Star Wander

Well as you probably guessed i’m a bit of a nut when it comes to papercraft things, just found this  little stop motion animation via paperforest (full of really quirky paper enchantments that you can ogle for  hours on end.) This quirky little animation you see here were created by Eric Power a animator and film maker you can check out his blog via his quirky url: www.ericpowerup.net (made me giggle) or for his more professional site visit Clear Productions. He is a self taught animator and film-maker from Austin in Texas, his philopsy is:

everything can be learned simply through hard work and passion.  I also believe one of the best ways to learn how to make a film is to just go out and do it.

Power interests like many of the male gender lies in video games, therefore he combined his skill and love for animation and virtual entertainment to produce quirky paper treatments of gamer nerds golden oldies. Other recreations he created were Zelda and Mortal Kombat, these were just plain imitations of the game play with a paper treatment. However i think the Star Wars emulation was the best as it had alot more detail, i’m not really a Star Wars fan or anything and i haven’t watched the triology or anything (yes i know i should, it’s on my list to do one of these days just haven’t got around to it) but i did enjoy watching this motion piece but that might be also down to the score of the piece, quite liked it,  was very relaxing.  Well if your interested the soundtrack was by Jeremy Messersmith and entitled Tatooine. If you liked it you should check out Messersmith’s latest track Organ Donor (animation was also created by Power) and his album “The Reluctant Graveyard”.

I really liked Power’s quirky use of paper and his attention to detail with the use of layers and hand crafted die cuts to create shadows and form, he could’ve just had one colour in the background of the sunset but he chose to have four wavy layers instead which creates a fuller and vibrant image. Each individual element of characters, spaceships looked like it take alot of time to create, for example look at the Death Star and how many squares needed slicing and then cutting more from another colour and attaching it, very time consuming indeed. The only negative thing i can think of (for the geeks) is that princess Leia is definitely not hot and kinda looks like a guy lol (i remember Ross from Friends little fantasy) Tehehe However Luke Skywalker makes up for it with his very stylish and full hair. All in all it was a amazing intricate piece of work that lasted 2 min and 40 secs which mean there were alot of frames and took alot of time to animate aswell in other words its was alot of work but i think it was well worth it and the outcome turned out really well.

Tea-rrific

Forget your morning Starbucks coffee, tea is the new way to go. Below is some nifty packaging and product designs on the brewery of tea the magical substance that makes you relax and feel better after a bad day. So brew yourself a cuppa and have a wee read (although it might make your tea bag feel a bit inferior; so be sure to take it out, don’t want to hurt it’s feelings hehehe).

 

The origami styled design you see  is what inspired this post to delve deeper into the facets of tea. Unfortunately this design isn’t commercially available and is only a concept, it has a very quirky nature and would appeal to many demographics with it’s charming origami style that i think would be very hypnotic to see the bird unfold and take it’s form. I wonder how successful would it be and how many birds would be able to fully fly in the cup? The concept was created by Russian designer Natalia Ponomareva, and has been featured in many different blogs (which i’m sure most people have viewed at some stage but just incase anyone missed it i though it would be a nice blog post. You never know maybe some day if it gains enough popularity and demand Ponomareva will be commissioned by a tea company like suki tea to recreate this lovely design.

 

Here’s another quirky design centering on the theme of tea, these nicely illustrated tea bags were created by WDARU design studio. The design are very comical and illustrated to appear like a character to bathing in a cup which in reminiscent of the Japanese culture of hot springs. There are many variations and personalities of the tea bags, wonder if there’s one of me? (Redeeming features? I guess that would be Asian, slim with really long hair, and perhaps blowing bubbles or letting go of a balloon just for sheer randomness but you know what would be an idea? if they created a wedding themed one as tea in asian culture is a very important aspect especially during wedding within the tea ceremony). Going off in a tangent there but other areas of the product is the branding, it’s called Maum and their logo uses a rounded san serif type with additions of two smiley faces, they are packaged away in neat little themed boxes of a swimming pool, bus and they even have a christmas themed one with rudolph and santa. The branding of the product is Maum, and to check out more on these adorable little people taking a soak in a cup check out WDARU’s website.

Entitled Tea Stick or Tea stirrer created by Lee Yun Qin, not the most imaginative name for a product or brand but it represents the function of the item in it’s simplest form, a tea bag and a stick to stir. Due to the simplicity of the design it also allows the user to hang the tea bag at the side of the mug, purpose? So that the tag doesn’t drop in the tea! The design is very stylish and modernistic, it uses the form to double up as a stirrer but the question that’s running in my head, is it necessary? Unless you like to leave your tea bag to steep i don’t really think so, what i would’ve liked to see instead is the development of the design that combines the function of a tea bag and stirrer but also a strainer (for those who are too lazy to take the tea bag out and strain the water out so it’s dry and doesn’t cause leaks in the trash.) No mess no fuss.

