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        <title>Jim Tierney at ohger.com</title>
        <description></description>
        <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:39:25 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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        <item>
            <title>My first Penguins</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9048</link>
            <description><![CDATA[




	So you've all seen my personal work and school projects, but now comes the exciting part; real-live design work.

	
	

	In my first month at Penguin, I've been lucky enough to work on a dozen books or so, and even design a few myself. These are far from being ready for print, and will probably go through some minor changes along the way, but so far the art directors, editors, and authors have approved the results.

	
	

	My first project is one I started on a few weeks before I even got to New York. I guess Paul Buckley wanted to be sure he was getting his money's worth, so he sent me the hardcover ofThis is Just Exactly Like You by Drew Perry, and told me to have something in mind for the paperback by the time I came in on to work.

	
	

	The book is about a man dealing with a failing marriage and an autistic son. He owns a landscaping business, which factors largely into the story, as well as my designs.

	
	

	

	Rejected comp

	
	

	

	Approved Mechanical

	
	

	A Guided Tour Through the Museum of Communism, by Slavenka Drakulic is a series of short stories, told by different animals about history and experiences of communism. A few of the more memorable characters in the book are the Mouse and the Bear, so I knew right away that I wanted to use them somehow for the cover.

	
	

	

	Rejected comps, with minor changes to the last one.

	
	

	

	Approved Mechanical

	
	

	Lies of the Heart is my first non-illustrated book cover.

	It's a novel about a woman whose husband is murdered by the mentally challenged man that they were taking care of. The story deals with a lot of issues of emotional culpability and relationship dynamics, so the image for the paperback had to be understated and contemplative.

	
	

	

	Rejected Comps

	
	

	

	Approved Mechanical

	
	

	- - - EDIT - - -

	Also, Design Related just ran a nice interview with Paul Buckley about his new Penguin 75 book, and a few of my illustrations are featured on the side bar
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:33:36 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>How are you feeling today?</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=9003</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	This poster is the result of a prompt given by Jon Krause to create a "mental disorder propoganda poster"
	
	

	Self-explanatory:
	

	
	

	
	

	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2010 04:46:03 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>The King of Comedy</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8961</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	Our latest assignment for Katherine Streeter was a open-ended celebrity portrait. I chose a straightforward representation of Buster Keaton.
	
	

	
	

	
	This project also taught me a new photoshop trick for eliminating those awful stepped gradients without resorting to imports from illustrator.  Simply applied the "Add Noise" filter to the gradient layer. The example above is intentionally grainy, but as long as you keep the noise level low, you can get a very smooth finish.
	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:53:45 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Firefox vs Safari: Color Wars</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8941</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	For most of you, this might be old news, but for the rest it is the solution to a problem that seems to be plaguing a lot of artists who post images on the web.  I've noticed that some images look very different in different browsers, and some don't.  Until last night I had no idea how to control this.  So, If you are frustrated with the same problem yourself, read on.  If not, then snicker to yourself at my dreadfully delayed technological puberty and be on your way.

	All of the message boards I found simply offered the advice "make sure your images are converted to sRGB", which I was already doing with little results. So I decided to try some other things.  
	
	

	Of course, your photoshop file is the image you want everyone else to see:
	

	
	

	So then you sRGB it, save at 72 dpi, and upload, only to be greeted by some pale washy colors in firefox.  Safari seems to be doing things right, though...
	

	My solution is this:  

	After you convert to sRGB, click on View>Proof Setup>Monitor RGB:

	

	AHA!  That's what shows up online, is it not?  
	

	All that's left to do now is adjust the image back to the way you want it...
	

	

	And "save for web", using any file type you like:
	

	

	And that seems to solve the problem.  Safari and Firefox are finally getting along.  There are a few minor differences, but nothing like what we were dealing with before:
	

	

	I've tried a bunch of things, and this seems to work pretty well.  However, it is probably a sketchy, roundabout way to do something that could easily be done another way.  If you know a better way to do this, please let me know, since I am only stumbling my way blindly through this incoherent voodoo-babble myself.
	

