SCHWARTZROCK GRAPHIC ARTS

ArmorQuest Cover Art

2011-12-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

As some of you might know, in a past life, Sherwin was a comic book artist. One of the series that he worked on and co-created was called ArmorQuest. The publisher is collecting the series into a full color graphic novel and we were asked to create the new cover art. Sherwin drew the image and Audrey colored it. Fun.

Holiday Cheers!

2011-12-06T14:19:00.001-08:00

All of us at Schwartzrock Graphic Arts wish you a warm and joy-filled holiday. Merry Christmas everyone!

Shopping Fun

2011-11-18T10:06:00.001-08:00

Bright colors and cartoony silhouettes made these images of people shopping fun to create for OLSONdenali.

Colorado Tourism

2011-11-18T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here are some layouts for a print tourism campaign. I was asked to create the text treatments with the Colorado flag. I wouldn't say I'm a type design aficionado, but these were fun to work on.

Trains and Busses

2011-11-18T09:58:00.001-08:00

It's not everyday we get the opportunity to design graphics for a train and bus wraps. It was a treat to actually see these run around town.

Earned Income Tax Credit

2011-11-18T09:55:00.001-08:00

This is a snapshot of a binder cover we designed and illustrated for the Northwest Area Foundation.

In Store Mock-ups

2011-11-16T13:45:00.001-08:00

Schwartzrock Graphic Arts primarily works with other, larger creative agencies... bringing their ideas to life. When my client came to me with this idea, I thought he was crazy. Many of you recall what the final version looked like in the store, but I thought you might like seeing the first round idea. Crazy ideas are sometimes the best ideas. (:

10' x 20' Banner

2011-11-16T13:44:00.001-08:00

This banner is for a live event used as both signage and a backdrop. It is nice to work with vector art when a file is going to get that large. We love Illustrator.

Fan Bingo

2011-11-16T13:41:00.001-08:00

This was a clever game idea that never made it past the first round... but it's so fun, I had to show it.

Believe It Logo

2011-11-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

Here's a mark that was used for a sales conference. These type of logos live primarily on a projected screen so they don't need to be as versatile as a corporate brand mark. These projects give us a little more freedom to add some visual bling.

Race Car Concepting

2011-11-16T13:32:00.001-08:00

Schwartzrock Graphic Arts primarily supports larger creative agencies bring their ideas to life. Below are some tight sketches we created to sell an idea. These were a lot of work, but nothing compared to what the final art 20 feet high and 100+ feet long would be. (:

Professor Perk

2011-11-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

For one of our clients we develop characters and build them to be animated in Flash. This old guy was a lot of fun.

???

2011-11-16T13:25:00.001-08:00

Don't even ask.

More Fun and Games

2011-11-16T13:20:00.001-08:00

Here's some quick images of some Flash-generated games we've worked on. This is just too much fun.

Icons or Illustration?

2011-11-14T08:16:00.001-08:00

So are they icons or illustrations? Some of the most exciting work is the kind that marries design with illustration. These are very iconic in nature, but at the same time, they're illustrative and can tell a little story. We like to straddle the line between design and illustration here at SGA (we're edgy like that) because both disciplines inform the other and can create fun new ways of representing the world around us.

Infographics

2011-11-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

Recently we were asked to help a local agency convey a timeline of possible events that help influence a sales decision. Marty Harris and I worked the weekend to crank out this piece. I've had to strip it of logos and such before I could post it here, but I think you'll get the picture.

2011-11-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

Check out the Evolve Design video now on Vimeo:

Fargo Brewery Logo Design

2011-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the logo we created a while back for the Fargo brewery. The packaging was designed by Matt Charpentier (Charpie) at Chalk: a website and app development company.

Mitt Romney Logos

2011-10-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

A while back we were asked to create some logos for presidential hopeful Mitt Romey; although these selections didn't make the final cut, we wanted to know which ones you thought were successful and why? Check us out on Facebook to vote!

Logos for a non-profit group

2011-08-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some logos that were designed for a non-profit company's gala. The company advocates and celebrates African-American literature.

Bert Newspaper Advertisement!

2011-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

This illustration of Bert was created for a company to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Homesteader or Prospector?

