The following is my first attempt at a poster advertising the event.

We watch Viz City from our base on the MOON!

There are lots of things to like here.  Particularly the luminous colors, and the nice deep contrast around the character.  The text here is strange, though, because it imparts a “future” sort of tone, when the image says otherwise.

However, if you haven’t guessed already, or clicked the link, this is art/design for a new indy game called “Marian.”  It’s being headed up by Alex Holowka, one of the masterminds behind Aquaria, 2007′s darling of the indy games community.

More goodness from the same post, with a closer look at the illustration style:

Interesting.  Notice the sharp circular forms near the butterfly?  And the chunky contrast around the hair in the background?  The artist is using an impressionist form, but with default Photoshop (I assume that is what was used) round brushes.  I find it somewhat ironic that a computer graphics program, which is itself meant to emulate creation in a physical medium, would be used in a way that unabashedly reveals its own peculiarities.  Not that I object at all!  I think this sort of thing is evidence that the medium of digital art has, in some sense, “made it.”

First, design is universal, not just visual or functional. The same principles of design apply everywhere

Second, every design is based on first principles.  These define the problem to be solved, so that every element can work in concert.

Third, is what I call the Lego principle.  Creation and design is guided by the elements allowed by the medium.