 

 

Unlike most of the designs you’ve seen which are mostly concepts this extraordinary pyramid shaped teabag designed by Peter Hewitt a American product designer is available for commercial purchase. Hewitt is also the founder of Teaforte the company which markets this little peculiar but elegant and enchanting tea. Here’s a little interview with Hewitt that i found on this blog regarding Teaforte and how his love of tea came about. The USP of this product along with the eccentric pyramid form, quality of materials as the tea bags are silken and handmade with the wire “stem” adorned with a paper leaf that have made Tea Forte famous but also the unique and unusual flavors. You can visit http://www.teaforte.com/ for purchases or to check out some of their products, take a look at especially their teaware (will make awesome pressies for any tea lover).

This clever concept was created by designer Soon Mo Kang, as you can see Kang themed his concept around the subject of clothes including the packaging and the design of the product of the tea by using the form of t-shirts and hanger which will also similarly to the tea stirrer above can be hung on the edge of the cup. I quite like this concept, as for tea drinkers i think this is a very methodically and organized process, as different flavors have co-ordinated hangers and if you hung all your varieties of tea hangers not only will you have a very colorful collection but also allows you to attain the desired flavor relatively easily and save you digging around for the darjeeling or hibicus tea at the back saving time, effort. (It’ll also save room in your cupboard for more biscuits, cakes and tray-bakes).

 

“Sharky is a floating tea-infuser that looks like a shark fin marauding through the dangerous waters of your tea mug that simultaneously releases streamers of steeped tea that look suspiciously like the detritus after a nasty shark attack. (Via designboom) The concept is created by Pablo Matteoda from Argentina. It’s whimsical design is very masculine, along with the material in choice which appears to be a very light weight metal. This is a welcome change from the typically feminine style we generally see in both branding, product and packaging as we all know that both genders drink this magical liquid.

Speaking of magical liquid, this mesmerizing and innovative lighting concept created by Wonsik Chae a designer and bookmaker is one of favorites. It’s not really a tea bag but it’s shaped like a tea bag so it still counts as part of this post. Watch the video It show’s the products functionality really well, it’s very alluring and hypnotic with it’s illuminations when it’s dipped into the cup. The process and materials of the design consist of a cup filled with a chemical intermediate and a bag containing fluorescent molecules, the light works through a catalyst of this chemical reaction.

Well that’s tea done for now, hope you enjoyed your wee read and cuppa.

 

 

Popping my heart

In the past few months i’ve been looking at story books, in particular pop up books. I’ve always liked these quirky and wondrous pieces of literacy, and anticipate to the next turn of the page to see what’s in store. However during the summer months when i was in London for a week my love was renewed in the Tate Modern where i found Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart’s Pop up books. The book’s were very interactive and ranges from simple fold outs to elaborate sets and even the use of different mediums such as hidden messages that were only decipherable with the use of different lenses. The illustrations are very colorful and vibrant, it’s very stylized and cartoonish which of course suits the target market which are stereotypically presently children although they are indeed a marvel and delight for adults aswell. In fact did you know that for early moveable books (another term for pop ups) were for adults. Moving on below is one example of their books (Robert Sabuda), presenting “The Wizard of Oz”

Below are a couple more samples from different artists and their stylistic approach that might appeal to a older demographic.

First of the bat is Louise Rowe’s Little Red Riding Hood, i recently purchased this book as a gift, the pages are exactly as you see below.The illustration style is very simple and clean which appeals to both demographics of children and adults. The paper engineer although rather straightforward and basic to the trained eye but for users who are novices the book is very elaborate. The techniques used are very classic but are layered upon to make it appear grander and forms scenery such as the rich looking forest you see below. The graphic style and paper engineer makes up for each other’s weaknesses and are reflective of each other and the piece’s simplicity nature which creates a uncluttered and candid quality.

The only main negative point about the book i would say is the cover, the design is simple and feminine using patterns, silhouettes and embellishments. All of which reflects the graphic contents of the book in a positive contrast. However the material used is of a shiny plastic coating similar to the the hard covers of books you get when your were in your younger years. Personally i would’ve preferred if it was a nice smooth matt finish, but as the appeal of the book has audiences from all ages this coating of the book maybe have a longer span especially if you purchase it for your kid. Also Rowe is releasing another one of Grimm’s fairy tale in a pop up form, Hansel and Gretel should be out soon so keep a look out and if any of you have some photos or comments on the book please drop me a wee email.

 

Another pop up book that i recently came across is Martina Kraus’s Circus Zingaro, you can view the whole book from the video link below. Kraus is a student from Fachhochschule Münster, North-Rhine-Westphalia and obviously studies design and illustration. This pop up book which is still in progress is a result of her final exams. Below is a abstract of the story of the book.

