detailed bradford map

Will had development ideas on how he would like me to illustrate the maps after he had a progress tutorial... this was quite gutting as i had already completed one of the maps so feared he would want to do alter or do the whole thing again! luckily, the map he had ideas for was the one i was about to start (detailed bradford map).
initially he wanted me to highlight/ illustrate certain building or places in the map that he has photographed or visited during his project. however, he now has the idea to keep the map simple with just place names and roads. this change of mind came about after we discussed my way of working - detail, and how if i put a lot of detail into drawing the building on the map they may get loads within it and the appreciation is lost, therefore he wants me to illustrate these certain places separately and they will appear when you hover the mouse over the certain area they are on the map.

bradford map with detailed road and place names 

again, this map took me a long time. this map required more detail in terms of roads and road names, i considered adding tone like the last map but their as no specific area of tone on the actually photographic map and i felt because it is a busy map anyways, adding tone would add more complexity to it.

i split this map in 4 sections and focused on one part at a time. i also did this because i wanted to add as much detail as i could as will explained to me how he planned to print them off at a large scale for his exhibition.

because i had already do a big map in this type of style, the process was very long and becoming boring, though i am happy with the way they look, their was no room for me to be creative with the illustrations as Will wanted them to be as realistic, simple and descriptive as possible.
however though i wasn't able to be creative and develop a style much with these, i knew i was able to do that with the main figure/place illustrations for the project  - these were just for context. 

ideas for zoomed in/more detailed map or Bradford.

i was feelinf a bit outfaced by how much detail I 'could' ad , felt I had to add everything to really communicate the place.

Contextual ref : I like how these map illustrations show the main building points on the map (much like what the client wants highlighting in my map) without having to draw every other surrounding buildings in the same detail. 

surrounding areas of bradford - map

the process of creating this map was very VERY time consuming and quite tedious at time! however i am happy with the result, i am glad i decided add tone to certain areas, i think this adds depth to the piece and creates a contrast from the lines.
will wanted the map in black and white, he wanted to later decided on adding colour digitally to places that he took photos. 

do i add pol rogers type face to the label?

i feel this is needed to still advertise and inform the viewers what champaign they are drinking when the bottle is not near the box! however it didn't not say in the brief adding brand details were needed - maybe they do this themselves with their selected design? 

i feel this is something that should have been specified on the brief. 

Finals in context - applied to bottle and box

Finals

Label Development

Experimenting with type

one of my main downfalls with this brief and my development is my lack of knowledge with type.
it has suddenly become apparent to me that type can make or break a design and it is something in the past i have seen as thought about or seen as a problem to solve within a design and brief.

i decided to contact a graphic designer after battling with type myself and getting know-where (especially after tutorials where i felt i had an effective type but got told otherwise!- i'm clueless!)

after being advised on the type face on the waranty note which i could replicate in my interpreted design, i decided to use the same type face for the the text around Churchill head as to maintain a consistant coherent design.
HOWEVER
i worried that this type was not appropriate for the target market and theme - sophistication, middle class, special occasion, so i decided to consult with Liam again for his opinion. (graphic designer)

i have decided to make the text colour the same golden colour as the logo emblem that is present on the box template provided for the brief. i think it also represents class and a special occasion.

Printing Off prototypes to gauge a better prospective.

decided not to have the skyline running along the front panel to avoid over complicating design.

however feel its important to be incorporated so have divided the image so when the box is attached together the skyline is reconnected but the front panel is clear from the line drawing.

below: testing which side the 'warrenty note' label is most effective and its placement. 

making London landscape a vector

after showing my designs to Patrick, he suggested making the landscape drawing into a vector on illustrator so it is more defined as a solid line drawing instead of a sketch. - it will also make it more consistant, and will avoid being pixelated when the design is blown up to the size of the magnum box size. i am really not confident on illustrator, so found myself you-tubing how to do certain things i had forgotten after the illustrator work shops we have done in the past to refresh my memory. after finding out how to make my image into a vector i managed to change the colour of the lines to a golden colour.

 i chose to change the colour to this to compliment and represent the companies brand theme and colours they have had on previous boxes. it is also the same colour as the emblem/logo included on the box template. another reasoning for this chose of colour is because feel it best connotes the target market - sophisticated, middle class, a product for dining and is is a victorious colour to celebrate Churchill's legacy.

