The Graphic Design Diary of Scott Landells

Make a World by Ed Emberley Drawing broken down to its basics.  "If you can draw these things,  you can draw all the objects in this book.  S everal weeks ago I reviewed  What It Is  by Lynda Barry. This week I review another book recommended by Austin Kleon. Lynda Barry is a wonderful illustrator. This time I chose Make a World  by American illustrator and artist, Ed Emberley. Emberley is best known for his series of children's picture books and I can see why Kleon recommended this author. Just over 30 pages of wonderfully simple ways to draw planes, trains, automobiles, animals, fish, birds, dragons, people, boats and buildings that even the most skeptical person could recreate Emberley's 2D images by following his pictorial step-by-step instructions. What Emberley masterfully done is to reduce images to their most basic components. The book is basically the art of the stick figure and cave painting. I have included some pages from the boo...

W e have now reached chapter 10 of Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist. This is the last chapter in a very interesting journey. I was skeptical at first. Now I find myself using his methodology and sharing his ideas with friends. I'm glad I read this book. It's definitely a keeper. So as Kleon closes his little book with a challenge and an endorsement that it's not so much what we put in our work, but what we keep out. He say's, "Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities." That sounds absurd. What does he mean? How can he suggest we limit ourselves? Kleon suggests that using constraints is actually a form of freedom. To concentrate on what is really important. And therefore will lead to our best work. So he has given us a challenge. To do a project in which we actually limit ourselves. I think he is right. I think having constraints can make you more creative. Creativity is a form of problem solving. Limits can force...

This week, ladies and gentlemen, I read the next chapter in Austin Kleon's book called Steal Like an Artist. Chapter 9's is called  Be Boring (It's the Only Way to Get Work Done.) And he's right. In this chapter, Kleon talks about basic life management skills. The skills that everyone should have and follow to live a long and happy life. It might sound boring, but in reality it's the wise thing to do. Something Hunter S. Thompson never did and look what happened to him. Kleon dispels the myth about an artist's life. He suggests that we should not follow in the foot steps of people like Jean Michel Basquiat, Kurt Cobain or Amy Winehouse. Instead, we should be smart about life choices we make with our bodies, finances, work, time and marriage. And I agree with with him 100%. I want to live a long life. There is too much to live for, and if that means I have to eat right, exercise and see my doctor every year, it's worth it. I hate being sick. If you th...

In this day and age, technology has literally made this world feel smaller. We can communicate with anyone around the planet instantly. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is not good. For better or for worse, we are a global community, so be mindful of what you say.  That brings me to this week's chapter 8 review of Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like and Artist. Kleon covers several topics but they all have one common denominator. He says if we want to make it in this world, stop wasting time making enemies and spend time finding the smartest and the most creative people in the world. When you find them, surround yourself with them. They will be a positive influence, giving you inspiration and the energy to make great things, instead of sucking the marrow.  In the past year, I've been surrounded by a lot of creative people. These people are my fellow classmates and my teachers. I've been challenged by all of them, just by the fact they are so good at what...

This week I read chapter seven of Steal Like an Artist by Autstin Kleon. The chapter is titled, Build Your Own World . In this chapter Kleon talks about how creative people can stay creative getting out of their safety zones. He encourages the reader to travel and to meet new creative people, while trying new food of course. Kleon believes putting yourself in new situations to help your brain work harder and therefore he believes that creativity will spawn from those new experiences. Fortunately for the financially impaired, traveling to distance lands is not always required due to the internet. The internet can be a gateway to meeting new people and sharing ideas without necessarily leaving your hometown. I agree with Kleon. This chapter reminded me that I need to break out of my routines and try new things. His words helped me to reflect on my own life and perhaps ways I could experience new places, people and things. And I took encouragement that I don't have to go very far ...

Sharing is one of our primal behaviors. Among primates sharing must be taught by example and correction. Even before we ago to school our parents are teaching us how to share. They teach us why we should share.When to share. What to share. Where to share. Sharing is the politeness. Sharing is survival. This week I review chapter six of  Steal Like an Artist by   Austin Kleon. The title of the chapter is "The Secret: Do Good Work and Share it With People." Right off the bat Kleon poses the question, "how do I get discovered?" Well it's not that easy. And Kleon likes to point out that college environments are artificial. In other words, everybody is paying or being paid to be there, so college does not accurately portray what the real world will be like after graduation. Unfortunately, the artificial candy land cannot last forever. Kleon offers a solution. He suggests we should promote ourselves. We should share our work, good or bad, and the process tha...

Chapter 5, Practice Productive Procrastination, Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. My telescope. I can see the rings of Saturn. One of my remodeling projects. I repaired/painted the floor. Painted the walls, and windows. Design: Jessica Hische This week Kleon encourages us to do nothing productively. He likes to call it “practicing productive procrastination.” He says our passions are a part of us and it is okay to have many of them all at once. You could call them hobbies. Kleon says hobbies are good. He said hobbies shouldn’t be money makers. You only do it for yourself. On the other hand, Jessica Hische suggests people should do the work while one procrastinates is the work they should do as a career. And it can be re-energizing. Let’s be real. I’m in college and I don’t have a lot of time to do nothing, so that means I don’t have any side projects now. I need one. I’d like to have one right now. I have some planned for spring and summer break. The b...

