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rthemars · 3 years

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80s and 90s Rave Flyers

The rave flyer represents early electronic music's most emblematic artist medium, they document an era of peace and love, unity and respect and eradication of barriers. Flyers are an artistic history of the subculture of which hold memories that can never be buried or discarded, however it is because of these crazy, unique designs that makes them mean something. Whereas any boring and normal flyer would be thrown away and forgotten.

Rave flyers from dance music’s early days showcase a unique style of artistry that portrays the hustle, physicality, DIY spirit and harmony of the subculture in its various habitats around the world. Their colourful, trippy style incites imagination and kicks off vibrant stories of musical influence and hedonism, and I think it’s amazing how these strange designs can really capture that sense of passion for fun and freedom.

This first example of rave flyers is filled with different hypnotic patterns, that when put together is really trippy to look at. It shows just how effective simple patterns can be when used well, like in this piece where different shapes act as a frame to showcase the patterns, then layering these shapes to create simple but busy imagery. To top it off an eye has been placed inside of the triangle, eyes are commonly seen in rave flyers because they connect to spirituality and soul. They can also represent the illuminati which is all about a conspiracy, one that opens your mind to unthought of things for many people.

With these crazy patterns comes just two colours, black and yellow, however this isn’t a dull combination and is rather a bold, punchy mix with a prominent contrast. Once again you see this in a lot of rave flyers as these are the colours of the smiley, a symbol of positivity in and outside of rave culture.

Next is one of Fantazia’s many rave flyers where shadows have been included effectively, the shadow of a hand covers a lot of space which I think is a clever and simple way to fill in empty space. Nothing in this collage really makes sense but this is just reason it’s so intriguing and makes you wonder, however everything of course could have a possible meaning. For example the pyramid could be yet another indication of the illuminati, or it could just be there for absolutely no reason, it’s up to you to decide but either way it adds curiosity.

I really like the style of this piece, compared to most this design is quite toned down and not so crazy. The colours are pleasing to view and are actually quite calming, this is uncommon because rave flyers must attract partiers and that usually associates with bright colours. However in this piece the illustration speaks for itself, it also covers a lot of space with the text and makes it an important part of the design.

This flyer displays a really interesting concept about the world and the way we think of it, usually see see the world as gigantic however this piece shows that, from a different perspective, the same thing can look completely different. This is done by collaging fingers onto an image of space and earth, to look like its pinching it. The not add another layer it looks as though you can see it through a hole, ripped open in the sky which to me suggests looking through the simulation.

The colours are really appealing to me because they're bold but comforting, the sky blue is really rich, beautiful and a good contrast to the dark space colours. The font used for the text is interesting because it’s really quite simple, usually in these rave flyers the text is distorted in one way or another. However for this piece the designer chose to keep it clear, in both the font and layout.

The next flyer consists of floating head that’s cut open, with spheres flying out of it. The description of it sounds absurd and pointless, however when you see it as art it’s really intriguing and interestingly weird. This shows that the concept doesn’t have to make sense or there may not be one at all, because the art speaks for itself and leaves lots of room for curiosity.

Behind these objects is a CGI background, this gives them a space to be in so it looks like it is somewhere and not just an illustration. Lines have been used to determine depth and length of the floor, similarly seen in the face and spheres. This is a very clever technique that also adds an aspect of geometry to the piece, therefore if I was to create something with a digital background I would be sure to use this feature.

Finally this rave flyer’s main focus is the illustration, it holds so much importance as it is jam packet with different objects and characters. The first thing I notice is a woman holding a baby up to the sky (or universe), above this baby is a beam of light which I think represents a sacrifice to other life (aliens in UFOs). Meanwhile there 8 of these strange looking, tiny beings surrounded in a circle, their arms are up as if they're praising/supporting the act which is almost cult-like. Trying to figure out a concept is an adventure in itself and in the end you can come up with some crazy thoughts, but once again it’s all there for interpretation as well as looking really interesting and impressive.

Universal imagery was very popular in rave flyers back then including pictures of aliens, flying saucers, CGI landscapes and optical illusion art. There is a clear aspect of space in this piece thanks to the background, it’s filled with stars and includes many planets that might not be realistic but that's what makes it just a little more intriguing, possibly referring to another galaxy.

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rtterm1project · 3 years

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Don’t Panic Posters

Don’t Panic are well known for their unique posters that come with every pack, each design has its own individual style which gives variation to the packs. The fact that the posters could look like anything, whether it be photography, digital art, graffiti or paintings, adds to the mystery element of the Don’t Panic pack because you really don't know what to expect.

Another reason as to why all the posters look different is because they’re all created by different artists, these could be anybody from the famous Banksy to smaller, less known artists who need an audience. Don’t Panic do not care about names because all that matters is the art itself, and helping an artist flourish along the way is a bonus for supporting the community.

Subterfuge - Smit

This freakish design of Snow White is all about the concept and message behind, Smit explains how “Disney reaches their audience giving an unrealistic view of life and love” and therefore displayed the princess as deceitful for “enticing and manipulating the 7 dwarves” with her beauty and charm.

The style of his piece is illustrative and cartoon-like, it replicates how the original cartoon looks like but obviously altered. At first Smit drew the illustration by hand, making Snow White’s skin to look as if it’s been melted off like acid and therefore revealing the bones and muscles underneath. This and the brain representing the apple are creepy and almost sinister ideas of the Disney character, but it’s this concept that draws so much curiosity and attention. With the drawing, he scanned it into photoshop and digitally coloured it in, making it look much clearer and digital.

Success - Steven Wilson

Steven Wilson’s piece is all about the perception of success, and how some people see success through “expensive material things and cars in particular”. People will sometimes buy these extravagant things to show how much money they earn, because this is what they think makes them a success. I think this message and how its portrayed is super clever as it’s a kind of poster that those of this perspective would love, but others would see as sarcasm or the message it aims to share.

The style of this poster is very 80s in its vibrant colours, typeface and even choice of car, the Porsche 911 which was popular at the time. It’s not clear on how exactly Wilson created this as he experiments will all sorts of techniques, using both analog and digital tools. However it looks to me that the main car illustration was done by either painting or printing it by hand, and the text digitally because of the 3D manner it has.

Forgive Us Our Trespassing - Banksy

The piece ‘Forgive Us Our Trespassing’ is by one of best known artists Banksy, the message in this is about the controversy on whether graffiti is a form of art or vandalism. The word trespassing can symbolise the negative aspect of graffiti in that street artists must trespass on private property, in order to tag or paint a wall or surface because that it their canvas. However this piece replicates Banksy’s conflicted feelings about being a graffiti artist, because he may recognise the concerns of those who see his work as vandalism but knows he ultimately means well. This is seen through the boy with a painted halo asking for forgiveness, but also for understanding by praying.

Because this is Banksy’s artwork we know that this was made with spray paint and stencils, and of course this matches perfectly well with the message behind it. I think using the graffiti technique just ties it all together so cleverly, because simply painting this on any canvas does not compare to the whole risky process of quickly and sneakily creating the artwork on a wall.

Light - Martin Parris

For Martin Parris’ poster design I could not find any context behind the piece, however what I do see is an unknown world of both the past and future. I took the past aspect from the black and white photographs, of people from the 70s having a picnic. And I also see it as futuristic because of the immense moon and colourful flowers, indicating it is close to the moon and has coloured and uncoloured features. Both of these things do not connect with anything existing, therefore resembles a new world created by Parris.

The techniques used to create this piece is a variety of mixed media digital collaging. At first Parris created a handmade collage using coloured and non coloured pictures, cutting them out and sticking them together. I think this contrast is super effective and helps separate/make sections stand out. He then scanned it in so he could digitally combine it with a close up photograph of the moon, this looking realistic with the black background worked really well with the handmade collage as it’s simple but effective.

Open - C215

The message behind C215′s piece is also unclear, however what I take from it is a general feeling of true love and support. I can see how the swing may be a symbol of support as the two swing from the letterbox opening, which therefore also connects to the title ‘Open’.

However I think it’s the style and technique used that makes this poster unique, because even though Banksy also uses stencils and spray paint I think C215′s style is much more detailed and realistic. Rather than painting this onto any wall he decided to interact his art with the world, by creating it on a postbox in Vitry Sur Seine, France. Therefore both the small details and interaction, in terms of the couple swinging from the opening and elements of it maintaining the original red colour, make this piece eye-catching and different.

