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Dia de los Muertos: the lowdown shoutOut 1 week, 4 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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Image by José Guadalupe Posada Dia de los Muertos: the lowdownDia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) has just passed, with its usual explosion of great images on the net. So, we know the name, and we sure know the artforms associated with it, but what exactly is it? To those outside of the USA and with only a glancing understanding of indigenous Mexican culture, what we know has been communicated to us via art, fashion and an excuse to party in zombie style, right? Right. But there's much more to it than cool sugar skull prints on T-shirts. Let's get the lowdown.
A day of the deadBefore the conquistadores moseyed on into the Americas, the indigenous cultures of the region (the Aztec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Toltec peoples) held a celebration once a year which honoured the dead - some of these celebrations went on for as long as a month, in the case of the Aztecs. When the Spanish arrived, they set about converting the populations of the various regions to Catholicism, but realised they were up against a 'beat 'em / join 'em' situation as far as getting rid of the yearly fiestas. So they moved the date of their dead-honouring days to November to coincide with Christian festivals, and so was born the Dia de los Muertos as we know it.
Catrinas by Tomascastelazo Catrinas, calaveras and offerings to the deadCentral to the concept the Dia de los Muertos are items which represent the ways in which the dead are honoured: Catrinas are an interpretation of the indigenous 'Lady of the Dead', who was worshipped in the original celebrations. Calaveras are the skulls - either real human skulls as used in antiquity, when the dead's skulls were brought out and placed on a shrine and given offerings, or as today in the form of sugar skulls, where the skull represents death and the sugar the sweetness of life. The dead are honoured in various ways according to region: in some places, people will dress up as their departed relative, in others cigarettes, liquor and sweet offerings will be made on a shrine - a widespread tradition is to visit the grave of a relative and tidy and decorate their gravesite.
'A Mask To Conceal with Bandages To Heal' by Glenn Arthur Day of the Dead art: bigger and biggerWith Dia de los Muertos style growing in popularity each year, the spread of the artforms associated with it grow too. For many years the traditions of face make-up and sugar skulls were largely restricted to the Latino and Mexican populations of America. However, with Hallowe'en (which is, in its original pagan form, also a celebration of departed souls) falling on the same date, an explosion of art, fashion and events has taken place the world over which is making this popular style global, with designers and illustrators interpreting the style in their own way. |
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Great Design Monday: Inspired Architecture shoutOut on 17/9/12 by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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Inspired ArchitectureThunk. That's the sound of Monday, landing with a thud. Or possibly, the sound of your weekend leaving by the back door! Welcome to Great Design Monday here on The Leap - today we've got a real treat for lovers of original design: some of the most inspired architecture out there. Of course, no post on architecture would be complete without at least a passing mention of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, whose influence on modern architecture continues to be seen. Hinting at the harmony which can be reached between nature and man, his 'Fallingwater' is still a monumental statement of form and function finding balance.
Next up, a truly unique testament to the imagination of one individual - the remarkable Antoni Gaudi, whose creativity set a new level which few others can ever hope to reach. With numerous amazing buildings of his scattered across Spain, the one true icon of his originality is the unique Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. If there's one thing everyone must see when they visit Spain, this is that thing. Enormous, with so much detail that anyone could easily spend an entire day simply gazing at the incredibly complex sculptures which cover the entire surface of the building both inside and out, it's an experience that puts the awe in awesome!
Signing off and leaving you with even more inspiration, we give two of the most impessive buildings out there - firstly, there's the truly space-age and utterly crazy Atomium in Brussels, Belgium, which was built in 1958 for the Brussels World Fair and forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times! It's as sci-fi as anything else out there (unless there are other planets out there with crazy architects!)
Lastly, take a look at the Kansas City Public Library - quite simply one of the most creative ways of communicating the purpose and contents of a library.
