** I am unavailable for freelance work until January 2014 **
If you'd like to get in touch about a freelance project or just to say hi, please send me a message using the form or via twitter at @ivonnekn.
~ Ivonne
Milton
Designer and illustrator specializing in brand identity design, web design and UI/UX design, based in Toronto via Milton.
“The typographer’s one essential task is to interpret and communicate the text. Its tone, its tempo, its logical structure, its physical size, all determine the possibilities of its typographic form. The typographer is to the text as the theatrical director to the script, or the musician to the score.”
I used to hate September and the coming of Fall. When I was younger it marked the beginning of school and another year of homework. Though I was always itching to see my friends again and return to the routine, it signaled the end of summer and fun. In University it was worse. As soon as school started it was back to the weekly grind of classes, weekly assignments, homework and late nights.
The one thing I did like was the idea of starting something new. I loved getting my notebooks, my pencils, my backpack and everything all set up for the new school year. Everything had possibility and you can imagine all the great things you're going to learn and do. But then the day-to-day hit and there were deadlines, homework and never enough time to do anything. Once school started going, all the promise of the beginning seemed to disappear.
Every time I start something new or get a new project I'm immediately so pumped and excited. I imagine all the possibilities and am so inspired. Once the project gets rolling, it's about getting things done and staying afloat. Somewhere along the way I left the inspiration and enthusiasm behind. If I take a minute to think about what I'm doing and what I'm working on–the big picture–it comes back, but the problem is that I rarely take that moment. And I've realized that taking that moment makes all the difference.
As a self-confessed perfectionist, I'm trying to keep my perfectionist mindset in check by taking that moment to look at the big picture. It's not about what I imagined or the promise of the beginning. It's about seeing something through to the end and realizing that it is done. If I always stand at the edge of the boat and never dive in or turn around as soon as I hit that water, I'll never know all the beauty that lies underneath the surface.
I've left so many half-baked personal projects because it was different than what I pictured at the beginning. And that makes me lose momentum. But usually they're different because what I imagined doesn't work in real life. In reality, the initial designs or illustrations needed to change for it to be better and more effective. I realize this now. Until now, I've dwelled on the fact that it looks different and I stop mid-way through the project because of it. I don't do this with client projects because there are deadlines and expectations and that helps me push through. That motivation to push through on a personal project is much harder to find because the brief is open ended. It's your project. It's whatever you make it out to be. But I don't want to leave these things behind anymore. I don't want to have these ideas and not see them through, even if they're different than what I initially imagined. It's not about the beginning and the excitement that comes with the promise of something. It's about seeing that promise through to the end and getting things done. When I do accomplish something it's the best feeling in the world. I need to step back mid-way through a project and remember that feeling to help me push to the end. Because I've realized that finishing something is way more important than creating something perfect, because let's be honest, there is no such thing as perfect.
I've been busy illustrating characters for the next installment of Mission 4 of Mission US, which is set in turn-of-the-century New York during the big immigration boom. This time I recorded a few of my illustrations... This is Rosa, a young 14-year old Italian immigrant girl who our main character Lena befriends.
I start these characters with a quick pencil sketch based on some approved historical reference images.
I spent some time exercising my hand drawing abilities to get the hands right, as you can see from the hand sketches around the page.
The pencil sketch is where I make all my illustration decisions and what you see is basically what you get once I digitize it. I make some minor changes and decisions as I digitize it but it's pretty much just tracing and coloring at that point with illustrator, which takes a few hours. There's generally one or two rounds of minor tweaks until we get the final character art...
InDesign Grid Templates
I've been working with InDesign lately experimenting with magazine layouts for a client. I used it a few years ago and I remember how much I love working with layout and typography and compositions. In my experiments and research I found this helpful resource to get you setup with different document sizes and your grids and guides. It has several templates that you can download.
Breaking the Perfectionism-Procrastination Infinite Loop
Denise Jacobs wrote this excellent article for those who are perfectionists and procrastinate as a result. As you get further along in your career and work you learn a lot more about how you work best and what barriers stop you from working well. I've always been good at creating client work and meeting deadlines for paid work. But in my personal work, I find it hard to get my work out because I wait for it to be 'perfect'. I'd like to change that and just show my process and unfinished work as I go, not worrying and waiting for the final 'ta-da' moment to reveal it. This article is really insightful and if you struggle with this, it's a great read.
A Formula for Speaking Fees by Jenn Lukas
This is a helpful guide for anyone interested in speaking in the web industry. Jenn breaks down the costs associated with preparing and speaking at a conference and what that means for you and your business and how to make it worthwhile for both you and your audience. More than anything, I think it helps to remember your value as a speaker and make sure you're getting properly compensated for putting yourself out there and sharing your knowledge with a paying audience.
Father and Son Shaving Set
I love great design and I think Harry's has done such a fantastic job creating and designing their products and the brand. This particular campaign is amazingly awesome and just in time for Father's Day! Order a set for your guy and his little guy.
(I have no affiliation with Harry's, I just think great products are worth supporting)
Image source: https://www.harrys.com/products/fathers-day-set
World Cup 2014 is just around the corner!
I'm not a fan of McDonald's (though I'm guilty of eating a Big Mac and/or fries a few times a year) but in preparation for World Cup 2014, here's an awesome little video commercial to get you pumped for the games this week...
