Dual Backgrounds

I enjoy Layer tennis. Coudal & Co. (the creators) define it as, “Two competitors swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a “volley” and then we post it to the site live.” I still don’t really understand it, but it’s an interesting look into design processes.

I decided to take things personal, play a little layer tennis by myself. Throughout the week I grab things that catch my eye off the monster web, and add them to a photoshop document. Volley, if you will. When it’s “complete”, I make it a background. It’s an effective break from the daily drag. It has a similar calming effect to that “doodle a bunch of squiggles, then fill in some of the shapes with a pen” game.

Not to get too sentimental……but when looking back on these little “sketches”, I realized they’ve become a slice of time, a journal image entry. The news, music and designs of the time. My desktop clutter tells a story too. To me, anyways.

So here’s a select few. I tried to trace back their origins….

Sinatra Bird Scale Fail

@vonster had an awesomely creative post using cassette tape. The fail whale. The bird piano was from a tee fury design. Not at all sure on the New York or mountain scene.

Neutral Whale Do Stuff

I was clearly listening to In the Aeroplane over the sea, with this little yellow guy. Also, reading up on design professionalism. Eric Sloan has some great books about early American life, with great illustrations, ie. the woodpile. Loved this 5by5 inspired wallpaper. Think the whales are from some design shop in New York City……can’t remember though…

Punk Great Success

The space scene is probably from the amazing site: Astronomy Picture of the Day. The quote is from the typography shop. The stupendous type design is lifted from friendsoftype. Not sure where the boy came from…[story of my life]

Wilderness Ampersand Collective

A little simplebits practical art. The glacier field needed a foreground bird, Bob Ross style. Both via Big Picture. Then an album I couldn’t stop listening to or looking at, at the time.

Visual incentive

A few goals I had at the time. I purchased one of them. New Camaro, canon s90, killer icey sunset, a Dave Shea processing image & the dude, abiding and probably not obeying.