2011-08-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

This was an illustration for a company used in an internal promotional campaign. People would choose whether they were a homesteader or a prospector based on what sort of personality they had.

FPO Illustrations

2011-08-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

We don't usually post these, but we thought they'd be fun to take look at, since we do get a lot of these sorts of projects. They're "for position only" illustrations, which means that they're used by photographers and designers as compositional guides and/or place-holders for different media.

Throw these dogs a bone!

2011-08-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

These logos were created for a new website that's designed to raise awareness and advocacy for pitbull owners, as there's a lot of misinformed discrimination against the breed.

State Fair T-shirt Illustration

2011-07-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone for some ostrich? We did this fun illustration of a pot-sticker loving ostrich for a State Fair booth. Their most popular entrees include pot-stickers, and ostrich on a stick! Make sure to stop by their booth to try some...

The hand-drawn pencils were scanned in and inked for the final look using a Cintiq-- Wacom's newest tablet featuring an LCD screen.

Autobots, roll out!

2011-07-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

We put together this great Transformers poster for the new movie with a lot of help from Jonathan Koelsch. It features the mega-toy franchises' titular character "Optimus Prime".

Bullseye Games for Target!

2011-07-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is another illustration given out on the back of an pamphlet for the Twins Games. The games are at night, so we had fun illustrating some fireworks and fancy lighting this time around.

New Logolounge marks published

2011-07-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

The recently published Logolounge Master Library volume 3 was published, featuring 8 different marks by SGA.

Evolve Design Video

2011-05-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Matt "Sharpy" Charpentier did a great job editing together video of the Evolve Design conference that happened on January 13. We had a lot of great Minnesota Designers attend to talk about the current design landscape in Minnesota, and where it was headed.

Check out the video here: http://charpiellc.com/clients/aiga/Evolve-Edit-04m.mov

Crown of Thorns Illustration

2011-05-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of posters that feature the Crown of Thorns illustration we did; the design was created by Mathew Taylor for a Christian organization.

Rejoicing Partners Logo Designs

2011-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

These logo designs weren't chosen, but we thought they deserved to be shown off a bit. They were for honorary members of St. Phillip the Deacon Lutheran Church.

Stella Illustration

2011-05-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

An illustrated scene from Audrey, for an upcoming book called Stella by Bing Puddlepot.

Audrey Axt

2011-04-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Audrey Axt has joined SGA. Take a look at her work at www.AudreyAxt.com!

Chronicles Media

2011-04-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

This logo is for a graphic novel publisher for a line of comics focused on historical stories.

2011 Baseball Ad

2011-04-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

Again I get to work with Jason Miller and David Schwen to help create the back-of-the-program ads for Target Field. These fun ads are really games you can play with your neighbor while at the game. Cedric Hohnstadt helped me out with the ink work. Look for more in this series.

Embark Icons

2011-04-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest series of icons created for Target's Embark duffel bag packaging.

New CCS Logo

2011-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was asked to create a mark for a private Christian school in Wilmar, MN. We wanted to create a mark that could serve as a corporate mark for the school as well as a athletic mark for their various sports programs.

Here's the other marks presented.

New Kingswood Logo

2011-04-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

Just outside of Mound, MN is a camp and retreat center that is a real gem. Kingswood in a beautiful area on the border of Minneapolis suburbs and country. It's amazing how remote this place feels while being relatively convenient to get to.

Logolounge Volume 6

2011-04-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

A while back I blogged about judging for LogoLounge's latest collection. Well, it's finally published and on book shelves at your favorite bookstore. Even though I wasn't able to vote for any of my work, I still was fortunate enough to get 25 marks in the book.

A Humble God?

2010-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Fargo Brewing Co.

2010-12-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Matt Charpentier (better known as Charpie) asked me to help him with a logo for his client. This mark was the result. Fun.

Evolvedesign

2010-11-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

Did I mention you need to go to this event on January 13th?

Register here.

Calorie Conscience Icons

2010-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

I was honored to be called into a nice project for a large weight loss campaign. Because of the wide variety of the subject matter, I tried to keep all of the marks with a strong circular feel using two consistent line widths.

Meet Mike

2010-11-16T11:46:00.001-08:00

Here's a fun character I created for a long-term internal campaign. This guy was built as vector art so it can be used for print and animated web applications. Smart.

