Mad Men, Mad Furniture, Mad Type

mad-men

My wife and I just started watching Mad Men and I  think we’re hooked. Every Sunday night we run upstairs to catch all the dirt going down with the Drapers and the rest of the lot. Not to mention, drool over all the cool furniture! That house in Palm Springs in tonight’s episode had some amazing mid century modern pieces including George Nelson cigar bubble lamps and an Eero Saarinen womb chair. Besides the furniture, I love looking at the type they use on the sets. Mark Simonson has a great post on his blog regarding the type choices for the show.

(more…)

Eliezer Weishoff: Israeli Posters

eliezer-weishoff-poster-3

Eliezer Weishoff posters (L)1964 (R)1966

Beautiful posters from Israeli artist and sculptor Eliezer Weishoff. Eliezer first gained international exposure through his work for El Al Airlines and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism during the early 1970s. He was also responsible for designing these environmental stamps we posted back in April. He has a website, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any examples of his early poster work in his image galleries.

(more…)

The New YouWorkForThem Site

YWFT-new-site

YouWorkForThem just launched a brand new site this week. If you are unfamiliar with YWFT, it’s an online store that carries books, t-shirts, posters, stock images and more.

We love books at Grain Edit so, we took some time to browse through the book section and select some of our top picks.

We’ve included links below each description, so you can get more info/purchase the book if you want to.

Dave’s picks

charley-harper

Charley Harper –  An Illustrated Life

This mammoth 420 page book put together by Top Designer Todd Oldham is a wonderful tribute to Charley Harper. The book is filled with full color examples of Charley’s stunning work.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

steven-harrington

Steven Harrington: Our Mountain

I love Steven Harrington’s illustration style and this book serves as a wonderful overview of his work. This copy is signed and drawn on by Steven Harrington himself!

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

pino-tovaglia

Pino Tovaglia: The Rule That Corrects Emotion

We received a copy of this book from the publisher a few months back and loved it. You can see our review of the book here. YWFT got in some copies and now you can own a copy of this hard to find Italian import too.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

brockmann-grid

Grid Systems in Graphic Design

Josef Muller Brockmann’s magnum dopest. The definitive book on grid systems. Every designer should be required to own this.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

wim-crouwel

Wim Crouwel Alphabets

I really want a copy of the Wim Crouwel monograph: Mode En Module, but this book will have to due for now. Mode en Module has been out of print for a while and now goes for crazy cash. Wim Crouwel Alphabets (as seen above) is now of out of print as well and I’m sure it won’t be long before it increases in value. YWFT them still has a few copies, get your hands on one while you still can.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

——

Ethan’s Picks

How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul

As a design student, I am constantly looking for that juicy “tell-all” graphic design book. The one where you learn everything about being a real designer before actually getting a job. I love hearing different tips and tricks from seasoned designers. But my quest is over, because that book is here.

Adrian Shaughnessy breaks the process down into the necessary steps: how to find a job, being freelance, setting up a studio, running a studio, the creative process, etc. All of my burning questions answered in one book! Adrian also includes interviews with Neville Brody, Rudy VanderLans, Andy Cruz, and Natalie Hunter, among others, plus a forward by Stefan Sagmeister.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

Beautiful Losers

One summer I spent a month attempting to learn how to skateboard. In the three years since then I’ve probably only landed two tricks successfully. I either got hurt or was too intimidated. Beautiful Losers is a way for me to vicariously live out my 1990s street and skate culture fascinations, without having to get on a skateboard.

Beautiful Losers tells the story of how artists and designers like Shepard Fairey, Spike Jonze, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, and others built their own art community independent of the mainstream art institution.

Click here for more for more info/ purchase a copy.

Robin Day Form Unit Sofa for Hille

robin day hille sofa

‘Form’ Unit Furniture by British designer Robin Day for Hille 1961

I thought I’d switch it up a little bit today and post my dream sofa for the workplace. I love the color combinations and the black finished steel base frame. The unit has wide generous seats, yet doesn’t look bulky or heavy. The table top can be surfaced with a mahogany veneer. A drink cabinet can added instead of the corner table.

Delicious Design League: Posters, Design and Illustration

delicious-design-league

Pinback poster

Lots of good stuff going on in the land of Belgian waffle cookie trees. Delicious is serving up this beauty along with some other tasty treats in their shop.

(Via the always yummy Pica + Pixel)

Richard Alan Roberts: Graphic Design & More

richard-alan-roberts-poster

Yummy geometric type served upon gelatinous globs of red and blue. I’ll take it. Get some here.

Maraid

czech matchbox labels

This is turning out to be Maraid day. She has an amazing collection of photography and ephemera, plus she always posts beautiful labels to our Mid Century Modern Sticker, Label and Stamp Club.

Get lost in her collection.

(more…)

Vintage numbers

vintage numbers

Race numbers from various UK based races

I love thick fat slabs of juicy numberage and Maraid is serving it up big time. Come get some of these vintage fatties here.

(more…)

Geoff Wagner

Geoff Wagner

While sifting through Geoff’s site today, it was very hard to find that one thing to show, because it’s all so good. Lots of fun stuff, with lots of personality. I totally love that medicine cabinet print. By day Geoff works for Chronicle Books; by night I don’t know what he does. Sleep, maybe? Anyhow, he is a master at taking various ideas and making them look terrific.

(more…)

Aaron Draplin: Design Work and Motel Signs

aaron-draplin-1

Aaron Draplin runs a tight ship. Not only is he an amazing designer, he puts together one hell of a blog. I look forward to checking his site every morning. The guy is a knowledge farm for all things vintage and he always digs up incredible stuff on his notorious road trips.

Lots of great stuff to see on his site, but start by checking out some of his design work.

(more…)