Brewing Up a Coffee Themed Infographic

What makes an eye catching infographic captivating? How do you approach a layout packed full of info without overwhelming your reader?

I started this infographic design during the peak of a caffeine buzz. It was my way of teaching my Aunt and Uncle how to use their new Aeropress. I’ve made a number of infographics over this past year for both clients and personal projects and found a few consistent principles that remain true. In this post I’ll dive into my process and discuss key topics like, choice in reference, the blockout phase, guiding the reader’s eye, and style.

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Reference

During the concept phase, I envisioned a recipe in a handwritten journal with a limited color palette and sketchy illustrations. After spending a few, too many, hours scrolling through Pinterest, I came across work from artists like Rebecca Blair, Eva-Lotta Lamm, Samuel Taylor. I was drawn to Rebecca Blair’s use of typography and hierarchy etched into her moleskin journals. Eva-Lotta Lamm specializes in conveying complex ideas through sketching. She also tends to use a limited color palette. I was also inspired by the cute, whimsical style of Samuel Taylor’s adorable D&D illustrations. After taking some reference photos of my own Aeropress, I was ready to start sketching.

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Sketch it Out, Block it Out

I wrote down each step of the brewing process and began sketching out my thoughts. I can’t stress enough how important it is to sketch out your ideas. I made a fatal mistake in the early stages of this infographic. I had sketched out a few individual elements, like the blooming flower, but I forgot to sketch the most important part, the actual layout. Getting ahead of myself, I eagerly jumped into Illustrator. It wasn’t long before I felt I had lost direction. After getting helpful input from my partner, I went back to pencil and paper to establish a solid block out. I wanted my Aeropress guide to have an organic feel. So, I stuck with round, fluid silhouettes. The left side has a sunrise theme and the right feels more like spilled coffee and mugs.

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Guiding the Reader’s Eye

Blocking out the silhouettes helps plan a solid composition. When laying out an infographic, hierarchy, rhythm and movement, and white space have been my guiding forces. I went with orange, a vibrant and energetic color, to grab the viewer’s attention and serve as a visual cue for where to look next. I also established a sense of movement by creating consistent lines of action for both pages. If I’ve done my job right, the audience will instinctually follow these lines of action to the next group of info.

Stylized Consistency

The style you choose will set the tone of the infographic. The design to the left was completed for Oikocredit US. The content and tone for this project differs greatly from my Aeropress guide. The corporate feel comes from the on brand color palette and orderly layout. If I had mixed Oikocredit’s color palette into the Aeropress guide, everything would start to feel off, even to the untrained eye.

The guide really came together after I found a crayon brush pack by Spoon Graphics. I highly recommend trying them out for yourself. To ensure my design was consistent, I used the same family of strokes and fonts for each element. If you stray too far from the established style, different elements of the piece will begin to feel unrelated.

TL;DR

Always look for reference that successfully implements the elements you want to capture in your final piece. Remember to sketch and block out everything, especially your layout. Keep the fundamental principles of design in mind and pay special attention to hierarchy, rhythm and movement, and white space to effectively guide the reader’s eye. Last, but not least, stick to a consistent style to ensure everything feels related to the larger piece as a whole.

Surface Pro 4 Experience

I had a wonderful opportunity to work with Sean Ong on a fun project. Sean Ong has a YouTube channel where he reviews tech and offers tips and tricks for the Microsoft Surface. Sean is an enthusiastic YouTuber that is sure to get anyone watching his videos excited about the devices he works with. His reviews are engaging and easy to follow. It was a pleasure working with him.

I reached out to Sean offering my services after finding his listing asking for help with his latest video project. Sean needed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Surface Pro 4 and Digitizer Pen in the hands of a digital artist. We agreed to meet and record a digital painting session using Photoshop.

See an awesome painting created in Photoshop on the Surface Pro 4! In this video, I show the SP4 Pen in action! Some call it a digitizer and others call it a stylus, but this pen is truly amazing.

