Twitter Influencer: Sumi Ink Club

Los Angeles based Sarah Anderson (aka, Sara Rara) and Luke Fischbeck are co-collaborators in a number of different forums. They have Lucky Dragons, an experimental music group; Glaciers of Nice, a small press and internet community; and the Sumi Ink Club. With a passion for collaboration, the duo takes this spirit to an impressive level with their collaborative drawing initiative, Sumi Ink Club. Founded in 2005, the group holds regular open meetings to execute topsy-turvy, detailed, collaborative drawings using ink on paper. Group drawing, as they see it, is an opportunity to open and fortify social interactions that bleed into everyday life. The exciting events are open to all, regardless of age, style, or skill. Follow them on twitter to stay abreast of their latest happenings.

July 30, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Budget Buys: Geometric Tees

Clever graphics are simply the best. So are artist-generated businesses. Glyph Que and Pattern and Shape are two brands that have carefully (and successfully) navigated the art meets retail space. The above collection is the result of a collaborative project from The Strange Attractor, a blog dedicated to sharing strange and exceptional art from around the globe. The objective of this particular line is to marry geometric shapes with unconventional patterns. The winning tees are now being sold on Pattern and Shape at $23 a pop. What’s your favorite?

Here’s a snapshot of Glyph Cue’s Summer 2010 collection. Each shirt is handmade in Portland, Maine by Matt W. Moore and sells for $33.

July 29, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

The Homemade Montage

We’re all familiar with facebook’s photo narrative. Your friends upload a few images and shortly thereafter it appears in your livestream. The images are often disjointed and location-based and sometimes skewed with a vintage or poloroid filter. Moments after, you’re on to the next distraction. It takes a hint of creativity to really convey a message, stop you in your tracks and make you dissect the layout. This poloroid collage from the blog, Don’t Touch My Moleskin, does exactly that with it’s hipster meets Urban Outfitters angle. Using mixed media techniques and interesting photography, the larger layout is pieced together, trusting the audience to fill in the blanks. Tapping this mosaic method yet going in an entirely different direction, Theme Magazine proves busy isn’t always bad. With the right combination of line, color and repeat, the eye will connect the dots, making sense of the story.

July 28, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Fashion: Nature Inspired Graphics

Translating a photograph into salable fashion can be a daunting task for any designer, however when done correctly, it’s extremely awe-inspiring. This dress (label unknown) from Barneys, presents a sleek and modern canvas for this textured stone pattern. Adding golden tones, blurred lines and simple draping, this realist image is immediately softened and feminized for a summer silhouette. We all find inspiration outdoors and while oftentimes its the hand-drawn interpretation that make the final commercial cut, it’s exciting to see an abstract photo-realist take, familiarizing luxury with the great outdoors.

What are some of your favorite nature-inspired graphics?

July 27, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Artist Profile: Julien David

Graphic designers get really excited when the art world a.) beautifies and b.) acknowledges their daily design tools. Today we present you with Julien David and his most recent collaboration with Pringle of Scotland, Colette and DC Comics. Using bold illustrations, vivid colors and rich fabrics, David single handedly creates a playful dialogue for the luxury market to wrap it’s head around. The symbolism behind the keyboard and Superman logo remind us of the importance and influence both images hold on a global scale. By enlarging and repeating, we see how easy it can be to force an audience to heed a message. Whether you’re wearing a twinset or a scarf, all of David’s pieces are conversation starters, not to mention, exciting interpretations of pop culture.

July 26, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links

1. Ryan Bubnis’s pattern-happy artwork via Hard Feelings
2. Intriguing customizable wallpaper via Design-Milk
3. Interview with artist Niels Oeltjen via The Design Files
4. The fun look of a knit stencil applied to sweets via Art at Heart
5. Love this interior paint job by Pandarosa via All the Mountains
6. Beautiful seats made from reclaimed timber via We Heart
7. A table that also stores books and magazines, perfect storage short bookworms via Storage and Glee
8. We adore the wonderful characters and textures in Astrid Yskout’s artwork via Kitsune Noir
9. Trent Whitehead’s painted wooden masks via Picdit
10. Love this mixed media art by Gregory Euclide via The Jealous Curator
11. Who knew concrete could be so chic? via A Time to Get
12.Wonderful character illustrations by Pablo Lobato via Abduzeedo

Compiled by: Emily Gup

July 23, 2010 | By: Shayna Kulik