Engedi Artistry

Hi there folks.

For consistency's sake, I have decided to unify both my blogs. You can find that unified blog at dkhundley.com. I will definitely be continuing to showcase work, including the logo challenge, over at that blog.

Thanks for the time here!

If this whole challenge has been about learning, this week has definitely been a learning experience.

Throughout every logo challenge entry, I have done my best to approach the design as if a real company were approaching me to create a design for them. Some of them have been more light-hearted and fun (like last week's Inappropriate Fruit) and others have been more serious (like Unanimous Memorial).

Every once in a while, inspiration hits me pretty much immediately. It's a rare thing, but when it happens, it is oh, so good.

Following this morning's post of "Unanimous Memorial", I promised I would immediately follow up with another logo challenge entry. Well, I am definitely upholding my end of the bargain, and the Random Word Generator gods were extremely kind to me by giving me the hilarious combo, "Inappropriate Fruit".

You probably think I'm joking, right?

Well, no. You see, inasmuch as I'm trying to hone my skills with Adobe Illustrator, I'm also trying to learn the boundaries of design. "Unanimous Memorial" provided me with the opportunity to be mindful of those boundaries.

If I were to provide a description for what this organization does, it's a place that builds all kinds of memorials. Grave stones, plaques, and more. The thing with memorials is that they are all about memory and respect. They are generally quiet places where people go to reflect on the past. They generally aren't flashy and serve as hallowed grounds.

"Back already?! Didn't you just put out a logo challenge post the other day???"

Yup and yup!

Because I fell so far behind after Zelda's release last month, I felt like I should at least do some attempt at catching up. And because I've been so happy with the last two logos, I've been much more inclined to get back into the graphic design scene.

If you know me, you know that I love gaming. And you also know that I'm a huge fan of Nintendo. I was first introduced back to the gaming world as a young lad where 3D-rendered polygons were still just a pipe dream. One of my favorite games back then was none other than the classic Super Mario World. Between it's lively music and vibrant colors, I was constantly enthralled.

Looking back at what I did with Analyst Clay, I'm pretty ashamed of my work. I know that working with something as ambiguous as Analyst Clay was pretty difficult, but if I were a graphic designer trying to create something for a real company called Analyst Clay, the logo I created was a real turd.

Woof.

I know it's been a while since my last logo challenge entry, and it's not been for no reason. When the random word generator gave back to me "Analyst Clay," I was... downtrodden? I don't know the exact word, but it felt like, could I have gotten any worse combination of words? Couple that with the fact that the Nintendo Switch / Zelda made my productivity drop through the floor, and I let this guy slide for a long, long time.

I know, I know, I have done a pretty bad job on keeping up with the Logo Challenge. There's a reason for that: I drew a card I don't know what to do with: Analyst Clay. What the heck am I supposed to do with Analyst Clay?? Between my head scratching over that and my addiction to Zelda... yeah. This blog has been neglected.

The Legend of Zelda is no doubt my favorite game series of all time. I was first introduced to the series in 1998 right after the release of the Game Boy Color and Link's Awakening DX. That game instantly ensnared me and made me a lifelong fan of the series. Perhaps what grabbed me the most was the sense of wonder. Very early in Link's Awakening, you can visit a library that shows a map of the whole island. I remember thinking as a 9 year old kid, "I wonder what that giant egg is really like? Or what is this Turtle Rock like, too?"

That thought is what truly propelled me toward Breath of the Wild. Though I still love almost every game in the Zelda universe, Breath of the Wild drew me back to the roots of what made me attracted to the series in the first place. Watching tons of E3 2016 footage and Gamexplain's massive two hour breakdown left me with more questions than answers. Its previews drew my curiosity more than I can say about any game in at least five years.

So, now that the game has been released, I suppose the main question is, did it live up to my expectations? Let's get into the review.

If you're a Zelda fan or even remotely interested in open world games, you'll definitely want to pick up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. My full review of the game will come soon enough, but I still need to beat the main campaign first. I've had the game for 8 days now, and while I have been pretty much playing non-stop, I've only completed half the dungeons. Granted, that's because I've been so focused on exploring this densely beautiful world.

Anyway, even though I haven't beaten the game yet, I wanted to provide y'all with some spoiler-free tips to get you started in your adventure. These are things that I kinda wish I would have known when I started the game, so when I inevitably play through this game a second time, I'll be interested to see how I play differently from my first play through. Let's jump into the tips!

Following the not-so-great sales of the Wii U, Nintendo is already back at it launching a brand new console midway through this hardware generation. Obviously, this isn't a desirable thing to have to do for a variety of reasons, but the Nintendo Switch is looking really promising. Of course, the biggest selling feature of this console is the fact that you can either play it on your TV at home or you can take it on the go with you thanks to its built-in, touch-capacitive screen.

Let's just get this out of the way: I am a Nintendo fanboy all the way. Sure, I do own a PlayStation 4, but Nintendo has always held a special place in my heart. With first party franchises like Mario and Zelda, it's pretty simple to fall in love with them. Regardless of your thoughts on their hardware, their software titles are unmatched by anybody.

