Archive for June, 2010

I created three ink & watercolor drawings as a wedding gift this weekend. It’s been years since I created some finished artwork entirely by hand — there’s an element of excitement to having no option to “undo”. I drew the herbs from life, tying and hanging each to draw. Then I took a photo for color reference and added the watercolor using the photos.

I added the labels by printing them backwards, making a laser photocopy, and transferring the ink to the drawing using xylene (a wonderfully toxic solvent/cleaner). The transfer came out far too light, so I used a 005 micron pen to trace the type by hand. It was the last detail I added to the finished drawings. The effect is perfect, and after a half hour my nerves had sufficiently recovered from the ordeal.

I cashed in a personal rain check last week by picking up The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. I loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and really liked hearing Chabon interviewed by Terry Gross, so it was a good bet I’d enjoy it.

Let’s see. It’s a detective novel, in a foreign locale, steeped in foreign culture & folklore, and dealing with the murder of a messiah figure. Um… win, win, win, and win.

Add a handsome jacket design by Will Staehle. I don’t know book jacket designers aside from Chip Kidd, but Staehle has some other nice designs I found here.