the mehallo blog. beta.

Designed by UK-based design student Alex Creamer. Details here.

Found via Ashley Simko

Tags: cool finds, culinary, design, education by steve
2 comments  . . .   

Milk advertisement, WPA art program (1940)

When exactly did humans first think to drink milk?

Here’s an article with new findings here. And the traditional historical timeline here.

And Chevy Chase on milk (1976), below:

Tags: cool finds, culinary, education by steve
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The original type punches of Giabattista Bodoni (1740-1813) are in bad shape and the Friends of the Palatina Library and the Bodoni Museum are raising funds to restore the full set of over 600 alphabets.

Bodoni’s multiple alphabets contain some incredibly detailed wonders – with craft beyond many of the digital versions that exist today.

You can adopt part or a whole alphabet. For more info, go here.

Tags: design history, education, fonts, typography by steve
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Albrecht Dürer’s contribution to typography took capitals in new directions.

His books on proportions, De Symmetria Partium in Rectis Formis Humanorum Corporum (books on the normal proportions of the parts of the human form) with Underweysung der Messung (instruction in measurement) cover drawing of human form, perspective – with a dissertation on Roman caps as well as gothics.

Both can be snagged in hi-res digital form from Octavo. Their Graphic Arts Bundle option also includes editions from Giabattista Bodoni (1740-1813), Geofroy Tory (c. 1480-1533) and Owen Jones (1809-74).

Dürer’s original letters exist today in the following fonts:

[1] Dürer Caps from P22

[2] Hands on Albrecht from URW

[3] Albrecht Dürer Gothic from Scriptorium

Tags: cool finds, design history, education, fonts, illustration, typography by steve
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Albrecht Dürer’s Rhinoceros broadside, 1515

‘probably no animal picture has exerted such a profound influence on the arts’ -T.H. Clarke

The story behind Dürer’s Rhinoceros involves a Pope, some guesswork, a sketch and a shipwreck.

And the famous 16th century poster (above) influenced rhino art for years to come. This Wiki has some great historical detail (with derivatives) – including Salvador Dalí’s sculptural take on Dürer’s famous Rhino (below).

Salvador Dalí’s Rinoceronte vestido con puntillas, 1956

rhino prints
And one can snag a giclee print of Dürer’s rhino here. Or here. Or if a poster doesn’t suit and you’d rather have a tee, mug or stein, check out these wares at Cafe Press. This one hops. Or here’s basic black.

rhino book
The story behind the actual rhino became the basis for Lawrence Norfolk’s epic novel The Pope’s Rhinoceros. Snag a copy here.

rhino sale
Plus, a few years back – in lieu of a White Elephant – a handful of volunteers from ADAC had a White Rhino Sale. Because ‘white rhinos trump white elephants.’

Dürer said so. Flyer below.

Design by mehallo and Jeremy McCain (with a little help from Dürer), 2006

Tags: art, design, design history, education, illustration by steve
1 comment  . . .   

Oak Café interior, art by Craig Smith

One of the reasons I teach at American River College is The Oak Café. Staffed and run by culinary students, the Oak Café is one of the hardest tables to get in Sacramento – with four star ratings [twice from The Sacramento Bee] and mucho local critical acclaim, they don’t skimp on anything. It’s a foodie’s dream tucked away in a corner of a Community College.

Type treatment, set using my Escoffier Capitaux font
 

vincent
A while back, Café instructor Teresa Urkofsky borrowed my copy of Mary and Vincent Price’s A Treasury of Great Recipes (1965). Known for his horror films, Vincent Price (1911-93) was also one of the pioneers of the gourmet movement. He used his celebrity to promote high class eating worldwide. And this over-the-top cookbook – which features funky recipes from the best restaurants in the world (at the time) – is a testament to his love of good food. [Read more →]

Tags: cool finds, culinary, education, thoughts by steve
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Michael Pollan’s 20 favorite food rules: interactive feature at the NYT.

Tags: cool finds, culinary, education, typography by steve
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‘Just as Sun Tzu’s Art of War is read as a lesson in business strategy rather than fighting in a miliary sense, or Machiavelli’s The Prince is written about government but used as a guide to management, so this book uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice.’ -inside cover

In It’s Not How Good You Are  . . .  UK-based advertising guru Paul Arden (1940-2008) does a great job reframing how one can approach creativity, their career and life – by not playing by the rules and reinventing convention. [Read more →]

Tags: design, education, thoughts by steve
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GOOD is for people who give a damn – read more below.

but first   . . .
OPEN studio’s Scott Stowell headed up the original design team for GOOD. And I have to write about Scott because he’s been a major influence on my work. Scott = GOOD influence.

I’ve been a fan of Scott’s work for years, ever since I saw a talk he gave at one of the 1990s ATypI conferences. His views/advice on design and teaching – for me – has been invaluable. [Read more →]

Tags: cool finds, design, education, publication design, thoughts by steve
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Compassion is not just ‘feeling sorry for someone.’

Today, religion is lost.

The need to be ‘right’ is counterproductive.

Great video.

Tags: cool finds, education, thoughts by steve
5 comments  . . .   

‘Do not use for navigation’

The world is smaller thanks to online communities. Click on the map for larger view/jump.

Note: There’ve been quite a few changes since 2007 (when this map was drawn). Facebook has sort of conquered a big chunk of the land once occupied by MySpace – then Twitter kinda built this huge bridge that one can see from space  . . . .

Found via Web Design Ledger

Tags: cool finds, education, illustration by steve
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