Whats the point?

What really goes into making a graphic that might end up on a helmet? Looking at the slick new production samples is always a great artistic high. I get a buzz off staring at finished new images after so many weeks of brain frying clicking and dragging thousands upon thousands of points and curves that make up all the color layers. From the first sketches all the way through to final Illustrator layers I try to keep a basic idea on what the image will look like when its done. I try to set them up so that all the people who handle the files into the production process can see what I'm seeing and hopefully have little trouble translating the chaos. My small brain takes a beating attempting to process and direct the detailed tedium. But it wasn't always this way.

I grew up using only pencils and ink for finished images. Spent many hours in dark rooms with hand cut rubylith seps and diffusion transfer machines. Shooting halftones, bumping shots, choking and spreading exposures... not to mention changing fixer and developer all the time. I don't remember the last day I used a vacuum table or had to order a box of film. At some point I sat down to use a Mac and everything changed. I still love to use the pencils and inks for the lines but after a clean high rez scan... my little universe has completely changed.

The big buzz about the computer was how fast everything was going to get done. While it is quite true that operations go at lightning speed... My deadlines are just as tight, the work nights go as late as they ever did back then and the work never seems to get done any faster. So whats the point? Dunno... But it does looks kinda cool on a screen capture. Just for Kicks... Have a good damn day!