Visual Thinking Art

My Outsourced Memory

2009-04-28T18:19:00.001-05:00

My Outsourced Memory, originally uploaded by daveelf.

DRM

2008-11-25T15:26:00.001-06:00

DRM, originally uploaded by densitydesign.

Lomo Neverland - 3D Drawing Plan

2008-04-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

Lomo Neverland - 3D Drawing Plan, originally uploaded by Patrick Ng.

Very cool

sketchy

2007-10-21T07:26:00.001-05:00

sketchy, originally uploaded by nationless.

Mapping the edges

2007-10-21T05:50:00.000-05:00

Eileen Clegg of Visual Insight has posted an interesting map of the future of conferences. It's not just the map that's interesting, but you can also click on various parts of the image and listen to the dialogue that the image summarizes.

I think there's a lot of potential -- combining visuals with dialogue has always been a challenge online, and this map is a great prototype of what's possible.

Take a look.

ACTIONS

2006-11-12T17:06:00.000-06:00

ACTIONS, originally uploaded by macro girl.

Found on Flickr.

TOOLS

2006-11-12T17:05:00.000-06:00

TOOLS, originally uploaded by macro girl.

Found on Flickr.

MEASUREMENT & DURATION

2006-11-12T17:04:00.000-06:00

MEASUREMENT & DURATION, originally uploaded by macro girl.

Found on Flickr.

Wall chart from Meshforum 2006

2006-05-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

Wall chart from Meshforum 2006, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

This is the wall chart from a session Dave Davison convened at meshforum. I have added some notes. Hopefully people who were there can help because i missed some of the conversation.

Day three of meshforum employed the open space format and was held in the offices of adaptive path and Rubyredlabs

You can learn more about meshforum here.
and see more photos here.

Meshforum 2006

2006-05-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

Meshforum 2006, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

This is part of the XPLANE visual thinking workshop at Meshforum 2006.

You can learn more about meshforum here.
and see more photos here.

Visual thinking

2006-05-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

Visual thinking, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Planning session; getting ready for a meeting next week.

Sketchbook - Projects

2006-03-24T05:44:00.000-06:00

Sketchbook - projects
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

There's something to be said for going visual with things you have to get done. In the case of this page from my sketchbook, just drawing the top three, with the 9 boxes (which will represent the top 9 card illustrations I have currently), and the robots vs. monsters thing (see it at My Flickr Page), was really helpful to getting me motivated.

What are you doing with text right now that might shake loose differently in your mind if you did it with a few quick images?

File0177

2006-03-14T22:24:00.000-06:00

File0177, originally uploaded by Conor Ryan.

Found on Flickr

City colors

2006-03-14T09:33:00.000-06:00

City colors, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Cabinet of curiosities

2006-03-14T09:32:00.000-06:00

Cabinet of curiosities, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Game Board

2006-03-08T22:13:00.000-06:00

Game Board
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Thinking Visually can be helped along by finding interesting source materials outside of your normal haunts. I got the idea for this from the latest issue of Martha Stewart Kids. It's important to mix up your reference matter when attempting to think visually, if only to free up the inner designer that doesn't require set rules.

Drawbox- Safety Message

2006-02-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

Drawbox- Safety Message
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Often times, we worry about others first. We worry about what other people think. We expend our energy on appearances, or even on trying to keep the peace.

This is a reminder that you MUST tend to your own needs first.

A Dave In The Live

2006-02-22T19:57:00.000-06:00

A Dave In The Live
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This is my comic strip version of an explanation for the wonderful photo sets Dave posts all the time. If you click this image, and then go to the "All Sizes" option, you can get an easier-to-see version to get all the details.

I pre-checked to see that Dave had a sense of humor. : )

Rabbit Racer

2006-02-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

Rabbit Racer
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I posted all the digital art I've been working on lately. Come to my Flickr site to see the lot of them.

Blue Door

2006-02-17T18:02:00.000-06:00

Blue Door
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

There's a few colorful doors in Massachusetts, too. I didn't want you all to think they were ONLY in Mexico. : )

A Game!

2006-02-15T21:55:00.000-06:00

Want to play a Visual Thinking Game? All you need to play is a digital camera and some imagination. Here's the deal:

Tell a short story with four photos.

It doesn't have to be "the truth." For instance, say you took a photo of a truck outside a house, then some loose change you see on the ground, then a sign in a store window announcing Coke is on sale for 99 cents, and then the same house in the first picture with the truck gone, that might be a story. Get it?

