Geoffrey Long
Leaves
On My Work

As long as I can remember, I've created many different kinds of art. I'm primarily self-taught, although I credit my grandmother (who is a retired art teacher) with installing the basics, and Michael Brint and the IPHS program at Kenyon College with permitting me the time, space and tools to experiment. I most recently had the pleasure of studying under Frank Espinosa at MIT, whom I credit with honing my brushwork and worldbuilding skills.

My work can best be sorted into interactive, print, video, identity, photography and illustration. Examples of each can be found here. Much of my graphic design work has been produced as The Dreamsbay Company, my creative consulting business. Please feel free to contact me if you would like me to work on a project with you.

My current style

For the longest time, I referred to my style as "whimsical elegance," a combination of clean lines and bright colors that was often illustrated with cartoon-style illustrations.

More recently, I've been experimenting with darker hues and using photography for my main source of illustrations. I haven't done much with the cartoon illustrations lately, and even they have gone from Disney-esque characters to being a little more urban.

My preferred fonts are Adobe Garamond, Myriad and Emigre's Mrs. Eaves, for their classic feel and elegant lines.

Influences

I have a hard time naming names when it comes to influences. I can list artists whose work I enjoy, but most of my inspiration comes from magazines, movies, travel and architecture. I love the clean lines of modernist design as found in magazines such as Dwell and Metropolis, but I also like coupling that with some of the classic style most often found in Architectural Digest. I love watching online artists like Derek Powazek and Josh Davis play around. I love the photocollages and mixed-media work of Dave McKean, and the modern mythologies created by The Cirque du Soleil.