Calef Brown

Poster for the SPLC and Teaching Tolerance

calef — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:46:29 +0000

This is a poster that I created for The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program.

The Teaching Tolerance program is working to foster school environments that are inclusive and nurturing – classrooms where equality and justice are not just taught, but lived. The program points to the future, helping teachers prepare a new generation to live in a diverse world.

The quote that I was asked to illustrate is:

Today we have gathered and see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as People. Now our minds are one.
–Adapted from the Mohawk by John Stokes and David Kanawahienton Benedict

Bushman Lives!

calef — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:54:31 +0000

This is the cover art for Daniel Pinkwater’s novel Bushman Lives! which will

be published later this year.

The novel has 79 Chapters, and I did a small piece of spot art for each.

these are some of my favorites:

Three for CFO Magazine

calef — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:36:26 +0000

These are three pieces for CFO on the subjects of Financial Planning & Analysis Hires, Utilizing the Dashboard, and New Oversight Rules for Accounting and Audits.

It was great to work with art director Robert Lesser again after a few years.

Map of Costa Rica

calef — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:03:39 +0000

I love illustrating maps. This was a fun and colorful one to paint for Travel and Leisure. The article deals with the ups and downsides to purchasing land , the best spots, and stories of those who have moved there. Click for a larger view.

Heroes, Saints, and Sages

calef — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:54:03 +0000

This is a series of illustrations for Yoga Journal magazine. The article is about the mythic and historical origins of certain poses.

Two for Independent School Magazine

calef — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:05:56 +0000

These are two feature illustrations recently created for Independent School magazine.

AD– Glenn Pierce, who is wonderful to work with.

The title of this piece was the Professionalization of Independence.

The article focuses in large part on the challenges and opportunities that technology

has brought to the teaching world.

Here is my sketch in a rough layout:

And the final:

This one was another full page piece. The title of the article was

Rethinking the Head of School Position.

It deals with ways that school trustees can support the president, and empower him or her to

work efficiently. I chose an allegorical treatment here, that I think works well for the concept.

Annoying Buzzwords

calef — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:37:03 +0000

This is an illustration for Plansponsor magazine commissioned by SooJin Buzelli,

one of the best art directors in the business.The article is about those terrible workplace buzzwords,

like, for example:

Core competency
On the same page
Value-added
Metrics
Synergy

Outside the box

Low hanging fruit

These are my three sketches:

And my final:

Stay in Bounds

calef — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:16:59 +0000

This was a really interesting and fun project to work on. Stay in Bounds is a campaign to promote sportsmanship in kid’s athletics created by the NCAA Hall of Champions. The three posters here were adapted for print advertisements as well.

In developing the characters, They client decided to make them child-like, but stylized and fun, rather than more realistic and specific depictions of kids. They did some focus groups and there was a really good response to the combination of the cartoony characters with the very real depictions of scenarios that kids deal with in sports. I think the writing is very well done– sincere, but also funny. The idea of a little mascot that’s a piece of bubblegum, who himself is chewing gum and blowing a bubble was another character that got a great reaction from kids. A nice bit of absurdity in a campaign that deals with serious issues.

The gallery below features the posters, and some of the characters that did, and didn’t, make it into the project.

Hand Lettering

calef — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:24:06 +0000

A selection of hand lettering incorporated into illustrations, and commissioned separately.

Click for larger views.

Books, Posters, and More

calef — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:54:34 +0000

A selection of work that includes book covers, posters, annual reports, and advertising.

Click for larger views.