Typewriter drawings

Every day in November of 2012, Pittsburgh artists Michael Crowe and Lenka Clayton tasked themselves with drawing a picture using only an old fashioned typewriter.

 http://www.lifelounge.com.au/art-and-design/news/typewriter-drawings-.aspx

How the visual language of comics could have its roots in the ice age

Psychologist and comics obsessive Neil Cohn believes cartoons have a sophisticated language all their own and a heritage that goes back to cave art. Here he breaks it down.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/24/comics-language-neil-cohn-cartoons-grammar

Scratch 'N' Sniff Your Way To Wine Expertise ... Or At Least More Fun

Wine is a grocery, not a luxury. That's the premise behind a fun, new wine guide filled with charming illustrations and scratch 'n' sniffs.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/17/236160686/scratch-n-sniff-your-way-to-wine-expertise-or-at-least-more-fun

Graphic design & branding - 2013 trends report

One of the most obvious challenges this year – in terms of graphic design and branding – is 2013’s contrast to a rather abundant 2012. Whereas last year boasted high-profile events such as the London Olympics, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and its associated graphic design projects, this year is conspicuous in the absence of such design juggernauts. http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/features/creative-business/how-stand-out-in-graphic-design-branding/

Unbelievable paper sculpture birds

DIANA BELTRAN HERRERA (b. 1987, Colombia) studied Design at the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University in Bogota, Colombia where she graduated in 2010. She then studied experimental painting and moved to Helsinki, Finland in 2011 to study Ceramic Sculpture at Suomenkielinen School. Herrera’s work seeks to explore the chillingly disengaged relationship between humans and nature in modern society. Using paper as her primary medium she is able to present notions of temporality and change, emphasising the process of transformation that continuously occur in nature as well as mankind.http://www.graphicart-news.com/unbelievable-paper-sculpture-birds/#.UlTuFVNknng

Nothing happens for a reason

A self-assertion poster illustration designed, by Stelios Spanoudakis aka Junkart, for “As we enter meeting Vol.3 – Meet us” exhibition, by Enter Events & Corn Studio, in Athens, Greece. http://www.graphicart-news.com/nothing-happens-for-a-reason/#.UlTtalNknng

The best of British pop art - in pictures

Earliest works by David Hockney – complete with original £12 price tag – Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, Allen Jones, Patrick Caulfield and many other leading UK artists will chart the birth of British pop art in the inaugural show at Christie's new Mayfair space. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/oct/08/when-britain-went-pop-art-hockney-blake-exhibition#/?picture=419361263&index=2

Nigerian Bottle Cap Sculptor Taps Museum Staff's Inner Artists

Nigerian sculptor El Anatsui knows too well that when most people think of African art, they think of masks, something he would never ask his students to make.Anatsui taught art for nearly 30 years in a remote Nigerian village before getting his first big break when his sculpture was shown at the 1990 Venice Biennale. His works consist of giant sheets of colorful metal that are so big he often doesn't even assemble them himself. Twelve of them are touring the U.S. through August 2014.
http://www.npr.org/2013/09/28/174727056/nigerian-bottle-cap-sculptor-taps-museum-staffs-inner-artists

Colorful, creative, inspiring: The world of African street art

Street art has forever been a vibrant tool of personal expression manifesting in a variety of unique ways. In Africa it comes in the form of beautifully painted shop fronts, alternative methods of political campaigning and striking murals designed to inspire.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/27/world/africa/creative-inspiring-african-street-art/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam unveils a newly discovered painting by Vincent van Gogh

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam unveils a newly discovered painting by Vincent van Gogh on Monday, entitled Sunset at Montmajour. The art work had been lying for years in the attic of a Norwegian collector who thought the painting was a fraud, after buying it in 1908. The work, painted in 1888, is the first full-size canvas by Van Gogh to be discovered since 1928. 

Watch the video: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/video/2013/sep/09/vincent-van-gogh-newly-discovered-work-unveiled-amsterdam-video

Photos: Enter A World Of Cupcake Sledding And Broccoli Lawns

Lots of us play with our food. But for photographer , it's become a full-time career.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/09/220744080/photos-enter-a-world-of-cupcake-sledding-and-broccoli-lawns

Fashion in Leaf

Illustrator and graphic designer Tang Chiew Ling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia creates delicate graphic and plant collages, titled “Fashion in Leaf”.http://www.artandesignews.com/fashion-in-leaf/

