illustration
Stop and Follow These Super Fun, Empowering Illustrators on Instagram
Follow these Illustrators on Instagram
Hate social media bringing you down? Hate scrolling and slowly feeling down about yourself as the posts roll by? Follow these ten illustrators on Instagram we suggest below and you’ll perk right up. We promise!
We are all about inspiration these days. We have started a Facebook group for creatives and hope you’ll join. Head to the We Are Weapons – Go Media Creative Crew on Facebook and request to join in on the conversation.
A few more notes before the inspiration begins:
- If you love this post, check out our post entitled: Girl Power: Follow These 34 Female Creatives Now
- Make sure to follow Go Media on Instagram!
selfcareisforeveryone
A space that honors the importance of choosing self-care over self-harm.
ladieswinedesign
Empowering creative ladies! Started by @jessicavwalsh
powered by awesome ladies worldwide in over 200 cities.
recipesforselflove
hellomynameiswednesday
THEY/THEM pls | queer trans artist & activist
onbeinginyourbody
A way of being | A space for embodied wisdom
positivelypresent
Original artwork © Dani DiPirro
DC-area artist + author
tylerfeder
illustrator trying her best
gemmacorrell
infamous anti-socialite and pug lady
bethdrawsthings
florencegiven
London Based Artist & Social Issues Advocate
- Categorized: Graphic Design Inspiration, Web Roundup
- Tagged: illustration, illustrators, inspiration, Instagram, social media
Tutorial: How to Create a Space Illustration Using Adobe Illustrator
Space has and will probably always be one of those things that man has long dreamt of conquering. From the darkest corners of the Milky Way to the farthest region of the known Universe we will always poses that urge to explore and look for new worlds, worlds that could change what we know about life itself.
- Categorized: Illustrator, Tutorials
- Tagged: Adobe Illustrator, Ai, andre stefan, illustration, space, tutorial
WMC Fest Storytime: Meet Scotty Russell
Meet Scotty Russell of Perspective Collective
It’s time for another video! This video is another in a line of shorts introducing you to the speakers who will be presenting at our design, art and music conference, Weapons of Mass Creation Festival. Today’s video introduces you to Cedar Falls, Iowa native, Scotty Russell.
- Categorized: Graphic Design
- Tagged: calligraphy, illustration, lettering, perspective collective, pizza, scotty russell, Weapons of Mass Creation, weapons of mass creation festival, wmc
WMC Fest Podcast: BF Tag with Hey! Monkey Design’s Lenny Terenzi
Graphic Design Podcast with our Emcee, Lenny Terenzi
We are beyond thrilled to announce that Lenny Terenzi, designer, illustrator, screen printer and founder, owner of Hey! Monkey Design Studio, is this year’s Weapons of Mass Creation Fest emcee.
- Categorized: Video and Podcasts
- Tagged: design, emcee, illustration, lenny terenzi, podcast, weapons of mass creation fest, wmc, wmc8
Download of the Day: Abstract Grunge Vector Box Freebie
Abstract Grunge Vector Box Freebie
Join us every Thursday, when your friends here at the Arsenal take over the Go Media blog to share insights, tips, freebies or other fun to brighten your work day.
Today we’re sharing some hand drawn, abstract grunge vector box freebies for downloading and enjoying immediately! Check out the Arsenal for more vectors known the ’round the world for being the best of the best.
Did you know that all of Go Media’s vectors are royalty free? We have thousands of hand-crafted illustrations like these you can use in your work, so definitely head over to the Arsenal to check them out.
Love our products? Access our huge product library ($11k in resources) and exclusive content for only $15/mth. Yes, seriously. Learn more now.
Here’s your download >> Abstract Grunge Vector Box Freebie
Have a great day, everyone!
- Categorized: Freebies, Graphic Design Freebies
- Tagged: abstract, arsenal, black, box, download, element, free, freebie, hand drawn, illustration, vector
Inspiration of the Day: 9/28/2016 – All the Kawaii
Kawaii Inspiration
Every Wednesday, we scour the web for the best in inspiration from designers killing it at their craft. Please enjoy this incredible art and join us on Pinterest, where we’re dedicated to collecting our own work, as well as the work of those we most admire.
