Brewing Design

I just posted a new project at my primary design site regarding a coffee label design I did for Rahzo.com. I had shown this label to twitter users a while back after I got shipped some printed samples and was asked if I'd deconstruct how I went about creating it.

Well that is what this blog post is all about. So grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the post.


Source Photo: Paris, France.

1. Source Photo
Because I named the roast "Noir French Blend" it goes without saying it needs to have a French flair to the approach. I sourced out this picture which has the Eiffel Tower in the background.

I also picked this image because the contrast was perfect for how I planned on using it too.


Compositing images via Photoshop.

2. Distorting Reality
I wanted the the Eiffel Tower to be a focal point in my composition so if reality doesn't work you do what every fashion magazine does and manipulate reality so it looks better than real.


Converting photo to a halftone.

3. Halftone FX
I converted the photo to a halftone. In a nutshell: Convert color photo to greyscale, convert to halftone by going to the menu image/mode/bitmap. From there you'll have to experiment in order to determine what size of halftone works best for you, it isn't a one size fits all process. Once you have the size nailed down you have to convert back from bitmap to greyscale then copy/paste it back into your PSD file.

If you're still scratching your head after reading the above try this link it might help you? Or my big dot tutorial might also explain this process better?


Halftoned photo integrated into layout.

4. Halftone Integrated
I nest the halftoned photo into my over all layout. Mind you this is screen res so it doesn't do the halftone justice. Make sure to view the larger image at the end of this post to see how the halftones enhance the look and feel of the design.


European Beauty.

5. Romance
I wanted drama in my design. It's Paris so it needed some beautiful romance so I sourced out this photo. Her eyes were captivating and that was what I was after.


Romantic dot gain.

6. Larger Halftone FX
Once again I used the same halftone effect, just a larger size and composited the romantic gaze into my design.

A lot of what I do when I use Photoshop is experimentation. Playing with transparency, blend modes and arrangement of content and via layers to achieve the look and feel I'm after.


Laying a graphic foundation.

7. Graphic Foundation
This historical ornament and banner dangler will serve as the foundation for critical content like type and iconography as you'll see in the following images.


...Like a big pizza pie that's moire.

8. Creating a Moire Effect
The design over all felt too stark to me. I wanted to blend it all together more. So I just opened another color stock photo (Any will work) gaussian blurred it, went to filter/Pixelate/Color Halftone, converted it to greyscale, copy/pasted it back into my PSD file, messed with transparency and blend modes and there you have it.


...You're in love.

9. Moire Effect Applied
Compare this image to step 7.


Adding more character.

10. Texurizing
To add more depth and interest I used a variety of surface textures from my "Crumble.Crackle.Burn" book.


Interesting diagram art.

11. Diagram Illustration
I wanted culture appropriate imagery to collage my design with so I did some research and found this great retro diagram illustration of a Vespa scooter.


The Vespa has been parked.

12. Diagram Illustration Integrated
I'm building my design layer by layer taking the various graphic elements and collaging them together. After all that is essentially what graphic design means.


Information added to the layout.

13. Typography & Iconography
It goes without saying that the type you choose need to work for the specific genre you are designing for. This design uses just two typefaces and I've added an iconic graphic of a coffee plant to lock up the design motif.

I also left room so we could work in Rahzo's logo stamp as well.


The label diecut.

14. Diecut
On this project we had the luxury of doing a custom diecut so I created this unique shape to frame my design. Of course I knew I was doing this from the beginning so I kept that in mind as I collaged my graphic content too so as not to loose anything when it was trimmed.


Piping hot design ready to pour.

15. Final Product
The final labels came out great and the product is now available.

Click here to view a larger image of the final label design.

If you'd like to deconstruct this project further just download the "Brewing Design Pack" below which contains a print resolution (150 dpi) layered PSD file. (CS4 file but will open in CS3 or CS2) You'll be able to click through the layers and see exactly how everything was set up.

- Download "Brewing Design Pack" (5 MB)

Mug Shots

My lovely daughter sporting a "Thug Bunny" mug.

This holiday season you can drink deeply from an official Glitschka Studios mug.

I think coffee is to designers what blood is to vampires, so I've pulled together several of my most popular designs and have made them available on mugs.

Because everyone deserves an artistic beverage apparatus.


The Loyal Order of "Thug Bunny" mug.

View / Order "Thug Bunny" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Fill your head with liquids via a "Squiggle Heads" mug.

View / Order "Squiggle Heads" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Imbibe your favorite beverage with "Tickles the Evil Clown" mug.

View / Order "Tickles the Evil Clown" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Become a hard-core drinker with this "Tribal Lion" mug.

View / Order "Tribal Lion" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Freedom never tasted so good with this "Artistic Freedom" mug.

View / Order "Artistic Freedom" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Consume your strange brew in this "VooDoo" mug.

View / Order "VooDoo" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Scary good consumption via the "Monster" mug.

