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    <channel>
        <title>Chi Birmingham at ohger.com</title>
        <description></description>
        <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:06:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
        <generator>FeedCreator 1.7.2</generator>
        <item>
            <title>New piece in the OP-ED</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9107</link>
            <description><![CDATA[










	I had a chance to do some work for the New York Times' OP-ED section yesterday. I am on vacation in Florida at the moment, and I converted a corner of the hotel's breakfast room into a rather comfortable workspace. (My studio back in New York doesn't have free coffee refills.) I had a good time with this one so I thought I would detail my process. 

	On Wednesday, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released 50 page proposal for deficit reduction. In an OP-ED published on Thursday, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson gave a critique of the proposed cuts, and offered a few ideas of their own. My illustration would accompany a set of letters that readers had made in response to the OP-ED. So I had some reading to do.  What interested me more than any of the issues being discussed, was the idea that all of this mental energy could be expended without effecting any actual change in policy. The image that first came to mind was that of two firemen arguing over methods while the house burns down around them. 

	


	

	

	Or maybe just one guy... 

	

	After a few sketches I went back to the text to see if I could scare up an alternative. Something the fire image hadn't quite addressed was the idea that everyone involved has something to gain, and that in the end, a dollar for this project means a dollar less somewhere else. This was an idea that called for a pie. I took a few different approaches on my "pie fight," but eventually settled on the sketch below. Which is the one that was approved. 

	

	And now, back to my piña colada.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:28:21 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>NYT Book Review</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9108</link>
            <description><![CDATA[I will have an illustration in this Sunday's Book Review. The image accompanies a review by Tim Mohr of Daniel Kehlman's 'Fame: A novel in nine episodes.' In the book, social media and coincidence weave together the stories of otherwise unconnected characters. My challenge for the illustration was to represent the underlying idea of interconnectedness, and also give a nod to the specific plot points mentioned in the review. The solution that was agreed upon was to represent the 'episodes' as pop-up windows on a computer screen. Read the article here.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:04:03 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>&quot;Life in these Old Bones Yet&quot; available September 28th</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9093</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	



	Over the last few months I have been working on a book as part of my MFA program. After a final round of tweaking, I am happy to say that the finished book will be ready in time for our September 28th Book Show.  

	
	



	"Life in these Old Bones Yet" is based on the history my home state, California. It follows the adventure of an old prospector and his mule, "Flapjack," as they cross the wilderness in search of their fortune. I grew up in Big Sur, and regular visitors will recognize many of the vistas that I used as reference material. I didn't rely to heavily on any actual geography, however. Instead, I drew an impression of the old west as it is represented in books and movies and combined that with my memories of growing up there. The story itself is purely imaginary, but draws inspiration from the movie "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and Henry Miller's "Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch."

	
	



	The book won't be ready until the 28th of September. But once it is ready to roll, I am planning to offer it in a limited edition pressing. Let me know if you are interested in reserving a copy.

	


	And while you wait . . .

	Here are a few sample pages! 




]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:48:21 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>AARP Spots</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9089</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	

	I had a full week of assignments from the AARP. These spots can be found scattered through their latest issue. I am excited to see how they look once they are incorporated into the page. 

	1. A set of images to accompany financial statistics: 

	





	



	2. A spot cluster to illustrate various winter activities:







	





	





	





	





	














]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:41:03 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Norse God of Apps</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9081</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	This week my work will be featured in Willamette Week. The article I illustrated profiles a Portland based App design who is trying to use technology to break down social barriers. Available on newstands now!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:19:16 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Logos</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9078</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	Recently, I have been doing some logo work for friends and family. This is a series of signature icons for my mom's blog, "The Big Sur Fix."
	

	
	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:19:15 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Prints for Sale</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9045</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	There are still some prints of my painting "Studio Apartment" available at www.20x200.com, and from now until the end of the week they will be taking 20% off of all orders. This means the prints as low as $16! Click on the link above to check it out. And make sure to use the discount code RIDONK at checkout. Happy summer everybody! 
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:19:30 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Menswear Magazine</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9043</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	Commissioned by Alex Badia at Menswear Magazine, these spots accompanied an article cataloguing common faux pas in men's fashion. Prominent designers contributed with their pet peeves including those depicted below.

