#graphic design Richmond VA

[libraryofva]

Recent Acquisition - Ephemera Collection

Declaration, Winter 1957. Thomas Jefferson High School, Richmond, Virginia.

[ghostfacehq]

strange to think i haven't spoken to you on the phone before. this is long overdue, aurora luna-morales ! please deliver your account within the next 14 hours to avoid the chopping block reopening. be sure to review our checklist, too ! thank you so much for joining, ali. ( jenna ortega is now taken )

( jenna ortega, 21, cis woman, she/her ) // * hello, AURORA ‘RORY’ LUNA-MORALES. i’ve kept a close eye on you since you’ve moved here SIX YEARS ago, from RICHMOND, VA. i’ve memorized your schedule, i’ve seen you picking up shifts as a GRAPHIC DESIGNER/HEIRESS. i know your view from THE HIGHLINE must be so nice, i bet you’re wondering if i can see you right now. i’m afraid you’re too STUBBORN and BRASH to survive this franchise. maybe if you’re lucky your CHARISMATIC and ADVENTUROUS nature will help you make it out alive. so, i have to ask what’s your favorite scary movie? ( ali, 31, she/they, est, pedophilia & grooming. )

[sprintsigns]

Vehicle Wrapping and Its Benefits

Cost effectiveness is becoming a critical issue for marketing managers in the current environment. The majority of marketing managers consider if investing in a marketing plan would yield the best results. One area where expenditures can spike abruptly to several thousand is advertising. Television advertising is proving to be the most expensive of the many various types of advertisement strategies, hence the majority of marketing managers avoid it. Learn more information please click here https://www.sprintsigns.biz

Each advertising campaign's goal is to provide information about a service or product to its target market. Organizational marketing managers work arduously to make their product or service known to the target market in a way that sets it apart from those of the competitors. The best option available to marketing managers among the various marketing strategies is vehicle livery.

Also, they have the choice of vehicle graphics wraps, which allow them to entirely or partially cover their organization's cars in vibrant designs. The name of the product or the company's brand can be put on huge printed sheets that are used as wraps for cars. According to a survey, the average driver of a car spends at least one month annually taking care of it. The study also claims that 3000 people see advertisements for cars every day, with the advertiser paying as little as four pence for each one.

The permanence of vehicle livery, in contrast to other forms of advertising like print advertising, television or radio advertising, which are often of a more transient nature, is a significant advantage above cost alone. As a vehicle graphic wrap can last up to five years, it is the most economical form of promotion. In essence, this form of marketing allows a company's vehicles to serve as mobile billboards. This technique of advertising can work as a one-time investment rather than other means of advertising, allowing the marketing managers to maintain a close eye on the advertising budget of their company.

There are specialized businesses that provide vehicle wrapping and livery services, and these businesses offer a variety of wraps such digitally printed vinyl wraps and 3M wrap color changes, among others. Companies looking for vehicle wrapping services might view the prior works of expert wrappers before choosing such a service provider.

Sprint Signs and Vehicle Wraps

Address: 9020 Quioccasin Rd  Suite C. Richmond, VA 23229

Phone Number: (804) 741-7446

Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/XE5Kw6X6giMEqMKy8

[sprintsignsonline]

Vehicle Wraps: The Most Economical Form of Advertising

Vehicle lettering opens up new opportunities for outdoor advertising by providing small and big businesses with a cost-effective marketing strategy for high-visibility message placement on congested city streets, highways, and nearly everywhere they drive and park. The typical time to receive a fully converted quality car wrap is 2-5 days.

Vehicle wraps are a high-value advertising choice, and the possibilities for expressing a clear and eye-catching marketing message are limitless with the appropriate designer. Car wraps provide the company a professional appearance when driving about, increasing its reputation and exposure.

Vehicle wraps and car wraps are utilized as a piece of demand to conceal your organization's or private vehicle with stickers that you lean toward, and this is always about improving practice. This may be accomplished by painting a vehicle's exterior using commonly available vinyl sheets that can be removed without lifting a finger, thereby lowering the expenses connected with advancing advertisements.

