Find Jeff and Susan

Review

“The book’s 115 entries cohere into a buzzing collection and will likely raise waves of nostalgia for their exuberance when future designers crack the spine.” I.D. Magazine, New York”

This compendium showcases the extraordinary cutting-edge work of 100 of the world’s most progressive graphic designers, from the hard-hitting political messages of Jonathan Barnbrook to the lyrical digital compositions of Peter Saville to the iconoclastic imagery of Stefan Sagmeister. Alongside the array of visually stunning and thought-provoking advertisements, CD covers, posters, packaging, websites, and corporate identities are texts by each designer expressing his or her individual approach to graphic design pr (more…)

The graphic design equivalent to Strunk & White’s The Elements of StyleThis book is simply the most compact and lucid handbook available outlining the basic principles of layout, typography, color usage, and space.Being a creative designer is often about coming up with unique design solutions. Unfortunately, when the basic rules of design are ignored in an effort to be distinctive, design becomes useless. In language, a departure from the rules is only appreciated as great literature if recognition of the rules underlies the text. Graphic design is a “visual language,” and brilliance is recognized in designers whose work seems to break all the rules, yet communicates its messages clearly.This book is a fun and accessible ha (more…)

Review

“Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips introduces key concepts of visual language in graphic design.” –Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2008

Review

“A tome on the basics of form. (Graphic Design:The New Basics) illuminates the gray areas between software and visual thinking, and as the introduction states, shows ‘how to build richness and complexity around simple relationships.’”

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Inter mountain range - public domain image

I’m beginning my long trip from Idaho to LA to pick up a truck and trailer and drive to New Jersey. Luckily, I had a whole row of seats in the plane to Phoenix. I fired off over 100 shots from the plane. This one was taken somewhere over S. Idaho or Northern Nevada. I’m placing this image in the public domain so you can use it for whatever you would like. If you use it online, please consider giving me credit for the photo by a link. Enjoy!

Review

A significant attempt at a comprehensive history of graphic design…it will be an eye-opener not only for general readers, but for designers who have been unaware of their legacy. — The New York TimesWith this book, Meggs made it easier for designers to envision their work in terms of history. The final pages of each edition attempt to put young designers into historical context, perhaps before their influence can be accurately assessed. Although some may argue that it’s an effort to control history rather than report it, this book makes for a lively debate. A History of Graphic Design, now in its third edition, stands as a monumental contribution to the field. — Critique Magazine, Pamela Williams, Spring 1997
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MasterPhotoshop CS4 with this visual, hands-on guide to using layers, under the expert guidance of digital imaging specialist Richard Lynch. Layers, Photoshop’s most powerful feature, is the core of a nondestructive image-editing workflow.Step-by-step instructions and practical examples illustrate how to. * Polish: correct and enhance color, fix composition problems, and repair damage or flaws * Manipulate: isolate image areas for changes, adjustments and experimental concepts* Understand: use all forms of layer blending, including transparency, clipping masks, opacity/fill, layer masks, layer modes, channel targeting, Blend If, and Effects/StylesThe accompanying DVD comes complete with a generous library of practical actio (more…)

Make magic happen in your digital photography and graphic design.  This book is an indispensable tool for digital photographers and graphic designers.

WWII Vintage Poster - Public Domain

It’s interesting to look at graphic design in the WWII era.  Here we have a US Army poster which is obviously showing the tastes for the female form at the time.  Lady liberty is pretty hot.  I enjoy comparing graphic design through the ages and this is a public domain image courtesy of Northwest University.  They offer high resolution files of these government posters at about ten bucks an image if you’re not in a hurry.  Of course, since they’re government issued they’re in the public domain.  Enjoy!

Original photo here.

public domain illustration

This illustration was found online as a public domain image.

Originally a group of artists came together to form a group for sharing public domain images .

Original article:Final 4 Copyright Free Images From The Book of Knowledge Vol. 2 …

public domain image

I found this little puppy picture offered in the public domain.  It looks to be a pug puppy but I don’t really know.  Apparently the dog is named Janna and you don’t need a model release to use it.

Photo Credit:Janna Free picture. Public Domain Pictures, Royalty Free Stock …

Free photo courtesy of http://dreamstime.com

Question found around the internet:

I’m looking for Images (florals, people, etc.) that I wouldn’t have to pay to use. While searching on the internet, I’ve noticed phrases like “these are not public domain , but they are free”… What’s the difference? …

There are several distinctions to be made here between public domain images and free images and they all depend on the licensing offered by the image creator.  A public domain image that is free to download is truly free – that means you can use it for anything you want.  Another type of free image is licensed under Creative Commons and may be used in derivative works or commercially with attribution, meaning you have to provide a hyperlink to the original author giving credit for the photo.  Royalty free stock photographs are often also offered as “free” but carry a license which limits the amount and type of use of the photograph.  A public domain photograph that has a small charge to download is not “free” as you must pay for the download but it’s free in how you can use it once the image is on your hard drive.  To understand the rights associated with any image, you must pay attention to the license that is presented with the photograph.  If there’s no license, assume it’s copyrighted.  I’ve seen many providers of public domain photographs claim that you must attribute a hyperlink to the original work and this is false.  Once it is placed in the public domain, the creator gives up all rights to the image, including requiring a link.  Of course, it is polite to do so and encourages the continued release of otherwise copyrighted material into the public domain but it is not required.

The photograph that I’m displaying on this post was a free high resolution stock photo provided by Dreamstime – they have a large catalog of free high resolution photographs.  I could legitimately use it for many different projects including creating a custom web site banner, a greeting card, a calendar image, background for a different photograph, a vector graphic or any number of other uses but I can’t claim ownership of the image – but it’s free for any personal project I might be working on.  Btw, you can get your own free high res images from Dreamstime by registering below.  Enjoy!