The May Roundup

It’s that time of the month again when I come to you with some of the best things I’ve read and seen on the internet in the last four weeks. My reading has been a bit more arts and designed focused this month it seems, so we’re actually staying on brand for May.

SHORT READS, IF YOU’VE ONLY GOT A FEW MINUTES:

Important lessons Keith Haring taught us about life and art

Even if you don’t know his name (you probably do though), you know Keith Haring’s art. Dazed breaks down some of the life and art lessons we can learn from Haring’s work, 60 years after he was born.

The Art of the Movie Poster in the Age of Netflix

From its offices in a Hollywood movie lot, Percival + Associates designs the key art for some of the most recognizable movies and TV shows. But how do they do it now that they’re all being displayed smaller than a postage stamp on our laptops and phones.

“Subtlety is key”: Rachel Levit on the art of illustrating sensitive themes

For World Mental Health Day, It’s Nice That interviewed one of my favourite illustrators Rachel Levit and really delved into how she manages to cover sensitive, often mental health based, topics with such care and grace. “When I illustrate a piece that deals with delicate, sensitive or controversial issues: subtlety is key,” she tells It’s Nice That. “One cannot be too direct or literal.”

How The BBC Made Its Animated World Cup Film

If I’m honest I couldn’t really care less about the world cup, but I have watched the BBC’s animated, embroidered ad for it at least 7 times. This short video interview with its makers lets you seesaw it’s done, and who doesn’t love a good behind the scenes video?

LONG READS, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO GET YOUR TEETH STUCK INTO:

Designing Ethically Pt. 1

Companies can no longer afford to ignore the ethical ramifications of their products. Kat Zhou explains how designers can pave the way for ethical decision-making in tech.

10 Book Designers Discuss the Book Covers They Rejected, And Why

You know I love book cover design and harbour a not so well hidden desire to design book covers as a job. So when I saw this piece from Electric Literature where 10 incredible cover designers shared their design process and their rejected covers, I knew it was a must-read. I was not disappointed.

What Do We Mean When We Call Art ‘Necessary’?

This is a really well thought through piece of criticism from The New York Times on what we mean when we call a piece of art, be it theatre, painting, or TV, “necessary”. If you’re looking to stimulate your brain cells a little bit more this evening this is the one.

How to Feel Progress

I think we can all agree that as humans, we can’t help but be goal-oriented. We love to move forward. We love to feel a sense of momentum. And, more than anything, we love to tick things off a list. Jocelyn K. Glei offers some great advice on making progress and how to make the work we do feel meaningful.

PS – I wish my blog posts were half as well written as hers so it’s worth a read for style and structure alone.

WHO TO FOLLOW, IF YOU WANT TO SPRUCE UP YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED:

@cynthiakittler

Cynthia Kittler’s brushwork adds so much character to her illustrations plus look at the sassy fun of all of those bell bottom trousers! Her editorial work all fits the brief and the piece it accompanies whilst slotting perfectly into her body of work.

@satoshikurosaki

I found Satoshi Kurosaki’s work through his collaborations with Stay Home Club, and had always loved them, but I’d never seen him on Instagram or any other social sites, until this week. When I saw one of his drawings tagged somewhere else. His social presence is quite understated, misaligned shots of A5 sketched on floorboards and leant up against shelves but that just seems to add something more human to his quirky and confident line drawings.

@indi_kippeum

Want something bright and fun and just a little bit spooky in your life for the summer? Well Indi Kippeum has you covered with her wonderfully childlike illustrations of ghosts, oranges, and everything in between.

@tatjanaprenezel

As soon as I stumbled across Tatjana Prenzel’s Instagram I wanted to share it with everyone I know. Her characters are simple but full of tenderness, texture and movement. She doesn’t have a lot of work up right now but all of it is wonderful. Plus she has 250 followers so if you join the party now you get to join the “I knew her before she was super popular” gang.