Vehicle lettering opens up new opportunities for outdoor advertising by providing small and big businesses with a cost-effective marketing strategy for high-visibility message placement on congested city streets, highways, and nearly everywhere they drive and park. For a service firm that goes from worksite to jobsite, travel time has suddenly become a great marketing opportunity, not to mention that when on-site, you are promoting to the neighbors who will most likely require your services and remember your competent company.

The cost of installing vehicle wraps varies depending on the services provided by various advertising agencies. The typical time to receive a fully converted quality car wrap is 2-5 days. When it comes to the endurance of a recently covered car, vinyl ensures removal safety as well as long-term quality. Vehicle wraps are really easy to maintain and will appear like new at the end of the day after a quick hand washes with cleanser and water. Furthermore, using a microfiber towel, any dirt or smudges may be easily removed off car covers.

Graphic Design Richmond Va is even more helpful to businesses that own or operate fleets, such as technicians, delivery services, distributors, buses, minivans, trailers, or taxis. Advertising on fleet cars boosts brand recognition ten times more than any other type of advertising.

Car wraps and vehicle graphics are reshaping the advertising and marketing industries. Graphic Design Richmond Va is more affordable than traditional advertising and provides great marketing tools for all businesses. Car wraps should be seriously considered by any firms that employ cars as crucial marketing, advertising, and promotion option.

When it comes to wrapping services, hiring a good advertising firm may help in a variety of ways, since many of the advertising services include all professional vehicle wraps. Keep in mind that retaining the original paint is frequently a good idea because it allows you to maintain your resale value.

[zaekinchen]

for all my real niggas out here!

[cyticre]

(02) Optichemology

Using photographs I have taken, the exploration of chemical, biological,physiological, and psychological components of the image are analyzed.

I have often been interested in finding new ways to think about how one can view seemingly mundane and everyday sights by learning more about how those things work and operate on a detailed level.

Here I explored how type can be not only a visual aesthetic but also a means of introducing the viewer to a world of information that is often unappreciated and overlooked.

Two sets of compositions were explored:

1) Prioritizing the photograph with a subtle abundance of typography.

2) Prioritizing the typography with a subtle use of the photograph.

[zinepavilion]

#ALAAC22#ZinePavilion#ZineMaker:

"Kate Foray is a graphic designer and sometimes writer based in Richmond, VA. A wrestling fan since 1997, she’s the muscle behind the ongoing zine series, “Girl Wrestling Fan Will You Marry Me”, a compilation of stories about existing in the wrestling fandom from marginalized voices in the professional wrestling community.

When she’s not creating, she likes to lift heavy things at the gym, watch wrestling with her cats, and work on growing her own food."

Instagram.com/wrestlingwithdesign

wrestlingwithdesign.com

twitter.com/makeitloud

_________

In anticipation of the Zine Pavilion at American Library Association annual in Washington, D.C. happening June 24-27, we will be posting bios of all of the zine makers who will be tabling!

[tigerstrikesasteroidnetwork]

NY / Rose Tint

Saskia Fleishman, Ascending Moon (Crescent Beach), 2020, acrylic and sand on canvas, 24 x 24 in.

Rose Tint curated by Kate Mothes August 14 – September 19, 2021

Tiger Strikes Asteroid New York and Young Space are pleased to present Rose Tint, a five-person exhibition curated by Kate Mothes, featuring the work of Bianca Fields, Esther Ruiz, Leah Guadagnoli, Mark Joshua Epstein, and Saskia Fleishman. There is a psychological phenomenon called rosy retrospection, in which people judge the past in a disproportionately positive light than they judge the present. In the predilection to overlook the challenges of the past, something sinister lurks beneath the enthralling surface of nostalgia, as one can wrap themselves up in it and yet find it more and more difficult to leave it. It’s easy to forget the conflicts and challenges of bygone eras when what we face now feels more difficult than ever before. How will this time be remembered? It seems impossible that we might view it as “simpler” after a few decades have passed, and yet we probably will find a way. The present is always too immediate to place in context. Another psychological phenomenon called the fading affect bias suggests that people have much stronger emotional reactions to positive memories than to negative ones. May we always live in interesting times.

