Blue Line Grid/Golden Ratio Downloads

I have been inspired to create my own blue line grid based off of the article, Layout Workbook 4, featured in The Comic Journal. Yes, comics use the golden ratio too.

My plan is to use these prints to layout my pencil drawings, followed by inking on Bristol board using a light box. Below are sample images in black & white so that you can see the grid.

I decided to make this available for download. Here are both b/w and 25% cyan versions with gridded out diagrams and a regular grid. The measurements aren't exact, but close enough. Enjoy.

Graduated? Now What? A forum discussion about life after college

Another poster I made as the Comm. Director of VCU's Dept of Comm Arts. This was was a lot of fun. The Dept. Chair, Robert Meganck gave me the point of departure of the Vertigo film poster.

More info about the event below:
Free and open to the public
1PM Wed. Sept, 18th

• 907 Floyd Ave
• Richmond, VA 23220

The Dept. Of Communication Arts hosts a forum discussion about life after college with its Community Advisory Board.

Ryan Bailey
Senior Designer at MeadWestvaco

Erin Hurley-Brown
Art Director for Interactive Practice at CRT/Tanaka


Kelly Redling
Senior Designer at Prophet

Danny Robinson
Senior Vice President and Creative Director at The Martin Agency

Photos from the VSU Exhibition

Photos from the Virginia State University's exhibit of the traveling poster show, "US and China Typographic Poster Exchange 2013." In case you haven't seen the previous posts about it, I am co-currating with Xu Li and below is the mission statement.

The mission of this exhibition is to introduce both culture's respective use of typography while helping us better understand our own use of language and inspire new typographic approaches. 

Virginia State Univeristy to Exhibit the US & China show

The US and China Typographic Poster Exchange 2013 that I co-currated with Xu Li will be shown at Virginia State University on September 5th 5:30PM at Meredith Art Gallery on the 2nd floor of Harris Hall. The gallery is located on Virginia States University Campus (1 Hayden St, Petersburg, VA 23806).

This reception is FREE and open to the public.

About
This exhibition's mission is to introduce both culture's respective use of typography while helping us better understand our own use of language and inspire new typography.

The exhibition features work by two VSU faculty, Ann Ford & Meena Khalili.

This exhibition is touring in currently touring China you can find more info here: www.typoshow.com

Famous Cartoonist, James Sturm Coming to VCU

I designed this poster as the Comm. Director of VCU's Dept of Comm Arts.

The even is FREE and open to the Public
7PM Monday Sept. 16th at the Singleton Center
(922 Park Ave. Richmond, VA 23284

James Sturm is a cartoonist and educator. He is currently the Director of The Center for Cartoon Studies, a two-year cartooning school located in White River Junction, Vermont.

In 1991 James received a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, moved to Seattle and co-founded the alternative weekly, The Stranger. That same year Fantagraphics began publishing his Eisner-nominated comic book series The Cereal Killings.

During the next five years James was the art director of The Stranger, collaborated with syndicated columnist (and talking head) Dan Savage producing two issues of the comic book Savage Love. In 1996 James received a Xeric grant for his comic The Revival. From 1997-2001 James lived in Savannah, Georgia and taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the sequential art department.

In 1998 Drawn and Quarterly published the story Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight, the second in a trilogy of American historical fiction pieces. Three years later came the last installment of the trilogy, the best-selling and award-winning graphic novel The Golem’s Mighty Swing. The book has been translated into several languages and was named “Best Comic 2001″ by Time Magazine.

An avid collector of Marvel Comics in his youth James wrote and designed the 2004 Eisner award winning Unstable Molecules, a four issue series and trade paperback featuring the characters based on the Fantastic Four, and published by Marvel Comics.

James’ most recent books include Satchel Paige, Striking Out Jim Crow, Adventures in Cartooning (with CCS alumni Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost), and Market Day. With CCS alumni Brandon Elston, James edited Denys Wortman’s New York.

James’ writings and illustrations have appeared in scores of national and regional publications including The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Onion, The New York Times, Slate, and on the cover of The New Yorker.

The Little Black Fish is now available for only 99 cents!

My comic adaptation of "The Little Black Fish" is no available digitally for only 99 cents! This is a great story and not very much to purchase a copy. I mean, you probably tip your local barista more when you buy a cup of joe. So check it out guys!

A story about an inquisitve little fish that decided to question authority through a journey from the safety of her own stream to the expansive sea. Sample pages are available here.

Available on these platforms $0.99!

Still available in print.

$6.95 Perfect bound 50 page book.

For US and Canada

For everywhere else.

Tumblr account!

Just signed up for my tumblr account. I will be posting more of my process work and some behind the scenes kind of stuff on it. You can follow it at http://mendedarrow.tumblr.com/

NEWS: Publications and events.

Recently received physical copies of an issue of B|ta'arof magazine that features a spread on my Little Black Fish Adaptation. B|ta'arof Magazine is a print magazine & website featuring visual arts, critical essays, curated archives, & oral histories of Iran/Iranians across generational & geographic borders. 

You can purchase a copy here. 

Also recently received the catalogue for a group exhibition of posters on the occupy movement that was up in Italy. My poster was featured in the exhibition and is seen in the catalogue (see below image.). The exhibition's title was "We are the 99%." It was up in Bolzano,Italy at AR/GE Kunst Gallery and Museum in March. 

The exhibit that I co-curated with Xu Li titled, US/China Typographic Poster Exchange 2013, has been taken down, but will be up in September at Virginia State University (more on that soon). RVANews did a great article on the exhibit found here. Some photos of the exhibit can be seen here. More info about the Chinese counterparts can be found here.

I participated as an illustrator for a book celebrating the history of the Civil War with fictional writing titled, "Remapping Richmond’s Hallowed Ground." They are having an event this Sunday August 11, 2013. The event includes live music and public readings. More info here.

New Work: CA Promo Book

This was a ongoing project as part of my position, Communications Director of the VCUarts Department of Communication Arts.  It is finally at print!

The project involved a few information systems and a lot of tracking down images from students and faculty. Many of the B/W photos of students are mine. Happy with the end result. Stop by at 812 W. Franklin St. Suite 201 if you are interested in our department.

Cover

Shot of insides

Shot of nfo system for degree requirements. 

Inside info system next to student work. 

Required class list and descriptions.

New Work: The Little Red Fish

I have been working a lot on some projects, I just haven't been the best at posting them. One of which is "The Little Red Fish." It is sort of a post "The Little Black Fish" story. The current working title is "The Little Red Fish." It is intended to be a political allegory similar to Animal Farm, but loosely based on the events leading up to the Iranian revolution and primarily following the leftist groups. Below is some of the test on the style and approach. The writing will be done by James Moffitt, a local author who's short stories remind me of magical realism.

Below (click to enlarge) is a test for style, environment and colors. Learning how to draw differently with this project has been very exciting. I feel like I am finally figuring out an approach to drawing and coloring that feels natural to me.

Below (click to enlarge) is a test for a cave that might be revisited multiple times in the story as well as a lighting test for the inside of a cave which might be an important element of the story.

Below (click to enlarge) is a weapons concept session. The point of departure is "what could fish make weapons out of." The scribbling next to the weapons is part of the process where I'm using chance to compose the weapons. The bottom right weapon is a club made with sticks, rope made from vegetation and a marble. The bottom left weapon is a failed attempt at using a drill bit. Heh.