Mainstreets

2010-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Coincidently, I've been asked by two different clients to create mainstreet illustrations.

Christian Comic Mastheads

2010-11-16T11:36:00.001-08:00

Even though I'm not drawing comic books anymore, I've been asked to help a new company create some mastheads for their titles. The following are some recent designs with collaboration with Brad Thomas.

Tiger Logo

2010-11-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

As I've posted before, I really like to create marks that cannot be considered "clip art" logos. To accomplish this, I try to incorporate the text with the icon to a degree that it becomes unique. Below is a logo I created for a corporate sales conference. The top logo was my initial design. However, the client wanted an even more condensed version so I built the bottom mark.

Even now, I'm not sure which works better.

Hawley High School Jazz

2010-11-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

Keith Wander, my high school band teacher asked me to create a logo for his Jazz band. He actually wanted to use the old logo for a Moorhead State Jazz Band which I had created back in college but by now wasn't being used anymore. I couldn't remember it so he sent me a picture of an old jacket which had the mark (shown below).

As you can see, looking at early work can be a bit embarrassing... but I did like the concept. So, I created a new mark with the same idea that will be more legible and efficient.

Evoledesign January 13, 2011

2010-11-11T06:32:00.001-08:00

If you are involved in the Minnesota design community, you simply must attend this event.

Go online and register now to secure your seat at a historical event. Some of the greatest movers and shakers of the Minnesota design scene will be in one place to discuss the history and future of graphic design in Minnesota. We will have Peter Seitz, the grandfather of design in MN, along with other pioneers like Tim Eaton, Tim Larsen and Eric Madsen. In addition, we've brought in other design superstars like Joe Duffy, Monica Little, Bill Thorburn and Phyllis Aragaki to talk about the evolution of design from the early years to today. Finally, the panelists will discuss the future of design with young guns, Travis Olson, Jason Rysavy and 3 design chairs, Bernard Canniffe, John DuFresne and Steven McCarthy. All of this will be moderated by Communication Arts' editor, Patrick Coyne.

If that isn't enough to bring you out on a cold night, do it for me. I've been working on this event for several months and it has been a labor of love.

Go to www.AIGAMinnesota.org and click on the Evolvedesign link to find out more info and register today!

Hulk Poster

2010-11-11T06:24:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, most of my clients are larger creative agencies. This means I often don't get to see the final product because I'm not handling the print or production. A long time ago I worked on a poster for Target that promoted their Hulk toys to coincide with the movie release. Just yesterday I received this image.

Pretty cool stuff.

Kingswood Logo

2010-08-16T10:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a mark I created for a local camp/retreat center. Apparently, the king of England would brand trees in his forest reserved for royal purposes. I loved the branding idea and added the icon of an English cross that blossoms into the letter "K".

Sandwich Board

2010-07-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

As you know, I don't do a lot of traditional graphic design. Mostly I create logos, icons and illustrative designs for my clients. However, my friend Pat Skelly of BI needed some quick help with a sandwich board. Pat called me on a Monday to ask my availability. Content for the street posters trickled in throughout the week with the final image of Denise Austin coming in Thursday morning. I sent final art files Thursday Noon to Pat who had Kinkos print the posters in St. Louis on Friday for a Saturday event. Has anyone else noticed that the speed of business is getting faster and faster?

Women's Ministry

2010-05-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

Here's a logo I recently finished for my church.

Nash for MN Rep.

2010-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jim Nash is running for the Republican nomination to compete for the MN state representative seat in district 34A. He asked my help for a logo years ago when he successfully ran for a seat on the Waconia city council. Now he's running for state representative. What's next? Govenor?

Seriously, Jim is a solid character. But I have yet to understand why people would want these thankless jobs...

Writing on the Wall

2010-04-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

Here's another t-shirt design for a Christian printer in the UK. I took some liberties with this story from the book of Daniel. (:

Target Field Ads

2010-04-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

When you're visiting the new Minnesota Twins stadium, Target Field... be sure to flip over your program. I created the illustrations for a series of back cover ads (two are shown here) designed by InHouse art director, Jason Miller. I need to also mention that the in-house department at Target has really been creating some wonderful work since their inception. Much of it was noticed recently by AIGA Design Show judges and won cubes.