Bianca Fields (b. 1995) Bianca Fields (b. Cleveland, OH, 1995) is a visual artist based in Kansas City, MO. Fields received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH (2019) in Painting. Field's work introduces a manifestation of her perceived imagination and material sensibilities within the paint itself; inviting animals and the world of cartoons along for a frenzied ride of happiness and fear. Her paintings are what she considers her aesthetic, guttural response to pop cultural phenomena. Amplifying the screams and yelps from her beloved exotic creatures, such as the mandrill monkey, she often crowds her compositions seeking to create visual noise and tension within her paintings. A selection of recent exhibitions includes shows with Dragon Crab and Turtle (Kansas City, MO and Bologna, IT), Steve Turner Contemporary (Los Angeles, CA), Ruttkowski;68 (Paris, France), and Bellevue Art Museum (Seattle, WA).

biancafields.weebly.com / IG: @beeyonkerz

Esther Ruiz (b. 1986) uses a minimalist vocabulary to create relics of imagined experiences. Of her creative process, she says: ”The imagery I work with is born out of exploring and researching fictional places imagined in my mind... Ultimately, my work exists as an effort to visually explain an emotional state of mind with mathematical acuteness.” She begins with a collection of emotions, memories, impressions of light, and sounds, then translates them into an abstract geometric aesthetic. Selected recent exhibitions include Torrance Art Museum (Torrance, CA), Cleo Gallery (Savannah, GA), Art in Buildings (NY, NY), De Novo Gallery (Washington, DC), Ladies’ Room LA (Los Angeles, CA), Reynolds Gallery (Richmond, VA), Collar Works (Troy, NY), Jacob’s West for SPRING/BREAK (Los Angeles, CA), and Field Projects (NY, NY).

estherruiz.com / IG: @esther___ruiz (3 underscores)

Leah Guadagnoli (b. 1989) lives and works between Brooklyn, NY and the Hudson Valley and is represented by Hollis Taggart in NYC. Her work incorporates elements of sculpture, painting, graphic design, and architecture into whimsical, idiosyncratic works that defy easy classification. Often drawing on the aesthetics of her Midwestern upbringing, the artist appropriates designs and patterns from the 80s’ and 90s’ -- often considered kitschy -- presenting them in fresh and dynamic ways. She received her BFA in Painting and Art History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her MFA in Visual Arts at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Recent solo exhibitions include Asya Geisberg Gallery (New York, NY), Victori + Mo (Brooklyn, NY), Sadie Halie Projects (Minneapolis, MN), and 247365 (New York, NY). Recent group exhibitions include Cooke Latham Gallery (London, England), Hesse Flatow (New York, NY), Allouche Benias Gallery (Athens, Greece), Hollis Taggart Contemporary (New York, NY), Freight + Volume (New York, NY), Hashimoto Contemporary (San Francisco, CA), Ortega y Gasset (Brooklyn, NY), and White Columns (New York, NY). Her work has been reviewed by The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Art F City, Cultured Magazine, and Architectural Digest, among others. Guadagnoli has an upcoming solo exhibition at Hollis Taggart this November.

leahguadagnoli.com / IG: @lavenderladysupreme

Mark Joshua Epstein (b. 1979) received an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Arts, University College London, and a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Selected solo or 2-person shows include SPRING/BREAK Art Show (NY, NY), Handwerker Gallery, Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY), NARS Foundation Project Space (Brooklyn, NY), Caustic Coastal (Salford, England), and Vane Gallery (Newcastle, England). Throughout the past several months, he has reconnected to a vital focus on pure pattern as an expression of entering into a new environment and settling into its pace and local culture. Influenced by geometric abstraction, Op Art, and Pattern and Decoration Movement of the mid-1970s and early 1980s, Epstein’s exuberant patterns explore queer ornament and geometric excess in their hugged edges and dancing colors. The details are precise yet intimate, highlighting the intricacy of Epstein’s process of patternmaking that underscores the presence of the artist’s hand. He is currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

markjoshuaepstein.com / IG: @markjoshuaepstein

Saskia Fleishman (b. 1995) graduated Rhode Island School of Design in 2017 with a B.F.A. in painting. In her recent paintings, landscape photographs are recomposed as geometric abstractions derived from the color studies in Josef Albers' ”The Interaction Of Color.” This process involves tilting the image, flipping the horizon line, cutting out a part of the landscape, or creating colored transparencies with chiffon. These gestures serve to suggest an alternative way of thinking and identifying our memories embedded within landscapes, where nothing is absolute, and everything is relative. The paintings pair flat and smooth masked airbrushed gradients with textural materials such as sand and burlap.

