Tuesday 21 December 2010

Skating skating skating,,,

My girlfriend is a roller derby team, and she asked me to help her make a Christmas present for her friend. She wanted me to design a logo of her friends skater name (a massive deal in roller derby! I know, who knew?), so that it could be cut as a vinyl sticker for her helmet.

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I went aggressive, as it is a rough sport and it is a silly name, trying to find the balance and all that!

I know it is incredibly tightly kerned and leaded, but it has to be to make it easier to cut out.

Yes, it does say Lola Coaster.

Poster to design...
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Some webby stuff!

Recently I had to do a task for an interview, didn't get the job (bummer), but still had a chance to flex my more corporate web design muscles which haven't been used in a while! It has also lead to a nice idea which should (fingers crossed) be rather tasty!

Anyway, the layout(s)! I got asked to re-design their current site, this was my offering:

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Yes I have rather lazily removed their logo from it, but I would rather not make this a potential slander campaign! They didn't hire me, no biggy, move on!

I wasn't sure as to what I had done was quite right, so I ended up doing 2 more layouts, no major difference from the layout I had done, just little visual tweaks that gave them options, as I thought that was a good thing.

Take 2:

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and take 3:

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Which is actually my personal favourite of the bunch, for a stupid reason that I won't share, as it will stop me smiling!

Not much more to say on this, as it got me nowhere!
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Thursday 9 December 2010

Just a quicky

Well it is!

I like posting pictures like this!

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And I'm out.
Michael

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Custom bandcamp

Now this a truly interesting challenge! I don't know if you know, but bandcamp is one of the best platforms for bands these days (or atleast in my opinion) currently available. Since the um...changing over at myspace HQ, there is little reason to be behind that platform.

The challenge with bandcamp, you only have 2 totally customisable elements, the background (which you can't control the position of) and the header (which is only 975x180), so you have to be concise about what you are doing, make it bold and beautiful! As you saw in my previous post, I like the logo/sticker I've just designed, so that was my basis!

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I think it looks good for a first attempt, I will try and do another one soon, so I can try and up the standard of what I can design with the platform!

If it makes you feel better, you can get a free download of our EP there as well!

Link
The Modern Farewell on Bandcamp

Logo into a sticker

I have been like a man possessed over the last few weeks trying to get everything possible done for my band, stickers badges, tshirts, web stuff....

We are aiming for an album in the near future so I want as much of it as possible ready for the release, so meet the first stage, the original logo I designed, turned into a sticker!

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I am rather taken with it, to the point where I might simplify it and look towards this being our new logo.

Mmmm Hmmm
Michael

Links
The Modern Farewell
Larger Version

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Logo-a-go-go

This was one of those random little jobs, a friend of mine had asked me for some advice on font types, I tried my best but wasn't sure what he meant. A few days later I saw why he needed it and then for little or no reason I decided to do what I thought he wanted.

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I've seen fonts that are similar to this, but I decided to just do it myself and make it more how I wanted it to look. Lets face facts, thats what I'm supposed to do right? Anyway, quick logo, but I like it. Quick explanation, it is for a mad tweeter who offers "140 character reviews of music events in Cardiff & the surrounding area."

Links
Larger Version
CDF RVW on twitter.

Posterism

Another poster for the Deadpunk crew at The Croft in Bristol. Not a lot to say about it really as they like what I did the first time and asked me to stick to the programme.

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I guess its a little different, but not very! Ha!

Link
Larger Version

It's been a while...

And I've been busy working on something big! I can't show you yet, so here are some of the other things I've done this month when I've had 5 minutes...

I've been working on this logo, there is a branding mark/symbol thing that isn't finished yet and I need to email the gentleman whose name is just below, but thats another thing to worry about...

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A logo development that I have been working on for a...I'm going to say kite boarder, but if you read his profile, that scarcely does him justice!

Stop talking, and email the man!

A few more posts to come....
Michael

Links
Larger Version
Craig's Website

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Poster time....

It's always nice to know that people will come back to you when you have done work for them!

I got a call from the guitarist from They Walk Amoung Us asking for a poster, as they had a gig they wanted to pimp! Brief was virtually non-existent, "You know what I like, just do something like our artwork!"

I had always liked the image I had put on the bad of their album, and I didn't think it ever took centre space, so I thought I would give it the attention it deserved!

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Always happy to do something like this!

Bed time...
Michael

Links
Larger Versions
They Walk Among Us Myspace

Resigning in 40 minutes!

I recently played a gig with a band called AC4, the members of which graced such incredible bands as The International Noise Conspiracy and the enormously influential and sadly missed Refused, sorry I'm getting off point.

