scary2009

I sort of greeting card for my online friends. here's to you and the frightful chaos that is the upcoming season.

Step Lightly

I released this commission yesterday for delivery. I had it printed through CanvasPop and I'm delightfully satisfied with the outcome.
The customer asked me to go nuts and "do what I do best". Being that I've been creating designs for over 7 years under specific guidelines from either an individual client or committee, I found it quite difficult to express myself. you know, artistically. Independently. When I showed her the final piece her initial response, although very pleased, was surprised. She felt that it was tamer than she expected. Which also surprised me because I couldn't agree more. In that sense, I think I went against what I would usually do and created something I would totally put on my wall. And since this commission was for a couple of folks that I care for, I felt that challenging myself against the status quo was an important direction to go in. You know, rather than delivering comic art pin-up, she-rocker with curves and a sledgehammer.
Hell, that sounds like fun. I think it's time to start that sketch. Right after I finish this monster sketch for Halloween. Boo!

Wolverine: Dishonorable Mention

I entered this into the Project Rooftop Wolverine contest and didn't even end up with an honorable mention. I still like it, though. I think I need to get more innovative with my remodeling. Or pay the judges off with Microsoft points.

Clue: The Poster II

I have pretty much completed Clue: The Musical poster for The Ilion Little Theater Club. The director seems pleased. Now all I have to do is add the copy and send to printer per approval. Sometimes that seems like the hardest part.
I started this project with a more comic book feel to the illustrations. After sketching and re-sketching, I felt that I wasn't approaching this as a poster "design". I love Saul Bass' film poster designs and I always like illustrating in that accidental geometric style. So, I felt a more retro-designed look would be more fitting due to the overtly-symbolic elements throughout the play. Below is the breakdown of the process:

I have a bunch of saved stock reference images I like to use. Mostly for blocking the weight of the elements on the page. Get it? "Blocking"? A term used in stage direction. So funny I forgot to stop typing. Now, on to the more accurate sketch:

This is after I decided to go more geometric in style. I am really pleased where this is going at this point. Now to trace my sketch with Adobe Illustrator:

There. Initially, I had Miss Scarlet's knife cutting behind the 'u' and Mr. Green to the bottom right, but that left some weird space at the top right. This works better for weight distribution as well. I also think the colors work better in this order.
I left Mrs. White out for obvious reasons. Primarily because of the white I used as the trim and outline. Also, Peacock seems to always have grey/green color associated with her rather than a vivid color, so I used that as the background for the title logo (I didn't think that using every weapon was necessary, either. I left out what I feel are the least design-friendly tools of death; rope and lead pipe. On second thought, the rope COULD work but I like how these weapons look on page).
One last thing: Mr. Boddy, being the dead guy that he is, is represented by the background. After all, dead men always wear black.

Clue: The Poster

I am designing a poster for the Ilion Little Theatre. It is Clue: The Musical which is set to premiere near the end of November. I started sketching this idea in my moleskin and showed it to the director, Dave Dellecese. As I was making this I realized it would be quite cramped if I showed all 6 potential outcomes including the body copy that needs to accompany the poster, so I limited it to 4 weapons and 4 suspects. Leaving out the rope and the lead pipe will improve the look due to the fact that a rope and lead pipe are about as interesting to look at as…well…a rope and a lead pipe. Doing this will make room for as much text as I need such as date/time of event and credits.
The 'blocking' of the poster is based on a scene in the play where all suspects are standing with a weapon held high above each of their heads surrounding the victim. I thought that would be the most pivotal scene in the performance and so did the director. Sometimes me smart.
The suspects will be from left to right: Mr. Green/gun, Colonel Mustard/candlestick, Ms. Scarlet/knife, Mrs White/wrench. I think these colors will work the best for this project with the CLUE logo in black and red with a white accent. Although, I need to be careful that it doesn't look like an Irish/Italian flag. That said, I may have to replace Green or Mustard with Professor Plum. I don't think there are many countries that have purple as a color.
I will post the final version here when it is complete.
Gotta go now. bye.

website redesign

Been reading a lot lately on web design layout for portfolio display. I think I'm getting closer to what I feel works best for me. So, I have applied these things that I have learned to my present site. One page! check it out. www.brandondawley.com

Blog writing takes time*

Sometimes following blog after blog of content made by creative folks that I admire, I tend to glaze over from the adoration of it all. There are so many blogs, fanpages, forums, etc. of every possible ordinary and extraordinary person out there as well as blogs of things that don't even exist. I find myself (more and more) hovering towards those written about creatives rather than the blogs written by the creatives. After all, this is a perspective I can relate to.
I suppose this makes sense and is rather obvious. After all, if the creatives are taking their time away from making the stuff then I would end up resenting those blogs as distractions. And that is what they are. Every creative out there should have another creative person writing their blogs for them. A creative that appreciates their work. Shadowing them so we can get a fan's perspective of material approved by the artist we adore so much. Or even a ghostwriter to minimize the amount of thought and time one has to commit to up-keeping this sort of tool. This is probably happening regularly with the big guns of the blogosphere I'm just too busy drawing to know better. (*I am not against creatives writing their own blogs as long there is enough time to create what I prefer you create.)
One of my favorite "fan blogs" or "Flogs" is the wonderfully joyous Almost Darwyn Cooke by Calum Johnston. Totally accessible. Entirely minimalist. And your in-and-out like the Schwan's man at a drive-thru.
He recently conducted a contest. Calum Johnston not the Schwan's man. The above image is what I received for submitting a sketch. It is a very nicely illustrated and printed portfolio showcase/introduction by IDW. The book not my sketch.
So thanks, Calum! I like it VERY much.
I gotta go be creative.