Larissa Meek

I’m a sucker for bringing art to the web. Especially when it’s hand made and not 100% computer generated. There is something really refreshing about the good old-fashioned paper, clay, glue and popsicle stick kind of stuff – visuals that are not created solely in 3D software or Photoshop.

In researching this topic, I discovered that the use of mixed media in interactive sites is pretty rare. When done well, mixed-media can make for a very unique interactive experience. Most often, mixed-media sites result in miniature sets or environments. Below are some examples of interactive sites and inspiring mixed media artists.

Pencil Rebel

FWA’s site of the day, from July 20th, is a great example that brings tangibility to the web. Pencil Rebel is an experimental site that uses mixed media and flash to create a unique interactive experience. It is full of little puzzles and activities that might challenge you.

My (subjective) opinion doesn’t love the execution or style 100% , but I do love the interactive treasure hunt concept. There are some usability issues when it comes to interacting with things such as a lack of obvious hover states and interaction lag times. But overall, it’s a pretty fun concept.

Lipton Clear Green (NL)

Lipton Clear Green says that Lipton Clear Green Tea makes life’s difficult situations more bearable. It features a lot claymation, found objects and paper cut-outs. I wish it had more interaction within the scenes, however. This project was done by the Dutch agency CCCP, located in Amsterdam.

Adi’s Workshop for Adidas

Adi’s Workshop was painstakingly constructed in stop-motion. This film starts at the very beginning, with company co-founder Adi Dassler at his desk in a humble workshop. The narrator begins to speak of Dassler’s achievements, from ensuring the German football team was properly shod in the 1954 World Cup final to providing Ilie Nastase footwear for his tantrums. This is a beautiful example using history, mixed-media and the web to create an emotional connection with a well-known brand.

Get The Glass

If you haven’t heard of Get The Glass by now, I’m pretty sure you might be living under a rock. Basically, it is a 3D board game for Got Milk. The object of the game is to get the Adachi family around the board and into Fort Fridge so that they can “Get the Glass”.

Get The Glass was first concepted in a 3D rendering, which Fantasy Interactive used as a guide to build the real-life miniature model. Check out some of the behind the scenes photos here.

Little People – A Tiny Street Art Project

Little People – A Tiny Street Art Project is all about little hand painted people left in London, to tend for themselves. Need I say more? This is just amazingly innovative. Just imagine stumbling upon one of these little miniature scenes. What would you do, leave it alone or take it home?

Thomas Doyle

This is an artist’s portfolio of some mind-blowing work. Imagine how cool Doyle’s art would look in a digital interactive environment. Doyle’s work mines the debris of memory through the creation of intricate worlds sculpted in 1:43 scale and smaller. Often sealed under glass, the works depict the remnants of things past—whether major, transformational experiences, or the quieter moments that resonate loudly throughout a life. In much the way the mind recalls events through the fog of time, the works distort reality through a warped and dreamlike lens.

Lori Nix Photography

Lori Nix is an artist who bends the line between truth and illusion in her photographs. She accomplishes this by photographing miniatures and models which illuminate her interest in the disaster movies of the 1970s and her memories of growing up in Kansas—a place that seems to attract disasters like no other. In her series titled Accidentally Kansas Nix creates scenes of floods, tornadoes, snow storms, lightning strikes, and insect infestations, all epic and defining events recalled from her formative years in rural Kansas.

Look at Book

This site, Look at Book, is about a sketch book which was shared between 4 different artists for 36 weeks – two in Brooklyn and two in Belfast. Each artists had 5 days to complete a spread inspired by the one which preceded it where a small part of each entry was shared with the next page.

Collage books are a big trend in the art and craft world. They often include found objects, paint and embedding photos/ images in the paint. I have one myself which I have been adding to over the last 3 years and it’s a great way to make some art when you have limited time. For collage inspiration check out the altered book group on flickr.

City Shrinker

Fooled ya, didn’t it? City Shrinker is not comprised of miniature towns but photography by Ben Thomas from Melbourne, Australia. He manipulates his photography making what’s real, look like toys.

Why Mixed Media?

The web is full of computer generated design. By creating something with your hands you make it your own and viewers will stop to ponder weather your hand-made creation was a digital master-piece or a piece of reality. Getting your hands dirty is fun.

Entry Filed under: Web Design