Lately I’ve been formatting huge amounts of text. Which after a while makes me literally dream about type (like last night, sigh). Yesterday while waiting for edits I started doodling on my notepad. And of course it was type. The original on the left had some nice elements. I liked the overlapping l and b but the uppercase K was a mess. Later on in the day I decided to revise the K and play up the overlapping elements both ascending and descending. I liked the results so I moved it in to Illustrator and created a quick guide for myself (see pink lines below). Then I redrew the script based on my sketches. Overall it still needs more work but I do like the interconnections between the b and a, and I think the silhouette is quite nice. So I’m setting this aside to go enjoy the weekend.
I made this wheel of color just for you.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Lydia Daniller is a fantastically talented photographer I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with over the last several years. After we first met I redesigned her logo, collateral and website. The identity was bold, energetic and fun. Which is basically a description of Lydia on a Friday night. When she mentioned wanting to evolve her brand I was really glad for the opportunity to add more depth. I have always enjoyed how narrative her work is. And I was excited to revisit my own work with a more mature eye. We talked about what is currently inspiring her work and who her client base is. Shortly after I sat down and sketched out a few directions for the project.
My objective was to mix the elegance of art nouveau with the clean technology of photography. I wanted the identity to have a sense of occasion about it. But not too formal. So I hand drew the logotype. And I knew that the logo would need to be place on photography as a watermark. Making it more effective as a seal rather than a band. The results are below, taken from the Lydia Daniller Photography style guide.
Friday, February 11, 2011
When I’m working on a project, professional or personal, my mind is always processing. So I have found that diversifying my work is hugely important. It’s not my clients job to satisfy me creatively. It’s mine. And the more experiences, the more challenged my mind is the better the results.
One of the simplest things I do is keeping a sketch book. I try to treat it as informal as possible, pasting in found paper and forcing myself to not tear out pages with cringe inducing drawings. Because once it feels imperfect I don’t mind working through problems and doodling in random ideas. An easy way to stop using your book is to self-censor. Everything goes in regardless of perceived value. At that point it becomes one of the most important tools in my process. I keep one sketchbook at a time. And as that book fills with ideas, good and bad, I have a resource for future projects that is extremely relevant.
I also have an inspiration folders on my desktop and bookshelf. Within these folders are subfolders ranging from jōmon pottery to astronomical maps. Whenever I begin research for an active project I like to reference a few of these existing collections. Most likely I will take notes and sketch ideas during this process. For design projects I will usually start work on my computer after this step.
Most days I end up going for a long walk with my camera. Digital photography provides a wonderful and quick creative outlet. When I was younger I used to spend far too much money on polaroid film. And although I still very much love my tiny army of instant cameras I must admit that I’ve grown to love the control and the constraints of digital photography.
Within the last few months I’ve started working with clay. I had assumed that when I started I would mostly want to work on the potters’ wheel making functional objects. However I ended up really enjoying handbuilding. So much so, that I keep doodling new things to sculpt. Even as I write this I’m thinking about my latest project.
It’s fantastic to feel the charge of creative energy. I know that it helps me as an individual but I strongly believe that it makes me a better designer. I love working with clients. It’s amazing to be so involved in the branding and strategy of a company. It’s my pleasure to find out more about what is needed and supply that. But I know that without a creative outlet of my own I would be exhausted. Thankfully there is always more to be done.
Filed in Ceramics, Craft, Design, Inspiration, Photography, Sketchbook
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Tagged ceramics, craft, creative, design, drawing, inspired, photography, pottery, sketch, sketchbook
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