Illustration Process - Part 2

The Illustration Corner

As a continuation of last weeks project, here is an update on the illustration project:

Step Three

After I've created a final tight sketch composition, I'll typically work on the primary elements in the foreground and background. This step involves a number of layers using the various paint brushes and tools to create the overall painted elements. For instance, the baseball glove, cap, character and the scoreboard were rendered individually roughing in the general colors that would be assigned to each. Then additional modeling (shadows and highlights) was added to create the objects and forms for each element. As many as a dozen layers are often created for each object to complete a tight color composite sketch:

At this point, I have a fairly good idea of what the overall color palette will be for the painting and I work those colors into the highlighting and shadow areas of the primary elements. I continue to use a monochromatic purple tone as the basis for establishing the shadows and general shapes layering the actually colors on top.

Step Four

Once I've completed the detailed elements in the background and foreground, I then begin to work the solid areas of the foreground (in this case the baseball turf) and the tree line in the background. I like to achieve a looser, more painterly stroke for those areas to ensure that most of the focus stays on the primary subject matter of the illustration. Again, constantly adding highlights of color accents throughout the overall painting. I prefer using intense colors to add a level of dimension and overall impact to the illustration.

Once most of the composition has been completed, I like to go back using my blender tool to follow all of the perimeter lines (outlines) around each of the key elements to ensure that there are no hard lines. I also identify any areas that need further rendering and modeling before the final step.

Final Step

So once all of the detail and layers have been ordered in the photoshop file, I like to go back and add all of my final details on a new layers above the base art. In the instance, I have added a few swishes and swirls to indicate movement on some of the elements. Every illustrator has their own preferences on how much blurring and motion should be indicated in the final art. For this particular illustration, I've avoided going too wild with the motion elements opting to maintain a subtleness in order to draw more attention to the details and modeling within the "Wiredhand Willie" character. 

Obviously these five steps have been greatly condensed to give a general idea on how I work out an illustration. Some illustrations require up to 75 or 100 layers for the final PSD file, but hopefully this gives you a better idea on what the average illustration might involve. 

Call me the next time you have an illustration assignment!

Is it always a good idea to promote your brand using a nostalgic mascot?

Illustration by
Ron Head

Is it always a good idea to promote your brand

using a nostalgic mascot?

I recently created a series of ads for a client that had a lengthy rich history with a nostalgic mascot (Wiredhand Willie) as the ambassador for their organization. Over the years we've seen many great iconic characters wearing the cape for various household and consumer products and brands. Cracker Jack, Ronald McDonald, Chester Cheetah, Green Giant, Pillsbury Doughboy, Joe Camel, Charlie the Tuna, Tony the Tiger, Mr. Clean, Captain Crunch, the Energizer Bunny, Geico Gecko... the list goes on and on. I purposefully avoided listing mascots that in their day may have been very popular and served their products well, but ultimately faded due to certain reasons beyond their control.

So at what point should a brand mascot's life support be cut off? I believe that there are a number of factors to consider. First, is the mascot still relevant to it's audience? Another words, do people still connect with it? Are there sentimental or emotional ties where the mascot brings happy and relevant thoughts? I believe there is some truth in that people like to feel a special connection with a product or icon that they've grown up with. Another viable question would be, has the mascot kept up with the times? Does he still look the same as he did the day he was invented? And if so, why? Obviously technology continues to change on a weekly basis, if not daily, and unless your brand is agile and flexible enough to adapt an ever-changing world, it can be a dangerous place out there. 

Several years ago a popular fashion manufacturer here in Dallas came on the scene creating a major trend with a nostalgic line of watches. Very retro styled art harkening back to the 40's, 50's and 60's era made up the designs for unique tins and watch faces that everyone became crazed with. I still have some of the cool tins in my office just because they remind me of that pure and simple Rockwellish past-time. I appreciate them more for some of the same reasons that many popular restaurants and retailers use them as props to convey a kitchy sort of hip, trendy attitude as the cool place to be. Nothing wrong with that, but if you've based your brand around that concept, is it really healthy? Is living in the past the best way to communicate who you are to consumers? I guess if you were selling antique lampshades or slightly used electric toasters it might make perfect sense. But as marketers, what criteria should we be using to determine if a company or product's brand mascot is something that their audience can relate to, and better yet be inspired to engage with. 

As I mentioned earlier, many of the mascots I listed above have endured the test of time. Why? Well at first glance, they appear healthy and current. Speaking of current, Wiredhand Willie was first introduced in the marketplace back in 1951, and was preceded by Reddy Kilowatt, but due to great tensions and legalities over the use of the new icon, Willie went his way and Reddy went his (a story for another time). And oddly enough, both of these mascots are in limited circulation even to this day. On the surface, you look at Willie and quickly realize that he's really old! With his Mickey Mouse gloves held to the body with two flimsy wires connected to a heavy duty piece of insulated wire conduit, a head in shape of a bulb that looks like it belongs in the Smithsonian, and a torso in the shape of an industrial sized plug with electric prongs for legs, he's a sight for sore eyes. Obviously electricity has made many advancements in the past 60 years, so why is Willie still around? Maybe because his target audience is made up of mostly rural, farming communities that hold tightly to the traditions that they were raised in. Maybe because the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has great appreciation for the legacy that Willie represents. Or maybe the cooperative members (consumers) are an exclusive club that recognize and connect with Willie as an ambassador to the communities in which they reside. He and the brand are synonymous, actively involved in the lives of the people they serve. Supporting schools, boy scout troops, little leagues, community centers, etc. throughout the counties that they provide electricity for. Their members know who Willie is and what he stands for.

