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Brisbane Marketing Guide Illustrations

July 12, 2011 By

Brisbane Marketing made contact earlier this year to produce series of illustrations for their upcoming Brisbane meeting planning and venue guide. Art director Mark Freeman approached metagraphics after checking out our illustration folio and graphic design portfolio with a clear goal and visual direction born from ideas around flora and fauna illustration with a contemporary feel and a sustainability and renewal theme.

“As Australia’s new world city, Brisbane is rapidly emerging as a diverse, sustainable global city, a leading destination for business and investment, conventions, tourism, shopping, art and culture, major events and international education.”

Brisbane’s proximity to key Asia Pacific markets makes it a major hub for businesses embracing our strong consistent economic and population growth, highly skilled and creative workforce, competitive costs, leading educational institutions, world-class infrastructure and highly respected research and development communities.

“A vibrant, centre of innovation and enterprise, Brisbane is renowned for its relaxed lifestyle and subtropical climate so it’s no wonder it is home to the busiest airport in Queensland and the second largest international arrivals in Australia.”

As both a popular tourist destination and gateway, Brisbane offers a wide range of holiday attractions, events and cultural activities, world-class exhibitions and an emerging live music scene with the natural splendor of Moreton Bay and Islands and the beautiful Scenic Rim and Country Valley on its doorstep.”

With this in mind Metagraphics was inspired by Brisbane’s natural world and most exciting venues, producing watercolour illustrations that were composed in photoshop.

“The cover pays tribute to the city’s vitality and abundance of flora and fauna. Along with the cityscape views are sights familiar to the parklands and backyards of Australia’s new world city – golden wattle, hibiscus, jasmine, the Red Backed Fairy Wren and Eastern Yellow Robin.”

Filed Under: Advertising, Art, Book Design, Brochure, Concept, Editorial, Illustration Tagged With: , , , ,

Who Needs CD Music Packaging?

May 23, 2011 By

Built From Sticks do!

Or did… and I would like to do lot’s more of it – I think designing for musicians is almost as good as drawing for yourself. At least that’s been my experience so far. In general, the brief from artistical musicallity types so far in my music packaging portfolio has been “yeah just do whatever you reckon – I trust you.”

Which is nice – it’s rare to be trusted in a world full of corporate design micro managery types who feed on the fear of those illustrator types.

So thanks Jamie! I Just finished up a CD wallet for a demo CD for Jamie and am stoked with how it came out – I can’t wait to see the finished product which will be printed on recycled card similar to the CD artwork I created for Monster Monster.

Jamie sort of did have a few guidelines though. But they were pretty fun ones. The music all ties back to personal dreams of Jamie’s and he gave me a list of snippets of dreams and said to go for it, interpret it how i like.

The other stipulation was to give it a raw aesthetic… nothing too polished or slick… which pretty much gives you a license to scribble cartoons and marks all over the CD… which i did.

Jamie should be having an album launch so I’ll make sure to update with that info when I get it. Oh – and th album is called Built From Sticks – Wish You Were Here.

So if anyone else out there needs any illustration or packaging design for CD or vinyl album art contact us cause we would love to help you out.

Filed Under: Art, CD Packaging, Illustration

Tintin

May 18, 2011 By

I’m pretty excited about the new Tintin movie coming out. Especially after seeing the first Tintin teaser trailer on Empire Online this morning. I’m also super excited that both Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg are involved in the production and both the trailer and still images look amazing.

I couldn’t resist writing a post about my favourite comic of all time.

Tintin has been a huge inspiration for me as an illustrator and even as a designer. I love everything from the bold colours to the detailed plots. Mostly though I love Herge’s unique style ‘lineage’ drawings. Perhaps you can see some of his influence in my own illustration portfolio. Especially in some of this comic style illustrations

This image from Tintin in Tibet captures something about what I love about Herge’s world. There are probably more interesting and developed images but something about this one has always grabbed me, even as a kid.

How cool is that little puff of cloud in the top left. Genius.

Here’s a video of Herge himself at work drawing everyone’s favourite character, the drunk sailor, Captain Haddock.

I think the other influence the work of Herge has had on me, beyond simply style is a desire to create something cinematic.

I’m definitely looking forward to this one.

Filed Under: Book Design, Editorial, Illustration, Inspiration, Personal

Raised by Hippies

May 2, 2011 By

I just finished up a t shirt illustration project for an old colleague and good friend Jake Donlen.

Jake is the creative head behind Runamuk Visuals and is doing a lot of really cool stuff for around surfing and skating at the moment. I especially like this short video he made about a surf trip to Mexico via a children’s orphanage.

Rad stuff.

For some reason Jake wasn’t offended by my office antics from back in 06 and he was still keen to work with me. He was keen to get me to create a simple black and white shirt graphic based on a similar style to the goofy drawings of random stuff I used to do and stick up on his wall when we were working together at Billabong.

