Yuengling Arrives

Yuengling Arrives

"This is a beer anomaly," says Dublin Pub owner, Steve Tieber. "This is one of the most anticipated beer debuts in my lifetime."

D. G. Yuengling & Son is the oldest operating brewing company in the United States, established in 1829. It is one of the largest breweries by volume in the country, and is the second largest American-owned brewery after the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams beer. Its headquarters are in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Happy Halloween

Intricate Pumpkin Carvings
Designs We've Seen (a lot) Series

Everything and anything has been carved into pumpkins. Very cool, but have become pretty commonplace. Here's a lazy ClipArt rendition.

World Series 2011

World Series 2011
Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Come on Walker!

You get the point. wdsiemer ii

The Church as a Business

The Church as a Business

If I start a new business it will probably be a church.

God needs a little more money.

If you were donating $20 before, God would like you to increase it to $27 to $32 according to the "Guideline to Giving". If your previous contribution was $100, you're looking at $110 to $115. I ask God's blessing on each of you.

Novecento by Maurizio Cattelan

Novecento by Maurizio Cattelan

Just another piece I enjoy.

Novecento Maurizio Cattelan

Uncharted 3

Uncharted 3

A screenshot from Uncharted 3 by IGN.com

I can't say I am an avid video game player, but I respect the art. I wanted to be a video game artist when I was younger.

I own a Wii and a PS3. I used the Wii for a little while playing Wii Sports when friends came over. Besides that, I've probably only played a couple games for it. I mainly use the PS3 to watch DVDs and access Netflix. However, there is one game franchise that has me hooked--Uncharted.

I was impressed by the movie-like storytelling (say Indiana Jones), the compelling digital renderings, and the action-puzzle gameplay. Uncharted 1 and 2 were fantastic, so I am looking forward to 3 which releases November 1, 2011.

If ratings are any indication, IGN has given it a perfect score of "10" which equates to a masterpiece.

Still Life

Sheet Still Life
Designs We've Seen (a lot) Series

Another from the vault. I was looking at a bunch of old fine art, and it seems every project is some still life setup consisting of sheets, vegetables and pottery. I guess I have to mention nude models.

It's a great way to sharpen your skills, but it's the same old that every student does. There is nothing to sset you apart from the person sitting next to you (well, except skill). Now that I have a choice, I'd much rather create abstract scenes that exist in my imagination.

Looking back at some of these makes me feel a little embarrassed, and grounded. They are pretty awful by artistic standards. It's amazing to think I was pleased enough at the time to turn in some of these works, but looking at them years later to think they are crap.

Can't say I miss drawing sheets. wdsiemer ii

999

godmother's pizza 9-9-9 deal
9 Pizzas, 9 Toppings, $9

Alexa Meade photos imitate paintings

Alexa Meade photos imitate paintings

Jaimie, Alexa Meade

Artist Alexa Meade, who lives and works in Washington, D.C., creates photographs that could easily be mistaken for paintings. However, as she explains, "Instead of painting a picture on a two dimensional canvas, I paint directly on top of my subjects in three dimensional space. The photographs of the painted scenes look like flat paintings without the assistance of Photoshop or digital manipulation."

[VIEW GALLERY]

Fat Free Red Hots and Lemonheads

Fat Free Redhots and Lemonheads (A Candy Diet)
William D. SIEMER II

When I was young, me and my friends would ride our bikes up to the local convenient store. On our way we would try to find coins on the ground or glass bottles in the bushes that we could trade in for money to buy candy. Pal Bubblegum and Swedish Fish were a penny each and small boxes of Lemonhead and Red Hots Candy were ten cents.

Those days are gone, but some of our favorite candies remain. I recently bought Lemonhead and Red Hots as part of that 3/$3 deal at Walgreens. Still like I remember them, but I have to say I get a good kick out of the label on the box. Marketing genius. Both boxes say "A FAT FREE FOOD."

It reminds me of the first episode of Mad Men when they have to find a way to market around the fact cigarettes are harmful to your health. The gurus at Ferrara Pan were probably thinking the sugar and carbs in candy give it a bad name, so let's say it's FAT FREE!

I may undertake a Subway Jarod here, and start a fitness and meal plan based around Ferrara Pan Candy. 6 grams of fat? Try ZERO! I'll report back in 30 days.

I'm starting a Lemonhead and Red Hots diet. wdsiemer ii

Illustrator Radio (From the Vault)

Illustrator Radio (From the Vault)

Sometimes I like to go through old ZIP disks to see what I was working on years ago. Here is an old-school radio from 2001 I created with Adobe Illustrator 8.0 for "the fun of it." That was probably around the time the first iPod's were coming out.

