Scattered seeds

Updates and new products

2008-02-14T08:40:00.003+02:00

Contrary to appearances, this site is not dead – I just consistently forget to update the updates, heh. Since June, the site's seen the following:

• After years of being on ice, the Cultures page finally has some content. I decided to orient it towards my passion for traditional dress, which I was already exploring in a rather ambitious personal project (a series of books). It will be slow to grow but please enjoy the first chapter, dedicated to the Zulu.

• The first volume of my graphic novel has been published and can be ordered directly from me (if you're in Lebanon you'll find it in bookshops). I won't go into details regarding it here, though: for more info, to read the story, and for detailed updates, please refer to the official website.

• My portfolio underwent another revision, noteably with the addition of a new category: Animation. These are older works but not published online before.
The tutorials now have their own page, and the latest in date is the Guide to Movement 1: Flexibility. There are also separate pages for Crafts now, and new things to see in Character Design.

• Lots of new products are available, on Etsy and Cafepress alike. They are all regrouped on my Shopping page where the new stuff is highlighted in red, but here's something to whet you appetite:

Handmade:

Printed:

New books in the shop

2007-06-08T16:04:00.000+03:00

I've published 3 new books, available in my Lulu shop. Visit the links below for previews:

Voyages: Zulu
This book is the first of a series that focuses on traditional dress and cultural items, laid out and illustrated in unprecedented details and an attractive, artistic format. All original terms are included. In this volume:
• Dress and paraphernalia for warrior, diviner, married woman, pregnant woman, bride, marriageable girl, children
• The beehive hut and its construction
• Urban planning of the household
• Zulu stick fighting
• Zulu beer customs
• Zulu bead language and symbolism
• Gift poster (to be detached)
• Other odds and ends

Details: 20 pages, 8.5" x 11", saddle-stitch binding, 80# white interior paper, full-color interior ink , 100# white exterior paper, full-color exterior ink

Lebanon to Color
A coloring book derived from our books on Lebanon. The 54 pages are extracted from the following titles: The Cedar of Lebanon, The Purple and the Silk, Olive to Hammam, and The City of Gubla, Byblos, Jbeil. Joumana Medlej’s illustrations come with concise but educational captions, making the young artists’ creativity time a time to also learn.

Details: 56 pages, 8.5" x 8.5", saddle-stitch binding, 60# white interior paper, black and white interior ink , 100# white exterior paper, full-color exterior ink

Liban à Colorier
A French version of the above!

Update

2007-05-06T08:59:00.000+03:00

I have at long last merged all my stores into one single page for easier browsing and shopping: Cedarseed shops. The shops themselves are still, by necessity, separate (for instance purchasing a cafepress and an etsy item doesnt' happen through the same cart), but at least people don't have to go hunting for what I have to offer.

New products

2007-04-24T19:08:00.000+03:00

... to accompany our latest book, Tortues de Mer et espèces en voie de disparition. Find these and more in Seedlings!

Updates

2007-03-29T17:34:00.000+03:00

A new page of the story and more gift art on Malaak's site.

Book reviews

2007-03-22T08:01:00.000+02:00

The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: A treasury of watercolor tricks and techniques discovered through years of painting and experimentation by Gordon MacKenzie
_{145 pages, full color}
My rating: 5/5

It is difficult to conceive of a more exhaustive book for this medium. In an attractive and abundantly illustrated format, MacKenzie lays out everything he knows and has discovered about the medium. Part 1 elaborates on the tools of the trade, their characteristics, how to choose them and care for them: the colors themselves (extremely enlightening as to which pigments to use for what), brushes paper, palettes (and how to make one), palette knives, sponges and masking materials. Part 2 discusses painting techniques using diverse tools, the laws of paint/water interaction, washes and glazes, masking... Part 3, which alone takes up half the book, focuses on composition with great tips, a few walkthroughs and how to save a piece (if possible at all) when we messed up! This is only a brief overview of the contents. The book is just crammed with substantial info and tips.

By the time I bought this book, I had been using watercolors for a few years but without any formal education, which was limiting. The book helped fill the gaps and inspire new ways of working. The intermediate price is in my opinion a bargain considering you won't need another book on the subject, just personal practice. I believe beginners will greatly benefit from it, and seasoned watercolorists may also find it a valuable reference to keep at hand.

The Human Figure in Motion and Animals in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge
_{Respectively 390 and 340 pages of plates (black and white photography), various editions available}
My rating: 4/5 stars

Muybridge's work has been called "one of the great monuments of 19th century photography" and almost everybody has seen bits of it even if they're not aware of the author. The sequential photos in these two volumes illustrate dozens of types of actions from different angles, making them, still today, an industry reference for artists, animators, art directors, etc.

The Human Figure presents subjects in the nude, so that muscles are visible. They are male, female, elderly, babies, performing 163 types of action shot from front, rear and three-quarter. Cycles (walk, run...) are presented in full.