Fleishman has been an artist in residence at Jentel Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Wassaic Project, PADA Studios, ChaNorth and Trestle Studios, and a curator in residence at Otis College of Art and Design. Saskia’s work has been exhibited in a recent solo exhibition at Silo 6776 in New Hope, PA, and in group exhibitions across the United States, and in Rome and Portugal. Fleishman is based in Philadelphia, PA.

saskiafleishman.com / IG: @flesh___man (3 underscores)

[nwbeerguide]

Stone Brewing Company announces the 2021 Guest Artist IPA Mixed Pack artists.

Press Release

ESCONDIDO, CA … One can always expect an interesting cast of characters at any great craft beer bar, and it’s with that truth in mind that Stone Brewing sought out and brought together four guest artists to design collectible labels for a special limited release of its most popular IPAs. For the Stone Guest Artist IPA Mixed Pack, the artists – both amateur and pro – brought their own personal expression to each of the labels, which can now be found nationwide. The four lucky and talented artists were found via a call-to-action on Stone’s social channels. “Artists were asked to re-imagine each of the four beer labels from their own personal perspective,” explained Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co-Founder and active participant in the design of every Stone beer label. “These are four of our most well-known and respected beers, so it was admittedly a bit scary for us. Ultimately, we had to just close our eyes, lean back, let go and believe in the process, which amounted to an artistic ‘trust fall.’ Our risk paid off phenomenally, and what better way to highlight some well-deserved artists than on a medium that’s in the homes of hundreds of thousands of people stretching across the US?” The Stone IPA Mixed Pack is a year-round offering with beer selection and packaging changing continuously throughout the year. Stone includes one-off special releases only found in the Mixed Pack, or in this case, best-sellers with unique packaging and guest participation. The Stone Guest Artist IPA Mixed Pack will be available through May 2021. To find the Stone Guest Artist IPA Mixed Pack, use Stone’s Beer Finder: Find.stonebrewing.com.

image courtesy Stone Brewing Company

Stone Delicious IPA: The Artist: Edweird See is a local of the North Park neighborhood in Stone’s hometown of San Diego. His art can be spotted at local bars and pop up shops. @edweird_see The Beer: An IPA worthy of its name, Stone Delicious IPA is the nation’s #1 selling Gluten-reduced beer, known for its bright, citrus-forward hop flavor. Gluten-reduced facts: www.stonebrewing.com/beer/gluten-information 7.7% ABV, StoneBrewing.com/Delicious

image courtesy Stone Brewing Company

Stone ///Fear.Movie.Lions Hazy Double IPA The Artist: Jimbo Phillips is a nearly 30-year pro of design and graphic illustration. His outrageous eye-popping designs are highly recognizable in surf, skate and snowboard brands, record labels and clothing companies including Santa Cruz Skateboards, Volcom, Nike and more. @jimbophillips The Beer: A recipe that originated out of Stone’s Richmond, VA facility, this 8.5% ABV beer is truly an East-meets-West representation of Stone. It is unfiltered and juiced up with massive tropical & citrus notes and balanced with the right touch of West Coast bitterness in the finish. 8.5% ABV, StoneBrewing.com/FML

image courtesy Stone Brewing Company

Stone IPA The Artist: Ben Fellowes is a drawer, doodler, writer, content builder and avid Stone beer drinker. Originally from Leeds in the UK, he’s now a local to SoCal. His James Bond-inspired take on the Stone Gargoyle captures the qualities Fellows uses to describe Stone IPA: Superior taste, strength, and refinement. @benfellowesart The Beer: One of the most well-respected and best-selling IPAs in the country, this golden beauty explodes with tropical, citrusy, piney hop flavors and aromas, all perfectly balanced by a subtle malt character. 6.9% ABV, StoneBrewing.com/IPA

image courtesy Stone Brewing Company

Stone Tangerine Express Hazy IPA The Artist: McBiff (David McNeley) specializes in Acrylic Painting and Digital Art, having commissioned art for such major names as The Walt Disney Company. His unique New Mid-Century Pop style is self-taught and has earned him acclaim in pop and tiki culture. @mcbiffart The Beer: This ain’t no just-add-juice approach. This one is brewed with bountiful whole tangerine and pineapple purée. It’s refreshingly bitter with pithy, crisp citrus fruit complexities and a juicy haze. 6.7%, StoneBrewing.com/TangerineExpress

