ArtBistro

We're in a so-called economic downturn. More like a recession. I don't want to name names, but I think most of us know who caused it. 'The fish stinks from the head' as I was told when in undergraduate school. If you don't quite know what that means, think about it, or email me and I'll explain. Anyway, what is an ...

Chronicle Books sent me the second in the series of Designer Toolkits called 1000 Colors - Thousands of Color Combinations - and let me tell you, it rocks! The handy CD that accompanies this book is as good as the one that came with the first one by Graham Davis. Color is beautiful and my rods and cones thank you! Davis' ...

I subtitle my blog, “A Working Classroom Teacher” because that is what I am, working. Teaching is hard work and those of us who teach work very hard indeed. Sometimes the work is in the planning, sometimes in the instruction, sometimes in the guidance of students, and sometimes the work is in figuring out what works best for us as teachers ...

Lately I've been contemplating the value of rounded corners in design. Is it eye-candy? Or does it add value to the user experience? Let me put it this way: Take a look at the black and white image here. [widget:9_steps_guide_design_benifits] I hope it is clear that the rounded corners do make a difference. On the left side, you see one surface ...

*Step 1. Find Schools You Want to Attend* Most colleges and universities offer fantastic scholarships. So the BEST way to search for scholarships is to narrow the list to include only those schools you’d most like to attend, then research their awards and financial aid options. Many scholarships from corporations and nonprofits also require detailed information about your academic plans, ...

Yay, the semester is done! All that’s left is a stack of grading, but I can deal with that. It was an absolutely terrific semester — I think this was the best yet. I miss my classes already. For whatever reason, the end of the year has me thinking a lot about my own education and its relationship to my work. ...

Red is usually regarded as a color which visually leaps out. Red stand out. Red jumps off the page. But does it really? I found two interesting pictures on Flickr. Both contain a red button. [widget:9_steps_guide_design_benifits] [photo:59478] The one button is highly visable, the other is almost hidden in its surroundings, even while it takes up a large part of the ...

How did you get started in the illustration field? Upon graduating I didn't think my portfolio was quite ready so while I continued to work on it I freelanced doing mechanicals for Harpers-the literary magazine and SWANK-the porno magazine. One day, I needed to have the editor of SWANK sign off on a layout. His office door was closed and he ...

h4. Key Demographic Bruce Chaloux, director of student access programs and services for the Southern Regional Education Board, says colleges in his region have long missed out on a key demographic. By his group’s count, 20 million 25- to 55-year-olds in 16 southern states have enrolled at a college but left without a degree. "Some institutions have reached out to them, ...

A student recently asked me my opinion on a fellow teacher I don’t personally know anything about, so I told her that while I couldn’t really help, it might be worth her while to check out a site like ratemyprofessors.com or myspace’s similar feature. The student looked at me like she was the cat that ate the canary, like I knew ...

Boston, MA-Paintings Talk. Photographs speak of moments. To help students hear all this art, the National Endowment for the Humanities has created a new program that sends high-quality reproductions of 40 works of great American art to schools and libraries. Picturing America includes famous paintings, such as Emanuel Leutze's 1851 "Washington Crossing the Delaware," and photographs, including Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother ...

Maintaining good mental health in the design world is interesting to me. Although I believe that a little bit of sick or twisted mental health can be a good thing for design and creativity, I also have to say that, as in everything, moderation is the key. I hate that part. In my past and through my "upbringing" in graphic design, ...

It seems to me that there are two different kinds of artists in the world: Those who are quick to describe what kind of artist they are (”I’m a post-Marxist, Conceptual, feminist painter whose work is a inquiry into the notion of the organic…” ok, whatever) and those who just want to shrug and avoid the question all together by saying ...

Washington-It's the holiday season and stress levels are running high. But for many high school seniors and their parents, there is an added stress this time of year: figuring out how to pay for college. Starting Jan. 1, students are able to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA, the single form that is ...

*Accidental Creative Podcast #84* Seize the Moment Creativity is a proactive response in the moment. Whenever we slip into reactive mode we've lost something of our creative selves. In this podcast we discuss ways to cultivate a proactive posture and to eliminate the procrastination that can often kill our creative drive. Right-click (PC) or Control-click (Mac) here to save the ...

College may seem a long way away to high school seniors who are focused on that next big test or big football game. But the time to think about choosing and paying for college is now. Some early-admissions and scholarship deadlines are right around the corner, if they haven't passed already. That's not to say that students without a college pick ...

KNOWLEDGE of computer languages such as C/C++ and Java is essential for programmers and experience of particular tools is essential for designers. Knowledge and skills in other areas such as mathematics, object physics, gaming console architecture and gaming aesthetics and genres are also necessary. Besides computer science, geography and urban planning are associated with in-game landscape, building and community recreation; engineering ...

Most fine arts students used to exist in a bubble - running to class in paint-splattered clothing and practically living in their studios, channeling their muse and honing their craft. Once they graduated, those who were driven enough to try to make a living off their talent still had a lot to learn about running a business. But now many universities ...

So, the shock of being back in school is over, and now we’re actually *gasp* LEARNING STUFF. Can I really complain when my homework is taking pictures, drawing, and playing with construction paper and glue sticks? (Yes, I am a university student. Yes, my homework involves gluing construction paper to posterboard using glue sticks and scissors. Is there anything wrong with ...

The White Stripes, a.k.a Meg and Jack White, have branched out from the music business to try their hand at the world of Lomography cameras. The result is a pair of branded, limited edition retro Holga and Diana semi-replica cameras that come complete with a cool look and a bunch of extras for photography lovers. The “Jack” Holga comes complete with ...