View / Order "Monster" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Drink your ideological kool-aid in this "Last Daze" mug.

View / Order "Last Daze" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


What every biker bar needs: An "Alien Biker Skull" mug.

View / Order "Alien Biker Skull" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Preventing discourse is fine while you're drinking out of your "Free Speech" mug.

View / Order "Free Speech" mug here.

Read more about this art here.


Enjoy your piping hot liquid bean in this "Latte Java" mug.

View / Order "Latte Java" mug here.

Read more about this art here.

Salvation by Design

Concept 1

Hindsight Critique: Probably my weakest concept. Looks like a hood ornament a faith healer would have on his Rolls-Royce. No wonder they didn't choose it.

I have to admit something before I jump into this post. I normally avoid working with Churches on design projects like this. It pains me to say that since I myself am a Christian, but my experience thus far in my career supports my hesitation and that is unfortunate.

So when I was contacted by Northwest Church in regards to designing a new identity for them I was very skeptical about it. That said I quoted it like any other corporate identity project and we proceeded.


Concept 2

Hindsight Critique: This is OK. A bit too literal perhaps. Note how I colorized the NW section of the mark.

I'm happy to say that the creative process went extremely well. Working with Northwest Church was truly a joy. Mainly because they get it. I felt like I was working with an agency.

That said I still had that nagging feeling in the back of my head that at any moment someone would mess it up, look at one of my designs and say it looked like a penis or something. But I had to keep the faith.


Concept 3

Hindsight Critique: I like the clean simplicity of this idea.

Every business has a personality. Designing a successful identity is all about capturing that personality accurately in a visual sense so it honestly represents them.

That said a design can be good, even great in and of itself but still fail as an identity for the client because it doesn't capture the essence of their personality.


Concept 4

Hindsight Critique: This approach was one of my favorites. I like the simplicity, form and the color denoting location all the while serving as a cross as well.

The main problem with most Church oriented design is it's lame. Sinfully ugly if you will. Sorry the truth hurts.

So when I approached this job I wanted to avoid your standard stereotypical graphic crosses as much as possible. And instead create a new cross-like graphic to use.


Concept 5

Hindsight Critique: This is another approach I liked as well. The hint at a page from the bible makes for a good graphic device.

Graphic metaphorical visual hints are the spice in design cooking. Anyone can serve up a circle, square or triangle. It takes more conceptual culinary elegance to plate a design that goes beyond ordinary.


Concept 6

Hindsight Critique: Probably a bit too comical. Doesn't fit their personality. More inline with a t-shirt design for a Church picnic I suppose.

Logo design camps in one of two locations. Literal or Figurative. A literal approach uses literal imagery in a literal way. A figurative approach uses metaphorical imagery or literal imagery in a non-literal metaphorical way. I prefer the latter.


Concept 7

Hindsight Critique: I really liked this approach. The icons nested together well and formed a subtle cross like shape in the negative space.

Sometimes in the design process you realize an idea can work in another way for the same project and that is what happened with these icons. I used them as part of the over all identity package to define the various ministries within the church.


Concept 8

Hindsight Critique: Simon says welcome to Milton Bradley Church.

I like the symbolism in this mark. The outer circle representing the Church. The inner sections representing the four Church ministries all forming a subtle graphic cross like shape. Note how I used the color to denote the northwest.


Concept 9

This is the concept the client selected. I have to admit I was surprised but they said they loved the thought behind it and that sold it. So it's a good argument for explaining your design when presenting your ideas rather than just sending them off and saying "Let me know what you think."

Designers should be good thinkers and share a vision with the client so the client can buy into that vision and truly embrace it.

To understand the design philosophy behind this mark visit the full project post at my primary site.

A Typical Glitschka Studios Project Folder

The Graphic Eye

"The Graphic Eye" by Stefan G. Bucher

Stefan G. Bucher is one of those unique creative types that's always thinking, always creating, and that type of mojo produces inspiring work like his latest book "The Graphic Eye: Photographs by Graphic Designers from around the Globe"

This book isn't your everyday coffee table photo gallery of landscapes or boudoir photography, it's uniquely creative images captured by graphic designers and they are anything but mainstream.

I was honored to be asked to participate in this new book and each designer was asked to submit "10" images and Stefan picked which one would appear in the book.

The below photo was the image of mine he chose to appear in the book. And this post contains all "10" I had submitted and the story behind each. I've always enjoyed photography, so I hope you enjoy the read.


"Zimbabwe Elder" photograph

I captured the above image when I traveled to Israel. I met this guy one afternoon in Nazereth. He was from Zimbabwe Africa and was a really nice man. I thought he would make for a good picture too!


"Bug Out" photograph

I caught this caterpillar doing chin-ups near a water fall in the Oregon woods.


"Flammable" photograph

While exploring a local junk yard I discovered this distressed chemical barrel.


