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Brian's Logos


Bri-Toon

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That is true.

 

 

Dang! I almost went for a compound boolean too. For some reason, the compound with the microphone and then the new gap space was rasterizing the art, so I just made a regular boolean. But I can still make a circle, expand, and then add.

 

 

 

Well the reason I do have an outside stroke is to give the text contrast. That particular dark background (for the text) may not work too well, but if the logo was on a light background, then the teal color of "Live" would ironically not look so lively. And the logo would most likely appear on various merchandise.

 

 

I'm glad you picked up on that little secret A. I know that some logos like Amazon have secrets (it has an arrow pointing from A-Z since they have everything from A-Z).

 

 

Thank you very much for the very strong support. Your suggestions make a lot of sense, but I wonder I should start a third time. I wouldn't say the logos I made look strikingly appealing, but I think I'm getting a better understanding. I'm waiting to hear back from my employer. If he's looking for something different again, then I need to cook up something really good and use the principles you educated me.

 

 

Always glad to offer pointers where I can. You'll eventually get there. 

 

 

Then IMO, provide a version for going over black backgrounds or very dark ones, another for white/clear. Anyway, this should have been spoken with the client... Some would want that option, some not. Some know from start the logo, no matter what, will always go over a black backgrounds (or white). there are millions of situations.  The correct thing to do is provide certain number of versions for different media, sizes, etc.  The border (outline stroke) is a bad decision in most logos.  besides looking a bit amateurish usually (unless certain special touch or matter justifies it). Go for plain body text instead, much more elegant, and offers no problems when reducing to small sizes. All what that border is gonna do in those is add blur and confusion.  Also, as mentioned, it is not adding anything important.

 

The black and white for the shape.. yep, that's always said in schools (studied Fine Arts, later a master in design)... You can develop later on a certain habit, not necessarily do it so all times... (imho). Also.. about drawing the concept in paper... I'd agree, but... maybe some decades ago, back in '91 when I got my first digital tablet and pen, would have agreed more. Today.. Inking (like for comics or illustration line art) nope, not at all (doable but not preferring it), but sketching... almost the same than with a piece of paper.. . Creativity can also be "trained" , there are factors more important than if you are using a real piece of good old paper or not... (plus, there's great software mimicking greatly pencil feel.  Even you can do so with clever settings on a simple rounded brush in 90% of the 2D packages.  )

 

I agree with SrPx here. If you are worried about what background it goes on, switch the colors up. Don't be afraid to make it all one color. Here at work, we have three different versions of our company logo. Each is one solid color. One in white for black/dark backgrounds, and one in blue, another in black for white/light backgrounds, depending on the application situation.

 

However, don't feel like one color is absolutely necessary. One of our competitors has a "main" logo that is four colors. They also have a couple of solid, one color options, depending on how they need to use it. Best thing to do would be ask the client what they foresee their application needs being. Really, there could be a million ways they use it, and each can have a unique way of being displayed. Even something printed on the back of a t-shirt with a dozen other "sponsor" companies (generally one color) can be different than a banner hanging from the front of a stage (multi-colored).

 

And yes, as SrPx points out, don't feel like actual tangible paper is the only way to sketch. It's my personal method, but there are many other ways to do the job. I guess my main point is to not jump straight into Designer and throwing down vector shapes and hoping something nice comes out of it. Yes, it will sometimes work out fine, and many people are great at that. But I'm of the opinion that sketching out some concepts first will only help you realize what ideas are good, and which ones aren't, and can often be done quicker this way. It's a way to get the idea out of your head and into a format that you can see and have saved as quick as possible so you can move on to the next idea. Whether that is with pencil and paper, iPad or similar tablet, or a graphics tablet and any sort of app that will let you draw on your computer, the concept is the same.

 

Here's one final suggestion if you haven't done so yet. Hop onto Pinterest and search for logo design. Go poke around on logopond.com and logospire.com. Check out what other designers are doing. You'll see a lot of flat designs. You'll see a lot of simplistic designs. You'll see almost no text outlined with strokes. But most of all, you'll see some great logos that can and will hopefully spark some ideas. Best of luck, we are here to help offer pointers where we can. And remember, have fun doing this!

