common -sans

He has a very unique style. I remember stumbling across one of his sculptures on Instagram and thinking I had forgotten to put my glasses on or something. His work is realistic, yet totally bizarre and impossible at the same time! Personally, I have never seen anything like this before. It makes me both uncomfortable yet intrigued...

I found this photo by Philip Mason, 1965, and instantly fell in love with it! I love the woman’s expression, looking in to the camera, almost as if she were looking deeply into our eyes. The square Afro is really pleasing to look at as it fills the photograph with fun geometry that also acts as a natural frame. 

Miles Johnston has a very original and interesting style. His technique is very professional and traditional, yet his subject matter always has a hint of freakishness. For example, this drawing at a quick glance seems to be a normal portrait of a young girl. However, when you look at her hands you notice they’re abnormally larger than they should be! This juxtaposition between real VS unreal possibilities is evident in most, if not all of his art.

I’ve titled it, “Nope”. I like the composition with its different layers of shades of white/black, with the center focus being on the bird’s feet going in and out of the cold water. I chose to make it black and white as i think it makes it look more artistic and interesting, as in the original, the colours served no purpose, it was more for the composition.

This digital drawing by selftasy is awesome! I love the use of contrasting line movements and how the zebra’s patterns almost camouflage into the background spiral. This work of art is clever and creative, yet simply effective.

“Woman For Sale” is a digital illustration I did with a slight negative view on how women are often regarded in society. I don’t know about you ladies, but sometimes I feel like some people make me feel like a product, rather than a person..

“The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad”

This is a political sculpture done by Czech artist, David Černý. His art is original,  undoubtedly questionable and elegantly controversial. This one in particular was a big **** you to the parliament that was considering giving a communist party some power, which would have been outlawed for over 20+ years at that time (2013). This sculpture is bold, yet playful with the exaggerated finger and relaxing purple colour, and the fact that it is simply floating on a small boat down the Vltava River is a statement in itself. 

This eerie painting is done by kimdorland. I love his paintings for their natural symbolism and dark subject matter, with often an equally subdued colour palette. This one in particular reminds me of the days when you wake up, and you wish you hadn’t just yet.. 5 more minutes, please! It’s the kind of mornings when it’s so cold but the glaring sun is blinding your eyes through the slits of the curtains, but keeping you warm...

I love this cheerful and cool orange-man having a skate on a warm, summer’s day while he listens to some funky tunes along the way. This one is digital drawing made by jmarshallsmith. His style makes me feel somewhat nostalgic. The hand-drawn effect and child-like lines make me think back to my school days when I would doodle in my copy books. This particular piece is simple in its colour palette, but I think there is no need. The muted mustard yellow/orange is soothing and fun and the use of dark blue outlines, as opposed to black, make the illustration look more light and bouncy.

I am a big fan of  Celeste Mountjoy, also known as filthyratbag, on Instagram. She uses a simple combination of colours, usually red, yellow and blue with some funny or controversial messages. This one in particular is one of my favourite drawings, as we can all relate to some unnecessary binge drinking sessions with the cat during the heavy lock-downs... 

I chose this band to do my typography poster on, and while I was doing my research, I found this little gem! A trippy poster for an equally trippy band! Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are a psychedelic rock band from Australia. I love this poster for its quirky looking characters and content. They’re a loud band with playful and colourful riffs. I think this poster does well to give you the feeling that their music is going to take you on a wild ride full of surprises! I like the neon colour in the name of the band and tour, as it makes it stand out from the rest of the content. Your eyes are immediately directed there. They are then taken down the rocket ship and flow around the entirety of the poster, finishing at the bottom where you can read everywhere they will be playing. 

YOU DO YOU, BOO!

I am quite the fan of Hot Snakes’ music and album/merchandise designs. Being heavily influenced by the 1920′s cartoon style, we can see the bold black outlines, striking monochrome colors and bubbly eyes and gloves for hands. This particular album though, I was not a big fan of. To me, the juxtaposition between the Japanese style of what looks to be the The Great Wave off Kanagawa (by Hokusai) along with the cartoon telephone simply isn’t doing it for me.. It could be that the multiple colours used in the wave, compared to the single use of colour for the background lacks consistency and flow. As well as the fact that the two are of completely different style. Had the wave been cut out altogether, I would have much preferred it, but I guess that’s what it’s all about! Break the norm. Surprise and emphasize! 

I really like this one! The shade of orange is vibrant, eye-catching and exudes a sense of excitement. This is an incredibly creative, yet simple, design. At a quick glance I took it for nothing more than the side profile of the character, but then I noticed the swirling smoke at the top, and realised the clever use of design. The face’s shadow is a gun that has evidently just been fired! The poster definitely leaves it down to the viewer what they think the film will be like. I think the minimalistic approach, with the monochrome orange and lack of text, definitely adds some mystery to the finished product!