11/11: So, a few years back I did some in-depth research and rebuilt my family crest. I combined elements from both my parent's original crests and got it permanently etched into my skin:

This class is great because it gives me an opportunity to revist the crest and add/remove some elements. I started sketching out a shield with a big "S" (for Smith, of course) in the center, but quickly decided that I wanted to highlight those goofy yellow fish from my original crest (Fish is my mom's maiden name). Do we get extra credit for using Field Notes??

I looked for ways to incorpoate both a fish and an S, but it's been done. A lot. I'm a fan of simple linework—thick lines—and this was a great excuse to practice.

Always alt+drag!

11/12: Finally content with my fish, I added a shield (inspired by this photo I took while junkin') and started working in some accoutrements.

I'm using wheat as a laurel. It's a tribute to my dad, a farmer in America's heartland.

My workflow involves a lot of locking, isolation-moding, guiding, pasting, deleting and sweating.

11/17: I'm toying around with the "Danger!" banner because of my very real diploma (still hard to believe I pulled that one off). Well, back to the process...

I decided to ditch the wheat field and simplify. Maybe a smaller fish?

I really like the two stalks that form an oval. Also, I started playing with the shield's shape (a little nod to my home state). I definitely want to produce a few different variations, and I've whittled it down to three unique shapes.

12/2: The contents of the shield need to work at all sizes, and it's time to simplify. One final shot of the possibilities:

I think I prefer the taller wheat stalks that hug the shield. I axed the banner and searched for some type that fit. Ever write your name so much it starts to look funny?

12/3: I made the jump to color—one color, to be exact—and added started mocking up the design. Almost there!

Ultimately, I decided to roll with a couple of different logos; one as a full shirt design, another as an embroidered, smaller design.

I was able to include a fish, for my mom; wheat, for my dad; a star and shape, for my home state; and my name, for my family. That tiny dot underneath the wheat doesn't mean jack, but I liked it there.

From start to finish, here's the workflow:

Well, that's it! I'm super pumped about the way this project turned out. What a class. What a teacher, right guys? Thanks to him and thanks to you for the likes, feedback and support. Be sure to check out my other Skillshare projects and swing by the digital space to say hi!