Charlize Theron’s Tattoo Is Beautifully Distracting on ‘Vogue’ Cover We’ve seen Charlize Theron at her absolute physical worst. Remember Monster? She was downright hideous in that flick, as she was supposed to be. But it’s hard to imagine anyone calling her less than stunning when she’s just being herself. The South African beauty is on the May cover of British Vogue and some people are saying that a certain element of her appearance ruins the photo. That somehow, she’s less gorgeous or desirable because of a mark just above her right ankle. That mark, as it were, is a tattoo.

Charlize Theron’s Tattoo Is Beautifully Distracting on ‘Vogue’ Cover

We’ve seen Charlize Theron at her absolute physical worst. Remember Monster? She was downright hideous in that flick, as she was supposed to be. But it’s hard to imagine anyone calling her less than stunning when she’s just being herself. The South African beauty is on the May cover of British Vogue and some people are saying that a certain element of her appearance ruins the photo. That somehow, she’s less gorgeous or desirable because of a mark just above her right ankle.

That mark, as it were, is a tattoo.

Cover Design Ideas That Will Get You Noticed

What price tag will you put on a CD / DVD Cover Design? A lot. To me, packaging design for any product is an important element in production process. Professional Book Designer Chip Kidd thinks so too, watch his funny and inspiring talk on TED.

What strikes me is the similarity between books and CD / DVD covers.  When we are browsing titles online or in stores, the cover design is what draws you in first, even before you have a chance to listen to the music, watch the content or even to read the name.

The question that you as the content producer have to ask yourself is how you would graphically represent you, or your product on print? The most striking designs are those that capture both a buyer’s attention and the essence of the music. The cover should embody the project, here I have a few ideas to consider:

1. Paintings, illustrations: if you had any print art created that reflects you the artist or the product, it will be a great starting point.

 

2. Photos : a picture is worth a thousand words. Portraits that capture the essence of the project will work wonders. Sometimes a photo is simply spectacular and all it requires is a simple font treatment. Less is more.

  

3. Logo/Type, Images: let’s say you do not have any illustrations or portraits but you have a scenery image that captures the essence of the project…is there a logo or type that is used on your websites, business card or other marketing materials? The consistent use of the same logo and iconic text can also be a great cover mixed with a scenery image or even alone. Adding foil color, emboss, spot UV or playing with texture will transform an ordinary logo into something amazing.

  

On another note, make sure you are happy with how the cover looks as a thumbnail since that’s the size you see in online stores etc.

As Chip Kidd said, great art can be great business. A great cover can be the start of a successful project!

As a content producer, how much weigh do you put in designing the cover? Contact us if your in need of an album cover design.

-Alfonso Hernandez Creative Director

*All Cover Design/Photography in this article has been created by Hez & Co. Creative Agency.

Julissa METAMORFOSIS Julissa, one of our honorary clients asked us to design the cover for her upcoming album METAMORFOSIS. After 4 years, she wanted to come back with a new sound and a new look. We wanted something very artistic, heavenly and feminine. We wanted the cover to embody the project. Font treatment was very important since we knew this was going to be the key point in the cover. We searched for hours until we found one that simply spoke to us. It was a magical moment. A butterfly is the universal symbol of metamorphosis so we knew we needed to include it. We wanted it to be present but very subtle. We were happy with the final results. A full production photo shoot is scheduled to take place very soon. The styling concept and theme will be cohesive with the cover. Wardrobe will be pulled from Anthropologie and Modern Vintage Boutique.

Julissa METAMORFOSIS

Julissa, one of our honorary clients asked us to design the cover for her upcoming album METAMORFOSIS. After 4 years, she wanted to come back with a new sound and a new look. We wanted something very artistic, heavenly and feminine. We wanted the cover to embody the project. Font treatment was very important since we knew this was going to be the key point in the cover. We searched for hours until we found one that simply spoke to us. It was a magical moment. A butterfly is the universal symbol of metamorphosis so we knew we needed to include it. We wanted it to be present but very subtle. We were happy with the final results.

A full production photo shoot is scheduled to take place very soon. The styling concept and theme will be cohesive with the cover. Wardrobe will be pulled from Anthropologie and Modern Vintage Boutique.

Recapturing Art And Design in The Church

Church and art today are scarcely on speaking terms, yet Christianity was once a great patron of all the arts, and artists in turn enriched the faith. Since art is an outpouring of what lies in the heart, it often reflects the heartbeat of our society, whether it be in Film, Dance, Graphic Design or Fine Arts etc. Hear what Ph.D., author, filmmaker and professor Craig Detweiller fromConversantlife.com said about the topic of art in the Church. Hear his passion and be motivated to be a creative force in your Church.

