I'm Back

Ok, I swear I'm gonna start making this a weekly thing. School has started and were racing right out of the gates. Lots of amazing things to see and do and hear. Some of which I will post up here for your viewing pleasure (If anyone even bothers with this blog). I started taking a Typography class and I am finding it so interesting and creative. One week in and were already creating our own modular typefaces. I call it New Crave, Its a play on New Wave because it reminds me of something I would associate with club culture or something "hip" like that (ha). The other class I'm taking is Communication Studio I, also lots of typography and layout design.

I recently procured a job at Next Adventure in Portland...great outdoor store that prides itself on great new and used gear at really affordable prices...not joking, some things are a complete steal here. The staff is great, its very relaxed and allows me to work full-time and go to school. Safe to say I won't be doing anything else this year but learning and working. So here it goes, these are somethings I'm into hard right now.

Joanna Newsome...clam, crab, cockle, cowrie

The guys over at Public school, put up some of the most visually compelling, make you want to be a better artist work.

This is a really cool photo zine that I want to get my hands on called "Tell Mum Everything Is OK."

The food carts in Portland are amazing and cheap and I have been trying to pick them off one by one. my favorite is the New Taste of India...there all so good though!

Command Save is a blog dedicated to the Graphic Design department at PSU and has tons of great work and imagery to peruse while your bored at work.

And finally, I've been re-listening and re-listening to the Beatles Magic Mystery tour Album, and cannot get enough of the tripped out melodies...especially Blue Jay Way

I'll be putting some of my work up here from classes soon. Expect more.

It's the middle of August already...jeez. The weather in Portland has changed from hotter than hell with no rain to beautiful temps in the upper 70's with scattered rain storms. Its beginning to feel like fall and that means its time to get back to reality.

I really haven't been designing much or drawing at all this summer, oops. School is going to be a little more challenging for the first few weeks, while attempting to get my skills back up to par.

I have however been taking a ton of photos for work...that really makes me happy. My job with the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps has got me traveling all over Oregon taking pictures of all their different crews. The work that these young men and women are doing is inspiring. They commit themselves to their community by working 40 hour weeks doing trail building, forestry work, invasive species removal, waterway improvements, painting, construction. A lot of these kids are at risk youth and don't have the same resources that we take for granted. Weather they are low income, from broken families, or have been in trouble with the law, they are so so glad to have a job and be able to give back and contribute to their families and communities. One kid I talked to is helping his mother who suffers from a brain disorder by caring for his 7 year old sister and by giving part of his weekly income towards the families expenses. It makes me feel completely selfish.

So this job has been taking up most of my time and I haven't had much time to do anything else except for the occasional (and by occasional I mean quite often) beer on the weekends.

But the bills are being paid and I have a job that I get excited about and challenges me, So while it lasts, I'm very happy and hope that my skills as a photographer may be able to supplement me as a graphic designer...that is who I want to be when I grow up.

Check out my Flickr account It will be updated monthly with new photographs...which are for sale. Buy one and help get me started.

Photos will be matted 5"X7" and shipped to your address

$15/2 for $25

Well Wishes Card

Here is a postcard and poem that I just got finished designing for a couple of friends of mine that recently lost their first child...very painful. Her name was Juniper and I thought it only appropriate to make a serene picture of a Juniper tree...her namesake.

Tutorial-Clone Pattern Tool

This is a fun tool that allows you to place preset patterns into your images using the clone tool. I love this tool and think it has some hilarious applications. Check it out on youtube.com Here I placed an appropriate pattern behind this photo I found on awkwardfamilyphotos.com

Tutorial- Making Bloody Wounds

I saw this and just had to take a look. It was pretty fun and used the burn tool as well as the fx button below the layers palette. Pretty fun if your looking to create some gore. Check it out at youtube.com

Tutorial- Art history Brush

This is a rad tool! I highly suggest checking it out on youtube.com The art History brush allows you to add an effect to a photo and then go back to a previos state in the history pallet to clean up around the effect. In this photo I was able to distort his hands and face. After reconsidering I just wanted to distort his fingers and chin. With the art history brush you can clean up the effect around the area you have distorted to return it to its previous state.

Tutorial- using the liquify effect

Ok so only 4 more tut's to go and I'm done for the summer! In these next 4 tut's I'm going to try and get a little more knowlegable about the tools/effects I don't know very well. The first is the liquify effect. . In this picture I used a liquify effect to distort F. Scott Fitzgeralds nose and make him look like Steve Martin in the movie Roxanne. Pretty cool tut at youtube.com