Daily Purple Pig

Saturday, March 29, 2025

March 29 - Dave's Wearables 2

"True teaching is not about giving answers. It's about showing the paths."

~ Noam Chomsky

I don't use 646/660s typically, so the opportunity to use some old stock balloons to practice a fun new design idea is super appealing. Let's play around with Dave Brenn's "Ride Inside" a bit!

Dave made a great point about color choices. My instinct is to treat every color like it matters, but in practice, some are just more usable than others. Black, white and the natural tones like mocha or grey tend to be the most flexible. Rainbow-y colors can actually be limiting - pink, for example, feels like it should be a pink "thing". A pink rocketship works, sure, but without context it makes you wonder "why?" (and honestly, it was a practice attempt while watching, I wasn't trying to make a crude joke (tho ... USS Phallus?))

I feel like I've seen the bathtub idea used before, if not as balloons at least as a costume. In fact, I bet the Spirit Halloween Store would have a bunch of corny ride inside inspiration ideas ...

(view other wearables)

Other balloons by and inspired by Dave Brenn:

Friday, March 28, 2025

March 28 - Dave's Wearables

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."

~ William Arthur Ward

Dave Brenn is a great teacher.

He doesn't just teach how to make "forms of things". His lessons are full of those extra little bits of magic - clever tricks, smart shortcuts, and unexpected details that make you better without even realizing it. I would count his Patreon site as one of the best values in educational content out there.

His recent series, "Ride Inside" balloons, begins simple in concept - but is once again elevated by that special Dave magic and his real-world experiences using these designs.

I cheated a bit on the length a few of them. Since they are not being worn, I made their bodies a bit shorter - they weren't being poofed out by a torso.

(view other wearables)

Other balloons by and inspired by Dave Brenn:

Thursday, March 27, 2025

March 27 - Swan

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

~ Maya Angelou

The phrase "swan song" comes from an ancient belief that swans are silent throughout their lives, only to sing a beautiful, mournful song just before they die. Certainly badass - a graceful creature, a tragic melody, a final performance.

This swan design is from the Matt Falloon's BAC-exclusive "Birds" collection, and became another partial answer to the lingering question of what I am supposed to do with these remaining geo balloons?

I also experimented with recreating the shape, which you can get close using normal balloons, but there is a certain tension in the center when using a geo that this shape really benefits from.

(view other swan)

Other balloons by and inspired by Matt Falloon:

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

March 26 - Zombie

Q. Geo
(1917-2024)

"The only hole left is in our hearts."

I really like the quick and easy head shape you can get from a geo balloon. They are proving to be a good canvas for practicing some inkwork as they give a very distinct center line to use for reference.

A zombie bursting from the ground was the idea, but I would also accept "zombie pushing down his brown tutu" for an answer.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

March 25 - Moli Superheroes

"You're not Superman, you know."

~ Mary Jane Watson Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Kawaii crusaders, these balloon superheroes are from the "MOLI BALLOON" YouTube channel (link). She's a Hong Kong-based artist who nails the balance of small-body, big-charm -- think "chibi-adjacent", a touch more detail and refinement to the basic chibi form, elevating it with a bit more details.

There's a moment in the Superman build that got.... At one point I realized I was gently pinching and massaging to shape his package, and now that's all I see when I look at the design. Super indeed - super awkward. 🤣

Other Superhero balloons:

Monday, March 24, 2025

March 24 - Fred Flintstone

"I'm telling you, Barney, this is foolproof!"

~ Fred Flintstone

"Yabba Dabba Doo" /ˈyabə ˈdabə ˈdü/ (interjection)
Language of origin: Flintstonian (Prehistoric Bedrock Dialect, circa 10,000 B.C.E.)

Literal Translation: "I am overwhelmed by joy, chaos, and meat."

Definition: An exclamation of uncontainable enthusiasm, spontaneous triumph, or unearned confidence.

Related Expressions:
- Doo Time: A celebratory event, feast, or 10-minute break.
- Yabbaling (v.): To scream incoherently while running circles.

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This balloon design is from the Sepo Balloon Brothers channel -- I don't have a "go to" humanoid form (non-princess) and tend to wing it, so it's exciting to see what people use. The effort in this is mainly in the head and face structure, with a single color outfit - kind of like a mechanic or a police officer or ... a modern stone-age dinosaur operator who works at the quarry in the town of Bedrock and is a page right out of history?

(view other Flintstones)

Other balloons by and inspired by Sepo Balloon Brothers:

Sunday, March 23, 2025

March 23 - Toucan

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."

~ Aesop

A toucan is what happens when evolution spends all its points maxing out the 'beak size' slider..

Somehow, instead of looking ridiculous, it turned out stunning.
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This balloon toucan was taught by Isopresso, his bird forms all tend to follow a similar style, but he has a great knack of being able to make them all so distinct

(view other birds)

Other balloons by and inspired by Isopresso: