Sync logo

This was a brief from business students at Newcastle University.

Illustration module final piece

First i have to say that this is not the final book cover design that i will enter into the Penguin books competition but it is what i entered for my module.

 The background was an experiment, using the first layer from my painted image to tie it all together and it really doesn't work. It will be the first thing i change when i develop this further for the competition although i am still deciding how to approach it.

 The image on the front cover works and i am happy with it (apart from anything i mentioned in my previous post) although it does need to be framed in some way.

 The typeface is also something i need to look at. I wanted a traditional style for the title but it needs to be worked on to make it stand out more. I also need a text box on the back cover to separate the text from the cover.

 One thing i am happy with is the layout, while nothing outstanding, it does give me a good starting point to develop the cover further.

So yeah, could do better.

Brothers Grimm finished image

This is the final painting as it appears on my first attempt at the Brothers Grim book cover.
 As mentioned previously it was pieced together in PS and the character was re-scaled to fit the image. She was originally meant to be slightly larger but i decided that it would be more effective if the trees looked older and larger.

 My main aim with this piece was to give it as much depth as possible and i am pretty pleased with the outcome. I am also pleased that i decided against using other characters in the image as it would have been easy to clutter it up.

 The trees in the background could definately do with some more detail as they clash a little too much with the foreground.

Little Red Riding Hood

 I wanted give the character a modern twist while still keeping in touch with the classic image of Little Red Riding Hood so i went for a more modern dress style, mainly the hoody and boots. I also produced the character in acrylics and Copic markers to see which one would be more suitable for the final piece.

 While i was drawn to the image produced in pen as it more immediately striking i decided to stick with acrylic paint as it allowed me to produce a more 3 dimensional image. It also softens the modern dress style by being a more traditional medium.

 I wouldn't change anything about this design although being a better painter couldn't hurt.

Brothers Grimm - Penguin books brief

During my development i realised that the best way to create my background image and give it the impression of depth that i was looking for was to paint each layer using acrylics and the layer them using PS. You can see each layer in order above.

 I tried several different methods of producing the image before deciding on acrylics. Using paint i could keep the brush strokes which further helped the feeling of depth.

 I chose not to add colour to my background and stuck to grey so that the eye of the viewer would be drawn to the character in the foreground. It also adds an ominous and dark air to the piece. Winter is also a key theme in the Brothers Grimm stories which i wanted to use.

 If i was to revisit this i would spend more time in painting the background as i think a bit more detail would make it look more professional.

Development work for the background of my Penguin books illustration. As you can see, i tried a few different styles and mediums before choosing the finished one. I chose not to use watercolours for two reasons, the first was basically a lack of proficiency on my part. The second was the fact that it is not strong enough to work with my chosen character design.

 I proffered the character coloured in pen but, as you can see from the background it lacks the depth i was aiming for in the piece.

I also decided against having a visible horizon which is seen in the first few pictures as it is just too childlike and takes away attention from the character in the final design.

View floral pattern

Just a quick look at the initial sketch for the floral pattern found in my View stationery and menu.
 Nothing much to say about this really, it just goes to show that procrastination can sometimes be a good thing.
 This was scanned and then traced in Illustrator.

View bistro Menu

After completing the stationery i moved onto the menu and it shows. I touched up and highlighted the floral pattern which makes it much more successful.

 After all of my worries about time constraints, lack of technical ability and a weak logo design i am quite happy with how the brief came out. The logo is much more successful in situ and all of seperate pieces of stationery work together.

 I would approach this brief in the same way if i was to do it again although i would have made sure i had time to take the lessons i learned designing the menu back to the stationery. I would also have saved my work much more as it would have saved me a lot of time.

View stationery

A letterhead, compliments slip and business card using my logo for the college bistro.

Overall, i am actually pretty happy with how this came out. After my initial fears of the logo not being strong enough enough it actually translates well onto stationery.
The embossing on the business card should be much lighter than this as it would be simply embossed onto the printed cards.
 The floral pattern on the letterhead would also need to be lighter so that it did not interfere with any text.

My main issue when producing this was the learning process i had to go through when using Illustrator. Several of the steps i took could have been shortened with the knowledge i have now giving me more time to tweak the final design. There is, in my view, a huge jump between this and the menu design which was completed later.

View bistro logo design

Logo design for a live brief - Newcastle college campus bistro.

Out of the three designs i came up with for this logo i believe this was the strongest although there are still things i am not happy about.
 This was my first actual attempt at using Adobe Illustrator and it shows. I was initially aiming for a 'hand stamped' look for this design but it ended up looking too harsh and flat. If i was to revisit this i would try to smooth the edges and corners and attempt to make it look a bit rougher to give it the impression of being stamped.

Taking the plunge...

So, i'm here. Not quite at the beginning of my journey into Graphic Design but certainly far from the end.
More to come. Please bare with me, i will get better.