Without knowing much about the process of its creation, I still wanted to mention that the abstract works of Erik Natzke are badass. That’s a professional art journalist term. Natzke also manages the transition from static to motion without losing any power in his work. It’s not easy to go back and forth. His motion did bring up a good question though: why do abstract artists always have such good taste in music? Maybe I just think that because I have a Glitch fetish. Maybe that’s why I like Natzke’s stuff so much. Maybe the part of my brain that likes Glitch is the part that looks at art. Neurochemical or not, the shit is still bangin’.

Erik Natzke

A long, long time ago, or maybe not that long. One long. I came across the work of Jean Jullien. It’s innovative and makes me think of Michel Gondry movies. Is it a requirement that if you’re French then you’re a talented designer? Let’s throw Philippe Starck in as exhibit C. Just don’t be mean and smoke cigarettes at me, French People. That’s all I ask. That, and don’t ever quit designing and having fun, Jean Jullien. I’m really bad at maintaining a stream of context today. Did I ever tell you how much I like clouds?

Jean Jullien

I’m a little late in posting this one, but Sweet GIFs is giving the animated GIF a makeover for the 22nd century.

Sweet GIFs

Generally the Daily Videos post takes care of things like this, but I just wanted to elaborate on how much I like design firm reels. It’s like a film trailer, but with images of great design. I’ve mentioned previously that I think film trailers are generally better than the movies they advertise, but it’s not exactly the same for design reels. Generally the firm’s work is just as good as the 3 second preview of it in the reel, but most of the time I don’t have the patience to sift through everything in their portfolio. Enter reels to make it easy and rock-tastic for me to check out a protfolio. Think about if something else boring was designed like this? Like dictionaries. Some fucking loud ass music and colorful images flashing past, while you’re flipping through looking for the definition of triskaidekaphobia, would be nice. Or waiting in line at the DMV. Anyway, I like reels, and the one from Born is pretty good.

Born

For some reason videos made entirely of typography never lose their appeal to me. For some reason the part of me that gets laid wants to punch the part of me that just wrote that sentence in the face. The turmoil of mankind continues.

Also, I think Abbott and Costello were fucking amazing.

I can still remember standing in the arcade for hours playing Tekken. Most of the time it was me versus the computer but sometimes a chump would come in off the street play against me. I think I lost once or twice, but I always won the re-match. It was a small town and what the hell else was I going to do during the day? Street Fighter was never my game. As far as I know Jeremiah is the undisputed champ of Capcom’s original gem. I’ve never beaten him. Or maybe once with E. Honda or something. Jeremiah and the rest of you out there who lived and loved that game are in for a real treat today. It seems that Capcom have released the teaser for the upcoming release of Street Fighter IV, and I almost cried it looks so badass. I’ll say no more. The video can speak for itself.

video found via Kitsune Noir

I’ve posted before about Pixar’s most awesome film to date: Ratatouille. Now that I’ve seen it and can say that it is undeniably the best film they’ve ever made animation-wise, they’ve sweetened the pot even more. Pixar has made available a series of virtual tours of the various settings from the movie in all their lushly rendered glory. The level of detail is astonishing and the soft beauty with which the animation is crafted really captures the soft lights and warm glow associated with Paris. Well done, geeks, well done.]

Ratatouille Virtual Tour

Isreali illustrator and motion graphics designer Gal Shkedi has a ridiculous awesome music video for Tom Waits’ Starving in the Belly of a Whale. The video was a Gal’s graduation project at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. Go. Watch. Drool.

Starving in the Belly of a Whale

If the name Joshua Davis doesn’t mean anything to you then you aren’t paying close enough attention. Innovative, influential, uber-talented, and widely renowned designer are only a beginning to what he has accomplished in his tenure in the design world. He’s responsible for developing entirely new systems for using technology to create original designs. And I don’t mean he’s just well versed in photoshop. I mean that he’s created systems that follow a set of variables to create completely original works themselves without his help. I can’t say enough about how important he is. I think he and I should play catch in the front yard sometime.

Joshua Davis
His Flickr

British design firm on the grow, McFaul is making ads that are so colorful my retinas might have detached a little. And while my vision is flooded with little dancing lights you should go get some of that for yourself. Peep well.

McFaul