Jou, 216 (Print Ad Project)

 Create a print ad for a product of your invention. 

Starcraft themed collectible energy drinks modeled after the represented concept. 
I tried drawing them, failed, and used the internet instead. I also learned about photoshop while doing it, which shows in the quality between the images.

Huzzah.

Christmas Crafts

Random Christmas crap.

Button Rings

Button ring demo.

Jou, 216 (Blog Entry 6, One Thousand Words)

  In the city of San Francisco, it's an obsession.  As with all art, there are often different motivations behind the piece.  Be it for aesthetics, politics, memorandum; anger, love, hate.  All of these can be found on display on sides of buildings, down secret alleyways, and hidden in plain view.

Graffiti is not a new concept.  "A deliberate mark made by scratching or engraving on a large surface such as a wall" by definition, the practise runs all through history.  Humans innately want to leave their imprint behind for future generations; if not for self-glorification, then for information and assistance for generations to come.

In modern days, the act is viewed as a form of rebellion.  Modern versions of graffiti in the US have been around since the 1920s, first showing up on railroad cars and subway trains in New York City.

An image of a bald man with a long nose looking over a fence with the words "Kilroy was here" etched next to him became iconic during World War I.  Servicemen would sketch the image during their travels wherever they would camp out, leaving behind a sign to represent their occupation and as an inside joke among soldiers.

The concept of leaving a mark for others of your kind is not a novel concept, many groups and cults have been known for leaving a symbol for others in their collective, including the Freemasons, fraternities, and many rumoured secret societies.

Some forms of graffiti are used to claim areas for certain groups, gangs, or "taggers" as their territory.  Those marks are usually very elementary in execution and rarely have more than just the name of the collective.

In San Francisco, graffiti is an art.

Space is hard fought for in the city, often going down the same alley within a week will have new art for display.  The streets are open air galleries for any to explore, so long as they're ready for a windy walk.  Multiple alleyways dedicated to artistic expression, the walls dripping with colour and styles of all types.  There are those who pull from historical styles like the mural pictured above near a holistic animal hospital in Oakland.  Others focus on photorealism, fantasy, colour composition, political agendas, and even children's cartoons.

Different communities are represented on the walls of the city, showing its diversity and history with vivid imagery for all to understand.

 Some pieces show a fantastic gift for art and design, creating beautiful visages in unexpected places.

In an alley visible from a elementary school playground in the innercity.

Graffiti artists are often much more considerate and proactive to the community than the stereotype most adhere to.  The entire alley behind an elementary school was covered in children's characters, alphabet and counting references, and even a field of flowers with peace signs for petals.

Local churches, charities, and public health groups are known for enlisting artists to help spread goodwill and beautify the city.

In the 1980s, the YMCA commissioned some artists to paint murals commemorating Asian-American history and accomplishments in San Francisco's Chinatown area.  The murals were varying in style and colour, depicting different triumphs through history, including Asian-American athletes, cultural history, and modern contributions to society.

Just wandering the streets can give you visual documentation of the history and composition of the neighbourhood.  Each district has its own distinct style and flavour, trumpeting the local palette with a myriad of reds, blues, and yellows in an intimate dance on any surface available.