Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…
Take one look at an empty soda can, and you may think “trash,” but to sculptor Noah Deledda, he sees an aluminum canvas ripe for setting his hands on to create something truly unique. Though Noah is a sculptor by profession, he doesn’t work with just any sort of wood, rock, or conventional metal. Neither does he use conventional tools. His claim to fame is his ability to use nothing but his hands to pound, press, and crease patterns onto commercial aluminum soda cans and turn them into one-of-a-kind sculptures. Anyone looking at the finished product might think these intricate and consistent patterns were machine-pressed. After scratching off the labels…
Quick history lesson: László Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian photographer, painter, sculptor, and all-around artist who helped revolutionize the art scene during the early 20th century. Think of him as a sort of Leonardo Da Vinci of his time, if you will; he took photos, built buildings, designed products – if it involved any form of media, chances are he dipped his feet into it. His expertise in various fields landed him a job as a professor at the Staatliches Bauhaus – a prestigious German art school which he taught at for five years before leaving to start his own design studio. But the lure of teaching seemed to be too strong,…
As far as colored pencils go, Prismacolors have just about everybody else beat. Whether you’re a designer, engineer, or even a professional artist, the quality of Prismacolor in a variety of applications is just simply unrivaled. And for those looking to sketch intricate details with defined lines and crisp edges that just can’t be done without a constant sharp point, the brand’s Verithin line of colored pencils feature a hardened core that resists crumbling for ultra-detailed sketch sessions. We love this 24-pack variety of Verithin Colored Pencils to keep around the shop because each pencil lasts seemingly forever—thanks to that hardened core—and can be used for just about any other…
Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. Behind the Design: Manufacturing the Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool The Leatherman Wave was released back in 1996 and was the first Leatherman to feature accessible blades without opening the handle. People must have…
Cherished by writers, designers, illustrators, and other creative professionals for its soft dark lead and unique flat eraser, the Blackwing 602 is worth trying at least once—but be forewarned: you may never go back to plain old #2 pencils again. Originally manufactured by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company from 1934 – 1988, the Blackwing brand was acquired by California Cedar Products Company in 2008 and reintroduced to a new generation of creatives in 2012. And now, you can score your own 12-pack of the legendary pencil for just 23 bucks. Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils 12-Pack — $24.95 Features: One pack of 12 Palomino Blackwing pencils Pencils feature a soft and…