ADVE-CORE2291 Design Lab 1: Project 2 Illustrator Techniques - EXAMPLE
Underneath the title insert a brief description of the project. What's the purpose? What did I learn? What did I already know? What did I get practice on?
Illustrator Techniques - Coca Cola Script
Take screenshots of your progress. Explain what you're doing in each one. Is there a panel or technique you want to bring attention to. Be informative, assume the viewer has no idea what you're doing. (upload at least 6 in-progress screenshots of your work on tracing the Coca Cola Script)
Placing the pixel based tracing image in Illustrator and setting up my swatches panel.
Box method. Using square shapes as guides, I find the apex of each curve that I'm tracing so I can plot (with the pen tool) the minimal amount of anchor points, I also hold down shift to get those perfectly straight (horizontal/vertical/45degree angle) bezier handles
Doing both of these will ensure the smoothest curves and yield the most professional result.
The Coca Cola Script before using the shape builder. (switched the colors and thickened the stroke for visibility.)
I know the box method can be really confusing and frustrating for some students, so I thought it would be a good idea if I included an image showcasing where all of my anchor points are placed on my completed text.
as well as image showing all of my horizontal / vertical / 45degree angle bezier handles
Utilizing the type on a path tool to create the "trade mark registered" text on the tail of the "C" in Coca.
Using the gradient tool. With just the script and the circle, I personally enjoy the more flat graphic approach better over the gradient.
Extra Credit - Coca Cola Bottle Art
For those of you who want a challenge and an opportunity at some extra credit, watch video 4 and recreate the entire bottle in Illustrator.
Pattern Elements - Theme
For your pattern elements pick a Coca Cola related visual theme.
- Party (could be something seasonal, or a specific holiday)
- Picnic
- Sporting events
- Movies (such as a drive-in, theatre, or at home)
- Or, invent your own theme
Explain to the viewer what the theme is and why did you pick it?
I am a big fan of Space related things. The Hubble space telescope had its 30 year anniversary back in April of this year, but it went mostly overlooked because of COVID 19. Given Coca Cola's history in pairing up with various organizations for different campaigns (olympics, conservation, Star Wars) I wanted to give our space program some love and create pattern elements that could be used in some sort of NASA + Coca Cola campaign.
Visual Exploration
When doing research for your pattern elements what kind of images stood out to you? Why did they stand out? (up load at least 10)
I was personally drawn to diverse ways Coca Cola uses their iconic bottle shape and other aspects of their iconic branding. I thought it was a nice creative surprise to discover the shape of the highlight in the polar bear image is a bottle silhouette, The bottle shape is in the negative space of the face guard in the football helmet. The iconic wispy "C" makes up the torch smoke in the olympic ad.
With my patterns I wanted to explore something along those lines in regards to the space program. There are already some visual similarities to the shaping of the red zephyr shape in the NASA logo to the flourishes in the Coca Cola text.
Note on Sketches
Thumbnail sketches are meant to be quick, and get an idea across. But to prevent someone from misinterpreting your drawings, it's a good idea to include a written explanation.
For presentation purposes we also want to display your sketches in a professional manner. If you make your sketches on paper, I would recommend scanning them digitally and editing them, or photographing your sketch book on a nice neutral background by a window letting in natural light.
Additionally, photographing outside on a cloudy day is a nice way to get nice diffused lighting, and using ink can make it easier to scan/edit digitally.
Good & Bad Examples
You want your sketches to be documented like this...
Not like this...
Your presentation should exhibit and if possible, enhance the quality of your ideas.
How you display your work can diminish the quality of your concept. If the work is too dark, has a distracting or harsh shift in value to one side or around the edges, the crease in your sketch book cuts through a major focal point, or if the artificial lighting puts a gross tint on your work, the viewer can get distracted from what's important.
Back to the project - Pattern Sketches
Sketch out — pencil on paper or stylus on tablet — your own ideas for at least 3 pattern elements (“motifs”).
