Sound+Art

Recently, I discovered this band Mogwai from various bloggers who claims of listening to the album. Now I know why this band has gained its elite status from bloggers and artists alike. It's just splendid! If you can still remember the first time you listened to a heavy metal album in the 90's, that is the experience it can bring back. However, the ironic thing is, they are not a Heavy metal band.

Art and music have always gone hand in hand to complement each other. During art installations, without background music the featured piece would seem dull to the audience.That also goes if youre creating art without music, it feels like there is something missing.

So while I was walking to the nearby mall (while listening to Mogwai), I passed by this guy who is wearing a Graphic T-shirt that is similar to the one I am wearing now. His shirt is from Diesel(with a print I forgot already)which is done in carefully executed Typography. I then had this thought that the print on my shirt could have been a lot better if I expanded it a little, made the letters a lot bolder and skewed it for added distortion. After that my mind drifted to a few other designs that suddenly surfaced. This clearly indicates how music can affect ideas a person gets. It's like tuning to a soundtrack for the soul.

The Vector War

Creating vector illustrations have now evolved to a point where you can choose the best program for your convenience. There is now the option to use freeware Vector programs unlike before. Now the diversity of the choices depends on the functionality and compatibility to different file formats. However, it still depends on the user as there are others who prefer raster applications instead of vector. Personally, I use Adobe Illustrator for its clear cut lines, flexibility, and being the benchmark for vector output. You can visit this link to view the list of vector programs in the market today. Today, it does not matter what program you are using, it boils down how your design conceived and delivered.

DIY T-shirt Screenprinting

Anyone who has a passion for collecting graphic T-shirts has one time or another thought of printing their own shirts. This can either be for sale or plain fun. A year ago after deciding to switch careers, I thought that I wanted to print a few shirts DIY. After a few web searches in the net I realized that the information on T-shirt screenprinting was very scarce. Most of the search results will direct you to an online store or some printing press that looks like it was in a farm. That is until I stumbled on the Gigposters forum site. The topics on this site is really comprehensive as it gives you all the options, tools, and mechanisms to print what you want. It even has the info to create your very own Printing press. You can check the site from this link.

The Lomo Passion

I've been eyeing a lomography camera for sometime now and it is called the "Diana". The photo output is similar to the Holga, cheaper yet powerful. What's good about this is the extra features that this camera has. You can check out this link for more info.

I currently own a Fish Eye camera, but I would like to produce vintage looking photos that the Lomo Automat Kompakt, Holga, and the Diana can produce. It's always great to see anything out of the ordinary.

Art induced print on fabric

Everytime I visit Page One here in Singapore, I always make it a point to spot a designer or artist who is scouring the shelves for endless books in design. It is pure heaven just to be in that bookstore. What do I look for? Someone with: A trendy messenger bag, messy looking hair and glasses. However, one thing is for sure, a person wearing a graphic t-shirt.

This trend that flourished in the 60's has now reached immortal status as luxury brands have already embraced this medium. But how do you separate the best designs from commercially induced print? The answer: Independent brands such as Design by Humans or Threadless. Both websites have an ongoing tee shirt design competition open to any artist who can execute digital art. What's best about Independent brands is the sense of feeling that only a few people has a similar shirt as yours. These shirts are printed only to a number, thus keeping the worth of your shirt.

There are also books that have finally focused on the topic of Graphic Tee Shirts such as 100% Cotton T-shirt graphics that celebrates various graphic tees from Vintage print to Electro Induced sensibilities.

I actually consider myself lucky to be in Singapore where independent graphic T-shirt brands are spreading like wildfire. But yes, it comes with a price. You just have to gauge which rises above everything else.This is where a good eye in design comes in handy.

Graphic revolution

Currently, there seems to be a trend in the graphic design community. Everyone seems to have an insight on it due to the popularity of graphic applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Every art enthusiast or student gets the sense of need to learn these applications. I can also take into account my personal experience when I first took this path in the digital revolution of design.

So how do you exactly get noticed for all your efforts? Join graphic design contests! Yes, I understand that you are too good for that, but in reality competitions is the arena that your art can get it's rightful exposure. An example is The Adobe® Design Achievement Awards .

This competition is sure promising as it caters to different disciplines of design. All you need is the guts and the effort to create your piece and let the universe take its toll.

Design is an ever evolving organism, it can change shape at any time (that is how trends surface), it's how original you present it that counts.