Heck, you don't even need the digital camera. Surf Flickr.com and use photos that aren't marked All Rights Reserved.

What do you say? Are you in?

The Valentine's Bus

2006-02-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

The Valentine's Bus
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Okay, I know it's not a robot or a tea sketch. You're scratching your head. But really, I do other stuff that I don't normally post on here. : )

Musical Beds

2006-02-12T16:18:00.000-06:00

Musical Beds
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Last night was a particularly tricky night, as my daughter came down with the flu. I tend to roam the house a lot at night anyhow, sleeping in random places. Last night was crazy, though!

Do You, uh, Yahoo?

2006-02-12T15:49:00.000-06:00

Flickr's being a beeyotch today. I've got four photos in limbo. But, in so doing, I've reacquainted myself with Yahoo Photos!. Did you know they give you unlimited uploads for free? I'm told a new, revamped version with tagging and other features is coming in March.

I like Flickr's social elements, as I'm meeting people from all over the world. I am, however, made more and more aware of its limitations due to increasing scale. I'm still on the fence on this one.

Maple Sugaring

2006-02-10T22:43:00.000-06:00

Maple Sugaring
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

It is a wonderful sign of winter in the northern lands to see maple buckets out on the trees. What's interesting about this photo is that this was shot in the center of my little town. You usually think of maple sugaring going on in forests, with guys in plaid flannel jackets roaming snowdrifts to collect the syrup.

Look how green that grass is. Cold? Yes. But no snow.

A Day In The

2006-02-08T21:47:00.000-06:00

A Day In The
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I think everyone should make a comic at some point in their lives. The subject matter should be the mundane, the stuff that comprises their daily life. Harvey Pekar made a living doing it. Hell, they made a movie based on his life, or rather, based on the art and story that came to depict his life.

This is the current measurement of my days as a new father of a second child.

Use Your Library

2006-02-08T06:56:00.000-06:00

Library Books 2
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Public Libraries (at least in the US) have more and more resources of value to artists (or anyone learning new things). I was fortunate to find this great book on instructional design (after reading about it in a Visual Thinking School module), and the one on the right about drawing retro characters.

Libraries are like a little bit of Christmas every day.

Eye Robot

2006-02-05T08:05:00.000-06:00

Eye Robot
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This was on the wall inside a factory converted into art studio space. It made me think of Dave's faces in the forest collection, only on the other side of the spectrum.

Panasonic Instructions

2006-02-04T20:50:00.000-06:00

Panasonic Instructions, originally uploaded by acinme.

found on flickr

Pedestrian Crossing

2006-02-03T09:33:00.000-06:00

Pedestrian Crossing
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Here's one of those moments that makes you thrilled to have your camera. Truth be told, I had to run all the way back to the house and get my camera. But it was a good reminder.

The world happens when you're not ready for it.

Tea Sketches

2006-02-01T08:41:00.000-06:00

Vernon 2
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Dave has created a MONSTER! I have been drinking tea like a fiend, and making my wife drink tea. My newborn son should be drinking, tea, too! I haven't been sleeping well. I'm jittery, but man, I'm creating teastain art to beat the band. Click the photo to get to Flickr, and then check out the entire series. There's a mountain of it in there.

By the way, I've created another blog for my personal art, so that I don't just FLOOD the Visual Thinking School. I'll put something up about that later on today.

With My Eyes Closed 1

2006-02-01T08:08:00.000-06:00

With My Eyes Closed 1
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I did a quick series of drawings with my eyes closed. This one is what one might expect, but wait'll you see when I did it with a purpose. I was surprised how much I could do and make representative with my eyes closed. I'm sure to continue this effort, as it was really fun and informative.

My Mash-Up

2006-02-01T07:05:00.000-06:00

I took Dave's Cedar Shingles and made them into teeth for my two stereotypical "rednecks." (I have no ill will towards people who like NASCAR. I work with 3 of you). They kinda made me think of the guys from King of the Hill.

Tags:

Cedar shingles

2006-01-28T00:26:00.000-06:00

Cedar shingles, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Here's my mashup contribution!

d

World Changing Ideas Award

2006-01-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

(I found this on the Business 2.0 blog, and immediately loved the graphic):

Basically, they airlift these 500 pound bags into areas hit by disaster. The bags have just enough volume to take just enough water to wet up all the powdered cement inside. The concrete is in this mesh. Then, the bags are inflated such that they form the structure. Think of it as inflating a balloon and then casting it in concrete. Then, the shelters last about 10 years (5 times longer than the traditional tent shelters given to such uses). They'd cost about $2000 to make, mass produced.