 Annoying, after finding out how to change the colour, a grey tinge of lines were still present and i couldn't find a way to make the whole thing completely gold. so i decided to take the initial image back into photoshop and play around with the colours first, making the line drawing the golden colour first and making it into a vector after. - i found this a easier option as i am quite familiar with using photoshop, therefore this saved me more time then trying to find out how to use illustrator. - although there is probably a easier way!

creating cigar warranty note to use on gift box packaging.

using the same style and layout as the cigar box label, it will be visually linkable to Churchill's cigar's, however i have played around with personalising the note b adding the illustration of Churchill himself and big ben to emphasize him more and celebrate his connection to England and his reign as priminister. 

i also added the quotes 'my tastes are simple, i am easily satisfied with the best', information and Churchill and his reign, and a quote he made about the champaign in question. 

i am really happy with the concept of the warranty note design. however, i now feel its a shame that it won't necessarily be appreciated as i know promotional designs are not necessarily thoughtfully observed,  instead need to be easily and quickly understood to engage the viewer and be visually eye catching. 

when researching, i found that Davidoff cigars were winston's favourite cigar - the company have even used his recognisable appearance in some of there designs. when looking at the packaging of the cigars i have seen they use a warranty note to seal the box. i think replicating this design with appropriate information and images will make another subtle recognisable link to Churchill and will reinforce and emphasise the connection to other packaging techniques/designs. 

warranty note.

playing around with where i would place the warranty note on my design .

above is the label design that sits around the cigar itself. this could be the shape i could place around the head of Churchill i already have in the centre of my design - giving it a context/purpose for its positioning. - i have subtly experimenting with adding it on the image below.

after adding the label shape around the head, i feel it may be too much when it has to sit with the other elements of the design (skyline, warranty note) 

tutorial with Patrick

i spoke to patrick or advice on the Winston Churchill brief i have been working on.

i mentioned to him that i was battling with type, layout and colour.

i showed him my design ideas - one with the white background and one with a blue faded background.
at this point i had decided on a blue background as i felt white could become dirty fast which wouldn't be ideal for handling in a shop environment even though i have always preferred a crisp white background for my work as i feel it makes my illustrations (especially pencil work) most effective.

Patrick made me see that a white background can still work especially if i consider the quality of paper stock i use/the design will be printed on.
we looked at current designs Pol Roger have used, a few of there box designs are also white which gave me confidence in using a white background also.

we also looked at things i could add to the box to tie into the winston churchill theme and make it look more like a packaging design.
Patrick gave me the idea to look at cigar packaging for inspiration churchill is renowned for smoking cigars.
so i plan to experiment with using elements off the cigar packaging and the labeling of a cigar.

final ideas - but still need to find a less distracting colour balance

The colour palette was restricted as I was taking influence from the gold and blues previously used by the company on their existing previous packaging designs to make sure I would be creating work to their taste and to make sure my designs would remain recognisable to the product by existing customers. However I found when using these colours with the portrait that was pencil and detailed, they detracted from the illustrated image of his face.

colours used on existing packaging - rich blues and gold. 

bottle label designs so far - applying elements from gift box label to link the 2 together as a recognizable set/ product

experimenting with colour and scale of illustrations to make sure the packaging would stand out on the shelves.

initial print out prototype - i liked this composition as it reminds me of a classic champaign/wine box design- simple and neat. -but does this make it boring? seen before? 

testing out prototype of box design with face motif with landscape and without.

though i like the first prototype, i wanted to play around with making the head bigger - making use of the rest of the format i have been given to fill! i was also worried that making the head so small, the likeness of winston may be lost, and the drawing may not be as appriciated as a piece of illustration.

i also wasn't completly happy with the contrast between the illustration background (white) and the matt background colour so i experimented with gradually rubbing out some of the background colour to give the impression of Winston's shirt and shoulders - this solved the problem of the floating head but also didn't distract attention from the face. 

i played around with spilling the circle of text off the sides of the first panel- i asked a few peoples opinions on it.

'i think it should fit on just the first panel as people might just think theres been a printing mistake'

'i don't mind it spilling over, it makes you want to turn the box around and see whats on the other panels'

'i think the illustration looks better bigger as it makes it more striking, however i can see the problem with not being able to see the whole text.'

combining landscape and figure
tricky to get right - propotion sizes of the head with the landscape was awkward.
didnt want a completly white background but found some digitally added colours clashed with the contrast of the handrawn face and white background of the drawing.

a way to add the quote subtly....but is this too subtle? - so whats the point? 

Feedback from Crit. - go back to pencil illustrations... and stay away from using to much graphic text design

i Still wanted to somehow incorporate the quote "my tastes are simple: i am easily satisfied with the best" by Winston Churchill into my illustration design as i think it is really appropriate for the product.

HOWEVER  after feedback from crits showing my recent development work of the composition with 3 portraits of Churchill in combined with digital lettering and quotes, i am not an expert at handling type - nor do i know how to be!

