East London design group, Studio EMMI, has a fantastic selection of work. The work shown above was designed for The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, and was also a recipient for Sappi’s 2009 Ideas That Matter award. The illustrations by Lucy Vigrass are wonderful — I want to jump in to any classroom scene with a typewriter!
02.25.10 | Ethan | Found design | 
5 comments
2010 California Design Biennial – Call for Entries
Between now and April 2010 Louise Sandhaus and Derrick Schultz will be seeking graphic/communications design projects to include in the 2010 California Design Biennial that will be held at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in the Summer of 2010.
02.23.10 | Dave | Events | 2 comments
Pakistani International Airlines poster (1960)
English artist and designer, Tom Eckersley (1914-1997), created numerous posters from the 1940s to the 1980s. Eckersley’s work communicates strong messages by employing bold overlaid colors, simplified forms, and informative text.
This poster, created for Pakistan International Airlines, depicts a dapper looking gentleman in Swiss garb. His playful image is simple, clean, bright and colorful; a stark contrast from the dark turquoise background. The composition is pleasing to the eye; as the figure gazes at the distant aircraft, we too are gazing at his cheerful image. Let’s all go to Geneva!
02.23.10 | Grace Danico | Found design | 8 comments
If you’re interested in the artists featured on grain edit, I think you will appreciate today’s book. Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design documents the recent wave of design work inspired by Classic Modernism. I received a copy in the mail not too long ago and was impressed by the roster of artists featured in the book. We’ve covered many of the artists including Matte Stephens, Helen Dardik, Scotty Reifsnyder, Spike Press, Tes One, Adrian Johnson, Doublenaut, Darling Clementine, Andrio Abero, Methane Studios and Tad Carpenter on grain edit over the last couple of years, but there were still many I was unfamiliar with. My only complaint is the lack of a proper introduction as it would be nice to know more about the selection process. There are several artists in the book that seem out of place. I had a hard time seeing a connection between their work and modern design from the 1940- 1960s. But overall it is a solid addition to any designer’s library. More info + pictures available at the publisher’s website.
02.22.10 | Dave | Off Our Bookshelves | 12 comments
Barcelena design studio Hey has a swath of cool projects. One of their latest, Calendar, features stylized illustrations of some of our favorite cultural and historical icons. Mr. Miyagi, Hulk Hogan, Poseidon, and Inspector Gadget are just a few. Like a good icon, these illustrations are minimal — leaving only the bare essentials to reference their counterparts.
02.19.10 | Ethan | Uncategorized | 4 comments
This week’s poster pick was done by Aesthetic Apparatus. The owl has enjoyed a lot of attention from artists in recent years, and this owl will undoubtedly hold yours. Note the eyes, this guy is an infinitely hypnotizing character. The greens used here are nice and bold and add an excellent touch of color. You can pick up this poster at postercabaret.com!
02.18.10 | Dave | Uncategorized | 5 comments
In the fall, we featured Portland, Maine based artist and designer Josh Brill’s Flora Fauna series. The series included a colorful collection of bird illustrations, and was well received on grain edit as well other sites across the blogosphere. So, what’s Josh been up to lately? I traveled to Portland over the Christmas break and had the chance to catch up with Josh. We talked about living in Portland, his awesome collection of records from the Blue Note label as well as projects he’s currently working on.
02.17.10 | Dave | Features | 23 comments
Image from The Seed
London based animator and illustrator, Johnny Kelly, has an impressive body of work. This particular image, from his short animation The Seed, depicts the journey of an apple seed through its natural cycle of life. The Seed features stop motion and 2D animation, with faceted paper cut forms, vibrant colors, and a lot of attention to detail.
02.16.10 | Grace Danico | Found design | 6 comments
1972 Bulgaria Black Sea Resorts stamps
These stamps depict the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts of Zlatni Pyasatsi (“Golden Sands”), Druzhba (“Friendship”), Slanchev Bryag (“Sunny Beach”), Primorsko, Rusalka (“Mermaid”), and Albena. I’m not sure who designed this set, but I suddenly want to bask in the Bulgarian sunshine.
02.15.10 | Dave | Off Our Bookshelves | 13 comments
Sweet birds! I’m really digging this work from Buenos Aires designer / illustrator Leandro Castelao.
The illustrations of animals seem to have a Charley Harper-esque quality to them, but I love how they’re taken to a new “exploded-view” type level.
02.11.10 | Ethan | Found design, Uncategorized | 10 comments