	1. Too many undone buttons.

	



	2. Matching designer luggage.

	 

	





	3. Square Toed Shoes



	

	4. Ill fitting Tailored Jackets.





	





	5. Trucker Hats.



	

	6. Over-groomed Hair.



	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:36:20 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Summer of 2005</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9025</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	      This is an early illustration from a new series I am working on. I will be cataloguing important events, places and objects in from different stages in my life. Eventually I there will be a written component as well. The series will serve as a sort of visual biography. 

	      This first illustration is a diagram of the passenger seat of my first car. During the summer after graduating college spent a lot of time driving, and my Toyota became a repository for all sorts of junk. Since moving to New York I have begun to appreciate what a luxury having a vehicle is, and not just as a means of transportation. My truck was a little home that I could bring with me everywhere I went. 

	



	Photograph from a camping trip.



	



	


	Beck "Sea Change"





	



	Receipt and change from gas station.





	



	Missing flip flop.



	



	


	Old pocket knife I bought at a thrift store and thought I would use.





	



	Year old magazine.





	



	Map. Driver's Manual. $ 5 sunglasses





	

	Day old soda.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:29:19 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>New Illustration</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9000</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	


	I will have an illustration in this weekend's New York Times Book Review. The image will accompany a review of Katherine Shonk's novel "Happy Now?" in which a woman  tries to come to terms with her husband's suicide. The heroine also happens to be a dollhouse maker (she builds replicas of all the houses she has lived in) and this detail gains significance as she begins to examine their life together before his death. This is the illustration (above) and a few of my sketches (below.) 



	







	

	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2010 15:19:44 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>New York Times</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8965</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	

	 Last week I had two illustration's published in the New York Times book review.  The story centers around a sinister hedge fund manager who stands to gain from engineering a financial collapse. It was an interesting challenge to make work based on something that  I hadn't actually read. Here is the second illustration which was used as a spot. 

	



	There were a few other ideas that I had for the article. Here are the sketches that I sent, including the two that were approved.





	1. banker as godzilla

	



	2. juxtaposition of banker icon with that of a terrorist

	

	3. a variation on #2
	

	

	
	4. A sinister backlit figure



	 

	5. Banker walking along the Thames



	 



	It was a real thrill getting to work with the New York Times, and I hope I get the chance to do it again.
	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:13:41 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Digital Sketchbook</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8870</link>
            <description></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:34:42 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>New York, New York</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8854</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	
	



	The semester has come to an end, and I am sifting through some of the work that didn't make it onto the blog over the last few weeks. 

	


	




	This was an assignment for Matthew Richmond's "Digital Portfolio" class. The technical guideline for this project was to create an image using the vector tools in Adobe Illustrator. The theme we were given was to depict something that was quintessentially New York. 




]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:38:02 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Penkov and the Communists (Slideshow Edition)</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8853</link>
            <description><![CDATA[








	 

	
	

	
	

	Bulgaria, 1941 

	
	

	After an initial period of neutrality, Bulgaria joins the Axis powers. In his remote village, Penkov feels the pinch of government rationing, and fears for his safety. 

	
	

	
		
		
	
		
		


	Early one morning, before his neighbors have awoken, Penkov packs his few possessions and heads out into the woods to wait out the war. 

	
	

	
		
		
	
		
		


	Stumbling upon a group of political dissidents, Penkov is glad that he had the foresight to pack his dog-eared copy of the Communist Manifesto. The communists agree to let him stay, as long as he is willing to join them on a trip into the town to steal food. 

	
	

	
		
		
	
		
		
	
		
		
	
		
		


	
		
		
	
		
		


	Although he is not as rugged as his new compatriots, Penkov proves himself to be quick witted, and is initiated into their group. 

	The End 

	
	

	Hello, Everybody. The first semester of the MFA Illustration program is coming to an end. The images above comprise the bulk of the work that I did for "Book Seminar." I have a few weeks off, and may get a chance to extend the story arch a little bit, but this represents the majority of the narrative that I initially storyboarded. 
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:29:01 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The Continuing Adventures of Penkov</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8795</link>
            <description><![CDATA[






	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	
	

	 

	
	



	(A Map of Penkov's Journey)

	
	

	
	







	These are a few spreads from the project I am working on for Victor Koen's Book Seminar class. 