…

ABOUT STONE BREWING

The San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. An industry leader in environmental sustainability, Stone averages 4.5 gallons of water usage per 1 gallon of beer, as compared to the 7:1 industry standard. Stone operates breweries in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA, plus nine tap room and bistro locations and one of the nation’s largest craft-centric beverage distributors, Stone Distributing Co. The company’s long list of environmental efforts includes a LEED Silver Certification, world-class water reclamation, solar panels, creative uses of spent grain, and even live goats for ecological vegetation management. Stone has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. To find Stone beers, visit find.stonebrewing.com. For more information on Stone Brewing visit stonebrewing.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3rf8gN8

[objectheadzine]

(Ashley lineart by @alanide) What’s your background? I attended VCU in Richmond, VA and currently freelance illustration and graphic design! What art program/tools do you like using? I usually sketch traditionally and ink with brush pens before jumping into Clip Studio Paint or Photoshop for coloring and shading. What are your favourite themes to work with in your art? Nature. Anytime I can cram a plant, a frog or something else in I will. Do you have anything you prefer to listen to while drawing? My longer living projects have specially curated playlists to get me in the right drawing mood but otherwise I'm probably listening to comedy D&D podcasts or Steam Powered Giraffe. Why do you like to draw object heads, or if this is your first time drawing them, what made you want to draw them? There's something just really freeing about drawing a character without a human face. It's more challenging but also fun because you have to think more about how to convey mood and narrative without easy to read facial features. What drew you to join the Zine project? I had seen a few other artists' works for the Flora & Fungi zine awhile back and just thought it was neat and should try to apply. What are you currently working on and where can people find you? Right now I'm working on a fairy tale project as well as some scifi comic projects! If anybody ever wants to chat with me all my social media hangouts are listed on www.autumnhaynes.com

[libraryofva]

Recent Acquisition - Ephemera Collection

Call for Specimens ! for The American Institute of Graphic Arts. Southern Regional Exhibition of Commercial Printing of the Year. Richmond, Virginia, October 20-25, 1941. 

[sprintsigns]

Increase Your Sales With Vehicle Wraps

What can you do to gain an advantage as the battle heats up? We at SS Graphics are aware of the challenges associated with effective marketing. Additionally, we know that there are various ways to spend your money on marketing. Outdoor advertising has a crucial role. Your automobile may be one of the best tools for selling your goods and services. Why does this matter? It's straightforward; you should consider marketing directly in or on your vehicle, such as with a vehicle wrap. This may be a fantastic approach to promote your business continuously. Several businesses in our metro area have used our design and implementation services. With the help of this sort of advertising, they have all acquired new clients. Learn more information please visit here  Sprint Signs and Vehicle Wraps.

When done properly, wrapping your vehicle will bring in new customers for your company. Wrapping your car, truck, or trailer has a big impact and is highly cost-effective. Most businesses have at least one car that can use exclusively for this. Naturally, it is simpler if your company operates a fleet. Regardless of the size, this marketing is effective for all business types. You can enhance sales and reach new clients by using this form of advertising.

Every company wants to be known for something. A great strategy to develop your brand is to have a well-designed wrap with contact information that is simple to see and a call to action. The ideal option is to work with a reputable business familiar with marketing and car wrap technology. That business is SS Graphics of Marietta, Georgia. We are aware of how effective marketing works. With our wraps, we hope to help increase your business's visibility and strengthen your brand's identification. According to American Trucking Association research, 91% of individuals focus on words and images projected on moving objects.

Given how well-liked the Transformers films have been, we can give your car or fleet a makeover with a mobile billboard that is inexpensive, eye-catching, and profitable. Your company will be constantly promoted by these mobile billboards, whether you're driving or just parking. Why not make a vehicle one of your employees when considering the expense of ownership? Particularly when considering the use and lifespan of a car, the investment is small.