Sheer brilliance, which looks similar to the beautiful stage setup for the Tomorrowland festival:
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Tutorial Tuesday: Inspirational vector illustration shoutOut 1 week, 5 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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(image copyright: Obey Giant) Inspirational vector illustration tutorialFour years ago, there was a surge of political activity in the USA as Barack Obama swept to victory in a successful campaign that was epitomised by one particular image: an image created by Shepard Fairey (aka Obey Giant) from a photo taken by Mannie Garcia for Associated Press (AP). The poster went on to become a sold-out piece of inspirational grassroots activist art. Today, thanks to the good people over at Vectortuts+, we bring you a tutorial which can help to create your own inspirational illustration in the same vector style!
(image copyright: vectortuts+) Photo and colour paletteOK, first up - you'll need a suitable photo, featuring someone famous - or not, that's up to you - but they will need to be looking inspirational, or inspired. Shepard Fairey's got a good eye for this kind of detail - take a look at his style of content, or else search for propaganda posters from the old USSR days: these were creatted in the Russian Constructivism style which has influenced so much of this kind of poster work. So - you've got your photo and your Illustrator is warmed up and ready to roll? Fantastic - click on the image below and prepare for the sage words of Zach Wentz to take you from poster zero to poster hero! (image copyright: vectortuts+) |
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Great Design Monday: Anglepoise Lamp shoutOut 1 week, 6 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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The Anglepoise LampThe Anglepoise lamp is on the face of it not the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, but rather a triumph of balance between form and function. Designed by British car suspension system designer George Cawardine in 1932, it was originally devised as a result of the need for a flexible and adaptable lamp for workshop spaces - such as an automobile engineer's workshop. With its angular joints and exposed spring mechanisms, you could have expected the public response to have been somewhat muted when the lamp was first sold. Yet within only 2 years, Cawardine was forced to drastically expand his business to meet increasing demand. Eighty years later, millions of these lamps have been sold - in particular, the original 1227 model pictured above.
The most versatile lamp of all timeThe design that so many people compared to the human arm was hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic and became a standard feature in millions of homes, offices - and workshops - the world over. Cawardine's design made use of the best arrangement of paralell steel arms with counterbalances created either by springs or weights in order to be moved into any position without being clamped - he was inspired by the 'continuous tension principle' of human arms, which allowed the lamp to be flexible but stable. This saw it becoming particularly favoured by surgeons, technicians, engineers and other fields where a versatile design that allowed the lamp to be moved into specific position was crucial to the job at hand.
Often copied, never betteredSince 1932, original Anglepoise lamps made by Terry's Spring Company in Bath, England, have become collector's items with some high prices for excellently-preserved early models. In the years since the design came to market, many imitations and interpretations have emerged with slight alterations to the basic design, among them the Luxo lamp (best known as the lamp which features in the Pixar animated logo) which was created by Norwegian lighting designer Jacob Jacobsen, as well as very large standing lamps now popular with modern interior design. Often copied but never bettered, a real Anglepoise is the kind of design icon that will undoubtedly be around for many years to come.
Little-known fact: Carwardine originally intended to call his lamp the Equipoise but the name was rejected by the Trade Marks Registry at the UK Patent Office on the grounds that equipoise was an existing word, so they settled on Anglepoise. |
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Video Friday: 'Invention Of Love' shoutOut 2 weeks, 2 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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'Invention Of Love' by Andrey ShushkovStop what you're doing. Put the idea of work out of your mind for the next ten minutes. Pepare to immerse yourself in a piece of film which is quite unlike any other you've likely seen before. A animated hybrid of Wayang kulit (Indonesian shadow puppet theatre) and steampunk, this is a beautiful story (influenced by the masterpiece that is The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello) that revolves around that most eternal of human themes: love. Simply put, this is the story of a man and woman. Written and directed by Saint Petersburg-based Russian animator Andrey Shushkov as a diploma project, the twist in this tale is a fantastically portrayed contrast between the worlds of machinery and nature. Our sad hero finds his lady on a moonlit night, and spirits her away to his steampunk world where cogs and gears have replaced nature, only to lose her to the effects of his world on her - like the flower central to the storyline, she cannot survive without nature. The overarching theme here is that the cold heart of machinery can never replace the warmth of human nature, and Nature herself.
With an amazing depth of emotion communicated by skilful use of the 2D format of shadow puppetry, and an incredible attention to the detail of ornate machine parts, this is the kind of short you can come back to again and again, to see more detail with each viewing. So take that ten minutes, switch your phone off pour yourself a cup of something and prepare to have your heart strings tugged towards the end.