I have been working with Wacom Intuos Tablets since I first started working digitally and have not had a chance to really work with other digital painting tools. I have recently been considering investing in a tablet in the future to work with my clients away from home. Naturally, I was eager to try out the Surface Pro 4 and digitizer pen to see if this set up might work for my business and personal needs.

The first thing I noticed while using the Digitizer Pen was that the pressure sensitivity exceeded my expectations. I began painting as I normally would and expected to have problems with resting my hand on the touch screen. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not an issue. The biggest obstacle seemed to be working around my personal workflow habits. I normally have my Intuos tablet buttons set up with specific hotkeys such as, undo, the brush tool, and the eyedropper tool. It took me a little while to get into the new workflow set up, but with a little time I can easily see myself getting comfortable and adjusting my workflow accordingly.

The only time I noticed any accuracy problems with the pen point was while using the eyedropper tool to select colors. You will see in the video that I often select the wrong color and continue painting thinking that I have the correct color selected. This resulted in some muddy looking parts in my blending techniques. I feel if I had more time to dedicate to playing with this set up I may have been able find a work around. The next hurdle I noticed was that the accuracy with the eraser end of the pen was less accurate than the pen tip. I loved the feel of eraser because it had the rubbery grip of a real eraser but the accuracy was just not where I needed it to be to use efficiently. I opted to use the pen tip switching between the brush tool and eraser tool.

This is the peice I completed for Sean during the digital painting session..
 

Over all, I had a very positive experience with the Surface Pro 4 and Digitizer Pen. I told Sean that I was even considering investing in this set up when I am ready to purchase a tablet. I want to thank Sean for having me. It was a pleasure working with him I encourage everyone to check out his YouTube channel and subscribe to catch all of his latest videos.

Success By Mistake

I would love to be able to write this blog with insights on how I overcame my fear of failure, but that would be a lie. Instead I want to use this opportunity to confront my fear directly.

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Many of my fellow artists struggle with this same impending fear. In my opinion this is a symptom of a much bigger issue facing the creative minds of our society. We are taught as artists that in order to be considered successful we need to “hit the big time.” As a child I grew up being told that being an artist is a nearly impossible career choice. People equated success as an artist to fame and riches. At a young age I was determined and optimistic enough to believe that as long as I worked hard, I would achieve this success and all of the fame and wealth that came with it. It took me years to realize that this ideology was not only false, but would also not provide the sense of fulfillment I was seeking in my career.

Teaching our children that they need to become the next Leonardo Da Vinci in order to be a truly successful artist can have detrimental effects. Trying to achieve a level of genius that comes into this world only once in a lifetime is setting up an unrealistic goal to meet. When trying to reach impossible goals you begin to feel like a constant failure. Nothing you do ever feels good enough. Your self esteem takes one hit after the other until there is nothing left. It is my sincere belief that we need to reevaluate how we talk to children about artistic success. I’m not saying to discourage children from these lofty goals. I just think that it is important that creative young minds have a full understanding of what it means to achieve these kinds of goals.

I have struggled with being able to accept the mistakes I have made especially where my education and career were concerned. The idea that I had to become an acclaimed artist or be considered a failure haunted me. As a young kid I could draw for hours unconstrained my my own inner dialogue but, as I approached adulthood the pressure to make something of myself grew. I was well accustomed to receiving critiques in class and welcomed them gratefully. I saw these reviews as my chance to understand the inner workings of the minds of my teachers. These were people that had successfully made a name for themselves in the world of animation. Some of them had even worked at Disney or Dreamworks. However, before these critiques, in the confines of my own mind, I could only see my mistakes as failures.

I did not understand the old fundamental principle of learn from your mistakes. I thought I did. In reality, the only lesson I was teaching myself time and time again was, “I suck.” This is why I feel it is incredibly crucial our society begins to change the tone of the commentary on professional creative success. This narrative completely works against a young artist. Creativity flourishes where mistakes can be made. All forms of art are built on problem solving. Being able to imagine what you want to create is not enough. It takes a great deal of trial and error to figure out how to best bring your idea into the world. Being taught that failure is the end of success will stifle your ability to keep looking past the mistake and be able to turn it into something great.

