Practice Makes Perfect: Calligraphy / Hand Lettering

Once again, it's been a little while since I've last updated my blog! Since beginning my job at a great little design company in Leicestershire, I have a whole new respect and understanding for all those 9 to 5 (or longer) workers out there! I feel your pain! I know your tiredness and it's taken me a little while to get into the swing of things.

In any case I'm not complaining - I realise how lucky I am for going straight into a job after finishing university and it's already provided me with so much more insight and knowledge in the world of graphic design.

In my spare time, I've taken to practicing my illustration skills in the form of typography and calligraphy! I even took a small morning course to get to grips with the correct way to write calligraphy this weekend, which was great fun! Now I've just got to stay in practice!

It shouldn't be hard - I absolutely LOVE it!

Woop! I finally have a logo!

So I was just about to put a small presentation together for a project I've been working on and thought it'd actually be really cool if I could put my own 'stamp' on it sorta speak, so what better way than to make a simple logo for myself. 

I know a few of my friends have already made themselves a little something that they use, I just hadn't got around to making one myself nor have I really needed one in the past. 

Admittedly, the logo itself isn't much at all and it literally took me about 5 minutes to make, but I like it and it will do for now until I can come up with something better (or need something better even!)

The good thing about something this simple too is that you can jazz it up a bit with colour, as and when you need it! Anyways... without further ado... 

Voila!

Branding Project: More Logo Tests

Last week I continued working on the 'Coral' project with some different ideas. 

Considering the brand is meant to have lingerie and swimwear strands (under the name of 'House Of Coral') then I thought of using something lacy looking to encompass this. Something girly, flirty and fun.

My first idea was to use something that looked like the lace you find around the top of a pair of stockings and then fill the centre with a title. I quite like how this looks overall but I'm not sure how well it'd work as a logo on its own.

From there I wanted to try something that would look like a cut-out / stencilled look - and possibly something that could be laser cut to achieve this...

This is where my ideas led me... 

I thought that this kind of design would work well if it was used for a clothes tag or a price tag.

The side design could be cut out with a laser and it could be quite elegant looking. 

Similarly, I thought that something like this might look nice for a tag or logo or shop front design.

However, as nice as it might look I was concerned with the practicality of cutting something out this small... There's bound to be a better way or simpler way to do something elegant and fun...

Further designs to follow soon... :)

NEW PROJECT: Company Branding / Logo Design (Initial ideas)

FINALLY! I have a new project to work on at my internship and it's a branding one involving everything you can think of... logo, posters, website, shop graphics... the lot!

I've done all the preliminary research about industry competition and started putting a client presentation together so when the project is finished (I don't think i'll be here long enough to finish everything) - bits can be dropped in easily as there's already a template available. 

Today is the first day I've begun making some logos for the new company, who are calling themselves 'Coral'. I think the first obvious steps of designing the logo would be to do what I've done and go straight to working with coral shells and sea coral. 

With the first shell I think I am going to try to figure out a way to use this as a 'C' for the start of the company name 'Coral'.

-A Closeup of two of the shells-

-A closeup of two pieces of sea coral-

I have also tried to use a kind of hibiscus flower native to the company's startup country - Jamaica. I'm not too sure how I feel about these yet though...

- Close up of flower-

This is just the start. More to come soon...

Internship Work: Pop-Art Inspired Logo Ideas

Currently, at my internship I've been working (and am just finishing off) some logo designs and a presentation to show a client who is looking to re-brand/re-design their cafe. The name we have been working with so far is 'Hot on Top', and based on some pop-arty styled things we've seen around areas of London like Shoreditch and Lambs Conduit I drew up some hand written logos.

I don't know what will be presented to the client yet, but I really like the hand written, script looking text I've made... When it comes to choosing a definite colour though, the decision is really difficult to pick a favourite! 

Below is another variation on the theme I drew into the computer with my graphics tablet. Whatever I decide to use, the choice won't be an easy one!