Entertainment Geekly

So far, this has been my least favorite project.  I used In-Design to create a tabloid / newsletter.  The publication was Entertainment Geekly, a play on Entertainment Weekly.

Here's the first page.  I designed the logo using Illustrator, based on the Entertainment Weekly logo.

I couldn't get the exact font (since it cost at least $800!!!) so I used Arial I think, or whatever the suggested similar font was.  Not too bad, almost looked alike, except for the 'E's.  Oh well, if it was exactly the same I'd pro'ly have gotten sued.

The project was to create a tabloid/newsletter, of a theme of my own choosing.  News stories could be populated with already published stories, or I can make them up.  I chose to do both.  The project is intended to highlight our layout abilities, typographic skills, and overall design work.  I used mask clipping, form fitting, object fit, and column arrangement from InDesign.  I used orange as a unifying color throughout.  I used Illustrator to do some mask clipping and graphics and image work.

Entertainment Geekly, pages 2 - 3

Here are pages 2 - 3 of my InDesign tabloid/newsletter project:

Again, using the orange as the unifying color.  I tried to make it look legitimate, putting in categories that I thought 'geeks' would be interested in.  Well, the 'geek candy' was a little more tounge-in-cheek.  But, I did put some thought in the design here and the content.

Entertainment Geekly, page 4

Here is page 4 of my InDesign tabloid/newsletter project:

As you can tell, and I will be honest, this is pretty plain considering the other pages.  You will also notice that there are some column-layout differences.  By this point, I was getting tired of trying to design this thing, and I was running out on ideas of stories and what not.  So I threw a couple of things on there, kind of made it look good, and just said 'DONE.'  I need to go back and make it better.

Lantern Shine

I like Green Lantern.  Maybe more than I let on.  Or in a subtle way.  Not sure.  I mean, it's not like I'm obsessed with the character / comic book.  I follow it haphazardly.  Ask me about the current story arc.  No clue.  The Sinestro Corps?  The battle of the spectrum lanterns?  That was a total surprise.  But you know, I've just always like GL.  I remember one of my first 'fan-fiction' comic book (back in 3rd grade!) was GL, Green Goblin, and a couple of 'green' heroes.  I think we called them the Green Team or something like that.  So yeah, Green Lantern and I go a long way back...

So guess what subject matter I used for one of our projects?

This is an exercise in Illustrator, using Live Trace.  The two GLs are my original artwork.  They are part of my proposed 'fan fiction' story.  To be self-published.  Soon.

The skills involved here are the pen tool (GL title), clipping mask (GL title, GL Corps), pathfinder (GL logo), knife (the subtle shadows), layering, and typography (title).  Also use the eyedrop, gradient, and pencil tools.

Yeah, totally LOVED this project!  This is what it's all about!!!

Damage

A class project to practice Illustrator.  The project is to take lyrics from a song and create art out of it.  The song is Damage by Kosheen.  Unless you're into Europop, you may not be familiar with the group or the song.  I'm not into Europop, but I heard the song on the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 trailer.

Yeah... I'm a geek.

Anyways, so yeah, tried conveying the idea of damage and broken things.  If you actually listen to the song (or read the lyrics), you'll notice it's actually about a break-up.  So I could have done a better representation.  Actually, I just got an idea...

Who Dat dem know how to Trace!

Oh yeah.  Playing around with Adobe Illustrator and practicing with the Pen Tool, tracing shapes then combining them and all that.  Totally fun exercise.  Check it out:

Not too shabby.  Not as precise as I'd like to be, but hey, it's not that easy with a mouse.  And a Mac mouse for that matter.  Criminy.

And in case you didn't catch that subtle shout out: Go Saints!!!

Who Dat dem won the Superbowl???

My Energy collage

Finally figured it out!  Here's my collage assignment from my Computer Apps class.  The theme was Energy (or sources of Energy).  I tried to put the Springfield Nuclear power plant, but the color scheme just wasn't matching.  Grrr...  Oh well.  I might have to try it again.  I still have all the pictures.

Yes... that is the NCC-1701 USS Enterprise.  Honestly, did you really think I wasn't gonna include that???