I also went to an event in a local venue called "Design Wars" (great event put on by great people, links later), but the challenge was put to a small group of people/designers to create some album artwork, using words chosen at random (for band name and title) and the genre was also chosen at random. Each group was given 40 minutes to then create artwork from scratch using the equipment and images that were on the desk! I was in a group with 3 of my friends, 2 code geeks and a european union schmooser, we didn't win, but it was great fun! AND I liked the concept of designing something in 40 minutes!

So with a gig coming up, with a poster I wasn't fussed on...

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...again nothing bad, but I need a poster to try and design in 40 minutes! So I limited myself to photos of the band (as in the original poster), and tried to focus on the main details of the original. The biggest concern I had was showing the band in their normal environment, they are a hardcore band after all and the original picture wasn't exactly complimentary, even the band joked at the gig, they wouldn't want to watch themselves if they saw that photo!

So here we go, poster in 40 minutes!

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Its not a major change, but I think its much cleaner.

Enjoy
Michael

Links
Largesr Version
AC4 on Myspace
Design Wars Official Blurb
Photos from Design Wars

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Movie Poster!

This was a happy brief to receive! The client saw one of my previous pieces of work and got in touch with me, so this is a little success story! Anyway, the plot!

This is a poster for a short film, made by Suni Khan, about 2 soldiers who are caught in the repetition stage of war, and hence the title is "Nothing Happened" the challenge was creating a poster with stills from the film that was mainly for online usage (I still have an idea for a print one which was not part of the brief, but I will probably do anyway at some point, the logistics of it would make it awful for online use).

The real challenge of this job was taking landscae images and making them effective in a portrait context, harder than it sounds, believe me!

I can't post the film as it isn't online anymore as it is being subbed to various festivals for consideration, but the poster is fine!

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There were a few ideas bouncing around between myself and the film maker, but this was the result we were both very happy with.

I will gladly update this when the film is available somewhere!

For now...
Michael

Links
Largesr Version
Follow the film maker, Suni Khan, on Twitter!

Tuesday 12 October 2010

I can't wait for one of these!

One of my clients emailed me this photo earlier!

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Test print of the shirts I did for them! Makes me smile, that is all.

You know you want one...
Michael

Link
Order one!

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Rejected...

EDIT: This wasn't rejected, I just got the wrong end of the stick!

Sad times, I did this and it was rejected, or atleast sort of, there was some misunderstanding about who was supposed to be doing this and I got carried away and did the dam thing without waiting for the ok from the big dude. So it's my fault this is going unused! However I love it! I really love it!

The idea was to create a deck of cards based on hardcore punk stereotypes, the suits being some of the obvious things:
1. Stars - loads of star tattoos in the world, and the revelation records logo is also a star.
2. Knuckle dusters - more stereotyping.
3. XXX - the standard symbol for the straight edge punk.
4. Wreath - go look at hardcore punk band logos, they are everywhere!

And for some reason, I decided the Ace of Spades with a Sick of it All Dragon (which I happen to have tattooed on me) in the midst acting as the joker!

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I love this idea, and I think it might get recycled in some way or another. Not sure where yet, but it will!

Nearly bedtime...
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Redesigning some more things!

This is a weird one, I don't dislike the poster that I saw, but at the same time, I don't like it. In truth I was half way through an idea for a Die Hard poster and lost the plot and wanted to give this idea a home.

Meet the original:

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Considering I am playing this show, I doubt anyone will mind a rethink!

Meet the redesign:

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The show is tomorrow, so I won't worry about anything complicated, just did it for fun really.

Little more to post!
Michael

Link
Larger Version

I do make a lot of posters!

Well I do!

After the success of the Swingin' Utters poster, the folks at the Croft asked me to do another one for another show! Good times!

The brief on this one was as comical as ever, "I liked your last one, do it the same, but different!" So that was my mission, the same but different...

Once again, 2 colour screen print ready on an ash white paper.

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The band are pretty cool too, indie punk from Philly. I am looking forward to going to the show.

It's one of those days...
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Sunday 19 September 2010

Played for and got...

This poster was designed for a competition, now I am not normally one for competitions, but there was something about this film that caught my attention and clicked something in my brain that said, "make the poster brainless!"

Here is the official word from them:

"Clint Eastwood wannabe Jimmy finds escape in his shoot 'em-up video games - which leads to a caffeine-induced flight of fancy including Mexican stand-offs, mischievous gnomes, and invisible bullets!"