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Thank you for everyone's feedback. Truthfully, I'm disappointed in how much I wasn't taught in college. I learned about logo creation and to keep it simple, but I was never taught about keeping it black and white, and I was never taught to change the colors around. I was told to have the look exactly the same for all advertising. Talking about it here and another person who happens to be a graphic designer at my job, I realized I was taught wrong. Then again, I do only have an Associates degree, but I would still think the information you guys provided is very important.

 

And yes, as SrPx points out, don't feel like actual tangible paper is the only way to sketch. It's my personal method, but there are many other ways to do the job.

 

Not a problem. I get your point and your instructor's. That's what makes the pixel tools so great in Designer, for rough sketching first. That's what I do for a comic project I'm working on.

 

And thank you for the link. That is a good suggestion. Honestly, I'm a little lost right now since my instructions keep changing. Currently, I was told to have something like this.

 

post-27616-0-29286000-1488989827_thumb.png

 

I have the impression that it is only a thought. What is everyone's opinions if I create variations of that and then more variations of my own similar to the logos on Logo Pond?

 

Edit:

Also, just so I understand. Black and white is to start off. Right? Multiple colors and gradients should not be used, so I question why logos like this one sell. https://logopond.com/Jasondinalt/showcase/detail/270654

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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Also, just so I understand. Black and white is to start off. Right? Multiple colors and gradients should not be used, so I question why logos like this one sell. https://logopond.com/Jasondinalt/showcase/detail/270654

 

Starting in black and white is just to get the basic form down. The logo should be effective in black and white as well as in color. Multiple colors are fine, but as a general rule, don't go too overboard with them. But, these are just general rules, and can be broken. There are plenty of logos that use a full range of colors. Gradients in logos are often frowned up, just because they can become very difficult to reproduce across a variety of mediums. For example, if it's being printed in one color, embroidered, etc., it becomes difficult to reproduce with gradients, especially gradients between two different colors. There are also plenty of successful logos that use gradients. It all really depends on how it will be used.

 

So, your question about why logos like the one you linked to sell...because there is really nothing wrong with it. They stuck with the general rule (remember, it can be broken) of using only a few colors. Take a look at it again, if you remove the red from the image, it's only two colors; black and cream. Subtract that cream color, and you're left with just black and white...the starting point if you were using the approach we've mentioned. Again, the logo should be effective in black and white as well as in color (meaning, colors added). 

 

 

Also, there is nothing inherently wrong with using a stroke around your design...so long as it is done appropriately. Take a look at this piece by Von Glitschka. Here he has a design that is littered with color: white, gray, blue, and two shades of yellow. He's got multiple strokes going on, but notice how he has used it? It's definitely a large part of the design, and not just added as an afterthought. Take notice of how he's also created an alternate design used for printing on the swim caps, the gym bag, and the building door. It's still the same general idea, just reduced detail for a different application. Von takes a very systematic approach to his designs. He starts with pencil and paper, works up a concept, then draws that out on a computer. He will print that out, go over the design with pencil to add more detail, and repeat. Similar to this here where he is working on the each level of detail at a time. That's likely how he got to the level of strokes on the scorpion design that he did. I just wish he had a photo of that project in process. 

 

Anyway, I hope I'm not confusing you with information overload, or mis-communicating anything. Any other questions, just ask. I'll try to watch this thread closely.

