Monday, June 2, 2014

New Website...

I am going to start phasing out this blog. While, I will keep this blog up, I will no longer post any new content here. Head over to to new new website:
jimastin.com
I will post new updates regularly.

I am also dropping the "AstinMedia" brand and just switching to "Jim Astin Designs" I cooked up this little beauty over the weekend:

See you on the other side!

~Jim

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Wedding Announcement

This is a design I created for my wife's cousin, Fawn.



This is a composite of about 3 images.  The archway was much closer together in the original, and the foliage behind them was more brown. 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

UVU Service-Learning Video

UVU Service-Learning Video



Senior project video spotlighting Service-Learning at UVU.  I produced, edited, shot, and authored a DVD for this project. 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Taylor Joelle Black Friday Ad

Online Retailer Taylor Joelle needed a Black Friday ad put together in a hurry.
So I sat down with the client and came up with this beauty in about 4 hours...
As you can see from the ad, they will be having some great deals on Black Friday. Check them out at www.taylorjoelle.com

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Cover Art: Old Testament Podcasts

Cover Art I designed for two Video Podcasts:
Old Testament Visual Resources and Old Testament Stories.

They are published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 11 languages.



Friday, February 15, 2013

Before/After Series - Iron Man Argonath

I always thought that the way Iron Man does his "Talk to the hand" stance looked hauntingly familiar 
For your consideration...
Mash-up of the Argonath from Lord of the Rings and Iron Man & War Machine.



Before (2 images)


After
(Its even big enough for wallpaper...You're welcome)

Methods:
Various blending modes
Pattern/texture overlays
Lighting/shadows
Cloning/rebuilding background

Thursday, February 7, 2013

"Comic Book" Style Cityscape

I designed this stylized Cityscape for the Birthday invitation for my son.  His party was "Super Hero" themed.
The sky was accomplished used Photoshop's "Halftone" effect.
I think it turned out pretty well!

I'll post the completed invite once it is done.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

My take on 'The Dark Knight Rises' movie poster

I gave my Photoshop class an assignment to recreate the Poster for The Dark Knight Rises.

Here is my take on it: 



Here is the original:




Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Disney/Pixar's "UP" Recut Trailer

Disney/Pixar's "UP" Recut Trailer


Recut trailer featuring footage from Pixar's "UP" mixed with the music from "Inception"
The export settings messed with my timecode, however and through my transitions off by a frame or two.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

2013 Hidden Garden Tour flyer

The 2013 Hidden Garden Tour is upon us!!! Crazy to think this will be my 3rd year helping out with their graphic design! This year I suggested that they change up the cover a little bit to give it a more unique look and feel...

To view more "Hidden Garden Tour" artwork click HERE.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

LDS Meme - President Thomas S. Monson


You can like/share this image and others on the official Facebook page of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Here.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Possum! Possum! BIG BIG Possum!

Anyone who has seen The Dark Knight Rises knows the iconic "Rise" chant in the Prison.
I don't know about you, but everytime I hear it, I can't but hear this...

LDS Meme - President Boyd K. Packer


You can like/share this image and others on the official Facebook page of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Here.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

T-Shirt Design: Double Xing (Double Crossing)

Here's another in my new lineup of Xing Tee's.
I gave one a tie to show that they were businessmen.
I think it helps.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

T-Shirt Design: X-Wing Xing Street Sign

This comes from a line of T-shirts I am planning on starting soon.  They will feature variations on the "Ped Xing" street signs with an AstinMedia touch!



Nick Fury's thoughts on the end of the world

I was getting a little tired of all the insanity of the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012.  So I drew on the ultimate authority for some inspiration:


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Pinata (Updated)

Homemade Pinata and and Beating stick:
Pinata is Captain Americas shield and stick is Thor's Hammer, Mjolnir. 


Even though it's not Graphic Design per se,  I still feel like they were worth mentioning.
More pics of them in action to come soon!

Pinata and hammer in action!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

2012 Hidden Garden Tour Guidebook


The 2012 Hidden Garden Tour is this weekend!

