Google Books: Awesome, or the hostile take-over of the written word?

I’m reading everywhere on the web that the web is so scary and horrible (funny).  I have nightmares that the web-monster is lurking under my bed, waiting for me to shut off my laptop, then he’ll reach out and pull me into the great looming “cloud” above.  But, for the first time ever, I downloaded a public domain book from the digital library of Google (the beast master).  It’s in the form of a PDF and waits for me on my desktop.  Actually, it waits for me on my wife’s laptop desktop.  Yes, we are wired (wirelessly) on two laptops… one Mac, one PC.

Am I afraid of the big, bad, Google wolf?  Not a chance.  I want to be part of the cloud… the ever expanding blue skies above, full of intellectual property, freebies, digital objects, files, social networks, artworks, etc, etc.  I grew up in the digital landscape my parents are just tip-toeing into.  My mom decided to join Facebook this past year.  My dad still doesn’t have an e-mail account.  I have two Facebook accounts, a MySpace account, three current e-mail accounts, a Twitter page (which I admit I don’t use), and am working on a website in iWeb.  I hand-feed the cooing web-monster.

It seems inconceivable that I would refuse free books once their copyright terms expire, or an author posts it free of charge.  I have read many blogs and posts about the evil Google giant ripping-off authors and publishers with their digital publications out their on the invisible bookshelves of digital air for all to grab.  I know this sounds silly, but libraries pay the same price for books as I would at the bookstore, but you and I get to read them for free (well, for the few cents taken out of my pay check in the form of county taxes).  We don’t consider libraries to be evil or greedy.  Google is just saving me some gas in my tank.  If Google is the massive beast of corporate greed, then so is Robin Hood.  By posting “printed words” on Google, Google has made available the greatest works of literature the world has ever seen.  My students, isolated from chain book stores by distance and poverty, can use the public library computer systems to access any copyright expired book for free.  No single library can contain every piece of literature known to human kind, but Google is working on it, with their nearly infinite storage space.

The world will not end by digitizing literature, it will merely become more accessible.  Check it out now. http://books.google.com/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp

Ceci n’est pas une banane.

I have always held a special place in my creative heart for humor in art.  Two of my favorite humorous artists are Andy Warhol and Rene Magritte.  Each employs what I consider to be humor in his own way.  Warhol used the in-your-face images of advertising and vividly colored celebrity portraits to comment on the visual age.  Magritte hybridized humans with fruit, and used written language with visual symbols to comment on the non-real nature of visual art.  I get a chuckle out of that at least.

As a small tribute to two of my favorite artists, I have composed the image below.  It is a cross breed of Warhol’s 1966 cover for Velvet Underground’s “Velvet Underground&Nico” amd Magritte’s “Ceci n’est pas une pomme” and “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (1928-1929).  As always, I hope you enjoy.

"Ceci n'est pas une banane" ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr

Finally, some cards!

I have finally decided to exhibit some of my card designs.  After all, this is a card design company.  I hope you get a little chuckle out of my hard work.

"North Pole Board of Directors" ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr.

"Happy Birthday, Oldie" ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr.

Photographer too!

Camera Icon. ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr.

Welcome to the photography debut here at Hepster Designs, Ink!  I am trying continually to roll out new carpets in media, techniques, and styles.

The photos below were taken with a Kodak C340 digital camera.  That’s right, the Easy Share kind.  I used Photoshop to splice them together and crop them a bit height-wise.  The rest was up to natural lighting, unadulterated posing by passers-by, and a keen eye for composition.

The image of Falls Park in Greenville, SC was cropped length-wise and framed for a fundraiser for the Joe Adair Outdoor Education and Recreation Center in Laurens, SC.  I’m glad to have been a part of supporting such a valuable local resource.

Click on the images below for a size more comfortable on the eyes.

"Falls Park Bridge" ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr.

“G.Q. Fashions on Main” © 2009, Ken Morrill, Jr. 35″Wx8″H

“Main Street Bridge” © 2009, Ken Morrill, Jr. 35″Wx8″H

For larger images, please visit me on Facebook.

CHUBBY’S Series Statement

CHUBBY'S Series ©2009 Hepster Designs, Ink.

The CHUBBY’S Series is based on a west coast burger chain mascot. They are created through both traditional fine art and digital imaging/graphic design techniques. The process begins with a hand drawn character.  A set of eyes,nose, mouth , and hair are drawn separately from each character in varied groups. Each separate image is scanned into Photoshop, darkened, then saved as individual files which is, later, collaged with the character. The process continues in Photoshop by adding color, drop shadows, and tattoos (which are also drawn and scanned separately).

Backgrounds are based on the character’s personality. The background helps place the character into the context of whatever his, her, or it’s world might be.  They are a mixture of pure Photoshop creations and some hand-drawn elements.  As in real life, the backgrounds in this series help define the characters associated with them as environmental factors in their “lives”.

The final step in the CHUBBY’S process is printing. It doesn’t make much sense to fix these images in any other form than laser prints. Fine art papers have been chosen to support the images in order to preserve the final product and add some semblance of fine artistry to the process for those who do not believe in a hybrid fine art-graphic design. Adding still to that tried and true hybrid, a custom frame surrounds each 11″x17″ laser print. The frame, as a reminder that these are graphic in nature, is made of fiberglass molded in a custom form and spray painted.

When a viewer visually explores each print, he or she should be found wearing a smile or even an uncomfortable grin. The series is not meant to ask the viewer to question the complixities of the world we inhabit, but to enjoy it’s odd beauty and slightly twisted humor. Please bear your teeth to these characters in the most fitting manner.

Welcome to the How To Posts

In this section of Hepster Designs, Ink. you will learn about various techniques, tools, and processes for creating your own, unique works of art.  If something worked out well for you, leave a comment.  If it didn’t work out so well, I suppose you should leave a comment too.

Enjoy creating and expressing yourself artistically!

Interactive Icon. ©2009, Ken Morrill, Jr.

Artistic Self-Promotion

While this is not a full tutorial per se, it is useful to individuals interested in selling their art works.  If you have portfolios full of images you know someone would purchase, why hang on to them?  Make some money, make lots of money.  There are resources out there for you to find buyers.

I recommend the Artist’s and Graphic Designer’s Market(2009).  For $28 you can discover a world of art buyers and markets.  The book is filled with insightful articles written by artists, art directors, lawers, etc. to help you on your way to being in the business of art.  Beyond the articles are lists of people and places to sell your art, whether it is fine, graphic, illustration, decorative, or design.

Once you’ve noted your best bets for selling your work, look into the business aspects of the art world.  Yes, you will be a business person and must act as such.  For details on that side of the biz (and your brain) pick up The Business of Art by Lee Caplin and I’d Rather Be in the Studio: the Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion by Alyson B. Stanfield.  Not only do these books introduce the artist to business techniques and tools, they really inspire him or her to get the ball rolling on promoting his or her work.  I have gotten more done in the past three weeks since reading these books than I have in the 31 years I’ve been creating art (only 20 0f those years have rewarded me with art commissions).

I chose a career as an art teacher for two reasons: 1.) I thought I could make a positive difference in the lives of even a few children by sharing my passion for art, and 2.) because I was unsure of the stability of art as a career.  Art as a career is as stable as you make it.  Being informed about the world (not worlds) of art and business are paramount to your success as a professional artist (though some people would argue that your artistic skill is most important, followed by your business sense).

I will address specific aspects of these books as they arise in my own career.  Stay tuned and help inform the readers of this blog and myself if you are in the know about art and the business of art (or any of the arts).