I was stoked. As well as being an all round legend who has survived heart surgery and a coma, I’ve always respected Jake’s keen eye for film editing and production.

I‘m still surprised he wanted to work with me considering that once after work I mistakenly hopped into his wife’s car thinking it was my wife who had come to pick me up. I still remember the look on her face when I sat down beside her and said “you’re not my wife.”

Funny stuff.

So this is a crop of the artwork created for Runamuk Visuals. I’m hoping to work together with Jake in the future on some logo designs.

This piece was lots of fun and I’m stoked on how Jake’s idea has turned out… looking forward to wearing it.

Filed Under: Art, Illustration, T Shirt

Bleeding Heart Art Show

April 24, 2011 By

I’ve been busy crafting some graphic design collateral and some watercolour illustrations for Bleeding Heart this week.

Bleeding Heart is an art gallery, cafe, gift shop and event space in the middle of Brisbane City. I have been fortunate to be able to contribute to the visual identity of the brand from the initial stages of inception in 2008 while working for human ventures alongside Dan Babler (who developed the logo).

As well as operating a sustainable business, they:

“like to think of ourselves as a “social enterprise hub,” essentially giving people a place and an opportunity to start self-supporting businesses, exhibit emerging art and products and to participate in positive social activism”.

From the beginning Bleeding Heart have regularly held events, functions and art shows that raise money for a variety of charitable organisations.

I really like that they invest a lot of time supporting other charitable needs as opposed to trying to establish their own agenda. With the amount of competition amongst charities for support for their important cause their seems to be a gaping whole in organisations that support organisations. As far as I can see anyway.

So if you are interested in supporting this organisation while enjoying a drink in the beautiful School of Arts building located at 166 Ann St Brisbane, come along to the Hearts of Gold 5 exhibition Friday the 5th of May.

I will have a few illustrations for sale in the show too.

Filed Under: Advertising, Art, Branding, Brochure, Community, Graphic Design

Mass Canvas T Shirt Design Comp

April 21, 2011 By

Mass Canvas are running a threadless and design by humans style creative t shirt design comp. The prize is a sweet $1000. Metagraphics entered the first prize round for the competition which was based on the theme “Mass Canvas”… and WON!

Here’s the winning entry. Cool hey!

MASScanvas makes me think of Andy Warhol and his pop artwork, which played on the ideas of Mass Production and its effect on society. I have created a Warhol-esque screen print that plays on this influence. Warhol was famous for his a association with beauty, and nothing is more beautiful to me than a bird

The idea and how it all works i similar to threadless and design by humans. They also contribute a percentage of profit to a charity, PS Arts, Dedicated to improving the lives of children by bringing arts education to underserved public schools and their communities.

So out of gratitude for Mass Canvas throwing money at me I thought I would give them a plug and show you my winning entry. The shirt I designed was composited together from a series of drawings and illustrations of Crows I had produced earlier.

I always enjoy shirt design. If your interested check out some more t shirt illustration work that I have done.

Also, if you’re keen to have a look at the design comp and enter, you should do it before word gets out and the competition gets crazy.

Also if you want to buy some new threads then head over and check out Mass Canvas’ shop and buy a cool shirt!

Filed Under: Graphic Design, Illustration, Metagraphics, T Shirt

BREAK THE CYCLE

April 14, 2011 By

Break the Cycle is a cycling event that raises money for kids who are all messed up and stuff… or something. Put it this way… they are advocates for the poor.

Like the good people they are they encourage adventurous bike riding in the name of justice and kicking the crap out of poverty. And like the good person I am I have helped them out this week with some graphic design services for a fundraising event.

Good friend, spiritual mentor and cycling ninja Tim Burns accompanied by Dan Brown (not the Da vinci Code dude… I don’t think?), Aaron Close and Reid Anderton are taking a cycling adventure across South Africa.

In their own words:

“Although the journey will be tough and the challenges unknown, our mission is to create a platform for the unheard voices of orphans and vulnerable children for the rest of the world to hear.

We hope that the children of Africa will have a greater opportunity to reach their God-given potential in life’.

- Tim, Reid, Aaron & Daniel

They’re going to be riding 5700 km. Cycling through Southern Africa. On Mountain Bikes
In 28 Days. Crazy.

But fun if I know Tim… I’m looking forward to hearing some good stories.

Speaking of stories… if you want to hear a little about these guys, their passion and maybe help support them, they have a fundraising lunch coming up soon.

So if your’e keen and in Brissy…

Join the boys on Thursday 5th May for a mouth watering lunch at Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse to hear the story and join
the cause…

The cost is $50 for a superb lunch and drinks at the award winning steakhouse ‘Kingsleys’.

RSVP by Friday 2nd May to Tim Burns – timb@brbc.org.au

Filed Under: Advertising, Community
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