exurban

The project begins with the client sending me a cut and paste sketch of what he wants. This is very typical for the way I have worked my whole career, for the most part it is helping people realize their visual ideas.

The cut and paste lays out in detail what the client wants. There isn’t any conceptual input required on my part, just technical skill in realizing the artwork’s creation. Still there is a lot of room for me to develop the particulars and apply creativity by my design and illustration choices.

Most people aren’t aware that there is not a font for everything, because there are so many fonts. After a brief period of searching for “Jesus and Mary Chain font” and related queries, I realize I will have to draw the type portion myself, creating it by approximating the probably hand lettered art on the Psycho Candy album cover.

The apple is drawn, with early ideas for colorways.

This is an example of how to add creative input despite extensive direction. I decided to go ahead and add the reflections to the candy covering. The clients initial specified colorways are tried and found to be lacking (looks like dirty motor oil, doesn’t it?).

More colorways are tried, the top one is what is ultimately chosen.

Type is made to fit in the apple.

A fit exactly like the clients cut and paste is attempted, resulting in the lower graphic. A bump is added to the lettering.

In the interval, the client sent an email requesting roses be added to the design. The client also sent a photo of more hand-lettered script type for a font specification. A suitable free font is chosen after pricing commercial options. The roses I have drawn for use in previous artwork and are recycled here for consistency.

The original banner layout is found lacking in my eyes, alternate banners are drawn. The type on the first variant is judged to be too difficult to comprehend and the bottom is the submitted ‘final draft.’

The client sends a revised cut and paste. The stem was omitted the entire time because candy apples to not retain their stems.

I am informed that the artwork is to be outputted as a woven label (there was never any initial information on the output format, I had assumed silkscreen based on previous work for the same client) and the curved stem will be problematic. The stem is straightened. While atypical for most designers, I have minimal, if any, interaction with any of the various vendors who produce products for the client. Despite this, the results are almost always good in the end.

The final design. The client approves this and it is made available to vendors.

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