Monday
21Dec2009

Fleece Navidad

 

This is the Holiday promo I created for my work, McCullough Creative. The idea was to present ugly Christmas sweaters in a sophisticated L.L. Bean style catalog. The juxtaposition alone is funny but once you add great copy to the mix the catalog shines. I designed and art directed the photoshoots. The cover image was taken in early November when there wasn't any snow on the ground. I had to create the winter wonderland in Photoshop. The sweaters were collected by my coworkers and myself. We scavenged thrift shops and raided our grandma's closets to find the most obnoxious sweaters known to man. The musty pile is still at my desk awaiting your order. Supplies are limited.

View the Catalog Here

 

 

Thursday
23Jul2009

Featured work

My work for the Smithsonian National River Museum's "Catfish Planet" has be published in the book Visual Language for Designers: Principles for Creating Graphics that People Understand” by Connie Malamed, Rockport Publishers.

Description: Within every picture is a hidden language that conveys a message, whether it is intended or not. This language is based on the ways people perceive and process visual information. By understanding visual language as the interface between a graphic and a viewer, designers and illustrators can learn to inform with accuracy and power.

In a time of unprecedented competition for audience attention and with an increasing demand for complex graphics, Visual Language for Designers explains how to achieve quick and effective communications. It presents ways to design for the strengths of our innate mental capacities and to compensate for our cognitive limitations.

Includes:

  • How to organize graphics for quick perception
  • How to direct the eyes to essential information
  • How to use visual shorthand for efficient communication
  • How to make abstract ideas concrete
  • How to best express visual complexity
  • How to charge a graphic with energy and emotion
Friday
12Jun2009

Little fish, big pond crosses "the pond"

I found a Russian website that featured two of my comics http://habrahabr.ru/tag/mac/ And someone actually translated my text from English to Russian. I don't know if the jokes still work but one thing is for sure, the sound of a Mac starting up must be universal. "BONG" was the only word that remained unchanged. 

This is the first time my comic has been seen in a different language. It's kinda fun. Like when the Simpsons are dubbed for other countries.

Using babelfish.com I translated the descriptive text from the Russian site. The result probably makes as much sense as my translated comics.

"Comics of → small small fish, the large pond It would be desirable to focus attention of [khabravchan] to the site of American designer on the name Of greg Of dietzenbach (you will forgive, but this name I with difficulty I will transfer). Basic idea of site - outstanding comics “Little of fish. Big of pond”, renovated each Friday. In the comics - sharpest acute themes of week, computer and it is simple hitching posts. For simplicity I transferred the pair of sketchings to the computer thematics."

I like how everyone around the world has problems with my last name. 

Anyway, shortly after the comics were posted on habrahabr.ru my site received the most hits I've ever seen. I guess I should churn out a Tetris comic to appease my new Russian fan base. 


Saturday
07Feb2009

Art Lesson

With the due date quickly approaching I wanted to create some unique art for my daughter's room. I was interested in making a modern day Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It had to have the innocent character finding herself in peril, escaping and finally learning a lesson. I wrote several stories. They were in line with the Brothers Grimm but in the end they were too scary, creepy or weird. We've all grown up with the Grimm fairy tales so they don't seem that disturbing but upon closer inspection you might second guess reading it to your child before bed. "Hansel and Gretel were going to fattened up to be eaten but they cooked the witch instead. Now go to bed Jimmy and don't worry about that mean old witch. She was burned alive at 425 degrees."

The story I ended up with was this: 

There once was a little girl who was always loud. She scared away animals and friends. She even made her parents go crazy. One day she came upon a frog and his little frog family. Papa Frog said, "Please be quite, I have little baby frogs who need to sleep. The girl continued to be loud so Papa Frog jumped into her mouth. All of a sudden she couldn't speak. She couldn't scare the animals away. She couldn't scare her friends away. She listened for the first time and everyone loved her. When the frog thought she had learned her lesson he hopped out of her throat. And the little girl quietly said "thank you."

These were printed on high quality canvas material. The first picture was 24" sq and the others 12" sq.

 

Saturday
22Nov2008

Requisite geek Boba Fett illustration

I'm guessing that any self proclaimed geek with an ounce of artistic talent has, at least once in their lives, drawn Boba Fett. My reason for drawing him was my nephew Isaac's birthday. He's a huge Star Wars fan so I gave him a picture of his favorite bad guy. And since there are very few differences between Jango and Boba I made him a second illustration. 

The fire was fun to illustrate in this picture. It has liquid like weight to it. Jet packs rule!