But what a great graphic, eh?

The Saatchi & Saatchi World Changing Ideas Award article is here.

Tags:

My Mash-Up Offering

2006-01-26T22:52:00.000-06:00

Here's my picture for the Mash-Up challenge I wrote about. See what you can do with it?

Tags:

Visual Thinking School MASH-UP!

2006-01-26T21:12:00.000-06:00

I want to mix things up a bit. Why don't we all submit something to the blog-- could be ANYTHING... an illustration, a sketch, a photo -- and throw it open for everyone else to mash it up? By mash-up, I mean taking the work and editing it *or* combining it in form or function with some other work.

So, if Dave throws up a photo of a manhole, maybe JM draws stick men all over it. Who knows? But do you get the idea?

Post an image to the site for the mash-up. Take someone else's image, do something to it, and re-post it, citing the original sources.

Any confusion, email me: mashup @ chrisbrogan.com

ARE YOU IN?

Tags:

funho01

2006-01-24T11:31:00.000-06:00

funho01, originally uploaded by prudencio fonseca.

found on flickr

d

naked

2006-01-23T19:54:00.000-06:00

naked, originally uploaded by tyger_lyllie.

stick figure fun.

found it on flickr.

d

newrepro69

2006-01-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

newrepro69, originally uploaded by barzal.

found this on flickr -- dave

Long Night 1 - Getting There

2006-01-22T14:14:00.000-06:00

Long Night 1 - Getting There
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I've got a little series called "Long Night" on Flickr. They all come from last night and early this morning, while I was awaiting the birth of my son. They're quasi interesting, in that regard.

Wiring Diagram from Cambridge Soundworks

2006-01-20T19:17:00.000-06:00

Wiring Diagram from Cambridge Soundworks
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

You probably couldn't get any more simple and explicit than this, but look: there are two wires for the speakers, a wire for the power, and a wire that plugs 1/2 into the speakers and 1/2 into the audio device. It's quasi-tricky, and this diagram makes you feel like someone's saying, "Okay, remain calm. This will be OKAY."

Interview with Dave Gray at [chrisbrogan.com]

2006-01-20T19:01:00.000-06:00

Dave gave me a great interview, and it's up at [chrisbrogan.com]. Please come by and have a look.

am Sontag

2006-01-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

am Sontag, originally uploaded by Schoenwasser.

Really wonderful set of sketches I found on Flickr. Click the link and check out the whole set.

Dirigibles

2006-01-18T21:38:00.000-06:00

Dirigibles
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

So, someone else: help out. I would love to see what you come up with for something that would equally be unlikely to be flying the skies. Or, what the heck: make something else that might happen in this world? Or whatever. Where's the robot guy been?

Portable Context Device

2006-01-18T21:34:00.000-06:00

Portable Context Device
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This is based on an idea I came up with during the Annotated Workspace exercise of a few weeks ago, and partially based on something I heard in the Identity 2.0 conference by O'Reilly. This is my idea for a portable context device. PLEASE, someone create one of these. I'll help.

Starbucks Solution

2006-01-17T09:18:00.000-06:00

Not that I want to encourage them.

Future Stuff

2006-01-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

Future Stuff
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I really like dirigibles. They're just so improbable. There's a book cover, and I think it was for a Michael Moorcock book, where there were all these combat blimps. For whatever reason, the idea of these slow and lumbering craft being used for battles is fascinating, because it's SO improbable.

The GONER device is such a hoot.

My Workspace 1

2006-01-16T21:16:00.000-06:00

My Workspace 1
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Besides the fact that I should really consider occasionally using a ruler (but then, I work straight in pen and can't erase, and that's part of the fun), this is where I do a lot of my work: at the local coffee shop. It's fun doing a digital painting while people are discussing the rights of pedophiles in the booth across from me. (Mind you, they were two crazy guys).

A Day In The Life: A Pictograph

2006-01-16T20:18:00.000-06:00

A Day In The Life: A Pictograph
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I really had a great time doing this. It reminds me just a little of those Family Circus cartoons. In fact, maybe I'll do one of those.

DSC00977

2006-01-15T19:05:00.000-06:00

DSC00977, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

DSC00977

2006-01-15T19:02:00.000-06:00

DSC00977, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

Panel 4

2006-01-15T19:01:00.002-06:00

Panel 4, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

Panel 2

2006-01-15T19:01:00.001-06:00

Panel 2, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

Panel 3

2006-01-15T19:01:00.000-06:00

Panel 3, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

Panel 1

2006-01-15T19:00:00.000-06:00

Panel 1, originally uploaded by ogad2001.

