Movie Still: Antichrist.

This is a still from the 2009 Lars Von Trier film, Antichrist. As in this shot, the whole movie uses dark, cool tones to create an ominous atmosphere. Primarily monochromatic, the greens combined with gray-blues allow the eyes to sweep over the scene without interruption. Using colors within the same family created subtle gradients throughout the atonal leaf patterns.

As a design-minded person, I take a lot from the look of films. Since sight is the most immediate of the senses, I am often taken aback by the creativity of cinematographers. This film won multiple awards for cinematography-- the team led by Anthony Dod Mantle. In my opinion, the palate choice for this film had as equal an effect as its content. I was immediately drawn in by the dreamy quality of the dark pastels paired with lighter, smoky tones. Most of the film takes place in the forest, so there is a lot of  opportunity for dramatic choices. The movie was disturbing and provocative, and paired with sophisticated color palates  proved to be a work of art.

Faber Castell Ads.

Typically a Prismacolor devotee, I can't help but love these Faber Castell ads. These latest ones were created by Munich-based Serviceplan. I wish there were more of these.

via: kissmyblackads

My Sentiments Exactly.

 

After working with Color-Aid too long.

via: chetart.com/blog

Patterns.

I know we're not up to patterns yet, but here's a little something for future inspiration.

The Thomas Beale Cipher from Andrew S Allen on Vimeo.

Speaking of Grayscale.

Check out the gorgeous gradation in this piece by Yang Yongliang, called "Cigarette Ash Landscape." The compulsive detail-ist in me loves the intricacy.

via: designboom.

Words of Wisdom.

The following are some quotes I collected throughout last semester in various classes and lectures. Here is some random, disjointed, contradictory and (possibly) valuable wisdom for the start of the new semester.

"As far as I'm concerned, adolescence never ends. It's a period which I call 'unfinished business'."
"It is the best time to be a designer."
"If you're doing a book on ghosts, don't show a bowl of soup."
"Sometime if you get into the perfectionist mode, you will cut yourself short."
"If you have unfinished business, bring it in because it starts discussion."
"You have incredible influence as designers."
"Life is all about opposites. Period."
"Tension creates attention."
"You don't know what the circle is until you have the square."
"We are all invloved in symbol systems. They are life systems."
"We are all born-again children in the second part of our lives."
"We're a jaded bunch to begin with."
"Don't over-fix type."
"I'm always right."
"We relate to faces. In every composition, whether it's Jesus or Pacman, you can't get away from it. There it is."
"I contradict myself all the time."
"Don't just reach for the obvious choice."
"My job is to expose you to the things you need to think about. A lot of it is up to you."
"Tell me at the beginning what you would've told me at the end."
"Who cares what it looks like as long as it works."
"90% of design in the relationship."
"People will be judging you all the time, whether you like it or not."
"Group sex! Make it look more like group sex! Break out of the design mind and think more like an advertiser."
"Contingency is more possible now than it was a decade ago."
"I hate to talk about myself, but I love to talk about myself."
"Bring in your failure."
"Things can't always be open-ended. There need to be rules."
"I think color is like eating ice cream before the main course. It ruins everything."
"Almost anything can be solved with extreme cropping."
"A lot of good design is activating the movie theater in your mind without putting it on a screen."
"All I see is underarm. Underarm, underarm, underarm!"
"Most of life doesn't make sense-- you guys are trying to make too much sense out of things."
"It takes guts to leave a blank background."
"That's a big thing in design: you have to be very decisive."
"Don't despair, be ambitious."


(Contributors: Tom Dolle, Gusty Lange, Sandra Maxa, Tom Klinkowstein, Stephanie Cooper.)

Eye Candy.

floating from floating on Vimeo.

Some beautiful airborne paint action. Enjoy.

Color Workshop DES-614A.

So, my life-long love affair with color has brought me here: Color Workshop at Pratt. I am very excited to learn about color theory and apply my innate color skills to new exercises. I will do my best to document my new color-related findings on this blog and share other color discoveries. Here's to a wonderful and enlightening semester!