Kawaii is the name of the game today. How will this inspire your next design?
Header image by Clémentine Derodit
Have a great day, everyone!
- Categorized: Design Community, Graphic Design Inspiration, Web Roundup
- Tagged: cute, illustration, inspiration, kawaii
Creating Learning Material
-Creating Learning Material:
A Beginners Guide to Making
Educational Content
In 2014, back when I lived in Pittsburgh, I received the opportunity to be an art instructor at a community-focused arts organization known as Wash Arts (located in Washington county). In addition to myself, Joe Mruk, a Pittsburgh-based illustrator and one of my best friends, was asked to be involved as well. Every Saturday morning we would teach a kids class, which was then followed by an adult class in the afternoon. Joe had Intro. to Drawing while I was responsible for the Beginner’s Digital Illustration class. I should mention that at that time we had no prior teaching experience. However, this did not stop us from being beyond excited. We could not wait to share what we knew, yet wanted to do more than just provide instruction on foundational skill sets. It was our ambition to encourage and inspire, to make art accessible and break down the excluding notion that not everyone is creative or could be an artist.
As soon as we received the opportunity with Wash Arts, we hit the ground running. We did a lot of preparation: wrote lesson plans, gathered references and created learning resources. We discussed during the week what we would teach for Saturday and spent Friday nights going over each others lesson plans. Sometimes we were up late working on educational infographics and other instructional visuals. We taught for six months and while we absolutely loved it, we eventually decided to move onto other opportunities.
In this tutorial, I will share with you the class material on vectors I created at that time, as well as the steps and considerations I recommend when creating your own inspiring and insightful content!
DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION | INSTRUCTOR: JORDAN WONG | SATURDAYS AT 10AM & 1PM
Teach What You Know and Love
This is the starting point. Let’s pretend that you’re teaching outside the world of academia, where you have more freedom and are not limited to a mandatory curriculum. Maybe you’re working for a non-profit arts organization or doing a class on Skillshare. Whatever the case, here are two questions in helping you decide what you should teach:
What am I really knowledgeable about?
What am I passionate about?
If you found something that answers both of these questions, you’re off to a really good start. Ever taken a class where the teacher could care less, which resulted in you caring less? Your level of enthusiasm will affect your students’, so be sure to choose something that you absolutely love. Something you could talk for hours and hours about, all while maintaining the biggest smile on your absurdly thrilled face!
In relation to what you’re knowledgeable about, make sure that you KEEP BEING knowledgeable. You, who people will look up to, must be on your A-game. Stay up to date on industry standards and trends. Know who the top dogs of the field are, their work can be used as class examples as well as sources of inspiration for your students (and you). Attend seminars, conventions, workshops and other events (like Weapons of Mass Creation Fest). I guarantee you will come back with fresh ideas and new material to share with your students.
Determine Who Your Students Are
Are your students very young with lots of energy and short attention spans? Are they older, yet not too familiar with the computer? Or are they seasoned experts with years of experience? Knowing who you will be teaching will determine the information you will cover. If they are just beginners, then you probably do not want to jump into really nitty-gritty, technical instruction or conceptual topics that will go over their heads.
Also, who your students are will determine the “look” of your content. It would not make sense to hand out the same bright, colorful, goofy material to your adult class that was meant for a kids class. But what if you’re instructing an adult beginner class and a kids beginner class as well? What if there is just no time (or money) to re-create different visual versions of the same content? If this is the case, take that into consideration in designing your curriculum. Perhaps you go for an aesthetic that is not too “old” or “young”, but somewhere in the middle so that it can work for both classes. (In fact, my lesson handouts were for both the beginners kids and adult class.) There are other ways to relate and appeal to your differing students, such as the projects that are assigned, the examples that are shown and your demeanor when lecturing and instructing.
The main point is this: really get to know who your students are. Find out their passions, their goals. What they struggle with and what they are really good at. The better you understand and empathize with your students, the greater success you will have in teaching and inspiring them.
Show Them Who YOU Are
You are the instructor, the teacher, the intelligent and well-versed leader standing in the front of the class. Naturally, your students are going to be curious who you are, so show them! Talk about how you got into your craft – origin stories are the best! Show your work and share your accomplishments, yet also tell of your struggles and failures. The latter is especially important. People relate and feel more motivated when they learn that the experienced, incredibly talented legend before them has also made mistakes along the way. They then feel that they too can do it!
