Join the Creative Revolution
This is the first in what I hope to be a long series of personal creative projects. The idea behind this series is actually to inspire myself to get more serious about my other creative passions: digital photography, illustration, mixed-media, fantasy art, and 3D design.
I was heavy into comic book illustration back in high school, but when computer graphics came into my life, the pencils were put on the back burner. I finally got into digital photography a few years ago but I find it hard to make the time for it. I also have interests in 3D, video and other aspects of design. Work always takes the priority and personal projects have to wait. I’m sure I’m not alone. Looking online and in magazines and seeing what other designers have found the time to do is inspiring. But being inspired isn’t enough. You have to do it. When I do it, I love it. When I can’t make the time for it, I miss it.
So I’m getting back in the game and I plan to have fun with it. The concept is to create pieces using only (or at least mostly) my own graphical elements. That means no stock photography or borrowing from Flickr or Google images. I’m limiting myself to my own photography and my own artwork. This should inspire me to go out and take more pictures with my little Canon A570. I get intimidated by all you DSLR users with your massive lenses and pixel perfect images. This should also inspire me to expand my illustration library. I’d like to practice some comic book styles or just some clip art material.
So this poster design, titled “Join the Revolution”, is appropriate enough for our Independence Day holiday here in the USA. It’s made up of four photos I took last year with my 7.1 megapixel camera and two watercolor test pages I did back in school. You can see the individual elements below.
I hope you find this piece inspiring. I liked it and it has already fueled my creative fire to move on to the next project. So while I have some down time I will continue onward with my personal projects. So check back once and a while to see if I stick to my guns.
Tags: linkedin, photography, photoshop, poster design
Hi There,
Yes, I am inspired! I come from a fine arts background and only moved to graphic design about 4 years ago by pure good luck. I love it and experiment all the time teaching myself new tricks and effects. I have been intrigued by the use of mix media in design magazines by fabulous designers incorporating their own photos, watercolour, charcoal and graphite work into printed work. I know the hours that go into producing 1 off pieces of art and I love not only the look of the press work but also the fact it is readily reproduced. You have definitely helped to inspire me to play more not just for work! You can view my amateurish blog at http://www.natfranks.edublogs.org,
Nice design! You doing another poster for this year’s event at OSV?
That was actually an inspired poster, not an “official” poster. But thanks.
I’m probably not going to this year’s event unless I get my hands on an SLR. Old Sturbridge Village was kind enough to ask for copies of two of my photos that are posted on my Flickr page. As encouraging as that was, I’m sure I could take much better shots with an SLR, than my point-n-shoot. But I would like to go.