THE DAILY MONSTER

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 19

Good evening. It's high, high time that I give you a new Open Source Ink Blot to play with. Please forgive me for not doing it sooner. Here, without delay is Ink Blot No.19 for your monster making pleasure. If you haven't made a monster before, this might be your week. Let me tell you how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 19, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here. If you can, please make your file 480 pixels wide. If you can't, don't worry about it.
I'll resize it for you.

I'm excited to see what you'll come up with! In the meantime, here are two more excellent drawings from the last round to inspire you.

By the way, do I have to say it, or do you already know, that 344 LOVES YOU

GALLERY: OPEN MONSTER 18

Good morning! I hope the shortened week is treating you well. After the book design marathon I had to catch up on a paying gig tonight and didn't manage to make a new Weekly Monster yet. Luckily, I have many beautiful Open Source Monsters to show you in the meantime. It's always such a trip to see what you guys come up with every week. No wonder 344 LOVES YOU

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 18 + BOOK MAP

Good morning. How are you? I hope you had an excellent weekend, and that the new week will bring good things to you. Let's start with a new Open Source Ink Blot, why not? In case you're new to the site, here's how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 18, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here. If you can, please make your file 480 pixels wide. If you can't, don't worry about it. I'll resize it for you.

You can always draw inspiration from some of these rockin' and rollin' new creatures. As you can see, all styles are welcome, and if you haven't drawn in a while or ever... please don't let it stop you. Monsters don't have to be slick. They can be unruly and ferocious, simple, and direct, or just plain odd. If you got a monster within you, I say "Let it out!"

I still can't get past the sheer variety of monsters that floods in every week. You people are cool people! And you're very kind to give your time to the monsters. Good work! Very good work! It's no wonder that 344 LOVES YOU

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Lest I forget: Tonight's book map, which reflects the weekend. I'm getting very close to being done with this round. 4 more spreads, the design for the DVD label, and the back cover... then everything goes to HOW for review for two weeks. After that, I have two weeks to put in their changes and hand-letter all the pull quotes... which seemed like a great idea when I designed the three sample spreads. (I mean... if anybody should know better... :^) But... only the best for the monsters and for you guys!

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 17

Good morning. Many thanks to all of you for being so understanding about my absence the past few days. I'm starting to regain my footing a little bit and I'm back to work. And so are you! You've sent a great big crop of excellent Open Source Monsters---all of whom follow below.

Clearly you're in need of a new Open Source Ink Blot. Well, don't let me stand in your way any longer. Here it is. Blot No. 17

If you'd like to join in on the fun, please don't hesitate. All creatures are welcome! Here's how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 17, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.
If you can, please make your file 480 pixels wide.
If you can't, don't worry about it. I'll resize it for you.

You might also want to give the World's Tallest Monster a try. I just posted some cool new segments from Eliza Loon and Pete. Take a look at tallestmonster.com

I made a little drawing for my dad's birthday today (that I can only reveal on his birthday, of course, but you can look at last year's post on the subject right now.) I went in a new direction with this new one and it came out nice, I think. It was good to make a drawing again. It's only been a week since I did the last one, but it felt much, much longer. Even over such a short pause I forget how good drawing is for my soul---the lift that comes with creating something from nothing---wresting a little bit of order from the chaos. It's a good feeling. Soon I'll make some new drawings for you, and you'll know once again that 344 LOVES YOU

The Snowgods sent an animated blot:

And from me... tonight's book map... a measly three new spreads, but I also spruced up the table of contents with more splattered ink, and.. well... no... that's it: three spreads and the revised TOC. But it's something...

GALLERY: OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 16

Good morning. Look at all the cool monsters you guys sent in! One came from as far away as Belgium (courtesy of Sébastien). I hope they'll inspire you as you go into the weekend:

Nice work, everybody! You knock my socks off. I always love to see what shapes you see in each blot. If you haven't gotten in on the action yet, now's the time, and here's the how:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 16, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.
If you can, please make your file 480 pixels wide.
If you can't, don't worry about it. I'll resize it for you.

