↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

We’ve been lucky enough to have the occasional chance to work for some of our true music idols, and in the case of this project, we had the chance to work with a true music icon, Eric Clapton.  For his new album, ‘Old Sock’, Clapton designed his own album artwork, mainly consisting of iPhone self-portraits and images of his own backyard.  To make the project especially exciting, the album would also mark the first Clapton album to be released by an independent label, San Diego’s very own Surfdog Records.  For the album release, we were tasked with illustrating a portrait of Clapton based on his own photo.  Portraits are always tricky in terms of how a subject wants to be represented, and in this case, we went through a few variations of the illustration – some depicted Clapton as a young man and some at his current age.  He eventually chose to be depicted at his current age because as David Bowie calls him, Clapton has become an ‘Old Sock’.

This poster will not be available for sale through our website as it was used exclusively for promoting the album in independent record stores and as gifts for the production team.  However, for a limited time, you can check out the artwork in person at your local Starbucks. The poster is a three color screen print and below are some close up images of the finished print, our initial sketch along with the album cover the illustration was inspired by.

ALBUM COVER

INITIAL SKETCH

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

Last month we had another great trip to Austin for SXSW, but before our trip got started, we had the opportunity to work on an exciting project.  For several years, Taco Bell and their Feed The Beat program have been sponsoring up and coming bands with gift cards, advertising, and participation in events around the country.  Past artists have included Andrew W.K., Best Coast, and Portugal. The Man.

This year, Taco Bell brought Feed The Beat to SXSW in the form of an experimental, fan-made rockumentary starring Passion Pit and newcomers Wildcat! Wildcat!.  Fans had the opportunity to film, photograph, and tweet their experience at the show and contribute to the collaborative documentary.

The poster we created for the show was inspired by the thousands of fans around the world participating in the project, creating a web of interconnected filmmakers.  The lucky fans that made it into the show at the Hype Hotel at SXSW received a poster to commemorate their participation.  Check out the initial sketch of our concept below.

INITIAL SKETCH

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

For those that follow professional golf, you’re well aware that Bubba Watson is one of the most exciting and talented players on the PGA Tour today.  Coming off last year’s win at The Masters and a new sponsorship with Oakley, we had the opportunity to design the campaign announcing the new partnership between a great brand and a great player.

The campaign took the form of a propaganda style illustration of Bubba and made its debut at the Phoenix Open where the image was seen everywhere from fan t-shirts to a banner flying above the course.  Check out our initial sketches below as well as some photos of the campaign in action below.

SKETCHES

↳ Our first round of thumbnail composition ideas.

 ↳ Approved sketch of final concept.

PHOENIX OPEN PHOTOS

↳ From top: Bubba in action, aerial banner, fan t-shirts and signage.

Last month, we had the pleasure of teaching an online class on rock poster design through Skillshare.com.  It was a first for us so we didn’t quite know what to expect, but we ended up being overwhelmed by the turnout for the class as well as the high caliber of work that the students produced.

We’ve included some of our favorite projects from the class below, but you can also view all the final posters at class-posters.tumblr.com.  And for those still interested in taking the class, it’s now available in self-study mode on the Skillshare site.  Thanks to Ethan, Elliott, and the entire Skillshare team for making the class possible.  We look forward to following up this introductory class with a more technically focused intermediate class in the future.

↳ Wild Nothing by James Reads (Poster Process)

↳ James Blake by Fabian Molina (Poster Process)

↳ Alabama Shakes by Matt Grosvold (Poster Process)

↳ The Postal Service by James Thornton (Poster Process)

↳ Alex Winston by Melissa Ginsiorsky (Poster Process)

↳ Edward Sharpe by Nate Harris (Poster Process)

↳ Social Distortion by Ryan Cuthriell (Poster Process)

↳ Field Trip by Elaine Hsu (Poster Process)

 ↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

For the second year in a row, Mondo released a series of posters by multiple artists for different Oscar-nominees. This year we were asked to create a poster for Animated Feature Film nominee ParaNorman. The poster was released during the Oscars and sold out almost immediately. Fortunately, we have a very limited allotment of Artist Copies available which have an edition size of 50.

The giant 36″ x 24″ three-color screen print features all the main characters from the film. We were inspired by classic horror movie posters with a Scooby Doo like twist. Check out the close up shots of the physical print along with our original sketch below. The print is now available in the DKNG store.