Source inspiks.com

Several months ago our entire creative team gathered in Balboa Park in San Diego, CA to photograph upcoming singer Angel Eduardo. Our agency was hired by his Management ADARGA Entertainment to handle all his imaging. Our design department is currently working on his cover art for his EP. 

We wanted the photos to have a vintage flair and include wood elements, since his music will be guitar driven. His wardrobe consisted of vintage pieces mixed with modern pulls from Ralph Lauren. Soon we will post a preview of the final art work. 

Creative Director: Alfonso Hernandez

Photography: J. David Aguilar

Styling: Nicole Felix

Set Design: Sarai Elguezabal

Hair & Makeup: Olivia Perez

Photo Shoot Coordinator: Perla Nation

Assistants: Joel Sanchez, Jocelyn Garcia & Erick Aguilar

VALENTINO Valentino Garavani, legendary fashion designer, has defined a unique world of couture for almost half a century. Now his achievement takes radical new form, in keeping with the creative traditions of the house: THE VALENTINO GARAVANI VIRTUAL MUSEUM  Over 5000 documents have been installed in a spectacular 3D Palazzo. After downloading the desktop application each visitor can create their unique route through the galleries, to discover and enjoy every aspect of Valentino’s extraordinary world. If you have a moment…this is a virtual fashion experience you don’t want to miss!

VALENTINO

Valentino Garavani, legendary fashion designer, has defined a unique world of couture for almost half a century. Now his achievement takes radical new form, in keeping with the creative traditions of the house: THE VALENTINO GARAVANI VIRTUAL MUSEUM 

Over 5000 documents have been installed in a spectacular 3D Palazzo.

After downloading the desktop application each visitor can create their unique route through the galleries, to discover and enjoy every aspect of Valentino’s extraordinary world.

If you have a moment…this is a virtual fashion experience you don’t want to miss!

Source valentino-garavani-archives.org

That’s a Wrap!

This past weekend our Creative Director together with our Lead Photographer & Stylist were in San Francisco working with Time Productions on a music video for upcoming singer/songwriter Angel Eduardo. The video shoot location was a brick loft built in 1912 (currently used as a Yoga Institute). The building brought a old world charm into the video project and the art direction flowed beautifully. We will post official behind the scene photos soon. 

NEW FACEBOOK

Where do I begin?

1. Upload a cover photo - (851 x 315 pixels)

This is a large, banner-style image that will be the first thing visitors see displayed at the very top of your timeline page.

2. Update your profile pic - (180 x 180 pixels)

Now that your Facebook timeline has a “cover photo,” you might want to update your profile pic.

3. Arrange your apps – (and customize the app images– 111 x 74 pixels)

Only 4 apps/tabs can be displayed now on the Timeline homepage (though up to 12 can be displayed in an expandable app/tab area). Be sure to feature your MusicStore for Facebook!

4. Add a “founded” date -

This allows you to go back in time and add pictures and videos from before the date you created your Facebook page (so you can tell the complete story of your band).

5. Put past album releases and photos into your timeline -

Now you can dig back into the archives to tell the story and discography of your band, from your very first practice to your latest gig.

6. Add milestones -

This feature allows you to set a “milestone” for big events like label signings, big gigs, album releases, awesome reviews from Magnet, the New York Times, etc. Milestones, just as the word implies, mark your key moments across the Timeline. The dimensions for Milestone images are 843 x 403 pixels.

7. Pin a post -

Pinning a post features it at the very top of your Page for up to 7 days. Pinning works particularly well if your post has a picture in it, since it’ll be even more eye-catching. After the 7-day period is over, the post will return to its place in the Timeline according to its date.

So, what old Facebook features are disappearing?

You can no longer set your landing page to a custom page or app.  The landing page for fans visiting your Facebook page will now be the Timeline Wall. So whatever time or money you spent having a nice landing page made in order to collect email addresses, encourage likes, or giveaway MP3s,… sorry! You should’ve bought that new guitar amplifier instead.

The 5-picture photo strip goes bye-bye. Not a terrible loss, since it’s been replaced with real estate for a large banner-style image called the “Cover Photo.”

Source diymusician.cdbaby.com

MUNGUIA Shoes - Las Vegas Debut!


