5/12/2013
I decided to make up a brand called Drainpipe Jeans. The vibe is going to be rock and roll, greaser, teddy boy, motorcycle, but not necessarily confrontational. The mood board tells the story.
I started working on a couple sketches today. Here's what I've got so far. Pretty raw, but I'm just getting ideas down.
5/13/2013
Here are a few more ideas. I'm struggling with the level of "American-ness" I want. I'm squeamish about using Native American imagery, but I thought about Indian head pennies and Buffalo nickels. I like all of these ideas, but I'm really not sure which way I'll go. It's tough because I'm my own client. I think I like the look of the western label best right now. I added little circles at the end of the star points like a Sherrif's star, and that really brought it together for me conceptually. Ah, it's early yet. Stay tuned!
5/14/2013
More sketches from today. I like the way the winged wheel fits compositionally and thematically, but is it too cliche? I also had some fun with my brushpen doing looser letters. I haven't quite found the right formula yet.
5/15/2013
I had the thought to go more biker with it, so I got out my calligraphy nibs and played around. The letters are somewhat inspired by Chuck Davis's Unlovable font. I like the layout of the western looking one, so I revisited that as well. It's obviously sloppy as hell, and the flourishes are garbage, but I think I have a winner.
5/16/2013 - midnight
Here's a cleaned up version of the "gothic" idea. Is it working? I like it, but I don't know if I love it. Also, I get terrible smudges when I try to erase the pencil after inking. Do I have to trace it on a light box? I might as well bring it into Illustrator, but I know I'll lose all the funk if I do that. What do you boys and girls do?
5/16/2013 - noon
Getting closer. I don't love how "Up to speed" and "Down to earth" are sitting, but I'm not sure what to do there. I'm also afraid it looks a bit cluttered? Almost there...
5/18/2013 - late (early?)
This class has reawakened my love for lettering. I used to doodle band and record label logos in my notebooks in high school, and do fun lettering on mixtapes and CDs. For some reason, I stopped doing it. This class has totally inspired me to get back into it. Here's what I did today.
Freelance Graphic Designer