MICHAEL CRAMPTON INSPIRES A HEALTHIER SNACK-TIME

Warning: If you weren't hungry for a yummy snack before arriving at this post... you're about to be. Murray Brand Communications hired Michael Crampton to create a whimsical package illustration for a new Granola Snack product. The background needed to evoke the Oregon Willamette Valley countryside and stylistically it had to appear fresh, unique, and organic in texture.

"To maximize brand awareness and quickly communicate a message of "delicious and healthy on-the-go snacking", Murray Brand Communications designed Willamette Valley Granola Company's new product packaging with an emphasis on whimsical outdoor illustrations and a vibrant color palette. This design strategy serves to create a visual buzz at retail, brand block the competition and quickly draw the consumer's attention to a new product offering. The result is a visual signature that not only creates exceptional brand awareness on shelf but also intuitively conveys the brand's essence of friendly, portable, all natural, and uniquely delicious."

          -Packaging of the World

 CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM MICHAEL CRAMPTON'S PORTFOLIO

ANDRIO ABERO: DESIGN GURU

We're kicking off 2012 with a huge new talent on the Mendola roster and his name is Andrio Abero. Andrio is a Filipino-American illustrator, art director, and designer living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He has worked with Microsoft, Comedy Central, The New York Times, and is a recipient of the ADC Young Guns 4 award along with many other accolades. Between his high-end technique, unique palette, and conceptual mastery, the sky is the limit for this young design guru.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM ANDRIO ABERO'S PORTFOLIO

Pick a Month, Any Month!

Here it is folks-- the much anticipated 2012 Mendola Artists Calendar is out and we're at the edge of our seats to hear what you think about it! Each illustration was chosen to coordinate with a particular month. Please pick your favorite image and send your comments to Mandi@mendolaart.com.

COVER BY HUGH SYME

JANUARY BY BILL LEDGER

FEBRUARY BY BUNKY HURTER

MARCH BY MICHAEL CRAMPTON

APRIL BY ROBERT HYNES

MAY BY JEFF MANGIAT

JUNE BY MONA DALY

JULY BY JULIA GREEN

AUGUST BY AARON SACCO

SEPTEMBER BY BILL MAUGHAN

OCTOBER BY JOE TAYLOR

NOVEMBER BY NEIL DUERDEN

DECEMBER BY CAROLINE ATTIA

The Image Foundation: Seamless Solutions for Complex Concepts

We're excited to share these two new pieces by The Image Foundation. This CGI and creative retouching studio has yet again proved to be a reliable source for completing complicated assignments with skillful creativity. 

 The Image Foundation created an enticing tree out of gifts, paying homage to all of the holiday happiness UPS delivers each year. The client, Doner Advertising in Detroit, asked for "a beautifully stacked tree of toys--  not a heap".  Easier said then done.  Almost all the elements of the tree were created as 3D models, retouched in photoshop, carefully layered,  and then composited into a wintry background.

Here are two samples of the project in its development stages. A clean, concise sketch was drawn, followed up by some art direction and then a 3-D grayscale model was built.

The art director's sketch.

This piece was created for a Boston Magazine article about a recent increase in gambling and casino culture in Boston. The Image Foundation married a high-energy night-scape of the Vegas strip to the Boston skyline.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM THE IMAGE FOUNDATION'S PORTFOLIO

DAHL TAYLOR DRAWS FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL WORKBOOK CREATIVE CARNIVAL AT THE ART DIRECTORS CLUB

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM DAHL TAYLOR'S PORTFOLIO

Here is an excerpt from the Workbook blog regarding the event:

"Workbook's Creative Carnival party took place Thursday night, and the event was an outrageous, smashing success. With the outstanding mid-town Art Directors Club as the venue, The more than fifty photographers and illustrators took center stage to create their impressions of the Carnival scene. Twenty-five Workbook illustrators sketched what they saw, and at least as many Workbook photographers shot the scene: a contortionist, freak show, lion tamer, and burlesque performers. How about drag queens serving incredible libations and hors de oeuvres? Creative Carnival was not your average cocktail party by any means. Workbook kicked off Halloween weekend with a unique vibe that created a night no attendee will forget anytime soon. Nothing was too strange, too abstract or too risque, and an anything-goes mood defined the evening."

Workbook also announced that 43 of the pieces created were sold on site for a total of $2,150. This money will go to the ADC Scholarship Fund, which awards 5 scholarships each year for exceptional art and photography students. 

POKED STUDIO POKES OUR APPETITE!

 

Poked Studio recently put some of their signature creatures on the packaging for a new line of children’s milk products for Tine, a dairy corporation in Scandinavia. Although these products are geared toward kids, the artwork makes them appealing to a variety of consumers. Poked Studio's ability to captivate an audience through original and whimsical creations makes them a perfect candidate for projects ranging from package design to publishing.


CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM POKED STUDIO'S PORTFOLIO

CAROLINE ATTIA ANIMATES THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR JIM BIANCO'S SONG "ELEVATOR OPERATOR"

 

In this music video I animated for Jim Bianco, I created a character design with a retro feeling. I wanted the colors to pop with the music so in the beginning I chose to make them more quiet. I used a mix of flash for the character animation and then After Effects to polish the look of the video. The challenge was to create cartoon versions of the band members and the amount of freedom I had on this project was pretty exciting.

-Caroline Attia

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM CAROLINE ATTIA'S PORTFOLIO 

HAVE A SPOT OF MILKY TEA!

We're excited to announce a new relationship with Milky Tea, an exceptional 3D studio.  Milky Tea is a complete on-demand digital illustration, animation and interactive production resource. This UK based group has worked with a number of internationally renowned brands including Sony, BBC and Lloyds TSB. Along with examples of their final art, we've also shared some of their impressive sketch work below.

 

 

 CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE WORK FROM MILKY TEA'S PORTFOLIO