New Art Logo

Any Thoughts- Just the first one--

Charlotte,

I think I see the direction you are going but I think the Blackadder font for the Borrowed Voodoo is perhaps little too tight a font as it feels very heavy handed and masculine compared to your work. I also think having just a font as a logo is not really a logo, it is just a font you used for your title. I do like the name though, it's original and gives a good idea of the type of imagery you do.

I think you need to add something to the font to make it yours. Either something with scrolls (perhaps grungy scrolls) or floral or as I have here, a splatter beneath.

I also think that the other part of your logo needs a drop shadow (something not too heavy or displaced) that will pull your name away from the background.

I kept thinking of your work and how although it has that grungy element, it is sensual and feminine. Here is an idea of what I think you could do, obviously you can choose different fonts etc., (the one used here is Porcelain - a free for personal use font.



Hope it could be of some help.

It's hard to reply without knowing what the purpose is for your image/logo. On first glance, I personally find it a bit confusing and the text hard to read. I'm sorry that I really don't have suggestions to offer such as Maggie has provided. As far as readability of the text - sometimes with images like this (where I don't have a clear space available in the image) I will place a semi-transparent white or black band across the page under the text, that allows it to be recognized more readily.

Maggie

I love love what you did! That is beyond excellent! Gives me a much better idea of what to do- This is only my first try at it. I am going to do more- this is just a try it and see what the heck can be improved- I do thank you for what you did. It is inspiring! fantastic really!! Thank you-

Charlotte-



Robert

This is only a first time start to see IF" I do thank you for coming by and giving me your thoughts- I am trying to make a logo for my art- I do sell- I don't have a logo- a point of who and what "Borrowed Voodoo" is- that kind of thing. I am going to keep trying. Maggie's work is impressionable- I needed the feedback=

Thanks again-

Charlotte-

Oh I see now. It wasn't the whole image with text that you would wanting feedback on - - - just the logo part that would be used with different images. Is that correct?

If that is the case - yes it does take a lot of playing around to get something that looks good and as well stands out on different images that you will place it on. I think what makes Maggie's effort a bit more visually appealing, is the different font sizes that differentiate the theme and your business name. As pretty as hers is, I still have a hard time reading and identifying with it - - - but that is a good way to move forward.

Charlotte,
I'm glad you liked the idea.

I have a couple more for you to get you inspired.
-Just remember while you are working that you shouldn't use more than 2 fonts and they shouldn't be too similar. If one if fancy, make the other more plain and general.
-Putting something behind, like a swirl, floral etc., will give it more character.
-Whatever you put them on should allow you to read the font on top.
-Your personal name is usually more important than the type of photography. They can be equal, but your name shouldn't be the smallest.
-Alignment is important. Either center, or align to a specific letter, either from the start or the end.

* None of these are rules, they are guidelines only but they will help you to create something that is graphically pretty cool. Best of luck!



Maggie

Maggie and Robert-

Thank you dear Maggie for the help. The 3 book covers I did I didn't do the printing just the art work. This is very new and to say the least daunting. But I must say I am a visual learner. Your help has brought me to see what I needed to do. I can't thank you enough for the kind help you have given me. I came up with 3 more. Do you guys think they are better or worse? The printing was on some of my work.

Good Morning Charlotte,

I sometimes forget that I've done graphic design for so many years that there are a lot things to consider that someone who hasn't wouldn't instinctively know. There has got to be balance, so how tight it is, or how much space between can really change the final look.

When you are creating your design, you need to put each line on a separate layer over your photo. That way you can move them around. At the moment, they seem pretty equally spaced and have too much space between lines. The smaller the text, the closer you can put them.

I also noticed that you have transparency on 2 of them, so I believe you want to use these more as watermarks? If you also want to add the © symbol, the keyboard shortcut is to hold the ALT key (OPTION key on a Mac) and the numbers 0169.

Since you have used very fancy writing, perhaps the Digital Art Photography could be in a plain text, the plainer the better. Not a script. Too much fancy script is difficult to read and difficult to put together as the the legs and arms of the letters get all muffled up together.

When aligning, especially when centering, a good tool in Photoshop to use is the smart guides. You will find it in the View/Show/Smart Guide Menu. When moving your text or layers around, it will put up thin red lines that will assist you to find the middle of other text or the alignment at the beginning and ending and also upper and lower alignment if you need to add other graphic elements. It is very useful.

As for your efforts.
Photo 1-The script font is nice, it's fancy enough but 3 lines of it is too much. You probably should use 2 fonts as mentioned before and the spacing up and down is too wide and regular. (I would strongly suggest the Digital Art Photography line)
Photo 2- The transparency makes it difficult to read, but if it is a watermark only, that is perfectly acceptable. Same problem as photo 1 for spacing.
Photo 3- again, second font for the Digital Art Photography would be good and since the script has such high upper case letters, you can't pull down the Digital Art photography line.
If you use plain text, make it smaller you could nudge it to the middle under your name close to the p in Thompson.