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Spotlight On: Alastair Laird shoutOut 2 weeks, 3 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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Spotlight On: Alastair LairdWe're back putting the Spotlight On another creative, we're headed towards Friday at breakneck speed and we're happy to bring you an interview with illustrator whose work is as distinctive as it is humorous. Ladies and gentlementals across the interweb universe, please put your hands together for the subversive from Stone City, the guy who puts the ill in illustrator, that cat whose work has graced more Mahala posts than even Sweatface McGee - yes, it's true, it's Alastair Laird!
SL: Did you study to become an artist, illustrator or designer?AL: I did (all three really)! I started out studying Graphic Design at Durban University of Technology; I initially wanted to study Fine Art coz I’d always considered myself an artist more than someone honing in on selling their ideas and adapting them to industry, or for corporate environment. I made that decision based on money; with a background in design I believed it would give me the savvy to make a living as opposed to being some type of highly skilled draughtsman without any way to pay his bills or market himself. Design, as much as I loathed it as a youth, equipped me with things I’d have never known if I didn’t put myself through it. I only lasted one and a half years at D.U.T though and then relocated to The Centre for Fine Art, Animation and Design which taught me invaluable things and allowed me a little more freedom. Mostly I drew comics and there was an appreciation for them at C.F.A.D, unlike Durban University where my sketchbooks were looked at as some sort of crutch and interference to my assignments. At D.U.T the lecturers were total dicks anyway. Just the whole approach at the C.F.A.D was what won me over, they cared. At D.U.T they’d just shove some worksheet at you and go to lunch, then shit all over you if the outcome wasn’t exactly what they’d envisioned.
SL: What's your preferred medium?AL: I’d like to say brush and India ink, but it’d be a total lie. I’ve used technical pens for so long it’s what I think in. Permanent black inked fine liners of varied point sizes, permanent markers. I use a brush when I can but I’m mostly still training myself to use one and it’s a slow road. Maybe in a decade or so I’ll have mastered it the way I have the line work I achieve with my pens. It’s something you have to do every day for your entire life to be able to be content, I also think it’s important to not be too self-congratulatory but appreciate your level of skill and where you’re at. It’s a continuous learning process. SL: Why?AL: Coz it’s a skill that has been developed after many gruelling hours paired with rigorous routine and diligent practise. And with my chosen medium I can keep a time sheet and control my output, knowing exactly how long a piece will take me. When I wander too far astray, making use of other materials it becomes a matter of me losing time and money, so I just stick to the pens. They get it done on time.
SL: What other designers or illustrators have influenced your work?AL: Some design or folks that call themselves designers enrage me! I truly believe if one wants to do something and dedicate their time or life to it that chosen area of expertise or practise must be done with one hundred percent dedication. Unfortunately in this day and age no one seems to have a work ethic. I really like a Tumblr called This Isn’t Happiness which I read like one would the daily news over coffee in the mornings. It’s got a lot of the most visually indulgent and highly satisfying design, photography and typography I’ve seen. Then again that’s just my humble opinion (and I’m no designer by any means), as I am a fan of minimal art it pleases me and it has a deviant twist. Aside from that there aren’t many illustrators per se whose work I can say I’ve fallen for hook, line and sinker. It’s mainly cartoonists which do dabble in illustration. Should I mention a few names? Johnny Ryan, creator of the Prison Pit series, published by Fantagraphics. His parodies are brutal and unforgiving, as well as hilarious— he’s number one. Peter Bagge with his comic book Hate (also published by Fanatgaraphics) is a huge inspiration, his art is so his own that it’s impossible to explain or compare to anything. Joe Matt’s Peepshow, and mainly his book The Poor Bastard that was published by Drawn and Quarterly. Chester Brown’s art in his book I Never Liked You is sweet and innocent, I love the way he uses a brush. Come to think of it, it has a lot to do with the brilliant writing that these cartoonists are capable of and how they tell their stories. They’re all unique. Ivan Brunetti’s Schizo. Joe Sacco’s Palestine is a thing to behold. It’s a comic diary of his travels in the Middle East. Dave Sim’s Cerebus, the artwork, the fact that it was self-published, a 6000 page story and 300 issue comic. Unfortunately due to his views on women and religion people in the comics community view him as a pariah more often than a legend. Of course the South African underground comic Bitterkomix. Lastly, I want to mention Chris Ware that created The Acme Novelty Library, his other books Quimbie the Mouse and Jimmy Corrigan the Smartest Kid on Earth. I admire his body of work, it’s extremely intricate and involved. The book design is crazy. He is a bit of a dork though— there’s no enough funny cartoonists anymore. People need to be funny again, and get a sense of humour.
