Clever pretty Starbucks drawings
November 15, 2012 12:16 PM Subscribe
Tomoko Shintani just draws at Starbucks without any special reason.
whimsical as fuck
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:24 PM on November 15, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:24 PM on November 15, 2012 [11 favorites]
Oh thank goodness. The Prop 37 thread was really bringing me down.
posted by JoeBlubaugh at 12:25 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by JoeBlubaugh at 12:25 PM on November 15, 2012
Tomoko, I have to say I'm very impressed. I've seen some fanciful, capricious shit in my day. Ponies in Wellies. Babies dressed up as motherfucking fireflies. But that kitten, wearing a muffin like a hat? That's whimsical as fuck, man.
posted by leotrotsky at 12:29 PM on November 15, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 12:29 PM on November 15, 2012 [7 favorites]
I won't pretend that there isn't some part of me that wanted to hate on this for being too precious and/or featuring the Starbucks product and brand prominently enough to set off alarms in my head, but that part lost out to the part of me that finds this too adorable to give a shit about the other stuff.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 12:30 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 12:30 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
Cute pics, but from my perch at the local coffee shop, I can't help but hesitate to acknowledge or enjoy images I perceive as a series of Starbucks ads. So I'm just gonna click on down the road...
posted by sibboleth at 12:31 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by sibboleth at 12:31 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Much like celebrity hair, it takes an incredible amount of effort to make something look so quickly-dashed-off-yet-utterly-jewel-like.
posted by pipeski at 12:32 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by pipeski at 12:32 PM on November 15, 2012
Kawaii!
posted by Ad hominem at 12:39 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Ad hominem at 12:39 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Cute pics, but from my perch at the local coffee shop, I can't help but hesitate to acknowledge or enjoy images I perceive as a series of Starbucks ads. So I'm just gonna click on down the road...
Yeah, I'm torn -- love the art, but wish he didn't incorporate the Starbucks branding. Not because I hate Starbucks -- I'm just sick of seeing the logo everywhere all the time.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 12:45 PM on November 15, 2012
Yeah, I'm torn -- love the art, but wish he didn't incorporate the Starbucks branding. Not because I hate Starbucks -- I'm just sick of seeing the logo everywhere all the time.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 12:45 PM on November 15, 2012
That ubiquitous branding leads me to suspect some kind of corporate sponsorship. Nice drawings, though.
posted by JHarris at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
Is this a Starbucks ad? Cute drawings, a LOT of gratuitous Starbucks shots.
posted by OmieWise at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by OmieWise at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
would have been better without the starbucks
posted by mary8nne at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by mary8nne at 12:48 PM on November 15, 2012 [4 favorites]
Snuck a bit of A bit of social commentary in there I see.
posted by Ad hominem at 12:49 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by Ad hominem at 12:49 PM on November 15, 2012
So, how do you guys feel about the use of the Starbucks logo in these?
(You know, sometimes it's possible for a person to absolutely adore a corporate brand to the heart of their being, and there's nothing sinister about it. They just love it, and that's great. If I were the kind of person with the inclination and the talent to do drawings like this, I'd probably do something with the Doctor Who logo, also a brand that is a license to print money. But I love it for reasons all my own, and haters can step off.)
posted by jbickers at 12:55 PM on November 15, 2012 [5 favorites]
(You know, sometimes it's possible for a person to absolutely adore a corporate brand to the heart of their being, and there's nothing sinister about it. They just love it, and that's great. If I were the kind of person with the inclination and the talent to do drawings like this, I'd probably do something with the Doctor Who logo, also a brand that is a license to print money. But I love it for reasons all my own, and haters can step off.)
posted by jbickers at 12:55 PM on November 15, 2012 [5 favorites]
Exactly -- or less politely, incorporating the logo over and over is the fucking point.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:59 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:59 PM on November 15, 2012
And he probably just sits there, hogging the goddamn power outlet for hours...
posted by inturnaround at 1:01 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by inturnaround at 1:01 PM on November 15, 2012
This makes me think of the Afghan rugs that used to incorporate Soviet tanks and AK-47s (which now, IIUC, have US drones and missiles on them).
posted by spacewrench at 1:05 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by spacewrench at 1:05 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
I don't object to the Starbucks logo, but he's clearly a corporate shill for Staedtler. That pen is in every picture...
posted by Hal Mumkin at 1:19 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by Hal Mumkin at 1:19 PM on November 15, 2012
I'm pretty sure Tomoko is a girl.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:24 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:24 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I'm torn -- love the art, but wish he didn't incorporate the Starbucks branding
She, right?
posted by aught at 1:26 PM on November 15, 2012
She, right?
