Goodbye.

Well I am going to take the plunge and move to tumblr sooner rather than later. Prompted by the fact that everyone seems to be on there (and it's just better) and I have to set up another blog for my typography module. I thought I would just start it all a fresh from tumblr, easier to manage two blogs on the same website.

So GOODBYE blogger you have served me well and here is my new blog address:

http://bearandtheboat.tumblr.com/

thanks :)

Poladroid I heart you.

I miss summer, even though it doesn't look that summery in this picture I still do :)

Snowflake.

Pretty. Shame snowflakes now remind me of design theory..

1,2,3&4

Couple of things today kids:
1. I have finished my exams so my time is my own again which is super, not that I have done a huge amount with it....
2. Got my essay back which was a pain in the bum to write but hard work paid off and got a B+! Rather old skool didn't know they gave out B+'s anymore :) Although me not knowing how to reference (and hence didn't) probably knocked my marks down (from an A I like to think) a bit.
3. The Domesday clock freaks me out, apparently today it was put back by a minute to six minutes to 12 so that's good :|
4. Saw my favourite mysterious Professor again today, I have no idea who he is or what he teaches he just looks like the stereotypical professor guy that has lived in the library for the past 40 years complete with big beard and leather elbow patches. A bit like this guy but older and less 70s-

Narwhal!

Wow Narwhal's exist! I thought they were some mythical thing, but yup I came across the truth while revising (they are randomly mentioned in a wiki article about asymmetry). Wiki also reliably tells me that the name is based on the Old Norse word nár, apparently meaning "corpse" a reference to the animal's greyish, mottled colour, like that of drown sailor. Awesome. I don't know why I currently being drawn towards all sort of old sea imagery, ships, sea monsters, octopus you name it...

What came first the egg custard or my death from polyhedra?

I love egg custards they ease the pain of revision..... which I am now procrastinating from. I want time to draw and make things and by draw I don't mean penrose tiling, thanks Prof Hann. Will be soo soo glad when this exam is done. Looking forward to my free time the next couple of days, I reeeeally need my camera to fix itself all on its own real bad. Also need a haircut but that probably won't happen for at least another 3 months and need to develop some type for this thing and get some film developed and make my sister a house warming present....

Might be time to get out of bed?

I was just reading an article about the font choice for the new logo being used by the french agency in charge of cutting down online piracy, Hadopi (with some not exactly popular techniques). The big drama comes from the fact that the font used in this new logo is ironically stolen itself. It turns out that the font used, Bienvenue is an exclusive corporate typeface belonging to France Télécom, so in an embarrassing u-turn they have now changed the font to a hastily bought FS Lola and Bliss. It really makes you think about intellectual property copyright, it's one of those things that is hard to protect, like an idea- it's not an object or design yet its just a wispy thought with no substance, hard to prove its yours. ANYWAY the thing I was actually going to write about was something that the above article mentioned in its intro

(which by the way you can read at http://fontfeed.com/archives/french-anti-piracy-organisation-uses-pirated-font-in-ownlogo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fontfeed+(The+FontFeed)&utm_content=Twitter if you so desire)

was the use of Papyrus by James Cameron in his blockbuster Avatar, probably the second most hated font after Comic sans and most discussed type crime on the Internet after Ikea switching to Verdana. When I went to see the film I must admit when the subtitles came up the thought 'urgh papyrus really?!' popped into my head but then it faded away into thoughts filled with 3D blue people and floating mountains.



To be honest I can see why it was used, I know it gives me (cheesy) feelings of ancient Egypt, maybe its the name Papyrus? So it invokes an image of mystical worlds, which is Pandora in a nutshell. But you would have thought that with $300 million budget you would want to spend some of that an amazing custom designed typeface? I know this little issue will only effect a small proportion of the people who watched the film but it is fairly irritating.. haha.. However I guess it does show the importance of a good typeface, this one has tainted a pretty good film for much of the design community, which can be pretty snobby at times :) I think that's what fascinates me about typography, there is more to it than decorative letters. Typography isn't just a way of writing words but contains more subtle elements that fill in the gaps and can inspire a more subconscious response to what the words are saying. This made me laugh... http://prttyshttydesign.blogspot.com/2010/01/open-letter-to-james-cameron-from.html

I heart lego.

(Christoph Niemann)

Exam went okay today, I always feel like I could sit and explain what I mean much better in person then I do when I am writing it down in an exam. Colour management did come up and I STILL don't really understand it 2 modules later so avoided that question like the plague. I was sad a typography question didn't come up reckon I could have written a swell answer for that one... ohh well Lego stuff yaaay :)

p.s. I think I love the word 'critters'....

Revision.

Education + Exposure to beautiful things + Motivation = Great creative?

Teeheee

I found this image in some of the lecture slides I am revising and it made me chuckle again :) Hey I am actually revising...

Okay now I will actually go and do some revision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH_Z86mTjFk&feature=player_embedded

I haven't figured out how to get videos on to my blog yet and I feel bad having a copy when they aren't mine, so follow the link and have a watch :)

Choc Skull.

http://blog.davidsykes.com/sweet-skulls/139

chocolate skulls?