Provide Context
Showing application and real world examples is important. Knowing why and when to do something is, if not more, just as important as knowing how to do something. Educate them on the rules so they may break them. Let them see how creativity lives in the real world. Don’t just stop at how to create a beautiful image, but how it can be used in a practical sense or even bring about change. We are not hobbyists, we are professionals. This is not only our passion, it is our careers and livelihoods. There is value to what we do. And we need to teach our students that there is value in what they do.
Introduce Concepts Sequentially
You do not read a book by bouncing around randomly chapter to chapter (UNLESS it’s a choose-your-own-adventure book). Your content needs to have a sense of order, building upon each other from basic to complex. The end of a lesson should segway into the beginning of the next.
In the “What are Vectors?” section of my handout, you’ll notice I allude to a previously taught section:
I used it to help introduce vectors and how they are composed of paths and anchors (as opposed to pixels). The lesson continues to build on that idea, showing the possibilities and nuances of working in Illustrator. The more “flow” your curriculum has, the more your students will retain and be able to apply.
Make it Engaging
Three ways to do this:
- Add personality
- Make it look good
- Have the visuals emphasize key points and help explain concepts
Blocks of text and bulleted lists will most likely bore your students. Utilize witty and playful elements to help get your point across. Show relevant, fun and interesting videos. Of course don’t go overboard and overload your material with silly internet memes or unrelated GIFs. Remember, employing visuals, even if they’re humorous, is to highlight the main ideas.
Revisit and Improve
Looking back, there are somethings I would change in my material. It’s always a good idea to review what you have taught so it can be better for the next time. Perhaps your examples are out of date or there are topics in which you need to expand upon. With software updating regularly and new versions being released every year (sometimes more), new capabilities will turn into industry standards sooner than you think. As said earlier, it is your job to be up to date and ensure your students are aware of current practices.
“But who am I to teach?”
Having never taught before, I struggled with some insecurities. “Who am I to teach anyone? Don’t I have to be really established in order for my teachings to be valid?” The truth is that you (and I) have experience that others don’t. You have skill sets that others have yet to develop. You have knowledge on subjects that people know nothing about. The focus is not on being the authority on matters, it’s about sharing what you know. There will probably be times in which your students will actually teach YOU something. Like I said, it is about imparting what you have learned onto them as well as encouraging them to surpass you. Learn and grow together.
There you have it! I hope this tutorial has been helpful. Like I said, I had no prior experience of teaching and felt like I was just “wingin’ it.” The truth of the matter is that is how everyone starts, doing their best and making it up as they go. So, if you feel unsure and nervous, know that you will do just fine. After all, We are all just trying to figure stuff out, so we might as well do it together.
- Categorized: Graphic Design
- Tagged: design, education, gomedia zine, illustration, learning, lesson plans, material, teacher
Color Linework in Photoshop | Design Tip of the Week
Black and white linework is always nice, but sometimes a bit of color is needed to add a pinch of visual flavor to your delicious illustration soufflé . (Hooray cooking metaphors!) Let’s get into it and show you how to color linework in Photoshop.
I’ll be using the heroic imagery of this guy doing a Shoryuken. (I drew him at of the Cleveland Drink and Draws, a social meet up for artists, illustrators and doodlers to hang out, drink some beer and draw cool shit.) As you can see, it’s just a graphite pencil drawing, so while the majority of it is linework, there are some tonal gradations.
The first thing to do is to darken the drawing in the Levels settings (Image > Adjustments > Levels). Just don’t make it so dark that you’re losing detail. This will help in selecting the values of the drawing.
Next, open your Channels palette and hold down CTRL (or Command) and click on the RGB layer. If you’re in CYMK color mode, click the CYMK layer. Notice that the everything around the drawing is now selected, but it’s the drawing itself we want selected. Go ahead and simply inverse the selection via Select > Inverse (Shift + CTRL + I).
With the drawing selected, create a Layer Mask by clicking its icon, which is next to the Layer Style (fx) icon in the Layers Palette. You’ll notice that all of the white disappears.
