M4 Design Competition part 1

            My workup so far. Will tweek the Lettering in Illustrator

The competition I am going for is:

International Compost Awareness Week Poster Contest

Presented and offered by the Research & Education Foundation (CCREF) 

https://graphiccompetitions.com/multiple-disciplines/compost-awareness-week-poster-contest-2019

Deadline is November 5,2018

After I chose the competition I was applying for I had to come up with a game plan.

The fist thing I did was reasearch previous contest winners 

I looked at the various styles, techniques and the caliber level of what they are looking for. Some of the previous winners had an amazing design, so I knew I was up to the challenge.

I wrote some notes and sort of mind mapped what I was going to do.

Then I did some thumbnails, looking at some concepts as well general layout and basic design.

Lastly, I picked a concept to develop further. I still have a way to go but will start taking it to the next step. I will probably do the background graphic in photoshop and the typeface and additional wording in illustrator.

I then plan to take this image and apply it into a brochure layout using INDesign.

M3 CD Design

 Cover.

 I revised the cover and changed out the font to be the same as the title

I also changed the layout and used shear tool to put them in perspective on the floor

 

I had to take out the watermark from the image I got by using  clone stamp and brush.

I was looking for Hand written fonts to give a edgy bespoke look. 

Page 1 (Track1)

 Using the transform tool to go along with the wall was tricky but afterall I got it. I tried 

to add some ink splatters

                           

       Page 2  (Track2)

Every page I tried to use a different font, for this one I used an effect tool to roughen it.

Added ink splotches. In Photoshop I added the headphones on the ground..

 Page 3 (Track3)

  I hand drew the Title on the wall, then used shear and transform tools for the lyrics. I also added some sort of glyph thing that is on the window

Page 4 (Track4)

I tried to tweak individual words and letters to give a more hand written look. 

In Photoshop I added the guitar.

  Page 5 (Track5)

 Same process as before, Used some other colors.

Added microphone in Photoshop

 Page 6 (Track6)

  Page 7(Track7)

 Page 8(Track8)

 I added their pictures in the picture frames in this photo. I also grunged it up because it was 

looking way too clean. Positioning the text within the limited space was difficult

 Back

   A little cliche with stage curtains but had to be done

M3 CD Design PART 1 (Preliminary)

        When I first started thinking about songs , they were from the 90's or early 2000's. Mostly alternative hard rock. One of my favorite artists is Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave, so naturally I had one of his songs listed. Then it hit me hard, his death and then that of Chester Benningtons death. I decided to make some sort of tribute cd to them both. I started watching videos of people playing tribute to them and it was heartbreaking and I have to admit the tears did floweth. 
Some of my initial sketches were dark and somber. I wanted some ray of hope and that hope is of course the legacies they both left behind

        One of the ideas I started focusing on was  an empty house. A house full of character. Each room unique and detailed, filled with light or some semblance of life goes on.
The lyrics would be scribbled on the walls of the rooms. Using different styles for each room. I would research and find interesting rooms and tweek them a bit in photoshop, maybe adding different wallpapers or details. Using illustrator for the typefaces and some additional graphics and then using INdesign for the overall layout.

Album Covers

Frank Sinatra, The Voice of  1946

This album was from 1946.  I had done alot of research of album covers from different time periods. In the 40s and 50s most albums are simple in nature. Mostly depicting the artist or band in a closeup shot with a legible simple and sometimes fun typeface. What I liked most about this album is its use of design especially for that time period.

The overall layout is fun and exciting. The words are jumbled in a way yet frames the face of Sinatra which creates a sense of visual harmony There's also play in color with the use of reds and yellows popping out from the blue. It almost looks like a piece of Calder art, as the forms are balancing around. Your eye wonders from the portrait and around the wording then back to the small print. With some words and icons to draw your attention by using Colors like red and yellow. Franks name is on a black background shape to create deep contrast

 

Grateful Dead, Aoxomoxoa 1969

 Starting in the mid 60s we have the psychadelic era of album covers and much use of storytelling and layered imagery. The Grateful Dead were very aware of their followers and most of their covers were visual delights. They use alot of Iconography and symbols and even some hidden meanings. I love this kind of art because it makes you really dig in. CAN YOU DIG IT!

The use of the circle in the center pushes out to the main focus of the skull which brings your eyes around back again up the circle to see the seeds springing up these plants. Like an endless cycle. The use of red is strong to really draw your initial attention but the cool blues bring you in deeper.

 

Bad Brains I Against I  1986

 I have to say but this is one of my favorite albums. Bad Brains are Rasta Hardcore. 

I have so many favorites and I really didnt want to bring any of them in here.

I chose this one because of its simplicity. It reminds me of the classic Doors album with a closeup of Morrison and his band faded back. 

The album is quite literal with I against I. Its so confronting. 

The words at a slant and the font they are in create a certain tension yet harmonize the piece where they are composed. The way the musicians are cut off also brings in a sense of closeness. Hr the singer(to the right) is the one directly staring at you while Dr.Know(guitarist) could be sidelong glancing and rifting on his guitar.

UPDATED M2 CP - Identity Design & Branding (Part 2)

REVISED 

took out stroke, drop shadow. I also changed some leading to tighten it up.

Here I changed out the colorful Logo to more subdued..
Instead of adding another silhouette I did a wood grain texture.
 I also changed the coloring and changed the font to a bold. 

Changed out fill of the main font to be lighter value, matching the bottom edge.
 Made the typeface slightly larger. Removed all heavy strokes.
Made the managers name bigger and added additional address.

M2 CP - Identity Design & Branding (Part 2)

Hudson Valley INN.

This is to be the main logo

I started with finding the right typeface, selected no fill and stroke 2pt. I then found an image and used Place image, selected the text and ticked draw inside mode, moved image to back and moved around to I felt it looked good. I created the top border by freehand pen tool, its supposed to be treeline silhouette. 

Business Card I used the same motif. This card is to be cut out in that shape to make more unique. I added a map because most hotels have that, especially if your foreign and drunk and trying to find your way back.  ITS VERY HELPFUL  

The Restaurant and Bar are simplified versions of the typeface I used. The bar I found some Jpegs and placed inside and Object>Image trace.

 

Preliminary work for Identity Design

After doing some research on logo branding. I researched other Inns and ideas and also the general feel of the area. Most of the images of Hudson valley came up with the mid Hudson bridge. So I decided to incorporate in some of my ideas. I did a series of thumbnails in my sketchbook, after which I scanned in and colored my favorites on my iPad because in order to show the feeling with colors.