Obviously, the final choice will be yours. I do think you are going to try and do this on your own and that's fine, but if you do wish help from me, either in advice or actually to pull something together, I'd be happy to help, just let me know.

Maggie

Maggie

I see all of your points exactly. Yes I am trying to do this on my own because I feel I need to learn this for future work on book covers. As I have said before I always just do the art and not the print which could be a disadvantage. I have no schooling in this kind of genre. I am flying by the proverbial "seat of my pants"-
You are an exceptional person to help me with this and I am going to keep working to find something. It took me 3 years to get Transparency Overlays just right but I never stopped. Still I am learning more everyday.
You have given me much to think about and I am going to save your tutorial .
I can't thank you enough!

Charlotte-

I'm glad you are going to try, Charlotte. It is a good skill to learn. It will also help you decide what to use as your cover by choosing something that will allow some negative space for your text. I assume you know how to mask, so you could even integrate your words so they look like they are intermingled into your artwork.

Good luck (I'm sure you'll do fine ) and if you have any questions on technique or anything, just let me know.

Maggie

Maggie

Ok Here is another- any thoughts- I like this one- the spacing seems to give it breathing space -

Charlotte,

I think you are starting to find the rhythm of what you are looking for. I note a few things. The additional space in Digital Art Photography, makes you name seem small. I wouldn't suggest that and even possibly make Digital art Photography smaller, but not absolutely necessary.

I would also say that since you have bolded your name and genre of work in black, that the title may be more balanced with a drop shadow.

I pulled your photo and added one to show you. Conversely, you could consider a less heavy weight on your name and genre and leave the Borrowed Voodoo without a drop shadow.



I would say though, that even if you are happy where you are, and this is a really good attempt, continue to play and tweak until you find exactly what you are looking for. Mull it over. Sometimes we do something we are happy with and look back at it in a bit and realize that we could push it further a bit. I did this the other day. I never take sunset pics, but being on a beach with a sunset, I couldn't resist. I, at first thought they were great and was set to post them here, but then after further examination, they were not the best they could be and realize I have more exploration to do to create something that will not be just another sunset pic.
If this is not something you need in a hurry, I think you should continue on your journey of discovery. I know you have much exploration and fun ahead. You are on the right track and I think if you do something, step back, wait a few days and decide if it is really what you want.
Best of luck, Charlotte
Maggie

Maggie

I do like the drop shadow although it is slight in difference as I I can see it- Will continue on working
many thanks- You are a great gal! Hope you hang around OPF for a while- Love having another female here- Though the guys are all fantastic!

Charlotte-

Yeah, slight difference and I can be nitpicky, Most people won't notice. :-D

Maggie

Maggie,

This is wonderful. The one one the lower right is more on the right track and is 3/4 of the way there! Maybe at the right it could merge from a brush stroke as you have to a woman's lips, and there you are! This is the beginning of a design that represents you well. The design is simple, clean and will work on many different surfaces.


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Charlotte,

Here's a case where many years of experience, craft and judgment trumps artistic insight!
Art does not have one set of jobs to always do, but your logo must function that way.

I'd have Maggie be your official logo designer as she cares about you and has really grasped your work.To add to that she's obviously passionate like you and so obviously talented. You could do well with instruction, of course. I know it's a good feeling to have done everything yourself. However, here I'd draw on my motto, "Good Enough", isn't!"

Consider that every mm, stroke and pattern of a graphic designers work is accountable to myriads of unspoken rules that give your logo distinction, style and most importantly function.

Asher

Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

Art does not have one set of jobs to always do, but your logo must function that way.

Click to expand...

Very well said, and very insightful.

Best regards,

Doug

Asher

Indeed she has the qualifications! And more the generosity to give me all those gorgeous instructions. I am deeply grateful!.
However this is something I want to learn. I can see the future ahead and I am going to need this kind of thing. I lost 2 book covers because I didn't know how to do this. That's not going to happen again.
I am one tenacious woman. You well know. This is something I can do. I know it down to my bones- Just takes work. I am not afraid of that.
I just hope such a wonderful spirit as Maggie stay with us- Thank you for coming by and I do understand your stance. I want to learn this. Heck, gives me another challenge.
btw I used to be an equestrian- jumped my Arabian horses. So you see I am not one to back away-

Charlotte

One similar to Maggie's first idea with the cat only I used another of my pieces-

Charlotte,

A logo has to be clean and mean, not in itself a diversion of fantasy. Look again at the one Maggie did with that simple red blood stroke!

Asher

Asher

but I love Fantasy! All of my overlay work is fantasy-
This is who I am in my art
dunno
another try my friend-

C-

A Great Point from one of the Best-