A Mouse is Loose
New Year’s Day. The day most of us still have (probably) not broken any New Year’s resolutions. A new calendar. A fresh start. And the day each year that a whole bunch of copyrights expire. This year’s treasure trove of works that have been protected since their origin way back in 1928 include Lady Chatterly’s […]
Copy That
Pretty much every illustrator worth their salt has what is euphemistically called a “swipe” file. A bunch of images torn out (swiped) from magazines or other printed material that can be used as reference when creating a new illustration. Need an image of a hand holding a mug—find something in your swipe file. A picture […]
What Comes Around
For three years when I was a kid, I lived near Somerville, New Jersey and attended Old York Elementary School located on Old York Road. Built in the 18th century, York Road (the “old” part came a bit later) connected Philadelphia to New York. A stagecoach could make a one-way trip between the two cities […]
The View from Here
Nine years ago, one of my biggest clients shut down, and I was looking for work. The first thing most people asked when I touched base was “Do you have a website?” So, I decided it was high time that I organized my samples and set up an online portfolio. I spent much of that […]
The World is Flat… Again
Back in the mid-1980s (yes, that long ago), when I started working as a graphic designer, almost all design was “flat.” Drop shadows, gradations, and other dimensional effects were not easy to achieve. Creating those looks involved a lot of time and planning and money.
PS End of an Era
PostScript was tried and true, and I kind of figured it would be around forever. At least that was the story, I was telling myself until about a year ago, when I spotted the first sign of the impending doom.
Rainbows are Magic
Rainbows are magic. I know there is scientific explanation for their appearance (which I do understand), but I prefer to think of them as simply magic. Appearing after it rains, just as the sun is coming out like, well, magic. Rainbows always make me smile. Rainbows are just happy things—a little present from nature.