The Last Few Weeks of Intership Work

My sketches for the greeting cards were approved, so working on those for a while. I completed the first two cards. Basically, I just cut the colored paper to format, taped off the edges and transfered the sketch. It was pretty easy, but time consuming. Colored pencil produces great results, however you get out of it what you put in. I really liked how the cards turned out.


They seem to get more colorful as I progress. I hope that is okay, and the theme can tie them all together.


For this project. I did use a technique that I have never used before. In class, I have always heard of people using alcohol to blend. I figured I should try it this time to see what all the fuss is about, and it turns out its a pretty useful technique. I used it in the first two cards, however, towards the end I decided I like my way better. I tend to use different colors, white and the colorless blender. I’ve done this since highschool, and why change now?

My sponsor and I took a little hiatus with the pool client, however we are back to working on his ideas. These were the first sketches.


He really did like the silohuette however he asked me to remove the net and the sun. He also got more specific on what he wanted. He wants the name of the company in a cool font on the back of the t-shirt, maybe arched and the illustration with some other info. On the front, he just wants a logo over the chest. He was thinking an “e.”


I started with some digital sketches of the back. I figured I should do this first, see what he likes, and then design the front.
On the next page, you can see first I tried a simple arial font and outlined the word “clear.” Then I made it like a wave with a blue-ish “clear.” Then I changed the font to a more “handwritten” font. I really like this style, its sort of new, but not modern. It has really become popular in the last few years. I figured this could be a good solution because my sponsor told me the client was a really laid back cool guy.

Recent Paintings

The reason I've have been finding so many old pieces is because we are moving to a different apartment and I have been cleaning house. Recently, I found this painting from Fall 2009, I believe. Our assignment was to recreate a master's painting. I did the prodigal son by Rembrant. My teacher did not write down any comments about it, however, I know there are some things that need to be fixed. We'll find out by the time portfolio preview comes around.


This assignment was an allegorical self-portrait. It was inspired by the movie the Emerald Forest. REALLY GOOD, it can be seen on youtube.com. I'm not crazy about the idea, but I don't really have a clue of what else I would do. I like myself the way I am and I can't imagine other ways people see/think of me. Maybe this assignment was a bit too abstract for me. I will get a better scan of the photo when my teacher grades and returns it.

I really love painting. It gives a great sense of accomplishment because you get out of it what you put into it. I put a lot of time and effort into my paintings. I would like to paint more often and become faster at it. These paintings took me probably 20+ hours.

Going through the dusty attic of my mac.

I was cleaning and organizing my folders and what not and I found some old stuff that I am not completely sicked by. You can definitely see how much I have improved!

I did this for a christmas card for bloom 415 Christmas 2008. Charcoal and colored in photoshop. This one I like the least. (barfs)



Just an abstract sketch that I planned to do something with, but never did.




This is from my Advanced Digital Painting class, I think I did a year ago, give or take a few months. My attempt at comic book style. Eh..It's "aight."




This I did for a chemistry class I took. If I could go back I wouldn't have taken it. I took it for an easy A but now I wish I took something a little more close to my field. It was fun though, Ms. Wax would be so proud of me! :D

A Greeting Card Adventure

This week my sponser and I were discussing different long term projects to start on for the second half of the quarter. I was thinking of something a little more on the illustration side of things because I’ve gotten pretty burnt out on the graphic logos.
She suggested greeting cards and I was psyched! She has connections with a company that does an 8 pack variety on life celebrations and funky occasions. This is cool because my vision was to do out of the ordinary greeting cards. Birthday and anniversaries are so over done.
So I started sketching, coming up with ideas, and this first set is a couple’s theme but with birds.

I was envisioning illustrations on the front, with no text and on the back/inside just one line that can explain it all. I might need help on my wording. But for the first sketch I was thinking “Go for it.” Two birds on a telephone wire, and one wants to “ask the other out.” A silohuette on a orange to yellow sunset background. Quirky but sweet. Encouraging type of card.



This second sketch could be for a new couple, “Not in Public, Please?” Illustrating the PDA that comes with new couples...?
The reference photo I used had two pidgeons, however, I wanted to change it to Chukor Partridges.



The next illustration, “ We all have our shouting matches,” is for a couple who got into a fight. To help make up. Two birds of the Love Bird species.



The last sketch in the series was actually my first idea, and the whole idea of a couples theme was based on this one, it might have to change or I was thinking of adding engagement and marriage, or “new nest” in between.
“Congratulations Mommy and Daddy”



I haven’t heard back from my supervisor, so we’ll see what she thinks about these ideas. My next idea for another theme will be doggie cards for situations like “new puppy,” “old dog,” and silly situations like, “pooping in public.”
I am thinking of doing these in color pencil on some kind of fancy craft paper. Kinda like my friend Cora Seymour


... We’ll see.

Baseball Prospect Guide...Again..Still

To create a graphic logo that can be used for both print and web. The logo must be simple, clean and kept to three process colors. It will need to easily translate to black and white for printing on promotional items.

This week, for the baseball logo, consisted of more revisions. The client really like the direction we were going in, but he felt that he asked me to put in too many details and wanted to simplify it. My sponsor suggested, playing with a few elements such as font size, simplifying the figures, and getting rid of one, baseball size and line weight.






First I played around with the size of the player and line weight. I also tried some pathfinder tricks and made the outline of the baseball incorporate the batter figure. I tried making the type red instead of outlined and I really think that helped the design A LOT. Just changing that aspect made it really simple.



Then I took simplification to the next level. First I took out the outlines all together and did ball, stripes and text with a red background. I then tried taking out the stripes, and put them back in and took out the player. After this, I took out both elements for the next design, and really simplified it with just baseball and text.


I really like the super simplified versions. The client is on a tight schedule now and needs these Monday, the beginning of week 5. It seems like I have been working on this for an eternity now, but I think it is out of his indecision rather than my execution. We’ll see what he likes.

UH OH! As I am posting this, I just noticed, I have been using a CMYK red, and it is A LOT different on the web than on my Illustrator preview. OOPS! I'll fix when it comes to the final though. :D