Pastels, Disney Concept Art & Society Clothing

Click to enlarge. 

We're starting a new guide for LOCALE magazine on Disneyland. I know. Pretty awesome thing to get paid to do! I'm working on it with my lovely sis and our awesome friend Lindsey Bro. We all decided we wanted a classic Disney, concept art feel to the aesthetic. So I busted out my Monster's Inc. Concept Art book and my pastels and started copying a scene from the book to figure out No. 1: how to use pastels, and No. 2: how to accomplish the amazing lighting and style they always have in their work. Seriously... why haven't I used pastels since elementary school? They. Are. AMAZING. So messy. So bright. So fun. Can't wait to work on OUR piece for the guide.

Also entered a fun competition on instagram for my friend Zech's brand Society Clothing. All you have to do is throw up the Society logo (the all seeing eye - like above) and tag @societyclothing and #societyeye to enter. The contest goes all the way through Friday May 11th and the winner gets some great shwag - so enter! Or vote for me @amyhoodlum. I'm totally leading the pack, and in the words of Mitt Romney, "the numbers are just on my side." haha

- Amy
Listening to: Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois" album.
So. Good.

Glamor Shots, New Pretty Things, & Shameless Shout Outs

Just as I had given up hope in my search for a pleated, sheer, maxi skirt (remember my post a few days ago?)- there it was. At Pretty In Pink Boutique in Costa Mesa, CA. I'd like to take this moment to thank Locale Magazine for assigning Jen and I the story that led us to Pretty In Pink because it is now hovering around the top of my list of places that I would love to call "my closet." They had so many cute shirts, dresses, shorts and earrings, it was all I had not to buy half the store. But what I did buy was the below gorgeous grey skirt and turquoise blue top. Both of which I will lovingly wear through the rest of summer and fall. All you ladies, check out Pretty In Pink. They have a monthly "Ladies Night" where you get 25% off anything in the store. Yeah. I'm following them on facebook now so I don't miss the next one. It's a down economy here. Plus they are right next door to one of my other favorite shops, Dee Lux, which carries new and used items for the best prices (not to mention an impressive and eclectic selection of the best sunglasses). And now a few glamor shots in my pretty new things.

- Amy
Listening to: Jimmy Durante's "As Time Goes By"

 

Some New Illustrations, J-Lo's Doomed Comeback, & Chit Chatting with Ryan Getzlaf

[ Illustration ©Amy Hood ]

Here are some sketches/illustrations I have been working on to go in our Summer Guide Feature for LOCALE magazine. Since drawing these yesterday I have been seriously craving a rainbow sprinkle Balboa Bar... and I mean worse than J. Lo (a.k.a. Jennifer Lopes) craves a comeback. (Side Note: Have you heard her new single? I'm no pop connoisseur, but it's pretty terrible and predictable. Seeing as pop is already terribly predictable for the most part, that says a lot.)

The feature is coming along swimmingly, but there is still so much to do and so little time to do it! Looks like there are going to be some all-nighters with me, my iMac, a six pack of Coca Cola and my "Get Amped" playlist.  I'll leave you with this hilarious little skit featuring Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf of our very own Anaheim Ducks. I found it while doing some research for my interview with Ryan Getzlaf (which went down just moments ago - what a nice guy).

- Amy
Listening to: The Honorary Title's "Cut Short"

The Great & Powerful LOCALE Magazine, Some Recent Design, & Eating Brains

[ LOCALE Magazine flanked by the Cycle Zombies - participants in our Summer Guide. Photograph by Jonah Gilmore, our wonderful photographer for our feature. ]

I've been doing a freelance design project with my sister Jennifer for a rad local OC magazine called LOCALE. It's a really nice 200 page, thick stock, perfect bound magazine with advertisers like Blue Moon and LA Club Sport and really fun and interesting local editorial - so it's basically every editorial designers dream - or at least mine. After working at a smaller publication for the last five years where our covers were paid for, our demographic was suburban moms, and our page count never exceeded 44 (our big dream was to one day have a perfect bound magazine), I am having so much fun letting my creativity run rampant on this project! 

The feature we're working on is a guide to summer in Orange County. It's full of how-tos, lists, interviews with OC celebs on their favorite summer memories, summer fun ideas, and summer playlists from local bands. I really want to post some of the design I've been working on for said project, but I will wait till it is printed to show you the end result. I will give you a little teaser and show you this little beer cap I created for one of the segments. I even made little dew drops! No skimping on the design here, folks.

[ © Amy Hood ]

Yep, just a foreshadow to the greatness to come in this feature. Which brings me to my next point: this feature can only be as great as we envision it with your help. We're compiling a list of "summer musts" and we want to pick your brain and steal some of your genius. That made me sound like a zombie. I promise I won't eat your brain - that's not what I meant. So what do I mean? I mean we want to know what your favorite things to do for summer in Orange County are so we can include it in our list. You know - those things/pastimes you have to indulge in every summer, without which, it's just not summer: going to the beach, riding your beach cruiser on the boardwalk, slip n' slides with your friends, getting a balboa bar at the Balboa Fun Zone... and the list goes on. If you feel inclined to lend your thoughts, leave a comment with your favorite things to do. 

You guys are diamonds.

- Amy

Listening to: Wilco's "Outtasite"

Wilco - Outtasite by WBRNewMedia