Blackwood Portfolio

2010-04-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

A while back, I showed you the brochure I designed for Blackwood Management Group... and their crazy expensive business card. Well, they finally got their portfolios finished and this is where all of the pieces come together.

LogoLounge 6

2010-04-21T06:47:00.001-07:00

The winning logo designers for the new LogoLounge 6 book have been notified and I'm glad to say that 25 of my logos have been selected. Click on the image below to get a better look.

I was also a judge for the book along with Bart Crosby of Crosby Associates, Hans Hulsbosch of Hulsbosch, Jeannie Servaas of Saffron Brand Consultants Inc., Jessica Hische of Jessica Hische, Marius Ursache of Grapefruit, Silvio Giorgi of Latinbrand, and Tessa Westermeyer of Landor.

Judging wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Since 34,000 logos were entered for consideration, it was a marathon process. I found it difficult to keep my criteria for judging consistent throughout the whole process. At each session, I would start out giving positive grades liberally. As the hours dragged on, I became more and more cynical. The inconsistency made me go back several times to correct previous grades which prolonged the process even more. Even so, I was honored to be selected as a judge and feel I did my best at grading a very impressive body of work.

Fellow Awards & 2010 MN AIGA Show

2010-04-14T13:04:00.001-07:00

Prior to the big MN AIGA Design Show, dozens of people gathered to watch MN AIGA give out 3 more Fellow awards. Joe Duffy, Sue Crolick and Eric Madson now join the previous award winners, Tim Larsen and Peter Seitz... both in attendance. I tried to capture some of the attendees in photos.

Psalms 119:105

2010-03-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun t-shirt design for a UK company.

Winsted Arts Council

2010-03-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

I live in a small town west of Minneapolis. It historically has been a farm town. It is still very much a farm town but has in recent years grown with housing developments making it something of a bedroom community for the Twin Cities.

A group of local artists have joined together to create a Winsted Arts Council to foster the local art scene. The plan is to refurbish an old creamery in town to house exhibitions and create a meeting space for the arts. I was asked to design a logo for the new organization.

This idea of using a cow (representing our rural location and the creamery) with different spots to represent different arts was settled upon in a brainstorming meeting almost immediately. This could be the easiest logo I've ever worked on.

Final Freshwater Logo

2010-03-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Churches are the worst kind of business to work for. They need to act like a corporation in many ways, but even if they have some structure like a company, there isn't the culture of corporate America.

I was tapped a long time ago to redesign my church's logo. To get a consensus, a committee was formed. After perhaps a dozen different logos, the project was shelved because no one could agree. Finally the pastor stepped in and we pushed through the logo below... which is really just an advancement on the old logo.

If this story sounds familiar, it is because this type of thing happens all of the time... not just in churches but in companies large and small. The reason is employees/executives all have different ideas on what the organization is and/or where they are going. My friend Jonathan Wiese of 3.2.1 www.ThreeTwoOne.com helps companies define their brand so decisions at every level can be made confidently and quickly. Not long ago I worked on his church's logo (Westwood Lutheran Church) and the process was completely efficient and effective. I can't recommend Jonathan's process enough.

Banana Cabana

2010-03-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a snapshot of an image I recently finished. I would love to be one of those bananas right now.

Fiskum Law Office Website

2010-03-05T09:05:00.001-08:00

When I moved my office to the Carlson 601 tower, I made friends quickly with Dan Fiskum. He's a divorce lawyer. Now don't get the wrong idea. (: Dan and I shared a joy for strategic branding and lunches downstairs in the cafeteria.

Early on, Dan asked me to help him with his website. Not wanting to spend much time with it, I created a nice site that was visually appealing and easy to navigate... and it nearly ruined his business!

Apparently much of his client base finds him through Google searches. He advertises through Google and his new site was not even remotely Google friendly. Upon learning this we went back to the drawing board and put some real time into rethinking not only his site design but more importantly, his brand and marketing strategy. It was a fascinating journey charting a new course for his business. When we were ready, we moved forward with the new site design with the help of a Google optimization expert. I can't say enough how valuable it is to build on sound research and strategy. It was even surprising to me to see how quickly Dan's business has moved forward in the direction he wanted because of the time spent on brand strengthening and strategy.