As it happens, I wasn't doing anything when the I saw the comp posted (I was idly time wasting on the internet), and I've been telling myself that I should make more positive steps when things like this happen, so this seemed like a good reason to stop faffing and start doing something.

I'll cut to the chase, I enter and won. Meet the poster for a special film that is part of the Virgin Media shorts competition.

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The poster might be a little lost on you, if you haven't seen the film, so be ready for a lot of links to follow! Fair play to the team behind the film, they have done a wonderful job of promoing the film, just follow the links...

Hold your breath...
Michael

Links
Largesr Version
Watch the Film
Invisible Bullets Homepage
Stan the Gnome on Twitter

Exciting times!

I was asked to produce a poster for a gig I am playing, the brief was "Do whatever you feel like, just make it screen printable and 3 colours or less. Oh, and make sure it doesn't suck!"

So thats a simple brief and a job I can really get behind, mainly because I get to support the Swingin' Utters! Remember them for the heyday of Fat Wreck Chords? No, shame. It makes me very happy!

I started doing the poster and got a bit confused by the idea of 3 colours, so stuck to 2.

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Woo!

Roll on Novemeber!
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Digital artwork and shirt!

I was lucky enough some years ago to play a few shows with a fine gent from New York called Mike Borgia, and his new mini album/EP was recorded and ready to go, artwork was needed! This was a new experience for me as the focus was artwork for digital download more so than physical format, don't worry there will be a physical, just not yet.

The title was the simply amazing "Live or Die, you won't be Lonely", I was totally behind this project and I had the idea straight away that this reminded me of the sort of monogram you see on a family crest, so that was the inspiration for the artwork.

So cut the crap and post the artwork...

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The interesting plan is that the band name is going to be on the back of the physical product, and not on the front, interest but an idea I love.

The best part of this job was the idea that the coat of arms should go on a shirt. Also an idea I liked! So here it is!

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Mock up!

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Link
Mike Borgia's Website
Largesr Version

The best looking quiz poster ever!

It's a brave claim to fame, but I'm going to run with it regardless. What? Are you arguing? Prove me wrong, most of them are done in word!

This one was a weird challenge as I had an idea that was awesome, cheesy and fantastic in the best kind of way! Then I went hunting for logos, and corporate information and my idea got totally shelved.

So this became a real challenge as I had to make a poster that worked within 2 sets of corporate guidelines. Meet my effort...

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Not complicated, not mental, but far FAR more stylish than the average word art rubbish!

It's getting hard to post and watch Mythbusters!
Michael

Link
Larger Version

For sale baby yeah!

I did this design whilst trying to convince my band that the design I am working on for them is the right one for the job, sound strange? It is!

What I am saying is, this is a perfectly good design that I did to prove that the design I am doing is the right style as something like this wouldn't work for us. Make sense? No, I don't think so either.

But there is a point, I did this design, I like it and its a shame it doesn't have a home, its a one colour print, so would be relatively cheap to get a run of shirts made! So if you want it, feel free to drop me a line and we can talk about making this yours.

Meet the artwork:

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And a mock up!

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Still posting more....
Michael

Link
Larger Version

My band's EP!

Well, the best time to get creative is on your own time, for your own stuff, and this was one for me.

My band needed to get our songs out there, and we were looking for an affordable and interesting way to do so, I started looking around the net for packaging that was a little out of the ordinary.

After a little bit of digging around I found a company who make card CD wallets similar to 7" wallets, and then the CD on body seemed perfectly logical, it had to look like a classic 7" from the heyday of its medium. I know there are vinyl effect CD's in the world, but with a one colour on body print on the disc, I was certain I would achieve more. So inexpensive CD wallet, inexpensive disc all equals win win!

Meet the onbody artwork:

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For all you nerds out there, it is based loosely on a Capitol Records 7".

And here is how the finished product looks...

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This is one of those jobs that prove you don't need to spend a fortune to get something awesome looking! If you want one, good luck, there is only 100, and we don't have online sales, so come to a show!

Woo!
Michael

Link
The Modern Farewell Myspace

Something I should have posted ages ago!

I spent the best part of 6 months working on this, seriously 6 months! Not constantly, but it was a long time from the first photo to the sending off stages.

I will give some explanation of this, as I am happy to explain; Peachfuzz are an amazing rock band from Bridgend, they needed artwork for their album, they asked me to do it. I have know Peachfuzz for some years, and I would describe their sound as similar to the Lemonheads and the Replacements, you know the wonderous branch of rock that fills you with happy thoughts of summer and the perfect soundtrack to a beautiful holiday...

