Full Flip Through Video- ‘Starting Your First Civil War Collection’ – Interior Design by Christian Baloga

The video provides a comprehensive flip through of the book _Starting Your First Civil War Collection_ by Frank D. Mroczka, designed by Christian Baloga, excluding the cover. 

A.I. Generators Violate Artists, Like Myself

A.I. image generators violate the rights of millions of artists; I’m one of those artists. A.I. sys­tems are trained on vast amounts of copy­righted work with no con­sent, no credit, and no com­pen­sa­tion. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-ai-image-generators-stealing-from-artists-180981488/

What Does My Logo Represent?

The logo is for myself. I’m an independent graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, sculptor —and all around visual artist.

I designed this logo showing an abstract graphic design with a swirl pattern that gives a sense of depth and movement. The swirl appears to be turning inward towards the center in a spiral motion, like a shutter on a camera. It consists of five shapes with varying shades of blue, creating a sense of flow; it also represents the five basic elements of the earth: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space/spirit). This is important because I try to imbue these five elements into all of my work. The lighter blue hues highlight the edge of the swirl, while the darker blues provide contrast and depth, accentuating the three-dimensional illusion. The swirling pattern gives the piece kinetic energy, and the gradation of blue shows an understanding of color theory. I’m also drawn to the color blue, which gives the logo an even more personalized touch. As the shutter closes, the center appears as an eye to accentuate the importance visualization has on my work as an artist.

Exciting news! What does graphic design and Britney Spears have in Common?

I’ve got some exciting news for Britney Spears fans and graphic designers… soon! Stay tune to find out what the the two have in common.

Which Addy Awards have I won?

Click image to view story.

I received a text from my dad saying, “There is an article in today’s paper about the addy awards that u won.” It was regarding a recent newspaper article in the Citizens Voice titled “AAF holds annual awards ceremony.” Since it’s the season and I don’t have more info. on the awards I’ve won, I thought it’d be a good time to talk about what the AAF and Addy Awards are, and which I’ve won.

According to its website, the AAF, or, The American Advertising Federation, is America’s oldest advertising trade association, headquartered in Washington, D.C. This association acts as a “Unifying Voice for Advertising” and operates a multitude of programs and initiatives, including the annual American Advertising Awards, which was held on Friday in Northeast Pa., at Colarusso’s LaPalazzo in Moosic.

The AAF awards is the largest creative awards competition in the advertising industry and honors excellence in advertising. What graphic designer wouldn’t want to be a part of this?!

So, how many Addy Awards have I won? Uno. Dos. Tres! Three. Check out the gallery below to see them. And which have I won? As a student in 2009, I was awarded two bronze Addy Award medals for a book cover and candy package design.

Because money was nonexistent during my last semester of college in 2010, my former graphic design professor, Christine Medley, out of the kindness of her heart, submitted a T-shirt I designed for the CMYKlub, a graphic design club that I founded and was elected president to during my studies at Marywood University. I’m so grateful for Medley’s generosity. I hope she was proud that night at the ceremony after watching me win the gold Addy Award medal for the shirt. Thank you again!

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To view more of my award-winners, check out a gallery of my portfolio here.

Addy Award Medal photos coming soon. Check back.

Wake the Wicked Business Cards Designed and Ordered

I just ordered business cards for my book Wake the Wicked. To the left is the final digital design with the blurb and contact info on the back and the cover of the book on the front.

I can’t wait to hand them out!

HAPPY NIGHTMARES!

More.

Wake the Wicked [eBook] Cover Art Undressed

Have you ever wondered why certain book covers entice you to pick them up and others, well, don’t? I’d like to go in-depth on the cover I designed for Wake the Wicked. You might be surprised by what you read.

It’s no secret cover art has the power to reel a potential reader in to take a closer look. What most people don’t understand however, is the importance of a well designed cover and the time-and-effort it takes to create this work of art. It’s no cut-and-paste job that Joe Shmoe from down the street should attempt.

Although most people may not be able to identify the intricacies of a well crafted cover, a Joe Shmoe cover can be as easy to spot as a full moon—and can ruin a book, regardless of the interior. This power can be intimidating.

I’m one of the few writers who have a solid background in graphic design. I won’t lie, the task of designing the cover for Wake the Wicked has left my sleep schedule looking like a block of moldy Swiss cheese, but it was worth it!

I knew from the beginning I wanted the cover to be powerful and eerie, and it must coincide with the stories I had written. What I didn’t want, was a cover that looked like all the other horror book covers. You know, the black and red one with a close-up of an eye, or an upside-down picture with splatter-text. I cringe at the thought.

While I finished writing the rough draft of my manuscript, I started conceptualizing the cover art. It was at this phase I felt designing the cover would be most beneficial to creating something that would reflect the stories within.

Welcome!

This is the place where you’ll discover my passions for creation. I am an author, award-winning graphic designer (mobile, print, web), illustrator, crafter,  photographer & former pre-press specialist. I’ve got some extraordinary things to share with you all and I hope you’ll join me!