Our upcoming gig with Wicked Peace and Courtney From Work was approaching. These bands are known for their energetic live shows and are loads of fun to hang out with. That’s why I chose to lay out a pop art poster design in order to promote it. The bright colors, halftone patterns, and exaggerated facial expressions common in vintage comic strip and pulp stories were perfect to match this bill’s vibe.
Pop Art Poster Design story
While perusing royalty free stock art online, I chose a few images that I could lay out in order to tell a story. The focal character in the top panel is on her phone, starting a rumor. In the next panel, another lady whispers the gossip into her friend’s ear. Finally, in the last panel, the man is frustrated at reading the news on his computer. These Jezabels have ruined his reputation!
In reality, the story came second to the details about the show. I patterned the venue and date displayed at the top after a comic strip name and author byline. The top panel heralds the headline act in a mix of bright blue and black, popping out from the speech balloon. “21+ Adults Only!”, the banner at the bottom of the panel declares. Underneath the main illustrations, I added the other band names in a classic comic strip font. Then, I accented the band names with two more eye catching pop art poster characters splashed over the stark black background. Finally, the poster declares the door charge “Only Five Bucks!”. You just can’t beat that for a night of entertainment!
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Are you promoting an upcoming concert or event? Looking to promote it with a splash of tongue in cheek kitsch? Then you should contact me today!
Thunder Rosa "Maneater" Video Youtube Thumbnail Design
"Rasputin" Video Thumbnail
You Net Results "Payoff Voice Enhancements" Thumbnail
You Net Results "10 Things General Managers Must Do Well" Thumbnail
You Net Results "Building Car Count" Thumbnail
You Net Results "Auto Repair Financing" Thumbnail
You Net Results "Sense Of Urgency" Thumbnail
Rob Rowsell "Addicted to Life" Chapter 8 Review Thumbnail
PRS Guitar Video Thumbnail
Sempervivi "Gatekeeper" Thumbnail Art
Sempervivi "Get Hyped" Video Thumbnail
Sempervivi "Sick Boys" Cover Video Thumbnail
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To be honest, I could take or leave Cable TV, as well as most streaming services. I am, however, a Youtube junkie. I’m always adding videos to my “Watch Later” list. I consume hours of content about retro gaming, pro wrestling, and other topics. During the pandemic, my band could not rehearse in person for over a year, so I decided to focus on creating content for our channel. I went all in, studying how Youtube algorithms worked. One of the crucial elements in building a successful channel is to make sure your Youtube thumbnail design is on point. I observed techniques many creators used in their thumbnail creation and put them to work for both my band and my regular clients.
Youtube Thumbnail Design Story
During the 2020 quarantine, I laser focused on some of my favorite creators. I noticed that channels such as Punk Rock MBA and Top Hat Gaming Man employed an effective thumbnail design style. Since thumbnails often display at very small sizes, it is important to maximize the space you are given. The most impactful art in this format tends to employ a bright colored background. A big, bold headline occupies approximately one half of the space, usually in white and outlined in black. Most importantly, the other half of the thumbnail usually features someone’s face, with a clear, often exaggerated expression. A face with an obvious expression, when paired with a compelling headline, can spark curiosity and generate clicks.
After study time, I put all of this knowledge to work. I sharpened my thumbnail skills while editing original music videos for Sempervivi and clips of Zoom classes by my clients You Net Results and Sara Drury. One such video for the band enabled me to partner with my favorite female pro wrestler Thunder Rosa, using footage from her career before she signed with AEW.
Do You Need A Youtube Thumbnail Design Created? Contact Me Today!
From the beginning, I have loved creating quick turnaround web graphics. Moving from one concept to the next on a tight deadline keeps my creative skills sharp. Do you need an experienced graphic designer to make your Youtube thumbnail design shine? Perhaps you even might need some video editing for your productions. Contact me today to see if we are a good fit!
I loved working on this book cover art, another in a series of Christian book cover design. I created it for Western Kentucky pastor and author George E. Thompson. George is one of the first humans I remember knowing. My parents often took me to his home as a youth, and I attended preschool with his daughter in my small Kentucky hometown.
Lessons on Gifts and Giving compiles a series of brief thoughts about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament books of the Holy Bible describe these gifts in great detail. At the time George commissioned me, I was not doing as much print work as I would have liked. Plus, my family are voracious readers, enjoying a variety of topics. Because of these particular reasons, it was truly a privilege for me to create this religious guide’s artwork.
