:00.003-04:00

I got word on Thursday from the talented illustrator, Thomas James that one of my pieces accompanied an article on his site, Escape From Illustration Island. He also featured my illustration site, Samalou.com. Which by the way might be going through some changes of its own soon. Shh, don't tell anyone but word around the camp fire is that a redesign for Samalou.com just might have been going on for a while now.

Escape From Illustration Island gets about 70,000 hits a month. It's an absolutely amazing, online community site that has articles, tutorials, a phenomenal amount of inspiration and the best part, podcast interviews. If you don't know about Escape From Illustration Island and you're an artist - do yourself a favor and go take a look. You better put aside some time. There's a lot to see.

Something Is Multiplying

2010-02-21T11:32:00.001-05:00

Marker and color pencil sketch today. If I had known from the beginning that I was going to get that into this sketch today I would have done it on something other than copy paper. Lol - oh well - next time.

Drifting, Connecting, Weaving Sketch

2010-02-14T11:10:00.000-05:00

I'm really into sketching lately to develop some new ideas. I don't have much of a desire to take these to the computer right now. I'm actually working up to do some painting. These drawings are loosening me up. I'm just letting ideas flow. I love the scratching of the graphite on the paper. You obviously can't get that from the computer although the computer does have its own advantages. Still I'm sticking to the graphite for now then on to acrylic.

Focus Drawing

2010-01-30T19:01:00.001-05:00

Focus on the people and moments that matter.

10 Fun Facts About Your Favorite Comics and Cartoons

2010-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

1. Bugs Bunny made his first appearance in the 1938 cartoon, Porky's Hare Hunt.

2. The Looney Tunes character, Sylvester the cat, was referred to as, Thomas, in earlier cartoons.

3. Betty Boop wasn't always a girl. She started her animation career as a dog. The actress, Mae Questel provided the voice for both Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.

4. Woody Woodpecker had a nephew named, Knothead, and a niece named, Splinter.

5. Popeye had four nephews, Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye and Poopeye. At one time Popeye's popularity rivaled that of Mickey Mouse.

6. Mr. Magoo's first name is Quincy.

7. Goofy's original name - Dippy Dawg.

8. The Bullwinkle Show made its debut on NBC in 1958 as, Rocky and His Friends.

9. Mighty Mouse appeared in his first three cartoons as Supermouse. The named change happened despite objections from Walt Disney.

10. The character, Christopher Robin, was named after the son of the man who created Winnie The Pooh.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T15:11:00.005-05:00

I'll make no apologies for this one - ring in the New Year your way and I'll ring it in mine - lmho

Hatch

2009-12-14T14:43:00.004-05:00

Sat down the other day - did a quick pencil sketch. It was like one of those excercises when I was in school - teacher always had us draw an egg. The excercise was always, "Draw an egg without drawing any lines".

Have you ever seen that kid's show, WordWorld, on PBS? I think I had that on my brain too when I did this.

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John Lennon

2009-12-09T19:56:00.012-05:00

Today marks 29 years that John Lennon was assassinated.

I remember the day John Lennon died. I was eleven years old. Many things have changed since that time. And yet many things haven't changed at all.

John Lennon, Mahatma Gandi, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Abraham Lincoln. All men of peace. All men who met a tragic, violent end.

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Green Guitars - Logo Design

2009-12-03T05:48:00.055-05:00

One of the many things I enjoy about being a creative professional is the variety of jobs that come my way. This project came about from a client who, while working toward his MBA, had been charged with creating and marketing a fictitious company. He was able to establish the name and tagline for the company but knew he needed a professional designer to create the logo.

The name of the company, In Concert Guitars, sparked numerous images in my mind. However, I wanted to keep the logo clean. In my opinion the best logo designs are clever but yet simple. That's often a difficult balancing act but that's how a successful logo represents a brand and delivers its message effectively, quickly and memorably. Paul Rand's UPS logo would be the best example I could think of to illustrate that point. I knew this logo needed to be designed so that when a consumer sees it they instantly think, "music" and "green". Those two words carried the key message points.

A distinctive element of this logo is the "music note". With the proper advertising and marketing behind it, the "music note", as I have illustrated it here, could become a recognizable icon for the company. I like that in a logo - when an element can be stripped away from the whole and work on its own. It adds another dimension to the design. In this case it would work very well.

In Concert Guitars - a brief company background

Everyone seems to be going "green" these days and In Concert Guitars is no exception. In Concert Guitars are designed to appeal to music lovers and musicians who are concerned about the environment. The body and neck of the guitars are constructed of wood that has been reforested and the guitars' hardware consists of recycled plastics and steel. Additionally, In Concert Guitars are made in facilities that are completely fueled by "green" energy such as wind and solar panels. It is important to note that the recycled materials do not sacrifice quality. The finished product is not only a work of art but more importantly, one of the best sounding acoustic guitars on the market today.

Visit Samalou.com on Facebook and become a fan.