Amazon Enters Art World; Galleries Say They Aren't Worried

Local record and book shops have been disappearing as the market for music and literature moves online. In the past few years, there's been a growth in sites that sell fine art on the Internet. On Tuesday, Amazon . But in this case, many brick and mortar galleries aren't seeing the Internet as a threat.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/08/07/209563964/amazon-now-deals-in-art-but-galleries-arent-threatened

James Turrell Experiments With The 'Thingness Of Light Itself'

This is the year of American artist James Turrell. Three major museums collaborated to give this one man thousands of square feet of exhibition space. Turrell's work is all about space, and light and perception. Indeed, the three big shows in New York, Los Angeles and Houston are kind of a tease for his major life's work — the open air spaces at a volcano crater in Arizona. http://www.npr.org/2013/09/07/219367766/james-turrell-experiments-with-the-thingness-of-light-itself

Los Angeles Public Library-Travel Posters

Recently, the Los Angeles Public Library embarked on a digitization project that included these very wonderful historic travel posters. All told, there are 89 posters in this collection and they document everywhere from Boston, England to the Antilles. Visitors can zoom in close for a better look and the details on each work are quite exquisite. It's a reminder of a different era of travel and persons with an interest in graphic design, material culture, tourism, and other fields will find much to enjoy here.
http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/visual-collections/travel-posters

How To Draw Out Your Worst Fears

One artist pushed past a creative block by talking candidly about people's deepest fears.

 http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/08/15/209019104/how-to-draw-out-your-worst-fears

24 Hours in NYC: the city that never sleeps

This city never does sleep: 24 hours of NYC in a single picture! By Stephan Wilkes
http://www.artandesignews.com/24-hours-in-nyc-in-one-photo/

Matchstickmen by Wolfgang Stiller

German artist Wolfgang Stiller makes a subtle suggestion not to burn yourself out in his  ”Matchstickmen” series.

http://www.artandesignews.com/matchstickmen-by-wolfgang-stiller/

Hippie-chic: Museum of Fine Arts Boston

What did it ever mean to be a hippie and how can we accurately describe this slice of American culture and attitude more than four decades after the term was first used? The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston took on the fashions and trends of "hippie chic" with their in situ exhibit. This website is offered as a complement to that exhibit and includes interviews with curators, an exhibition preview, and a video that takes interested parties behind the scenes. In the Slideshow area, visitors can look at nine different designs from the era, including an amazing woman's jacket from 1970 that is truly celestial. Moving on to the Explore area, visitors can try the hippie chic remix and star on their own psychedelic album cover. The site also features a Spotify mix to get people thinking about the period, complete with songs like "Maggie May ," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Wild World".

http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/hippie-chic

LAB Magazine: Amplifying amazing artists from around the globe.

LAB is an arts journal that features visual artists and media makers. LAB‘s core intention: to amplify the work of amazing artists around the world.All articles can be browsed online. Readers can rate articles, leave comments, or follow links to resources. http://lab-zine.com/about/

Google Unveils Doodle to Celebrate Maurice Sendak's Birthday (Video)

 The 10th of June 2013 would have been illustrator and children’s book author Maurice Sendak's 85th birthday. Google unveiled a doodle that celebrates the occasion. It appeared in New Zealand before it was shown in the U.S.
The doodle starts with the familiar hero Max sailing to the land of Where the Wild Things Are. Then the doodle transforms into the scene of In the Night Kitchen. It concludes with the birthday celebration from Bumble-Ardy. Sendak died in 2012 from complications after suffering from a stroke. His final book, My Brother's Book, was published posthumously.

“It’s the only true happiness I’ve ever, ever enjoyed in my life,” Sendak said about making books in his 2009 HBO documentary Tell Them Anything You Want. “It’s sublime to just go into another room and make pictures. It’s magic time where all your weaknesses of character, and all blemishes of personality, and whatever else torments you fades away, just doesn’t matter.”
http://www.complex.com/art-design/2013/06/google-doodle-maurice-sendak-birthday-video

Wayne White incorporates type into old paintings

Wayne White is an American artist who takes old painting he has found at thrift stores, and incorporates type into the image. Sounds easy, but much of the text looks like its just sprang up from the landscape, featuring the same shadows and colour schemes as the background. He also drops cultural observations like "Are You a Boy Or A Girl" and "Beauty is Embarrassin'!"

http://www.lifelounge.com.au/art-and-design/news/wayne-white-incorporates-type-into-old-paintings.aspxhttp://www.lifelounge.com.au/art-and-design/news/wayne-white-incorporates-type-into-old-paintings.aspx

Cartoonist Lynda Barry Helps College Students Tap Innate Creativity

Like most of her work, cartoonist Lynda Barry's class at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is unorthodox. "No artistic talent required," The course is described as a "writing and picture-making class with focus on the basic physical structure of the brain."

http://www.npr.org/2013/05/29/187079888/looking-ahead-to-the-future-of-cartoons-and-creativity

'Nanogardens' Sprout Up On The Surface Of A Penny

April showers bring May flowers. But in this case, the blossoms are too small for even a bumblebee to see.

