Thursday, February 18, 2010

Banner Retrospective

Hey guys, I hope that you like the new banner. After I put it up, I realized that I should put all the banners I've done together in one post so you could see them all. So here goes.
Ahh, the first banner. An illustration collage that simultaneously demonstrates the randomness of my characters and my ignorance of standard web banner sizes.* The second banner is much cleaner, computer-y, and (dare I say) feminine? This marks my exploration into designing across multiple software platforms (in this case photoshop and illustrator). "Get Some" is the first of many experiments that I did with optical illusions. It eventually grew into a cover I did for my publications class. The forgotten mascot of the Daily Hat starred in this banner that also draws influence from kitschy 60's design patterns. I don't think he is dead quite yet, merely lying dormant at the bottom of the ocean a la Godzilla. Mechanical shark is a testament to the inner workings of the blog itself. Sleek and deadly on the outside, confusing and ripe with whirs and buzzes on the inside. Shiny in both sides. Notice now that I am fully aware of correct banner sizes.
While the evolution of the banner is perhaps not the most interesting material for a post ever conceived, it does feel a bit like those annoying clip shows that sitcoms do when the want to take a week off, I do think that the similarities and differences they exhibit are of some note. Kinda of a mini time capsule of the blog over it's first year of existence. Here is to another successful year. After all, it's all about you guys. Otherwise I am just shouting into the internet, which is pathetic.
*actually this was the second banner. The first banner was only the gentleman with his tongue out and was even more egregiously mis-sized.

4 comments:

  1. Your shark banner always makes me think of the scene in Life Aquatic where Bill Murray gives a tour of the ship using the cut-away to show the different rooms. Wes Anderson in turn got that idea from some early French movie or another (as I recall, there was also a Smashing Pumpkins music vid from the Melancholie and Infinite Sadness album influenced by the same director). I wonder if that was an unintended influence on your design, or just me putting on my interpretive hat.

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  2. I remember when someone tried to draw a shark... I think it was AK, and then you laughed at it and basically pulled a Paul Hogan and said, "That's not a shark..." then drew a perfect shark, "now that's a shark."

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  3. Why'd you have to call me out Ali. Sheesh.

    You should've seen the dinosaur disaster he managed to fix (after laughing at my failed attempt of course). It was magic.

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  4. Nice to see people commenting.

    Mike, I know what you are talking about. Def a Wes Anderson diorama sort of vibe. I wish I could remember the earlier director who did it.

    Brent, I am partial to that one too. That was back when I had enough free time to spend a few hours on a web banner ::sigh::.

    Ali, haha nice. Cam showed me the pic of your epic mustache. Too bad it only lasted one night.

    Miss, I am here to serve. If that means drawing a dinosaur, so be it. Sorry I laughed. If I recall it was pretty funny though.

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