	
	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:19:21 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>mo' books...</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8930</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	
		I've spent the last week working on my type/design sense, which resulted in this new cover, as well as revisions of some of my old covers.
		
	
		
	
		
	
	
		
	
		
	
	
		And just for fun, a mock-up for a paperback version of my 20,000 Leagues cover.
	
		

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:28:13 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Blogosphere</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8908</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	
		So it's been a big week for my books and I
		
	
		First off, Charles Brock made me designer of the week on Faceout Books (one of my favorite book design blogs)
	
		
		
	
		
	
		then Charles sent my link to Michael Bierut, who gave it a "wow", and poster my name on Design Observer...
	
		
		
	
		
	
		The Book Designers also took notice...
	
		
		
	
		
	
		And Canada's National Post gave me a write-up in their "Afterword" book section
	
		
		
	
		and so did Nonsuch Book, Between Clark and Hilldale, Karen Horton's Daily Design Discoveries, and NFG Graphics (even though I can't read it)
	
		I've never been so flattered or appreciative.  The internet amazes me...

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:41:28 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Ely Project 2/2</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8900</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	
		
		
	
		As promised, I give you the second half of my Jules Verne series:
	
		 
	
		for Around the World in Eighty Days, I decided to put a pocket watch on the jacket.  Incorporated into the watch is a spin-dial that tracks the characters' journey around the globe.  The idea is that as you read, you can turn the dial to correspond to where you are in the book.  Underneath the jacket, the cover is designed in the style of vintage postage stamps, and so are the endpapers.  
	
		
		(back cover)
	
		
		
	
		
		(front cover)
	
		
		
	
		
		(the spin-dial in action)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(flaps and endpapers)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(detail of front cover)
		
	
		
		
	
		
	
		From the Earth to the Moon.  Here I stayed with the "interactivity" theme, and designed the jacket to have a pull-slide tab which reveals the rocket speeding to the moon.  The cover features the rocket against a simple star field and decorative border.
	
		
		(back jacket)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(pull-tab action!)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(flaps and endpapers)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(front cover)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(back cover)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(front cover detail)
		
	
		
		
	
		
		(back jacket detail)
		
	
		
		
	
		And there you have it.
	
		One of my favorite designers, Chris Ware, once told me that an education in illustration (or art school in general) would destroy my soul.  He was almost right.  I'm convinced that in this program, if you have time to eat, sleep, or pay your rent, you are not working hard enough (and will be verbally reminded of this regularly)  In spite of all that, I'm happy with the way this project turned out, and it taught me how to learn from my teachers.  In art school, you essentially get a random assortment of instructors, some of which inevitably will not know very much about/ not share your tastes concerning the field you want to work in.  In order to avoid an arbitrary head-butting compromise-fest, the only solution is to be obsessed with  your field, and know what you like.  When you know this, you know what to take, what to leave, and most importantly, know when you are done.
	
		
		
	
		And I am happy to say, I'm done.
	
		My eternal thanks to Joe, Jon, Matt, Gina, Ralph, and Eleanor for helping me figure out how to do this right.

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:03:59 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Book Cover Process</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8885</link>
            <description><![CDATA[


	
		I recently posted this book cover "how-to" on my personal blog.  I thought it would be interesting for non-artists to see how I do what I do.  You fellow artists might find it amusing as well, if you ignore the obvious advice, and embarrassing lack of the sketch stage : 
	
		I decided to document my process for this book design. Every project has its own unique problems, but I generally go through the same basic steps, especially when I'm just working for myself, instead of someone who is paying me to do what they want. Be aware that this probably isn't the most efficient way to work, it's just the way I do things. 1. Choose a book. I usually try to stay away from recent and/or popular books. The reason for this is that recent books are usually still associated with a certain image, whereas older books have usually released by multiple publishers in multiple editions, and have multiple cover designs. This allows you to make your own version without stepping on anyone's toes, and if you do a good job, it will really stand out from the crowd. Obscure books generally work better than popular books, because you won't have to fight against as much pre-existing imagery or icons associated with the story. It's also a good idea to avoid re-designing a book if you already like the current cover. I chose The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino. I really like this author, and have wanted to design one of his covers for a while. Unfortunately, this Picasso isn't doing anything for me. 
	
