Personality Designer

As I am currently struggling to illustrate a childrens book, I thought it would be helpful to research the net for some inspiring illustrations that might help me along my way. I stumbled upon a talented illustrator named Arthur De Pins who is brilliant at capturing emotion in his characters. What makes him even greater is that he has a sick and twisted sense of humour that I rather enjoy. Of course 99% of these images are inappropriate references to a kids book, but I thought I'd share them with you.
A great designer needs to visually communicate a message or situation in one freeze frame. I find it's about as easy as telling a great story with only a few words. Arthurs illustration style is 3 dimensional, fun and quirky. He uses bright colours and sophisticated highlights to really bring life to his work. You'll notice each character has a different reaction to the unknown occurrence, but the interesting thing about it is that you can make up you're own story. The exaggerated facial expressions and body language are executed perfectly to help create this shocking mood. See that firey red head? She just slept with the best man in a fluffy linen closet. Or maybe she had one too many sips of that margarita. Or maybe both? Whatever it is, the interaction between the three girls is exciting and believable and leaves you wanting more.
If you'd like to see more of Arthur's work, (Parental guidance may be advised) check out his website at http://www.arthurdepins.com/

By Robin Lindner

Today is a great day. The sun is shining; there is at least 3 feet of glistening snow outside a wonderful coffee/wine bar I have just discovered. I reluctantly order a large coffee, as a 2003 Shiraz stares me right in the face. I decide to change it up a little and ask for chocolate milk rather than regular milk in my coffee. The lady behind me followed with the same order and winked at me, I wink back and feel like quite the trendsetter. I sit quietly in a comfy leather chair, wondering if anything I do or say has any impact on the world around me. I know I am in no position to answer that question but I can curiously assume that the small differences we make in our everyday life will have a long-term snowball effect in the future. Maybe not in the life changing situation of chocolate vs. white, but definitely in the instance of paper vs. mug!

As our Earth quickly runs out of renewable resources, graphic artists have a crucial responsibility to cater to environmental issues and design for a change.  The question is, does web have the same effect as print? The use of print is not obsolete, and the use of web is not going to take over the world. We as an industry just need to make didactic decisions between paper and web. i.e. If a client asks for 100 000 printed flyers to advertise “Save the Trees Foundation”, it could easily be justified to suggest a mass email to replace or substantially cut down on physical prints.  Of course not every situation will be as obvious, but you get the point. It will be a challenge to figure out what exactly will benefit both the client and the environment, but it will get your mind thinking about how to slowly revive our world. We also need to keep a close eye on the amount of energy we waste in a day with our computers running, lights left on etc. but I’m sure you’ve heard this all before. The challenge for change is not just spreading the word, but having the power to persuade others to take action. This is where we, as a creative community need to step in and take charge. Start taking notice of the people around you, why do they do the things they do?  Would different circumstances have changed that decision? It’s just a thought, see where it takes you.

My coffee is finished, my work is done and I order a glass of wine, I figure life would be boring if we never gave into temptation. Until next time… ;)