All You Need Is Love And A Little Bit of Patience

2009-11-27T09:03:00.006-05:00

Above is one of the many sketches I produced for the previous post. I almost abandoned the whole idea because I was having a rough time getting the letters to form the heart shape. I did a bunch of thumbnails before I did numerous more larger sketches like the one above. The entire project was getting pretty frustrating for me so I left it completely and then went back to it a few days later. Many times that proves to be successful and such was the case here too. When I went back to it with a fresh eye I came closer and closer to what I wanted with each sketch I developed. It's cool when you come up with something you like after a project grinds away slowly at your patience. I got a lot of compliments on the finished piece - sold a few t-shirts too - can't beat that.

Visit Samalou.com on Facebook and become a fan.

Is Love All You Need?

2009-11-18T12:46:00.026-05:00

A controversial figure during his time, John Lennon once sang, “All you need is love.” When I was younger I scoffed at the seemingly Utopian idea that the only thing of crucial importance is love. I dismissed it as drivel. “That’s easy for him to say.” I thought, “He has tons of money. So yeah, sure, that might be all he needs. But the rest of us need cash."

Now that I’m older, and hopefully somewhat wiser, I've realized that he wrote and sang that lyric because there is truth to it. John Lennon could have been a pauper singing that song and that wouldn’t have made the message any more genuine. In addition, the message isn't to be taken literally of course. The message is offered up as inspiration - that love is everything - and with it one can achieve anything - there are no limits.

I’ve always been a huge John Lennon fan. I listen to the Beatles just about everyday. And if you're an avid reader of my blog, which I hope you are, then you know how much I enjoy creating letterforms. So I decided to combine my passion for art with my passion for the Beatles. It’s my humble way of saying, “Yes, John Lennon, you were right and I agree. Love is all you need.”

But do you want to know a secret? I put my artwork on t-shirts. You can buy them online here…LMHO

Visit Samalou.com on Facebook and become a fan.

Business Card Design

2009-11-09T08:30:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine asked me to design a business card for him. He was tired of the “stock” cards the big office retail chains offer. Being a marketing guy he knows the importance of good branding. You see, good branding isn’t something reserved for Fortune 500 companies. It’s just as important for the individual business professional to be branded properly, as it is for any Fortune 500 company. I wanted to design something for him that wasn’t necessarily a logo in the traditional sense of a client represented by a concept, which is communicated within a single graphic. I wanted the concept to unfold throughout the entire business card utilizing both the front and back, almost like a brochure. In this way the business card itself has a more interactive quality, engaging the viewer and becoming a great ice breaker. Overused, traditional business symbols such as compasses, targets or bulls eyes and globes were rejected by me from the start.

Many times really good concepts come to me like a bolt of lightening, out of the clear blue sky, usually when I’m at my most relaxed. I’m most relaxed in my car. My best ideas come when I’m driving. And this concept happened just that way; it zapped me right in the noggin whilst cruising at a steady clip of sixty five miles an hour. Now even though a designer might be zapped with a lightning bolt idea it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have to hit the sketchbook to work out the execution. Concept and execution are separate entities but each needs the other in order for a design to be successful. If one part fails - the design fails as a whole.

I’m not going to explain the meaning of the design on the card. In my opinion it needs no explanation and interpretation is best left to you, the viewer. But what I will tell you is that it was perfect for my friend. The design is playful yet professional. It helps him to stand apart from his peers, which in a sense, are his competitors. He’s received very positive feedback from it and he’s told me it’s a great conversation starter.

Visit Samalou.com on Facebook and become a fan.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T07:48:00.008-04:00

A couple of Samalou.com friends have asked me to color the Flying Witch - so here she is, Samalou style.

Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you have a spooky Halloween and get colossal mountains of candy.

On another note, this blog, Samalou too, is one year old tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Samalou too, wait until you all see the fun things I will be posting in the coming year. Thank you to all the friends and followers - onward and upward!

And don't forget - I'm on Facebook now too.

Scary Skeletons - Coloring Page

2009-10-20T20:15:00.004-04:00

Halloween is such a great time of year and I couldn't resist posting another coloring page for it. I hope you're having as much fun coloring these as I am creating them. Enjoy my friends!

Click here to download a PDF of the coloring page above to print it out and color it in.

Now you can upload the finished coloring page yourself by going to the Samalou.com Facebook page and posting the coloring page to the fan photos section.

If you're not a member of Facebook you can still send the finished coloring pages to artsubmission@samalou(dot)com.

Copy The Worm - Coloring Page - Reader Submission

2009-10-19T20:59:00.007-04:00

Here's one from another Samalou.com friend, Jackie. LMHO - She says she's not very good at following directions. I say - have fun with it.

She also said not to worry. He was born with the hook like that and it doesn't hurt him a bit.

Great stuff! This is what it's all about for me. People enjoying my artwork.

Keep em coming guys!

Blast Off! - Coloring Page - Reader Submission

2009-10-15T22:49:00.004-04:00

Here's a submission from Thomas, a Samalou.com friend. I believe Thomas is 9 years old. Great job Thomas! I love how you added the sun, moon and stars - nice touch. Look at how colorful he made the hat too. This would put a smile on anybody's face. It made my day when I got it. Thanks Thomas.

Flying Witch - Coloring Page

2009-10-11T10:55:00.003-04:00

Well, Halloween is almost upon us and this year I've actually managed to be a little early with some Halloween fun. She's a spooky flying witch - look out!