Utopia - Alex Sturrock

This poster’s design is purely photography, meaning no drawing, digital art, editing etc. However Alex has used camera techniques to create beautiful effects, like this glowing look that affects the whole piece from the woman and water to the background. This style also involves a blurred look which rids any sort of detail, and contributes to the title ‘Utopia’ through its aesthetic.

In general Alex takes photographs of abnormal and out of the ordinary things and concepts, they tend to capture moments that we may not be able to relate to. This make his art super interesting and intriguing, which is why Don’t Panic decided to use this photograph as a poster.

Youth - Vermin

The artist Vermin has an intense history of his life, having worked through serious mental health issues. He puts these experiences and feelings into his paintings which is why his art is so striking and full of emotion, and for this specific poster Vermin wanted people to “see some sort of intenseness” from where he has come. And even though he thinks greatly about beauty, he will always “think heavily about the darker moments in life” and be a paranoid person. I think this can be seen within the painting, however at the end of the day he wants “people to think what they want to think” because it’s about the interpretation.

The material he uses is oil paint on canvas, and for this piece in particular he used a much larger canvas that normal. He also had no time constraints which allowed him to “let the piece take its course” by layering forceful brush strokes.

Dance - Sarah & Mandy

This poster is a digitally designed piece that I find really appealing. The reason why is because I think the way all the fish merge and the colour pallet work really well together, since they mix together but keep individuality through different the bright colours. There’s also a neon like vibrancy to the illustration, created with the contrast of a dark background and vivid colours. These drawings seem to look as if they were originally done by hand, to then later be scanned in for

There is no meaning that I could find of this piece, however the liveliness of the poster seems conspicuous and important. This makes me feel that the art is alive and has movement in its design, therefore possibly linking the fish to the title ‘Dance’.

That Summer Track - McBess

McBess is another very well known artist, famous for his strange yet striking illustrations and animations. What would otherwise be freaky X-rated cartoon imagery, he has a way to present it as lovely and whimsical. I’m not certain for this specific poster, but in general McBess’ work is usually based on his childhood references rather than recently seen things. And when he was a child his father would show him cartoons like Betty Boom and Merrie Melodies, both of which have a kind of weird/dark mood and music to match.

In his animations you can see these similarities as he is also a musician and tends to create imagery to these songs, however he finds that animation takes up too much time with all the ideas he has. Whereas illustrations can be done fairly quickly compared, and it’s because of these awesome concepts that makes his style even more interesting. The way McBess creates these digital drawings is with a drawing pad that allows his to physically draw straight onto the computer, leaving the art to look perfectly clear and crisp.

Obey Sound & Vision - Shepard Fairey

According to the artist this piece “represents the accessible and infectious nature of music as we all experience it”, Shepard Fairey finds music super inspirational which is evident from the title as it’s actually taken from the David Bowie song “the gift of sound and vision”. He states how he finds music far more connection with an audience than art, because you often think “I can’t get this song out of my head” but rarely think “I can’t get this painting out of my head”.

As you can see music means a lot to Fairey, so much so he takes inspiration for his artwork from a range of musicians like David Bowie, Metallica, Public Enemy etc. To create this he uses mixed media on canvas, illustrating a vinyl like shape that matches with the record store environment feeling. This is noticeable through the rustic/vintage effects, and slightly see-through retro pattern designs, typography etc.

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jodybouchard9 · 5 years

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Can We Get Your Digits? 6 Fresh Ways to Display Your House Numbers

Houzz; realtor.com; iStock

When considering the look of your home’s exterior, your landscaping and paint color probably are first to come to mind. But there’s another design element at play here—one that’s easy to forget about but that can make your home stand out above the rest if done right: your house number.

“House numbers may be a necessity, but they don’t have to be boring,” says Kriss Swint, director of interactive strategy and design at Royal Building Products. “They can add an inexpensive pop of design to your home’s exterior.”

Sure, the numbers that the city stenciled on the curb or that your home’s previous owner nailed by the door 50 years ago will certainly get the point across. But they can look a little, well, basic. Read on to discover six clever ways to refresh your digits and make your house the No. 1 trendsetter on the block.

1. Put your house numbers on a pretty planter

Planter plaque with house number

A Beautiful Mess

“With a little bit of wood and paint, you can create a house number display that also doubles as a planter to fill with beautiful flowers and increase your curb appeal,” says Chris Lambton, a garden and yard care expert for Fiskars.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a DIY expert to achieve this look. All you have to do is attach a wooden planter box to some plywood, glue on your house number, and plant some colorful flowers. It’s that easy.

2. Seek out a slice of sustainability

DIY rustic moss house numbers

Factory Direct Craft

Flowers aren’t everyone’s greenery of choice, so minimal moss may be more your speed.

“You can try surrounding the numbers with sustainable moss, which adds a little bit of color and a natural vibe to the house,” recommends Kobi Karp, principal at Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design.

This alternative will give your home a fresh pop of color—plus it’s built-in landscaping!

3. Light them up

Photo by Surrounding – Modern Lighting & Furniture While most house number ideas are visible in the daytime, they’re almost impossible to see once the sun sets. Instead of having your guests flash their car’s brights on your home, display your house numbers in an inventive (and illuminating) way.

“Laser-cut aluminum plates with solar-powered white LEDs light up the exposed number areas, creating a vibrant, modern, and atmospheric look,” Karp says.

This idea will look good morning, noon, and night.

4. Give your house numbers the textured treatment

Houzz “If you’re feeling artsy, try hand-painted tiles,” Swint suggests. “Sleek and modern? Polished pewter is your style. And hammered, aged bronze brings a touch of elegance.”

5. Flip the font

Photo by Modern House Numbers Perhaps the easiest way to give your front porch a whole new look? Shake up the font of your house number.

“From scroll styles to sans serif, your digits can convey styles from art deco to Arts and Crafts,” Swint says. “Adding distinction to your house numbers does more than convey character; it turns your address into a work of art.”

Spruce up your temporary space by adding some peel-and-stick numbers. The only question left is which font you will choose.

6. Go big with stenciled house numbers on your driveway or sidewalk

Stenciled sidewalk house number

iStock; realtor.com

Nothing’s worse than driving around in circles, trying to read the tiny house numbers on the street curb or by the front door. Was that 2345 or 2846 Blurry Lane?

Solve this problem by going big—we mean really, really big. Stencil your address on your driveway or sidewalk in huge block print—and then wait for your guests to thank you.

Want to take things one step further? Give your house number a bona fide “wow” factor by channeling your inner tech guru.

“One of the more innovative designs we have used in the past is having the house number stenciled onto the sidewalk, then adding a motion-activated, solar lighting system,” Karp shares. “It seems very techy, but it’s actually deceptively simple to create and has a unique look to it.”

The post Can We Get Your Digits? 6 Fresh Ways to Display Your House Numbers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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waynekelton · 4 years

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The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS

This particular codex will train and challenge even the most avowed strategy enthusiasts with a maddening variety of scenarios and systems to learn and master from the world of turn-based strategy. Tactics, 4X, Puzzles... across all platforms and many different playstyles, there's a range of turn-based strategy games to celebrate in 2019.

Enjoy, and take your time digesting our top picks of the best turn-based games for Android, iPhone and iPad...

What are the best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS?

Xenowerk Tactics

Ticket to Earth

Tharsis

Feud

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Farabel

Euclidean Skies

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind

Darkest Dungeon

XCOM: Enemy Within

The Battle for Polytopia

Invisible Inc.

Imbroglio

Xenowerk Tactics

Publisher: Pixelbite Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $6.99

Firaxis' XCOM set the bar for turn-based, squad-level strategy games in general, and still remains a highlight on mobile that few have managed to challenge. Xenowerk Tactics, a sequel to the twin-stick shooter Xenowerk, probably won't give XCOM a run for its money but it's a decent tactical strategy game, and one benefiting from more modern design tools. Placed in charge of a corporate-owned Private Military force, your job is to go in and clean up after some kind of experiment goes horribly wrong.

There's squad management and base-development, along with tactical battles that can sometimes be a bit more arcade-y than pure strategy, but they're still hectic and satisfying. There's a really tense tug-of-war between the need to secure your objective and the need to preserve resources, especially when those resources are your veteran troops. Adopting strategies that prioritise securing the escape route first will quickly become the norm, as this can be a punishing game if you let it. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a new XCOM-like fix.

