Preview my new website!!

Hello, everyone. I've been hard at work developing my new website and blog. You can get a sneak peak at www.clelandillustration.com/test. There you can visit my new WordPress blog as well. I know what you're thinking: "But Josh, I'm subscribed to this blog. What do I do when you move???" Settle down. When the time comes I will provide with a 34-step instruction list that must be followed EXACTLY! Until then, sit back and relax. Worry about something less severe, like the economy.

UPDATE 7/25/09: My website is now updated and can be viewed at www.clelandillustration.com.

I'm also interested in your constructive feedback. This is your chance to tear me down (but please do it constructively). Comments welcome are:

"Love the site, but this is confusing to me…",

or

"The navigation is hard, and this is why."

Comments NOT welcome are:

"It looks weird on my browser. I'm using Internet Explorer 6.0".

Simply leave your comments on this post, or email me at Josh@clelandillustration.com. I thank you in advance.

New website development updates

I've been pretty silent lately when it comes to updating this blog. Mainly because I've been hard at work redesigning my website (initially posted about it here). I wanted to post a quick update to my progress. It's coming along great. I'm very excited about this new look and functionality, and I'm thrilled that I'll be completely dumping Flash!! Also in the works is an iPhone-friendly version.

Here are some tease shots. Hopefully I'll be able to post a link to the complete "beta" site version sometime next week.

I will also be redesigning this blog. This presents some dilemmas. I get a lot of compliments on my current design, which I like. However, I need to have my blog fit the identity of the new site. So, I'll have to work that out. I'm also debating switching the blog over to Wordpress, although figuring out how to transfer all the feed info and stuff sounds like a headache. We'll see. I'll also have to figure out how to design a custom blog with WP (something I need to know anyways).

So, stay tuned. As always you can keep up with the blog by subscribing via RSS, or signing up to receive updates via email. How fun is that!

New website coming!!

Yes, that's right, a new portfolio website. I'm in the very beginning stages right now, and I plan on taking my time to make sure the concept is fully discovered and development is top notch. So, currently I'm only working with pencil on paper (and occasionally the scanner and Photoshop to resize/place images). I found some great website sketch comps at www.960.gs.

Below are initial sketches in my discovery process. I haven't nailed down a look quite yet, but the one I'm developing here looks quite promising. There's going to be much greater emphasis on call to action, and highlighting/showcasing my capabilities. I hope to have progress updates here in the near future. This is going to be fun!

Get Your May Desktop Calendar

Yesterday, April 30th, I was featured in Smashing Magazine (along with many other talented illustrators/designers). Each month they hold an open call to submit desktop wallpaper calendars. At the last minute I thought I'd submit one for May. And I made it in!

Click here to visit Smashing Magazine's website where you can download one of these great desktop wallpapers yourself. My treat.

Promos and such

Here is a near-finished version of an illustration promo postcard I'm working on. Not much to say. I hope to start sending it out next week.

Promo workings and New Year

Hello, all. With this new year I am making the move to full-time freelance. It's a pretty scary move, but the right one. I am taking this opportunity to focus my marketing on gaining more professional illustration accounts (most of my clients are design-related). Below is a sketch of a promo-postcard that I will be sending out in February. It's going to be fun.

Bigfoot Knitting

Here is a shirt I did as a Christmas present for my brother. You can have one too, and be really cool, like he is. Or, you can keep your normal, boring clothes you always wear. It's up to you.

Bigfoot knitting by ClelandIllustration
Design Custom Tshirts At zazzle.com

New year, New business cards

With the new year approaching I thought it would be a good time to create new promo business cards. Here's a teaser. I'll probably order them just after the first of the year.

Photoshop mock up above.

Above is the front.

Above is the back.

FBC Site Launch

FBCbeaverton.org is now launched! There's still a lot of things we want to do with the site, but it's now officially out in the public.

Microsoft does something RIGHT

I've often asked myself the age-old question, "If I ever do graphic design for Microsoft, is it okay to use a Mac?"

I now know the answer: YES!!