Click here to download a PDF of the coloring page above to print it out and color it in. And by now you should know the drill...send me the finished coloring pages to post here on the blog. Email them to artsubmission@samalou(dot)com.

Infinite

2009-09-24T22:32:00.002-04:00

I'm not a mathematician but I do believe the numerical value of pi is infinite.

Infinite

2009-09-22T21:46:00.006-04:00

I was attempting to make the outline of the shark representative of the infinity symbol. I'm not sure how obvious that is though. Then I thought - oh well - the sharks appetite is infinite also.

I have to confess I don't have time to color this one so I'll have to go with black and white for now.

Blast Off! - Coloring Page - Reader Submission

2009-09-09T21:07:00.005-04:00

Isn't this fantastic!? This was submitted by Gai Hart, author and artist behind the fun blog, Static Pencil. I just love the way Gai colored this little guy.

Keep em coming!

Blast Off! - Coloring Page

2009-09-07T21:24:00.009-04:00

Now that is one strong one. Looks like my friend here needs a Gax-X...LOL

Click here to download a PDF of the coloring page above. Again, I'd love to see all the coloring masterpieces. Send them to me and I'll post them up. You can send your finished coloring pages to artsubmission@samalou(dot)com.

The Whatsit - Louis Simeone and Jennifer Poulter

2009-09-02T22:02:00.011-04:00

This piece was a collaboration between me and award winning author, Jennifer Poulter. We created a poster for the website Sharing-books.com. I did many sketches for Jennifer's poem and arrived at the illustration above. I'm very happy with it.

The poem describes the dilemma of someone who is adjudged by themselves and/or others as being different, not the norm, not average, not fitting in. It's about rejection and alienation. I welcomed the challenge to illustrate this poem because my work is normally upbeat and full of joy. This project demonstrates the flexibility of my style and how I can apply it to many different types of projects. A high resolution PDF of the poster can be downloaded here.

Jennifer Poulter's book, Mending Lucille, recently won the Crichton Award, the equivalent of the Kate Greenway award in the UK and the Caldecott Medal in the U.S. Congratulations to Jennifer - quite an achievement.

Samalou.com Now On Facebook

2009-08-31T08:35:00.004-04:00

I just built a Samalou.com Facebook page. So if you're a fan of my work and you're ever in the Facebook neighborhood drop by my page and be sure to "Become A Fan".

Caution: Even A Worm Will Turn

2009-08-24T21:40:00.007-04:00

No matter how small you are or what position you're put into - bottom line is...

NEVER GIVE UP!

Illustration Work - Sneak Peek

2009-08-18T06:48:00.003-04:00

Previously I mentioned an illustration for a poem I'm working on. Here's a little sneak peek of one of the characters in that illustration. I like the challenge of this illustration project. Usually the characters in my illustrations are happy but the challenge here is that the characters needed to be sad. The true challenge has been to resist the urge to draw happy, little nutballs that aren't flying and bouncing all over. LOL - I always have a bunch floating around in my noggin though - ready to come flying out into my sketchbook at anytime.

Happy Accident - Step Three, The Final Stage - Color

2009-08-11T07:35:00.008-04:00

And finally color has been added. If you know my work you'll notice that I colored this illustration different than others I've done in the past. Even the line work is somewhat different. To better show this I provided two details below.

You can see the detail better on how I colored the illustration this time

Detail of the various strokes and line work - gives more of a hand drawn feel

I really like what I've done here and I think I might incorporate one or two techniques into some of my work moving forward - depending on the project. Turns out this drawing really was a happy accident.

Happy Accident - Step Two - Outlines

2009-07-27T23:50:00.005-04:00

Well, there's my "happy accident" outlined.

There she is, Miss America.

I said she would change somewhat from the sketch. They always do. It's not a drastic change from the sketch. I bring the sketch to the computer - the juices start flowing - and I make changes as they come to me. Some artist's get uptight about stuff like that - not me. I let the illustration take me where it wants me to go. In the end - I know what works and what doesn't.

Now on to color...

Happy Accident

2009-07-21T08:32:00.009-04:00

I'm working on an illustration for a poem right now and whenever I work on a project I do numerous sketches for it - until I come across the right one. This little lady above is one of the many sketches I did for this particular project. Although she isn't the right sketch for the poem, she's what I like to call, a happy accident. I love the way she turned out. She just isn't right for the project I'm working on. She is however already scanned into my computer. I'm working on her while I continue to sketch out concepts for the poem. Like most of my illustrations I'm sure she'll continue to change until she's finished. I'll post the final when it's done.

Turtle Back Zoo Logo - Reader's Submission

2009-07-14T09:33:00.013-04:00

Turtle Back Zoo Logo Print Version

Metal Sign of the Turtle Back Zoo Logo

A fellow New Jersey resident and frequent visitor to the Samalou too blog, read my previous post about the logo I designed for the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo. She was nice enough to send me this photo from a recent visit she and her family enjoyed at the zoo. The logo is fabricated from metal and is at the entrance of a playground inside the zoo.

It's always a thrill for me to see the logos I design in real world applications. Thanks for sending the photo. I hope you continue to enjoy my blog and the work I post. Have a look at some of the other logos I've designed for clients.