SO unless i develop an idea that i feel doesn't need to text, i plan to seek advice from a graphic designer.

after showing my new portrait technique in this crit, peers and tutors felt that my pencil portrait work from previous developments was still stronger and i should be developing this style instead.

this was quite disheartening as i had spend a lot of time on the portraits with the pen lines and water colour, however it was reassuring to know people felt my pencil work is effective enough for a advertisement design, so i still had confidence i could develop this style to a more professional level that i felt works to prmote and draw attention to the product. 

feedback from 603 crit

children book studio brief 3
dragon illustration looks really good.
the aesthetics of it with the deep blue/purple is really appropriate and effective for this type of story. this gives an indication of how the rest of the story might look.
useful how you have visualised each quote- can see it difficult to get the composition right, maybe working from photos limits possibilities slightly- the thumbnails more effective in working out comp

how is it fun, nostalgic? colour?

really like idea-how can you tell this story differently? new angles?
good use of ink needs developing, refining.

churchill studio brief 1 
really like the drawing of churchill - looks sophisticated, i think it works well with a bit of texture on the jacket, maybe not covey it all.
-quality of work is good, i like the addition of London -skyline and planes
-the ink drawings possibly work better around the box as they bit with the lettering-and gives more character to churchill, seeing him in different positions.
could maybe try adding an outlines of the city/planes to that image in black?
maybe consider single motifs.

very nice amount, thinking about product - research more about 'posh' products -harvey nicks?
think about stock that would make it look sophisticated - glossy? this would make the pencil drawing stand out.
drawing and voice is very refined.
hand drawn text appropriate? - need to ask graphic designer for help on form, design, text layout

wedding studio brief 4
work done so far is beautiful, can see it working really well for the wedding design.
keep going with the delicate style - i think the colour version is more appropriate for a wedding than black and white

map studio brief 2
can see this brief working with a similar style you used for work last year-outline of figure for buildings in the background.

how can you achieve delicacy within a map? research map making in library.
pen ink texture? investigation?

general feedback
to to get a informed understanding of form, design, layout, text
-read graphic design book?
-contact graphic designers?

children book:
write brief out for myself to bend and change the story to fit my practice- give it back to client to agree on it

my images do look best in isolation
dont need to visually communicate everything in the text as its already being depicted in the writing.
children have there own imaginations to make the rest of the story in their own heads.

style of illustration layout/comp- novel with plates? text involved?
age group? - image heavy- young?
nook being read to them?

experimenting with storyboarding/compostition of pages

i tried out sketching the scenes for the children book pages, and though i know this is something i have to do, i found it difficult to envisage things to scale etc - usually with images i have worked on in the past i have played around with composition using the images i am working from to get an idea of what the piece will look like before i start.
so i have played around with using this technique below. - this is a lot more difficult as i obviously dont have specific reference material for each scene, still i seem to find it easy to get my head around seeing the majority of all the elements of the image i need to include in front of me.

the scene:

But when the dragon saw them riding up the hills towards his cave he came out and roared and breathed long tongues of fire at them, so they all turned tail and fled. >>> first view of the dragon – him coming out of his cave breathing huge flames towards the comparatively tiny knight. Knight looking timid, small and defeated.  Dragon looking really scary and evil.

Until one day a beggar arrived in the town. ‘Can you direct me to the Kings palace?’ he asked a passing policeman. The policeman laughed ‘They’ll not let a beggar like you into the palace’. But he told him the way >>> Shabbily dressed beggar speaking to policeman in the street. Policeman laughing mockingly at the beggar.

All 3 portraits working as a composition on the gift box format.

my technical inspiration was from this piece i did back in first year, i have used the style in a few development pieces in 2nd year and think its a shame i haven't revisited this technique as i thought it was successful. i thought this brief would be a good opportunity to use it as i am able to achieve portrait realism yet the lines used a are lot more prominent then the pencil drawings i have been developing on this project which i feel is an important quality for a promotional illustration design as it needs to stand out and draw peoples attention in shops.

Adding digital lettering and quotes to composition 

Within the composition i felt something was necessary to draw all of the portraits together so i experimented with adding digital lettering in the form of a 'V' to symbolise Churchill's recognisable hand gesture connoting victory, i also played with using a 'M" to start of the quote i wanted to include on the packaging design 'My taste are simple; i am easily satisfied with the best'. and lastly a 'W' to make even clearer that the bottle and packaging is themed on Winston Churchill.



i think the 'v' is the most successful as it flows nicely between the portraits without taking focus which i feel the other letters do as they are more prominent across the composition.