"Kaibeto Canyon" photograph

A couple years ago I spent two weeks on the Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona helping with a children's ministry and this image was from a local canyon we hiked into.


"Knock Knock" photograph

Curb appeal is strictly an American fascination. This ancient door located in Old Jerusalem has wonderfully decrepit character.


"Mr. Pinchy" photograph

This Oregon local hangs out at the local tide pool. If you blow in his face he'll get really mad and start foaming at the mouth.


"Narrow Road" photograph

This first century walk way in Old Jerusalem might have been walked on by Jesus? The second law of thermal dynamics really creates some heavenly textures!


"Temple Mount" photograph

An Arab man reads early in the morning. You don't need Starbucks to hang out and read a good book.


"Xerox Poop" photograph

My printer eats glorified crayons. Expensive crayons. So when my printer goes to the bathroom this is what it looks like. It's good to be creatively curious, that's why I still have this wax toner on my desk, it's too cool looking to throw away.


"Box Car Neuvo" photograph

Colorful and abandoned. Mundane and beautiful. Only a color blind hobo would not appreciate this box car.

Be sure to check out Stefans new book here.

Design Weasels

ShutterStock.com used by "Design Weasels."

Like 99% of all the rip-offs of my art I was informed of this violation via email from the agency who originally hired me to create the art for them in the first place. They spotted my artwork being sold on ShutterStock.com.

Having my artwork ripped off is nothing new to me. Unethical corporate weasels can be effectively dealt with via legal measures to hold them accountable. It's a pain to deal with but as you can read in the linked post can be successfully handled.

What upsets me the most is so-called fellow designers or in this case a "Design Weasel" by the screen name of "Milann" who took my hawk mascot art and repurposed it under the guise that it's their own creation and uploaded it to his/her ShutterStock.com account so they could sell it to other designers who purchase pre-fab art on the cheap.


My original "Black Hawk" artwork.

The one aspect about being an Illustrative Designer I love is the creative process. Actually working through the development of ideas, refining my art and seeing it come to life and enjoying how others respond to it. That in and of itself makes all the effort to create the artwork worth it for me. The fact I get paid to do it is awesome.

Not only are these design weasels causing me problems but they are missing out on the best part of being a creative, and that is to create. They will never know the true passion and joy found in the midst of a creative process if they just rip-off the end result from other creatives. It's kind of sad really and just flat out wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to begin?


Animated comparison. Direct lift of my artwork.

Perhaps the design weasel in question will read this post? With that in mind let me talk directly to designer "Milann" who ripped me off.

I suggest you take serious inventory about your own career path. You've been caught, your identity might remain nebulous, but you still know how much of a design weasel you've been in doing this.

You can choose to keep acting like a design weasel, ripping other peoples artwork off and refusing to be an actual creative, or you can realize you've mad poor choices and turn over a new design leaf and start over. Challenge yourself, make a commitment to design excellence and begin to grow your own skills and talent so that you can truly be a successful creative and stop being part of the problem. It's your choice.

Corporations Hide Behind DMCA

Since Clinton passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) back in 1998 online businesses have been hiding behind it when copyright violations are discovered on their own sites. In a nut shell a company can post anything they want and get away with it as long as it takes before someone notices, once they are notified of the copyright infringement all they have to do is remove it. No compensation is given, no royalties paid, no usage fees given. The artist basically gets screwed and the company hides behind the DMCA to justify all of it.

You can read about it for yourself via this DMCA PDF.

Weasel designers and weasel corporations are usually found nested together in their weasel dens of design iniquity.

Hopefully sites like ShutterStock.com will exterminate the design weasels and do a better job of vetting their content. I realize full-blame should rest solely on the shoulders of the individuals who choose to steal the art to begin with and use stock sites to distribute it.

Personally I wish Google would buy a company like Tineye.com and really make this type of searching more viable for artists to monitor who is using their work without permission. Then stock companies could plugin to this service and make it part of their upload protocol and help prevent design weasels from flourishing online.

Follow Up - Phase 1
I know some will disagree with me but I feel when a company like ShutterStock.com hides behind the DMCA like weasel corporate suits it doesn't help anyone. And I'm sorry but I find this statement they provided a little bit self-serving:

"Shutterstock's Privacy Statement constrains me from providing the information you request regarding the alleged infringer."

So let it be known that anyone can use a service like ShutterStock.com to distribute stolen art and they'll cover your back from any legal repercussion via their own self-defined privacy statement if you happen to get caught. Seems like a conflict of interest to me?

I'll give them this though, they have pulled the artwork down and closed the account for the user "Milann." Good, that is an appropriate response. But to say that "Milann" is an "Alleged Infringer" is just corporate weasel talk. Seriously, is there any doubt that this clown stole my art? I'm not alleging anything, I'm stating fact. But I digress.

Follow Up - Phase 2
OK, all is resolved now. All I need to say is Twitter rules!