Worn

2009-07-02T14:01:00.003-04:00

Worn down and busted that's how this guy feels.

A little late on this week's illustration friday topic. I knocked out a sketch last night and am finally getting around to posting it now.

A Little JIB JAB Never Hurt Anyone

2009-07-01T05:03:00.004-04:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

I really enjoy the satirical animations from JIB JAB. Right now there’s a lot of buzz around their latest animation, “He’s Barack Obama”. It’s hilarious. But I really loved their release in April of 2007, “What We Call the News”. It speaks volumes about our society and the garbage that’s packaged up as news and served to us daily. It reminds me of the "jab" that Pixar took with “The Incredibles”. Pixar's satire in that movie played heavily on how people in our society are always on the lookout for someone to sue and also how our society has come to celebrate mediocrity. Have you ever been to a kid’s sporting event where no one keeps score? Even the kids that are playing the game get annoyed about that.

You can enjoy "What We Call the News" above and then visit JIB JAB to check out their spoof, "He's Barack Obama".

Another Apple Store Complaint

2009-06-27T11:26:00.025-04:00

Recently I bought myself an inexpensive monitor at Radio Shack so I can have two monitors hooked up to my Mac at the same time. I bought the additional monitor because I wanted something to keep my palettes on while I work.

Adding a second monitor to your Mac costs you more than just the price of the monitor because with a Mac you need a special adapter. If a user wants to plug a monitor into a Mac they need what is called a DVI to VGA display adapter (pictured left). Basically, a DVI to VGA display adapter is a $20 adapter that a Mac user wouldn’t need if Apple just put the correct port on the machine to begin with. That’s not what frustrates me though. I can accept that. The thing that frustrates is dealing with the "Geniuses" at the Apple store.

I went down to the Apple store and asked an Apple “Genius” for the monitor adapter and the guy acted as if he had never heard of the thing before. I didn’t know the exact name of the adapter when I walked into the store but I described precisely what I needed. Besides that it’s a very common Apple product. After about five minutes of me describing this thing and him not knowing what I was talking about he finally says, “Maybe you should check Best Buy. They might have what you need”. Best Buy! Am I going insane? I thought I was standing in the Apple store! If the Apple store doesn't have it why would Best Buy have it? At that point I had to walk away from the guy because my patience for stupidity was running low. Do you know that I walked about twenty feet from where we were standing in the store and I found the adapter? I couldn’t believe it. This guy’s sending me to Best Buy and this thing is hanging twenty feet away from us.

The funny thing is the monitor I bought was almost $90. The adapter cost $20.

“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”

Summer Desktop Background For Download

2009-06-22T05:04:00.006-04:00

"It's Time for Summer" and to celebrate I've created another desktop background. Again, I'm offering two sizes for download, 1024x768 and 1680x1050, as these seem to be common screen resolutions.

I created the letterforms in my illustration above by hand. I hope you download it and enjoy it all summer long. It comes complete with a handy calendar.

iPod Red Circle With X

2009-06-19T06:34:00.008-04:00

Not too long ago I tried to turn on my 80 gig iPod and a red circle with an x through it appeared. Having been a Mac user for years I knew that couldn’t be good. So like everyone does these days I Googled the issue and the only thing I found were rants from many irate iPod users, all of who had the same problem – and all who had a good reason to be irate and ranting about it. I attempted to put the iPod into disk mode as the apple.com site suggests – but the attempt is a futile one. Just for kicks I decided to take the iPod to the “Geniuses” at the nearby Mac store. I was told that Mac doesn’t fix iPods they only “swap” them out. For a mere $179.00 I could swap out my iPod for the same model. Keep in mind the price of the original iPod was $250.00. That’s a good deal isn’t it? I could swap out my two year old broken iPod for more than half of the original price in the hopes that it won’t happen to the new one. I could also keep it and have a very expensive paper weight. I could use it as a doorstop; hold a broken window up with it or use it as a coaster for my favorite beverage. It might not make a very good coaster though. Hey, come to think of it – it didn’t make a very good iPod either.

I used to be a die hard Mac fan - not so much anymore.

iPods are assembled in China by the way – related or not I found that fact to be interesting.

"Meaning doesn't lie in things. Meaning lies in us. When we attach value to things that aren't love -- the money, the car, the house, the prestige -- we are loving things that can't love us back. We are searching for meaning in the meaningless. Money, of itself, means nothing. Material things, of themselves, mean nothing. It's not that they're bad. It's that they're nothing.” - Marianne Williamson

Legend of the Letterform

2009-06-16T06:11:00.005-04:00

There’s a great interview with Michael Doret on lettercult.com. If you’ve ever driven past a Fuddruckers sign or have been to a Knicks game then you’ve seen Michael Doret’s work. If you’ve been to Universal Studios or you’re a fan of Kiss then you’ve seen Michael Doret’s work. To find out more about Michael Doret read the interview.

