Saturday 20 December 2008

Stencil!

As I said, I fancied trying the stencil thing again, I did!

First off, I thought about designing a logo or something, but then I decided to go with something I've already done just for the sake of making my life a bit easier! Next time, Ill start from scratch.

Seeing as I was working with stencils and spray paint, the logo I designed for Chains of Hate sprang to mind, mainly because it has a spray paint(ish) background and block text.

Reminder...

Photobucket

So first things first as I was only planning this to be 2 colours (learning curve going on here) I had to simplify the text as my starting point...

Photobucket

Test print and acetate version

Photobucket

Down in print, now its time to get working...

Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket

Now I am the first to admit faults if I think it will help someone not make them. So, the logo was a little complicated and at point there wasn't enough linking parts, so there had to be a few modications on the fly, just so it stood a chance of working properly (it would have flapped around everywhere and the lines would have been terrible).

Quick test...

Photobucket

I think this looks rather cool...

Photobucket

Next problem, over spray and trying to spray whilst holding a flimsy sheet of acetate! So...

Photobucket

Thank you Christmas presents arriving all at once giving me a big box! Recycling is important people!

I had a thought, the paint might get into the gaps in the card and it could do with strengthening, cue lots of tape!!!

Photobucket
Photobucket

Ready for a test!

Photobucket

The next stage I am going to say: This is slightly illegal, if you do it somewhere you are not allowed to, so I would strongly recommend not doing it!

I finished work at 2.30am, ideal time to be out i thought!

Test one...

Photobucket

Test two...

Photobucket

Then I thought I'd go back and have a look in the day time...

One...

Photobucket

Two...

Photobucket

Not bad for a first try me thinks! A bit of practice and this could look awesome! I'm going to a gig monday with Chains of Hate, I am officially tempted to take fabric paint and my airbrush kit, and spray anyone in a plain shirt with one of these bad boys!

Quick thought, before and after...

Photobucket

With a few more practices, I reckon I could nail this. I'll probably add to this one as I try again!

Merry Christmas!
Defy

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Birthday Present...

As I have said on several occasions, I've got a lot of friends in bands, it happens when you are in band! Not rocket science really...

But anyway, about 10 months ago it was my friend Richey, guitarist from the mighty Shaped by Fate and fellow Star Wars nerd's birthday. We had a conversation not long before his birthday about badging/tagging equipment, so birthday just around the corner, what do I think is a good idea, a stencil that says Shaped by Fate! He's a Star Wars nerd, so there was only one thing that could be done, make a Star Wars/Shaped by Fate stencil.

Now this might seem random that his birthday was 10 months ago and I have only just posted photos of the stencil, but they haven't been on tour and really needed to tag it until recently, so it didn't get done till recently.

It was their Christmas show last night and there was cases galore/amps etc with my stencil design on it. That made me smile, so here it is....

Photobucket

Photobucket

So I think I might make a few more of these, as it was fun, next one I do, I'll post the process as well!

Merry Christmas!
Defy

Links
Larger Versions
Shaped by Fate

Sunday 14 December 2008

A Christmas present

Well what do you do when your best friend says, "What's the best way to get some photo's printed big?" "Why?" "Christmas present for my Dad. He's just re-decorate, I thought it would be nice." Well I'll tell you what I did, I told her that she should forget printing the pictures bigger and I'll make you a poster!

And this is an odd one, when you are given a bunch of photos that are really important, do you:

a) get all designer and more or less ignore the details
b) come up with something that shows the photos off and make it look nice at the same time
c) just throw them all together and hopefully everything will be ok!

Well I went with B! As I felt that was the call for the job, I only had 7-9 photos and not all of them were that great, which is always a risk when you are working with photos that aren't yours and are 20 (something) years old! So the game is how many times have I used some of the photos, one of them is in there 3 times!

So here it is...

Photobucket

It was cool as this way one of the first times that I got to got out source a printer, get it done etc...

So...

Photobucket

I am pretty happy. So next Christmas I think I will advertise this as a service!!! HAHA!

Got to cook dinner now!
Michael

Links
Larger Version

Monday 8 December 2008

T-Shirt/Re-think....

So I didn't go to bed, I got a bug up my ass about a shirt/logo I did ages ago, go on look through my blog and you'll see it...

It's slightly annoying when you design something for a purpose and you don't get to see it live out it's days in that form, and this is probably a good example. I designed this logo for a friends band ages ago, and as much as they liked it, they are poor and can't afford to send a 3/4 colour t-shirt design to the printers! To be honest at the time I was just doodling for want of a better way to describe it, now with a new avenue available to me, I have re-thought it a little and posted it as artwork for sale on emptees. I doubt it will ever get sold as a shirt design, but it's nice to think it's out there in the format it was planned to be used in, I guess until it gets sold, the design is mine(?), so I might re use it for something else...

I would probably give it away, just to see it get printed on a shirt and get one for myself, not saying I will give it away, but to see it live out its days the way it was intended would make me rather happy.

Photobucket

I should really go to bed...
Defy

Link in time...
Shirt on emptees

Parody?

Well a friend of mine asked me for some help as he wanted to step up a site like "The Daily Mash", it's news parody site, rather funny, worth a click, don't worry link'll follow (dear god that is some terrible spelling/grammar), we had a chat and he had set up a blogspot to start getting his writing out there, and rather than suggest to him that I build him a furiously complicated website, at a great expense, I said the best thing to do at this stage is probably just jazz up the blogspot and make it look more newspapery (again with the made up words!).

Yes your read that correctly, rather than talk a client/friend into paying lots of money for something, I suggested he not spend a small fortune for now and just get something going and then my job was just to jazz up a blogspot! So i gave him what he needed, rather than what was the best for my wallet! You see, I am nice really!

But it's called the "Western Male", now if you are from (South) Wales, you will have most likely seen the "Western Mail" at some point in your life, but if you are not, then it is rather likely that the reference would fly right over your head, so in my infinite wisdom, as this is a parody site, I decide to rip off the better know "Daily Mail" (and because there is a newspaper that needs some abuse)!

So here we go and website/blog that looks kinda like a newspaper....

Logo

Photobucket

Site

Photobucket

Right bed time...
Michael

Links
The Western Male
The Daily Mash

Real Corporate Work!

Well it's true, I have recently been taken on by on by moley.tv as general mac monkey, it's only part time, but I am learning more and hopefully I will get better learning at this guys feet, as he is seriously clued up!

But yeah I spent an afternoon doing some seriously functional design work, ready...rebranding internal PDF's!! Hell yes!

But you know what it was strangely satisfying. There was plenty to think about, positioning the new logo's in the right place, with the correct spacing (I had a 24 page logo use document that I had to read!), making sure that everything that needed to be changed got changed...basically what I'm getting at is, this should have been boring as hell, but I actually enjoyed it! I am actually rather happy that one of the documents had to be completely redesigned and I did it, it looks great in amongst the rest of them, so I did it right!

Yes I am in my heart a wannabe punk rock graphic designer, but even I am honest enough to admit that my split personality took over and the challenge of making corporate stationary look the best it could was actually enjoyable. So please dear friends do not scoff at doing something because it is not as "cool", as it might be more of a challenge than you thought!

Photobucket

T.T.F.N.
Michael

Links
Larger Version
Moley.tv