Pictoplasma, a Berlin-based organization devoted to the art of character design, recently published a lengthy 328 page book all about character design and art. Its not your average compilation either. As written on Pictoplasma’s site: ‘By engaging the viewer on a direct emotional level they bypass language and cultural barriers – but do abstract designs really have the potential to fulfil a utopian fantasy of global visual communication?’. The book strives to do a lot more than just showcase some nice eye candy (though it does succeed quite well at that too). It’s filled with a number of interesting essays by folks like Paul McCarthy and Lev Manovich, just to name a few. Order a copy or find out more about Pictopia here.

I doubt i’d really ever need a portable mini-printer. But if I did, i’d invest in this little guy. The Printstik is a mere 2×2x11″, and get this: it doesn’t even need ink. It uses thermal technology to do its job. Another plus is that it runs on a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. I can’t see many uses for it in my own life, but its still a pretty cool gadget.

Via: GOOD

Funny type illustrations for Durex Condoms, more after the jump…

Have a look at Andrej on Behance Network.

This giant wall was built in Berlin for the annual Bread and Butter trade show (which closed late last month). Picture care of © Mila Hacke, Berlin.

System 180 is best known for its cutting-edge steel tube furniture, however they’ve been able to apply the same technology to build this 380 meter long wall. The project utilized 12,500 meters of steel tube and 5,000 square meters of tarpaulin to enclose the large arching face of the former Berlin Central Airport. More of their interior projects can be seen on their site.

© Peter Margis

© Peter Margis

© Peter Margis

London based animation firm Sweet World did some neat light animations for the recent rebranding of Virgin Media’s channel Filmflex. Some of their stuff is, as they call it, ’sensitive’ (i’d call it a bit cute-sy), but still worth a look. Check out some of their work here.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez from Mars Volta has released a new movie at International Film Festival Rotterdam.

“The Sentimental Engine Slayer tells the compelling, confounding tale of the overdue coming of age of a twenty-something misfit named Barlam. Barlam’s awkward transition from boy to man is as much the story of struggling to find one’s essence in a world of stereotypes as it is an indictment of the distorted reality of family life in the disengaged 21st century…” (IMDb). You can see the trailer and more of his work here.

Haven’t seen it yet, but looking forward to.

The project is calling for entries until the 15th of March, hoping to auction off the submitted work to raise at least $1M for Doctors Without Borders.

The posters should be specific to the earthquake in Haiti, signed and numbered editions in quantities of 25-100 (no one-offs), at least 11″ x 17″ (ideally 18″ x 24″), and you have to produce and deliver them to The Haiti Poster Project yourself (unfortunately they don’t have the funds to print them). So get to it! More info HERE.

Have you ever had one of your best concepts brutally rejected, making you feel the harsh sting of rejection? Of course you have. Thats why you should check out Project Never, presented by Communication Arts, Veer, and a handful of other sponsors. You may have already heard of it, but for those who haven’t, its basically a free competition that allows graphic designers to send in work that was never used by clients. What a fantastic way to ease the pain of having all your hard work torn to shreds! Deadline for submission is March 8th, 2010. Winners are announced April 15th.

Via: Veer

Started back in 2006, Bak is an online magazine devoted to graphic design, photography, and art. It’s free, and what makes it particularly interesting is that anyone can send in their work for consideration of inclusion. The site itself is a little strange, but there is definitely some interesting work in some of their issues. Take a look.

He’s showing some new work at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Manhattan until the 13th. I totally lucked out and get a chance to see it first hand just before the weekend! You can also see more from Josh here.