The Vector Lab Blog

Artist Robert Longo: Shark Illustrations, graphite on mounted paper.

Some of you may be familiar with the work of the Brazilian artist, Eduardo Recife. You may also recognize the many fonts, Photoshop brushes, and distressed vector graphics that he offers up for free on his popular website, misprintedtype.com.

Eduardo describes himself by saying, “I´ve been drawing since I was little. At school I had notebooks filled with drawings instead of  notes. I used to tattoo my buddies with a black ink pen. I used to draw on any kind of surface when I was bored… I believe its what I do best. Its also the best way for me to comunicate things I cant find words for… Its a theraphy, its a hobbie, its a job,its what makes me happy.”

I am very excited to announce a new program here at The Vector Lab called Free Vector of the Day. Each and every day of the year, a free vector graphic will be posted on TheVectorLab.com. The program starts today, but I backtracked it to November 15 just to get the ball rolling.

This is a completely no strings attached program. One thing I have noticed is that designers love free vector graphics (especially good ones). My intention is to increase the good karma for TheVectorLab, with the end-result of increased daily traffic and ultimately higher sales of our Premium Vector Stock Art. The more momentum we can get, the more quality graphics I will be able to offer. For any of you out there looking for content for your blogs or websites, please feel free to link to or even download & re-post these free graphic collections onto your website. Thanks!

Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.

The vivid art of John Van Hamersveld fashioned a generation. His eclectic designs translate into a multitude of languages by evoking a feeling, a place and a period in time. His highly recognizable and sometimes psychedelic art began with an Endless Summer.

He designed the renowned color saturated sunset and surfer poster for the 1966 surfing movie “Endless Summer” from his kitchen table in Dana Point more than five decades ago. Inspired by a sunset photo of a Dana Point beach in Orange County, it was destined to become an internationally recognized icon of Southern California’s surfing scene.

This singular poster may have launched his colorful career, however, John Van Hamersveld is a true renaissance man, who has reinvented himself and his designs to be as relevant and futuristic today as they were in the 60’s. He has been a student, teacher, artist, designer and even created a 360-foot-long mural for the 1984 LA Olympic Games. His treasure chest of retro art reads like a who’s who in the rock world, from famous album covers for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to concert posters for Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and Bob Dylan.

John Van Hamersveld is an authentic art legend and his timeless and iconic art will forever connect Orange County as a symbol of youth, devoted surfers, idyllic climate and endless summers. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

If you are in Southern California, be sure to check out John’s exhibition at the Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach starting Saturday, November 21, 2009.

Nice typography, illustrations and cool posters with a message…

Vancouver designer Oliver Tomas showcases an amazing collection of Scandinavian logos from the 1960s & 70s

his is a pretty cool resource for you bloggers out there who want to add a little typographic flavor to your world. The Daily Drop Cap is an ongoing project by Brooklyn based typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische. Each day (or at least each WORK day), a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap will be posted for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere. To use a Daily Drop Cap on your site or blog, follow the instructions in each post and read about the usage limitations. Enjoy!