Sprint Signs and Vehicle Wraps

Address: 9020 Quioccasin Rd  Suite C. Richmond, VA 23229

Phone Number: (804) 741-7446

Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/XE5Kw6X6giMEqMKy8

[sprintsignsonline]

Metal Signs Are Great For Your Business

Have you considered the type of sign material you want to use for your new company signage? It may appear insignificant, yet it is an important factor in your signage and your business. Plastic, wood, and metal signs are the three main types of sign materials. They're all excellent choices, and each has something unique to offer.

When the snow starts to fall, you're not going to take down your company sign and put it in the garage, are you? Not if you want to operate a profitable business! Window Graphics Richmond VA is a wonderful alternative for your company because of this. You can't afford for a snowstorm, a storm, harsh temperatures, or simply salty air to wear down or otherwise harm your sign. Metal signs, on the other hand, are particularly resistant to all types of adverse weather. Snowstorms aren't the only type of harsh weather. Acid rain, salty beach air, lightning, and high winds may all be harsh on a sign that isn't designed to withstand the elements.

The most durable form of sign is one made of metal. Metal is a long-lasting material that ages slowly. This implies that your metal sign will survive for years, even if it is placed outside. That's wonderful because the majority of company signage is shown outside. Another reason we favor metal over, say, Wooden Metal Signs Richmond Va is its durability.

Your metal sign isn’t going away once it’s been mounted. They’re all made to last for a long time, just where you set them. Trees collapse, vehicles, and motorcycles revert to signs, and the earth rots. You can be confident that your sign will be as durable as possible when you choose metal signage.

Isn't it true that no one wants to walk into a storefront with a broken sign? People are more likely to respond to a new sign that is bright, glossy, and well crafted. Graphic Design Richmond Va for metal is one of them. They are towering, solid, and appear to be a beacon for your company. Allow your company signs to create a strong first impression on customers.

[adventuressclubamericas]

Attention Artists !

We are seeking artwork for this year’s Miss Fisher Con Logo. If you have mad graphic design skills, we’d love to have you submit a design (or two!). This is the artwork that shows up on our event listings, the website, social media, RedBubble, and attendee swag.

Goal: Capture the spirit of Miss Fisher and our host city of Richmond, VA Deadline: December 8, 2019 Submit artwork to missfishercon@gmail.com

Artwork Technical Requirements for Submissions: *Ideally, we would be able to use the logo as color or b&w. *Adobe Illustrator (AI) file, vector format with all text converted to outlines, and have a transparent background. Be sure all areas using white as a color are not reliant on the background, but actually colored as designed. *Please save as .eps or native ai.file. The file must be at least 300 dpi resolution and be able to be sized up or down according to the final products chosen for the 2020 con. The more complex the design, the higher the resolution should be (e.g., 600 dpi). *Unsupported art file formats are: QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, Freehand, Microsoft Office products will also not be recognized through the art acceptance process.

If your artwork is selected, the Board has a special prize package for you.

[geenee27]

Attention Artists

We are seeking artwork for this year’s Miss Fisher Con Logo. If you have mad graphic design skills, we’d love to have you submit a design (or two!). This is the artwork that shows up on our event listings, the website, social media, RedBubble, and attendee swag.

Goal: Capture the spirit of Miss Fisher and our host city of Richmond, VA Deadline: December 8, 2019 Submit artwork to missfishercon@gmail.com

Artwork Technical Requirements for Submissions: *Ideally, we would be able to use the logo as color or b&w. *Adobe Illustrator (AI) file, vector format with all text converted to outlines, and have a transparent background. Be sure all areas using white as a color are not reliant on the background, but actually colored as designed. *Please save as .eps or native ai.file. The file must be at least 300 dpi resolution and be able to be sized up or down according to the final products chosen for the 2020 con. The more complex the design, the higher the resolution should be (e.g., 600 dpi). *Unsupported art file formats are: QuarkXPress, PageMaker, InDesign, Freehand, Microsoft Office products will also not be recognized through the art acceptance process.

If your artwork is selected, the Board has a special prize package for you.

[first-man-adams-blog]

My Decision: Thoughts, Theories, and Some Changes to how I do Things from here

Ok...so here it is. I’ve decided to keep F/O-ing Aaravos. What happened in season 3 wasn’t unexpected. The creators hinted numerous times about his role in season 3, and I knew something was coming. I just wasn’t sure how to process my feelings on it.

