Right Past The Turnpike Gates

I FUQING SEE YOU

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:06:58 -0400

yeyeyeee beeeeeee

Choker is a novel by Elizabeth Woods, published by Simon and...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:06:43 -0400

Choker is a novel by Elizabeth Woods, published by Simon and Schuster and with a cover designed by Andrea C. Uva. The cover seems rather innocent at first glance. Coloured pink and white with only a bit of black, it seems to recall decorative vintage silhouette illustrations. The cursive typeface and the silhouette rose add to this effect. However, as one looks closer, they see that the background silhouettes are of trees, whose branches reach up (or towards the centre point of the composition) and grasp. The fact that they are white brings to mind inverted images and give the trees and almost sinister feel. The viewer can almost imagine that they are in those woods all alone, looking up to the sky and seeing only the tangled, grasping hands of the trees. It works wonderfully with the theme of the novel, which has to deal with missing peoples and mental illnesses.

The grasping trees also act to draw the viewer’s eye into the centre of the composition, where the title and the author’s name are positioned. Because both are black, they have the highest contrast in the composition and naturally draw the eye as well.

Overall, the cover of Chokerby Elizabeth Woods is a compelling one that will grasp the reader’s attention and leave them wondering what exactly sinister things they can find between the pages.

It is the day of February first 2012 at 10:29 p.m Y U NO UPDATE ART BLOG?! FUUUUUUU I shall await thy reply. Whenever that may be.

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:40:12 -0500

ohhh wowowoowowwww. I am so sorry! I am letting this blog slowly wilt and I did not mean to :( Sorry to my 15 followers! I-I’ll talk about a book cover and do a book review soon I promiiisseeeee (Do not quote me on that XD )

helloupthere: Cathedral :>

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:50:32 -0500

helloupthere:

Cathedral

:>

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey 448 pages (hardcover) Simon...

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:20:18 -0500

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

448 pages (hardcover)

Simon & Schuster

This was a truly horrific, macabre novel that made my blood run cold and kept me captivated every step of the way that Will Henry took while following his Master.

I didn’t really enjoy how the book began. The reader is introduced to the main character William James Henry as a delusional man who has lived extraordinarily long, but had just died, and what would make up The Monstrumologist are actually three of his journals, which are so fantastical that they could only be fiction, even though they feature his own life. I found this… disheartening and bleak. I couldn’t imagine that there would be any possibilities for Will Henry. The whole time that I read about him, I kept on thinking, ‘He’s going to die,’ and even though he would live a long life, he had an end. You usually don’t come across that too much in literature with the main characters. So that made it hard to really feel emotionally connected to Will Henry initially.

The pacing is really quick for this book. It starts off with a stranger at Will Henry’s Master’s (Doctor Pellinor Warthrop) doorstep, bringing with him an even stranger and horrific load on a foggy night. There is a lot of description that may slow down the book however, but perhaps the excellent descriptions are what make this book so haunting and horrific. The encounters are told with such vivid and macabre clarity that they feel real in the mind’s eye. It disturbed me sure, but it kept true to the nature of the rest of the book, withholding nothing to tell the truth. And I loved it for that. A few simple days felt like a week with the descriptions, but this is very believable, considering Will Henry hardly slept during those two days.

As the book went on I started actually feeling for and connecting with Will Henry, forgetting the prologue and letting myself get attached. I love his interactions with the Doctor, how their relationship grew, and I think that he really loved him, even though he thoroughly denied that fact. And, if not, then the Doctor loved him, no matter how the Doctor had treated him before. The Doctor was quite hilarious, and I grew fond of his character too. I could understand how he treated Will Henry. Yancey gives reason for it, even though the reason doesn’t excuse his behaviour. All of the characters I found were likeable, or at least enjoyable to read about. Kearns gave me the willies with his morbid enthusiasm, but I still loved him for his eccentric behaviour. I also loved what was revealed about Kearns in the very end of the book- it fit perfectly into his character, and was very believable.

This probably isn’t the book to read if you’re faint at heart or looking for a girl-power book. I could probably count the female characters that actually make a living appearance on one hand. And, considering that the novel takes place in New England just after the Civil war, the female characters aren’t treated too well.

I also loved the way it ended. It wasn’t how I thought it would end, having twisted the whole way with Yancey’s clever planting of foreshadowed events, but it ended on a good note. It gave a possibility for more for Will Henry, when, at the beginning, all I could think of was the end. Will Henry’s death, along with Pellinor’s death, which was riddled with blame in my mind, was the only end I could see at the very beginning. But I was pleased, along with the fact that the ending gave Will Henry a possible future, that the Doctor was also not as guilty as I first thought he was in Will Henry’s death.

The Monstrumologist is truly a horror novel, fantastical yet at the same time realistic, exploring life and, of course, death, and the nature of morality.

Also, did anyone catch a possible Dracula allusion? Now, I found that the novel reminded me of Dracula in a small way, probably with character interactions and whatnot, but at the end of The Monstrumologist they mentioned a Doctor Abram Von Helrung and in Dracula there is the Doctor Abraham Van Helsing. Coincidence? We’ll have to wait and see. I’m very excited for the next instalment, The Curse of the Wendigo.

