Strathmore Design Contest

I normally don't enter too many design competitions even though I know I probably should. Some competitions can be very expensive when you add up several entries and there's no guarantee that money will pay off with a winning selection. So when I noticed Strathmore has a quarterly competition for stationery design (incorporating their paper) that didn't cost anything, I took the time to enter. I was amazed to find that my own stationery won first place (www.strathmore.com). On top of that, Strathmore sent me a check for $500 and I'm also promised a plaque. Needless to say, I'll be entering ever quarter.

Color Variations

This post is a continuation from the previous one. Here's the latest direction for the annual report cover illustration. We've settled on basic content, but gone back and forth on the color pallet. As I look at all of these variations, it's amazing to me how much of an emotional effect color can make. Which one do you prefer?

Be sure to click on each image for a closer view.

Maybe Later...

I've been working on an illustration for the cover of an annual report. The image below was initially approved for further development but was recently dropped to move in another direction. Here's the sketch and the rough shapes built in Illustrator for a color study. This image is designed to be folded in half for a gate fold. Click on the individual images for a larger view.





The new cover illustration (not shown here) will also be very nice, but I really liked this one. After you've spent a considerable amount of time invested into something, it's hard to let go I guess. Perhaps someday I'll take the time to complete it, but since we planned on a painted version, there's still quite a few hours required to get this to the finish line.

Vacation on Big Island

I recently finished a logo project promoting a vacation at a very posh resort on Hawaii's Big Island. The logo's name says it all but I wanted to add elements that are indicative of the Big Island. I love this type of project because it fits my design sensitivities... but it was also nice to immerse myself in all of the sun-kissed imagery of Hawaii. The temperature here in Minneapolis right now is hovering around zero degrees. ):

Click on the image below for a much larger view.