Lastly, here's today's update on the book map. Six spreads tonight. 54 more monsters to go, and the front and end matter. I've got another three weeks. Should work out...

For now, I hope you'll have an excellent weekend! It'll be more work over here, but if you can swing it, I hope you'll kick back and relax on my behalf. For now, you surely know that 344 LOVES YOU

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 16

Good morning. Weekly Monster 110 is posting to the Revver server right now, and what better time to post the new Open Source Ink Blot, along with some of the incredibly cool Open Source Monsters you sent in for he past few blots. Every time I think you've reached the peak, you guys top yourselves. It's just brilliant!

Judge for yourself below.

More importantly: Get in on the action!

Here's how:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 16, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.
If you can, please make your file 480 pixels wide.
If you can't, don't worry about it. I'll resize it for you.

Isn't that an amazing lineup? I'm adding my own version
only for the sake of completeness. I've got nothing on you guys...

Oh, and lest I forget, here's today's Book Map,
with six more spreads finished:

Weekly Monster 110 is going live as soon as I get the green light from Revver. For now, check out the 60th Segment of the World's Tallest Monster, maybe?

Man, you've gotta know by now that 344 LOVES YOU

Gallery: OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 15

Good morning. How are you? I hope the week is starting out well for you. Please take a look at these great new drawings that came in for Open Source Monster 15.

It's not too late for you to get in on the fun. Here's how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 15, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.

Why? Because 344 LOVES YOU

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 15

Good morning. Before I leave on a jet plane for the next day and a half, I thought I'd post a new Open Source Ink Blot for you to play with over the weekend.

If you haven't haven't done an Open Source Monster yet, here's how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 15, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a screenplay about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.

Don't worry if you haven't done this before, or if you don't think you've got artistic chops. We all have some monsters bumping around in our heads. Just let the little beasties come out any way they want. As long as you let them grow their own way, you'll have a lot of fun!

For inspiration you can always turn to this weeks' excellent group of new monsters from the friends of the monsters.I bet your monster will fit right in! I'm excited to see what you come up with! Until then, you bet your bottom dollar that 344 LOVES YOU

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 14

Good morning. i hope you're already on your way to having a great and relaxing weekend. I thought I'd give you a new Open Source Ink Blot to play with, along with another inspiring entry for Open Source Blot 13 by Eric Grab and snowgods, and a whole squad of monsters by James Powell based on blots past.

For those of you who haven't done an Open Source Monster, here's how it works:

Download OPEN SOURCE INK BLOT 14, print it out, and have at it in any way you like: Draw, paint, origami, film, sculpt, write a song about it. Just scan, photograph, or otherwise document the result and send it my way at opensource@344design.com and I'll put the result on the blog right here.

Don't worry if you're new to the game, or if you don't think you've got artistic chops. We all have some monsters bumping around in our heads. Just let them come out through your hands. It's fun. (Kinda tingles, too!) I'm excited to see what you come up with! In the meantime, even on the weekend 344 LOVES YOU

I noticed that I had never done my own version of Open Source Blot No.1. (In fact, I can't find the original blot! Drat!) And it's been an awfully long time since we've had a monster horsey, so I put a third mortgage on my kingdom and presto...

OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 13

Good morning. After working on the latest (and last) INK & CIRCUMSTANCE column for the last two days straight, I thought I'd unwind by formatting and posting some of the savage creatures you sent me in response to the latest Open Source Ink Blot. There were also a few monsters based on older blots, and on some entirely self-made blots, too. Very cool stuff! You certainly can't beat the variety this time around! Surf monsters, turf monsters, and monsters of the sky... Please check it out! And do, of course, remember that 344 LOVES YOU

Me, I felt like making another big-beaked bird...