Another Day. Another Printing!
September 13, 2011
Due to overwhelming demand, we are going to do a second printing of "Another Day. Another Dropshadow"™ I am pleased (and a little concerned) that it has struck such a chord with the graphic design community.
We will be following our normal procedure for additional printings, which is based off Blue Note records. When Blue Note would release a second volume of a record, the would keep the original artwork but simply change the primary color (see example below)
This poster will feature a striking vintage red and black combo (screen colors don't do it justice)
As a way to thanks all the kind words and people who have posted this poster on their social networks via the Facespaces and Twitterbooks, for a limited time we will be offering this poster as a pre-order at a discounted price!
So make sure to order your poster today!
Another Day. Another Dropshadow.
August 23, 2011
Another Day. Another Dropshadow.
The dream of a graphic designer is to create meaningful designs that communicate on a visual, intellectual and emotional level. It is the joy of being creative and having someone pay you to do it. But the reality of that dream is that it often comes with the heavy price on the creative soul. There are endless meetings, client revisions, committee-mandated direction, project managers who are frustrated art directors, long hours and often little recognition. These are the daily and universal struggles of a graphic designer and this is my loving tribute to those in the design trenches. May the creative concept never be forgotten and the good fight always be fought.
If you are a graphic designer then this poster is for you, or if you have a friend or loved one that is a graphic designer this would be a great gift! Perfect for office, cubicle or home studio, show your solidarity!
This print is now available for PRE-ORDER. You can purchase it now and it will be shipped to you as soon as the ink dries. We expect to have this poster ready for shipment by mid-June.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Pop-Tone Whip Cream / 100 lb Cover
Paper size: 18 x 24
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
A is for Airplane. B is for Beatnik. Wait....What?!?
August 16, 2011
Let's Learn The Alphabet!
We are proud to introduce the second print from our newly launched children’s product line, The Funtastiks™. This print features twenty-six hand drawn illustrations and a vintage color pallet.
Instead of using the traditional images associated with each letter, such as using an apple for "A", we tried to use unique images to make the visual experience interesting and fun. In addition, we purposely laid the letters out in a nonlinear layout in order to encourage exploration and engagement.
This print not only would look great of the wall of any kid’s room but it would be a great addition to any home or office.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Pop-Tone Whip Cream / 100 lb Cover
Paper size: 18 x 24
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
The Return of The ShutUpsicle™
June 5, 2011
Everyone Can Suck A ShutUpsicle™
One of the first posters we printed at Amerikan Made Prints was "The ShutUpsicle" which was based off a joke between my wife and myself. In mocking tone, we would often tell each other to go "Suck on a ShutUpsicle!"
A couple years back, I started to work on an illustration of my niece and nephew and I had the idea to incorporate that phrase to make a sort of fake package / advertisement for ShutUpsicles. I finished the design and we screen-printed the poster. It sold very well for us but it also incorporated an illustration style I was working on at the time. I felt that it looked great stylistically but I didn't think it worked as well as a complete concept and design.
Within the year, I really have been working on an illustration style that will suit the children's line of products we are creating. The style is a nod to modern animation but leans heavily on elements of illustration from the 1950's to early 1970's.
As I was tightening up my illustrations, I started to think about the concept of a package design / advertisement for the ShutUpsicles. I decided that that vintage feel of illustrations I have been working on would work great for the concept. I liked the idea of the “sweetness” of the illustration and how it would serve as an interesting contrast to the slightly sarcastic message.
I am really happy with the final result and I think now I think there is a perfect marriage between the concept and the execution. You can purchase this poster from our store. Below is some sketches and a brief behind the scenes look at how the illustration came to be--We hope you dig it!
Here is the first rough sketch for the new poster. I originally was thinking the boy would have messy blonde hair and be a slight tribute to Dennis The Menace.
With the second sketch, I decided to make the hair taller, sort of a pompadour. This was to give the boy a slightly older look. I also started to draw sneakers for his feet. At this point I was thinking I might also put him in an environment, such as a playground or park.
This is the final inking that I used to scan into Photoshop where I break all the elements apart, such as head, arms, shirt, etc, and put each one on a separate layer. This is done so I can easily experiment with color as well as details such as facial expressions.
Here is a good example of how a design can change and evolve during the process. As I began to add color to the boy's body and head, I really liked the big, wide white smile. It had a very classic 1950's sort of advertising feel to it. I also wanted big, expressive eyes and I felt that had the over all tone I was trying to achieve.