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IMO, save this thread's info (probably not any of my posts' info! ), specially from "pixels to print" ;) , as his info is golden. You will very much need to follow -at least to an extent, like everything is food for thought and integration with your personal way of doing things !- He is basically telling you all the main lines to build the necessary skills, the technical margins to do great logo designs (and other elements). Which BTW, is far from being an easy discipline to master. I'd say.. would be specially good if as well you purchased and have handy on the shelf or even near the bed (is a good reading stuff to get asleep, haha) , books about design theory, color theory, composition, aesthetics and design tendencies. Maybe start with 3 or four books about it, read 'em lightly, meaning, if get stuck in a concept, jump to another book or chapter (then back to the hard ones as u keep evolving), as the main purpose could be to get more into the general knowledge about it. Probably the ones you would enjoy more now though, would be more practical ones about design, but reading some of the very basics (ie, color theory and composition) could be extremely positive. But also, one of my fav points of pxls2prnt  is that rules are made to be broken. Don't follow any rule super rigidly or you wont be able to create a single icon. Or do folow these rules first, to get to know why those are an advantage, then you can integrate them as you see best ...if you'd be to keep to rigid with the said rules, you probably wont end up enjoying it too much. The best thing of knowing well those principles is to have later on the freedom of following them or fully breaking them as you see fit. To be able to not use them, IMO, is needed to know what are these things for, in which situations could be not necessary, for certain reasons. Not just going wild...

 

Sometimes am asked for a logo that is actually a realistic illustration, and very detailed ! And I do it, with no hesitation... the client is the king. :) (and that I love doing illustrations, lol... )

 

About the sketching matter, yep, is true... And actually, if I think about it a bit, specially late years, while I use my wacom in "pencil" mode or the like, and/or I always do large ink brush shapes as well, blocking fast and dirty, erasing very fast with big brushes, etc, as all am looking is for a shape, and yep, usually in black, even those times I start with another tone. (which is perfectly doable, too, of course). You don't want a logo that its shape is not saying a lot of the product by itself already, or at least, that has a very recognizable shape, so that should be a first focus.  Not just for this next solely reason, but for example, when you see a logo from very far, ie, at the top of a building, or in a tiny print of a shirt's pocket, you know how much interested is the company in the logo shape being recognized immediately as that logo's brand. Also, helps a lot to remember it in the brain... For a solid impact, an easy image to perceive and remember, the super multi color thing or over-complex shape, or non good contour/shape, are obstacles for getting that impact and to stay in people's memory, help in fast "read".

 

Gradients, reflections, and even less, drop shadows, are a thing that is best to avoid... Even while in the 2.0 times it was almost a contagious bad habit, that every boss and his/her dog would force you to add to the logo... A gradient is the less wrong one to use, but as pxls2prnt, gives probs in replicating in some media. Or even the mere thing of passing the specs to a partner company... a ton of things. Still, there's a bazillion company logos with gradient, some very important ones. Also, is sth  more usual in web- focused companies. But a lot of logos created so find their issues when is the time for printing. In that case, I've seen many times how a designer arrived at a company, and even forced a new version, more flat, and better in general... (easy to notice when suddenly they publish a press kit where they include the corporate image guidelines... ;)  ). Might sound weird, but I have seen companies that in the press kit zip had just a low resolution gif...and just that.... :S

 

A lot of courses, or even at the college, are not teaching design well... Is not that uncommon. Also, there is a huge difference in a simple 30 hours course, and a degree, or a serious, good master.

 

A pair of things also that I think are key are simplicity and the design accomplishing the function of representing the brand or product.  About what you say of changes...yeaahhh... clients often ask for changes in a very demanding way, asking for things that are no good at all for a logo (or whatever other graphical element).... I was once in a company where a lot of these matters were not considered and the designer's criteria counted for literally nothing -if I'd tell you some anecdote, you'd understand till what point was it so...-  I made a bit of a veery dirty thing..not recommending you to do the same, but might help to have a global view, maybe...... I used to make like 6 versions (or more), being the two latest my favorite ones. Often I would do those 2 the first ones...they would spend the morning in eternal internal fights about the first 4 logos, released timely, one after another, not at a time.... giving not a freaking single solid reason (with some very rare exceptions) based on design principles or even basic human perception, for going one way or another. Once they have wasted all their fighting bullets, ruined the productivity and time of the company, and feeling more compelled to get to common points of view, then I played the role of making two ones, with "a fresh start" , and even if those had some no-no "things" for one of the fighting parties (is very bad to have several bosses which are fighting among them for reasons ("territory") never related to the graphic work...)  they would see the logos WONDERFUL. The pity is sometimes the "place holder" logos had ended better than my more worked out ones, lol... xD. It was really hard to work in that kind of thing back there... So happy of being a freelancer now...In the first years there, I always played dumb showing my first tries first... xD. That said, with normal customers this is a bad path. You'd better do your best, and show them those first. they might revisit it later, even. But just told this as you will find all sorts of people out there for these tasks...