Warning: If you care about spoilers, don’t read any further. Spoilers for season 3 of The Dragon Prince is below.

I came to the conclusion it wasn’t that he did bad things...but who toward. That being Viren. The villain of the show. I like Viren as a character still, and I guess now I see what Jason Simpson (his VA) in an interview was saying. He likes Viren as the complicated villain he is...but if he wasn’t just joking around, he doesn’t feel the same about Aaravos. At least this season.

I think it’s because those that genuinely like Viren’s character (not agreeing with his actions, but not disliking him as a character) will have a harder time with the scenes where Aaravos is doing something to him. Like the webbed up eye so he could see Aaravos’ ghostly apparition or the scene where the caterpillar emerged from Viren’s mouth but much longer and larger...and then continued to change in the final episode. As well as the many times he used clever wordplay on Viren to steer his thoughts into bigger plans...plans I think Viren would have had already, but until he became king he didn’t have the power to go through with it and was still in the habit of not overstepping his boundaries.

Viren is capable of lying and could be lying to himself about what he wants from Xadia. He just got power, he doesn’t want to lose it over a risky decision...but Aaravos knows what Viren is like, and uses that to his advantage.

If you like Viren’s character...you’ll probably have a hard time still liking Aaravos in those scenes. Because Viren IS the bad guy...and Aaravos IS manipulating him slowly but surely. It still isn’t clear what this means, or why...but I’m sticking to my belief Aaravos’ role isn’t as a villain, but he is an antagonist. There’s a difference between the two.

The show creators say mixed things on him. In their Tweets we get quite a bit of subtle but ominous warnings...and a confession his design was an attack on the fandom, from Aaron Ehasz (show co-creator) as a joke. Then Ehasz repeatedly says throughout several interviews that Aaravos is very complicated, and has said once that Aaravos is “disliked, that’s not the same as bad.” This being in response to Justin Richmond (the other co-creator) saying “and obviously he’s bad enough they literally tried erasing him from the {history} books.” Ehasz’ exact response being “he’s complicated” and Richmond saying “he’s interesting enough they tried erasing him from the books.” Ending in the above line from Ehasz of “he’s disliked. That’s not the same as bad.”

He was making a clear distinction between the two words, probably anticipating the suspicions from the fans hearing or reading the interview of his (Aaravos’) place in the story. This doesn’t make him good either...canonically I can’t call Aaravos “good” in any sense right now. Except good at being sassy and a show-off. lol

But I won’t put him fully in the villain category. Sol Regem was willing to kill the future King of the Dragons and an elf of Xadia if they didn’t let him kill the human with them either way. Yet he’s in all the promotional posters for some reason as well as the prologue opening. That part, of course, is made more clear in the first episode of season 3, though. He was flying toward the Dark Mage from the prologue in episode 1 of season 1. Then flying blindly as his face was burning after the confrontation.

He’s clearly also important to the plot...but I can’t call him ‘bad’. Not great...but not a villain.

The last bit of evidence is Aaravos’ actual name. It’s of Danish and Arabic origin and means “between light and dark, not good or bad.” Every other name has been spot-on:

Callum-Dove King: He’s a Sky Mage, and the Skywing elves are strongly influenced by bird themes, much like Moonshadows have strong ninja themes and the Startouch...is literally covered in stars and wearing a constellation on his clothes. Callum is a Sky mage, doves are birds, and he’s working toward a peaceful future. Doves are a symbol of peace.

Ezran-Helper: Look how helpful he was this season especially!

Viren-Leader of heroes: Uh...ok I don’t know WHAT heroes...but he is a good leader. Say what you will about his character, he has leadership skills. Aaravos didn’t have to teach him that stuff.

Claudia-Lame: Ok this is a bit harsh...but it is the ‘crippled’ lame. She’s...not doing well now. She isn’t physically crippled, but mentally and emotionally she is pretty badly wounded.

Ziard-Wizard: He’s a Dark Mage. A wizard. Spot on.

Sol Regem-Sun King: They literally say his name meaning...SUN KING. He was a king of the dragons once and is an Archdragon of the Sun.

Zubeia-Beauty, grace any of those. She really fits that name. She is beautiful.