Here is the finished 42 pg. guidebook for this years tour that I put together. 

go to www.hiddengarden.org for more information.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Michael Buffering...



My ode to Michael Buffer:















Let's get ready to... *BUFFERING* *BUFFERING* ... RUMBLE!!!!!!!






Monday, May 7, 2012

Fantasy Image

While in college I had an assignment to create a fantasy world.  I started out combining elements from other pieces and, and slowly this image evolved:


Some of the part are more subtle than others.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Darth Maul: Illustrator's Pen Tool

I am trying out Illustrator for the first time... (I've played around with it before, and took some classes in college...but that was years ago)

Illustrator's pinnacle feature: The Legendary PEN TOOL!!!!!

Here is a sketch of the villainous Darth Maul that I dug up from an old box of sketches, and
using the Pen tool, I was able to clean it up:


Here is a side-by-side comparison...
Original                        Finished

         


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Avengers Wallpaper

The Avengers comes out out in 2 weeks.  I haven't been this excited for a movie in a really long time.  
And with all the advertising for it comes tons of wallpapers and poster art.  

I've seen several but none have wowed me.  So I took elements from these, and made my own...



For your downloading pleasure, I made 3 sizes:


1024x768

1280x1024

1920x1080

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Podcast Cover Art

Cover Art Design I created for a Podcast for Children called, "I Can Play It!" It Featured Simplified version of Church Primary Songs.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Al Gore + Avatar = Alatar (Fake Movie Poster)

Mashup of James Cameron's Avatar and Environmental activist Al Gore.  
I made this one quite a while ago. But, the joke just wasn't quite as clear.  So I made a few revisions and Viola!  I think its much better. 

I came up with the concept because Avatar got so much crap for being "green" and the Inconvenient Truth about Al Gore is he's just annoying.  Maybe he'll have better luck on Pandora.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Alien Ninja Turtles?

In case you didn't hear, Michael Bay is doing a reboot of a beloved Childhood classic of mine: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

In a recent interview he said:
"These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable."
Check out the full article here.

As a TMNT fan, I am siding with the purists that are outraged at his changes.

As a subtle jab on the topic, I created this image after hearing all this:
It created quite a bit of chatter at work.
Enjoy!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Look Sir, Droids...

Mashup of Droids from Star Wars and Motorola Droid.

I'm actually quite surprised no one has thought of this before.  And if they have I choose to be blissfully ignorant to it.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

City Creek Ad (spoof)

Anyone who has been in Downtown SLC in the past month has seen the ridiculous ads everywhere for City Creek.  They feature a model who in no way looks like they would be shopping in a mall in Utah.

Here's one the billboards:

They are so over the top that there has been a hilaroius viral campaign going around spoofing these ads using images from Zoolander, to poke fun that only, "Really, really, ridicously good looking people" can shop there.

Here is one of those: 
(This is not mine, I just find it hilarious...and the Photoshop needs a little work)

So with all the hype.  I decided to take it to a whole new level and create my own spoof of City Creek; it features White Goodman from Dodgeball:

The refence is a bit more obscure; but, hey, that's me.  I'm all about the obscure humor.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Mac OS X Liger

Pretty much the best OS ever! Gosh!

Pretty soon, Apple is gonna run out of big cats to name their OS after.
So with the upcoming release of Mountain Lion this summer, My Brother gave me the idea to do a mashup...

The Imfamous Liger from Napoleon Dynomite and Apple OS X Mountain Lion.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Before/After Series - Nemo

Anyone who has an iPhone would recognize this image: 



But when combined with my all-time favorite Disney/Pixar movie...You get this!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Before/After Series - A Single Leaf

I designed the cover of the upcoming novel, A Single Leaf.


               Original Image:                                                                                      Modified Image:










Final Book Cover:


I also helped set up a blog to promote awareness of the book.  You can view it Here.

Editing Elements: 
  • Cutting elements out 
  • Replacing background
  • Color adjustment