Hand lettered album art and glass panels

Pencil sketches

Close up of the pencil sketch

The digital art

The final cover

Adding gold leaf to glass

Round glass panel

David A. Smith is a traditional sign-maker/designer. He created the covers for the ‘Born & Raised’ album and ‘Queen of California’ single by singer/songwriter John Mayer.  He also created two decorative reverse glass panels for Mayer’s company. Smith is a true craftsman — it is fun to see his design process.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/60647216]

David Smith Traditional Ornamental Glass Artist 

Music I’m listening to… My Body

My Body — Young the Giant

“Hey, is it my fault that the fallen embers burn down in a spiral, Round your crown of thieves”

The Tadpole

The tadpole

This is a cute animation short with a stylized  graphic style. I like the watercolor look of it and the simple humor. The audio design is nice too, great sound effects and a jazzy sound track. It was created by Passion Pictures, a London-based production company. Passion Pictures is better known for  their work for the animated rock band Gorillaz and the opening and closing animation for The Beatles: Rock Band video game. This year, their film The Lost Thing has been nominated for best animated short film Oscar.

The Beatles: Rock Band

 

 

Beatles: Rock Band

The Lost Thing

Passion Pictures

Gorillaz

A sexy song and beautiful type design

The sublime type foundry House Industries has a new video that’s a visual treat. You’ll see many of the fine fonts, books, posters and other products by their designers. There are scenes of the designers in action. All the visuals are timed to the catchy, slightly 1960s sounding Polite Dance Song by the duo of Inara George and Greg Kurstin — better known as The Bird and the Bee. Kurstin, is a music producer and keyboardist that has worked with Lily Allen, Barenaked Ladies, The Flaming Lips and Beck.

The fonts in action

Hand lettering

Book design

Ink work

Music I’m listening to… “Magpie To The Morning”

"Magpie To The Morning" (ArtStudio & Photoshop)

Magpie To The Morning
— Neko Case

“Magpie comes a calling, drops a marble from the sky
Tin roof sounds alarming, wake up child
“Let this be a warning” says the magpie to the morning, “Don’t let this fading summer pass you by””

Music I’m listening to… “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk”

Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk — The New Pornographers

“A mistake on the part of nature, you are a tall glass, a blast from the past
Where things were simpler then…
You ask exactly when? ”

Crash Years — The New Pornographers

“You got those old eternity blues, eternity blues
Your fingers raised, you’re looking for the word
What you want is accident, another drag, spectacular view
What you can lose… ”

Music I’m listening to… “Animal”

Animal — Neon Tree
“It’s just the world is quiet. So hush we both can’t fight it”

Music I’m listening to… “We’re at the Top of the World (To the Simple Two)”

We’re at the Top of the World (To the Simple Two) — The Juliana Theory
“We’re at the top of the world, you and I. We’ve got alot of time and it sure feels right.”

Music I’m listening to… “Swing, Swing”

Swing, Swing — All-American Rejects
“Dreams cast into the sky, I’m moving on, Sweet beginnings do arise…”

Music I’m listening to… Not Easy To Love

 Not Easy To Love — Meghan Coffee
“There’s a burning in the air, where I can’t meet your stare.”