	
		 
		
	
		2. Find a Dummy. This is an important step, because you will need to know your exact measurements before you begin designing. You should stick to a dummy that is a realistic size for the book you are designing. For instance, if you are making a new cover for "War and Peace", don't use a copy of "The Stranger" for your dummy. Ideally, you should just use the book itself, but since I don't own a hardcover version, I chose this similarly-thick dummy.
		
	
		 
		
	
		3. Sketch.  Now... you should do a few sketches before you settle on one (as you will soon find out), but since this was a self-assigned project, and the sketch gradually developed from some doodles, I just went with one. A good trick is to actually wrap the book in graph paper and draw right onto it. This will eliminate any careless measurement mistakes, which I am very prone to.
		
	
		  
		
	
		4. Finish Drawing. Depending on how you work, transfer your sketch and begin rendering your elements. I happen to work mostly with ink, so I traced my sketch onto vellum, and will assemble and color them later on the computer.
	
		  
		
	
		If you make a lot of mistakes like I do, it might take a few tries to get things right. This sheet of lettering is actually a very clean one for me. There are usually about 3 times this many arrows and X's.  
		
	
		5. Panic. Sometimes the image in your head doesn't look as good on paper (or screen).  
		
	
		This is where better sketching would have helped. In this case, I usually scramble around trying different solutions. I ended up re-arranging the snails, and adding some yellow. It seems to have done the trick. Lay out the necessary typography, and ask a trusted friend what for an opinion.  6. Print, relax, repeat Once you're done, print a copy, wrap it around your dummy, and make a blog about it.   

]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:01:37 +0000</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Ely project 1/2</title>
            <link>http://ohger.com/jimtierney&amp;area=blog&amp;item=8879</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
	Hello, first of all, thank you for accepting me into your tribe.  I am honored.
	
	So here's what I'm up to at the moment.  These are the first 2 projects of my 4-piece Ely (which, for you non-UArts people, is our senior thesis.)  I chose to design a set of Jules Verne novels.  Classic books are always fun to design, so I took full advantage of the opportunity to do something a bit far-fetched, and pull some production tricks with things like overlays, spin-wheels, and fun endpapers. 
	

	(also, please forgive my giant first post) 
	

	My first choice was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, one of my favorite books. The half-jacket shows a tangle of tentacles emerging from Nemo's diving helmet, suggesting his hidden, more sinister nature. Underneath are some ornamental squids and the lost city of Atlantis. I feel that this construction suits the book's constant theme of mystery and discovery.    
	

	 

	(rear view with jacket)
	

	

	(front view without jacket)
	

	 

	(rear view without j
	

	

	(front jacket detail)
	

	

	(front cover detail)
	

	
	

	(endpapers and flaps)

	Next up is Journey to the Center of the Earth. The translucent overlay reveals fossils and dinosaur bones. Barely visible through the overlay, and printed on the cover beneath, are some more peculiar items, such as giant skeletons, weapons, and artifacts, hinting at some of the more surprising discoveries made by the characters.
	

	
	

	(front view with overlay)
	

	

	(rear view with overlay)
	

	

	(front view without overlay)
	

	

	(read view without overlay)
	

	

	(front overlay detail)
	

	

	(rear overlay detail)
	

	

	(rear cover detail)
	

	Well that's it for now.Tune in next time for Around the World in 80 Days, and From the Earth to the Moon. 

	-Jim
	

	
	

	
	
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
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