Ticket to Earth

Publisher: Robot Circus Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

In hindsight, our original score of 5/5 was perhaps a bit ambitious. While an excellent turn-based strategy game, much of Ticket to Earth's appeal and potential rested on the assumption that Robot Circus would finish the final three chapters of the game. They certainly took their time, but nearly three years later Episode 4 was finally released as a free update in October 2019.

With a unique take on turn-based tactics, a genuinely engaging story and plenty of challenge to boot, now that Ticket it Earth is finally complete it definitely deserves your attention, and can be considered one of 2017's silent stunners. Now that it's complete, it might even be one of 2019's stunners as well!

Tharsis

Publisher: Choice Provisions Platforms: iPad Only Price: $7.99

While Tharsis takes a lot of inspiration from board games with dice-based allocation/drafting mechanics, it's very much a turn-based strategy experience through and through. As the player, you're in charge of a group of astronauts on their way to Mars, except everything's going wrong on the last hurdle and you need to manage your surviving team-members, dwinlding resources and a failing ship to the best of your abilities so that someone, at least, makes it all the way to the end. If that means you need eat someone along the way, then so be it.

The game is wonderfully brought to life with an excellent 3D engine, and the app plays smoothly on iPads (which might explain why it's only available for iPads!). Some might find the reliance on dice-rolls to get anything done frustrating at times, but it does feed into the sense of theatre created by the tension and dread as you pray that nothing else goes wrong on the ship as it is hastily patched back together. Imagine Apollo 13 except Tom Hanks ends up eating Bill Paxton - great stuff.

Feud

Publisher: Bearwaves Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free

In many ways Chess is the quintessential turn-based strategy game, and a classic that many people try and iterate on over the years. Some we've been fans of, others not so much, but Feud has impressed us the most so far. This free-to-play gem, instead of trying to be too clever or add in extra rules, instead trys to condense the Chess experience into a tied, closed-quarters tactical brawl.

A 4x4 board, with sixteen pieces (eight each side), leaves no room for manoeuvre, so planning your attacks, moves and exploitations is paramount. Matt was very impressed by this bite-sized take on the classic formula, and there's even cross-platform multiplayer (async) as well as pass-and-play. The only thing it's really missing is a ranked mode and some QoL touches - make sure you check it out!

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Publisher: Clarus Victoria Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Clarus Victoria are back with a second entry in their turn-based strategy series based on different historical periods of Egypt. The first game focused on the prehistoric history of the area, while their new game focuses on the 'Old Kingdom' period, which last around 400 years ending around 2100 BC. Back then, the capital of the nation was Mephis and it is here that the player must work to try and build great periods and develop their civilisation.

Resource management is key, and then you must also try and assimilate the other Egyptian tribes through either diplomacy or warfare. It's a niche-style strategy game on a very niche topic, but a breath of fresh air and an excellent pick for those looking for something a little bit different. Read our Egypt: Old Kingdom review for more!

Farabel

Publisher: Frogames Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $8.99

Given that there are so many ways you can design a turn-based tactics game, for something to come along with a genuinely interesting and clever twist is rare, and speaks to the highest levesl of creativity. Farabel's trick, such as it is, is to start you at the end. You being the story at the height of your power, having just emerged victorious from a long and bloody struggle with the Orcs. But to learn the tale, you have to go backwards in time.

With each level you complete, your forces actually get weaker as you make your way back to the beginning of the war. Within individual turn-based battles there's also some timey-wimey shenanigans your hero character can exploit, making for some devilishly flexible tactical solutions. There are thirteen scenarios in all as part of the main story, and beyond that you can participate in daily challenges, or build an army from scratch to take part in special modes, like survival. All round, it's excellent value for money, even being at the steeper end of the scale.

Euclidean Skies

Publisher: Miro Straka Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

This game would also fit right in on our Puzzles guide, but there's a healthy enough dose of turn-based tactical thinking that earns it a place on this list (that, and the five-star review it got). It's a significantly different game to its predecessor, and while it doesn't always work the raw ambition this game shows makes it all the more compelling. Even the art style is different - more vibrant and aggressive, it brings the world to life in a way that's unexpected, but also fantastic.

This is a must buy for fans of puzzle tactics games, and while some of the charm is lost in the shift away form Euclidean Land's simplicity, there's plenty of character in this boisterous new chapter. Read our full review for more!

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind

Publisher: A Sharp LLC Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $9.99

But for those that can make the sacrifice, Six Ages holds a wealth of wonders few other games can match. It wants to tell you a tale of gods and humans, of mysteries and the mundane while still taxing your tactics. It's a bold goal and, while it doesn't always work, the narratives that it weaves are unlike anything else in gaming.

Darkest Dungeon

Publisher: Red Hook Studios Inc. Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

With each passing year since its conception and release, Darkest Dungeon recedes into annals of history, into the collective memory of unspeakable legends. In other words: a horrid, demanding and sublimely satisfying little game is fast becoming an all-time classic. Some have balked at the fine-tuning numbers behind its challenges (e.g. pre-Radiant days, the initial Crimson Court balancing), but in general the game’s ‘give-no-quarter’ philosophy has won a die-hard following that keeps coming back for more punishment. With the next expansion The Color of Madness slated to arrive later this year, this is a game whose vicious, compelling cycle will continue for a long time.

XCOM: Enemy Within

Publisher: 2K Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $9.99

The game has its hallmark AAA production lustre and mankind-on-the-brink storyline, and these conventions work in its favour. Keep your squad intact, do the mission, save the world, piece by piece. The Enemy Within expansion content makes this turn-based strategy game even better.

The Battle for Polytopia

Publisher: Midjiwan AB Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free (additional Tribes as in-game DLC)

There is no diplomacy system, but victory is determined by points and not necessarily conquest. The game’s blocky, loose artstyle and easy interface make it an easy game to learn and hard to put down. Only just recently did the support for online multiplayer finally make its debut, and it is this latest change that elevates this title to a must-try.

Invisible Inc.

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

Invisible Inc's AP and power systems mean that even successful runs can be tight, and sometimes making a clean escape is a failure if the team did not steal enough resources. The game’s generous learning curve belies an experience in which knowledge can lead to perfect play and challenge runs for pacifist or no-item wins at even the most fiendish difficulty.

Imbroglio

Publisher: Michael Brough Platforms: iPad Price: $3.99

Imbroglio sounds like a mess; it is in the name. But of all Michael Brough’s excellent, sparse designs, this one has the most player-driven customization and controlled random inputs. Here is ample proof that roguelikes can offer as much strategic challenge as the best of classics. Each character has their own ability and weakness, and the 4x4 grid on which the game unfolds is filled with tiles doubling as weapons. Swiping towards an enemy will activate that tile and fire its ability, with every slain enemy adding experience to the weapon responsible.

The goal of the game is to collect treasure, which upon collection heals the character and causes the walls of the grid to change configuration. Enemies spawn quicker and quicker as the turn count increases, so the whole affair is a race against time to level-up the sixteen tiles while staying healthy and collecting treasure at a steady pace. It is accessible but with a glut of weapons and characters to unlock and the final challenge to beat, it will reward sustained interest and focused strategic approaches.

Other Excellent iOS & Android Turn-Based Strategy Games

We like to keep these lists lean, so we can't feature all games at all time. Still, whether it's a classic we initially forgot about, or something that's been rotated out of the main list to give way for a newcomer, we want to make sure these past genre heroes are not forgotten.

Heroes of Flatlandia

Warbits

The Banner Saga

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

Templar Battleforce Elite

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Civilization 6

This is the Police 2

Squids Odyssey

Slay

Starbase Orion

UNIWAR

Shattered Plane

Mini Galax4y

What would your list of the best turn-based strategy games on mobile look like? Let us know in the comments!