NOTE: Your pattern elements can be as simple or complex as you choose. I was having a lot of fun making these so I went a little more on the detailed side. As long as you have 3 distinct vector elements/motifs drawn in Illustrator, you will be fulfilling the project requirements.
For my pattern elements I was focusing in on how I could hide Coca Cola related imagery into my pattern elements.
I thought it would be fun to replace one of the rocket boosters on a space shuttle with a Coca Cola Bottle.
Utilizing the similar imagery, change the NASA logo a little and instead of being on a circle, put it on the silhouette of a bottle cap.
And lastly change part of the Hubble telescope into a Coke Can.
Using your 3 motifs sketch 2 patterns
For my two pattern applications using my 3 elements, I thought a repeating pattern of stars in the shape of a coke bottle would look nice behind the Hubble Telescope. The end result looking like something that might go on a Ad or a 2 liter bottle label.
I also thought a standard repeating pattern utilizing the 3 elements would be a good option for the second.
Progress on the Pattern Elements
Depending on how complex/simple your patterns are, you may have less or more progress to document. The important thing is to document it.
I started off with making some assets that I could use as subtle tie ins to the Coca Cola company. Coca Cola has a very distinct shape to their bottles, both plastic and glass. So I thought tracing those real quick would be a logical first step. I especially enjoyed using the shape builder and the live corners to make the bottle cap shape.
I then moved on to re-creating the NASA logo with changed colors and replacing the circle with my bottle cap. I experimented with the color schemes of Coca Colas different products (Diet coke & Coke Zero)
I ultimately went with a Coke Zero Color Scheme. There's just something so nice simple and clear about Black White & Red. (also Coke Zero is my favorite out of the 3.)
Making the space shuttle icon and the telescope were a lot of fun as well. It took a few iterations to get the shuttle and the solar panels right but I'm quite happy with the result.
I made some repeating patterns real quick to see if this direction was going to head in the way that I wanted it to. Unfortunately, my bottle cap NASA logo looked too much like the logo for MATTEL, so I decided to try having the swoop be free standing.
For the most part it worked, but because this whole thing is about the Hubble Telescope I wanted to bring more emphasis to it over the shuttle.
Final Pattern Elements
I made a few more refinements to my 3 elements. I added a little angle to the red stripe on the can part of the telescope, and I put the red NASA swoosh behind the telescope. For my third pattern element I though going with just with the stars and placing the bottle cap in among them.
Progress on the Patterns
Using my finished 3 vector elements I experimented with 2 repeating patterns. The first was just a standard repeating pattern and I thought it turned out quite successful.
The second pattern I aimed to make the pattern a background texture to fill the silhouette of the bottle from the rocket ship booster and putting the telescope element on top of it.
I made a repeating pattern to start thing off and it didn't quite match the flow I was going for. So I duplicated and moved the star shapes around manually to make an organic pattern to a much better result.
Final Patterns
Final Presentation Board
And here is my final presentation board. Complete with CCAD approved legend.
I decided to edit my coca cola bottle art to better match the more saturated graphic colors I used in my patterns. I also wasn't feeling the circle so I got rid of that too.
For those of you who didn't do the extra credit that is perfectly fine. In Place of the bottle + Coca Cola Script on the presentation board you'll just put the Script.
Note on Presentation Boards
Presentation boards are made with the purpose of displaying all the final aspects of your project in one nice composition. (They make for great pieces to print and hang on the wall on the 3rd floor of Crane as well)
I've included some student examples from my classes last year to help provide some inspiration.
When you make your boards, keep in mind the visual hierarchy of what's there. What aspect is most important that you want your viewer to see first? Control how a person would visually dissect your work.
Use size, placement, negative space, contrast, color, value, and an organizational grid to establish the pecking order. Don't just place things willy nilly. Be purposeful.
Did I put this image here to line it up with something? Or did I put an image here to NOT line it up with something. Is my spacing between objects consistent? Would my work look best in a tight grid or spacious one?
The power to create is in your hands. Now go make something cool!