Choose a your favorite color, select the Brush Tool (B) and color over your drawing. Because the Layer Mask is activated, it will only affect that which was selected (the drawing).
I went ahead and added a few more elements: a radial background using a vector from one of the Arsenal vector packs, a faint texture layer and the word “WIN.” And listen, if you don’t think you can do this, remember to tell yourself: SURE YOU CAN! (Shoryuken.) Get it!?
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. That joke isn’t even original and rather old. But oh well. Hooray puns!
Tune in again next time! (“Next time” meaning a week from now.)
- Categorized: Graphic Design, Photoshop, Tutorials
- Tagged: color, design, design tip of the week, gomedia, gomedia zine, illustration, linework, Photoshop
Positive and Negative Space in Illustrator| Design Tip of the Week
Positive and Negative Space in Illustrator
We all know that Illustrator is great for creating dynamic linework and wonderful shapes, but what about creating lines WITH shapes? You know, positive and negative space? Get what I’m saying? Picking up what I’m putting down? Smelling what I’m stepping in? If you’re still unsure, no problem. I’ll walk you through it, and by the end you will have another method to illustration in your repertoire.
Does this little guy look familiar?
Yep! He’s the mini version of the cosmic robot Buddha illustration I did for Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 6. This little dude also was featured on the WMC Fest 6 kid’s shirt.
Anyways, let’s get into it.
Pasted in the Illustrator artboard is the original sketch for my illustration. From this I outlined and created silhouetted shapes…
This layer is named “Positive 1” (as it says in the Layers Palette).
Next, a new layer was created (Negative 1). In this layer, I created the white (negative) shapes by using my original sketch as reference. It is at this point that the linework becomes defined.
My third layer (“Positive 2”) contains the last set of positive (black) shapes that sit on the white (in Negative 1 layer*).
*In my opinion, Negative 1 layer should actually only be named “Negative,” since there is not a “Negative 2” layer.
First making sure that my layers are unlocked and visible, I then select all my shapes, then copy and paste it all into a new layer (“Grouped”).
With everything selected, I use Pathfinder > Divide. This breaks down everything into separate shapes according to the intersecting edges.
By first ungrouping my illustration, I can now use the magic wand to select all the positive (black) shapes. I copy that, delete my all of my previous work, then do a Paste in Place, leaving only the positive shapes.
Your Fill will indicate that this has been done correctly if everything that is selected has black fill. No white (negative) shapes remain.
So why bother with this approach?
Honestly, it’s just matter of preference. For some illustrations, I’d rather just do the linework, yet there are some instances where it is easier for me to break it down (and build it up) through positive and negative space. I have also found that this approach enables me to translate my original line weights. The point is there are many ways to skin a cat. (Man…that’s a horrible expression. Skin a cat? Who does that? I don’t even…) Anyways, this is just another method of creating linework in Illustrator. In fact, I used this method a lot in creating the Iconic Cleveland Vector Pack.
Well that is all for now. If you want more tips on Illustration, check out the Arsenal, which has TONS of tutorials! (I would strongly recommend the Halftone Triple Technique Tutorial.)
Thanks for reading, everyone! Now go out and draw some cool shit.
Cheers!
- Categorized: Illustrator, Tutorials
- Tagged: gomedia, gomediazine, illustration, Illustrator, lines, negative space, positive space, shapes
Watch our WMC Fest 6 Hype Video >> “The Road to WMC – Our Host’s Journey”
Behold the Weapons of Mass Creation Fest Hype Video
…a little video inspiration to hold you over ’til we meet in 17 days…
Then purchase one of the last remaining tickets to one of the best design conferences in the world, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. Yes, we are almost completely sold out.
- Categorized: Graphic Design
- Tagged: cleveland, conference, design, fest, go media, illustration, weapons, Weapons of Mass Creation, weapons of mass creation fest, wmc
Making Perfect Curves in Illustrator | Design Tip of the Week
Making Perfect Curves in Illustrator
Hello, hello! Last week, I gave some tips on designing faster in Illustrator, but this week, we’re going to focus more so on quality. In Illustrator (as you all know,) you have super-tight control over line weights, shapes, etc. and can produce incredibly crisp visuals. The best creatives who make the most stunning vectors are those with a sharp eye for detail. Having a hawk’s eye (both the animal and the Marvel character) that can pick up on subtle changes in line work and curves of a shape is pretty crucial for creating awesome illustrations. For this Design Tip of the Week, we’re going to focus on curves.