Animals in Motion particularly focuses on the horse (and doesn't just show but also explains the different gaits) but also has plates for 32 other creatures, among which dogs, the elephant, small and big cats, the sloth, kangaroo, eagle and ostrich!

When I worked in an animation department, both books were prominent on our reference bookshelf, and I later purchased Animals in Motion for myself: as an illustrator it is still priceless to me. Human references are easy to find online if necessary (as long as I don't need a motion sequence), but it is harder to find exactly the position you need for an animal, so the book spares me much fruitless searching. The lighting in the pictures also really helps me with shading when I'm not bound to a different source of light.

A drawback of both books is that the photography being so old is not always very clear: it can be hard to make out the muscle lines or, at odd angles, the exact contours. There are also no plunging or upwards shots: all photos have a level perspective. This means a certain proficiency with drawing bodies in space is useful to fill these gaps, and beginners may find it frustrating at times. Just remember this is not a book to teach you to draw, but a reference book. Horse artists in particular will find it indispensable.

Problem Solved: A primer in design and communication by Michael Johnson
_{280 pages, full color}
My rating: 5/5

Design books abound, many of them promising to teach you the secrets of typography or layout, most just being catalogues of good design. I rarely come across a book I could recommend as truly useful to someone interested in the field but unable to study it. Of those, this is the first on my list, not just for excellency but also because it starts at the beginning: how to think like a designer. Finally a book that tackles design as professional problem-solving, and not just providing recipes for dazzling graphics.

The approach to the subject is both enticing and instructive. The author has identified 18 design "problems" that nearly all client briefs fall into. For instance, The Message Is The Price Problem (working on a tight budget), The Evolve or Revolve Problem (corporations changing their identity) etc. Each chapter deals with one problem, dissecting it and showing how different designers have solved this problem, and what made their solution stand out. Every product or ad mentioned is pictured, so there is no abstract bla-bla, only insights into a large number of the most successful designs of the past few decades. The text is airy and reads effortlessly. The examples shown range from packages to TV commercials and span the 60's to 2001: an unspoken statement that style goes in and out of fashion, but the conceptualisation process, the "designer thinking", does not age.

Being a graphic designer by training, I found Problem Solved to be an engrossing read faithful to the high design principles we studied, as opposed to the strictly commercial and undemanding design we usually have to deal with in practice. I'm also very glad to have it, though, when I'm suffering designer's block, as all I need to do is identify the problem and look up how other people dealt with it, emulating their thought process as opposed to imitating the final product...

Japanese Comickers:Draw Anime and Manga Like Japan's Hottest Artists
_{125 pages, full color}

My rating: 4/5

Warning: Contrary to what the title suggests, this book will not teach you how to draw manga. What it is is a compilation of walkthroughs: 14 Japanese illustrators show you how they complete a piece in their own distinctive style, from start to finish. The process is often elliptic and they don't always explain why they do something, so unless you're proficient with the software or medium used, you may feel left behind in places. That clarified, this is a book I treasure. All 14 artists have very different styles and that alone inspires you to try new things. You do pick up useful tricks from the walkthroughs. Not all of them work digitally. And the book is eyecandy in any case. Perhaps a bit expensive for its size, compared to the other books featured, and with so many talented deviants posting walkthroughs on the site it may be a redundant thing to own, but for myself I'm as excited and inspired by it as when I bought it (and still feel desperate to measure up to these guys!)

Updates

2007-03-14T11:08:00.000+02:00

We're up to page 12 of Malaak's story, and the tutorial books can now be purchased online!

Update

2007-02-03T08:07:00.000+02:00

There's a new character in the Malaak universe, as well as the first page of Chapter 1 – find them here!

Update

2007-01-15T07:09:00.000+02:00

Downloadable from Icons and Desktops.
Merchandise on Seedlings ( under construction: new designs will keep on being added over the next few days.)

Something's coming...

2007-01-11T10:46:00.000+02:00

More Earthlings!

2006-12-20T07:15:00.000+02:00

Cuna, Panama

Himba, Namibia

Self-advertising

2006-11-26T11:49:00.000+02:00

Presenting a new line of products, Earthlings, featuring adorably cute children in traditional dress. Four members of this world family are available at this point:

Esiankiki, Maasai

Toua, Hmong

Lilja, Sami

Noyremu, Kayapo

Some of the items (t-shirts and tote bags) have the Earthlings logo on the back:

Also visit other sections of the store: Lebanon, Miscellania and Seasonal items. Thanks for your support!

Update – new character

2006-11-16T08:19:00.000+02:00

I'm traveling again in a week, but first I'm releasing my character Malaak and her story, as a comic book in progress. Find it here with all the details!

New book!

2006-11-09T13:44:00.000+02:00

I'm thrilled to announce The publication of the 5th book in our series: "Gebal, Byblos, Jbeil"! To take a look inside check out Publications, and to order drop by Seedlings shop.

