Happy New Year... if not a little late

View Website Here

This website is a great little example of how graphic design can spice up a web space. Simple in its' message and relevant to 2012, check it out...

Illustration within design

This interests me greatly due to fact that when compared to other forms of design, such as photography, you mostly have to use what is available to you or hope you find a moment in time to fit your idea.  With illustration the boundaries are less defined and it's more to do with how far your imagination takes you and your skill with a pen.

No one needs to know what you did last night

If you are skilled enough and you know your idea through and through, there is a chance to create an original, stylized, solution, where it is displayed exactly how you intended.  No interruptions or accidents.  Just 100 percent idea with only a pen limiting your thoughts.

Image received from this website

4 Elements through music

Photo by Myriam Santos-Kayda for 

Moat Anticipated of 2007 issue of AP.

This band gained my interest due to their concept albums they have recently created.  They are a two-part, duo of albums, called the alchemy index.  It basically is a band, called thrice, that have attached their music to elements.  They have 4 sets of about 5 to 6 tracks which are centered around either fire, water, earth or air.  It sparked my interest to see a band taking a different approach to creating an album.  They set out a mood and tried to create music which matched this mood.  Not only is their music centered around this theme but their whole advertisement of the album.  The photography matches the elemental theme and the concept itself is refreshing to see.

It allows the band to create acoustic, electronic, heavy rock and calm-atmospheric music in the four separate chapters.  It's an amazing variety of approaches and altogether an amazing look at this bands talent.  The whole idea of combining music to elements makes this an exciting project from the off and I recommend listening to the end product.  Very satisfying...

The website also mirrors this concept and is pleasant to scan.  It can be found here.

Mr. Toledano will see you now

Hope and fear is the external manifestation of the internal desires

and paranoia that are adrift in America

There is nothing more beautiful than absence

This website is the nicest one I have found in a while. It's so easy to navigate, the work is displayed professionally and there isn't a bundle of writing to confuse you.

It essentially advertises Mr. Toledano's work through a simple online portfolio. He has some stunning photos which are backed up by some in-depth topics. Some address very personal feelings and subjects and he shows a kind of understanding in his subject matter that is hard to achieve.

Through his photography he manages to capture what he intends to and each portfolio is titled with a fitting name. One that adds depth to the images within it and heightens their meaning.

View the Website

Poster for EventBrand.net

Poster for EVENTBRAND -

the leader in event industry in Ukraine.

Dinal Kryvoruchko works in Moscow and his work is visually stunning. He has done work for EvantBrand (featured above) and a campaign to advertise MTV Russia Movie Awards 2008 depicting a creature with one eye and two pupils. As you look at his work the ideas are complex and impact is always there. He must spend a massive amount of time on each of these to keep this standard up. A good source of inspiration.

Check his work out here

Concept Art Community

Gez Fry

This is another online community based on concept art.  It contains a wide variety of  ideas and imaginative insights.  The website itself is fitting and veers more towards the work of the artists rather than the artists themselves.  Advertising mainly their concepts and talents and allowing their personalities to shine though their work.

I like a lot of the illustration styles featured on this website.  Gezstar, who's work I have chosen above, stood out in particular.  The mixture of photography and illustration created a ghost-like atmosphere and delivers well on many levels.

Visit the website

Trogdor!!

www.homestarrunner.com/trogdor.html

This website is very childish however it does have some good features. It is very easy to navigate, the use of graphics are cleverly applied and when you chose options in menus they are shown to you in an innovative way. Ignoring the poor content it is an ideal website for it's target market.