Lately Microsoft has launched a large $300 million ad campaign pushing Windows Vista. It includes TV commercials starring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates, and a new TV ad mocking Apple's "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" campaign. Below is a screenshot of a print ad I downloaded from the Microsoft campaign site. The ad is gorgeous in my opinion, and that's not sarcasm. However, check out the type of computer it was created on… (click image to enlarge it)

That's right, a Mac using InDesign CS3. Microsoft does something right. In order to do the best creative work you need the proper tools. Microsoft recognizes this and I give them credit for that.

The actual ad shown above can be viewed here. (just click "print" to view a pdf of the ad). And, if you want you can read more about these PC-ads-created-on-Macs here. (I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this).

Another thought: I wonder if Apple's accountants use PCs?

New blog look… Again!

Well, I did it again. I got bored and refreshed the design of my blog… again. I just couldn't help it. Hopefully this one will last for more than 3 months. Who knows. I may be playing around with the illustration in the next couple of days so it may change here and there.

The black background really doesn't work well with large amounts of type, so if I decide to start typing more in my blog posts I need something that's easier on the eyes.


Edit: At the last minute I decided to submit it to this week's Illustration Friday. Topic: Island… because, he's kind of on an island, I guess.

Oregon Zoo Brochure

Hello, everyone. I wanted to pass on a big kudos to my wife, Rayna. She's been interning at the Oregon Zoo, and she recently redesigned the Zoo's brochure, which was recently released. Awesome job. I'm jealous.



Wow! Take a look at that masking job. Atta girl! I'd hire her any day. (please mind the flash glare).



So, if you're frequenting the Oregon Zoo anytime soon make sure you pick up a few.

First Baptist Church BETA

I wanted to post a couple screenshots of the website I'm working on for my church (First Baptist Church of Beaverton). It's slow-going but fun.

It's launched!!

Hello, everyone. I wanted to announce that my site redesign has been launched. Yay!! I'm going to have an online launch party sometime in the near future. Okay, the party has begun… woohooo! everybody dance now!! Who let the designers out… woof, woof, woof, woof.

Okay, party's over. Everybody out.

Oh, of course you can get to my site by clicking the "Portfolio" button on top. Or just click here.

New portfolio site coming

I'm in the process of redesigning my portfolio site. Why am I redesigning it, you ask… because I feel like it, that's why. I can do what I want. Stop pestering me!

Anyways, the reason is I'm sick of the black and brown background. Too dark and depressing. It's time for something fresh and summery! Plus, my current site buries my work with many clicks (two at least--that's two too many). When one goes to my newly-designed site BAM!! they go directly to my illustration portfolio--no clicking needed. If they want to go to my graphic design section it's only one click away. How awesome is that!!

I still have work to do. I have to optimize many of the images for the new white background. And, I'm adding captions to the work so I'll be working on that as well.

You can preview this new "beta" site here.

New look

Hey, everyone. I wanted to get the word out that I'm sporting a new look.


(update: I thought I'd upload a pic in case you're reading this using an RSS reader.)

Rayna's New Portfolio Website

Hey, everyone! I wanted to announce the launch of my wife's portfolio website: www.clelanddesign.com! She graduated this past week with her associates in Graphic Design, and is now out on the job hunt. Congrats to her!

New Website: MTI Studios

This past week I launched the re-designed website for my work: www.mtistudios.net. I'm pretty happy with it. The goal was to make it much cleaner, streamlined, and easy to update. We also wanted to make it very functional--there are music demos that we wanted to play seamlessly when clicked on. The old website didn't do that at all. All the designing, coding, and building was done by ME. I don't fancy myself as a "coder" so Dreamweaver helped out big time. Content development was, of course, done by my bosses and coworkers.

Spaghetti Rex

Nothing says Italian food more than Tyranosaurus Rex! Am I right?

I have been working on a personal portfolio project for the last few weeks and decided to post some updates. This is a concept branding scheme for an italian restaurant. This is a fun one. Maybe I can sell this brand some day for a lot of money. I'll probably work on more illustrations following this theme--maybe of other dinosaurs doing italian food activities. I'll also do some business cards, stationary, and letterhead,--and maybe a website mock-up.

Here are some sample menu pages. The menu was stol--BORROWED-- from "The Olive Garden".

Spaghetti Rex Chef Sketch

Spaghetti Rex!! Concept sketch.