Program Artwork and Letterforms

2009-06-11T05:50:00.012-04:00

letterforms for the front cover

This is the artwork I created for the program I mentioned in the previous post below. I constructed the “Our Moving Up Ceremony” letterform design for the front cover. The words "Moving Up" are hand drawn letterforms I created and the words "Our" and "Ceremony" are set in a "standard font" I don't have any issue combining a "standard font" with my hand drawn letterforms if the two compliment one another. These two happen to compliment each other very nicely.

inside spread

The theme for the program was summer. Around here, at the beginning of summer, we have all sorts of beautiful flowers blooming in our garden - thus my inspiration for the inside spread and back cover. We also have an abundance of wildlife - like the gopher that recently ate all my parsley I was growing. Anyway - isn't that a handsome font on the inside spread? I wasn't going to use some kind of "childlike" font for the copy on the inside, like Felt Tip. That would have been a cop out and wouldn't have required much thought. If you're looking at the heading "Our Class" and wondering what kind of a name "Lorem" is - I greeked the kids' names on the inside spread for the purpose of this post. I wonder if anyone has ever named their kid Lorem...

back cover

Where’s Waldo – Where’s The Plot?

2009-06-05T06:48:00.006-04:00

Universal Studios is coming out with a movie based off the children’s book, Where’s Waldo. Am I mistaking or were those books comprised of illustrations only - without any text? What kind of a storyline is this movie going to have? Let me guess. Waldo gets lost and his friends need to find him. Hey, I’m certainly not knocking the children’s books. Martin Handford is a genius for creating them. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent with my kids staring at the pages of those books trying to find that devilishly handsome fellow in the red and white striped shirt.

Oh well – now where did I put my car keys…

Birthday Invitation

2009-06-03T21:23:00.011-04:00

This is an illustration I recently did for a birthday invitation. The theme of the party is "Pop Star". The date, time, location of the party, etc., were set at the bottom left of the illustration by the girl's leg. The "headline" on the actual invitation is a two sentence "headline" that sits above the girl's head in the illustration. I love creating illustrations for invitations.

I'm currently working on illustrations for a program. Actually for that project I'm illustrating letterforms - good stuff. I love illustrating custom letterforms. I'll have that one posted soon.

Disney Pixar's Up

2009-06-01T20:39:00.007-04:00

On Friday we took the kids to see the great, new animated Pixar film, Up. Once again Pixar does not disappoint. The movie is fun, sad, imaginative, colorful and very engaging. Although there were some themes in the movie I felt were questionable for young children they were tastefully played out and the animation itself was fantastic. In one scene the main character, Carl, was looking through his wife’s scrapbook filled with photos. The way the photos in the scrapbook were illustrated was amazing. The photos didn’t look like they were computer generated. They had a painterly quality to them with amazing theatrical lighting. They really stood out to me. All and all my family and I really enjoyed the movie. The emotional story in the beginning was quite unexpected for a child's movie but beyond that the laughs were plentiful. And, perhaps the deeper undertones are what kept the adults connected with the movie.

Cracked

2009-05-26T21:49:00.006-04:00

This guy is cracked. You know - crazy - mentally unsound.

Five Ways The Krusty Krab Can Improve Profitability and Weather These Hard Economic Times

2009-05-20T19:21:00.013-04:00

Is this guy serious? That’s right you read the title correctly – The Krusty Krab

Below I've outlined five great steps to help grow the Bikini Bottom eatery of small business owner, Eugene Krabs.

1. Add A Drive-thru – Everyone loves a Krabby Patty so much that Mr. Krabs would make a killing if he had a drive-thru. Of course he would need additional marine life on staff but the extra food sales would offset their salaries.

2. Stay Open All Night – Now I know Mr. Krabs tried this once before ("Graveyard Shift" episode) but maybe he didn’t do it long enough to realize the profitability. After all – some Wendy’s are open all night and everyone knows what a fast food genius Dave Thomas was.

3. Add A Seaweed Bar – More Money! A nice, fresh seaweed bar would draw in health conscious customers. Why do you think some crustaceans live to be over one hundred years old? They’re vegetarians.

4. Set up a Franchise – Let’s face it, the Krusty Krab is a huge success. Everyone in Bikini Bottom loves a Krabby Patty. And we all know Plankton has been trying to steal the secret formula for years. Well, offer Plankton a franchise opportunity and he won’t have to keep trying to steal the formula. This will get him off Mr. Krabs’ back and Mr. Krabs will make money off the deal too. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

5. Fire Squidward – What Mr. Krabs needs is another guy like SpongeBob up front helping customers. Squidward should be the guy in the back making the burgers. Wait a minute – on second thought maybe you wouldn’t want Squidward in the back where no one can see him making burgers.

Yeah, like you don’t watch SpongeBob. If you’re reading this blog – chances are pretty good that you also watch SpongeBob. The really sad part isn't the fact that I wrote this post but the fact that it didn’t take me very long to think of the five things I wrote about.

Five Places I’d Work at For Free

2009-05-15T13:28:00.024-04:00

1. House Industries: I have to start off with something art related. If you don’t know of House Industries and you’re in the “commercial art” field then you've either been in prison since the spring of 1994 or marooned on an island in the Pacific with Survivor Man (love that show).

