By Mark Kaufman

36 paper swatches. 36 quickie drawings. Now I need 40 winks.

By Mark Kaufman
I was rooting around the interweb last night looking for something or other and came upon a great rugby completist site, Ovalballs.com. I do not understand rugby at all, I do not know the first thing about the game, but I do know awesomeness when I see it. The site has a great collection of programmes, tobacco cards, postcards and assorted bits from days gone by. What can I say I am a sucker for old design and illustration, and some of the design here is simply wonderful, in particular the programmes page from whence the accompanying image came from. Brilliant.

By Mark Kaufman
Another twofer since I didn't post anything on the 30 Days project yesterday. Yesterday: Harlequin Beast. Today: Happy Boy Club for Growth.

By Mark Kaufman
Not to beat a dead horse, but the new issue of Step Inside Magazine has hit the streets. Seriously, look for my name on the cover. At finer bookstores and newstands everywhere.

By Mark Kaufman
This is becoming a regular occurrence and a regular Monday morning feature. It seems that every damn week in the New York Times, there is a nice piece on design, or illustration or animation and cartooning, giving these disciplines the same respect as the traditional arts and business coverage of fine art, architecture, literature, film and theatre. It is a very positive trend. In yesterday’s Sunday Times there were two articles to talk about, one on George Lois and one on Ralph Bakshi, both of which were great influences on me. Mr. Lois of course the legendary adman and designer of New York Magazine and Esquire covers, in addition to infamous work for the likes of OTB, Maypo and MTV. Mr. Bakshi the maverick animator that directed the film versions of Fritz the Cat, Wizards, Lord of the Rings and mid 60s Terrytoons. Both men had their largest cultural impact in the 1960s and 70s, and their bodies of work certainly drew me into my present career.

By Mark Kaufman

By Mark Kaufman

By Mark Kaufman

By Mark Kaufman

Much too busy yesterday to post 30 days project. Work and meetings and various other stuff, but I did dash off the invade the sun drawing. I am posting it along with todays project. Sad guy on yellow wood.

By Mark Kaufman

Vivitiv partners Mark Kaufman and Jacqueline McCarthy are very pleased to announce that we are the subjects of an eight page spread in Step Inside Design Magazine. We know, we know, slow news day. Several months ago we were interviewed by the noted design writer (and heck of a nice fella) Matthew Porter about our work, our careers in design and illustration, and all things Vivitiv. The greatest thing about the article is the fact that based on these interviews, Mr. Porter has deemed us the Fred and Ethel of American Design. It’s right there in print. A higher honor we could not wish for.

Of course, as thrilled as we are to be featured in a national design magazine – great for the ego don’t you know – we would be remiss if we didn’t thank all of the people that have helped us along the way in the last 18 years, all of the great clients, associates, employees, friends and even arch enemies. We couldn’t have done it without you.

By Mark Kaufman

By Mark Kaufman
I do tend to draw heads. Nothing but heads. 

By Mark Kaufman

Piracy has hit the illustration community website The Little Chimp Society (LCS). A “publisher” out of Hong Kong calling themselves the Great Creativity Organization has basically taken images from LCS contributors and interviews conducted by Darren DeLito of LCS and has without any approvals, any contact, any OK whatsoever and printed them in book form and is selling said book for $100 a pop. The heretofore positive world of social networking as embodied by LCS and Illustration Mundo and Illustration Friday, among countless others, now knows what the Microsofts and Time-Warners of the world know. That digital piracy from China and eastern Europe and the cul-de sac up the road from you, rips people off, abuses your rights and copyrights, and profits off of your hard work. All creatives in the USA should join the Graphic Artists Guild, which is at the forefront of artists rights as step one.

Unfortunately this is nothing new, It happened to our design firm a while back. I was at the bookstore looking at a new book of logos and lo and behold I saw more than a few of our logo designs pictured. I never sent original art to anyone, I never approved that they be used. I tried to look into the matter, but the addresses were fake  and publisher was a world away, and I dropped it. While I am not happy that this happened to LCS and its contributors, it is positive that a large community of like-minded people are outraged about the issue of piracy in the illustration/design/new-media world. Perhaps the many can start to figure out how to combat thievery where the individual could not. Read the comments from LCS blog.

I know I no longer snicker when large multi nationals like Microsoft or Time Warner bitch about piracy.

Artwork from Princess Cam Cam

By Mark Kaufman
Ink and Tempera on found wood. 9.25" X 10.5"

What I am finding most of all in the “project a day for 30 days” project, is that I am a terrible photographer.