Hot off the press, the new Design Bureau issue is out now! I’m excited to share a bit of editorial illustration I produced for the article, Design Takes Root. The piece focuses on an efficient new system for urban agriculture that encourages communities to bring more green into their neighborhoods. The lettering embodies the essence of the story, while the info graphic illustrates the systematic approach to spreading agriculture throughout the city.

I’ve gotta thank Design Bureau/Alarm Press art director Lindsey Turner for this wonderful opportunity to get involved in such an inspirational and motivated new publication. She is a fantastic designer herself and an absolute pleasure to work with!

If you still haven’t picked up a copy of Design Bureau yet, you’re missing out on some of the richest design literature out there!

Pleased to find out my good friend and fellow Chicago designer Andy Luce has updated his portfolio site with some very fresh new pieces. I’ve always admired the consistency of his signature gestural lettering style, as it certainly still holds the spotlight across this body of work.

Great job, Andy – she’s a ‘beaut!

After almost a year with scarce updates, Alex Trochut debuts a brand new site and a killer collection of new work! It’s interesting to see he’s still rocking a flash website, though. To each, his own. And a nice reminder for me to get into gear and finish my own site updates.

Here’s to an afternoon of unadulterated jealousy!

I was reading this article on Creative Review about new and refreshing record sleeves when I came across a striking new piece for the band COS/MES from long time favorite, Mario Hugo. Check out his new work, theres about six new bricks of gold up there!

My boy, Sam Bosma continues to kill it on his long-term project of depicting The Hobbit through illustration. Read about every step of the way on his blog—the project is half way complete.

And then I’ll be demanding each and every piece printed, and behind glass for me to enjoy selfishly!

This is the best thing I’ve seen all day long. It’s called Smoke Rings and it was created by my one of my new favorite artist/designers, Mike Ward. Check out more of his awesome work as soon as you can!

Link via @nopattern.

It turns out that I’ve been familiar with the work of Timba Smits for a little while now and didn’t realize it. If you’ve ever been to Wooden Toy, you’ve seen his work too. Smits works with such an infectious style, blending old time youth advertising-isms with a very specific urban style, to the tune of 123 Klan and the like. The work, and the tone Smits presents his work overall is just too fresh!

Also, this guy only has 87 followers on Twitter and thats a crime. Follow Timba @TimbaSmits today!

On three occasions now, I’ve run into the artwork of Iain Macarthur, through various tubes on the internet. Each time, a new piece of his startles me with excitement, and upon immediate pursuit I realize he’s the skull guy! That’s just a name I’ve given him, because his skull drawings make me weak in the knees… not sure if anyone else calls Iain the skull guy.

Anyway, I decided to booooooom it, and continue this post with more of his skulls. LOOK AT THEM!!! (after the jump)

Read More…

The coolest book I read in high school is being re-released for an ebook edition, with a fantastic new cover by Sam Weber! Follow this link to read about the process and see some of Weber’s early sketches.

Blue Sky Studios produced a heart warming documentary about children from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn who become pen pals with orphans from Freetown, Sierra Leone, called Brownstones to Red Dirt. To underline the value of the film, a Postcard Art project was launched, asking over 100 artists to create original artwork that will be auctioned to raise money to build a school for the children of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

More about the effort:
Two colleagues at Blue Sky Studios, David LaMattina and Chad Walker, have created a feature-length documentary about a pen pal program between a group of at-risk sixth graders living in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and orphans from the war living in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This Postcard Art project is an extension of the their film “Brownstones To Red Dirt” which features children from both schools. The kids in both places have inspired us all to want to do more and so we’re putting together an art auction of original postcards based around the same central theme of the film in a fundraising effort to build a school for the orphans in Freetown, Sierra Leone and create a library for the youth at their school in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

The artwork created for the auction is absolutely stunning, including work from so many talented people. Featured above are two postcards from Scott Gustafson, and Isaac Orloff.

You can read more about the effort here, and be sure to visit the auction site! Proceeds are going to an amazing cause.