GeauxColonels Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 OK, I've been a member of the boards for a while now. I've posted a concept or 2 here or there. This is by far my most ambitious logo since joining. So I really need your comments, critiques and suggestions. I'm working on a logo inspired by the sketch below of a blue heron:First thing I did was to create a pencil sketch and then refine some of the edges:Then I brought the sketch into Inkscape and created the basic logo. I tweaked a few of the lines here and there and then added a few black "streaks" in several places just to give it a bit more character. Here's the first iteration of the logo:One thing that bothered me a lot was the look of the eye. It was pretty bland and boring. So I went through as many bird logos as I could find (Arizona Cardinals, Toronto & Creighton Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Eagles, etc...) and tried out several different eye treatments before settling on the one I like most. I also worked to refine the black streaks, rework the area around the eye and added a few "stray" feathers at the top and bottom and came up with this:My final move was to then add a few highlights to the bill and head of the bird while adding a yellow stroke around the outside. However, I'm sort of stumped now. I really want this to be a great logo....but I can't think of much more to do with it. I've played with the stroke lines inside and out and can't really think of anything I like better. I may look at thinning out the black outer stroke around the bill and head and then leave the heavy, thick stroke around the neck and bottom...not sure yet. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. One thing of note is that the color palette is set in stone for me. I've also tried using a yellow bill and a green eye....but I prefer this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logolover1234 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 looks good, just suggesting that you should maybe change the beak color a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanBirchfield Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I like it. I have inkscape and have no idea how to use it so to me this is brilliant work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMoon Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I like it. Are there more than one type of Blue Heron? The one's I have seen around here have a blue body with a white head/light orange bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 I like it. Are there more than one type of Blue Heron? The one's I have seen around here have a blue body with a white head/light orange bill.This is actually a "Little Blue Heron." What you're referring to is the "Great Blue Heron." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 I just realized that I know a little too much about herons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMoon Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 They are also referred as one of the influences of the term Thunderbird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwm0204 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 maybe if the beak was a darker blue than the body, other than that it would be great for a pacific northwest team for any sport, it seems to fit them all fine "The 2013 Red Sox are the world champions...and Boston strong!"-Dave O'Brien Calling the final out of game 6 of the 2013 WS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingmar66 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 The source of your excellent logo (probably by Audubon) shows a black bird with a blue beak. I know your colours are set in stone, but why not try that combination? With the stray feathers outlined in white on the black head and an overall yellow outline like you did. I can imagine the wordmark Blue Herons in the same hue of blue with a black and yellow outline in a long, thin font underneath the logo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragone Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I really like this. But, I feel like the bottom portion near the bottom of the neck kind of seems dull. I understand it's cut straight for a purpose but maybe try and add a few streaks to kind of create a bit of movement. It's just a suggestion but I really love the logo and the color scheme. Just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sec19Row53 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I'm not a fan of the second outline. You have the top most feather, bottom most feather, and ending point individually outlined, but the group of feathers are outlined as a whole, creating a different stroke width. I get that it might "work" better with that arrangement, but that's where I feel that the second outline is a weakness, not a strength.Your straight line rendering of the bottom of the logo also doesn't seem to fit with the ocerall curviness of this logo. How about trying a curve along the lines of the Carolina Panthers' logo?I'm kinda meh on the black feathers at the top back of the head. Why don't all of the outer feathers have them? It looks incomplete there. I get that if you take them out, you have to deal with ending the white stroke... Sorry, no suggestion on this one - just a comment. It's where I sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FALCON6 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Great, amazingly great idea. It's a splendid bird, great for sports. Seems, and I know it's hard a lot of things are this way, it's cartoony. Think how to show the heron, like maybe even doing the whole body. Good start though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 maybe if the beak was a darker blue than the body, other than that it would be great for a pacific northwest team for any sport, it seems to fit them all fineThanks for the response. It's a good suggestion, but I want to keep the color palette as is with little to no changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 The source of your excellent logo (probably by Audubon) shows a black bird with a blue beak. I know your colours are set in stone, but why not try that combination? With the stray feathers outlined in white on the black head and an overall yellow outline like you did. I can imagine the wordmark Blue Herons in the same hue of blue with a black and yellow outline in a long, thin font underneath the logo.Yes, it's an Audubon sketch. I may look into that, but I really didn't want a logo that is primarily black. Honestly, there's already more black in there than I would want.....but I'm OK with is because it's necessary now the way the image evolved.As far as the comment about the stray feathers and outlining them in black, are you talking about the feathers on the outside of the head or the streaks on the inside of the blue?I really like this. But, I feel like the bottom portion near the bottom of the neck kind of seems dull. I understand it's cut straight for a purpose but maybe try and add a few streaks to kind of create a bit of movement. It's just a suggestion but I really love the logo and the color scheme. Just a suggestion.Yeah, it is pretty dull which is why I added that one stray feather at the bottom. I haven't done much more to it past there though because I will probably have text covering most of that portion of the body. I just really want to nail down the logo before adding text. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GriffinM6 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Can't wait for the finished product. How are you going to incorporate this into Audubon's identity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 I'm not a fan of the second outline. You have the top most feather, bottom most feather, and ending point individually outlined, but the group of feathers are outlined as a whole, creating a different stroke width. I get that it might "work" better with that arrangement, but that's where I feel that the second outline is a weakness, not a strength.I get what you're saying. When I added the yellow stroke, it was initially wrapped around each feather individually. But, because they aren't completely even with one another, the yellow stroke looked sloppy. But that IS an area that's been bothering me as well. I may look at reworking the feathers a bit more. It's easily one of the most difficult parts of the logo.Your straight line rendering of the bottom of the logo also doesn't seem to fit with the ocerall curviness of this logo. How about trying a curve along the lines of the Carolina Panthers' logo? I may try something like this even with the intent of adding text.I'm kinda meh on the black feathers at the top back of the head. Why don't all of the outer feathers have them? It looks incomplete there. I get that if you take them out, you have to deal with ending the white stroke... Sorry, no suggestion on this one - just a comment. Well, the white stroke was added after the inside black feathers. It's also something else I've thought about with only 2 feathers internally while there are 4 externally. I guess I'm too worried about the black feathers on the interior getting too clustered up and making that portion of the logo too busy.I'll definitely look into everything you mentioned. Some great feedback here. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingmar66 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I mean the feathers inside the blue if you would turn the blue face and body into a black face and body. But I dig that you want to keep it blue in which case no extra outline is needed. Might be an idea to make those stray feathers a bit more straying (meandering on the face and neck): from what I have seen most herons look like they have a permanent wet look without having to use fixing gel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxColonels Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 I mean the feathers inside the blue if you would turn the blue face and body into a black face and body. But I dig that you want to keep it blue in which case no extra outline is needed. Might be an idea to make those stray feathers a bit more straying (meandering on the face and neck): from what I have seen most herons look like they have a permanent wet look without having to use fixing gelRegarding the feathers on the back of the head, do you think that they should be spaced out more? Or even thinned out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandMooreArt Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 i think you've done a pretty good job of rendering it, but theres a few things you can do to improve it.Color - since you're already using black and blue, it would be more accurate to use blue in the beak and black in the neck. but, that's not a big deal. might be worth trying though as you would get a better contrast than you have with your current green and blue. if you're set on green and blue, i suggest going with a brighter green. maybe a 347C? hard to say without messing with it myselfFeathers - take a closer look at the illustration. the feathers start close together on the head, and fray out as they grow away from the head. your feather do the opposite. it might even be worth making those hairs/feathers much thiner, then drawing the keystroke around them.Flow and composition - this is the weakest part. imagine a box drawn around the logo with the sides touching each outermost point on top/bottom/sides. you're left with a lot of space in that box in the upper right and lower left portions. even more if you did the same as a circle. you need to fill the space of that imaginary box to have a stronger composition. something that is "Strong in space". heres a few bad sketches of what i mean. maybe it will spark a better idea  GRAPHIC ARTIST BEHANCE  /  MEDIUM /  DRIBBBLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMoon Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 It's cool you chose Herons. Never seen a Heron used in any sports logo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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