Creating Analog My personal reflections on:  Steal Like an Artist   by Austin Kleon, Chapter 4. I wrote a poem to summarize Chapter 4. Making things by hand lifts the spirit and makes you feel good. Computers restrict direct contact with your work. Analog work imbues a part of you in to your design. The act of making starts creative thinking in the brain. Analog work engages most of the human senses. Smell, sight, sound and touch are important human traits to use during the making process.* Analog work generates better ideas than digital work. Computers are good for editing and publishing ideas. Find a balance between the analog and digital worlds. Each one has unique benefits. * (Please don't taste your work, unless it is edible.) Analog tools. Started drawing a skull. Getting the basic shapes down. Added scary. Then I turned the skull in to this.   Added emotion. Dr...

This week the class assignment was to read chapter three from Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like an Artist. Chapter Three is titled Write the Book You Want to Read . Don’t worry. I haven’t changed careers again. In chapter three, Kleon is essentially trying to prescribe a problem solving skill to unlocking creative thinking. He’s saying don’t worry about what other people like. According to Kleon, t his type of thinking blocks ideas. Rather we should just make what we like and eventually this act will lead to other ideas. Now we should note that he leads his argument with “we make art because we like art.” If you’re an artist, his words may give you inspiration. However, this blog is primarily for graphic designers. Do graphic designers really have that luxury? I don’t know. I’m not a paid graphic designer yet. I am going to bet it’s very far and few between. Nevertheless, what I will take away from this chapter is the self-guided affirmative philosophy behind Kleon’s message. It’...

This week we move on to Chapter 2 of " Steal Like an Artist."  Chapter 2 is titled  "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started." In summary, Kleon is saying just do it. Just act like an artist. Talk like an artist. Do artist like things. Make stuff. People will start to think of you as an artist if you play the role. In other words, fake it until you make it. That's right. Play the role until you get the part. Understanding the difference between plagiarizing and practice is also important.  On page 20, the author says, "Don't steal the style, steal the thinking behind the style." I think Kleon means he wants you to try and understand what is it the artist is trying to communicate. Understand how your heroes see, don't just copy their work.  How would I do this? I would try to understand the message behind the style. What is the style trying to convey and how did the artist reach express that message. For example, Art Ch...

See list bibliography list below. Austin Kleon recommends we should always be reading. He describes the library as a magical place. I particularly like it when he said, "It's not the book you start with, it's the book that book leads you too." I do that a lot of the time when I am surfing Youtube. I start out watching a documentary about  Popcorn Sutton  and end up learning  how to salt, cure and smoke whole pigs  in country shed.  Kleon wants you to pay attention to the bibliography sections of books. And he promotes the building your own personal library, even if you don't plan on reading them anytime in the near future. I like this advice. I've always wanted to have a room full of books. Something reflective of what in my brain or what I would like to have in my brain.  The picture of ten books you see above are books I checked out of the Parkland Library that I would like to read. I chose books based on my research for Art Chantry. I st...

There's an old saying that you are what you eat. I try to make healthy dietary choices. I am mindful of what's good for me and what's not. I'm not a fan of fast food, but I've been known to enjoy a 10 chicken nugget meal with fries from McDonald's now and then.  I don't have to eat meat every meal. I actually like vegetables. I'm not perfect. I will indulge in a little chocolate after meals once in a while. I prefer and enjoy cooking my own food. I can't say that my dietary likes and dislikes are influenced by my upbringing. Some in my family still don't understand why half my meals don't have meat in them. So where did I get my dietary food choices? Mostly from how food makes me feel.  In general, my body does not like processed food, so I choose to listen to my body.  Hopefully, my choices will help me live a long life,  but a lot of it comes from seeing what other people eat and how the food they eat effects them over long periods...

"Steal Like An Artist" by Austin Kleon, Chapter 1 (pg 1-23) "Steal Like An Artist" by Austin Kleon, Chapter 1 (pg 1-23) Many years ago, I met an artist from China. His name is Xian Chen. He was in the master’s program at ISU in printmaking. He made some of the most beautiful work of an artist I had the fortune of meeting in person. His skill at reproducing classically drawn human figures was incredible. I asked Chen how he became so good. He told me the Chinese educational system identifies young students with artistic talents. These students are taught to copy western and eastern Master of Art for many years before they are allowed to make their own art unlike in the United States. I think this is a good way for artists to learn how to improve their skills. When I was a child I did something very similar. I copied mostly cartoonists, illustrators and “how to draw books” for many years, before making my own designs. When I meet young artists and desig...