SL: Name some of your favourite artworks of all time.AL: Picasso’s Madame de Moiselles, Dali’s The Madonna of Port Lligat, Brett Murray’s The Party VS The People, Johnny Ryan’s Soft 9-11. There is so much art that I adore in many forms. SL: What music are you listening to at the moment?COIL, Skinny Puppy, Minstry, CoF, Jedi Mind Tricks, NIИ... Sometimes I shut all my music off in a fit of rage and need total silence. I also listen to this radio show where they talk about comics. It’s called Inkstuds. It reminds me I haven’t lost my mind by being a cartoonist and there are others out there doing it too. So there you have it, Springleap fans - some indepth insights from the inkstained mind of a prolific South African creative whose work is increasingly been seen in both high and low places. Keep an eye on Alastair Laird - his work just gets better and better! Enjoy the interview? Check out Springleap's other interviews in the Spotlight On series here. |
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The Truth's about steam, punk shoutOut 2 weeks, 4 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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The Truth's about steam, punk
If you’re a caffeinista and in Cape Town, you know the Truth. Amongst the finest coffee anywhere, David Donde’s coffee roastery has a reputation for leading the vanguard of expert artisanal bean roasters. More than this, there’s a consistency to the Truth experience that brings people back for more and creates converts on a daily basis. So it’s no wonder that in the coffee cult’s new HQ at number 36 Buitenkant, the authenticity of the Truth experience now has a home. And what a home it is.
Located in a beautiful old warehouse built in 1898 (which till last year was home to white goods, car parts and pigeons), Truth’s new home is nothing less than steampunk brought to life. After all, the design ethic of real coffee lends itself to this aesthetic: for start, there’s those wonderful old machines that are all steam and brass, heat and hiss. So it’s no far stretch to appreciate why, when Haldane Martin was in discussion with Truth honcho David about the design direction for the operation's new home, the steampunk idea came to the…ahem…boil.
Steampunk style in every detail
Restoring the building to its true potential and beauty, the premises live up to the steampunk style in every attentive detail. Where the theme could – and occasionally does, elsewhere - fall flat, at the Truth HQ, it’s spot on. Vintage brass, authentic fittings, mahogany leather banquettes, pressed Victorian panels, custom pipework seating, the longest communal table in the city and staff outfitted by The Little Hattery in period-perfect pieces. Add them all up and you can’t fail to arrive at an impression of consistent attention to detail that completes the look and feel. And at the heart of it all, a vintage pre-steel Probat, the hulking crucible of the entire operation.
What the hell’s a Probat? Around a century when he’s on form. But seriously, it’s the gold-standard coffee roaster – made in Germany, they set the bar for bag roasting, which in layman’s terms means the machine can roast a 60kg bag at a time. To perfection, on account of the addition of digital instrumentation that ensures Truth’s coffee lives up to its reputation of ‘Flavour, not bitterness. No sugar required.’
