idea hamster

I can’t believe that the holiday season is almost upon us!! I thought I’d pause and post some things that I’ve been working on lately.

Currently, one of our bigger clients at CRT/tanaka is B&N College Booksellers. This is not the Barnes & Noble you find in shopping centers across America - but rather the Barnes and Noble college bookstores you can find on almost any campus. We’ve been working hard on some new corporate branding and other promotional materials. Here’s a peek at some items that I’ve been working on with my creative director, Al Davis:

I got to take a look at their corporate trade show booth in Orlando, FL - and took a quick pick at one of the small display signs that I had worked on:

Here’s a sneak peek at the new Barnes and Noble College Booksellers website that I’ve been working on with my awesome co-worker and web developer rock star, Dave Hess:

YardBirds at Gayton Crossing Shopping Center, here in Richmond, VA also asked me to create a fun Holiday promotional postcard for their customer base:

Isaac Harrell of Richmond Bride Magazine also asked me to create another 2-page spread illio for an upcoming article on couples that write their own wedding vows. I’ve been heavily influenced lately by traditional american folk art, especially colonial fraktur paintings, so see if you can spot the influence:

Ah yes…springtime. It’s a popular time of year for brides to walk down the aisle. For some brides, a large concern is not where everyone is going to sit or if the groom has rented his tux…it’s whether the brides’ arms are going to jiggle or if she’s going to fit in her dress. This is an interesting article on how to get fit quick with some illustrated instructions. The assignment included a full 8.5” x 11” illustration and two instructional spots (see below).

Here is a project that I’ve been working on the past few days - a t-shirt design for an upcoming event at the Virginia Science Museum, sponsored by Energy Forward (a community awareness program put together by Shell).

PROJECT UPDATE! I always love “before” and “after” reveals. I thought I’d post this quick note to show you what the client signed off on and what we sent to the printer today. Do you like it as much on the black tshirt?

I love working with Richmond Magazine’s Art Director, Isaac Harrell (which I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before). Isaac has a wonderful way of allowing me to spread my creative wings a little further each time we work together.

When Isaac came to me last week about producing this new 2 page spread illustration for their Dine section, he knew he wanted something retro and I knew he wanted something a little more sophisticated than my usual campy illios. So here are a few things that inspired me:

1. Mad Men - No. I do not watch the TV show. But I do live on planet Earth, so I do know what it is and what it’s premiss is about. (what I usually tell folks is, since I work in the “biz” and deal with agency life on a daily basis, I do not want to go home and watch it on tube). What this show is also know for is it’s set design, costume design and how perfectly they visually capture the style of the 1960’s.

2. Vintage Sewing Pattern Illustration - When I found some of these ultra groovy illios floating around on Google - it made me think of my college mentor - Donald Earley. This man is a fashion illustration icon whose clients have included Calvin Klein, Vogue, Bill Blass and Yves St. Laurent to name a few. When I found some of these retro sewing pattern illios - with their long necks and slender arms/legs, I thought back to Mr. Earley’s anatomy class and his amazing sensitivity for the human form. I also thought about how he once chucked a student’s drawing notebook out a 3rd story window, but I digress…

3. Charley Harper - American illustrator known for his minimalist approach and geometric style. The theme in most of his artwork is nature. I found his color palettes and background treatments to be inspiring.

Another quick project - for Avocados from Mexico. At CRT/tanaka, we do a lot of PR for this client with our partners, Lewis & Neal in New York. This new promo was created for a target audience of women, ages 25-45, to be used in press materials, a Facebook page and an online promo page that will link off of the AvocadosFromMexico.com website. Who knew avocados in your breakfast could jumpstart your energy for a productive day?

As the designer, I needed to keep the new logo consistent with the current logo, keeping it fun and playful and convey a bright and sunny morning. By looking at the “before” thumbnail sketches, can you tell which one the client wanted me to pursue?

It’s that time of year again! I’m constantly amazed by the amount of time it takes to plan out “fun” activities for your kids these days. What happened to spontaneity? What happened to hoppin’ on your bike and building forts in the woods? I guess those days are long gone…but that’s how I remember the summers of my childhood. These days, everything is pre-planned, months in advance.

Another quick job - lead illustration for Richmond Magazine’s Summer Camp Guide for 2011. Most summer camps in the Richmond area start taking reservations for children as early as March 1st. Which means, you better start planning and deciding where kid-ka-do is gonna go right after the holidays. 

(Featured above is the selected sketch and final art)