	With only a few weeks left in the semester, I have pared my storyboard down to a handful of key spreads, and set out to bring them to the level of finish that I had imagined for the whole project. It is still possible that at the end of the semester I will have a coherent book, but my priority at the moment is to have a set of images that stand up as individual illustrations. 

	
	

	
	



	These images are from the beginning of my narrative. Penkov, the stories protagonist, has decided to leave his village. 



	
	

	He packs the belongings that will be useful for his journey. . . 

	
	



	 

	
	



	
	

	And heads into the countryside before his neighbors have gotten out of bed. 

	
	



	 

	
	



	He walks into the forest. . . . 

	
	



	 

	
	



	and stumbles into the subterranean encampment of a group of political dissidents. 

	
	





	 

	
	



	To be continued . . .

	
	

	
	

	As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am using this project as an opportunity to apply a variety of visual formats to the same story. The rendering style will be more or less consistent throughout (although, as you can see, I am still experimenting with the rendering of the characters themselves.) The specific formats I have used as an influence thus far are side-scroller video games (in the top two images,) the computer rendered cut scenes in more recent video games ( in the bottom image,) and , for the images in my last post on this project, before-and-after photography. 

	
	

	The visual style of these is fairly consistent with the reductive approach I have been using for the last few years, but is also based on the unique limitations and advantages of Photoshop and Illustrator, which I am using exclusively in the creation of this series. (I had been scanning in sketches to work off of, but more recently, I have begun to build the images from the ground up within the computer.)

	
	

	Any feedback would be much appreciated!

	
	


]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:07:10 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>A Digital Interpretation of World War Two</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8770</link>
            <description><![CDATA[




	 

	








	 

	








	These "before-and-after" style spreads will serve as the introduction to a story set in Bulgaria during the Second World War. In the pages that follow, the protagonist (pictured above) leaves his war-torn village to eek out a living in the woods, and is initiated into a band of political dissidents.  

	




	The project is part of the curriculum for SVA's MFA Illustration as a Visual Essay program. During the summer before our first semester we were given a text (Miroslav Penkov's  "Buying Lenin",) and for the last dozen weeks, each student has been adapting the material into an illustrated book. The goal is to create something comparable in scope to a 32 page children's book. 

	




	In part as a pretext to familiarize myself with the tools of digital illustration, I am using a nintendo-64 aesthetic, and presenting the story as it would be seen in the cut-scenes between the action in a video game. Initially, this was simply a stylistic decision, but in my research I have rediscovered my love for interactive fiction such as Lucas Arts's "Day of the Tentacle." It might be too much of an undertaking for this semester, but I might try to create something that is actually interactive for my Book Project next semester.

	








	 

	








	 

	








	 

	








	 

	









]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:59:02 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>'Transport' Animation</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8726</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	Last week in Mathew Richmond's Digital Portfolio class we had our first animation assignment.

	
	

	For the past 9 weeks we have been laying the foundation for this sort advanced application of photoshop: learning to color digitally, composing scenes out of discreet layers of scanned drawings, harvesting textures from scanned and photographed source material. 

	
	

	The theme of the assignment was "Transport." I happened to be flying back to NYC from my show in California, and took the opportunity to do an airplane piece. All the drawing was done on the tray table, then enhanced digitally once I got back to the SVA campus. Initially, I was having my pilot stop what he was doing to watch the sunrise, but I like that he is multitasking, and that enjoying the view is just one of the things he is juggling.  

	
	

	Enjoy!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:48:48 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>&quot;Surface Tension&quot; Cover Art</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/chibirmingham&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8721</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	
	

	Hello Everyone!

	A few weeks ago my friend David Peak asked me if I would create a new image for the cover of "Surface Tension," his full length poetry manuscript being published by BlazeVOX Press.

	
	David had commissioned two illustrations from me previously, and once again brought an exciting visual challenge to the table. A section of "Surface Tension" explores the way our bodies become a part of the way that we define ourselves, and David had an idea for a picture of a man floating in space, deteriorating layer by layer, with constellations pulsing behind him.
	

	With the brief in hand, I set about exploring my options with a series of thumbnails. . . 

	
	


]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:56:04 +0000</pubDate>
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