I alone can not tell society what defines a successful artist. Sure, everyone wants to be rich. Yes, it would be nice to share my art with the entire world. However, the truth is, at the end of the day what I really want is to feel enriched by my work (emotionally and intellectually), and to make a difference in the world. Fame is not necessary to achieve either of these goals. Maybe I am naive, but I don’t think that Leonardo’s main source of motivation was money or fame. Perhaps the best way to define success is by asking yourself what is important to you, makes you happy, and helps you to feel fulfilled.

Avoiding Artistic Death

If I stopped creating it would mean certain death. Maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but for me it is true on an existential level. All artists face fear at some point. Creating art and having fears are both equal parts of the human experience. For the creative mind fear can manifest in many ways including fear of being a sham, of not having the talent, or of failure (a topic I will cover more thoroughly in my next post). Perhaps one of the most frightening and sobering fears an artist can face is the fear of quitting.

My art has been who I am as far back as I can remember. I had always known I wanted to fulfill my life by being creative. As I grew older I began to question if my drawings could really be considered art. I wondered if I was just kidding myself. When I found it difficult to find my own personal style, it was as though I had no voice. I doubted my originality and my skill.

I had been drawing for so long that my sense of self had become entwined with my art. As my artistic block set in, self doubt naturally followed. To question my originality as an artist was like questioning everything that I was. If I did not possess the magical gift to create beautiful masterpieces then maybe I was nothing.

The more time I spent searching for this magical gift within myself, the more discouraged I became. Soon enough finding the courage to draw became unbearingly difficult. Each drawing was a new piece of evidence that I didn’t have what it takes to be an artist. I couldn’t face my lack of original thought or lack of skill. I couldn’t face myself. So, I stopped. What came next was worse than any fear I had ever faced. My hands ached with a desire that my personal demons would not  let me satisfy. My heart mourned for the death of my passion. The need to be creative never went away, but I stopped all the same. In the process I began to lose myself.

In an attempt to hold onto what was left of me, I desperately clung to my hobbies of sewing and jewelry making. It would sooth the ache in my hands for a time, but it wasn’t the same. I had always expressed myself through drawing. Pencil and paper was my first language. Arts and crafts was a language I knew well, but it would never feel as natural or expressive to me. In the end it was the fear of completely losing myself that brought me back from the ashes. If I quit, who will I be?

It might be unhealthy to place so much of myself within my craft, but I’ve heard it said that to be an artist is to be a little insane. In Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland they call it fear of annihilation. You may have seen this fear manifest in some of your artist friends that will obsessively pump out an abundant quantity of work. It is when an artist puts so much of their self worth in their ability to produce art that not working is equatable to a metaphorical death. Perhaps one day I might be able to find a happy balance between self perseverance and art making. For now I prefer the motivation. Today I choose to live.

Getting Into The Creative Flow

I constantly question myself while I’m working. This practice is both a blessing and a curse. I might catch a lot of mistakes, but it slows me down and hinders my creativity. However, when I enter “the zone,” there is nothing but my work. Each idea and decision feels like breathing. It flows together like a perfectly orchestrated piece of music. I am gone. There is no time. Only my art remains.

After I made the decision to force myself out of my artist block I was happy to be working again. Although I was no longer stagnant, I seemed to be missing a certain spark. A feeling that I had countless times before, but could not seem to access. I did a bit of research on what this feeling even was and came across the term “flow state.” It described perfectly this spark I was looking for. Since I was a kid I had been able to access this extreme concentration that made everything around me melt away. It allowed me to only focus on drawing, writing, or designing. I had felt it in college too while creating my demo reel. The long hours spent in the labs animating never felt long enough.