Engineers at Harvard University have figured out a way to make microscopic sculptures of roses, tulips and violets, each smaller than a strand of hair. http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/05/20/185509508/nanogardens-sprout-up-on-the-surface-of-a-penny

Digital Arts

The Digital Arts website was designed to offer "inspiration for digital creative." It does a fairly standup job of that, offering news updates, tutorials, reviews, features, portfolios, and information about upcoming competitions that will be of interest to those working in a range of industries. First-time visitors would do well to look at the Short Cuts area to learn about new design websites, watch artists work on compelling large format projects, and pick up scuttlebutt from experts in their fields. Moving on, the Tutorials area offers helpful guides such as "How to stop photo noise," "Add texture to retro styled artworks," and "Create X-ray vector art." Finally, the Guides area contains helpful overviews of key fields and programs like Adobe Creative Suite 6, animation, graphic design, and interactive design. 

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/

Tendrils of the Artist’s Essence

“Fine Lines,” an exhibition of American drawings at the Brooklyn Museum, offers a startling array of works from the institution’s collection.

View slide show:  http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/04/19/arts/design/20130419-LINE.html

4D-printing: from self-assembling chairs to cancer-fighting robots

The future is here. Project Cyborg will revolutionise the way designers think by training materials to build themselves – and adapt to their surroundings. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2013/apr/10/4d-printing-cancer-nano-robots

Mona Lisa 2.0: Swiss painting is ‘the original’

Swiss version of the Da Vinci's Mona Lisa

New tests on a Swiss version of the da Vinci masterpiece (above) provides evidence there could be two Mona Lisas.
The Louvre Museum may no longer be the only home to Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th century masterpiece. Another Mona Lisa portrait has been verified by a Swiss-based art foundation as an original. Read more

BBC guide to art and design learning resources and online courses

Learn about visual arts, literature and culture with this online art resource from the BBC.

Still Life With Cheeseburger: Art That Looks Good Enough To Eat

Back in the day – the 17th century – Vermeer, Rembrandt and the rest of the Dutch Golden Age crew blazed a trail for realism in art. Their work wasn't just technically dazzling; it was also distinctive. Instead of fat baby cherubs and saints, they painted the stuff of every day life. Often, that meant food.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/01/24/170199359/still-life-with-cheeseburger-art-that-looks-good-enough-to-eat

Michael Halbert illustrates your dreams

Michael Halbert illustrates the kind of surreal scenes you can only dream up.

http://www.lifelounge.com.au/art-and-design/news/michael-halbert-illustrates-your-dreams.aspx

Featured illustrator: Kleber Sales

Kleber Sales is a brazilian illustrator who works for several magazines in Brazil.

http://www.designer-daily.com/featured-illustrator-kleber-sales-31479

Amazing hand drawn Portraits by Bartosz Kosowski

Bartosz Kosowski created these sets of portraits  with a pencil or Copic Multiliner and coloured them in PS. Bartosz Kosowski is an illustrator based in Lodz, Poland.

http://www.graphicart-news.com/amazing-hand-drawn-portraits-by-bartosz-kosowski/#.URNnsvKe6Hs

Quentin Blake on creating a story on the page - video

Illustrator Sir Quentin Blake talks us through his new exhibition at Marlborough fine art gallery in Mayfair, central London. Sir Quentin, celebrated for his collaborations with Roald Dahl and more recently with David Walliams, also describes his drawing philosophy and the process of inventing stories on the page.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/video/2013/jan/16/quentin-blake-creating-story-video

Culture Wham bam … Glam! The birth of style – interactive timeline

As a major new show sashays into Tate Liverpool, explore an interactive timeline of the Glam era – taking in its roots, its decline and its gender-bending, platform-booted prime.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/interactive/2013/feb/06/glam-style-interactive-timeline?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9383

Kitsch art: love it or loathe it?

Jonathan Jones: Why is this term for garish or sentimental objects surrounded by such snobbery? Some of the world's greatest artworks are kitsch. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2013/jan/28/kitsch-art-love-loathe-jonathan-joneshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2013/jan/28/kitsch-art-love-loathe-jonathan-jones