CORE2291 Design Lab 1: Illustrator Techniques

CORE2291 Design Lab 1: Project 2 Illustrator Techniques

The project required that we use Adobe Illustrator to recreate the iconic Coca Cola script logo and to create our own pattern inspired by a topic of our choosing, while still keeping it on brand with Coke. The patterns are vector based and made in Illustrator using a wide variety of different tools and techniques.

This project pushes us to use the software in an efficient and professional way. The files have to clean and easy to navigate and helps us practice proficient ways to setup documents. It also offers more practice and experience with common Illustrator tools such as the pen tool and shape builder.

I was already pretty familiar with Adobe Illustrator before this project, but I still picked up a few new helpful techniques. One of the biggest things that I feel I have to work on is organization within files, so it was a nice change of pace to give more attention to the process and the way everything is presented along the way.

Illustrator Techniques

First I set up the image as a template layer, so it can be traced over, and then created my global swatches

This was what it looked like after I used the pen tool to outline all the main shapes

The next step was to use the shape builder tool to combine the main shapes and to erase the areas inside the letters. The completed script is shown on the right

Next I added the trademark text to the "C" by using type on path feature

Here is the complete script with the text before adding the background

Finally, I added a red gradient behind the text to add some interest to the background

Here is the final logo with both the background and the script on its own in a variant color

Pattern Elements and Theme

I have always loved tabletop RPGs (role-playing games) and with Dungeons and Dragons being my first, it holds a special place in my heart. D&D has grown such a large community of people who enjoy collaborative storytelling, luck based success, and adventure and means so much to so many people. I thought it would be a really fun idea to imagine a collaboration, or special edition design, with both Coca Cola and Dungeons and Dragons, because who can play a whole game without a nice soft drink!

Visual Exploration

Coca Cola's branding is recognizable through its use of silhouetted images, smooth and fluid shapes, and the iconic color scheme of red and white. Certain imagery such as the bottle silhouette and the wavy line are used a lot, especially as negative space. I thought this was a very clever idea that I should include in my own designs.

With my patterns, I wanted to capture the fantastical, fun, and adventurous spirit of the game by using movement and imagery of both brands.

Sketches

For my pattern motifs, I wanted to make sure that both themes were prevalent in every design. I tries to find connection though space and silhouette and landed on these three ideas. The first, the coke bottle used as a health potion vile. The second, a bottle cap used as a 20 sided die. The third, the classic D&D dragon on top of the coke can, using the tail position to mimic the iconic swoosh.

For the patterns, I knew I wanted to do a classic tile with all the motifs repeating evenly. I figured this would be a good pattern to use on wrap around packaging or something like that.

The other design I had planned on doing was more centered around the Dragon motif, with the other elements surrounding it. However, after experimenting and playing with the composition in Illustrator, it wasn't working as well as I had hoped. I ended up abandoning the idea and did something completely different and more centered around script.

Progress on Pattern Elements

This is showing the progression of how I created the motifs in Illustrator, using a lot of the same techniques as I did in the script redraw, such as the shape builder, rotate and transform, type, and pen tool.

I kept the color scheme simple and on brand with Coca Cola and D&D with the red, but wanted to incorporate some brown and off white colors to make it seem less modern, more weathered.

An idea I had while working on this, that I hadn't planned in my thumbnails, was to combine both logos by using the dragon head and placing in on the Coca Cola script, again using the pen tool and shape builder.

Final Motifs

I knew I wanted the motifs to be solid shapes but, as I was working on this project more, I was inspired to try a version where it was just outline. Both the solid motifs and the lines were used in my patterns and I believe it gave each a nice effect. I also included the new script in with the motifs, since I did use this as a pattern element.

Progress on Patterns

For the first pattern, I had gone off of my original sketch and made a simple, repeating pattern with the solid shape motifs. I added some more sparkles to fill up some of the empty space and make it feel more finished.

For the second pattern, I ended up using the script with the dragon as the main image and then added the outline versions of the motifs around it. I, again, used some more sparkles to fill the space and bring everything together cohesively.

The last thing I had to do was add some flat color behind the patterns, using the appearance panel, and then add a overlay of a weather paper texture. Adding this, I felt, really finished off the image and added a nice adventurous feeling to tie the two themes together,

Final Patterns