Art Studio/Small cabin sketch

Sketch #1: Idea for my small cabin/studio down in the woods. Reclaimed tin roof and wood. Would be 8' x 8' studio with a 8' x 8' deck. This is a fairly conservative design — I may try something more unique with some found materials.

Type Seen: Vintage Radiant logotype and symbol

Custom Lettering

Rough sketch / inked lettering study for an Annual Report cover.

Hi-fidelity Stereophonic Design

When I visit my local Goodwill, I usually head straight to the vinyl records section. I just gotta know what obscure album might be there or if today is the day I find that one album I’ve always been looking for. I’m also on the lookout for great design. Every once in a while I come across a cover design so strong, that it just stops me in my tracks. That’s how I discovered my first Command Records album.

Command produced records in the late ’50s to mid-’60s and were produced and engineered by Enoch Light, a pioneer in stereo recordings during a time when AM (monaural) radio was the standard. Many of the covers were designed by well-known artists/designers like Josef Albers and Paul Bacon. Josef Albers! These abstract, minimalist covers stood apart from the typical covers of the time and beautifully captured the essence of the music through expressive design and well-crafted compositions. The covers gave the listener an idea of what to expect — a crisp, modern, stereo sound that’s harmonious, but with a sense of playfulness. Most of the Command Records covers incorporated classic design principles brilliantly: balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis and unity in a modern style that still looks fresh today.

What a great example of form and content working well together. Stereophonic design, indeed.

Trouble

Rough sketch — studio at work

Rough sketch of a busy morning in the WECO. Prismacolor and red Sharpie.

Disorders of Typography Poster

While waiting in the examination room at my eye doctor, I noticed the archetypal medical poster on the wall depicting normal and abnormal conditions of the eye, complete with cutaway illustrations of eyeballs and eyeball parts, with precise labeling and detailed information. This inspired me to create my own poster — but for type-geeks and non-type-geeks alike.