Here is our example:
As you can see, this little blob dude is not happy. He feels insecure of his imperfectly smooth form*. Let’s help him out.
*Note: you do not need to have a perfectly smooth form to be a strong, independent, beautiful blob thing.
If you can already see where some touch-ups need to be made, then you, my friend have a good eye! For those that haven’t picked up on the areas that need working, hey, no sweat! That’s why I’m here, to help and walk you through it.
Okay, first problem. As you can see, there’s a bit of a point where the two curves are not aligned perfectly. This is very common and can easily be overlooked. Let’s smooth that out.
There we go. Take advantage of those curve handles, they will indicate the direction and sharpness of the curve. When the handles are aligned and create a perfectly straight line, you’re curve is good to go. Remember to always zoom in and out to see how your changes affect the overall shape.
Hmm…something is still off.
There it is. Cases of super, super subtle misalignment are what you really have to watch for. Be relentless in going through your illustration and checking for any places that need refined.
Awe, he looks so much happier. Getting into the habit of really examining your illustration, finding the places that need some polishing and making those improvements will only result in your work becoming better and better. So, roll up them sleeves, zoom in at 6400% and make that shit flawless.
Just to let you know, we actually have tons of tutorials on Illustration that you should definitely check out!
Until next time!
- Categorized: Illustrator, Tutorials
- Tagged: curves, design tip of the week, go media, go media zine, illustration, Illustrator, vector
Tips on Drawing Symmetry | Design Tip of the Week
Tips on Drawing Symmetry
I have a hard time drawing things perfectly symmetrical. I mean, really, who doesn’t? Drawing symmetry is tough! We’re not robots with mathematical precision. No worries, here are some quick tips that will surely help.
One trick that I picked up on is to draw half of your image, scan it in, duplicate it, flip and merge it together. It helps to draw a center line, so you know where the one half ends and the other will begin. Need the whole piece hand-drawn and inked? No problem! Just print it out an opaque version (of the whole image – two halves merged) and use that as the structure for your drawing. In fact, the legendary Jon Contino works this way. (I reached out to Jon over email about this, to which he graciously replied, resulting in us bonding over this mutual creative process.)
This approach is a “two birds with one stone” kind of thing. By duplicating, flipping and merging the one half, the whole drawing is completed! And it required only half the work! If you want to see more on how I use this method, check out this article I wrote about creating the WMC Fest 6 Poster.
Thanks for reading!
- Categorized: Tutorials
- Tagged: design, design tip of the week, drawing, illustration, symmetry
The Wait is over! This is Dirty: From Sketch to Vector Illustration Video Tutorial is Here!
From Sketch to Vector Illustration Video Tutorial
The wait is finally over.
The long awaited, highly anticipated video tutorial by Cleveland brand design services guru & Go Media President William Beachy, is finally here. Based on his wildly popular blog post, From Sketch to Vector Illustration, “This is Dirty: From Sketch to Vector Illustration Video Tutorial,” is an intimate look into Bill’s design process.
{Whoops! Somehow missed the popular “From Sketch to Vector Illustration post? Check it out here.}
“This is Dirty,” is a compilation of all Bill has learned over twenty years as an illustrator, designer and entrepreneur.
