assignment: skate deck... so far...15.5 hours

overview:

based on our skills we learned from semester 1 classes including design composition, methodology and typography, along with techniques regarding creating vector and raster images we were asked to design a skate deck. we were also given a theme to base our skate deck on: predators.

specifications:

cannot be an already licensed subject, required to fulfill the client's request by meeting deadlines, include a mindmap, apply the knowledge of the material we have learned in class

elements to include:

student name, number and course code on the back, vector elements, raster elements, typography, texture created with physical material and a branding theme

budget:

skate board: 15.00, and printing costs $25.00-30.00$

initial research:

to begin this project, i decided to break down a mindmap into 2 categories, land and sea. by doing this i was able to successfully decide on a subject based on the predators theme we were given in class...  

from the mindmap, i had chosen the "sea" category to begin my sketches..

i also did some broad "skate deck" design searches as well as images of octopus' and sharks

preliminary sketches:

final sketch decision:

after combing through my preliminary sketches, i was able to decide on one of the designs that i liked the most

colour pallete:

so after unsuccessfully searching online for countless hours looking for a colour pallette that incorporated both my octopus and the background i wanted to have on my deck, i made my own...

design process:

to begin my design process, i scanned my sketch into photoshop for further editing, i outlined the sketch using a soft black brush with mid-opacity to ensure the lines weren't too harsh

i used a tablet to make it easier to maneuver around my sketch

after having outlined my sketch roughly i began the colouring process...

 although i liked my colour pallete, i wanted to experiment with purple just to see if it would look better:

 i didn't....

i finished colouring my image in:

then i added some detail including shading and gradients to make the image more prominent:

for the texturized background i used water colour paints to combine shades of blue for the sea:

i didn't like this one too much

adding the texture to my design, i played around with the layers and blending modes as well as levels, curves and saturation:

logo design:for the logo i decided to do it in illustrator and make it a vector image, from my preliminary sketches you can see that i played around with words that evoked violence and anger such as destroy and hunter, i liked destroy

 i played around with the orientation of the letters so they could look more interesting, i decided on a clean bold font with not too much detail because it would take away from my overall design and because the letters weren't in the conventional layout, i had to ensure they were still easy to read.. i decided on the last design because it was clear and had appeal to it as a logo...

final design:

i combined my final logo with my final image, and used a symbol brush to finish it off, i then applied it to the template we were given in class

final product:

i am still waiting for my design to be printed but thought i'd begin with my process while i wait...it shouldn't be long now until i can apply the sticker to the skate deck and i will keep you updated, stay tuned! :)