I don't know how to look at that...
That was only 10 years ago, or it's been that long!

From the vault...

A vector fossil? Just about... a radio with a tape deck. wdsiemer ii

Hamilton County Parks

Hamilton County Parks

Bought my Hamilton County Park permit. For only $10, you get to enjoy all the parks all season long! The permit comes with discount coupons good at the parks.

I remember my friend's mom having a collection of about 10 years of these park stickers in the left hand of her old station wagon's front window. Anyone still have a large collection on their vehicle?

See what I saw at the parks this season...
Nine Hamilton County Parks in Seven Days

Mice & Birds Cat Food

Mice & Birds Cat Food

Thinking of starting a new line of cat food that is more reminiscent of the prey cats usually find around the neighborhood. With flavors such as Mice & Birds, Roadkill, and Rabbits & Squirrels in a bloody mixture, how could I fail? Whiskas is in no way associated with this idea, I am using their packaging as a representation of what this product could be.


A "new" kind of cat food. wdsiemer ii

Mary Blair Google Doodle

Mary Blair Google Doodle

Today, Google celebrates the 100th birthday of the late Disney artist May Blair, who lent her colorful style to such immortal ‘50s animated films as “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella” and “Peter Pan.” She also contributed to “Dumbo” and “Lady and the Tramp.”

Mary Blair Google Doodle

Creative Use of Negative Space

Creative Use of Negative Space

Came across a few web sites of interest I thought I'd share while doing research for an electric company's logo design.

"My" forms a hand

Creative Use of Negative Space
http://richworks.in/2010/03/30-logo-designs-with-creative-use-of-negative-space/

Logos with Hidden Symbols
http://www.toxel.com/design/2010/06/09/24-cool-logos-with-hidden-symbols/

Psychedelic Poster Design

Psychedelic Poster Design

I recently had a guy come to me to recreate, color and print his psychedelic poster design so he can put them up for sale. It was nice to see the old school geometric design, consisting of a pencil sketch from measurements and circular templates.

I still sketch ideas and deal with measurements on a daily basis, but I have become a bit spoiled on what I draw by hand versus digital. I used to create handmade engineering drawings for mechanical parts, and a lot more fine art.

Lately, if it can be done in an Adobe product, I'll do it in an Adobe product. It's faster, cleaner, easier, and there's an "undo" button. However, it's these same aspects that make me miss creating more intimate art by hand.

Sometimes it takes a little project like this to influence/motivate me to get back into the stuff of old.

Details. Design by Mike Beaty

Multiples. Design by Mike Beaty

My line drawing for poster based on Mike Beaty's sketch

Cincinnati Chocolate Festival

Looking for a fun activity this weekend? Have a passion for sweets? Head on down to the Cincinnati Chocolate Festival this Sunday at the Cintas Center from 12-6pm. I'm currently finishing up some designs, and I have to say it sounds like a great time!

Dirty Mind Photography

Dirty Mind Photography
I was writing a piece a while back to go along with the Designs We've Seen (a lot) Series, titled Photos We've Seen (a lot) Series. However, it seems most photos are overdone and cliched. Cityscapes, angelic photos of babies, hands in the shape of hearts, monuments, leaves, etc... etc...

One on my list was people's photographic humor in using the Washington Monument as a phallic device by means of background/foreground illusion. Then the other day, I see this photograph of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statue in Washington on USA Today's website. Dirty mind.

Steve Jobs Apple Logo Tribute (Comparison)

Steve Jobs Apple Logo Tribute (Comparison)

Jonathan Mack

Chris Thornley, raid71.com

Dispute Over Apple Image Shows Internet's Reach[READ ARTICLE]

Mother of Mercy High School's New Logo

Mother of Mercy High School's New Logo
Cincinnati, OH

Once again, I am not here to necessarily critique these designs. However, having seen the local billboards, I find a local newspaper's explanation of Mother of Mercy High School's new logo to be reaching somewhat far into the reader's imagination...

The new graphic maintains the traditional elements of Mercy's original logo but also reflects the school's scholarly achievement and a young women's journey with Christ to her future by incorporating a "movement" of blue ribbons that flow directly through the distinctive Mercy cross and into the the light.

"Our new logo allows us to better capture the excellence that is Mercy with our relentless attention on individual excellence, as well as the amazing strides we are making toward our Vision for the future."

Did you get all of that out of this new mark? Distinctive Mercy cross... reflects a journey with Christ... Opinions?