Entering your flow state sounds like a fantastical super power, but science is beginning to understand what is happening to artists, athletes, and scientists when they “enter the zone.” According to Psychology Today during these periods of “flow” the prefrontal cortex is temporarily deactivated causing a person to lose their sense of self. The inner critic and voice of doubt also shut off. This elicits a heightened sense of confidence. Additionally the brain releases a number of chemicals associated with focus, pleasure, and optimal performance. All of these factors induce a boom in creative output.

Accessing this allusive flow state isn’t easy. It requires both physical and mental practice. I slowly began noticing my own flow being triggered again after a few weeks of hard work. It’s not something that I can just turn on like a light switch. I have to be relaxed and consciously tell myself to stop having so much doubt in my own abilities. I started observing what helped me trigger a flow state. Personally, a good long hike in the woods followed by a perfectly brewed cup of coffee seems to do trick. I suspect that hacking your flow state is a different experience for everyone. I have completed some of my best works during flow states and find myself feeling refreshed and more alert for days after. To me it is simply a form of artistic meditation.

If you are interested in learning more about flow states check out these awesome links. You may know Jason Silva From National Geographic’s Brain Games. He also has a YouTube Channel partnered with TestTube called Shots of Awe where he covers topics like creative flow states. He can get a bit carried away sometimes, but I love his passion.

"Happiness is absorption." - T.E. Lawrence Join Jason Silva every week as he freestyles his way into the complex systems of society, technology and human existence and discusses the truth and beauty of science in a form of existential jazz. New episodes every Tuesday.

Quest For The Inner Muse

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Any artist can tell you that the road to creative fulfillment is a borderline mental health nightmare. I grew up with a passion for creating. I entertain myself with hobbies like sewing, jewelry making, and DIY projects. But my passion and torment is digital art and design. I attended Full Sail University and earned my bachelors in computer animation. Despite this achievement I have been finding it difficult to stay motivated and to even get inspired. I started writing this in hopes of finding my inner artist again.

Every artist strives to tap into this elusive, almost supernatural entity, sometimes referred to as a muse. In reality this is simply the part of the creative mind that induces an intense focus. This muse like state has been eluding me for four years now. I am determined to see it comes back with a vengeance.

I began the quest for my muse with a simple search for what causes artist block. I came across an idea that resonated with me. The basic concept proposes that every artist has two aspects to their creative process.

1) Your vision or your ability to critique and,

2) your physical skill level.

Most people have a vision that is slightly better than their actual skills. The levels of these practices will obviously fluctuate over time. Here is an awesome visual aid to help explain.

The ideal state to achieve is an equal level of skill and artistic eye causing that boom in creative output. There are only two points in my life I can recall when I was able to experience this balance. I decided to create a chart reflecting my own progress, adding in a line for confidence and motivation. The results have been eye opening.

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This tidbit of information really helped me, specifically in getting this website started and it pushed me during my last professional project. When you choose to make a career out of being an artist it is like playing with fire. It depends on personal motivation and demands discipline. Both can be hard practices to maintain when life gets in the way. I personally am cursed with low self esteem and a perfectionist’s eye. This is a recipe for disaster when trying to motivate yourself to improve.

I have been doing a lot of self reflection over the past year and made a decision to keep working and improving, whatever the cost. I finally have a better understanding of what is going on in my jumbled up brain. I was worried I may never find my “mojo” again. I am looking at this obstacle from a totally new angle. I don’t claim to be an expert on the topic of artist block, by any means, but here is my advice to anyone going through a similar situation.

1. Immerse yourself with things that inspire you.

2. Take time to learn about topics that you have always had an interest in (or new ones).

3. Surround yourself with people that are positive and encouraging.

4. Rid yourself of negative people and find a new perspective on the negativity you can’t control.

5. Encourage yourself. It might feel ridiculous at first but it is worth it. I promise.

With this blog, I hope to continue finding clarity within myself by exploring what inspires and motivates me. I want to dig deep into topics such as the purpose of an artist in the community, art and spirituality, and the ways society can nourish the creative mind. I am determined to keep working through this block and build up something productive from it, my inner artist.