Graphic Design Scarebear

Scarebear (the artwork) by Xaizently

This is somewhat self-promoting, but I had to share this story. Why? Because I don’t believe it is actually about me. It’s about a talented artist I came across on deviantART named Xaizently.

Almost two years ago I was wondering what I should do with all these points I had accumulated on the deviantART website. The points are worth very little in real-world currency, but I had accumulated somewhere between 30-50 of them. Surely I could use them for something! … Scarebear (the artwork) by Xaizently

Steve Case SWIN
Graphic Design

Steve Case’s latest EP—artwork by me

Recently I was given the opportunity to design the artwork (including the disc, jewel case and 16 page booklet) of Steve Case‘s latest EP Somewhere Where I’m Not. I worked to Steve’s creative brief—combine the effect types often seen in apps like Instagram with something more artistic for the cover—and was lucky enough to be able to use some of my favourite iPhone and iPad image enhancing apps in the process. The apps I used were ToonPAINT (for iPhone) and PhotoToaster (for iPad). The ToonPAINT app was used to create the CD and booklet cover image (which you can see in the iTunes store).

Woo hoo! I have designed something you can get through iTunes! … Steve Case’s latest EP—artwork by me

Guitar Gear Scarebear

My custom Grover Allman guitar plectrums

Today is a good day. Not just because it’s Good Friday either. It’s also the day I get to write about the awesome Grover Allman custom plectrums I ordered recently. They arrived in the mail yesterday and came with a handy sticker of the Grover Allman logo—you’ve got to love that logo with its clever reversed plectrums (look at the whitespace between the cross patterns)—and a black Grover Allman wrist band. Personally I’m a big fan of black rubber wrist bands. They don’t damage your guitar while you’re playing hard.

The plectrums themselves? Well, I think they’re awesome! … My custom Grover Allman guitar plectrums

Guitar Gear Scarebear

Custom guitar plectrums from Grover Allman

I’ve wanted to get some custom guitar plectrums for quite some time now. I’m not in a band and I’m not famous, but I’ve wanted some all the same. Why? Because thanks to Grover Allman I can! It’s simple when you look at it that way. You can order directly from the Grover Allman website or you can order using their own iPhone app. Either way, you can submit your own artwork and the plectrums are produced for you in no time at all. That’s what I’m hoping for anyhow. … Custom guitar plectrums from Grover Allman

Somewhere I'm Not CD artwork
Graphic Design

Steve Case (Somewhere Where I’m Not) CD artwork

My first attempt at CD artwork—for anybody let alone Steve Case—was this jewel case design for the Somewhere Where I’m Not CD. The project included a 16pp booklet, CD design and jewel case design. The brief was to create something that appeared real and natural—the kind of thing people were generally creating and sharing on social media through the likes of Instagram. All supplied imagery was manipulated and became part of the design you see here.

… Steve Case (Somewhere Where I’m Not) CD artwork
Customs House ceiling
Photography

Customs House ceiling

Customs House in Brisbane is a beautiful-looking building. When inside the building, I was drawn to the shapes the ceiling and its sole hanging light made. Without knowing what you’re looking at, it’s still an interesting photograph.

Photograph taken on the iPhone 3 (filters applied in Instagram).

Crab in the sand
Photography

Macro crab

A macro photograph taken near Bargara in Queensland, Australia. I believe the photograph was taken using the Fujifilm FinePix S5700. I do not recall the exact date of the photograph, but it was uploaded to my Flick account in 2012.

Dandelion
Photography

Dandelion

A dandelion ready for the wind to distribute its seeds. Photograph taken sometime before 2012 when I originally uploaded this image to my Flickr account.

I believe the photograph was taken on my last film SLR camera—Canon AE-1.

Grasshopper
Photography

Grasshopper among the foliage

A photograph of a grasshopper before I transitioned to digital photography. The photograph was captured on my Canon—which I believe was an AE-1. The photograph was taken in my mother’s back yard in Brisbane, Australia.