interior and graphic design solutions
It only took me 5 months to actually get started and 2 months of on and off working to finish, but my sister’s christmas present from last year is finally finished. Hopefully she won’t look at this before tomorrow, because that’s when I’m giving it to her. I’ll get a better picture of it once it’s on her wall. The iPhone will have to do for the time being.
I started proofing my latest block print. There are going to be two runs of the same basic idea, one element will simply be missing. I think the cutting I did on the first block is some of the best I’ve done, so I’m going to do a run of that by itself because… well, because I like it. I know I’ve been putting this print off for months now, but I’m actually going to finish it. This week.
I already know what I’m going to do for my next print. It’s an ambitious idea and I’m not sure I can pull it off, but what the hell, right?
Couple bands I’ve been listening to lately that you should check out:
I bought a CD Walkman today. I feel so cutting edge.
For the past month or so I’ve been working on a wedding invitation for a friend’s sister and struggling to come up with anything until last night, when everything finally started to click. I was beginning to worry that the corporate nature of the design I do at my job was eroding my creativity. My design aesthetic has developed a distinct look over the past year or so, having spent that time working under strict guidelines, and this invitation was a major departure from that. It took some time, but I think it worked out and she seemed to really like the design. Here’s where it stands now, and no I did not make up the name of the town:
I sent the concepts for the Realty 2000 logo to my client almost 3 weeks ago and still haven’t heard anything beyond “I’ll get back to you soon, I’ve been very busy and haven’t had time.” At this point I’m beginning to think he wasn’t really struck by either of the concepts, which is fine, but I need some feedback before I can keep working.
In the meantime I began working on a new linocut that I promised a friend I would make for her. You can see the first block below, which I finished about a week ago. It’s going to be a two color print so I have one block remaining before I can begin proofing.
I also have a wedding invitation to work on, and I still owe my sister a painting. Lauren, if you’re reading this, I haven’t forgotten!
So I’m doing a basement remodel for a friend of mine. Right now the basement is unfinished and bare. He’d like to have half Irish pub, half beer garden including a bar and entertainment area. We also have to take into account service areas such as a laundry room, storage, and HVAC equipment. Here is a picture of the existing space:
My very talented friend and colleague Scott just unleashed his new website, Kaufman Illustration, upon the world. I encourage you to check it out.
Tonight I was messing around in Illustrator struggling to come up with another concept for the Realty 2000 logo when I had a bit of a breakthrough. Given the relative dearth of mental imagery associated with real estate (is there really anything other than the silhouette of a house?) I thought I would try my hand at a logotype instead of another mark. This is what I came up with.
There wasn’t a lot of process that went into this one, I was playing around with different typefaces and stumbled upon this pairing. Something about the dichotomy between the italic serif (Georgia) and the thin line weight of the sans serif (Futura Light) said “Realty 2000″ to me. I kept the “r” lowercase because I think it makes the 2000 stand out. I think I’m really happy with this one. Comments are welcome.
I also thought it might be fun to play off Y2k…
…However, that one won’t make its way to the client.
I’ve been working on a few concepts for the Realty 2000 logo as over the last week or two and I’ve come up with two concepts. I’m still working because I don’t think either of them is polished enough, and I’d like to come up with a third concept. The type treatments are very preliminary. Any comments or criticisms are welcome.
This is my favorite of the two, and credit for the idea goes to Sarah. The mark is meant to resemble the @ symbol, replacing the letter “a” with a house. The name Realty 2000 suggests a modern, technologically savvy real estate firm. This mark is meant to express that, calling to mind a symbol that most people associate with the internet. The typeface is Futura.
I’m not sure this one is quite there yet, I think it needs more polish. Same thinking as before, looking to capture the idea of a 21st century real estate firm. The mark is meant to resemble a house broken down into pixels, represented by the dots. The typeface is Century Gothic.
I’m going to continue working over the next couple days and hopefully I’ll be able to come up with another concept.
Today I spent the early afternoon doing research before I begin work redesigning the logo of the real estate broker my mother works for. During my search I was struck by how utterly terrible the majority of branding is in that industry. In a field where image means everything and each individual has to work to stand out in a glut of agents, I’m shocked by how little time and money is devoted to as simple a concept as brand identity. It’s so awful that it takes very little to achieve marked gains.
The company I’m designing for is called Realty 2000, which, has left me somewhat at a loss. There’s nothing wrong with the name, it just doesn’t lend itself to many visual metaphors. Despite my struggles, Sarah and I did some brainstorming today and I think we have a number of solid ideas. She is always so helpful when I’m struggling to generate ideas. I don’t know how she does it. I’m going to begin sketching tomorrow, hopefully I’ll have something to show for it later this week.
I’m beginning to feel as though I’ve bitten off a bit more than I can chew given the little amount of free time I have these days. I’ve promised work for a lot if people, but with the crazy situation at work it’s been difficult to find time to get anything done.
Oh well, I’ll make it work. Tonight Sarah and I are venturing downtown to see the Raveonettes at the Black Cat. Hopefully the city won’t be too ridiculous.
My office is having a beard growing contest, and in order to participate it was required that I completely shave my face. Needless to say, I’m not a fan, and I can’t wait until it grows back. Click below to see what I look like right now, because this will probably be the last time I shave for a while.
I’m working on a few projects, so I’ll probably have some work to post pretty soon.