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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platforml · 6 years

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Gavin Lucas: Two Articles

Retrieved from: creativereview.co.uk/the-trends-issue-illustration/

Enough Postmodernism

Without a doubt, the biggest illustration trend currently in the grip of the zeitgeist is the influence of the 1980s postmodern style of The Memphis Group. A proliferation of zig zags, dots, wobbly lines, geometric shapes, bright colours, fuzzy gradients (and the occasional pot plant) has all but taken over the world of graphic art in the last year or two. Couple this illustrative style with a no-messing bold weight of a sans serif font (like Adobe’s Avenir or Hoefler & Frere-Jones’ Gotham Bold) and you’ve got yourself the most in-vogue (widely copied) graphic style of the moment – and one which has permeated every product and brand iteration imaginable from magazine editorial and book design through to graphic identity, record sleeve design and clothing. Heck, Adidas just released a Memphis Group-inspired sneaker (the ZX 9000 Memphis Group, below). Students beware: creating work in this style will have the opposite effect of setting you apart from the competition.

Painterly, jazzy abstraction

Perhaps a natural progression from postmodernism, and moving further away from computer-generated illustration, is a much more hands-on, freeform approach demonstrated by a steadily growing number of practitioners. There are still plenty of wobbly lines but dots and geometric shapes are replaced by splats, brush strokes and different textures. UK-based image-maker Pat Bradbury is an illustration graduate of the University of Brighton who uses paint and cut paper to create textured and vibrant collages that have something of a jolly and abstract disposition. Finnish illustrator Linda Linko uses similar methods and similarly imperfect shapes, humour, and hand-rendered, brushstroke type to make posters, magazine covers, and patterns for textiles. There are also signs of this kind of approach developing in recent work by other illustrators including UK-based Ed Cheverton, Cyprus-based Anna Kövecses, and Spanish designer Jorge Primo.

Character-based narrative

Character-based narrative illustration – the kind of illustration that comic strips are made of – was perhaps once solely the domain of youth brands. However, it is now increasingly of interest to all kinds of brands and agencies wishing to tell complex stories with wit, charm, humour and irreverence whilst appealing to a certain youthful demographic. Artists who tend to draw in black outline, including Andy Rementer, McBess, Rob Flowers and Rami Niemi, are being commissioned to create narrative, character-based work for sophisticated magazine titles such as Apartamento, Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times, as well as for clients including The British Museum, Google, Which? and Transport for London.

Pattern and production

It’s easier than ever for illustrators to connect with craftspeople and manufacturers (and vice versa) who can help them create their dream products – from gift cards and wrapping paper to tote bags, tea towels and cushions through to hand woven wool rugs. While websites such as Etsy and tools like Shopify make it easier than ever to set up shop and start selling product, clever use of social media can take care of marketing and promotion. As a result, more and more illustration portfolios include pattern-based work which, in some cases, is then picked up by brands who also want to work with illustrators to create patterned products. I particularly like Ruby Taylor’s self-initiated hand-drawn repeat patterns, the painterly illustrated wrapping papers that Charlotte Trounce recently created to sell through WRAP, and the wallpapers and fabric designs by Kristjana S Williams for Osborne & Little’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection. The cushions and rugs that Finnish company Tikau hand embroidered with Lotta Nieminen’s illustration work are pretty special too.

Digital tools for maximum impact

Every illustrator should have a portfolio website where prospective clients can peruse their recent projects. However, by using simple looping animated gifs, some enterprising young illustrators are making their websites more impactful than those of their peers. We signed Ed Carvalho-Monaghan to Outline Artists partly on the strength of his first website, on which every project was represented by a brightly coloured animated gif that beckoned you to click it and find out more. Illustrators and animators such as Jack Cunningham and Robin Davey also have similarly dynamic websites, both of which are Tumblr sites which make sharing of posts very easy, thus increasing traffic and garnering followers. Other illustrators such as Jean Jullien and Gemma Correl, for example, favour Instagram as a nifty means to showcase new personal work (and their personalities in the process) on a daily basis. They have tens of thousands of followers as a result. The tools exist, and the pro-active illustrator who understands how to use them to give their work maximum impact to reach ever larger audiences across various channels will be rewarded with shares, follows and, with a bit of luck, commissions.

Gavin Lucas is a former CR senior writer who is now at illustration agency Outline Artists,outlineartists.com

Gavin Lucas picks his favourites from Stereohype’s 10th birthday buttons

retrieved from: itsnicethat.com/articles/stereohype

FL@33’s graphic arts label Stereohype is celebrating its tenth birthday this year, an occasion that also marks the launch of its 1,000th button badge. Over the years, these have been designed by the likes of Supermundane, Jon Burgerman, Lawrence Zeegen and Luke Best, to name but a few, and they’re currently on show with some brilliant posters at London College of Communication in an exhibition running until 8 November.

For the ease of their creation and their miniature stature, the little pin badges can be a perfect “vehicle for expression embraced by the visually creative,” as writer Gavin Lucas states in his foreword for the exhibition catalogue accompanying the show. Gavin has drawn together his top ten Stereohype badges for us, giving just a tiny snapshot of the creativity poured onto these wee circles over the last decade.

Clockwise from top left: Jody Barton: I Hate Dolphins, Tom Gauld:Ghandi vs Robo-Ghandi; Richard J. Kirk / Manikato:Sorry I’m Late, Pietari Posti

1. 0023 I Hate Dolphins by Jody Barton

From Stereohype’s original By Invitation Only (BIO) series, Jody Barton’s I Hate Dolphins is probably the most amusing nugget of political incorrectness ever committed to the medium of the button badge. Great for first dates or meeting the in-laws for the first time. Personally, I quite like dolphins. But I couldn’t eat a whole one.

2. 0042 Ghandi vs Robo-Ghandi by Tom Gauld

Again, this is a series 1 BIO badge. It’s just such a ridiculous and funny concept that I still chortle every time I see it.

3. 0091 Sorry I’m Late from BIO series 2 by Richard J. Kirk / Manikato

I’m pretty much always late so this is a badge for all occasions as far as I’m concerned.

4. 0358 by Pietari Posti

I love this badge by Pietari Posti (which won 2nd prize in the 2007/2008 competition) because it’s illustrative, figurative and decorative all at once. It’s a miniature work of art.

Left to right – Germana Giorno, Russell Weekes for BIO

5. 0507 By Germana Giorno (entered in the single category in 2010 competition)

This also strikes me as a miniature abstract artwork. While a diamond might be a girl’s best friend, a diamond design badge offers far more bang (and bling) for your buck.

6. 0974 Russell Weekes for BIO

This is one of a series of four matter-of-fact Helvetica-set badges designed by Russell Weekes for BIO series 14. I’m not normally into this kind of text-only badge, but I love the combination of honesty and practicality.

Tomi and Agathe at FL@33

7. 0870 & 0875 Tomi and Agathe at FL@33

These two badges are from a series by Tomi and Agathe at FL@33 that celebrates the colourful, abstract beauty of a computer screen during a crash. I really like the way you associate such screens with despair but actually, the patterns they generate can be pretty beautiful.

David Petzold

8. 0921-0924 By David Petzold aka Lobsterboy

Doesn’t matter what type of push bike ride you’ve got – this set of four badges (which took 4th prize in the set of four category in 2013 Stereohype badge competition) has got you covered.

9. Stereotype vs Art & Sole collaboration

OK, rather than pick out more individual badges, I wanted to flag up the Stereotype vs Art & Sole collaboration that resulted in a collection of A Few Of My Favourite Sneakers (AFOMFS) badges. You could buy the whole collection attached to specially produced sneaker laces – but my favourite part of the collaboration is the bespoke packaging you can buy smaller subsets of the badges in that have eyelets and are laced up like actual sneakers. Really nicely done. See more images of the badges and the packaging here

Stereohype’s 1,000 badges created to date

10. Stereohype’s 1,000 badges created to-date

And my final choice is the 100 × 100cm Perspex framed collection of Stereohype’s 1,000 badges created to date that’s on display at their exhibition at London College of Communication at the moment and available to buy in an edition of 10.

#interpretations

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marthaohara · 7 years

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Best Design Projects Featuring On Coveted Magazine 8th Edition

Best Design Projects Featuring On Coveted Magazine 8th Edition – COVETED Magazine has recently launched its 8th edition. Besides speaking about a series of upcoming events, showrooms, exclusive interviews as well as design and fashion inspirations, COVETED Nº8 also emphasises on thirty of the most outstanding design projects from all over the world that were conceived by influential figures in the industry. In this article, you will see the first part of the exclusive selection, so embrace this phenomenal projects whole-heartedly and be a part of CovetED’s World and Best Design Projects.