2. Universal Studios (the theme park): What can I say? I’m a goof ball and I’d love to be in the T2 3D show all day.

3. My local garden nursery: Yes, we actually have one of these. I’d love to work at this place just to soak up all the knowledge the employees there have about plants and gardening. I love to be outside landscaping (real men call it landscaping not gardening - lol). The plants at my local nursery are much hardier than the plants at the giant MEGA STORE on the highway. The advice at my local nursery is better too. I once had to deal with a kid at the mega store trying to pass off annuals as perennials. That’s pretty sad when you work in the garden section and you don’t know the difference between annuals and perennials. Oh well, he probably works in a different section everyday. If I went to that same store the next day I probably would've seen that same kid working in the plumbing section.

4. My local art supply store: We don't actually have one of these but if we did I would work there for free. It wouldn't be for the obvious reason that I'm an artist and I love all things art related. It would be because I would simply like to demonstrate that you don’t have to have purple hair, five nose piercings and a shirt with the words, “You Suck”, written on it to work in an art supply store. The qualifications needed to work at an art supply store are, a passion for art and a knowledge of art supplies. Gee, who would have guessed?

5. The local bookstore: We used to have one of these until a mega bookstore opened on the highway near our town. If we still had one of these I would have liked to work there. Contrary to popular belief, any local bookstore I ever visited in the past let you peruse their bookshelves for hours. I know the MEGA STORES tell us that we were never able to do this until they came to town but I used to be able to do it at the local mom and pop shops. I bet you don’t remember when you use to look through books in a bookstore without your five dollar cup of coffee and premade, factory-processed, ten dollar pastry?

Where would you work for free?

Coloring Page: Copy The Worm

2009-05-11T22:27:00.008-04:00

Above is another coloring page for download. Well, actually this one is a coloring page and also an activity page. The copy at the top of the page reads, Draw a worm that looks exactly like the worm in the picture. Draw your worm so it is facing the worm in the picture. Then finish the rest of the drawing and color it in.

Click here to download a PDF of the coloring page above. Again, I'd love to see all the coloring masterpieces. Send them to me and I'll post them up. You can send your finished coloring pages to artsubmission@samalou(dot)com.

Hierarchy

2009-05-04T23:50:00.004-04:00

Hierarchy made me think of a struggle for power. And to me a struggle for power usually means a war. I know by true definition it means ranks or grades. But I think anywhere you have ranks or grades you'll find someone struggling to move up, gain more power. Now that doesn't always have to mean war, but, more often than not it does.

My scanner stinks for picking up the nuances and subtleties of pencil strokes - bummer. I do still like the scanner though - go figure.

Coloring Pages: Little Artist Gallery

2009-05-02T09:34:00.009-04:00

I printed out the coloring page below for my daughter and her little friends. They did a great job coloring them in - love the bright colors they used. I'd love to see other coloring masterpieces. Send them to me and I'll post them up. You can email them to me at artsubmission@samalou(dot)com.

Coloring Page: Doodle Bird

2009-04-30T22:44:00.010-04:00

I really liked the little guy I drew a few days back so I decided to make a coloring page out of him. If your kids love coloring as much as mine love coloring then click here to download a PDF of the coloring page above.

I made some modifications from the original drawing below - but hey, that's not unusual. Now what I normally do with these coloring pages is run down to Staples and get a bunch of black and white copies of them. Then my kids bring them to school and hand them out to their friends. You can just as easily print the PDF right from your home printer. Whatever method you choose, download it and enjoy. They'll be many more coloring pages where these came from so keep coming back.

Impossibility

2009-04-21T22:41:00.005-04:00

I saw this guy in the park the other day and I did a quick sketch of him before he took off. An impossibility? Not in my world.

Fleeting

2009-04-13T07:17:00.005-04:00

Don't they say love is fleeting?

Two Surprised Guys and a Happy Face

2009-04-07T22:21:00.002-04:00

Subtract

2009-03-24T21:39:00.006-04:00

Don't you just hate when that happens?

FREE Desktop Background Illustration for Download

2009-03-22T22:21:00.019-04:00

samalou.com desktop background

I've been wanting to offer Samalou.com desktop backgrounds for a while now. I finally got around to posting one. Here I'm offering two sizes for download, 1024x768 and 1680x1050, as these seem to be common screen resolutions. I'm hoping to have more desktop backgrounds in the near future but for now please enjoy these.

Simple directions to download these desktop backgrounds are as follows. Select your screen resolution from the two choices above by clicking on either 1024x768 or 1680x1050 and a new window will open. If you're on a Mac hold down the control key and click on the image in the new window, a drop down menu will appear, choose set as desktop background from that menu and your computer will automatically set the desktop background for you. For those users on a PC, get yourself a Mac and follow the directions above. LOL

Happy Birthday, Louie!

2009-03-19T11:47:00.002-04:00

I love ya, buddy!

Feelin Alright

2009-03-19T11:26:00.005-04:00

How you doin'?

2009 Edition of Picturebook: Directory of Children's Illustration

2009-03-11T21:54:00.014-04:00

I received my copy of Picturebook 09. Yours truly can be found on page 76. So come on all you art directors of picture books, toys, games and greeting cards, open up that 2009 Picturebook annual to page 76 and place your peepers on the delectable delights of illustrator Louis Simeone! Does that sound too pushy? Hey, I'm an illustrator not a copywriter. If you suddenly have the urge to print out multiple copies to wallpaper your cubicle you can download the ad here . Hey wouldn't that be better than those gray cloth panels you stare at in your cube everyday? Sure it would.