Avizandum-Reserve Judgement: I interpret that to mean on Aaravos. He locked him in the place behind the mirror because he isn’t sure how to deal with him yet before Viren and Harrow slay him (Avizandum.) Aaravos is literally in 300 year jail time right now, and Avizandum was still deciding if he should execute him or not for whatever he did.

That or he’s reserving judgment on humans, which is why he defends the border instead. We might find out eventually...cause that is still a mystery. Why is the king of the dragons guarding the boarder 24/7? I get he was basically the ruler of all of Xadia...but it’s still an odd choice.

Anyway, Aaravos. Names clearly mean things in this show. I think his is the hint that he seems bad right now, but he isn’t. He isn’t good, but he isn’t bad. I don’t know how they’ll pull that off...but I’ll be impressed if they do.

There was also still more evidence on a theory I have that he’s telling the story is true as well. In the prologue, he calls Avizandum by his human-given name: Thunder. He says “the humans called him Thunder. For when he spoke his voice shook the earth and the sky.” In the episode we learn what happened to Avizandum, Aaravos is the one to say the name, but Viren doesn’t recognize it.

Viren is the one that tells Aaravos what they called Avizandum. Which was “Thunder.” If Aaravos isn’t an omniscient narrator and has been imprisoned for 300 years or so...how would he know this in the prologue if he didn’t in that scene? Coupled with the opening sequence of his hands uncurling a map, the lighting and desk surface or the shade of blue of his skin being nothing like in his prison. I could be wrong, and while I’d be disappointed to be...oh well.

What I’m saying is...Aaravos lives to tell the story if my theory is right. Which means he isn’t bad enough the writers have to kill him or something else...I don’t know how they’ll do it if it’s true, but I will be quite interested to see it.

Aside from the Sunfire elves in Lux Area, who I don’t think deserved what happened, his actions are all for a purpose related to what’s happening...but if we knew his perspective maybe it would seem less like a random evil act, which contradicts him being complex if it was just a show of his power and how ruthless he can be. Because from our perspective there wasn’t a reason to kill the Sun Queen other than “look how evil he is! Oooh!” Which doesn’t go along with the information we’ve been given so far. There’s more to this scene, I’m sure. Though it could just be that he killed her so she couldn’t reveal what he whispered in her ear...which was also a strange move. See? He’s complicated and there are still a lot of mysteries surrounding him and his actions. Aside from that, the only one Aaravos has done much of anything to is Viren. Anything kind of graphic and sort of gross (at least with the caterpillar.) Who is again...the Bad Guy.

So all that to say...yes, I’m going to keep him as an f/o. But in doing so I’m ignoring the show canon on this blog. As in I won’t be trying to work my S/I into the narrative as much anymore for the time being. I’m going to treat the blog similar to how @justafictionalthing​ where I don’t worry about canon or accuracy to the character’s personality in the source material to a T. I still love the show, don’t misunderstand. I’m going to watch it to the end of the saga, whatever happens...but on this blog, for the time being, I’m treating it like the Aaravos here and the canon are separate.

My Aaravos, the interpretation on this blog, is aware of his source material. If anyone’s read Inkheart, think of it like that. Fictional character comes out of their source material but still exists in the story itself as well. I might make a little story or something explaining this, but that’s the angle I’m going for in all future Takeovers and commentary.

I don’t dislike his canon portrayal, I know he’s more than what we saw...but for the blog it just doesn’t work right now. My S/I would never be ok with what he’s been doing...and keeping it hidden from her goes into some risky territory... I like that kind of stuff if there’s a happy ending payoff, but for the overall blog and my way of selfshipping, which has turned more “I’m actually with this character, not just writing myself in their story,” it doesn’t work.

TL;DR: I don’t hate or even dislike canon!Aaravos, but he doesn’t work well with what I want on this blog. I’m still with him, but the version you guys have gotten to know on this blog. Sassy but friendly and knowledgeable, and now separated from his source material almost Inkheart-style.

I’m too attached to who he is now from relationship development to drop this. I still like his canon self, but he’s changed a lot on this blog. If you don’t like that, watch the show for the ‘true’ Aaravos experience. Nothing but soft and sassy here for now. With some dark stuff if I’m in the mood for it.