Ryan vs. Clark

Have at You!

Ryan — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:47:47 +0000

The last couple weeks have been a little crazy to say the least. My wife and I’s push to finish the nursery for Asher is in full swing, hopefully with some process pics coming next week once all the furniture is assembled and decorations found.

In the meantime I have been making headway in a couple regards. See below:

1. A site redesign. Ideas are on paper, doodles in Photoshop, and now all that remains is a large chunk of free-time. Easy. I am excited to get a site up that reflects a little better the things I’ve learned in my first 7 months with the FORGE crew.

2. Talking to some friends about a little design collective / outlet possibly starting up this fall. I (and many of my friends) love to goof around and might as well make an official home for it all.

3. Speaking of goofing around, I just finished a print I want to get printed up. It’s a collection of random inside jokes, mustaches, and monocles. Oh and boxing. I made a desktop background for anyone who wants it below. Details about prints are forthcoming!

That is all for now…Cheerio!

Friend Friday – Lady Bear Crafts

Ryan — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:22:39 +0000

I have many a talented friend. One of those just so happens to be Rachael Smith, the hands behind Lady Bear Crafts. Rachael creates AWESOME hand stitched cards and bookmarks for just about any occasion you would want to give a card for. And who wouldn’t want to give a card with a pirate-whale or sailor seahorse. The color palette is great and the execution is top-notch. If you have an occasion forthcoming, check out her store!

Sometimes Functionality is King

Ryan — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:31:16 +0000

I am a form-over-function guy. I pride myself on making things look better than they did before. I design things. I do it for a living. I also have recently realized that there are some things designers (me) tend to over do. But, when it comes to the web-form, functionality is king.

Forms are ugly. Really, we’re talking about boxes you put type in with little labels. I used to strive to find ways to make them crazy and cool and unique, then I read a book that totally changed my view of web-forms and hopefully will change yours too. Everyone hop on over to Rosenfeld and get Web Form Design by Luke Wroblewski. This book will totally change the way you approach those mundane web-forms also know as sign-ups and checkout processes. Learn to love the form. I know I have.

Bear Desktop BKG

Ryan — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:24:02 +0000

This one is going to be short, but I just wanted to share a desktop I whipped up for my pal Chance. You can have it too. Oh and it is 1680 x 1050 px. Enjoy!

Brrrrrrrr

Ryan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:59:03 +0000

For the last couple weeks I’ve been working on a bunch of new animals for A Modern Eden. Buried in those illustrations is a whole new section of arctic and antarctic animals. I like the narwhal the best! Check them all out below.

A Modern Eden Posters

Ryan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:30:38 +0000

A while ago, I got the awesome opportunity to visit Vahalla Studios in Kansas City. I wanted to get the Modern Eden posters printed by someone awesome, and Dan and the guys didn’t disappoint! Jeremy, Jän, and I took a little roadtrip to press-check everything (more just because we wanted to see the process in action), and I put some of the process shots below. To see more pics from the trip, check out FORGE’s Flickr Stream.

Be a Biographer — The Blind Project

Ryan — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:30:07 +0000

I recently wrapped up some designs for the guys over at The Blind Project, a non-profit doing it’s part to end human trafficking in Southeast Asia. I was asked by my pal Dave, who is a liason there, and jumped at the chance to help out.

The designs are part of a site by TBP, Be a Biographer, which is a crowd-sourced clothing line, with the aim of telling three unique and true stories, from real girls caught in the web of sex-slavery. The designs posted will become apparel and gallery art, with a final few being judged by the likes of Alex Bogusky (of Crispin porter + Bogusky) and Annalynne McCord (of the new 90210). So if you’re an aspiring designer, check it out, and do some good.

Mike Carr Business Cards

Ryan — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:35:22 +0000

Just wanted to toss up a few photos of the business card I designed for Michael Carr. Mike is a long-time friend and incredibly talented photographer based in Chicago, IL. The cards were letterpressed by Dolce Press in NYC and are absolutely gorgeous. They are also almost cardboard thick (good luck fitting more than 3 in your wallet).

A Modern Eden

Ryan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:04:45 +0000

Here’s a little sneak peek of my upcoming project, A Modern Eden. I’m currently working with the dudes at FORGE and the mighty Chance Graham to unleash some beautiful animal-inspired products for babies, kids, and adults. Prints, apparel, and even an iPhone/iPad app are forthcoming. Follow me on twitter for more details and sneak peeks of the illustration process!

Ultra-Beats and Apologies…

Ryan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:32:53 +0000

I would like to officially apologize for the blog hiatus. Stay tuned this week for some sneak peeks into what has been keeping me away from this blog that I love so dearly. I promise it will be worth the wait! And in the meantime, here’s the picture of my wife’s last ultrasound. I swear that baby did the robot the entire time. And I don’t know where the boom-box came from.