Playing Around with Design

Even though I don't have a studio right now, I never stop thinking and studying ceramics.

Some time ago, I made small templates of basic forms: Round and square plates. The forms are small enough to dash off a sketch or toy around with a design and variation. I can run off a copy on my printer and expand the idea or upload it into my computer.  

Here's an example:

The first one is a bit busy on the right side. And I would remove the small connecting lines at the bottom of the branch like figures.  

All in all, I think this would make a good wax resist platter. It would be interesting to try this in scraffito too.

 

   Here's a positive and negative of the same drawing.  (The darker snake is the original drawing.)  Although the snake image is about the same, the second image seems more of a 'fat snake'.

The third variation seems more dynamic just by adding another outline.

A lot of people do not like snakes. I'm not crazy about them, but I find their image fascinating. 

Maybe no one would want to eat an hors d'oeurvres off a plate like this.

Logo Variation

Now that I have a new logo design and business cards set up, I can morph that into any kind of other card.

By removing the text under the logo, I can add "Thanks" and add an address, phone number, website address; virtually anything then create a new master for duplication.

I like to tape a note card to the bottoms of my bakeware that say things "Place in a cool oven" or "Microwave Safe", "Lead-free glaze" or "Microwave Safe - contains iron glaze; may be warm to the touch." And sometimes, "Not suitable for food".

Logo Experiments

I've been trying out some new logo ideas.  I need tags for my pots for an upcoming show and my old tags need to be refreshed, design-wise.

Since I did my last batch, I've changed computers and graphics programs.  What a pain! It required some redesigning to get a design resource sheet like this one done. I can take one of these rows and convert it into multiple repeats as a one-design master sheet. This sheet was done to see how new ideas would work out.

I started off this series by scanning one of the old hangtags and using that image, manipulated it around for a while trying different designs.  When I get something I like, I'll run off a couple of master sheets and put them into a dedicated folder so I can reprint different cards and tags as I need them.

On the sheet above, the first and third rows will probably be used for price tags because they will be printed in large batches and they take less ink to make.

The darker design will be used for more expensive items or for contact info cards, thank yous, or other special printing.

I will take each one of these 4 variations and make a master sheet of each.  That will give me 4 different logos to duplicate.

For a hangtag, I can run off a sheet and punch holes in the top, put in some black embroidery thread for the tie and attach them to the pots. The design must take into account that a hole will be punched in the top, so room has to be left for that. I want to see how the would look on a pot. There's a lot of difference in how they look on a sheet of paper in a row and how they will look individually.

A blaring, dark row will look entirely different as single tags. Likewise, a lighter design might turn out to be wimpy.  We'll see.










I like to use a creamy heavy paper for my printing. With a strong black and white design, you can print the cards off on any color paper.

It gets complicated, but there's lots you can do between a simple graphics program, a scanner and a good printer. Oh, and a big paper-cutter.

More Computer Graphics

Here's a business logo I designed a few years ago.

I used Superpaint to draw the hen, do the lettering and encircle the design.

So, the placement wasn't good. The hen is looking like she's going out of the frame--too forward. Nice relationship between the curve of the tail feathers and the back of the circle. So, I moved her back and gave her 'beak room.'

I began to play with the image. Putting an apron on the hen.  And what could be more appropriate for a hen than to change the circle to an egg shape?

Maybe the glasses is a bit too much.......

I always liked the story of the Little Red Hen. "I'll do it myself" as in the story was sort of my motto as a child.

 I once read that by knowing people's favorite children's story, you could gain some insight into their psyche. I've pretty well stuck to The Little Red Hen for sure. 

 The title, "The Little Red" Hen may be under copyright, so I probably can's use The Little part. 

Maybe I'll make labels for my elderberry jelly and sell it at the Farmer's Market....... 

More drawer rifling. Obviously, I'm on a cleaning jag.

From time to time, I've designed business cards using computer programs.

One beloved program which is sadly no more was SuperPaint, a simple design program that worked on (now) ancient Macintosh. It ceased to exist after 1992.

 I loved it.

 I made this using Super Paint:

And this:

(Yes, I have been in the antique business too. For several years, my husband and I did shows and had spaces in antique malls.)

When a few promo cards for a clay show came back because of a few  bad addresses, I cropped photos and stuck them in an envelope. Later,  I scanned one into my images program.

With a bit of tweeking, it might be handy later on a future card.