–> Subscribe our Newsletter and be up-to-date with Best Design Projects. <–

— Lili’s Bar at Sofitel Frankfurt Opera Hotel —

At the heart of Frankfurt is the recently opened 5-star-hotel Sofitel Opera. Not only does it provide a luxurious sense of comfort, but also a unique experience through the combination of the mid-century French Design style with the contemporary and modern culture of the city itself.

As you come to the Hotel, you are overwhelmed with the lobby’s refreshing feeling of elegance and sophistication, and you have a similar yet exclusive experience in each of the 120 rooms. The entire concept relies on this magical sense of standing in a wonderland where everything is extraordinary. And it truly is. The grace of every detail throughout the corridors lead the guests to astonishing places within the hotel, making them feel and believe in an artistic and conceptual design style.

The strength and naturality embodied in the furniture add personality and character to the design that, when combined with the concept behind, it makes Lili’s Bar a powerful and influential place to enjoy. The design features BRABBU’s Kansas armchair, MAYA armchair and the stunning MAASAI sofa. All of these handmade pieces make a statement through the high-quality fabrics used and the colour combination. It fits perfectly within the charm of the hotel.

Read also: How To Decorate Like A Pro With Best Design Projects

— Mid-Century Hollywood Glam Penthouse in Spain by Bconnected Living Concepts —

When Hollywood Deco style meets Miami colourful vibe by the sea, the final result is this breathtaking penthouse anchored in sunny Mallorca. A three bedroom apartment where Bconnected Living Concepts and designers Monica Cernich and Marie-Luise Leja let the inspiration take over.

The Mid-Century Glam is more visible in the lighting all around the Penthouse with DelightFULL Brand to gain prominence with Brubeck Suspension in the Dining area.

Monica and Marie-Luise were responsible for the shaping of an elegant diplomatic suit into a sassy cocktail dress, flamingos and pineapples included: the best for the very best; an exquisite place for an exquisite family and as they said in their own words: “a client like this comes around once in a lifetime”!

— Fontain Square Apartments by Nataly Bolshakova —

The project consists of 2-bedroomed apartments located in the centre of Kiev, Ukraine, with a total area of 175m2 designed by Nataly Bolshakova. This project was created for a young couple, who are well travelled and have formed their own vision and taste in decor. The aim was a symbiosis of hotel style, luxury contemporary design and not dry minimalism.

The bedroom is a special place. Deep and warm textures of wood, ochre and bronze create a cosy feeling in the space. Bespoke design wood panels feature here. The open bathtub installed in the bedroom is an unusual solution, but it worked. Walls in the section containing the bath are covered with panels of glass and wood. The significant and decorative elements in the bedroom area are the lighting Coltrane by Delightfull.

— The Bennet Bar by Delphine —

“The experience at The Bennett revolves around the art of the cocktail, so we’ve accentuated the bar as the focal point. All seating around the elongated marble-topped bar is elevated so guests can watch the bartender prepare their cocktails.”

“To make The Bennett a truly special place, its elegance and intimacy had to stand out. This elegance is conveyed through the contrasting materials we used: the chevron dark wooden wallpaper, the plush blue velvet banquettes, the raw concrete floor, the shagreen leather on the table tops”

“To reinforce the path between the bar and the seating area, elevated wooden patterns were added onto the wall. Together with the retro golden chandeliers above the elongated black marble bar, they create a warm and intimate atmosphere. I always pay great attention to detail: when designing for the hospitality industry, this can elevate a space to the next level. The service bell I mentioned before is one of those details that no other bar in New York City has, but it is a feature a lot of people talk about and appreciate.”

— Barcelona Apartment by ARRCC —

The renowned interior design studio, ARRCC created the flawless interiors of a Barcelona Apartment, located in the prominent area of Passeig de Gràcia. Through the combination of African influences and contemporary design, the studio led by Mark Rielly transformed the apartment into a tactile a welcoming space. In addition, ARRCC also drew inspiration from the culturally-vibrant Barcelona lifestyle and high-end fashion.

Each division displays a spectacular narrative that is enhanced by exquisite textures and polished raw materials, such as stained oak woods, bespoke vertical brass screens, modern cladding and lacquered panelling. Throughout the apartment, minimalist and modern appeal alongside masculine and feminine finishes are quite conspicuous.

“We wanted to create an intimate, warm and moody interior that we found was common in a lot of high-end boutique stores. Masculine colours and darker woods provide clues to the African rhythms. To build on this, we took a relaxed approach to curved shapes, adding draped leather sofas and details such as the vintage endocrine coffee table,” disclosed Mark Riely, the proficient director of ARRCC and project leader.

— The Villa in Copperhill Mountainside Lodge by Anemone Wille Våge —

The Wille Interior Studio was responsible for the design of a Villa, in the Copperhill Mountainside Lodge, in Åre-Björnen, Sweden. The project was concluded in 2010 and is considered to be one of the most stunning private villas in all Scandinavia.

The Villa is a luxurious log cabin with top-notch facilities and sensational views of the Jämtland Mountains. Sleeping up to 16 guests, this private chalet oozes glamorous alpine charm, without losing anything in terms of comfort and intimacy. Stylish furnishings, sophisticated interior design by Anemone Wille Våge, tailored services and an ambience of warmth and luxury blend to create one of the hippest and most exclusive ski lodges in Sweden.

The Villa was conceived as a unique set of a classic and exclusive winter resort that clearly stands out from other hospitality retreats in the Scandinavian Peninsula. It gives emphasis to the “Home Away from Home” saying and can be characterised as a faultless and entertaining “winter wonderland”, as described by the owner of the private ski lodge, Petter A. Stordalen.

— Country House by Arch.Predmet Interior Design Studio —

In 2016, Arch.Predmet Interior Design Studio completed the project of a country house in which they combined contemporary design and natural materials. As soon as the designers encounter the country house, they envision an empty space without any partitions. The layout of the place was made taking into consideration the wishes of the clients. For the ground floor, they opted for a spacious loft, a lounge zone, a study, a dining room with two informal living rooms and a small kitchen is also enclosed in this space.

Since the loft’s ceiling was 7 metres, the designers decided to design the space in the most efficient way, including arranging a mezzanine floor that includes a library and a cigar room. In the meantime, sleeping accommodations are located on separate floors. Each one has their own bathroom, walk-in closet, a mini-kitchen, and much more. In addition, renowned architect, Thomas bar reinforced the interior concept.

This gorgeous country house is comprised of a series of custom-made elements that raise the glamorous vibe of this project. The increasingly high day beds were made in Italy based on sketches by Olesia and Ekaterina. The carpets were made by Kovёr Bür and designed by the dynamic duo. One of their favourite brands is the Portugal-based contemporary art furniture brand Boca do Lobo which was responsible for the design of the avant-garde and customised cabinets dubbed Pixel. The brand utilised four species of wood to complete them and the interior is decorated with powder-blue velvet matching the colour of the daybeds.

— Heritage Home by Brendan Wong —

Brendan Wong is well-known for its signature style of providing an unexpected interior space, which is reflective in the interior design of a heritage home in the East of Sydney, originally built around 1890. To accommodate the needs of a modern and growing family, Brendon Wong Design created a luxuriously contemporary and clever sanctuary where the clients’ were looking for classic architectural integrity and a special interest in collections of art

Embracing Sydney’s sophisticated side the structure came together by combining furnishings that are elegant yet comfortable and robust. The forms, materials and details present intriguing twists which blend perfectly in the furniture and lighting pieces. The grand ceilings allow the introduction of contemporary chandeliers to update and illuminate the period details of the generously proportioned living spaces, grounded by the textural underpinning of wool and silk hand knotted rugs.

— Aquazzura’s Flagship Boutique in Florence by Casa do Passadiço —

The Portuguese design firm, Casa do Passadiço was the author of the interior architecture and decoration of the new Aquazzura flagship boutique located in the classical Palazzo Corsini, on the picturesque banks of the Arno River, right at the centre of Florence. The main concern the studio had while conceiving this project was guaranteeing that the balance between the historical setting and the contemporaneity of the brand was perceptible. The Atelier wanted to give an authentic display of high quality by coalescing contemporary elegance with discreet luxury.

