the blackaxe

In researching on t-shirt designs and illustration I found someone who I would now like to class as a graphic design hero, Blackaxe is now one of my favourite designers and sums up everything I want to be as a designer.

I am going to send black axe my portfolio and hopefully get some feedback off him, I think that he will have lots of useful criticism and hopefully some other contacts.

The vector images are really inspiring, I love this kind of typeface he has created, I want to work at making my own type and incorporating it in a way which will compliment my images.

This is my favourite piece by black axe, I think it is amazing how he has added so much detail to this image it left me gob smacked and made me think that I can add some much more detail to my images and make them really pop out from the crowd. there is no reason that I can not produce something like this.

This just shows that even though he is an illustration based designer it doesn't stop him from making something that combines 2 and 3D.

Just with a simple folding vector sheet.

These images are so cool, I love the stroke work and background colours, It shows that you can have a quite detailed background without taking glamor away from the main image.

This is an interesting idea of incorporating two images into one, kind of like a pessimist optimist display of imagery, in this image there is an armadillo and a warrior on display, I think that this is a really cool way of incorporating two designs into one.

No limits are really shown with this designer, he produces imagery for different brands and for different types of products, i.e. snow boards in this case, I really love the middle illustration and want to try and incorporate a melting type of imagery with my kind of illustrations and type.

The stroke work in these images in combination with the CMYK used creates a detailed and interesting effect. I believe that the stroke has a lot to stand for in these images and making different kinds of calligraphy brushes should allow me to produce detail like this with a greater ease than using the pen tool.

The new store at Londons Brick lane

Advertised upon the Ilovedropdead site the fact that the hot selling drop dead clothes were being sold in a store was all the news, the designers of dropdead are talented and new bloods in what they do.

This is some artistic typography by one of the designers for Echo Park, this for of characterising type is an amazing idea and the fact that it is done in such a street art and 3D way is really astonishing, this is a form of media I will try and experiment with.

Teaming up with the young guns, a punk rock band, drop dead agreed to collaborate and design their t-shirts and CD art.

The lion is drawn really well and looks amazing, I really love the attention to detail on the stroke work within the lions mane. I really want to practice this sort of design this year as it is what I want to be able to do as a designer.

T-rex and shark art, this looks really graffiti in style I like the drawing but I am not a fan of the colours I think they are too bright, perhaps if they were toned down a little the image would look a lot better.

Finally, this is the advertisement for the drop dead store opening, this was a fully typographic poster using different kinds of typefaces and a 2 colour plus stock print. I think it looks really good how the different typefaces work together and create such a strong structured advertisement.

t shirt prints and designs

Below are some of the companies most popular tee's looking at these designs has given me some strong inspiration in how I should start thinking about my range. Image and type are a great combo in this piece due to the colour scheme that has been used. the light blues compliment the maroon brown in such away that the type really pops.

This image is really smart as the colours used are the same used in 3D glasses which makes the t- shirt a 3D one, the design is really eye jolting and requires a lot of attention when seen.

Unisex vest - not only does the model really sell the product but the stock colour of the shirt is really vibrant and stands out. The 3 colour combo of prints on top of the stock makes a simple and eye drawing effect.

The illustration in this is quite realistic in regards to some of the other designs but it is the use of colour what sells the product, the combo of peach and a vivid turquoise makes a really interesting result that jumps out.

Yet again an amazing illustration but the use of colour is what seems to e selling the product. the t shirt would not be the same if it was on say a white cotton, as it is on a vibrant blue it compliments the pantone colours of the purple birds which are practically next to each other in the colour wheel,

limited colour palette and retro stripe design with an illustration over the top, the amount of things patterns on the product should be to much and would draw attention away from the deign, but as the stripes are such a faded colour the illustration really pops.

Simplicity and use of white space, the spacial awareness of the image is important not to mention how when designing a border should not be set to just front or back, who says the image shouldn't ride across the shoulder of a t shirt and cover the bottom.

Cosmos collage kind of effect t-shirt, this is one of my favourites because of the paint splatters and how so much is going on in the product.

This is also one of my favourites, I love the idea of using a pre existing product as nice as an ice cream and linking it in with an element such as death is genius, almost like an environmental message about what will happen if you have to much ice cream.

Photo shoot banners

The smart thing about making wallpapers for laptops is that it is a constant reminded about the clothing and makes who ever sees it think, I wonder if a new range is in stock now? this is a necessity for me to produce a banner similar to these which will show off my clothing designs and be good enough to be displayed as a poster or wallpaper on a mac or pc.

The colours are very faded and the colours merge in well with one another, it seems that there is quite a bit of transparency used in order to gain this effect. I believe that backgrounds are essential to give an interesting appeal such as this photo.

The theme of the clothes links in with the environment i.e. animals - nature. everything down to the models is selected carefully, this particular background in my opinion is based towards the male audience, these backgrounds are almost like a flirting contest between drop dead's make and female clothes.

Standart colour scheme contrast which matches the t-shirt. Black and white.

Collage of different models/ clothes to make a female friendly background, no man would want this on his wallpaper but he would want to wear the clothes these guys wear just so in a way he could be on the girls background.

Website

The online presence for drop dead's website is at a very high level, as soon as the site is accessed via the internet on either a computer, laptop or smart phone it is obvious that it is a clothing site. The photos are up to date, the clothing is constantly updated and with the new shop opening in london designs have been flowing in and getting printed like wild fire. My designs need to keep this approach to showing off the clothing i.e. photography and layout.

Drop dead have a very high rating of fans, for example on the 'drop dead family' section are various artists and bands whom wear the clothing range and are quite popular bands who are known globally. If someone this popular wears something then everyone wants one when they see such a person wearing one. genius marketing plan.

The smartest thing on the site is straight away it links to social networking with three simple banners linking to myspace, tumblr and twitter which will again spread the news on the clothing and get their name out there, the banners are smartly designed and a wise choice in colour palettes have been used.

I need to take these forms of distribution into consideration in order for my final documented products to work on I phone app as well as on a macbook.

Dropdead clothing - new brief

Bring Me The Horizon’s front man, Oli Sykes will be opening his first Drop Dead flagship store in Brick Lane, London.

Oli, who started the alternative street wear brand in 2005 with just several t-shirt designs, said, “I never imagined when I created those first few tee shirts that I would one day be opening a shop in London. I’ve been in Sweden for 6 weeks recording our 3rd album and fly back in London on the morning of the opening. How the shop looks in the flesh is going to be as much a surprise to me as it is to everyone turning up on the day – but it’s really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it ”

Drop Dead is now sold worldwide, helped by the great roster of bands who are sponsored by Drop Dead and proudly wear the brand. In turn, the bands enjoy the exposure of being featured on the Drop Dead web store which receives at least 10,000 unique visitors every day.

YEAR 3 BEGINS