Below is the design I delivered for the home page. The final execution at www.FiskumLaw.com is not what I had hoped for from the web programmer, but that's another story all together. (:

Martyrs Masthead

2010-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

I've been out of Christian comic publishing for a while now, but when Ken Raney of ClashEntertainment.com came a calling, I picked up the phone... mostly because he was a paying customer (not very common in Christian comics).

Ken needed a masthead for a 4-issue series on Christian martyrs down through the ages. I created the mark shown below at the top, which was turned down for a more logotype treatment. I then offered the versions below that. Even so, the powers-that-be at Clash wanted a strict type treatment with no embellishments to fit their other series. Not all projects work out the way we hope for, but I was encouraged to work with Clash. Please visit their website and check out their new ventures.

Treasure Map

2010-03-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Beth Louma of BI needed an illustration of a treasure map for her client's internal sales incentive program. I created the image below which the client loved. The final file was for a 4' x 6' poster. My poor G5 delivered the huge layered file, but it didn't like it. (:

Lack of Posts

2010-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me for not posting since last December. No, I haven't gone off the grid. Thankfully, I've been very busy which in this economy is a honest-to-goodness miracle.

Over Christmas and the new year, I had some time off to think over my business. Globalization and technology has changed the design business. The recession hasn't helped either and the world as I've known it over the last 20+ years has changed for good. If anyone is still hoping that business will return to "business as usual" is in denial.

Logos can now be acquired on the internet for $200 and less. I actually think this service is a good thing. Many clients need a nice-looking $200 logo that will get them to market quickly and economically. These clients are not my clients but none the less, I can see the writing on the wall. Some design is now a commodity. To be relevant in this new economy we need to add value beyond execution... we need to innovate.

So, I'm making big changes to my business and will share some news on that when some details are finalized. Until then, thanks for your patience and I'll be posting some images later today.

ArmorQuest Free On-line

2010-01-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

I was recently reminded that the ArmorQuest graphic novels I created with writer Ben Avery, editor Bud Rogers and colorist Brian Miller, are free to view online at http://urcomic.com

The site cut up the art to fit better on a horizontal format so it looks different than the print version. But for those of you who liked the first ArmorQuest colored graphic novel and would like to see the unpublished volumes II and III... take a look. Did I mention it was free?

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

Vino with Veterans Blizzard

2009-12-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

The first Vino with Veterans event met with the first winter storm of the year. 20 hardy souls met at Spill the Wine for a few hours of lively conversation, beverages and snacks. I personally had a great time and hope the weather will be a little more kind to us for the next event
.

YouthLink Brochure

2009-11-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Recently a long-time client and friend, Nan Upin Murphy, asked my help in developing YouthLink's new marketing plan to donors. The main marketing piece is this brochure. Even non profits have been hit hard by the recession so this went from a very large project to a very small project. Even so, I think this visual will be a nice change of pace for them.

Be sure to click on the image for better detail.

Cancer Research

2009-11-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

I've been working with my friend Jonathan Wiese of 3.2.1 on a marketing program for Children's Cancer Research Fund. With his direction, I submitted this idea as my favorite for a series of 4 postcards. Since it has a child-like flavor, I thought it hit the mark completely.

The client couldn't make the connection between old technology (planes, trains, mining, hourglass) and the new innovations their research creates. So, we settled on the idea below... which I also liked.

Vino with Veterans

2009-10-19T13:52:00.001-07:00

I was asked to create a new logo for a new program with the Minnesota chapter of AIGA. Vino with Veterans is a casual social gathering exclusively for veteran designers (15 years or more of work experience). My hope is that these gatherings will spark great conversations about the business of graphic design. Sharing our experiences, ideas and passion with each other could really help the Minneapolis design community, especially in the current economic climate.

Gold Man

2009-10-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

The more we tear away the flesh, the more we see something beautiful forming in us.

Baby Icons

2009-10-08T12:12:00.001-07:00

Here's a series of icons for a baby catalog. The client wanted the icons to be similar to the universal icons we see on bathroom doors and road signs... only with a bit of softness and cuteness added.

Directory Cover

2009-10-08T11:57:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick design for Freshwater Community Church's photo directory.