Casa do Passadiço designed all the interior architecture to the very last detail, creating custom-made furniture exclusively for the project, using outstanding craftsmanship techniques and noble materials, such as rare marbles, brass furniture, hand-woven wool carpets, leather velvets, and opulent silks. The boutique is characterised by clean lines, in addition to an extremely well-appointed and symmetric use of both space and light. Overall, the Key to the entire project becomes clear in the spare lines and juxtaposition of high-quality textures which blend perfectly with the glamorously chosen materials.

— Khalkedon House by EscapefromSofa —

Khalkedon House is a penthouse apartment located in Erenköy, a peaceful spot in Istanbul, Turkey, with the design signature of Escapefromsofa. The layout is combined with two floors including one dining & living room, a kitchen, two master, one double guest, one single guest room and a wide terrace space.

Contemporary modern style shows itself through every detail in the house. The living space is a blend of minimalistic lines enriched with luxurious materials such as brass and various Italian marbles are used in furnishings. Iroko flooring gives the space a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Custom designed wallpaper is the key element of the apartment.

Custom designed mid-century style cabinets and storage units, premium solid wood and marble coffee tables tune-up with general aesthetics designed to comfort the residents. In every room, furniture is custom designed, mostly handcrafted, expressing a style variation in between them. This penthouse apartment opens to a terrace garden with a mesmerising Prince Islands view through the living room.

— Electic Apartment by Ganna Design —

Ganna Design was responsible for the interior design of an eclectic apartment, in central Taipei, Taiwan, providing a lovely family, an uncluttered yet playfully refurbished setting to live in.

With an open-plan living configuration, the three-bedroom apartment is installed with large windows on two sides, which offer plentiful natural lighting and mesmerising views of the city. The Living room was designed to be the idyllic family nucleus, integrating not only a dining space but also an open plan kitchen. In order to add a sense of playfulness, the designers opted for furniture designs that can be rearranged at the owners’ desires, for the exception of a few pieces. One of the key pieces that mirror this concept is the six sofa-mattresses that can be moved around or placed on top of each other, almost feeling like a game of Legos.

The design group selected finishes that are rough and delicate, which is made evident in the exposed concrete ceiling and the light coloured veneer flooring. Several other pieces, including the deep aqua-marine sofa and the kitchen counter, add a splash of colour in an otherwise desaturated palette, while a fur-lined rocking chair provides a spot of texture.

— Info Center at the Groninger Museum by Hayon Studio —

Hayon Studio was responsible for the conception of the new Info Center at the glorious Groninger Museum, in the Netherlands, which symbolises a “true pièce de résistance”.

Regarded as a crucial part in the Museum, the interior of the centre has been completely renovated and is now composed of a small theatre where films and documentaries related to running exhibitions can be viewed. Instead of developing a conventional impersonal atmosphere that is quite conventional in this sort of setting, the idea behind the Info Center was to concede a cosier yet functional approach that is more flexible. The designer also incorporated a series of objects that are reflective of the latest technological achievements.

The aim was also to create a truly exceptional space that was unlike any other one could possibly visit in a museum, thus the reason why every furniture design is custom-made and manufactured exclusively for the centre.

— Mayfair Townhouse by Katharine Pooley —

Katharine Pooley was briefed with the complete renovation of Mayfair Townhouse, an 11,000 square ft Grade II listed property in the heart of London’s Mayfair from former office block to a complete family residence. In particular, the client wanted the restoration and reinstatement of the architectural detailing, achieved sensitively, but with a contemporary finish.

Being a Grade II listed property, the brief stated that it was important for the design to respect the classic, period detailing but to also be workable as a family residence. Katharine Pooley was therefore inspired to use a fresh, light palette with contemporary furniture and accessories in order to complement the traditional detailing.

Read also: Be Inspired By Hotel Interior Design Trends 2018

Do you like this post on interior design projects? What do you think about this specific interior design project? Let your comment below and share this content in any of the social media channels. Your feedback helps us to improve.

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In Covetedition

from Best Design Projects Featuring On Coveted Magazine 8th Edition

#Best Design Projects Featuring On Coveted Magazine 8th Edition

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singloom · 7 years

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2016 Anime/Animation Challenge Revisited ~ August + September (and that one in July I forgot)

The Corpse Bride (August) Like many, I grew up with the stop-motion animation spectacle that was The Nightmare Before Christmas, a charming gothic-style feature with singing skeletons, plenty of catchy musical numbers and a gorgeous The Corpse Bride is something of a Spirital Sequel to the former Halloween/Christmas OTP musical and, interestingly, is based on an old Jewish-Russian folk tale about a woman murdered on the way to her wedding. A gothic romantic comedy musical, we are told the story of Victor, the son of wealthy fishmongers, who's arranged marriage with the beautiful Victoria does not go as smoothly as he hoped. Because he accidentally proposes to another girl called Emily in the woods in the dead of night. Oh, and Emily is dead. That's important. We have our Corpse Bride. Like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride is a stop-motion film, giving it a very memorable visual appeal. The most clever example of style is the contrast between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. The world of the living (set during Victorian times) is deliberately void of colour, very drab and drained, whereas the underworld is vibrant, colourful and, ironically, more full of life. If you love critical analysis like I do, you'll have plenty of food for thought at the way it symbolises social class distinctions in the Victorian Era. The character design screams Tim Burton, especially in the forms of Victor and Emily, the latter very beautiful and iconic despite the whole being dead thing. As for the music, with a soundtrack by Danny Elfman, you know what to expect, standouts including "Remains of the Day," "The Wedding Song" and "Tears to Shed." The Bittersweet Ending and beautiful message from Emily herself gave The Corpse Bridge extra brownie points for me. Give it a watch if you want a romantic comedy with a different visual style and plenty of songs. Re-Zero -Starting Life in Another World- (+ Shorts) (September) Okay. This was the biggy. Think of a Trapped In Another World show like Sword Art Online, Hack and Log Horizon, but crank that Grimdark all the way up to eleven. You get Re:Zero, the story of typical high school student Subaru, who is mysteriously whisked away from his home in Japan to a fantasy world. He even meets a cute girl, a half-elf named Satella. Seems super magic and cool, right? Well, it would be expect for one thing. They're both murdered. And then Subaru wakes up exactly where he was when he first came to the fantasy world. It becomes clear very quickly that Subaru has something of a "Groundhog Day Meets Respawn" situation going on. Every time he dies in this new world, he returns to a certain " checkpoint" in the story (like the first day.) Make no mistake, Re:Zero may be a fantasy anime, but it's also pure Psychological Horror, Nightmare Fuel that saturates everything and, thus, makes almost every episode a Wham Episode. You're hit hard as you watch Subaru struggle to survive and save the people he grows close to and loves, only to fail and die horribly, often alongside his newly formed friends, then respawn, aware of his death and the knowledge from that "playthrough" (for lack of better word.) Break the cutie, much? Subaru himself is a very interesting part of the Re:Zero experience. His behaviour is something of a base breaker for fans, but we still get to follow his journey, seeing the best and worst of him. His blind adoration of Emilia, trying to remain strong in a very bleak situation, absolutely humiliating himself and at times behaving like an entitled prix (especially in episode 13,) suffering an absolute breakdown, his friendship with Rem, the despair and just everything. Love him or hate him, Subaru is what makes the show so enthralling as we suffer and feel with him. While shows like Sword Art Online start out strong with appealing premises only to falter as the series progresses, Re:Zero felt much stronger to me, keeping me engaged with the Respawn gimmick and watching what this does to poor Subaru as his sanity begins to slip (mega props to his Japanese voice actor, Yusuke Kobayashi.) Only the third arc really slipped for me, as it shifted from the Respawn thing and went in a slightly different direction, but it was still overall a very strong show. Personal thing, Emilia, Ram and Rem are absolutely adorable. <3 Rewatch (The One I Forgot in July, Oops) Thanks to working in an environment with plenty of televisions all competing to give you THE ULTIMATE VIEWING EXPERIENCE, I was exposed to a LOT of Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Like, over and over again. That's a lot of exposure and that's not including the countless times it's been on television. That could be why I'm sort of indifferent to it, compared to the other Ice Age films. Don't get me wrong, it's still entertaining and a good way to pass the time, but it's not the strongest film in the franchise. The third movie gives us Sid being kidnapped by a T-Rex Mommy (after he finds and "attempts" to raise her babies) and his friends, Manny the Mammoth, his mate Elly, Diego the Smilodon, and twin possum troublemakers, Eddie and Crash, set out on a perilous journey to rescue him. But not without the help of a seasoned, albeit slightly eccentric, weasel survivor with an eyepatch voiced by Simon Pegg. No, really. There's also a sweet part of the story with Manny and Elly expecting their first child, which injects much needed heart into the film. The relationship between Manny and Elly is adorable and this was the stronger narrative in Dawn of the Dinosaurs compared to the driving force behind their newest adventure. Diego was also an excellent source of support as he struggles with the prospect of staying with his friends or moving on to pastures new following Manny's new family. Card on the table, time. I was not too crazy about the whole "Sid and his baby dinosaurs" storyline. Yes, it was midly heartwarming at times and it was the eventual cause of his friends coming to his rescue, but boy, did it get dry after awhile. Compared to other silly, daft characters who exist solely for comedy relief, I feel there's no real depth or substance to Sid, so he outstays his welcome in lengthier ventures. He was tolerable in the first film, not so much now. Second highlight of the movie, Buck. Just Buck. His onscreen time is guaranteed comedy gold, especially given he's supposed to be the Weasel Man in charge of this rescue mission. Voiced to superb perfection by Simon Pegg, this experienced adventurer of the dangerous wild will make you laugh, as he is a walking, talking Crowning Character of Funny. I could easily watch a film dedicated to this character if he kept the same level of humour as he does here. Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is an easy watch, much lighter and softer compared to the somber and perilous previous entries. This film has plenty of comedy (mostly from Buck or the Chasm of Death laughing gas,) very entertaining scenes of action and, generally, a movie you can just sit back and enjoy on a lazy day. Oh, and don't lose any sleep over Scrat. If you loved the shenanigans of that nut loving squirrel beast, he's still here and not alone this time.