A coffee cult on Coffee LaneAs if the gods of coffee themselves were leaning down and savouring the aroma, by a twist of serendipity the building backs onto a back alley named Coffee Lane. Really? Really. There’s a touch of fantasy to that, which is in keeping again with the whole package. From the time you walk in and smell the aromas of roasting beans, hear the clank and tinker of baristas and on to the sound of jaunty Prohibition-speakeasy tunes playing in the background, you know you’re in for an authentic experience. So, if you’re in the city, do yourself a favour - head on over to Buitenkant and experience some of that steam, punk. |
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Tutorial Tuesday: Photoshop Shortcuts #1 shoutOut 2 weeks, 5 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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Photoshop shortcuts #1Using shortcuts in design and illustration, as in life, will get you where you want to be faster and easier than the long way round - and hey, let's be honest, who can't do with saving some time? Right - so today's tutorial Tuesday is a roundup of experts tips on how to make the most of quick ways to get stuff done in Photoshop. Need to find fast ways to fill? Hell yes, of course you do. Well, alright - fill 'er up! Fast ways to fillFills are a great way to get a selection coloured in with either a colour or pattern - but they can be time consuming, and often you might not get quite then desired effect if you're using your tool in the wrong mode. Psdtuts+'s Martin Perhiniak has some great insights into how you can cut down on time but still get your filled objects looking great. Keyboard shortcuts, using the Pen tool and the Type tool - it's all here. Onward to Photoshop skill central!
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Great Design Monday: 356A Speedster shoutOut 2 weeks, 6 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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Porsche 356A Speedster - timeless design iconIt's an icon of automobile styling which sits, serenely and entirely appropriately, in the class of 'Elegant Classics'. With sleek lines that call to mind the shapely form of screen sirens of years gone by, it's fitting that the Porsche 356A Speedster is of that age. And, whilst it may not feature sheer brute force or rocket-speed performance of many later models of the Porsche marque (such as the 911, which succeeded the 356), there will always be a place for the good looks and impressive design of this particular model.
Porsche & VW heritage create a classic hybridBrought to life in 1948 as a hybrid of Volkswagen and Porsche design at a time when the two companies were inextricably entwined, the 356 was (and here we will allow the venerable Wiki to inform us) "...created by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche (son of the founder of the company). Like its cousin, the Volkswagen Beetle (which Ferdinand Porsche Senior had designed), the 356 was a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car utilizing unitized pan and body construction. While the 356's body was an original design by Porsche employee Erwin Komenda, its mechanicals (including engine, suspension and chassis) were derived from the Volkswagen."
Unitized body, unmatched aerodynamismAnd what a body it is - designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, the body was initially handcrafted in aluminium and later steel. With the 356 model altered slightly to an open-top model on the advice of Max Hoffman (the same New York automobile dealer who suggested to Mercedes that the addition of gullwings to their 300SL would make the model that much more appealing to the American market), the 356A's popularity exploded in the US and went on to become associated with Hollywood stars and gorgeous women with scarves billowing in the wind.
A collector's dreamWith 76,000 units produced by the time the production run ended in 1965, this model was an unqualified success for Porsche and had continued to sell even whilst the more modern and powerful 911 had been rolled out. Experts estimate that around 36,000 units still survive, making the 356A a collectible which is still within reach of those with a relatively modest budget.
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Video Friday: 'Much Better Now' shoutOut 3 weeks, 2 days ago by travis.lyle1 in peeps |
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'Much Better Now' by Salon Alpin'Much Better Now' is a short video for...wait. Do you surf? Maybe bodyboard? Read books? Like stop frame animation? Love clever videos? You're going to love this. So, that kinda makes this for...everyone! The video we bring you today here on Video Friday at The Leap is a genius little piece of stop-frame that reminds us all of just how versatile the medium is. This is a very simple story, about a bookmark whose boring existence is transformed by a fortunate gust of wind. Suddenly everything's changed, and with it the way the little bookmark (let's assume here he's a he) sees himself. New horizons open up, surf's up - and the whole world is changed.
Expert stop-frame executionThe real beauty of 'Much Better Now' is in the range of emotion and excitement that the simple tools used are capable of communicating (and hats off to the team at Salon Alpin for their skills), and it comes as no surprise that the team (Thomas Welz, Silvio Canazei, Kris Staber, Simon Griesser. Phillip Comarella) have won awards and earned prestigious screenings at film and animation festivals the world over. A deserted room and simple paper, cardboard books and...not much else really are brought to life and communicate a real sense of enjoyment and hope. But before we go off the deep end and wind up telling you that this is an awesome little short that's about surfing and optimism...drat. Happy Friday, get stuck in!
p.s: wanna watch the making of? |
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