Book cover art – front cover fonts and colors
George gave me a lot of creative freedom for this project. I took a few steps back to ponder how I could properly depict such awe inspiring subject matter. First, I used one of my favorite color combinations, which is blue, orange, and yellow. The bright colors set against the dark background creates a stark contrast. This specific contrast brings the weight and power to the design that is called for by the book’s theme.
Also, I jumped at the chance to use one of the many ribbon style fonts that were trendy at the time. This was an appropriate setting, considering that the focal images centered around gift packages. I also made use of the equally trendy Museo Slab font. It spells out the rest of the text content featured in the book’s layout. I set the main titles on the cover over parallel orange ribbon shapes, which rise upward at an angle. This effect makes the ribbons stand out even more. They have a positive, uplifting feel of forward motion.
Focal image and filter effects for Christian book cover design
Completing the front design, a dark and mysterious figure appears in the cover’s background. This mystery man represents the Holy Spirit. The Bible characterizes the Spirit as a comforter, as well as a guide to believers in Christ. The image of Him holding the glowing golden gift package really sums up the main idea of this book’s topic.
I began by selecting the perfect royalty free stock photo for the focal image. In its initial form, it depicted a businessman who is holding a shiny gold gift package. By using the Adobe Photoshop app, I then desaturated it. I followed up by cut the package out from the photo. Next, I separated it into its own layer, situated in the cover’s foreground. I recolored and darkened the background figure blue. After that, I faded him into the black background in order to cement its intriguing appeal.
Graphic design effects and filters for book cover art
Wrapping up the design for this tome’s front cover, I should discuss the effects used in the focal image. Let me clarify that I do not typically make use of very many Photoshop filters in my work. It is easy to overdo effects. Sometimes graphic artists make the mistake of throwing them in haphazardly. Because of this, their work can suffer. This is easy to do, even for seasoned pros. However, I felt that the halftone and glow effects were the appropriate finishing touches. They completed the design in order to convey the spiritual theme of this book.
The ethereal Photoshop filters come together in order to make the glowing golden package pop out. I drove home the spiritual theme on the book’s cover, while still retaining a clean and modern feel.
Book cover art – back cover design story
The quaint wrapped gift boxes on the back cover also reflect the book’s warm and inviting feel. Humble plaid and butcher paper patterns cover the presents. Each of them is wrapped with a tasteful blue ribbon. I faded them into the pale yellow solid background so they would not compete with the text.
The synopsis, as well as the paragraph describing the author’s credentials, are also featured on the back cover. These passages invite both believers and nonbelievers alike to learn about God’s many great gifts to us.
In conclusion, this Christian book cover design was a great opportunity to use my gifts. Specifically, I am referring to creating the perfect graphic design solutions for my clients. I am happy any chance that I get to both honor God with that gift and help a friend with their own passion project at the same time.
You have finished the long and arduous process of writing the perfect manuscript. After that, you went through the steps of painstakingly editing that content. Finally, your literary labor of love has been completed. Every chapter and every page is now finished. Hold up, you can’t take your book to press just yet! Now you need the right cover design, and it needs to be done precisely to spec by a professional. You have completed the hard part, so why not let me make your book cover art easy? I possess the education and experience, as well as the eye for detail to get the job done.
This Eastern Kentucky reference center commissioned a library logo design and website package. My clients at Muhlenberg County Public Libraries recommended me. I previously had also provided a logo and website for them.
Traditional style green library logo design
The library board did not request very many specifics at first. They needed a strong, traditional mark incorporating shades of green. Therefore, Wolfe County’s staff chose the tried and true “donut” ring format from my initial mock up sketches. If it’s good enough for Starbucks, then it’s good enough for my clients. I selected the classic and strong Clarendon font to use throughout the library logo design. A serif font such as Clarendon is always a winner in applications like these. After that, I then wrapped the text “Wolfe County Public Library” around around the ring frame. Outline strokes of varying thicknesses in the ring helped give the mark a subtle uptown feel.
The arched ribbon that reads “WCPL” is the focus element, and also suggests a bookmark. The opened book in front of the ribbon creates depth and perspective. A simple “Est’d 1967” in front of the book reminds viewers of the library’s staying power in the community.
Finally, I topped the design off with the green and white mountains sprawling in the background. These elements are a nod to the beautiful mountains and hollers in Eastern Kentucky. WCPL ordered several tweaks and revisions as we went along. In the end, however, the library board were very happy with the finished product. It was time to move on to their website design.
“Book” me to design your library logo design
Are you a public library coordinator? Do you run a small business or nonprofit? Do you need a strong, traditional mark to represent your brand? Contact me today.
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