One of Those Days...

2009-02-23T21:44:00.004-05:00

You ever have em?

Celebrate

2009-02-17T07:17:00.009-05:00

This one is a rough sketch. I like it and I might take it to the computer. But before it goes to the computer it needs to be redrawn to modify some things that are off. Not every sketch is going to be perfect when it's finished. That's why with some I'll go back and redraw them to correct what was wrong with the one before it. If I take this further I'll post the revised sketch. If I take it even further in Illustrator I'll post that one also.

Look Ma No Hands

2009-02-15T10:35:00.004-05:00

Maybe I can start selling stuffed versions of these guys - lol.

Celebrate

2009-02-14T14:17:00.009-05:00

Not too long ago someone sent me an email to pay me a compliment. She wrote:

Your work makes me feel happy. There is such levity, it’s like the lines are giggling! Well done.

Giggling lines - it's one of the best descriptions of my artwork I've heard.

Nice compliments are always a reason to celebrate.

Helmet Head

2009-02-11T17:51:00.002-05:00

Forbes Article Declares Graphic Design Is A "Snooty Business"

2009-02-06T06:42:00.009-05:00

INDUSTRY: A recent article on Forbes.com about speculative work and the graphic design industry has sparked some controversy and chatter on blogs within the creative community. I’ve touched on the subject here myself. While I haven’t changed my view about speculative work some feel that desperate times call for desperate measures. I don’t think anyone would argue that the downward spiral of the economy has made finding work more difficult these days. Still, I would encourage anyone to stay true to their values and beliefs. The economy will turn around and so too will the job offers. I don’t feel anyone should compromise the significance of their occupation and hard work by taking work on spec. Speculative work might seem like a quick solution but it has a lasting negative impact on the industry as a whole. AIGA is leading the movement on this struggle. I would recommend that anyone wishing to learn more information and show their support for the campaign against speculative work take the time to visit the AIGA website .

Astronaut Illustrator - Rocket Man

2009-02-04T21:09:00.009-05:00

The other day I was watching the movie, The Astronaut Farmer. There’s a scene in the movie when the main character, played by Billy Bob Thorton, is reentering the earth’s atmosphere in his home made rocket – the rocket he made right there on his farm. What? It could happen. Anyway, upon reentry his rocket starts to burn up – which – by the way is caused by the rocket hitting and rubbing against particles of air contained in the earth’s atmosphere, creating friction – but I digress.

I must have been drifting off during this cinematic masterpiece because I got this image in my head and thought it would be pretty funny to draw it. I never claimed to be very mature. In any case, I drew this sketch and I liked it so I took it to the computer.

Once I took it to the computer I made some modifications, like I always do. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and glad I watched that movie. I've already added this guy to a larger illustration which I should have finalized very soon. Once it's finished I'll post it up.

Come on – my illustration is just as silly as the premise of the movie. A homemade rocket!

Detail of the astronaut

Detail of the rocket

Extra! Extra! Scholastic is Here!

2009-02-02T07:56:00.006-05:00

Toward the end of 2008 I was hired by Scholastic to create an illustration for the cover of one of their magazines, Literacy Time Plus+. Up until now I’ve only seen that issue digitally and so I’ve been wanting to get a printed copy of it. I’m pleased to say that two copies arrived on Friday and I couldn’t be happier with how my illustration printed. The colors are rich and vibrant – the illustration just pops off the cover. I don’t care how many times you’ve seen your work in print it never gets old. I love to hold the printed piece in my hands – the smell of the ink and the paper... I know – I know – I’m crazy – or just plain ole proud. I’ll enjoy this one for a while.

Ten Songs On My iPod That Inspire Me - Part I

2009-01-27T20:23:00.012-05:00

Like any artist I have a whole collection of "go to songs" to conjure up thoughts of the unreal and unleash a carnival of folly, and wild illusions of shapes, lines and colors. I’ve presented ten of them below in no particular order.

Van Halen: Little Guitars Intro and Little Guitars: Little wheels start turning and generating big ideas whenever I hear this song.

The Beatles: Lovely Rita: I don’t need to ask what it is about this song that sends the mind into euphoria and the imagination soaring.

The Black Crowes: Soul Singing: This song not only makes one’s soul sing but it will make one’s pencil dance too.

The Black Crowes and Jimmy Page: Ten Years Gone: Some may think it to be sacrilege to choose The Black Crowes version over the original (and I do love the original) but when listening to Ten Years Gone as performed by the Black Crowes Live At The Greek your heart will ascend and walls of doubt will crumble when faced with blank paper or canvas.

Cream: I Feel Free: Need I say more?

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”: Beautiful and Melodic – this song allows color, movement and beauty to flow from one's mind through one's pencil out to the world.

The Beatles: Dear Prudence: Don’t be fooled – when I hear this song I throw caution and concern aside and sketch whatever comes to mind.