posted by aught at 1:26 PM on November 15, 2012
I never considered the branding issue. I should know the audience here well enough to realize that some would have an instant distaste for the prominence of a corporate brand, especially this one, but I never thought of it. What I saw was a playfulness with found objects, not only the coffee cup and its logo, but also the pen and the sketchbook itself, whose placement help give these drawings their casual quality. What I really liked was their Heath Robinson feel of the drawings, how the darks play off all the whitespace and simple lines. And how the artist has mastered her kittens and bunnies and dolphins and hearts and stars and swirls, so that she can call up this cute universe at whim while sitting in a coffee shop doodling.
posted by TimTypeZed at 1:27 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by TimTypeZed at 1:27 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Starbucks--reasonably competitive pay, benefits, well trained staff, coffee I like, wifi works, bathrooms are always clean, convenient, active support for gay rights, politically progressive, provides transitional employment to thousands of college students/grads and permanent employment for many--would you rather they work at McDonald's/BK/Walmart/7-11. Oh yes, the independent neighborhood coffee shop which might pay minimum wage, quality often varies depending on who is working, inadequately capitalized with repairs needing to be done, irregular and unpredictable staff schedules. Not every community is, or ever would have been, blessed with a solid, well run independent shop that paid competitive wages, treated employees fairly and contributed to the community. And, I admire her for making artful, well executed and whimsical drawing that incorporate the Starbucks logo.
posted by rmhsinc at 1:34 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by rmhsinc at 1:34 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
I love these! My life needs more whimsy.
posted by shothotbot at 1:39 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by shothotbot at 1:39 PM on November 15, 2012
Also, my daughter and I used to go to starbucks on the weekend mornings and get hot chocolate or coffee and make robots out of nothing but starbucks cups, stirrers and bad attitude so I am predisposed to like starbucks art.
posted by shothotbot at 1:42 PM on November 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by shothotbot at 1:42 PM on November 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
The drawings are great, I could do without the big Starbucks logos every image. On the other hand, she needs a place with white cups to draw on, so Starbucks may be the only ones that work. I'd love to see the drawings in color. She's got next great children's book illustrator all wrapped up, if that's what she wants to do.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:53 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by doctor_negative at 2:53 PM on November 15, 2012
You know, sometimes it's possible for a person to absolutely adore a corporate brand to the heart of their being, and there's nothing sinister about it. They just love it, and that's great.
This.
Plus the matcha tea latte and coffee jelly frappuccino in Japanese Starbucks are ACE.
posted by peripathetic at 2:56 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
This.
Plus the matcha tea latte and coffee jelly frappuccino in Japanese Starbucks are ACE.
posted by peripathetic at 2:56 PM on November 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
Starbucks ads? I thought those were ads for Staedtler pens...?
But I really like her use of line. Wonderfully precise control and expression of mood.
posted by jiawen at 3:15 PM on November 15, 2012
But I really like her use of line. Wonderfully precise control and expression of mood.
posted by jiawen at 3:15 PM on November 15, 2012
How about a McDonalds coffee cup and a depiction of explosive runny diarrhea and a passed out junkie?
posted by Renoroc at 3:19 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Renoroc at 3:19 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is this wonderfully talented person a book illustrator, by any chance?
posted by jrochest at 3:26 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by jrochest at 3:26 PM on November 15, 2012
Starbucks ads? I thought those were ads for Staedtler pens...?
If you throw a Staedtler pen down on a table a thousand times, how many times will it land with the logo facing up?
Whatever the case may be, I don't think it's too cognitively dissonant to accept that a) these drawings certainly look like she's shilling for Starbucks and Staedtler, and b) that these drawings are really good and Tomoko has a lot of talent and whimsy.
posted by Dr. Send at 3:47 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you throw a Staedtler pen down on a table a thousand times, how many times will it land with the logo facing up?
Whatever the case may be, I don't think it's too cognitively dissonant to accept that a) these drawings certainly look like she's shilling for Starbucks and Staedtler, and b) that these drawings are really good and Tomoko has a lot of talent and whimsy.
posted by Dr. Send at 3:47 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Whatever to the Starbucks logo thing - can we talk about cool-ass pens like the Staedtler one she uses? I'm dying to find out about cool pens. I don't draw, but love pens.
Please please please someone tell me about cool, fine-point pens.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 4:16 PM on November 15, 2012
Please please please someone tell me about cool, fine-point pens.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 4:16 PM on November 15, 2012
Please please please someone tell me about cool, fine-point pens.
Jetpens
posted by shothotbot at 7:39 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Jetpens
posted by shothotbot at 7:39 PM on November 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
You also might want to check out No Pen Intended, a nifty blog that reviews all sorts of writing instruments.
posted by jiawen at 9:01 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by jiawen at 9:01 PM on November 15, 2012
I would very much like a few posters of these.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 9:40 PM on November 15, 2012
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 9:40 PM on November 15, 2012
« Older Why did Prop 37 Fail? | With A Million Stars All Around Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by jbickers at 12:24 PM on November 15, 2012