You’ll spend an intimate 1 hour, 11 minutes with Bill, pouring over an illustration he has created specifically for this tutorial. Bill gives you a raw, rare look into his process from start to finish. Giving away all of his secrets, tips, tricks and talents, Bill shares the resources you’ll need to follow along and includes the following recommendations/information:
Supplies
The Staedler Mars mechanical pencil and sharpener
Eraser of choice
The pros and cons of hard vs. soft lead
Preferred paper type
Drawing (Pencil Sketch)
Getting into the right head-space
Getting your arm loose
Why starting with rough sketches is so important
Getting started
Having proper expectations of yourself
Being flexible while drawing
Drawing using basic geometrical shapes
Drawing the human face
Developing a series of cheats to draw
Shading – how much black vs. white
Using reference materials
Scanning
Equipment specifications
Scanning specifications
(Vector) Inking
Equipment and software specifications
Dell(PC) vs. Apple
Mouse vs. Wacom
Nodes and bezier lines
Setting up your layers
Setting up gradients and picking colors
Inking options
Creating shapes in Illustrator
Cross hatching
Coloring
Photoshop vs. Illustrator
Setting up your layers
Process strategy
Highlights and secondary light source
Adding Shadows
Adding a texture
What you receive with the download:
- Extended Tutorial (MP4 Video)
- Blue Concrete Square texture (jpeg)
- This is Dirty Illustration (pencil art)
- This is Dirty Illustration Version 1 (jpeg)
- This is Dirty Illustration Version 2 (jpeg)
- This is Dirty Illustration – Final (AI File)
We can’t wait to see what you create! Share your work with us over at our Flickr Pool Showcase.
- Categorized: Design Community, Go Media, Go Media's Arsenal, Graphic Design Inspiration, Illustrator, News, Tutorials, Video and Podcasts
- Tagged: Adobe, Adobe Illustrator, arsenal, beachy, bill, bill beachy, from sketch to vector, go media's arsenal, illustration, sketch, tut, tutorial, vector, vector set, video tutorial, william, William A Beachy, William Beachy
WMC Fest 6 Poster Design Process: An Inside Look (Part II)
Hello, again! In Thoughts Behind the Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 6 Poster, I went over my process of researching, note taking, and inspiration hunting for the creation of this year’s event poster. Welcome to part II, in which I will go through my steps of making the poster, from sketches to the final design.
Before I start drawing, I need to be aware of what I’m visually aiming for. This year’s Cleveland design fest is slightly more upscale than the previous ones, yet it will still carry that grassroots, inspiration-driven, draw-lots-of-cool-shit feel. I must ensure this is visually represented. Therefore, the illustration should be ornate, but not so decorative that the fest is mistaken as uninvitingly sophisticated and elitist. It is a premier event, but an warm, inviting one that emphasizes inspiration and community. Okay, I’ve figured out the personality of the poster, now onto picturing the subject matter. An astral-projected, cosmic, robot Buddha is not an something I admittedly imagine everyday (and maybe I should). So it is difficult to envision what something like this would look like all at once (especially since the subject is mechanized). In figuring this all out bit by bit, I chose to start with the head.
Buddhist imagery shows this deity with a divine crown, prayer beads, and multiple faces, so I decided to utilize those elements. At first, I was thinking of having its face look like something from Transformers or Gundam, but then settled on a monitor-esque head. This works better in my aim to reference technology and the computer. You’ll notice that I only drew half of the face. Drawing perfect symmetry can an absolute pain, so to speed up the process (and not lose my mind obsessing over perfection), I sketched the one half, flipped, and merged it with the other in Photoshop. Once you have drawn the one side, you also have the other completed, resulting in complete and symmetrical form. (Two birds, one stone.)
With the head and torso drawn, I then illustrated the arm(s) and lower portion of the figure. I also added this adorning, flowing fabric to help imply the Buddha’s divinity and presence as a cosmic entity.
Depicting the rest of the leg and hand was next. Take note that I am drawing, scanning, and then drawing more of the figure. Again, I do this to maintain symmetry while it also it allows me to hone in on specific parts, yet make steady progress. When tasks are broken down into smaller, unintimidating steps, a lot can be accomplished.
Bam! The sketch of the main body is now done.
Because I’m depicting a robot subject, I want the line work to be clean and uniform. Therefore, the figure is then re-illustrated in Adobe Illustrator. Hello, pen tool (my best friend).
The line work made in Illustrator is printed out so I can draw on half of the first set of arms. I’m not sure yet what specific art tools I want to include in the hands, so I only draw the handles. Things can always be edited – added in or taken out.
On the right (faintly shown), is the copied, flipped, and aligned half of the first set of arms, completing the left and right side of the first set of arms. Art tools are drawn in on both sides. The left side shows the beginning of the SECOND set of arms.
The last set of arms is finished off with the art tools drawn into the hands. Our tiny, yet powerful artist is also depicted.
