James Billiter Studio Blog
I've been obsessed with cuckoo clocks, chandeliers, trophy heads, etc.
I want to break out of my 2D tendencies for some future projects. One is creating my own cuckoo clock (probably not with working cuckoo *darnit*) , redesigning the aesthetic in a contemporary fashion.
I was riding my bike in the country and a light bulb turned on above my head. What about a cuckoo bird house?! I thought I was a genius until I google searched it. Darn. But maybe once I make the clocks I will create an alt version of a bird house.
Other ideas for bird houses I've wanted to make: miniature version of my house and mini-skyscrapers/skyline.
Unfortunately last year my dog died. So we tried to get out of the house a lot to take our minds off of it. We went to a boutique where I saw these wooden silhouettes of animals called "Kingdom Animalia" by a Brooklyn studio called Enormous Champion. Perhaps once I have the jigsaw out I will make a silhouette of my pet dog as a remembrance.
I've had a really inspiring week of culture. Monday night was a visit to Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center to see Typeface the movie presented by the local AIGA. It's about the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Wisconsin.
We walked around after the film and saw the current exhibits, including one on Keith Haring. I always liked Keith Haring and I would like to go again and really read into his life story and influences.
Thursday we went to a lecture by Thomas Widdershoven of the Dutch graphic design firm Thonik. Thonik does quite a lot of design for the public and his lecture really inspired some of my thinking for a small project that I am doing for a county in Ohio. In one campaign Thonik used new media and wit to revolutionize the Socialist Party in Holland.
And on Friday my photog friend Dion and I visited the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Circus Poster Exhibit, as well as a Dutch Modern Design exhibit and the 21st Century Art.
The amount of detail and the artisanship of the Circus Posters is incredible. The old stone lithography style where they used pencils to paint on the image create some beautiful results. And they sometimes used handmade lettering and woodtype at other times. Very cool!
We walked around after the film and saw the current exhibits, including one on Keith Haring. I always liked Keith Haring and I would like to go again and really read into his life story and influences.
Thursday we went to a lecture by Thomas Widdershoven of the Dutch graphic design firm Thonik. Thonik does quite a lot of design for the public and his lecture really inspired some of my thinking for a small project that I am doing for a county in Ohio. In one campaign Thonik used new media and wit to revolutionize the Socialist Party in Holland.
And on Friday my photog friend Dion and I visited the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Circus Poster Exhibit, as well as a Dutch Modern Design exhibit and the 21st Century Art.
The amount of detail and the artisanship of the Circus Posters is incredible. The old stone lithography style where they used pencils to paint on the image create some beautiful results. And they sometimes used handmade lettering and woodtype at other times. Very cool!
I heart Kid Cudi. I love the mixing of color in this but the overall desaturated images.
This one is very Michel Gondry-esque, super cool. There is also a second version of the video that is more traditional hip hop-ish with party shots.
The "Day 'n Nite" video is sweet too with video mixing with drawings.
More type specimens from my trip to New Orleans. I'm on a fancy kick lately!
My friend Tommy showed me this video posted on the Good.is website.
Just some designers and their projects that have been inspiring me lately:
http://statemottosproject.com/gallery/
http://www.danielraycole.com/
http://www.mikeyburton.com/
http://YoungJerks.com/#598329/God-Bless-The-Midwest
http://www.pencilpluspaper.com/
A couple of fancy type samples I saw while I was in New Orleans.
Images from Fleurdlicious and A Wardrobe of Whiskey.
This video combines moving images with crap printing techniques, two of my favorite things. I might swipe some of these techniques for a future video.
A trip to the wine and beer store always is a bit inspirational.
The intrigue of these Alpha Box and Dice wine labels caught my eye. They are designed by an Aussie firm named Mash.
I'm really digging the ornate vintage logotypes of Molly Dooker, Velvet Glove and The Bruery. I want to pursue being able to create flourishy type with mega ligatures this year.
I also love the old school Parisienne feel of St. Germain.
The intrigue of these Alpha Box and Dice wine labels caught my eye. They are designed by an Aussie firm named Mash.
I'm really digging the ornate vintage logotypes of Molly Dooker, Velvet Glove and The Bruery. I want to pursue being able to create flourishy type with mega ligatures this year.
I also love the old school Parisienne feel of St. Germain.
I've been racing bikes a lot lately, actually that is why I stopped posting on this blog for nearly 3 years. I have another blog called JimmyRoadRash where I also experiment with design while telling cycling stories. This video combines the aesthetic of the blog from the Summer/Fall of 2010 with video by Thomas Campbell and Brian Vernor. I really love abstract, soulful videos that capture the beauty of sport as well as at times capture what it is like to participate. Thomas Campbell's films are beautiful and there are moments in Brian Vernor's films where you feel you are in a race.
Lovely little video I found on Vimeo:
PORTOFINO from I C Blue Production on Vimeo.