Blog.CampSteve - Experiences in art and entrepreneurship by Steve Lowtwait.
Tags



March 1, 2010

Welcoming Illustration

I recently introduced you to CampSteve's new focus on website illustration and showed the sketch of this piece below.  Here is the finished work for the upcoming home page.  That's my 1967 Jeep Super Wagoneer with my red canoe.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 28, 2010

New Aspen Poster in the Works

The rough sketch:

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 22, 2010

Website Illustration: Case In Point

One of the directions I'm going to take my art career is "website illustration", which is creating art specifically for online publishing, not for print.  I'm currently rebuilding my portfolio site, CampSteve.com, and in the new site, I'm going to emphasize web illustration.  It's a niche that not a lot of people understand, or why art has value online.  CampSteve will explain this.  And to literally illustrate my point, I'm creating new artwork specifically for the site to weave people through it and add a sense of narrative to their experience.  It starts by welcoming visitors with the illustration you see here.  This is just a pencil rough and the finished art will be in full color.  CampSteve itself will be a case in point.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [1]

February 15, 2010

New Art: Home Portrait in Connecticut

Here is a stately home in the historic west end of Hardford, Connecticut.  In the words of the homeowner, "It’s a 1925 Tudor that was built to withstand a thermonuclear blast – if they could imagine what one was back then."  I created the home to feel heavy, confident and grounded.  The dark windows and strange dusk light give it a serious sense of stature.

The typography plays homage to the 1920s without being heavily Art Deco, and has a classy, east coast feel.  It's nice to have some history written out on the poster itself.


Commission your own poster-style home portrait at Home Sweetest Home.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

February 10, 2010

New Web Design: Getting Closer

I previously noted on the blog that I'm working on a ground up redesign for CampSteve.com.  I'm still working on the bulk of the site but I just launched a temporary homepage.  The purpose of this was to get the software set up on my domain so I can more easily build out the rest of the site.  This is a big project!
As the new page hints at, I'm getting pretty creative with design, giving CampSteve a brand inspired by vintage western kitsch.  I've custom designed all the graphics - buttons, typography, background plaid, etc.  Attention to detail is integral to my body of work and important to presenting it on the web.  I can't wait to show you more!  See the new homepage here.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

January 14, 2010

New Art: Triple Bypass Poster

This is the second Triple Bypass cycling poster I've created.  2009 marked the first poster for the grueling event that's been going on for over twenty years.  The posters feature a scene capturing the essence of the ride, distance and elevation, along with a map illustrating the route and its achievements.  Posters will be for sale through the organizers of the race, Team Evergreen.

There's a challenge in designing art that depicts great physical demand and personal achievement.  It must inspire one to do their best as well as act as a diploma for the accomplishment.  Even though I ride a road bike for recreation, the Triple Bypass is beyond my own scope.  I'll stick to drawing it, not riding it.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

January 4, 2010

My Artwork as Save-the-Date Cards

Boulder wedding planner, Calluna Events, featured several of my pieces on their blog as a creative idea for save-the-date cards.  In fact, I've known several couples to use my postcards in the past for this very reason.  For out-of-towners, it's a fun way to introduce them to where the wedding will be held.

Also, I am open for commissions for custom wedding invitations.  It's one of those little known niches that I encompass.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

January 3, 2010

Concept for the CampSteve.com Redesign

The long overdue redesign of CampSteve.com has been brewing in my head. I've had several ideas for what the site will look like and how it will navigate, showcase my art, and engage with visitors. I want to carry over the "lodge" concept of the current site.

Last night, I finally imagined a design I like. Here is a rough sketch for the home page design. Because it's more about conceptual layout, the drawing is not to scale and the copy is abbreviated, but you get the idea. Now to design the other pages and build the site!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [1]

December 7, 2009

My Pearl Street Art in an Ad

I discovered this on the Pearl Street Mall the other day. It's one of my more popular posters of downtown Boulder on a public information kiosk. I didn't even know it would be up there so it was a pleasant surprise! Support local!

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]

December 1, 2009

The Innovator's Vulnerability

From Business Week comes an article about how innovative people expose their vulnerabilities to create success within.  It's a good read for visionaries and creative folk.

Read 'The Innovator's Vulnerability'.

Loading mentions Retweet

Comments [0]