Found this on Flickr

Map Your World

2006-01-14T16:12:00.000-06:00

Where do you live, work, play, eat, walk, drive, visit, shop, escape from/to, hear about, dream about and so forth?

Ask yourself: Is this the kind of place you want to live? What would you change? What would you have changed as a five-year old? Where to from here?

Workspace

2006-01-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Not including the workshop.

Talk With My Boss

2006-01-12T21:41:00.000-06:00

Talk With My Boss
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I'm finding visual thinking to be cathartic. Especially today. I really felt down. But, after drinking an entire bottle of wine (we were out of beer), *and* drawing, I feel somewhat less upset by the day's events.

Gifted And Talented

2006-01-12T21:40:00.000-06:00

Gifted And Talented
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

In 6th grade, my guidance counselor decided that I was "bored," and that I should go into a "Gifted And Talented" program. The problem was this: the program wasn't really run by anyone particularly gifted. Thus, their method for dealing with us was to give us more of the same homework we found boring in regular class. Only, being gifted, we were now ridiculed and ostracized by our classmates. Woo!

Coping Mechanisms

2006-01-12T21:39:00.000-06:00

Coping Mechanisms
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This was actually a lot of fun to draw, and it relates to Dave's thing a long while back about the proper way to draw stick people. I find that I still draw heads first, but I realized that I can be very expressive with just basic shapes.

Brands for Bricks

2006-01-11T20:06:00.000-06:00

Brands for Bricks
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Bricks as a brand name. Does this make you wonder just what else we walk past that might be someone else's marketing center of the universe?

Drowning

2006-01-10T23:23:00.000-06:00

Drowning
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I have started a Flickr set related to self portraits of fear. I thought it'd be interesting to capture the moods of fear in a few different ways. link to the set.

An Evil Robot Moment

2006-01-10T23:14:00.000-06:00

An Evil Robot Moment
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Lots of fun in this. I drew it this evening, as coffee has kept me from sleep. This is part of my new "Evil Robot" project.

15067355_3b9b591085

2006-01-10T09:19:00.000-06:00

15067355_3b9b591085, originally uploaded by tfrank8176.

found on flickr

Roley in Construction Paper

2006-01-09T06:15:00.000-06:00

Roley in Construction Paper
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

It's fun to work in a medium that you can't control. I did this with my daughter and it was a fun exercise in trying to be representational, while still at a 3 1/2 year old's level of ability.

Personally, I laugh out loud at the expression.

taipei intersection as seen from a Starbucks

2006-01-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

taipei intersection as seen from a Starbucks, originally uploaded by Wired Dude Dave.

taipei intersection as seen from a Starbucks

tepenaki 101

2006-01-08T23:11:00.000-06:00

tepenaki 101, originally uploaded by Wired Dude Dave.

Quick Sketch I drew during a great lunch at the bottom of Taipei 101

Workspace 3.0

2006-01-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

Workspace 3.0
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This is my first blush thought on solving the "context" and "crappy UI" problems with consumer technology. There are scads of thoughts just flung into this goofy sketch, the most important to me being the portable context device, the gesture pad (kinda like Wacom meets graffiti), the dual-display desk space, and the duck. I'd love to talk via email with folks who feel something about this, and/or would love to see your mods/thoughts/add-ons to what I started.

MyWorkspace1

2006-01-07T23:30:00.000-06:00

MyWorkspace1, originally uploaded by acinme.

drew_teastain

2006-01-06T17:02:00.001-06:00

drew_teastain
Originally uploaded by drewnonichus.

ted_teastain

2006-01-06T17:02:00.000-06:00

ted_teastain
Originally uploaded by drewnonichus.

sacha_teastain

2006-01-06T17:01:00.000-06:00

sacha_teastain
Originally uploaded by drewnonichus.

tea stain I

2006-01-06T10:06:00.000-06:00

tea stain I, originally uploaded by isispx.

tea stain II

2006-01-06T10:05:00.000-06:00

tea stain II, originally uploaded by isispx.

plans

2006-01-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

plans
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Since getting back into Visual Thinking, (thanks Dave!), I'm finding that I use it EVERY day for more and more of my communication style, my planning, and more.

pregnancy

2006-01-06T09:17:00.000-06:00

pregnancy
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

Quick sketch covering my thoughts on my wife's pending delivery of our second baby. My daughter kept looking over my shoulder and saying, "Daddy, this is WEIRD." As only 3 1/2 year olds can say.

line formula and faces.jpeg

2006-01-04T20:38:00.000-06:00

line formula and faces.jpeg, originally uploaded by greg (CACTUS-ARM MAN)!!!.

