::slingthought::

I finally got my copy of Pens Are My Friends from Amazon and it has quickly become a treasure.  I’ve been watching Jon Burgerman’s work and unique style of illustration and character design evolve since the days of his Biro-Web.  I loved the quirky doodles on post it notes, envelopes and graph paper.  He has this remarkable line work that looks like he’s never lifted the pen from the page.  Now that I look across all of his work in the book, I have an even deeper appreciation for his penmanship, grasp on color and ability to transcend almost any media.

I haven’t even gotten to the included DVD and black and white booklet yet.  I’m saving that for a moment where I need added inspiration.

This book belongs in the library of every visual designer and illustrator and serves as an endless source of visual stimulation.  It’s one of those collections that you need to look at, take a break from and come back to again and again.

I’m ending with three thoughts…
1. More than anything I appreciate Jon’s commitment to his craft and style.  It has evolved into something amazing.
2. His inspiring work makes me wish I had committed to my own style years ago.  I suppose it’s never too late.
3. Pens are his friends and I wish he was mine.   Seems like a really cool cat who, with no question, has remarkable talent.

Buy the book and you’ll see what I mean.

ProtoShare appears to be very promising as a rapid prototyping tool.  Most of the basic wire framing functionality is covered.  Additionally you can collaborate and share your prototypes.  It also appears that you can also do some things with HTML, CSS, RSS and framing other sites.  Unfortunately their 30 day trial requires a credit card, so I wouldn’t be suprised if a number of people, much like myself, skip test driving it.  I really would like to see how it stacks up to tools like Axure, but paying for a demo…not so much.

They should put up a sandbox to let us play before we pay.  I realize you can cancel at any time, but there’s a lesson in user expectations with Web-based services.  We need a snack before we feast on your app.

If you’ve tried it out, by all means, leave a comment.

I dig the retro stylings of S. Britt and this behind the scenes look at work in progress satisfies my sketchbook junkie habit. I love seeing the creative process unfolded.

I’ve followed Steph Kardos for some time and love his loose sketching. He’s bumped things up a notch by demonstrating his skill at sketching on the iPhone. I’ve played with a few drawing apps and honestly felt they were clumsy, but he somehow manages to control line, texture and color in his signature style. Amazing talent if you ask me.

I’m a huge fan of 80s arcade design.  Aside from the nostalgia of playing games, I’ve always had an appreciation for the typography, design and illustration used to attract “players”.  When I came across these marker renderings for cabinet designs, I was quite delighted to get a glimpse behind the scenes for the concepts that drive the physical design of some of Atari’s arcade cabinets.  There are even some concepts for how to display the cabinets in an arcade setting.  Enjoy.

Marker rendering of an Atari Arcade Console Concept

Here’s the full collection of Atari Console Concept images…

Ed Emberley has been an influence as far back as I remember. As a child, I poured over his books at the library and spent countless hours copying the steps for drawing characters and objects illustrated in his books. I have a deeper appreciation for the simplicity and masterful execution of design and sequential information graphics that appear in his work. His visual explanation of color, line and shape and the ease at which he walks you through a drawing can make just about anyone an artist for the moment.

Four of Ed Emberley books from my personal collection

If you’re not familiar with his work, I’ve assembled links to help you get to know him.

Ed Emberley Books available through Amazon.com

Find Ed Emberley Books at a Library near you

Ed Emberley’s Website

A printable example of his style and sequence drawing technique