So back to our question. Is it always a good idea to promote your brand using a nostalgic mascot? My opinion is that as long as the mascot can maintain a connection with his or her followers, consumer, customers, that can be meaningful and maintain genuine loyalty, don't pull the plug. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Whatever happened to old-fashioned “integrity”?

Well it could be too old fashioned to make it a practice anymore!  Obviously there are many people that do maintain high standards and integrity, but its sad that we live in a time where the lines are so blurry and no one seems to know who or what to believe.  I’m sharing this not as jab towards any particular group or belief system, but more as a reminder to those that spend so much time and great imagination creating false truths, having no second thoughts about it.  Who are these people?

There seems to be no limitations for those hyped up, warp-minded souls that thrive on creating as much chaos, confusion and lies (as though the world needs anymore) all for sake of making a splash on the internet and virtually every other social media outlet in cyberspace.

Sitting on the couch last night, my wife happens to mention a post on Facebook about this scandalous report of Tony Romo and Jason Wittin having an intimate relationship, finally coming out of the closet after all these years.  Again, the issue in my mind isn’t about the sexual lifestyle preference, because today its become socially acceptable for many, but more disturbing, the total lack of responsibility for attacking another human being with a boldfaced lie.  No scruples or integrity, and sadly many of us jump right on the bandwagon as evidenced by the huge viral swell that this dirty little lie created.

It has become an acceptable practice in our society today to manufacture whatever it takes to draw attention and create entertaining buzz.  And many within the entertainment and advertising industries have made an art of it.  And John Q Public in many ways continues to drink the Kool-Aid, fueling that momentum by not insisting on the facts to back it up. But would rather enjoy the lie for a little while.   

So what’s your point?  Simple. Think before you share, and be responsible for the sake of protecting your own and others integrity.

“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. Shouldn’t this still be a timeless concept?

What a performance! The branding world is licking it's chops!

The 2014 World Series will go down in the history books as one of the most memorable performances in the modern era of baseball. Reason, because no pitcher in today's baseball system has ever stretched beyond the limits of the pioneer players since 1904. Truly an amazing feat by the 25 year old pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Madison Bumgarner. He brought new meaning to the phrase, "ice in your veins" with an unshakeable demeanor on the mound during the entire post season of 2014. As a baseball fan, Major League Baseball delivered on their performance and for that, all that can be said is "Thank you!"

So for all of you non-baseball people out there, what does this mean for Madison Bumgarner? Yes, he's likely punched his ticket for entry into the Hall of Fame someday with this indisputable performance within such a short window of time as professional player. And likely that is the most important thing to a guy that possesses such a natural ownership of the pitcher's mound. It is truly his sanctuary as he's proven year end and year out. But what does it mean for him beyond the diamond?

In the sports marketing world, Madison Bumgarner just punched his ticket for an endless journey of opportunity to become an icon for the sport of baseball and beyond. I can only imagine that ad agencies throughout the country this morning are in the process of strategizing every potential avenue to leverage this instant sensation towards the consumer world. We've seen it time and time again with incredible athletes– Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, the list goes on and on of athletes that have reached the pinnacle of performance cashing in on their "identity" as a household name. His agents are hot on the phones working every potential deal that they can secure. Life just changed even more for this slow talking, country boy that happened to make history last night!

The key for Mr. Bumgarner will be his ability to maintain who he is and never lose site of where he came from. A lot of pressure for a 25 year old, but something tells me that he's going to handle it just fine. Anyone that can stand on the hill among 37,000+ screaming fans in the opposing team's stadium, in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run on third base, and ices it the way he did– I'm thinking he's going to be okay!

Keep an eye out for the new "Madison Bumgarner" brand. And congratulations to the Giants for the huge surplus of merchandising that just came your way– Hello Nike, Under Armour, Chevrolet, Subway, AT&T, and on, and on!! Gotta love it!

Are Graphic Designers brand management experts?

This question was posted by a brand development professional in one of my branding groups recently. Meant to gather some perspective and insight from experts in the field, at first glance, the true or false question seemed obvious enough. But as I began to scan through a variety of differing opinions, I felt it deserved a fair answer.

Obviously, I was a little more bias towards the designer side of the equation given my early beginnings in this business. I went to school to become a designer, learning the art of typography, color and the basic principles of design. But all throughout my collegiate experience, most of the assignments were judged more of the basis of aesthetic qualities and visual communication strength. I'm confident that most learning institutions have advanced since my days in better equipping students to think more strategic and beyond the mere graphic aspect of a logo mark.