 

My advice though, is adapt to the client's requirements, but always add suggestions or your own takes. You never know, and very often get approved your versions, as initially, the customer doesn't know , in many cases, and consider they are wanting you to do it because they have  -usually-  no knowledge about the matter. I have also a portion of my work, my duty, - be it when I am doing graphic design, illustration, 3D or pixel art- , that wouldn't  call it "educating" the client, as I've heard sometime, as that sounds arrogant to me, but just the same when a mechanic needs to explain me a bit -lightly- what was going wrong with my car, and so for me to understand why has he changed a piece, you should probably explain some things to the customer as well. But don't get her/him bored... !  ;D

 

In any case, as said at the beginning, follow pxls2prnt advices, they're very solid. ( I am more a bit of a big mouth chit chatter that never shuts up, you know me  ;D )

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Pxls2print and SrPx,

Thank you very much for the very informative descriptions. It's beginning to come back to me. I got confused when it was mentioned to not use colors, but as mentioned, it's an approach to understand how to get started. As long as the variation can change to black and white easily, it is okay. I was taught that. I guess I've been away.

 

Anna,

My jaw and eyes opened. That looks beautiful.

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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^_^

 

If you like the font,it's free,just go here

 

The free font (Aquatico Regular) is for personal use only. The full typeface (four styles) is $10+ via Gumroad.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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No, ten bucks isn't bad at all for a well-designed typeface comprising four fonts. And in your defence in respect of the "free" bit, it does say "Aquatico - Free Typeface" in big bold letters at the top right of the Behance page. :)

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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I was wondering what font that was. I do like it. The funny thing is, I already up whipped up the next versions.

 

logo_4_by_leduc_gallery-db1nlwj.png

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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That looks really good, but I wonder if it looks too cramped. Negative space can be good.

 

When you made that inner diamond shape, did you have to stretch out the sides as I did? I copied and pasted the outer diamond and then middle constrained it to shrink it down.

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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That looks really good, but I wonder if it looks too cramped. Negative space can be good.

 

When you made that inner diamond shape, did you have to stretch out the sides as I did? I copied and pasted the outer diamond and then middle constrained it to shrink it down.

Ya,even when neg space can create "shapes" that arent event there i.e outlined.

 

I had two shapes (my prev file) and shrank them a bit and on each one,changed the size of the outlines on each one so they match the shape size and make sure they werent too big.

 

Thanks for the complement,Im still learnin logo designing,im a big font freak haha,so I've been doin photo-manipulations (doin so for many yrs but always still room to learn) and still learning,and also doin logos,so if I pop in,im just tryin to show my (learning) skills while also trying to help and learn from others tech also.

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so if I pop in,im just tryin to show my (learning) skills while also trying to help and learn from others tech also.

 

Well you've been helpful so far. I think you have a better feel than I do.

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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I don't know how to say it without sounding rude...but I feel like you've taken a step backwards. Nothing here is really unique or memorable. I know you are just following the client's direction, but it almost seems as though they aren't quite sure what they want. Do they want something that stands out and will be remembered? Do they want something that "says" what they do visually?

 

Is the client asking you to emphasize the word LIVE in their name, or is that a choice that you made? If it was you, ask yourself "why?" The type under the diamond shape is really, really killing this whole thing. To be honest, it's bland and boring, and having the word LIVE bolded, in a contrasting color and all caps makes that whole line look rather awkward. The emphasized word isn't centered, so it makes everything feel very unbalanced. Go poke around on the internet to see how others have treated text. Play around with some different typefaces while you are at it. Maybe try stacking the words in the center instead of using a single line.