#2016 anime challenge #anime #re:zero #ice age #the corpse bride

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rtterm1project · 4 years

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Little White Lies - Magazine Cover Examples

Little White Lies is a bi-monthly print magazine that’s purpose is to give information and celebrate great movies, it also pays credit to the talented creators behind them through in-depth interviews.

Art is a huge component in this magazine, they create incredible illustrations that can be seen not only on the front cover but all throughout the book. Incorporating eye-catching artwork with journalism makes it overall more interesting, therefore the reader becomes further entertained and enjoys the writing more. The designs in each issue is inspired by the featured film and is usually represented through its lead actor, related objects and/or scenes. Even though each design is completely different, they share the same overall template of the title in a white circle.

Here are 5 examples that use digital techniques:

In this piece you can see clear and perfect symmetry that can only be portrayed digitally, this creates a style that is satisfying and appealing to the eye. This design also includes lots of details that explains the movie further, these are drawn with clean, crisp lines which helps a busy piece of art to not look messy. Combining the two elements, symmetry and clean lines, created a style that’s polished and ‘perfect’.

This piece presents a lively scene of a café, rather than focusing on one main object or character. This looks to have started as a drawing on paper of which was then filled with colour digitally, this is clear because the colours are perfectly solid and consistent through the whole of the piece. To do this you can either fill it in one go by dropping a colour in a section, or you can manually colour in where you want with a paint brush too. Using a paint brush can also allow you to draw extra shapes, this could represent shadow, shines, patterns etc.

The next design uses multiple digital techniques such as removing backgrounds and changing opacities. In the background you can see the title of the film spread across the page, even this is a technique as its layout can be easily designed and edited whereas by hand even this process would be difficult to get perfectly. You can also see that the highlight section in the face is completely transparent, letting the background be seen through. However the shadows of the face is mostly filled in blue, but you can still see through it slightly as the opacity has been turned down and now everything can be seen.

This piece has a collage element to it and even though you could do this by hand, it comes out much more clean and is a lot easier to do as you can change placements as you go and perfectly cut out your components. However some of the edges, mostly around the face, were purposefully softened which is a big advantage of digital art. With all this you can also edit colours, shapes etc into the piece to really make it stand out, for example there has been an added shine to the helmet which is subtle but effective.

Lastly in this piece you can clearly notice that this was made digitally, because as well as the crisp lines and perfectly blocked colours the colours used could not be replicated with any pencil or pen etc. Here you can see a bright green and pink that spreads across the design, these colours are so vibrant that they make the whole piece really stand out. The blacks are also very black and the same applies for white, I think having this contrast makes the colours pop out even more but also softens the look so it’s not too much.

Here a 5 examples that inspire me for my own work:

For this piece the design is simple however the skill to illustrate is immaculate, because it is so impressive the design doesn't have to be too complicated as the art speaks for itself. I also am a general fan of realistic portrait drawings, I find it a really fun challenge and when it works out it catches peoples attention and their amazement. Even though the design itself it’s much I quite like the simplicity of the spread out letters, and even the off balanced placement of the drawings adds a little bit of interest.

This piece combines pencil drawings with digital elements. You can see that the face was clearly drawn and shaded with pencil, and once scanned in colour was added in and blended subtly. Incorporating this with more digital art creates this mixture of mediums that works really well together, the two styles compliment each other in similarities and differences which is super effective. I am also a huge fan of mixing together hand made and digital art, I think this allows you to see the best of both worlds in different kind of abilities.

Next this design is super focused on its use of bright colours that all compliment each other. As you can see there is almost no black or white in this piece as even the shadows are a beautiful blue/purple, light and shadow is clearly thought through in this because the drawing itself is completely made of dots big and small. What I mostly love about this piece however is the overall vibrancy of it all, there are no boring or dull colours yet still doesn’t look too crazy and messy.

There are many elements in this piece, you can see pop art, bright colours, a ripped page effect, display of multiple characters etc. However the main component I am intrigued by is the composition, because for this specific design it is focusing on the film ‘Mask’ where one man plays two characters, and the idea of ripping the surface of one to find another is extremely creative. I also think the use of colour is very clever as the different sections are more clearly separated, these also compliment the actual art in front and are super bright to catch attention.

Finally I really like this piece for its colour pallet, I think the colours are very rich and stand out in other ways to typical super bright colours. They’re generally pleasing to the eye which makes viewers want to look and therefore appreciates the work, this is the effect I want to give to my work as I believe your choice of colours are super important and give different effects in emotion etc.

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waynekelton · 4 years

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The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS

Enjoy, and take your time digesting our top picks of the best turn-based games for Android, iPhone and iPad...

What are the best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS?

Xenowerk Tactics

Ticket to Earth

Tharsis

Feud

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Farabel

Euclidean Skies

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind

Darkest Dungeon

XCOM: Enemy Within

The Battle for Polytopia

Invisible Inc.

Imbroglio

Xenowerk Tactics

Publisher: Pixelbite Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $6.99

Ticket to Earth

Publisher: Robot Circus Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Tharsis

Publisher: Choice Provisions Platforms: iPad Only Price: $7.99

Feud

Publisher: Bearwaves Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free

Egypt: Old Kingdom

Publisher: Clarus Victoria Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Farabel

Publisher: Frogames Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $8.99

Euclidean Skies

Publisher: Miro Straka Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind

Publisher: A Sharp LLC Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $9.99

Darkest Dungeon

Publisher: Red Hook Studios Inc. Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

XCOM: Enemy Within

Publisher: 2K Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $9.99

The Battle for Polytopia

Publisher: Midjiwan AB Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free (additional Tribes as in-game DLC)

Invisible Inc.

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

Imbroglio

Publisher: Michael Brough Platforms: iPad Price: $3.99

Other Excellent iOS & Android Turn-Based Strategy Games

Heroes of Flatlandia

Warbits

The Banner Saga

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

Templar Battleforce Elite

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Civilization 6

This is the Police 2

Squids Odyssey

Slay

Starbase Orion

UNIWAR

Shattered Plane

Mini Galax4y

What would your list of the best turn-based strategy games on mobile look like? Let us know in the comments!

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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waynekelton · 5 years

Text

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS

We've reviewed a few titles recently that have moved to our list of the best war games, you should check them out!