That all said, I was a Day One buyer of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and I probably will always be a Day One buyer of any Nintendo console. But the Nintendo Switch had me particularly excited. I love my 3DS because of its portability, and I love(d) my Wii U for the ability to play many games directly off the GamePad on my couch. Coupled with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I was absolutely buying the Nintendo Switch on launch day.

Since I've only had it a few days now, I don't feel right doing a full "review" of the Switch. Partly because I haven't had it that long and also partly because I haven't had the ability to test out things like online features. Still, I want to share some initial thoughts on what I think of the console so far. (And I'll do my best to be impartial!)

It's been a long time I've reviewed any new music, so I dug into my Apple Music to see what I could find. I'm a little burnt out on the hip-hop / rap genre, so I purposefully sought something that wasn't that. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to look to far. John Mayer has recently release two new EPs under the title The Search for Everything, separated into "Waves".

Now, I scoured the internet to see if there would be any additional "waves" coming, and I couldn't find anything that said one way or the other. That said, I'm going to possibly make a poor assumption that this is it and combine my review of the two waves into one. (To be fair, if Mayer does release another wave, we're really getting beyond what an EP is into studio album territory!)

I know a lot of people are a big fan of John Mayer, and honestly, I can't tell you a single song he performs prior to this EP. Yeah, apparently my head is buried in the sand. It's not like I purposefully avoided his work. I just... well... I don't know. Anyway, this being my first foray into Mayer's music, want to know what this fresh listener has to say? Let's get into it.

I know I'm a little tardy to the party, but I didn't want to jump from zero to Uncharted 4 without playing the previous games. Because I never owned a PlayStation 3, I never had the opportunity to play the first three Uncharted games, so the release of the Nathan Drake collection was great for folks like me.

Of course, this isn't a review for that collection, but if I were to summarize my thoughts on those, I thought they were great. I wasn't particularly blown away by them, but they still enticed me enough to check out Uncharted 4. So, how does Nathan Drake's chapter stack up compared to the other three? Let's get into it!

Preference Crew, here we go!

I've been in the workforce for a couple years now, and I think I finally "cracked the code" on the perfect combo of stuff to keep on my when I'm at work. So why is this post on here and not my business-focused blog? Aside from it being media heavy, I purposefully balance practicality with art. What I mean is that I could have been very practical by doing things like using the standard company-issue backpack, but that's not me. I like cool things. Pretty things.

Things that tell a story.

Anyway, you'll see what I mean down below. Hopefully it inspires you to rethink what you carry around with you at work! (And if you are interested in getting what I have, I'll do my best to include links to each of the items.)

About a month ago, I decided to follow the footsteps of some Redditors in what is known as the Logo Challenge. In a nutshell, we use a random word generator that generates two words, and we create a business logo based on those words. (If you want to read more details about the challenge, check out my other post here.)

My primary reason for taking on this challenge was to enhance my Adobe Illustrator skills. All my knowledge about the program was learned from watching literally hundreds of YouTube videos, and I still have a lot to learn. I would, by no means, call myself a professional graphic designer. So if you think my first few designs look like crap, I am not offended at all. I'm still learning!

Speaking of those designs, if you want to see my work so far, check out the posts behind this links:

#001: Tender Drive
#002: Civilization Sodium
#003: Squeeze Attitude
#004: Strategic Budge

But the purpose of this post isn't to showcase my skills. (Or, lack thereof.) Rather, these are five lessons I've learned so far about graphic design and marketing as a whole. Without further ado, let's get into it!

The random word generator is lobbing a softball at me this week.

This was simultaneously the easiest and most difficult week to work with. Easy because "Strategic Budge" doesn't lend itself for a lot of creativity, and difficult because, well, "Strategic Budge" doesn't lend itself for a lot of creativity. When I saw the phrase generated, my mind instantly went to one place, and it never left there. I tried and tried and tried to come up with something different but just couldn't.

So, that said, I took the easy way out. I envision Strategic Budge as a sort of consulting firm. This firm goes into other existing companies to help them make hard decisions that will benefit them in the end. Hence the man being pushed off the cliff. If I were to create a tagline for the company, it would read like this:

Sometimes, we all know what we need to do. All we need is a little push.

I know, I know, I'm a genius!

Okay, so this week was pretty easy, but I think I learned a lesson here. I'm gathering a post of lessons I've learned in these challenges, so watch for that post coming soon. Sorry for no funny GIFs this week!

If you haven't heard his name before, you've surely seen his work. Mr. Miyamoto is the genius behind many of Nintendo's most popular video game franchises in the world, including The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and, of course, Mario. Mr. Miyamoto has been with Nintendo now for a very long time, and a solid argument can be made that he is a big reason for their sustained success.

With the launch of the Nintendo Switch coming in a mere three weeks, I thought it only appropriate to honor this long-standing Nintendo icon in our fourth artist profile. I am always captivated by the design of Nintendo's games, from their gameplay to their art style to their music. Mr. Miyamoto's contributions have undoubtedly influenced the entire video game industry. Let's take a glimpse into the life and work of Shigeru Miyamoto.

Our friend, Mr. Random Word Generator, has spoken, and this week we'll be looking at "Squeeze Attitude". Now, you might be thinking that this certainly should be easier than last week's Civilization Sodium, but I'm actually struggling to come up with good ideas for this one. And I precisely know why.