When I listened to their record(s) I think of a soundtrack to a summer film based in a run down theme park, if we are being stereotypical I would say Coney Island, NY, this all got me thinking about a chapter from Mitch Albom's "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven", the lead character arrives in the afterlife to be greeted by a carnival freak who's idea of heaven is Coney Island (where he worked) without people to point and shout at him. "But these guys are from Bridgend in south Wales" I hear you say, so I decided to take advantage of the dilapidated south Wales seaside!

I spent an afternoon in November in Penarth, an afternoon in January in Porthcawl and an afternoon in Barry Island in February. the hardest part of getting good quality/brightly lit photos in Wales in the winter is waiting for the day where the sun was out and the sky was clear. If you know Welsh weather at all, you know how rare this is! I'm not lying when I say some of these photos were taken in a scarf and gloves!

Front Cover:

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On body:

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Back:

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Sleeve outside:

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Sleeve inside:

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I would like to thank Tom at Sound Print for doing an awesome job helping me turn my artwork into an awesome poster, which I swear one day I will find a frame that will fit it!

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One day I will get the enormous InDesign files off my external hardrive and posting them here, I swear!

These 2 made me smile as well...

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Yes, up for sale on HMV.com, its a small thing that made me smile...

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and my artwork taking over the homepage of their label!

Right...more posts to come.
Michael

Links
Check out Sound Print
Peachfuzz's Myspace

To the max...

Or some kind of statement like that...oh, the point.

Not so long ago I did a shirt design for South Wales ParKour, great guys super happy with my work (who knew I could make people happy!) so when they wanted to focus on their team/crew they needed a branding and then something to start making them some dollar bill y'all (I swear I will stop talking like that). The aim of their branding was to move the feel of parkour away from martial arts style (go look its surprising) and closer to the high end skate feel (a la Volcom).

First of branding...

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Strong bold text, I tried to link it together a little to keep the sense of flow to it, as flow is a big deal to free running.

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This is the branding mark, now you can look at it for ages and get a bit confused as to what its about, or I can tell you it's the negative space between 2 f's facing each other. I tried loads of combinations of double f's, and this was the only one that looked individual.

In situ on a sticker:

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I also did them a shirt design!

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This is how it looks in 2 colour format. A few colour options...

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The interesting part of this is, the screens for the white and black elements should work wonders in one colour as well!

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I really enjoyed working on this piece, it was cool to combine a few things I really enjoy doing, branding and shirt designs. So plenty of love to them!

More to post!
Michael


Links
Fluidity Freerun
Larger Versions

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Logo Test...

I had a spare few minutes and a friend asked me he for some help with one of his flyers, so I did this.

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This is one of those things that I have no idea if it will get used or not, but I like the style so I thought I'd post it here. I wouldn't mind doing something like this again. I hope someone wants a logo designing like this!

Star Trek to be watching...
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Friday 20 August 2010

Redesigning one of my favourite films...

I have seen loads of redesigns of movie posters recently (google Ollie Moss or Matt Needle for some excellent examples), and I thought I would throw my hands into the mix.

Most the redesigned poster I have seen have either been horror movies or current films. No jokes aside, I am a massive nerd, a serious nerd (Star Wars tattoos are a badge of pride) so I thought I would tackle a more nerdy subject matter. So I thought about some movies that I like and I narrowed it to 2.

I thought I'd pass on Star Wars, as there are way to many Star Wars variations in the world, so I picked on one of my other favourite movies...

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Planet of the Apes baby! I even stuck to the original cast, none of that Tim Burton rubbish around here! No, the Time Burton version was ok, but still I wanted to stick to the classic version.

I hope you like it.
Michael

Link
Larger Version

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Redesigning again...

So far my redesigning has been fairly limited to...let's say rock and roll design work, for the sake of giving it a label. So this time I decided the thing to do was try something different.

Now for the reasons of a bit of privacy, I am not going to name the place in question, as then google might find me (ha!). So here we go, would you take a contemporary curry house in Cardiff city centre in an amazing location and then use comic sans in the branding?

If you thought yes I am going to hunt you down.

Don't believe me?

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See! Does that make any sense? Well it must have to someone...just not me.

So I decided to redesign their logo! WITHOUT COMIC SANS!!!

This was the first version I did:

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I thought about it, I like the way it is presented, this is how I would like to see it. But they have used browns and neutral colours inside, so I thought about it in terms of a practical redesign and I used a similar colour to that used inside.

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Well thats another one for the pile of redesigns. Lets see if they ever find out about this...

Fingers crossed
Michael

Link
Larger Version