3 portrait: 1 of the 3 different portraits of churchill i am developing to work together as a set

2 portrait: 1 of the 3 different portraits of churchill i am developing to work together as a set

1 portrait: 1 of the 3 different portraits of churchill i am developing to work together as a set

i decided to experiment with adding 3 different portraits of churchill together off the feedback from Teresa off my last experimental pieces of the stand alone picture of churchill and how he might not necessarily be recognised as churchill from that image- especially if it is not a close up of he's face (may just look like a random granddad)

patrick holly

looking at professional development, portfolio etc.

the momentum of this year will drive my 4th year (first year out of uni)

will need to collaborate
therefore need to learn to communicate


'people remember your face more than your name I've learned'

Elaine constantine  - photographer

facetime/contact is most effective way to communicate.

Rankin - photographer, self publicist

my skills are transferable. : might not like everything, but it pays the bills.

marry my promotional push to what i want to do, how i want to be seen.

PUSH CONNECTIONS. make yourself really annoying.

you always get ripped off. understand how it happened and learn from it. open your eyes.
Dont under value yourself.

sometimes you must do the odd 'mates rates' its a judgment call. - just to get work out there.
if its been published

go to the council with work.

email Samaritans

experimenting with floral design

summative aim of collaborative project

The concept of the idea is to produce an interactive element that viewers can use to get to know the city of Bradford. My proposed idea is to create an illustration of the map of Bradford and surrounding areas. The map will have layers of detail, beginning with a simple front, with shapes outlining areas of Bradford. Then progressing into a more 3D depiction of areas with elements illustrated in more detail (possibly colour). These details will be located in areas in which I (the photographer) have taken images of people and place. The aim will be to have these specific areas interactive. As the curser hovers above the viewer can click on a link that will drop them into another layer. This layer will contain an illustration that has been directly influenced by the the images the photographer has taken, and then finally the images that shows the indexical reality of Bradford. This will help the work created to be sympathetic and objective, showing the way that artists from different disciplines have interpreted Bradford.

talk with Fred about module balancing worries

mentioned to Fred i am feeling a bit lost on where i am, now worried that my briefs are not substantial enough after my tutorial with teresa even though i thought they were substantial for me- my way of working.

 its the process that takes over and you will be able to see if they are substantial or not when you start

unseen work is classed as substantial as well as practical.

onces i done the interview or cop - let him know so i can sit down with Fred and discuss them both, as after Fridays interview it will help me define how i start to break the workload up.

charles de gaulle
Winston Churchill
F D Roosevelt

after discussion with Teresa, she suggested i could extend the work i do personal for the winston churchill brief (other than what i need to summit) by looking at the other leaders of world war 2 from U.S.A and France, and create a coherent set of gift box illustrations for each leader.

taking note from tutorial and experimenting with textures

tutorial with Teresa

childrens book brief:

• work in story boards
• work on interpreting text to tell the story/look at deepening your composition with landscapes, characters and elements
• set deadlines for myself
• make sure i clarify with client i have the rights to copyright, and can use the illustrations for other things. unless he wants to buy the copy right  - this would be substantially more to pay. 

winston churchill brief:

• consider exspanding brief to 3 labels/box designs - (france and usa leaded in ww2) 
• make sure winston portrait doesn't sink into the design, needs to stand out. 
• make sure the colours dont over power the portrait
• consider using textures in clothes
• feels the portrait looks best when winston is at a big scale, doesn't work so well small - doesn't hold as strong resemblance. 

bradford map

• clarify deadlines
• consider expanding brief to several landmark posters 

wedding brief 

• turn this into a collection 
• research new trends
• thing about additional stationary/card briefs

tradesman branding pinterest inspiration

Follow Rebecca's board plastering branding on Pinterest.

brief 5; branding brief

BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 06

OUIL603 Extended Practice

BRIEF TITLE-  create a Brand identity for Local trademan Mark Casson

Brief

Create a recognizable brand identity for local tradesman Mark Casson that can be easily adapted to any media business platforms he so wishes to create to promote his business.  He is currently in need of a business card design (3.5x2 inches) a website banner (Facebook) (19wx7hcm) and a van design.  As these platforms vary in size, the design/logo must adhere effectively yet still be recognizable as a set and made obvious that they represent his business.  The design must represent his professionalism, perfectionist and clean quality. The imagery used should symbolize his trade. The colours used need to be minimal to reduce printing cost (van). Though mark already has a logo for he's business, he feels it is to simple and not dissimilar to other trade businesses. He wants a design that is contrast to this, distinguishing his business from others.

Product	Tone of Voice
Business card design Website banner Van design	Clean Professional                                  Perfectionist
Audience	Context
Potential clients Other tradesman’s looking for collaboration Local homeowners	Everyday environment Online Potential clients wallets

Mandatory Requirements	Deliverables
Symbolise he’s trade Minimal colours Cohesive set Recognisable brand	Business card design Website banner Van design