With Example #1, the elements of the design started to come together, but the boy's face seemed to be a distraction to me. The large white eyes and the large white mouth took up a lot of his face and next to his light skin and the black hair, the eyes and mouth seemed to get lost and fade into the background. When I first started to add color it felt very vintage but as I got further into the design it just felt unfinished.
On Example #2, I decided to add teeth to the mouth. Teeth weren’t used a lot in vintage animation but were fairly common in advertisements. I also added eyebrows to add some expression and sense of anticipation. But as I continued to work on the face, I felt that the the eyes were too expressive. The use of the sclera made the eyes feel almost to modern.
With Example #3, I wanted something that felt more classic. I changed the large white eyes to smaller black pupils only. I always liked how simple some of the faces were on the old Hanna Barbera cartoons like Elroy Jetson or Barney Rubble.
I kept the eyebrows to add emphasis and I also decided to keep the teeth. The last change I made was to make the background swatch of blue a muted orange. I felt that the orange felt closer in it's warmth to the red and gave the over all design a more holistic feeling. The final facial result is a perfect solution and really pays off the concept.
This print is now available for PRE-ORDER. You can purchase it now and it will be shipped to you as soon as the ink dries. We expect to have this poster ready for shipment by end of August.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Pop-Tone Whip Cream / 100 lb Cover
Paper size: 18 x 24
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
Roger! Over and Out!
May 28, 2011
Growing up in the 1970's, one of the staples of childhood was mobile communication via the technology of Walkie Talkies. This poster is a loving tribute back to simpler days before iPhones, iPads, Internets and computer games. These were days when names like "Solid State" and "Archer" stood for fun and imagination just as much as Wham-O and Marx Toys. When I was kid, I had and loved many pairs of walkie-talkies. I had generic sets, super-hero sponsored sets, sets that had special buttons for Morse code.
Some of my fondest memories was sneaking around my neighborhood, pretending to be a spy on a secret mission. I would wait for a cryptic message to be sent through the static from my friend, as long as he was within the 20-foot signal range. Those hazy days of summer are forever etched into my memory through the Kodachrome filter of fond nostalgia. This poster would look great in any office, studio or kid's room as a reminder the enduring importance child-like wonderment.
This print is now available for PRE-ORDER. You can purchase it now and it will be shipped to you as soon as the ink dries. We expect to have this poster ready for shipment by mid-June.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Pop-Tone Whip Cream / 100 lb Cover
Paper size: 18 x 24
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
Kenny G Aint Jazz Poster
March 23, 2011
The Ink Initiative Project's Series 2 Poster
Jazz washes away the dust of every day life - Art Blakey
This poster, originally slated to be released with Series One, was delayed for almost a year due to reworking the graphics and difficulties in getting the proper screen exposures. But now it's here and it rocks harder than Gibraltar! One of the rules that we have at Amerikan Made Prints is that we only screen-print listening to classic jazz on vinyl. We thought it made sense to create a poster that paid tribute to some of the great jazz musicians that have inspired us as we laid down the ink.
We are happy to announce that we have chosen this poster for this year's Ink Initiative Project. All proceeds from the sale of this poster go to philabundance
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / Signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Construction Fuse Green / 80 lb Cover
Paper size: 15.5 x 22
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
The Wacky Wild West Poster
March 21, 2011
“Black Snake” McGee has held up the bank and is on the run from the sheriff.
We are proud to introduce the first print from our newly launched children’s product line, The Funtastiks™. This print features over twenty-five hand drawn illustrations and a vintage color pallet. This print not only would look great of the wall of any kid’s room but it would be a great addition to any home or office.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Construction Pop-Tone Banana Split / 80 lb Cover
Paper size: 15.5 x 22
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
It Will End In Reams Of Paper Tears Poster
March 20, 2011
Mr.Typeface™ has just heard that it’s the end of print and he is crying reams of paper tears.
The style and layout pays tribute to the awesome Penguin paperback book covers from the 1960’s and early 70’s.
Production: Screen-printed, limited run / Signed and numbered
Printed on: French Paper Pop-Tone Sour Apple / 100 lb Cover
Paper size: 15.5 x 22
Recommended frame size: 18 x 24 w/ mat window 13 x 19.35
(Frame and mat not included)
VOLUME 2 IS ALSO NOW AVAILABLE
