The End of Harry Potter

I like many other out there are celebrating the end of the Harry Potter era with the last installment of the Harry Potter movies. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the movie posters for the 8 films, and how they have changed with time. Obviously the characters have grown but I find the progression of the poster art showed a shift in quality as well. The Harry Potter logo type has been the standard wizardry font with the lightning bolt "P", but it has degraded a little more with each movie.

Let the Magic Begin: This first poster is obviously
the sore thumb in this series. the characters have
been given a drawn effect to give the movie
poster the illustrious quality of the book.

Something Evil has Returned to Hogwarts!
Yeah, and it is those cheesy stars used as the
dots of the "i". More Realistic than the first, and
here begin the glow and smokey effects. Who
is to blame the designer or the software,
but the smoke effects are not very convincing.

Something Wicked This Way Comes: I love
that Macbeth quote, but it is often used.
The poster is another one that is set apart from
the rest. This poster lacks the greenish, blue glow
that the rest of the posters have, and is particularly
close to their faces (much like the final poster).
This is also the only poster to not use the
"Lumos" typeface for the theme line.

Everything is About to Change: After short
break Harry Potter returns to the blue/green glow
color with magical fog seeping through. There
is an epic quality to the triangular
placement of the characters.

The Rebellion Begins: Another dynamic
placement of characters that adds depth, but
I find that there is an over use of the glow and
blur effects on their faces. They are
inhumanly smooth.

Without a Theme: From here on the posters
have left off a tag-line or theme for the top of the
poster. For a time 45 degree angles were trending.
I guess this movie came out then.

The Beginning of the End: An action packed
shot for an action packed movie. This the the
second and last poster with the E.T.-like
glow of the wands.

The End: The Harry Potter logo is no longer
necessary. We know these characters, and
we are invested into the outcome of the final
battle (even if we have already read the entire
series) I am ready to wrap up this series.

I have enjoyed this walk through memory lane. As much as the characters, books, and movies have progressed so have the movie posters. The beginning was very child-like and sweet, and the last poster is gritty, serious, and a little gory. This is a grown up wizardry battle. The effects have changed but some styles that connect (most of the posters is that green/blue hues, darkness contrasted with mystical glows, and strong character imagery. I don't have tickets yet, but I am excited to finish of this series and see have movie makers interpret the battles to come. Good bye Harry!

Naoto Fukasawa: Juice Packaging

While researching for another blog post I came across the work of Naoto Fukasawa, and I was fascinated by his attention to simple details.

Naoto Fukasawa is a Japanese industrial designer.  During the 80s he worked for Seiko-Epson Group. In 1989 he came to San Francisco and joined the precursor to IDEO group. He has received over 50 design awards in Europe and the US. His designs include everything from phone to fans to CD players. But today I am drooling over his ideas for juice boxes. His ideas are strikingly simplistic and a true balance of form and function.

 

"I imagined that if the surface of the package imitated the color and texture of the fruit skin, then the object would reproduce the feel of the real skin."

Paintchip Lamp

 YES! I completed my lamp project. Below is a photo diary of my lamp that I decorated with paint chips. Being a graphic designer I am prone to hoarding. I have plenty of paint chips laying around my house. This project just included the lamp shade, paint chips, hot glue gun and sticks, a ruler, and an Exacto blade. From white to a vibrant rainbow, this lamp made a huge transformation.

My lamp as it was when I bought it.

My lamp as I began the project. Two weeks ago I
spray painted the base ivy green.

I have plenty of paint chips around. This project cost me nothing!

I planned out each layer with a pattern of values and hues.

My first night I got only halfway through. Starting to look good!

The lamp shade is done, only one step left.

The lamp all put together. A great addition of color for
my white and dark apartment.

Response for Creative Management

General Overachiever had a wonderful post today, about creativity management. I was going to respond, but my answer was just too long, so I made it into my own post.

To answer your last questions first I definitely struggle with ruts and distractions of daily life. It becomes a vicious cycle of distraction, lack of motivation, or creative block. Making lists is the only way I survive these dry spells. By also being a observant you can a develop a project from a need tat you find. 

I am a dabbler. I paint, design, draw, carve, decorate, bake, photography, and I go through different moods of creative outlet. Often times I start a new project when the mood strikes, but I have gone through creative dry spells so I always keep a “to design wish list” either on my computer or on a white board. It also depends on which creative activity I want to do.

PAINTING: I never sketch first. I just paint what I feel, which is why my paintings are not cohesive.

BAKING: Another one where I just wait for the mood to strike and I will look up a food that seems tasty at the time. Also sometimes I will find a recipe while browsing the Internet and will have to try it out for myself.

DESIGN: I start by sketching. I have so many half started sketchbooks, but I always have a sketchbook on me. I have two sizes of sketchbooks one is small (3x4 ish) and one larger (9x11). I keep small in my purse and one at my desk at work and one at home. You never know when an idea will strike I can either write it down or sketch it out. When I do have a creative block I find it very amusing and inspirational to look through old books and find unfinished ideas.

CURRENTLY: I have to start working on some linoleum blocks prints. For this one I developed a plan.

1. Find someone to cut the large block into smaller blocks (accomplished) 
2. What do I want this print to appear on: card, wall art, part of a system, or some other purpose. 
3. Make Sketches.
4. Decide which sketch to utilize.
5. Prepare the sketch for the print (prints you always have to carve backwards) 
6. Carve the image. 
7. Mix Ink 
8. Make a print!

I do have an app on my phone from Behance that helps me organize projects with due dates and priority. The app is a pain sometimes, so I wish they would make some updates, but it can be helpful for long term projects. Deadlines can be a helpful way to make sure you do a project in a timely manner and not let it drag out for months/years.

Staying organized is crucial for a dabbler. I am list maker. Lists help me keep on track and I have lists within lists to organize projects that are more in depth. I also like to keep my desk clear to help show some outward organization, but it rarely happens. When I am deep in a project the messier I get and it can spread throughout the apartment. 

Proof of my sporadic paintings.

It’s always a challenge to work through periods of creative block, and sometimes you just have to push through it. I recommend lists, sketching, and observation. It can take time, but through the act of list you create goals to work towards. Sketching enables you to at least use mark making as a way to be creative. Use something you have never thought to use for art before. Did you know prints can be made from potatoes? Just by keeping your eyes open and thoughtful you can be creative in your observations day to day. Creative blocks eventually pass, and they will visit again so keep working at it! I hope these were some helpful suggests for you at General Overachiever.

The Craft of Matthew Sporzynski

I am absolutely fascinated by the work of Matthew Sporzynski. Maybe it is the fact that I struggled with our 3D design class in college or that these paper sculptures look like the "real" thing, but I could spend hours staring at his detailed sculptures.

All of the works posted are from Real Simple Magazine, but images were specifically found here and here. He is also known to have worked with Sherwin-Williams for their "Color Chips" campaign.