 

Just keep plugging away, don't get discouraged, and you'll get this figured out!

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I prefer the 1st ALA in the diamond. Its black on white, which isn't the highest contrast, but it is immediately recognizable. Like pxls2prnt, I find the text is irritating visually. If the client needs the words, and I suppose that would be something good for promotion, make them smaller. If the "LOGO" part of the logo grabs the eye, people will pay attention to the company name.

 

What if you got the clients to sit down and look at some of the logo sites, and have them point out ones they like? They may be awful in your and most designer's opinions, but they are paying the bills. Just don't put the work in your portfolio.

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I agree the logo does not indicate the kind of business that it is trying to sell. When I was shown the screenshot, I was shocked for myself after being told to have some sort of indication (speakers, lighting, music, and so on). As another idea before the diamond concept, I was also told to have two As with a gap in between and an L below that gap. And yes, I was told to emphasize the word, "Live," by having it white, and the other words black. I know that the white isn't centered, but I can't really do that if I am to spell out the entire word. The choice of font, however, is my fault. It looked a lot better when I previewed it. (I was never good at choosing fonts.) This is a really tough assignment since plans keep changing.

 

I wonder if at this point, I should just give him something else of my own.

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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The choice of font, however, is my fault. It looked a lot better when I previewed it. (I was never good at choosing fonts.) This is a really tough assignment since plans keep changing.

 

I wonder if at this point, I should just give him something else of my own.

 

Choosing the right typeface for the job certainly is a difficult chore! 

 

In the book Really Good Logos Explained, there are four designers that are asked what they believe the top 10 mistakes designers make when creating a logo. Rian Hughes says, "The designer let the client have too much input. The best designers know how to politely let the client know when he has suggested a lame idea. Then you offer him a much better one. That’s your job. (Here it helps to be a master politician; try to charm and persuade rather than pout and cry.)" 

 

As long as you have a compelling reason and legitimate alternative to show your client, it can't hurt. But you have to make sure it's a very polished design worth showing. You've got to make sure the client knows they can trust your judgement, and providing a very nicely put together piece may do just that. But you've got to bring your A-game to the party.

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I made a suggestion that the logo should really reflect the type of business it is selling, and I mentioned the things you told me. Surprisingly, he really likes the purple diamond concept, and he wants me to keep the font.

 

These are the latest instructions I was given.

 

...he would like to see the "L" dropped down a bit and the veritcal part thinner, feels it looks too wide...Keeping the same font. In addition to these suggestions would you create the same thing but only make the font in the diamond the same font as Alliance Live Audio for comparison..

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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Thank you for all of the ideas, Anna, but now that the boss knows what he wants, I need to follow his latest description. But since he said to put the text in the diamond shape, I can use your idea to have the text on two lines (for one of the variations).

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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Thank you for all of the ideas, Anna, but now that the boss knows what he wants, I need to follow his latest description.

 

Sigh. I knew a lady who ended up quitting a job in part because while she was an award winning designer, the boss would insist that she do things she knew were just wrong.

 

I filled in for awhile on some of her tasks because I knew how to use Illustrator a little. I would get instructions like "make all the colors like chocolate," and then have to come up w. a dozen variations till I happened on matches that met expectations. You have my sympathy.

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Well some times the client's ideal view doesn't always match up to the Designer's view. As long as the client is satisfied, that is what matters I guess.

 

Anyway, can I please ask that you don't mention anyone quitting here? I understand your point, but this topic can now easily be found in a Google search. I don't want to make it seem like we're complaining, because we're not. 

The website is still a work in progress. The "Comics" and "Shop" sections are not yet ready. Feel free to connect with me and let me know what you like or what can be improved. You can contact me here, on my contact page, YouTube channel, or Twitter account. Thanks and have a great day!

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