We will be joining our client…Designer Rich Munguia as he launches his Men’s Shoe Line MUNGUIA in the prestigious Pool Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV. on 13th-15th of February.

We fell in love with the line when we first previewed it and are so excited to be part of its worldwide debut.

Rich Munguia found himself sole searching for the perfect shoes. It lead him throughout Europe where he spent months studying the intricate evolution of men’s shoe ware from their original traditional process to the molding of the more complex synthetic materials used today. What he found was that men’s shoes needed to keep their traditional hand worked process and top quality leather, but have more daring and singular designs to appeal to the forward fashion of today.

MUNGUIA: Traditional old-world-style shoes constructed entirely of leather and hand assembled. They are classic silhouettes but modernly and colorfully accented.

       Photography by J. David Aguilar

YEGUADA MENDOZA We love the diversity we have in clients. When Yeguada Mendoza hired us for Creative Direction & Consulting Services we knew this project would be a challenge but also an opportunity to learn about an aristocratic industry that dates back to the 15th Century… The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española), is ahorse breed from the Iberian Peninsula, where its ancestors have lived for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and itsconformation has changed very little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. The breed was used as a tool of diplomacy by the Spanish government, and kings across Europe rode and owned Spanish horses. During the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of Andalusians from Spain were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers. In 2010, there were more than 185,000 registered Andalusians worldwide. Yeguada Mendoza is a distinguished breeder of PRE Horses. They are based out of San Martin, CA. 

YEGUADA MENDOZA

We love the diversity we have in clients. When Yeguada Mendoza hired us for Creative Direction & Consulting Services we knew this project would be a challenge but also an opportunity to learn about an aristocratic industry that dates back to the 15th Century…

The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española), is ahorse breed from the Iberian Peninsula, where its ancestors have lived for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and itsconformation has changed very little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. The breed was used as a tool of diplomacy by the Spanish government, and kings across Europe rode and owned Spanish horses. During the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of Andalusians from Spain were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers. In 2010, there were more than 185,000 registered Andalusians worldwide.

Yeguada Mendoza is a distinguished breeder of PRE Horses. They are based out of San Martin, CA. 

Source yeguadamendoza.com

PUREZA by Julissa

Our Design & Photography Departments have been working non stop for the last 6 months on the upcoming mineral makeup line PUREZA by Latin Recording Artist Julissa.

If you spend as much time in front of the camera as Julissa, your face becomes a canvass for all different types of make-up brands, she has seen it all, and those experiences have helped her in developing her new make-up line PUREZA. Combining all the right qualities of top make-up brands with the simplicity and light feel of a 100% organic mineral cover.

We are very excited to share this increible product with our followers and clients. Stay tuned for official release date…

Men’s Trend Alert: Brooches?!

Walking down midtown I saw a perfectly well dressed man sporting a vintage brooch and almost had a heart attack. I’d scoffed at this bicurious accessory thinking, “what?” but soon began to see the brooches more and more – on men.  Suddenly, I found myself pining for a brooch of my very own. 

What the heck is a Brooch?
Let’s define a brooch.  For men reading this:  a brooch is a relatively large decorative pin or clasp.  According to answers.com.  It’s like a medal or a pin, but in a pretty sense.

Brooches for men are one of the few men’s accessories which can cross the sub-culture divides, are perfect for the Fall/Winter seasons, and are slowly making a come-back.

Are there Different Styles in these “Brooches?”
As in all of the best accessories, brooches have a lot of styles to offer.  Enough to fit the musings of any man.  The most popular of men’s brooches take their cues from vintage Anglo-Saxon, English and Scottish brooches, and old-world motifs such as stag heads.

Not that I would but… Where can I buy them?
Men’s brooches are available from the Urweg, Yoox, BBlessing and Cooper-Hewitt. You can also do some hunting for the men’s brooches from Gucci’s Autumn-Fall/Winter collection.  You can also send your girlfriend to the Flea Market on the weekend to get you an ACTUAL vintage piece that won’t break the bank.

-Hez

That’s a wrap!

We have had such a great time these past few days filming “From Cradle to Crown” together with Time Studios. Today we visited three locations and filmed on site.

Our first location was a beautiful home in San Mateo, CA where we shot several scenes inside a baby’s room.  The décor was enchanting. Our second location was the world famous Victorian homes in San Francisco. Our final location of the day was the San Francisco Metro System. We had such a great time filming there…there was art everywhere!

Thank you San Francisco…until next time!!