Enjoy, and take your time digesting our top picks of the best turn-based games for Android, iPhone and iPad:

Community Suggestions & Recent Releases

We can't always review every game, and out of the ones we do, not all of them manage to claim a top spot in the list. Plus we're always getting input form our readers on what some of their favourite turn-based strategy games are. It'd be remiss of us if we didn't give them a small shout-out as well:

This is the Police 2

Squids Odyssey

Slay

Starbase Orion

UNIWAR

Shattered Plane

Mini Galax4y

Ticket to Earth (Review)

Publisher: Robot Circus Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Tharsis (Review)

Publisher: Choice Provisions Platforms: iPad Only Price: $7.99

Feud (Review)

Publisher: Bearwaves Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free

Egypt: Old Kingdom (Review)

Publisher: Clarus Victoria Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Farabel (Review)

Publisher: Frogames Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $8.99

Euclidean Skies (Review)

Publisher: Miro Straka Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind (Review)

Publisher: A Sharp LLC Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $9.99

Some strategy gamers will find Six Ages' blend of (sort of) forced immersion awful, where others will lap it up. Fans of King of Dragon Pass - which this serves as a spiritual sequel to - will already be familiar with it. They'll discover a smoother interface and a new setting in a new culture. Forgoing the traditional control and power fantasies of strategic empire-building is a hard habit to give up. But for those that can make the sacrifice, Six Ages holds a wealth of wonders few other games can match. It wants to tell you a tale of gods and humans, of mysteries and the mundane while still taxing your tactics. It's a bold goal and, while it doesn't always work, the narratives that it weaves are unlike anything else in gaming.

Darkest Dungeon (Review)

Publisher: Red Hook Studios Inc. Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

XCOM: Enemy Within (Review)

Publisher: 2K Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $9.99

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is still the golden standard for turn-based tactical gameplay, so let’s take a moment to revisit why. Squad-based, knife’s edge combat constantly challenges commander’s ability to scrape victory from defeat. Players make overworld and between-scenario decisions for which soldiers to train and tech to pursue, every bit as decisive as the individual commands given to the squad members in the heat of battle. The game has its hallmark AAA production lustre and mankind-on-the-brink storyline, and these conventions work in its favour. Keep your squad intact, do the mission, save the world, piece by piece. The Enemy Within expansion content makes this turn-based strategy game even better.

The Battle for Polytopia (Review)

Publisher: Midjiwan AB Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free (additional Tribes as in-game DLC)

Polytopia takes the crown for best Civ-lite. If this sounds like damning with faint praise, it’s quite the opposite. Because civilization-building builds its challenges and satisfactions with a grand scope and timeframe in mind, trying to miniaturize this genre experience can go pear-shaped in several ways. In Polytopia, the tribes are separated by a single tech (with some glaring exceptions), and the map has been foreshortened to a grid of 256 squares. Units and tech are the same for everyone, but the simplicity of this means a shorter list of decisive, vexing choices. There is no diplomacy system, but victory is determined by points and not necessarily conquest. The game’s blocky, loose artstyle and easy interface make it an easy game to learn and hard to put down. Only just recently did the support for online multiplayer finally make its debut, and it is this latest change that elevates this title to a must-try.

Invisible Inc. (Review)

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

The future came and went, (Invisibly) and it has been cruel to all but a select few supranational, extraterritorial megacorps. Your ragtag bunch of spies and specialists will scour the globe for intel and supplies so they can make one final run, wipe their identities from the omni-vigilant database and live off the grid in peace. Each run escalates if the agents are detected by the guards, cameras or drones, yet the stealth aspect of the game is only one kind of risk calculation among many. The game’s AP and power systems mean that even successful runs can be tight, and sometimes making a clean escape is a failure if the team did not steal enough resources. The game’s generous learning curve belies an experience in which knowledge can lead to perfect play and challenge runs for pacifist or no-item wins at even the most fiendish difficulty.

Imbroglio (Review)

Publisher: Michael Brough Platforms: iPad Price: $3.99

Hall of Fame

Heroes of Flatlandia

Warbits

The Banner Saga

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

Templar Battleforce Elite

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Civilization 6

What would your list of the best turn-based strategy games on mobile look like? Let us know in the comments!

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android & iOS published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

0 notes

waynekelton · 5 years

Text

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android, iPhone & iPad 2019

We've reviewed a few titles recently that have moved to our list of the best war games, you should check them out!

Enjoy, and take your time digesting our top picks of the best turn-based games for Android, iPhone and iPad:

Community Suggestions & Recent Releases

Squids Odyssey

Slay

Starbase Orion

UNIWAR

Shattered Plane

Mini Galax4y

Tharsis (Review)

Publisher: Choice Provisions Platforms: iPad Only Price: $7.99

Feud (Review)

Publisher: Bearwaves Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free

Egypt: Old Kingdom (Review)

Publisher: Clarus Victoria Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Ticket to Earth (Review)

Publisher: Robot Circus Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

In hindsight, our original score of 5/5 was perhaps a bit ambitious. While an excellent turn-based strategy game, much of Ticket to Earth's appeal and potential lay on the assumption that Robot Circus would finish the final three chapters of the game. One could argue they're taking their time, but 20 months on and players have finally gotten Episode 3, and the promise TtE made to players all those years ago is almost complete.

With a unique take on turn-based tactics, a genuinely engaging story and plenty of challenge to boot, now that Ticket it Earth is 75% complete it definitely deserves your attention, and can be considered one of 2017's silent stunners. It shot itself in the foot, for sure, but time has proved early adopters right in the end.

Farabel (Review)

Publisher: Frogames Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $8.99

Euclidean Skies (Review)

Publisher: Miro Straka Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind (Review)

Publisher: A Sharp LLC Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $9.99

Darkest Dungeon (Review)

Publisher: Red Hook Studios Inc. Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

XCOM: Enemy Within (Review)

Publisher: 2K Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $9.99

The Battle for Polytopia (Review)

Publisher: Midjiwan AB Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free (additional Tribes as in-game DLC)

Invisible Inc. (Review)

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

Imbroglio (Review)

Publisher: Michael Brough Platforms: iPad Price: $3.99

Hall of Fame

Heroes of Flatlandia

Warbits

The Banner Saga

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

Templar Battleforce Elite

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Civilization 6

What would your list of the best turn-based strategy games on mobile look like? Let us know in the comments!

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android, iPhone & iPad 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

0 notes

waynekelton · 5 years

Text

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android, iPhone & iPad

We've reviewed a few titles recently that have moved to our list of the best war games, you should check them out!

Enjoy, and take your time digesting our top picks of the best turn-based games for Android, iPhone and iPad:

Community Suggestions & Recent Releases

Squids Odyssey

Slay

Starbase Orion

UNIWAR

Egypt: Old Kingdom (Review)

Publisher: Clarus Victoria Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Heroes of Flatlandia (Review)

Publisher: Martin Klement/Highland Studio Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $1.99

The newest entry to the list is an excellent indie title that aspires to be a 'Lite' Heroes of Might & Magic types experience. It's still got some ways to go - it's a bit rough around the edges at the moment, the combination of tactical depth and characterful army/race compositions means there's still plenty of game to get you by.

The AI is especially good, and puts up a significant challenge. It will zero in on your weakest units and exploit holes in your defenses. You will have to play carefully if you're pitting two evenly-matched armies against one another and can expect heavy casualties. Given there's no zone-of-control here, pay special attention to quick units that can dart between your lines and threaten your weaker backline. The lack of online multiplayer is one of the game's few genuine drawbacks, but you can engage in local pass-and-play multiplayer if you're with friends.

Ticket to Earth (Review)

Publisher: Robot Circus Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $4.99

Farabel (Review)

Publisher: Frogames Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $8.99

Euclidean Skies (Review)

Publisher: Miro Straka Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $4.99

Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind (Review)

Publisher: A Sharp LLC Platforms: iOS Universal Price: $9.99

Darkest Dungeon (Review)

Publisher: Red Hook Studios Inc. Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

XCOM: Enemy Within (Review)

Publisher: 2K Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $9.99

The Battle for Polytopia (Review)

Publisher: Midjiwan AB Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: Free (additional Tribes as in-game DLC)

Invisible Inc. (Review)

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Platforms: iPad Price: $4.99

Imbroglio (Review)

Publisher: Michael Brough Platforms: iPad Price: $3.99

Hall of Fame

Warbits

The Banner Saga

Chaos Reborn: Adventures

Templar Battleforce Elite

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Civilization 6

What would your list of the best turn-based strategy games on mobile look like? Let us know in the comments!

The Best Turn Based Strategy Games on Android, iPhone & iPad published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

0 notes