Back in Illustrator, the omnipotent force of creativity is completed. Floating outside of the artboard are some extra paths and shapes, un-outlined and editable (just incase). The cosmic robot Buddha is the star of the show, therefore most of the work is now done. The artboard is changed to the size of the poster, a green background is placed in, the color of our small heroic artist is changed to make him or her stand out, and the deity of artistic brilliance is set to a celestial gold (same gold of the “6” in this year’s WMC logo).
Add a little ornamentation, the type, and it’s done!
There you have it, a step-by-step on how the Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 6 poster was created. So buy your tickets and get ready to talk about art stuff and designy things, all while high-fiving and being inspired! Can’t wait to see you all at this year’s WMC Fest!
- Categorized: Graphic Design, Graphic Design Inspiration, Illustrator, Tutorials
- Tagged: illustration, inspiration, jordan wong, poster design, tutorial, Weapons of Mass Creation, wmc fest, wmc fest 6
Design by Go Media: Boss Dog Brewing Co.
Brewing Company Branding: Boss Dog Brewing Co.
Brothers Josh and Jason Czernek (and Mom) visited Go Media looking for a Cleveland design firm who could help bring their dream brewery to life. Their concept revolved around the name Boss Dog Brewery — Discovering how best to visualize the brand’s voice, aesthetic, and most literally how the dog looks, was the first step in getting this brand up and running (no pun intended).
Go Media’s Art Director, Chris Comella, reflecting on his work, which encompassed everything from mascot, print and logo design, to branding and illustration, typography to brand management, noted one of his biggest rewards connected with the Boss Dog Brewing Company project.
“One of the things we focus on in our design process is presenting multiple concepts. This allows us to get really creative, while at the same time vet different approaches to achieving our goals. With this project in particular, the three concepts approached visualizing the dog (which was a main focus for this brand) in different ways. The final product is a photo-realistic stance, whereas the other two options were a more iconic version, and an illustrative version. Although it’s simply one facet of the brand at large, being able to guide the client through those options and end up in a place that’s custom tailored for them is a very enjoyable experience.”
Designer Carly Utegg reflects on the project fondly, “We started off the project with a photo shoot of the clients beloved dog Stella. Once we were certain that Stella would become the face of the brand, this unique opportunity to bring her into the studio was one we couldn’t pass up.”
While this experience filled the office with laughter, Chris admits, “In terms of what was most challenging specifically, I’d have to say the photo shoot. It’s not easy under those bright studio lights, but Stella pulled through and got us some great shots to work with.”
At the end of the day, the tight-knit team was proud of their results.
“One of the main goals with the Boss Dog brand was to portray our canine mascot in a way that wasn’t overly masculine, notes Carly. “Finding this balance was something we worked through during the branding process, exploring a range of styles until we decided on a silhouette as the best solution. What we have as a end product is a brand that while it has a workman or firehouse feel to it doesn’t cross the line of being overly bold and masculine. I think this identity will serve them well and I’m excited to watch the identity grow as we continue to work with the clients on applying it to their various applications in the near future.”
From all the tail wagging, we can tell that Stella is happy with the results. The Boss Dog crew and Go Media can certainly cheers to that.
Photoshop Drawing Tutorial: Digital Illustration & Drawing Techniques Video Tutorial
Photoshop Drawing Tutorial
New year’s resolutions are always thrilling for me. They breathe a sense of new life into both my personal and professional life. In 2015, I have one main goal – to throw every ounce of my soul into design. To dive into it, roll around, fill my brain with the endless information available and explode with happiness because of it.
Join me?
Digital Illustration & Drawing Techniques Video Tutorial
I’m super stoked about Cleveland Graphic Designers, Go Media’s first Arsenal launch of 2015: a Photoshop Drawing Tutorial by Jeff Finley. This 6 hour video tutorial is for intermediate PS users looking to create some awesome digital artwork. We’ll learn Photoshop shortcuts for killer results while simultaneously enhancing our drawing skills. Who’s with me?
– Heather, ‘ Zine editor
- Categorized: Go Media's Arsenal, News
- Tagged: Adobe Photoshop, digital, drawing, illustration, jeff finley, Photoshop, techniques