Twitter Beard

Twitter Beard
Illustrative Mask “Twitter Beard.”For the past three years I’ve been teaching “Digital Illustration” in a local college VC program. For this terms final project I assigned the students an “Illustrative Mask” for them to create over a four week period were we focused on each phase of the creative process: Thumbnails, Sketches, Comps, and Final Art all being art directed by myself and peer reviewed.

I thought this would be fun so I decided to participate myself. The idea I chose to develop was based on my love of Twitter.com which I’ve been using going on three years now. (You can follow me at: @vonster)

Twitter Beard
Striking a pose with “Twitter Beard” mask.

When ever someone asks me “What is Twitter?” or “Why do you use Twitter?” I usually respond by saying “Think of Twitter as a diary for your random thoughts that other people can read.” Essentially the only thing I’m doing differently now than I was pre-Twitter is documenting my thoughts.

The random thoughts and ideas have always been their, but I never captured them. Twitter allows me to do that now and also gives me the opportunity to see what others are thinking and that makes for a good waste of time.

Twitter Beard
Some of my students mask illustrations.

I think my students did a great job. Very creative and fun mask illustrations. They’ll all be getting A’s BTW.

Twitter Beard
My daughter Savannah inherited my zany gene. Arrrgh!

The fun thing about a mask like this is that each user can create a different emotion really easily. Add some props like a hat or glasses and all manner of zany merriment and take place. It’s low-tech fun at it’s best.

Twitter Beard
More mask hi-jinx.

Here are several people who put together their own design gathering and had some fun with the mask.

Twitter Beard
Construct your own “Twitter Beard” mask.

If you download and construct a mask for yourself please share a link to a picture in the comments below.

Download “Twitter Beard” PDF
“Twitter Beard” Mask PDF

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Twitter Beard