ORIGINAL SKETCH

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

PaleyFest is an annual event in Los Angeles that honors some of the top television programs of the year.  A couple years ago we created a poster for the True Blood panel and this year, we had the opportunity to follow it up with another bloody good show.  As huge fans of The Walking Dead, we were excited to create a print paying tribute to the show by including lots of hidden details for other loyal fans to discover.  We decided to make the focus of the design the sheriff’s badge belonging to protagonist Rick Grimes.  The badge carries a lot of meaning in the show as Rick fights for survival, contemplates ethical decisions, and begins to pass responsibility to his son.  In the seven corners of the badge are small vignettes depicting iconic scenes from the three seasons of the show.  The dripping blood also depicts season three’s primary location, but no spoiler here if you haven’t made it this far.

The poster is a two-color screen print on French Speckletone Cream 80 lb. stock.  Check out some closeup images below to see how we used transparent red ink printed on top of a brown halftoned image to create variations in color.  We were thrilled to see so many fans of the show respond to the poster and even go to the lengths of having them signed by the full cast of the show.  Check out the blog of Mike The Fanboy to see some up close and personal shots of the event. The poster is now available in the DKNG store.

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

Umphrey’s McGee is one of those colorful bands with a cult following that always puts on a good show.  For their current tour, the band decided to create a poster subscription so their fans could own every poster created for the tour.  We were lucky enough to be included in the roster of artists chosen for the series, and our poster is for their two-night stop in St. Louis, Missouri.  Since the show is coinciding with this year’s Mardi Gras celebration, the band requested a Mardi Gras themed design, for which we came up with this part skull, part jester party mask that would be right at home on Bourbon Street.

The Artist Edition of this print is a four-color screen print on Curious Metallics Cryogen White paper and has an edition of 100.  This poster will be for sale in the DKNG store beginning on February 10 at a random time.  Check out some closeup photos of the poster below.

ARTIST ROSTER

ORIGINAL SKETCH

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

It’s always a pleasure creating posters for the Seattle Theatre Group and for this project, we had the opportunity to create a poster for the band fun.  By strange coincidence, we had been brainstorming about the idea of using a popsicle or ice cream cone as a way to represent the playful style of the band.  Then we happened upon an interview with the band where they discussed how they came up with their name.  Oddly enough, they had initially considered the name “Ice Cream” but late decided that “fun.” would be a broader way to capture the playful feel they had in mind.

↳ Check out the video above of fun. explaining the origin of their name

For the poster, we decided to expand beyond an ice cream cone and create an ice cream truck.  We had some fun creating the menu and trying to recreate some of our favorite childhood treats in iconic form.  See if you can identify some of the classics.

This poster is a 24″ x 18″ four-color screen print.  It has an edition of 150 and is printed on Curious Metallics Cryogen White paper.  Check out some closeup images below of the finished product.  This poster is available now in the DKNG Store.

REFERENCE IMAGERY

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

Launch LA is an annual trade show that features California lifestyle brands including clothing, accessories, and gadgets from a range of brands, artists, and designers.  The event takes place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica which is a dramatic industrial space at the Santa Monica airport.

For the 2013 show, we were tasked with creating the event poster which will also serve as the key art for this year’s branding.  With the event taking place at an aviation hangar, and Launch’s unique paper plane icon, we decided to incorporate both into a squadron of paper airplanes soaring above the Santa Monica coastline.

We created 3 original sketches for the brainstorming process which you can view below along with a process video and close up shots of the physical print.

ORIGINAL SKETCHES

PROCESS VIDEO

CLOSE UP SHOTS

↳ Click on or rollover the image above for a magnified view

Over the summer we had the opportunity to create a poster for Dave Matthews Band’s stop in West Palm Beach, Florida.  We were thrilled to be invited back for more and we’re excited to announce our new poster for their recent show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The poster is a four color print on Cougar Natural paper and was printed by our friends at The Half and Half.  We were inspired by cold Ontario winters and its wildlife including maple trees and elk.

The full edition size of the print is 575. However, our allotment is much more limited and will be available in our store early next week.  We are also creating a new process video for this poster which provides a glimpse into how we created some of the detailed elements of this print including the hundreds of branches and thousands of leaves.  Our design/illustration reference imagery, original sketch and close up photos of the finished print are below.

Just a heads up, we will be creating an art print version of this poster, which will include additional tweaks and details to make it extra special. We will most likely be releasing that print early next year.

REFERENCE IMAGERY

ORIGINAL SKETCH

PROCESS VIDEO

CLOSE UP SHOTS