The one element I will comment on, and that is the faded gradient to white. From design experience (Beacon Orthopedics) I have never enjoyed gradients incorporated in a logo. In the future, when designers try to use color backgrounds with the logo they will have to come up with solutions like an outer glow, white box, or a different fade color if they want the piece to look correct and professional.

New Girl Scout Badges

New Girl Scout Badges

Any Girl Scout want to earn that Website Designer Badge? Not a commentary on what I think of these logos...

From NPR
New Girl Scout Badges Offer Different Choices To Smart Cookies

Today on All Things Considered, Alisha Niehaus of the Girl Scouts of The USA talks to host Guy Raz about a big update: for the first time in a quarter-century, they've completely overhauled the system of badges that Scouts can earn.

Joe the Plumber

Joe the Plumber

Joe the Plumber for Congress. Come on. You've had your 2.4 days of fame. William the Struggling Artist sounds more like it.

Google Doodle Gumby

Google Doodle Gumby
Art Clokey's 90th Birthday

Oooo...I like this one.

Blockheads Animation Cells

Pokey Animation Cells

Goo Animation Cells

Gumby Animation Cells

Barrel of Monkeys

Barrel of Monkeys

I have played Barrel of Monkeys since I was a kid, but I always remember cheating and putting the monkeys together by hand. Really need to work on that patience...

On a side note: Will barrel of monkeys be Hollywood's next movie adaptation? Is there a game app for it?

 
On another side note: Why did me and my friends always say have you conquered that video game yet? Conquered is a little drastic is it not?

Monkeys Lurking in the Shadows. wdsiemer ii

"Happy" Columbus Day

"Happy" Columbus Day

Netflix's Jokester

Netflix's Jokester

The indecisiveness continues... Not the best way to solidify a brand.

Dear William,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

Wendy's Wendy

Wendy's Wendy Thomas

Come on Wendy's! I know sales are down, but to drag Wendy into this mess? Can't we just keep her as the iconic little redhead girl on the french fry box? Wendy's is looking for Wendy to be another likeable Dave Thomas-type company spokesman. The Wendy's logo looks like it will be needing an update to remain true to the character.

Wendy's Wendy Thomas. the sketchpad

Clarification: A reader brought to my attention this statement could be taken offensively, and my wife said she could see where they were coming from.

At the time of this commercial, I had read an article describing Wendy's restaurants' struggling finances. Therefore, I was sarcastically asking Wendy's restaurant why they were dragging Wendy Thomas into their troubles after all of her years being behind the scenes. It is not an insult on her position, character or appearance.

"The Wendy's logo looks like it will be needing an update to remain true to the character" is referring to my earlier statement to keep her as the nostalgic "iconic little redhead girl." This is wordplay to keep the "myth of Wendy" and brand intact--if not, maybe they'll have to consider updating their whole image of Wendy's.

We all know Wendy's was trying to recapture some of that Dave Thomas magic. If Wendy Thomas was behind the commercial then great for her. I thought it was some marketing company using her character as a ploy.

Most people come to my site only to look for photos. Since I never really knew who Wendy was, I wanted to share the image with a brief tongue-in-cheek statement. This is a previous brief I wrote...Wendy's Logo

Apologies,
Will

The Making of South Park

The Making of South Park

Back in college I did a presentation on how South Park was made. The resources were scarce at the time, but I really enjoyed learning about the process from paper cut-outs to high-tech 3-D animation software for 2-D renderings.

Therefore, I am pretty excited about the documentary airing this Sunday about the making of a South Park episode. It'll show just how hard these people work for a show some deem as child's play. Be sure to check it out!

6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park, airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on the Comedy Network.

No Choice Except to be Herman Cain

No Choice Except to be Herman Cain
So on this particular day Herman Cain forgot to make the choice to be straight... Maybe tomorrow things will be different...

Gay Rights Advocate Herman Cain

Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Nobel Prize for "Chemistry"

I thought I had the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in the bag for my innovative work over the last 10+ years. I have carefully formulated thousands of concoctions responsible for everything from curing stress, headaches, quenching thirst, and providing recreation.

Unfortunately my work has been overlooked yet again and my chemical mixtures, such as Cool Blue Gatorade, Jeremiah Weed's Lemonade with a slight hint of SoBe Mango Orange will not receive the recognition they deserved.

I'll continue to work hard in my field. If my liver continues to hold up, you can expect great new advancements in Chemistry from me.

My Non-Nobel Prize-Winning Formula. wdsiemer ii

Steve Jobs Passes Away at 56

Apple founder, Steve Jobs has died. (ABC News/ABC News)