(Now this review was written right after I first finished the book, shortly after it was originally published in 2009. Nonetheless, this book is still one of my favourites.)

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus book 1) by Rick Riordan 576...

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:36:31 -0500

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus book 1) by Rick Riordan

576 pages

Hyperion / Disney

Review: This start to a new series definitely did not disappoint. Following Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, it was a strong beginning that rivals the original series. The new characters that were introduced were totally believable, and the three different narratives flowed naturally and smoothly. All three of them held different tones to distinguish between them. Leo’s narrative in particular was very fun because of all of the character’s personality that was relayed simply through the narrative and choice of wording (and come one, let’s face it— I totally fell in love with Leo when he said “Let’s boogie.” I absolutely love it when author’s are able to create quirky dialogue and sayings that seem to come naturally to the characters, like in the Uglies and the Leviathan trilogies by Scott Westerfeld for example [‘totally bubbly’ and ‘you’re a bumrag’ ‘barking spiders’ ect ect] )

Some parts of the plot were a tad bit predictable, but that doesn’t mean that the book was dull. The plot was definitely exciting and fast paced, and although there were some predictable plot points, there was also a large number of parts where I was trying to figure out what would happen. And I still can’t stop thinking about the book, so that’s a good sign.

Overall, I really loved this book. It totally sucked me in to a whole new adventure involving the demigods new and old. Rick’s entire demigod series totally revived Greek Mythology in my mind and made it more than a ‘dead’ religion that I had learned about in grade five, and that’s amazing.

I can’t wait to read about Percy again in the next installment, The Son of Neptune, which I must get my hands on soon.

bennyweir answered your question: So now that my semester is done, I no longer need to do design...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:52:53 -0500

bennyweir answered your question: So now that my semester is done, I no longer need to do design critiques.

DON’T YOU DARE DELETE THIS BLOG I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN

Oh god don’t worry, I wasn’t thinking of deleting it XD I like the url too much. Just, you know, changing it’s purpose or allowing it to stagnate.

So now that my semester is done, I no longer need to do design critiques.

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:48:01 -0500

Ergo, this blog now no longer has a purpose, unless I decide to do design critiques for my own pleasure.

But, I was thinking of doing something similar, like book reviews, from now on.

I am almost done reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

What say you?

Photo

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:35:11 -0500

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:45:31 -0500

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Source: http://www.tor.com/

Critique: The cover for Deathless (By Catherynne M. Valente and published by Tor Books) was designed by Peter Lutjen with artwork by Beth White. The cover itself is meant to look like a print, and reference a russian propaganda poster with the use of flat plane and black white and red. The illustration on the front also references the fairy tale theme of the book— how it is a retelling of a folk story— while the lines help to lead the eye around the illustration. The main figure is slightly off center, making her placement pleasing to the eye. Red is used sparingly, but helps balance the composition by only being used on The title of the book and the author’s last name— both very important elements to the book.

Date: Monday, November 28, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:41:38 -0500

Date: Monday, November 28, 2011

Source: http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/

Critique: This gorgeous dress by Alexander McQueen is set up on a simple background, on a featureless mannequin. The plain grey background helps the red colours pop and stand out, while the lighting expertly showcases all of the highlights of the dress. The reds seem to glow and all of the folds are defined in detail. The lighting also sets a mood that gives the overall photograph a dark, fairy tale feeling, tying in with the theme of the dress and putting it in its best ‘light’.

Date: Friday, November 24, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:10:54 -0500

Date: Friday, November 24, 2011

Source: http://www.harpercollins.com/

Critique: The cover for The Good Muslim (written by Tahmima Anam and published by HarperCollins) uses elements of design in order to create attention in a classy way. The title of the book, which is most important, has a soft, non jarring contrast with the background colour that draws attention to it. As well, the line created from behind the pattern shapes of birds leads the eye through the entire composition, drawing on the gestalt theory when the lines leave the confines of the cover. The use of pattern is also interesting and pleasing to the eye, yet not overwhelming and obnoxious, creating a very pleasing book cover that would draw the potential reader to the book by the cover alone.

Date: Thursday, November 23, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:06:32 -0500

Date: Thursday, November 23, 2011

Source: http://www.daleunavuelta.net/cms/index.php?idart=54

Critique: This ad by Dale Una Vuelta is effective. Titled “Think Faster” the head of the woman in blurred, directly tying in with the title, as the head is where one thinks. As well, ad would suggest that the trains it is showcasing are faster than what is normally fast. They are described as intelligent, which also ties in nicely to why only the head is blurred. As well, the movement of the scarf adds nicely to the composition so that the blurred head is not jarring. The Scarf also draws the eye along the title after the eye is finished taking in the phenomenon of the head, and the overlapping of the scarf and words is pleasing.

Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:52:31 -0500

Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2011

Source: http://www.mateuszkolek.com/#

Critique: This editorial illustration by Mateusz Kolek, is for The fan issue of ESPN Magazine, for their “stand, cheer, drink some beer” series of illustrations. Illustration the rage or general crazy mood of fans during a sports game, the fan in the centre, who is taken back by this showing, stands out clearly. He is framed by the other fans by arms and heads in an organic way that isn’t abrasive, and the eye is led towards him by the large foam finger that points to his face, in which the viewer will take in his expression. His expression is contrasted against all the other figures’ expressions, which creates interest. Lastly, his general colouring greatly defines him from the chaos, because he is coloured in light, gentle tones, while the other figures are all very dark. However, there are tones of blue throughout the composition that connect the main figure to the chaotic figures, and this creates harmony.

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:44:00 -0500

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2011

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlloyd/5361218666/in/set-72157626475564771

Critique: This poster, by Jordan Lloyd, serves to commemorate horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. The use of abstract and organic shape is appealing to illustrating this. While the form is symmetrical and thus pleasing to the eye, it is not boring because of the intricate detail. It also contrasts against the light off white background, making it pleasing. As the eye wanders through the abstract shape, they cannot help but try to find ominous shapes within the shape itself, and the eye will continue around and around the shape in order to do so. The use of a very cool grey also adds to the effect of mystery and foreboding.

Date: Monday, November 20, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:15:35 -0500

Date: Monday, November 20, 2011

Source: http://mikeyburton.com/#811182/Logo-Identity

Critique: This logo, designed by Mikey Burton, is simple and effective. It incorporates both the theme of a mountain resort with a casino with the limited use of symbols to create a compact design. The tip of a mountain— important because the word mountain is part of the client’s name— is peaking over the center of the title. Because they are both the same colour, they seem to merge— definition is made through contrast between different planes of colour that work together. Also, the end of a spade merges out from under the title, connecting the resort to it’s purpose of a casino. Because of Gestalts theory, although the mountain tip and bottom of the spade are not connected by line, they seem to be connected to make one large spade.

Date: Friday, November 17, 2011 Source:...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:08:21 -0500

Date: Friday, November 17, 2011

Source: http://www.harpercollins.com/

Critique: This cover of Clash of Demons (by Joseph Delaney and published by an imprint of HarperCollins) was designed by Paul Zakris and Chad W Beckerman with art from Patrick Arrasmith. Relying heavily on the illustration, the cover is dynamic in its use of line. Line is present through out the illustration, defining areas and creating movement throughout the cover. This movement, coupled with the giant vertical column of flame and the gazes of the silhouetted figures draws the eye upwards, where it takes in the title. The title also seems to be at the center of a circle (though the edges are lost behind the title) that draws the eye there as well. The title is also the lightest part on the dark sky, creating attention with contrast. Lastly, the composition is slightly off center, making it pleasing.

Date: Thursday, November 16, 2011 Source:...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:58:52 -0500

Date: Thursday, November 16, 2011

Source: http://www.escapeintolife.com/artist-watch/eric-fortune/

Critique: In the Sea, an acrylic illustration by Eric Fortune, shows a great deal of movement that draws the viewer through the illustration. The figure is standing in the sea and waves push against him. The wave is separated neatly into three sections, and each section distorts the figure noticeably, making it seem as if he himself is also separated. This illusion causes movement and really makes him look as if he is being pushed around by the wave. The lines of the wave also direct the viewer around the composition.

Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Source:...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:54:52 -0500

Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Source: http://www.ciesemier.com/default.htm

Critique: This illustration by Kali Ciesemier found in Spirituality and Health Magazine helps to support the idea of the article that it illustrates, which is about helping terminally ill people cope with death. The figure and her environment have a spiritual quality to them in the way that they are stylized. She floats in what could quite possibly be space because there are stars in the background— often the stars were thought of as spiritual entities and the sky is thought of as the heavens. There also seems to be an ‘energy’ coming off of the figure and swirling around her, as well as energy swirling inside of her body. This energy radiates out and points the reader towards the article. As well, the figure has a serene expression on her face, as if she has come to terms with something, like death. The way the text is positioned also compliments the illustration as it fits around the figure, and keeps directing the eye back to her periodically so that the reader can use it to link with the arguments in the article. Overall, it is a very captivating opening spread.

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011 Source:...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:06:28 -0500

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011

Source: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/publishing_back-bay-books.aspx

Critique: The cover for Eating Animals (Written by Jonathan Safran Foer and published by Back Bay Books) was designed by gray318 and Hachette Book Group, Inc. Relying entirely on text to not only capture the viewer’s attention but also tell about the book, the designer leaves hardly any negative space but has placed the text in such a way that it does not seem crowded. The text is visually interesting because of how they portray animals. The word EATING seems to be covered in feathers, like a bird (shown in small feathers falling from the words) and the word ANIMALS is covered in fur. The text of the author’s name also takes on the likeness of plants (although the author’s first name may have the likeness of barbed wire which is somewhat confusing). The title has slightly more visual weight than the author’s name, but because the author’s name takes up more space than the title, attention is somewhat divided. However, the viewer is not confused as to where the title ends and the author’s name begins, because it is separated by ‘national bestseller’ in a smaller type. Overall, it is a very intriguing title that causes curiosity and will draw in readers.