Type Treatment

2009-10-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

Here's one of several type treatments for an ad campaign ably art directed by Jennifer Farquharson of MMG Worldwide.

Free Graphic Novel

2009-09-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

As you may be able to tell from recent posts, I've been rummaging through my office storage. I'm noticing I have 4 or 5 boxes of the ArmorQuest graphic novel I illustrated years ago (written by the brilliant Ben Avery). It's black and white at roughly 160 pages. I've given up all hope of making money off of these books, so if you would like a free copy, please send me an email request. Include your address of course and $2 to cover postage.

Wehmann Catalog

2009-09-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

More blasts from the past. Jason Rysavy of Catalyst Studios asked me to create a bunch of icons for his client's catalog. His talented designers put them together to create this fun and unique piece.

First Logo Book

2009-09-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Early in our marriage (and my career), my wife and I decided to intentionally choose a city to spend our adult lives in... instead of staying in Minneapolis simply by default. We loved the West and picked Spokane, Washington as our perfect place. Not too small, not too large and close to the mountains.

I created this promotional piece to find work in Spokane. It worked well and I eventually found myself at the best design shop in town, Anderson Mraz Design. Even though we moved back to Minneapolis a year later (go figure), we kept fond memories of Spokane and a wonderful mentor, John Mraz.

Blackwood Brochure

2009-09-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, I've been helping Blackwood Management Group with their business tools. Here's some pictures of their overview brochure. This piece is meant to be tucked inside a custom portfolio but that hasn't been finished yet.

The Cardinal Masthead

2009-08-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

My friend, Kurt Kolka, has been drawing The Cardinal both in both comic book and serial strip formats since 1990. If you're interested in a Christian superhero who flies around in a red bird outfit, you can follow his exploits here.

He's working on a new printed collection and asked me to redesign his masthead. I couldn't resist.

1 Logo, Several Options

2009-08-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

I recently worked on a logo design for a company that safeguards businesses against catastrophe. It's not always possible, but I like it when I can tell a small story about a company with the logo. Often times it is a struggle because a logo needs to be simple and iconic. This logo system for BounceBack Solution offers a single logo with several options. I envision using these alternative marks on business cards and animated on the website.

Correction

2009-08-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

I must concede that the previous posts do not hold the title for the "World's Most Expensive Business Card." I was forwarded to this YouTube video for proof.

I laughed out loud.

World's Second Most Expensive Business Card

2009-08-13T06:34:00.001-07:00

Here's another business card hot off the letter press. I've worked with Jonathan Wiese for many years. He's the best kind of client... one of my best friends. It took me several refinements to get this logo just right, but now I can see it was well worth it.

Jonathan wanted his business card to be unique and pull double duty. On one side it is a traditional card. Turn it over and it unfolds into a mini brochure!

Even though this piece is letterpressed with 3 colors and a diecut, it still was cheaper to print than the cards in the previous post. However, if you add in the design costs, it should probably share 1st place. (:

World's Most Expensive Business Card

2009-08-11T08:07:00.001-07:00

Blackwood Management Group is a new business that has just qualified as the best client of all time. Let me explain.

When we were exploring their stationery items, I showed them stainless steel business cards. A vendor on the west coast offered them at roughly $1.50 each. My client fell in love with the idea of metal cards. Right before sending the art file off to be produced, I learned that their etching process wouldn't work with my design. Apparently if graphics on the back and the front overlap, you'll get a knockout. Disappointed, I showed my client a very beautiful letterpress option on metallic paper with the same diecut... at only a $1 per card. (: Undaunted, my client found a vendor from London who offered a thicker-steel option making our design possible. With a price tag of $3 per card, I did my best to steer them towards the still crazy-expensive letterpress option. But they wouldn't budge.

Even though I think they are a little insane, I'm thankful to be holding the most beautiful and expensive card I've ever designed in my career.

The Quarter

2009-07-22T10:36:00.001-07:00

Here's a new logo for The Quarter, a very casual, conversational ministry at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota. I like how a lot of elements came together efficiently to form this relatively simple mark.

Propaganda Poster Wanna Be

2009-07-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a few images I created for a long time client, BI. The art director, John Eastman, wanted the vibe of those great WWII propaganda posters from the Soviet Union. I'm also noticing some Douglas Fraser influence... although I'm pretty sure he would have done a much better job.