Moleskine Sketch of 101

2006-01-04T15:25:00.000-06:00

Moleskine Sketch of 101, originally uploaded by Wired Dude Dave.

Found this on Flickr -- I like the simplicity of it.

Dave

2006-01-03T15:33:00.000-06:00

Noticed this sign posting over on Boing Boing, and thought it went well with the theme in recent posts here about signs.

Via Boing Boing, "Bizarre self-referential warning sign":

This is one of the most bizarre signs I have ever encountered ... IT'S A SIGN ABOUT THE SIGN ITSELF ... The logic behind the existence of this self-referential sign escapes me! What is it for? Why is it there? Did whoever put it up realize that if there were no sign, there would be no need to warn about it? Is this a joke from the developers? Is it a lesson in recursiveness? Is it a philosophical prop?

Creative Semiotics

2006-01-03T01:14:00.000-06:00

Prepare to have your vehicle stacked ahead. However, beware of stacking too high, or dangerous instability could occur.

Abandon ennui, all who enter here.

Daleks beware: Entry will result in broken eye stalks.

From pictures I took in Europe a while ago.

Start 2006 off like never before:

2006-01-02T23:07:00.000-06:00

(Re-interpretation fun for the new year.)

While riding the subway:

1. Crouch precariously close to the edge of the platform.
2. Point your eye-lasers at the 2" space next to the train. Be sure to stand directly in front of the doors while doing this.
3. Concentrate. Try to ignore the huge, yellow beam of light shining directly on your head.
4. With your eye-lasers, create a single red bubble.
5. Board the train. Act as if eye-lasers and large red bubbles are perfectly normal.

(from the San Francisco BART)

teapot no. 9

2006-01-02T18:40:00.000-06:00

teapot no. 9, originally uploaded by tortuga del bosque.

Japanese mechanical pencil in a moleskine Volante journal.

No. 9 of 100 teapots.

Only 91 more to go!

Visual thinking practice: Randomness

2006-01-02T11:43:00.002-06:00

Visual thinking practice: Randomness, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Tea stain

2006-01-02T11:43:00.001-06:00

Tea stain, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Tea stain sketch

2006-01-02T11:43:00.000-06:00

Tea stain sketch, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

practice pots

2005-12-31T17:50:00.000-06:00

practice pots, originally uploaded by tortuga del bosque.

Found this picture on Flickr -- looks a lot like the "100 drawings" exercise.

My Bag

2005-12-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

My Bag, originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

This is a photo of my sketchbook showing what's in my bag. I was fiddling with the sketchbook when I thought: whoa, there's a LOT of tech in that bag. Oh, and Pez.

Blank page

2005-12-29T11:23:00.000-06:00

Blank page, originally uploaded by Timö.

Our future is a blank page. It is up to each and every one of us to scribble something beautiful there.

Diaper Changing Station

2005-12-28T20:31:00.000-06:00

Diaper Changing Station
Originally uploaded by Chris Brogan.

I was fascinated by this sign, found in the men's room at Border's Books and Music, Methuen, MA.

Pizza Face!

2005-12-27T21:18:00.000-06:00

Pizza Face!, originally uploaded by domo_arigato.

mgbbcf

2005-12-27T21:17:00.000-06:00

mgbbcf, originally uploaded by thermion7.

Holiday Card

2005-12-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

Sketchbook: Boxing Day

2005-12-27T20:03:00.000-06:00

Sketchbook: Christmas Day

2005-12-27T19:59:00.000-06:00

Landscape fragments

2005-12-27T12:45:00.000-06:00

Landscape fragments, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Rural landscape fragments from along the interstate. This page also has some of my notes about how I plan to approach painting the subject. There are more sketches here.

misc_sketch_6

2005-12-27T00:59:00.000-06:00

misc_sketch_6, originally uploaded by mrtruffle.

Objects in windows

2005-12-27T00:22:00.000-06:00

Madison 071, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Exploration of objects and their relationship to pictorial space.

Pictures and frames

2005-12-27T00:18:00.000-06:00

Paintings 005, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

A recent exploration of pictures, windows, frames, and pictorial space.

simplification process of the bus drawing

2005-12-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

simplification process of the bus drawing, originally uploaded by cso236 plus one.

Process of simplifying a drawing to a simple iconic representation.