Site updates

2006-10-11T08:29:00.000+03:00

Photography has been updated with 31 new pictures from 6 countries! I had grown slack and not updated it since December, so enjoy the sights, from Madagascar to Japan...

Illustration also has a few additions – look for the red "new" labels.

The Design page has been revised, look for new things under Jewelry design and particularly in the new section called Shalintî Cycle, a fun experimental/illustrative project of mine.

I finally sorted out how to offer prints of my work myself, it's all here on Cedarseed Prints.

The English version of The Cedar of Lebanon is now available! On this page you'll also find a preview of the next volume, currently in pre-press: Gebal, Byblos, Jbeil.

Shop directory:
Jewelry and art on Etsy
Books and postcards on Seedlings
Various products on Cafepress

Update

2006-08-24T09:15:00.000+03:00

The in-site version of Seedlings is up. I created it to sell our children's books and self-published Lebanon postcards online. Please drop by and spread the word!

Cafepress!

2006-08-15T18:47:00.000+03:00

I am pleased to announce the opening of Seedlings!, cedarseed.com's Cafepress shop. But first a little intro...

Now that Lebanon is suffering new wounds, numerous artists, designers, writers, etc are producing work to spread awareness, support it, make a political statement or express our deep sadness. All this is excellent, but I found my place in a different direction: showing, or reminding the world that Lebanon, even in the midst of war, is much more about loving life than about weeping or shaking fists. Most people think of Lebanon and feel sorry; I want them to think of it and smile.

So I'm reorienting some of my previous work into a line of t-shirts and products that have nothing to do with the current situation but everything to do with the Lebanon I breathe on any given day. Looking for an image to brand them with, I liked the balloon for a number of reasons:
- It keeps rising;
- It's a light-hearted icon, as we are;
- It's cute, which most of my products inevitably are;
- Obviously, it belongs to a child – 'nuff said;
- I can't look at one without smiling, can you?

I was going to call it "My Lebanon", which evokes closeness and has again a child-like quality, but then I had a better idea: Wa Lee Lubnanee, "And I have my Lebanon". No need to elaborate on this, since I posted the poem 2 days ago - you can see how perfectly his message fit with mine. I use Arabic type because it looks too silly in Latin - I'm not concerned about foreigners not being able to read the name because the image suffices for identification and they wouldn't get it without a lengthy explanation anyway. Most Lebanese should get the reference at once and that's what matters to me.

So I invite you to drop by; below are a few samples of what is to be found on Seedlings:

(I naturally take requests for other products with any of these designs, or other designs)

This is also a reminder that I have an Etsy shop for handmade jewelry, booklets and prints of my photos/illustrations (a bit depleted at the moment but I'm working on new contents).

Updates

2006-06-28T07:23:00.000+03:00

The four tutorials pertaining to human types have been revised and expanded:

Illustrated guide to human variations - DODONA: Human Biodiversity Discussion Forum

2006-06-19T06:48:00.000+03:00

Artist's Guide to Human Types part 3: African and Pacific Types is complete!

Updates

2006-05-24T11:03:00.000+03:00

Part 2 of the Guide to Human Types has been posted to the Illustrations page, along with an addendum. The addendum is still in progress and the first two guides are going to be revised as I've received much input since they were made.

For now though I bid everyone a momentary goodbye as I fly out to Madagascar tonight!

Updates

2006-04-20T09:32:00.000+03:00

I've been away for a while but here's finally a series of updates.

Illustration:
- New tutorial, Artist's Guide to Human Types (part 1)
- 3 new linearts to colour

Design:
- 2 new character sheets in the Shalintî project

Publications:
- The fourth book in the series, De l'Olive au Hammam is due to launch on May 6: I have added the previews to it.

Minor update to the Tutorial Book

Update

2006-03-25T10:48:00.000+02:00

New illustration posted: Your'e Too Little!

Hiatus

2006-03-19T21:38:00.000+02:00

I returned yesterday from another trip to Thailand and Laos that would explain the hiatus of the last few weeks. Updates asap.

Ad break

2006-02-08T08:27:00.000+02:00

This handmade concertina booklet is a taste of the outburst of colours and ornamentation that was my recent trip to South-East Asia. It features 8 of my photos of the Flower Hmong and a selection of sketches I made at the Museum of Ethnology in Ha Noi. The back of the concertina binding is printed with a frieze derived from the pictured costumes.

The photos can be viewed individually in my portfolio.

Purchase can be done here or directly through me.

Book details:

Size: approximately 10x15 cm, portrait
Weight: About 90 g
Paper type: Ingres MBM (cover: Canson)
Paper weight: Not sure exactly, but feels around 150g/m2
Photos: lab printed, glossy paper
Sketches: printed, silver and gold highlights added by hand
Price: $25 including postage
Ribbon colour may vary!

Update

2006-01-24T09:03:00.000+02:00

My Journeys updated with the Viêt Nam and Laos trips!