LogoLounge 5

2009-06-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received my copy of LogoLounge 5. Just like the previous publications, this book is full of beautiful work and I'm honored to have 38 of my own logos/icons included. I'm especially looking forward to being a guest juror for LogoLounge 6!

Drip.Dot.Swirl.

2009-06-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

Drip.Dot.Swirl, a book and DVD offering 94 patterns for design or illustration has recently been published. It's a fine collection of repetitive designs and patterns that can conveniently be used by graphic designers and illustrators.

When preparing the book, Von Glitschka, the author (and also an incredibly-talented illustrative designer) asked me to submit a design incorporating one of his patterns. I was honored and used his pattern in a Christmas greeting.

Visit Amazon to pick up your own copy today... you won't be disappointed.

Health and Beauty

2009-06-04T08:26:00.001-07:00

Here's three icons for a series of health and beauty suppliments for a client in Boulder, Colorado. The demographic for this product is heavily female, so the client wanted something elegant and flowing.

Miscellaneous Images

2009-06-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here's three images I recently created for a client. I won't even bother explaining what these are for.

Watchman University

2009-05-13T09:08:00.001-07:00

Dianne Yanovick is one of the smartest women I know in the strategic marketing/branding field. When I work with her, I feel like a child learning at the feet of the master.

She recently asked me to help her with a sub-brand identity for a client of hers. We needed to keep an element of the original logo in the new mark. After a lot of exploration, the best idea (shown below the original mark) was actually her idea... and I was able to bring it to life.

Hush Hush... again

2009-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration I finished recently. That's all the information I can share with you. There are secret agents standing behind me now as I type this post to make sure I don't leak any mission critical info. (:

Bar-b-cue Cook off

2009-04-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Deep Down, Inc. manufactures subsea equipment and services for the oil and gas industry. Every year at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, there is a barbecue cook off party. Deep Down wanted to create a logo for their team. I guess Texans take their barbecue seriously. (:

A new client, W3 Advertising out of Stafford, Texas, asked me to supply the design.

Here's the winning selection I created for them.

Letterpress

2009-04-09T11:28:00.001-07:00

Any opportunity I get, I try to use Studio on Fire (letterpress and design studio in Minneapolis) to letterpress stationery. It's old school technique and yet so very cool. Here's a calling card I recently designed for Love's Garden, a Christian ministry in Israel. They will love handing these things out.

p.s. be sure to click on the photo for a much better view.

Final Product

2009-04-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

A while back I showed you my early progress on this annual report cover. Here's the final product along with a couple of the interior images. This project was an epic battle. I told Scott Di Girolamo from Design Center that if we ever survived this, I would buy him a beer. We celebrated this week over lunch at the Lexington in St. Paul.

New Bible

2009-03-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

A while back, I was asked to design the layout for a new kind of illustrated Bible to be published by Zondervan. The idea was similar to the now famous St. John's Bible, but with more of a fantasy art flavor. I used already existing samples of the artists' work for the mock layout, but all new art would be commissioned... if you notice the level of detail in these images, the idea of illustrating the whole Bible is staggering. My part was to create a layout that would be flexible to accommodate multiple compositions but yet still carry a strong visual theme from book to book. Be sure to click on each image for a larger view since there are a lot of nice details.

AIGA Design Award

2009-03-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

It is sad to say that I've been in the design field for over 20 years and only last year joined AIGA. So, for the first year ever, I entered the annual design competition. Minneapolis is a hotbed for some of the best design firms in the nation... so I was very pleased to find out my stationery system won an award.

The House

2009-03-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, there weren't many upsides to my foray into Christian comic book publishing. One of the few benefits was meeting and working with Zondervan's Zonderkids publisher, Bruce Nuffer. He eventually left Zondervan and found himself at NPH (Nazarene Publishing House) where he was quickly asked to start a new entity to meet a demand for relevant material for the 20-something church.

Bruce's energy is addictive and I wanted to help. He needed a logo, so I offered to add ideas to the ones NPH's in-house design department was supplying. I found it challenging to incorporate the given name, "The House" which didn't add much value to their mission. None the less, here's the ideas I proposed.