The story is about a streetwalking girl that wants to join a traveling circus. She introduces herself to the Ringmaster but he doesn’t take her seriously. Instead of offering her a job he introduces her to all the extraordinary freaks and geeks at his show to convince her that she doesn’t fit in. But she has a special gift he doesn’t know about yet…

Circus Zingaro like most pop up books are the Aladdin’s cave of treasure of graphic pleasure, Kraus illustrations are full of abundance of colours which are very rich and full of vibrancy. It very much reflects the subject and views of a Circus. Kraus’s style in the piece is relatively realistic and very elegant, there’s lots of detail to each part of the illustration whether it’s the characters, the walls, the lights to even the finite areas of a simple teacup and bottle. The book looks very elaborate and utilizes many different paper engineer techniques, even unfinished it looks stunning. Well you can keep on reading and i can keep on typing but i think it’s about time you see the actual piece yourself and be surprised. You can also visit her site here, Kraus specializes in illustrations and designing paper objects which includes greeting cards that you can purchase or if you really want to you can get her to design something unique yourself.

Via Paperforest (awesome site for quirky paper crafts, one of my favorites!!!)

 

Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha which means chit chat in Japanese is a global event, however i was only made aware of it last year when a few of us went down to Dublin to see our first ever Pecha Kucha organised by Irish Architecture Foundation and The Small Print.  So what is Pecha Kucha?

PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat”, it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It’s a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.

The talk was fresh, different, quirky and very entertaining the only negative thing about it was that it was down in Dublin (Not that there’s anything wrong with Dublin) just wished there was one in Belfast, then a brainwave and a bell went off…well for Karla, that we should bring it up and what do you know after a few weeeks of planning we’ve finally had our first Pecha Kucha. The turn out was awesome, around 200 registered, all the speakers turned up (thankfully) and apart from a few wee technical glitches which adds to the event everything went smoothly.

So without further adieu below is a list of all the speakers from the first two nights (as i got lazy and didn’t post anything up ^_^)

PKN 1 – 23rd June 2010

Andy McMillan, Good on Paper
Barry Falls, Illustrator
Claire Mullan, Tee and Toast
Jamie Neely, Front
Joel Simon, Flickerpix
Lyndsey McDougall, Artist
Nik and Chris, Web Standardistas
Robert Durston, Photographer
Rose Kane, Doodle Bread
Sarah Landstreet, Marshmallow Grove

PKN 2 – 4th October 2010

Alli Magee, Steen Ink
David Hughes, Front
Hugh Odling-Smee, Kabosh
Julie-Anne Graham, Fashion Designer
Kris and Ev, Black North
Michelle Gallen, Talk Irish
Mike Fleming, Copywriter
Paul Kelly, Designer
Richard Weston, AceJet170
Ted Jensen, Big Ted’s Cookies

So get ready for the next one which is on Feb, so follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Also if anyone has any suggestions for recommendations for speakers or who’s brave enough to volunteer themselves please drop me a email. Photos of the night can be found via Flikrs of Atto and Front. We also recorded the talks on the night but unfortunately they’re not published yet but as soon as it comes out i’ll let you guys know.

Ok now that’s done, time for the thanks!! So…

Special thanks to all the amazing speakers, all of you were awesome!! (and very brave!!)

To Black Box for letting us hold the event and for helping me put out extra chairs.

To Northside for the lovely posters at PKN1 (the paper’s really nice too, just so you know)

To Front, for sponsorship of the nights

To Johnny Fleck, the cam guy and tech genius (for the first pkn1)

To all of Atto and of course the seed in which all this came from….Karla and without would not have happened, the poster was also a collaboration between the two of us. To check out some of her stuff you can find her lovely blog here.

Of course we cant’ forget all of our lovely audience, all who made it possible!!

(Round of applause, clap clap clap ^_^)

3D Pencil drawings

Good morning/afternoon/evening depending where you are. I thought i’d show you guys something a little different today, unfortunately this wasn’t my little discovery but was tweeted by Heather from twitter part of the large grape vine called the internet. ^_^ “It’s not excatly your every day sketch or sculpture is it? “These miniature masterpieces are a side project for the professional carpenter, who has been perfecting this art for the last 25 years.” It created by a artist called Dalton Ghetti based in Connecticut but was originally born in Brazil. The technical detail of each micro sculpture takes Ghetti from anything from a few months to a few years and his toolbox includes items such as a razor blade, sewing needle and a sculpting knife. Isn’t it amazing what you can do with so little? The best thing about these little meticulous pieces is that they are not for commercial outlets, but as gifts in which he gives them to friends and family. A little bit jealous of these lucky people, but at least we can still admire the pieces from the photographs. I’ve only shown a few examples here but if you want to delve a little deeper and look at some more of Ghetti’s work check out (you should see the tool sets): http://kronikle.kidrobot.com/pencil-tip-micro-sculptures-by-dalton-ghetti/