Branding is much more than a logo today. That said, many of the most memorable logo entities that have enjoyed long-lasting shelf lives have achieved that longevity not necessarily on the merit of the logo design itself. But I would argue that the long term equity of those brands have been the result of the constant voice and experience that the brand has created over time. And I'm guessing by and large most would agree with that statement.

Today brand management has become an art in and of itself. Marketing sophistication, media tactics and really more than those, today's consumer has evolved to a level of savvy that far exceeds anything that we could imagine 30 years ago. Some suggest that logos and brand names are merely the identifiers or symbols and not the brand itself. "What would a consumer miss if a brand disappeared?" Would the product, experience and benefits outweigh the power of the logo or brand image in the mind of the consumer? Don't misunderstand, every brand has to have some form of representation, but could the representation exceed the limitations of the brand icon itself? I believe that it can and has for many of today's mainstream brands, i.e. Nike, Amazon, Food Network, etc. Apple as a perfect example. Today's iPhone product, experience, and innovation has become an iconic brand image in and of itself. Now you might say that this product is merely an extension of the Apple brand, and that sits well with advertising and branding professionals, but as for the general consumer, they are more consumed in the power behind this product than the little icon that happens to be it's label.

Granted, the iPhone is an extreme example. We're not talking about your typical consumable goods like shampoo and toothpaste, but every brand has a voice and creates a degree of unique experience in order to compete in today's ever increasing, over-communicated noisy world. And it is vital to have a clear (and concise as possible) understanding of the positioning, message and experiential benefits that a brand represents. So back to the original question, "Are graphic designers brand management experts?" Unless a designer wades further out into the deeper recesses of branding, I think it would be difficult to say that they are. Yes, they can certainly offer solid design implementation policies that will protect the integrity of the brand, but to fully realize the management responsibilities of a brand's voice and experience goes well beyond the PMS color specifications, usage rules and font families. Will the title "graphic designer" ever achieve that level of expertise in today's brand world? I'm not going to say that it can't happen, but doubtful. I have had the privilege of working with a number of talented and very intelligent designers over the years, some of which have evolved to a more complete understanding of brand development. But throughout my career, I have gained greater understanding when engaged in collaboration with varying disciplines coming together to define and establish the strategy, target audience, message, vision (today and tomorrow's), and the overall experience that a brand should achieve.  

So for all of the young (and old) graphic designers aspiring to become true brand management experts, think beyond the disciplines of your own trade. Surround yourself with a team of diverse brand mavens that can help inspire and achieve a level of sophistication that every brand must have in order to succeed in today's world.

Telling a Corporate Story...

We were recently asked to create a corporate video production highlighting the values, core focus and future plans that this particular company envisioned. Several key things go into producing an effective story. The first thing that you must have in order to meet both the brand's and the client's expectations is a strategy behind the sole purpose for a production. How is going to be used and who are we trying to reach? Secondly, it requires a strong manuscript. Not necessarily for the sake of sticking to it word for word, but more for the sake of maintaining the flow of your story. And last (but not least), establishing a clear and concise understanding of what goes into producing a quality video.

Today we have the luxury of so many devices and tools that virtually anyone can produce a fairly sophisticated video clip. And in most cases, the post production aspect is left out of the equation given all of the software available on your own desktop. This particular exercise involved hours and hours (days) of footage which required a full day of editing in order to produce something at this rough cut level. Mixing, transitions, and overall production values play a key role in delivering a high-definition solution. So keep these three things in mind prior to ever presenting a proposed plan for a video production. There are many misconceptions when it comes to fully understanding all that is involved in producing a video and its our job to do a better job at educating the client.

Special thanks to Stewart Cohen Productions for his terrific production crew and the folks at Sullair for their excellent participation. Click here to view video.

Timing is everything... or is it?

Over the years, I had numerous clients contact us in the emergency crisis mode. "We really need to get things rolling with our brand message!" Or maybe something like, "We haven't honestly figured out how to tell our story in a way that customers really understand who we are!" Not uncommon at all in our business.  And often this epiphany occurs on the brink of some major initiative that the company might be reacting to in a sudden panic or knee jerk reaction to quickly shore the game up so that we look smart enough to secure that next major initiative. We've all been there.  But what typically happens is that once a strategy and plan to get there is established, the realization begins to set in––that in order to do this right, it's going to take some time.

Time is a precious commodity and there never seems to be enough of it.  All too often, as marketers we find ourselves yearning for more patience with clients, failing to fully realize all of the variables that they may be dealing with.  It takes resources, both financial and human to effectively support branding and advertising efforts.  And while we find ourselves growing anxious to get the ball rolling so that perhaps the bleeding can stop, we sometimes pin the blame on the client. That said, it is critical that at the very front end of every marketing plan a detailed schedule be established for the entire team to commit to and stay the course.  Not that this is going to necessarily prevent all of the stops and starts on typical project, but it will help to keep everyone more focused and on task.

So don't find yourself growing frustrated on that next project, rather set some realistic expectations upfront with your clients.  I found over the years that they will work that much harder knowing that you understand things from their side.