Assignment Instructions: "Create a personal color tattoo. Explain the symbolism and why you believe it would be a great symbol for you to present to the world."
For this project, I chose to draw a Bengal Tiger. With project 2 being an assignment for the Cincinnati Zoo, I tried to think of any zoo animal I would not mind having a tattoo of.
Until next time,
Phil
Assignment Instructions: "From the end of Project 3 or Project 4 of the Against the Clock textbook, create either 1 of the 2 Portfolio Builder Projects using your own subject and original artwork."
For this week's project, I chose the Cincinnati Zoo project.
"The Cincinnati Zoo has hired me to create a new logo, create an invitation for the Grand Reopening, and create new icons for their seven main sections."
Here is the new logo I created:
I created their invitation on a standard 4"x6" postcard, including placeholder text for the date and time of the event, as well as the zoo's phone number and web address.
here are the 7 icons I created for their main sections:
Until next time,
Phil
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book "CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield. The exercise is on page 41.
Instructions: "Science fiction has been predicting the rise of the robot for decades. Although robots are an active part of our technological culture, most of us don't actually own one. Until now. Your task is to build the shell of a robot out of objects you see around you right now. It obviously won't work, but that is its problem! It can be in the shape of the human, animal, or even some futuristic space creature!"
The first thing I thought of was my trusty Shark vacuum, I started sketching on a pad of paper and decided on brooms for arms and hands and a lampshade with a working light for a head. I then asked DALL-E to refine my sketch and after a couple of iterations this is what I came up with:
Here are my designs for Project 3 and 4 from the book:
Until next time,
Phil
Assignment Instructions: Carefully read the art director and client comments, then create a design to meet the needs of the project.
Crossed Paws Pet Rescue, Inc.
2720 Havendale Blvd.
Winter Haven, FL. 33881
(863) 229-5259
contact@crossedpawspetrescue.org
Art Director comments: Your local animal shelter hosts an annual fundraising gala on the first Saturday in October. You have been hired to create a poster advertising this year's theme--a classic, black-tie masquerade ball.
First Saturday in October = October 4, 2025
Crossed Paws Pet Rescue, Inc.
(863) 229-5259
crossedpawspetrescue.org
Client comments: We raise a considerable portion of our annual operating budget during this annual event. This year, the theme is a very classic masquerade in the style of Victorian-England opulence--- think Phantom of the Opera, the state dining room on the Titanic, that sort of thing. Men in tuxedos and women in flowing gowns, everyone masked in some fashion until the traditional "reveal" at midnight.
Every year, the event includes a silent auction with some incredible prizes that are donated by local businesses, as well as a gourmet four-course meal prepared by a local celebrity chef.
If there is any way you could tastefully incorporate a couple of animal photos in the poster, we would like that. However, it isn't really a requirement as long as the shelter's name and contact information are clearly displayed.
When finished, write a brief explanation of the reasoning behind your final design.
I created the final design for the "Barking Mad for the Masquerade" poster to align with the client's vision of a Victorian-inspired, opulent masquerade ball while fulfilling all project requirements. The elegant ballroom imagery, created with vector graphics, paired with refined typography, sets the tone for a luxurious and sophisticated event. The event name, styled with flowing script was designed to evoke a sense of grandeur and drama fitting for the theme.
The animal elements were included to honor the shelter's mission, blending them subtly into the design without overpowering the central focus of the masquerade ball. I tried to lay out the design to ensure that the critical details---such as the event name, date, and contact information---stand out clearly, maintaining a professional and cohesive look. The overall goal was to create a visually stunning piece that not only captures the spirit of the event but also draws attention to the shelter's cause, encouraging attendees to participate in this meaningful fundraiser.
Until next time,
Phil
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book "CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield. The exercise is on page 27.
Instructions: "Alternate Road Sign Meanings: If we took one class in drivers education class, we are aware of what each of the common road signs mean. If the sign is yellow with a curved arrow pointing to the right, we know there is a curve coming up to the right. But what if we didn't know what they meant? Some of those signs might be communicating more than the designers bargained for. Your task today is a come up with alternate meanings for the following five common road signs:"
"No Positivity Beyond This Point"
"End of the World Ahead"
"Plus-Size Vehicles Welcome" or
"Addition Anonymous Meeting Ahead"
"Cattle VIP Lane or Got Milk?"
"Spinning Rear/Front Wheels (Burnouts) Encouraged"
For the design side of this week we began by completing the bezier game:
We then were to read and practice projects number one and two in the Adobe illustrator 2025 Professional Portfolio book.
The first practice project had us import a raster image to use as a template to create four Art Camp Icons. Here is my finished design:
The second practice project was a bit more involved. We imported a hand-drawn sketch of a sailboat and used a number of tools to create a vector graphic. The first variation included the sailboat, the blob brush tool, applying free-form gradient colors, and using the retype tool to extract font information from another design:
The second variation had us using the generative recolor function:
The third variation had us using the generate vectors beta function to create a sailboat at sunrise and creating a clipping mask:
Until next time,
Phil
