The picture below was taken during the ‘golden hour’ — which in this case was at 6pm sharp — at Balboa Park, one of the best art & culture spots in San Diego. This can make it a tourist trap, but once in a while it’s worth it to elbow your way through the bustling crowds and enjoy the pleasant summer evening.
Tags: architecture, balboa, museum, park, photography
Posted in General, Inspiration | 3 Comments »>I’ve set a challenge for myself, and it’s to come up with at least one wallpaper a month to showcase and share with you, my totally awesome reader. It helps me hone my Photoshop Jit Su, and it’s a free little piece of eyecandy to sweeten up the sometimes depressing world wide web.
August for me was always the time summer vacation ended and school started. No more beach bonfires or sitting on the boardwalk at night, watching the waves come in. I despise the heat in the day but I love staying out on hot summer nights. So, inspired by that, here is the start to a monthly wallpaper feature:
I’ve yet to see an episode of Heroes, but this minimalist photoshoot of actress Hayden Panettiere caught my eye. I love editorial design and most of the time I’ll look through fashion rags more for the glossy adverts and featured photoshoots than the articles themselves. Ad campaigns for the fashion industry tend to be done with a remarkably high level of polish and artistic quality, and it’s that level of quality I strive for in my own work.
From an aesthetic and design perspective, this photoshoot is a great example of simple, uncluttered design. The white-on-white adds a subtle, classical touch and makes for a beautiful contrast against the warm tan of her skin. This brings a design mantra to mind: You know it’s done not when you can’t add anything more, but when you can’t take anything else away.
Tags: fashion, photography
Posted in Art Direction, Inspiration | 1 Comment »>First off, let’s all wish Creative Curio a happy birthday — today is the site’s one-year anniversary! LaurenMarie’s got some great resources over there, and I consider her site to be an authority on how to optimize your designs for press so they print beautifully. That’s not all she writes about, though, so check her site out for lessons on design principles and Photoshop/InDesign best practices.
Now, with the school season about to start back up, I know some people are preparing to go to art school. Having gone through the wringer myself, I’ve learned a thing or two. Perhaps these little pearls of wisdom will serve some good to you or someone you know.
Tags: development, tips
Posted in Inspiration | 6 Comments »>There are tons of articles written about the benefits of writing lean, semantic code, and designing with web standards in mind. The SEO Rapper has managed to compile all of these best practices into a concise, entertaining video that takes less time to watch than it takes to get through a single article. Who knows? Some brave soul might even attempt this at the next TechKaraoke Night. Enjoy!
This is the digital playground of J. Giovanni Callao, a freelance creative professional enjoying life in Southern California.
A communication designer specializing in print and graphic design as well as website development for the past four years, the Communiqué also features articles on art, design, technology, and things that inspire.
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