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!

Twitter Poster: Another progress preview!

Just another little progress / preview picture of a bird characature of Milton Jones that I'm working on! :) All of the body and face is now done, just the feet to shade before I can begin adding in some simple highlights! 

FASHION FOR CANCER: Promotional Event Poster

In the past couple of weeks I have been trying to design a poster for a friend, who is putting on a fundraising event for 'Fashion Targets Breast Cancer' - a charity organisation doing some great work at the moment! I thought it'd be a great opportunity to help out in any way I could and was very happy to be asked to create the event poster!

The event will be held in DMU (De Montfort University) Student Union in Leicester on Sunday 3rd November, 2013 from 4pm onwards.  Everyone is welcome and there will be great things happening such as a catwalk showcasing DMU designers as well as outside companies! Plus there's going to be a guest performance from DMU's own cheerleading squad. 

You can find out more about the event and the charity by following the links below the poster! 

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/582038615187958/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

DMU Event Twitter Account:

https://twitter.com/dmuvscancer

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Twitter Account:

https://twitter.com/FashionTargets

Associated with DMU Square Mile

Illustrator Brushes: Making A Watercolour Effect

Inspired by some fashion illustrations I saw,  I decided to try to make some images for a friends poster using the brushes on Adobe Illustrator. I wanted a watercolour effect and tried building up some subtle contour and shading using different brush styles and colours.

The only thing I found, which I didn't like was the fact that the colours weren't that vibrant when you used them with the 'watercolour' effect. Understandably, watercolour isn't meant to be eye-popping anyways but I think it could have enhanced it slightly.

I suppose I could always actually paint an image to get the desired effect, but that's going to be for another time...

Pattern Sneek Peek!

Inspired by some simplistic art work I found online, I've recently been creating a pattern for a competition. I don't want to give too much away as of yet though but here's a little preview of some colour options...

Vector Image Practice

Over the summer, whilst on my internship in a graphic design company it was suggested that I use illustrator as my go-to programme for creating things as everything is then vectorised and easily adjusted / resized etc. When I started, I only ever used illustrator for creating some outlines for sketches that I was planning on taking into photoshop so it was a little daunting for me!

Now, I cant say I've learnt heaps... But I have come to realise how cool illustrator can be and how useful it is! I've always wondered how people create vector images and I guess I'm beginning to finally understand how by exploring the tools the programme provides.

During the internship, all I really managed to create / assist with was some simple logo ideas and putting presentations together for clients. I didnt really get the chance to try making images as such. Since then, I've had a little practice and I decided to try creating a little fox! :)

I originally created him for a design I was working on for a competition but have since decided against using him. Still.. I'm quite happy with how he turned out considering it was my first attempt at vectorising anything properly! 

Onwards and upwards!

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!

Procrastination: Zombie Maker

Yesterday I almost sat down to do some summer project research until I realised that I could have more fun by turning my friend Nik into a zombie. I'd done something similar for a Zine I created for coursework this year, which he really liked and so when he said this I set about turning him into one (but more gruesome and gory than I've done before)

It's sad to say that this is the first bit of art I've created this summer for fun, rather than for someone else. Suppose I had to start somewhere! 

- Original Photograph -

- Zombie Nik - 

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...

Moroccan Patterning: Repeat Pattern/Texture (Final Option)

The final option I created for the Moroccan food van I was asked to design for (at my internship) was a repeat pattern I made using a pattern I found and a texture that I created. This actually turned out to be my favourite result of them all, and annoyingly it only took me about 1 minute to create as I was messing around with some Photoshop effects for some ideas, and this happened! 

Yet again, it's another case of a happy accident when it comes to me creating patterns!

I kinda hope the client picks this pattern to cover his van!

It's definitely the best, in my opinion!

Moroccan Patterning: Continued

As a continuation of my post from yesterday, here are some examples of colour schemes I began playing around with after deciding on my pattern. Moroccan colours are generally quite earthy and golden, but their flag also has green in it. I tried to consider this when choosing my colours.

1. Red and Gold (simple but effective)

2. Green and Gold.

I developed the flowers a little further here by adding in some detail to their centres

3. Red, Green and Gold.

My favourite of the three. Bold, rich and lively.

I also played around with some other shapes and textures to try to create a mosaic/tiled effect.

Below is an example of what I mean.

I also tried creating a simple texture in Photoshop, which I'm aware the boss doesn't favour using (and which I'll post soon), but to be honest is my favourite design of them all... We'll soon see what the client thinks when he takes my mock-ups to him to view.

Start Of The Summer Work: Moroccan Pattern Work

Yesterday, I began my first day at a graphic design company as an intern (and thankfully not the making cups of tea kind!) I've actually got some work to do! The office is fairly chilled out, with 3 of us as interns and a few 15 year olds on work experience running around and so far - so good. The only thing I'm not enjoying (and won't begin to) are the long days. 9am leave the house, 8pm arrive home :(

The first project I've been given however is a patterning project for a client starting up his own mobile Moroccan food van, so the aim was to create a pattern/design we could digitally print to cover it.

What's also challenging about working here is that the boss likes to do everything using Adobe Illustrator, which to me (at times) can seem like a nightmare! Anyways...

1. Outline created using the pen tool to mimic the shape of a Moroccan lamp

2. Filigree/Natural design found to fill in gaps and create a different look

3. Flower design created using multiple shapes (very messy)

3a. Cleaned up flower design with the star of Morocco in the centre

All of these small components had to be tested out in tiles / whatever design I thought would fit the van well and colour would be a key issue. Today I think I have finished my preliminary ideas. Tomorrow the big boss will hopefully tell me where to go from there on... 

More pictures to come...