Sometimes, logos come easy for me. I see them clearly in my mind’s eye and trace them from this vision I have inside my head. Sometimes I struggle. This generally comes from me trying to push a square solution into a round hole. Regardless, it is a frustrating exercise to almost be there, to be so close, and see that I am close, but recognize that something is missing. It is a loop that I visit again and again. The loop will spawn new ideas, and I will start tangent paths, that end up in the same place. Close, but no cigar.

This grouping of logos fall onto this tortured creative ground. I have been working them on-and-off for two weeks. They are making progress, but the final solution eludes me.

This is an assignment overview for my digital Illustration class. We emphasize the use of multiple applications as tools to achieve singular results. This assignment is a lead-in for our next assignment; creating
gaming textures!

There is a weblog called Monsters in Real Places. You draw a monster and place it in picture. This week’s submission calls for the use of a Vancouver Olympic mascot in city close to you. I created “Quatchi” at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Yes, I know that my version of Quatchi is less cute and is sport’n a tude. Go figure! A quick Friday morning distraction. Drawn and painted in Photoshop.

The descriptive blurb that is supposed to accompany the picture:

“The now famous Vancouver Quatchi, with the Winter Olympics behind him, settles down to some golf and sunshine at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Shhhh … he is about to take his shot.”

The Website: Monsters in real places
The Real Quatchi (and friends)

Yep, three posts within the same week. Life is getting back to normal. School is covered, Studio work is doing good, and I actually spent time with the family this weekend. OK. So, a client gives me a thumbnail of a character they want drawn for a product display. The client sells (amongst other things) custom barrettes for little girls. This client gives me a thumbnail for the design / illustration and gets me started.

Over the course of my career, I have seen hundreds of client provided illustration thumbnails. They range in quality from the vaguely intelligible hieroglyphic, to the amazingly adept.

This is an example of one of the latter. The thumbnail gives me great distinguishable lines, direction, size, product display, gender, and proportion.

When I receive thumbnails from clients, I will often provide thumbnails back to make sure we are talking about the same thing. In this instance, I drew a nice tight mockup in Sketchbook Pro, directly from their thumbnail.

I finished up the illustration, in Adobe illustrator using a custom pressure sensitive brush. To top it all off, I have been using it as a classroom sample for an assignment we are currently working on.

I been working on a few different logos these past couple of weeks. One of them was for a new imprint of Bitterroot Mountain Publishing called living oracles. My sketches around the idea started with The oracle of delphi and the concept of a font of knowledge. I worked several thumbnails that included water but after some playing around I ended up with this book motif that also looks like a Grecian column. I included a tongue of fire over the column / book as a representation of the spiritual foundation of this imprint. The books will be inspirational in nature.

After years of stringing my tablet to my computer; Often at the expense of comfort or natural positioning, Wacom has introduced a wireless solution. The only question left to be unanswered is why they did not send me one to review?

Now I have two pads on my wish list. An iPad and now a wireless tablet. Hmmm … I wonder if I cold get the two of them talking via my Sketchbook Pro iPhone app? Now that would be VERY cool!

I can honestly say that from the view of the lifeboats I now know exactly what not to do when Icebergs unexpectedly enter the mix. In other words; I am going to handle next semester in a different more successful way. These past three months have been a nightmare of developing course curriculum, grading, juggling studio work, and family. Although all four were addressed and tasks completed, all four suffered. It was a mess that I am still pulling out of. I know that it can be done. That fact that I have finsihed the race at all is a testiment to the viability of the concept. But my process was nieve and not very organzized.

Luckily, I have survived the test and I have somewhat firm ideas to manage the second round.

As a side note: I am thinking about redoing the blogfolio again. I am split between the traffic that I get from making and keeping a blog updated and the self-promo aspect of new clients just wanting to see my work. Most of my new clients say that the blog is a great reflection of my laid-back style and practical “no hidden agenda” approach.

Then again. Some people just want to see work samples. This part is not really me. Not sure, not sure, not sure. Well … like I said, I am thinking about it.

After TV commercials, billboards, handbills, lawn signs, newspaper ads, and a website, I am now creating postcards for the final push towards election day. Here are the set of the final four. I have really enjoyed this years election. It has been a lot of fun and of course Mike is a great guy. I really ought to put together a self promo sheet documenting all the integrated campaign materials.

One might think that keeping everything in balance while I juggle my responsibilities of school, studio and family life is a trick. And you would be correct. Oddly enough, I am actual more productive when I am busy. I manage my time more efficiently, I am more creative, and it seems to breed more work. All of which are good things.

My eye candy for today is a mock up I did for class as an example of thumbnails and comprehensive layouts. I still find it amazing how many “new school” designers don’t take the time to freeform noodle. I almost always present thumbnails and comps to clients before traveling down the path of photography and physical computer layouts. It is not that I am against the computer. I do my thumbnailing and comps on the computer. I just find that the creative process is more enabled when concepts are discussed with a client before nitpicking about 6 point type in an ad.