Illustrated logos

Although I was initially trained as a graphic designer, I rarely do design work anymore. The prospect of doing a layout now fills me with dread. There are many illustrators out there who are successful designers as well - but I am not one of them. The closest I get to being a designer nowadays, is when I get commissioned to do an illustrated logo.  Below are some behind the scene sketches of a logo I did quite a while a ago. I really enjoyed this one and the client was very happy.

The Shape Game

One of my favourite conceptual tools is called the "shape game." I draw a random shape, and then transform it into whatever the shape dictates. I used to teach this technique to my students as a conceptual ice breaker. The results are almost always staggering. I still use it whenever I get stuck or just for fun. And its is a lot of fun - if you are a drawing nerd. Below are some recent attempts.