The Doors: Waiting For The Sun: Majestic yet powerful this song inspires a confidence to illustrate something of great importance and deep meaning.

Foo Fighters: Times Like These: Raw energy that makes you feel like you can soar across rooftops like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix.

Lenny Kravitz: Live: If this song doesn’t get your heart pumping you better check to see if you have one.

Logo Follies

2009-01-15T21:50:00.028-05:00

INDUSTRY: When delivering a finished logo to a client it’s important to provide multiple versions for various applications whenever possible, one or two alternates in addition to the “preferred” version, and always provide each in black and white, RGB and CMYK formats. It’s essential to make sure the logo maintains its visual integrity for small formats such as the web and large formats such as outdoor signage. This means scrutinizing spacing between letters, words and artwork, paying close attention to all the elements within the artwork itself, making sure spaces don’t close up, nothing becomes faint at small sizes or too distracting and awkward at larger sizes. Undoubtedly there are many different uses and applications to consider when completing a logo and the execution is just as important as the concept.

Logos should also be provided to a client as vector files. Vector based artwork gives the client the flexibility to place the artwork against various backgrounds or enlarge the logo as needed on items such as booth panels for trade shows or banners for company picnics. Unfortunately, however, you can not have a top without a bottom and there is a downside to supplying vector art. The downside is that others can make unnecessary changes that can either modify the logo just enough to make something about it appear to be off or in worse case scenarios, completely alter the design.

In the case of the *Turtle Back Zoo logo pictured below my approach was no different than previous logo projects. I provided the client with vector artwork in white knockout, black, two color, four color and RGB formats. I also reviewed the logo at various sizes checking for all the little gremlins previously mentioned above. After a satisfactory inspection of the logo I whisked it off to the client in all its various compositions, configurations and formats.

In the photos below you'll see the version I handed the client for black and white printing and you'll also see the same logo, or what was supposed to be the same logo, I found in the coupon book, **Kidstuff. Unfortunately the final, vector art logo must have fallen victim to the clutches of the production person who prepared the coupon layout for the book. At some point during the layout this individual must have felt that the artwork given to him or her needed more spacing between its elements, so a big, fat stroke was applied – thus altering the integrity of the design. I provided the client with a version of the logo in black which would have worked perfectly well at this size and needed absolutely no modifications. But, disappointingly, someone couldn’t resist the urge to leave their mark on my mark. Although this is an aggravating occurrence, fortunately it’s a rare occurrence and shouldn’t prevent a designer or illustrator from following correct procedure - providing their client with a logo as vector based artwork. I've seen this logo all throughout the zoo, on signs, t-shirts - even laid out in tile on the floor of the zoo's dining pavilion, and fortunately this is the only distorted appearance I've seen.

One of the things we must all come to terms with at some point in our careers is that once artwork leaves the studio its fate is out of our hands.

*The Turtle Back Zoo is a zoo located in West Orange, New Jersey and is part of the Essex County park system.

**The Kidstuff book is a coupon book that offers discounts on local retail stores, dining, shopping, travel etc.

Black and White logo I provided the client

The logo as it appeared in the book

Graphic Design USA Awards

2009-01-08T20:10:00.016-05:00

In 2008 one of my illustrations was one of the winning entries in the gdusa annual design competition. So today I headed on over to the Graphic Design:usa website to see if they posted the winners from the competition. I clicked on the packaging section inside the winners gallery and saw that they used my winning illustration as the leading visual at the top of the page - very cool.

Screen Capture of the packaging section with my illustration at the top.
The user clicks on the arrows to scroll through the winners below.

Click on a winning entry and the user gets a larger view of the work and credits.
Screen Capture of my illustration with its details

Veer Member Drill Sketchbook

2009-01-06T20:46:00.028-05:00

INDUSTRY: You have to appreciate Veer. Well you don't have to but I like them. I really like the collateral Veer mails out. From what I understand Veer does everything in-house. They must have a talented team. It's safe to say I'm not the only person who enjoys their mailings. I see a lot of their work in design annuals.

Before the holidays Veer sent me a sketch book titled, Member Drill Book. I was pretty excited to get a free sketchbook. What the heck? A sketchbook is a sketchbook. I like that it's spiral bound because I like sketchbooks I can fold over without dealing with the hassle of the binding breaking and all my pages falling out. I also like the little inspirational and humorous drawings Veer placed throughout the book. On one page they drew a small fingerprint in the bottom left corner and wrote below it, Here's the fingerprint. Draw its owner.

When I first got the sketchbook I popped it open and drew this guy. He's waiting for his bus.

Being Fresh Can Be Fun

2009-01-02T23:11:00.013-05:00

I like to keep my site dynamic. Of course it's not as dynamic as a news site. If you need to know what wealthy genius is next in line for a government bailout you'll fair better at CNN or Fox News. None the less my site is an illustration site (obviously) and I manage to keep it fresh. I have a "Featured Illustration" section where I offer background information, short stories and little antidotes about the illustrations I work on throughout the year. I also have a fairly large banner at the top of my site that I change out. Generally I change it out by season and each new illustration relates to the current season. Below are the banners I had posted throughout 2008. My favorite is the kid being hit by the snowball.