Logo design

I have begun designing India's logo. As she wants to use her full name (India Rose Bird), I decided to use her handwriting. I believe that this will compliment the handcrafted nature of her work and also include her personality. I have also vectored some of her most popular designs and patterns to incorporate into the logo design.

Vectored designs.

India's handwriting.

I began developing initial logo designs by separating out the best characters and piecing them together, I have also chosen a hand pattern to accompany it.

 

India is happy with the progress so far, but feels the hands look too aggressive. She is going to illustrate some more ready for me to edit and incorporate into the design. 

For now I have mocked up some front covers for the publication design. I have explored some possible colour variations responding both to India's work and her requests. 

Japanese Proverbs and sayings

I have been looking into some Japanese proverbs and sayings to influence my surface pattern brief. Initially I intended to look at the Shinto faith, but I believe that this subject matter narrows my outcomes down to illustrations of certain gods or 'characters'. 

Looking at Japanese sayings leaves much more room for interpretation, as the direct translations from Japanese to English show the similarities with commonly known sayings in our own culture. Exploring these direct translations highlight how the Japanese have a wonderful way of visualising proverbs into direct scenarios, making them easier to visualise. A way for me to interpret these into my own work would be to use the commonly known English sayings, but illustrate them using the direct Japanese translation. 

Here are some of my favourites that I have come across.

猿も木から落ちる。 (Saru mo ki kara ochiru) Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees. 

Meaning: Everyone makes mistakes. / Nobody's perfect.

井の中の蛙大海を知らず。 (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) Literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea. 

Meaning: People are satisfied to judge things by their own narrow experience, never knowing of the wide world outside.

蛙の子は蛙。 (Kaeru no ko wa kaeru) Literally: Child of a frog is a frog. 

Meaning: Like father, like son.

知らぬが仏 (Shiranu ga hotoke) Literally: Not knowing is Buddha. 

Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / It's better to not know the truth.

覆水盆に帰らず。 (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu) Literally: Spilt water will not return to the tray. 

Meaning: It's no use crying over spilt milk. / A separated couple can never go back to as it was.

見ぬが花 (Minu ga hana) Literally: Not seeing is a flower. 

Meaning: Things will never be as you imagine, so you're better off not seeing them. / Reality can't compete with imagination.

猫に小判 (neko ni koban) Literally: gold coins to a cat. 

Meaning: Giving a gift to someone who can't appreciate it; A useless gesture; "Pearls before swine."

猫に鰹節 (neko ni katsuobushi) Literally: fish to a cat. 

Meaning: A situation where one can not let their guard down (because the cat can't resist stealing your fish).

三日坊主 (mikka bōzu) Literally: a monk for (just) three days. 

Meaning: Giving up at the first sign of difficulty.

水に流す (mizu ni nagasu) Literally: let flow in the water 

Meaning: Forgive and forget; water under the bridge

竜頭蛇尾 (ryuutou dabi) Literally: dragon, head, snake, tail 

Meaning: Anticlimax, the beginning is like a dragons head, great and majestic and the ending is like a snakes tail, tiny and pathetic.

十人十色 (jūnin toiro) Literally: ten men, ten colors 

Meaning: To each his/her own. / Different strokes for different folks.

一石二鳥 (isseki nichō) Literally: one stone, two birds 

Meaning: Killing two birds with one stone; Doing 2 things with one action.

雲散霧消 (unsan mushō) Literally: scattered clouds, disappearing mist 

Meaning: Disappear without a trace.

http://www.linguanaut.com/japanese_sayings.htm

知らぬが仏。
Shiranu ga hotoke.
Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / What you don't know can't hurt you.

出る杭は打たれる。
Deru kui wa utareru.
Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.

七転び八起き
Nanakorobi yaoki
Literally: fall seven times and stand up eight
Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up / Keep trying.

猿も木から落ちる
Saru mo ki kara ochiru
Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees
Meaning: Anyone can make a mistake.

悪因悪果
akuin akka
Literally: evil cause, evil effect / bad causes bring bad results
Meaning: Sow evil and reap evil. / You reap what you sow.
Note: this is a Buddhist sentiment that emphasizes the idea of karmic retribution.

弱肉強食
jaku niku kyō shoku
Literally: The weak are meat; the strong eat.
Meaning: Survival of the fittest.

(wiki)

A bad workman always blames his tools

下手の道具しらべ

A cat has nine lives 猫には九生

A friend in need is a friend indeed まさかの時の友こそ真の友

A good Samaritan

地獄で仏に逢ったよう

A piece of cake

朝飯前

A rolling stone gathers no moss 転がる石には苔は生えぬ

A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf

蛇の道は蛇

A white lie

嘘も方便

A wolf in sheep's clothing 猫を被る

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

なくてぞ人は恋しかりける

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth 棒を以って棒に報いる

http://hilhorst.eu/kotowaza.org/en/lijst_EN.php

Literally: Fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch, a broken mirror can not be made to shine 
Meaning: What's done is done; "There's no use crying over spilled milk"

Literally: A coin to a cat 
Meaning: "Pearls before swine"; ie: don't offer things to people who are incapable of appreciating them.

Yearbook pitch

Concept pitch for graphic design yearbook.

Statement of Intent

My final statement of intent.

Woodblock

I have scanned in some of India's original carved woodblocks. I love these designs, and I think that it would work really well to incorporate the wooden textures and grains in her branding, as she uses woodblock throughout a lot of her work. She also uses quite an earthy, natural colour palette.

India's work

Today I met with Inda to go through her work so that I could get more of a feel of her style, and consider how I am going to incorporate her designs into the actual designs of her branding and packaging. The photos that I have initially taken are not great quality as they are just for research purposes. I have asked India to select some pieces that she wants to feature in her final publication, so that I can photograph them to a high standard.

I have photographed illustrations and elements of patterns that I think could be developed and incorporated into my designs.

Keomarney Phan

http://respectcreativity.tumblr.com/