Scientist Character Design - Empiribox Logo and Illustrated Cartoon Scientist

Mad Scientist - character design

If I asked you to picture a cartoon scientist you would undoubtedly imagine the white coat, big glasses/goggles and some crazy hair of some kind. Add in some bubbling, smoky liquid in a test tube and you've got your typical scientist (mad scientist) character.

This is exactly what the client needed, so who am I to argue with tradition?! I did create a choice of other scientist sketches following the similar theme, and a favourite was chosen and vectored up to final artwork. Let me know what you think or if you'd have preferred a different scientist from my sketches.

Empiribox Logo - design, animate and icon amends

Following the scientist character design, I also helped work on the company logo a little by developing the icons used amongst the text. As you can see the logo incorporates a rocket ship, a test tube and a bug. I designed a few variations of each icon and tried several colour schemes.

We also tried to get a bit of extra fun into the logo and decided to have a little play with animating the logo for the website. You can see the simple animated logo below.

If you have any thoughts, comments, suggestions or questions then please feel free to comment below or contact me in whatever way is best for you. Enjoy :)

Eye Kettleby Lakes Logo Design - Corporate Identity Branding

I created a new logo for Eye Kettleby Lakes a little while back. Eye Kettleby Lakes is situated in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside on the outskirts of Melton Mowbray. It's a family run fishery set in 150 acres which also has 12 luxury round log cabins and a tranquil touring park. A new corporate identity was needed and a whole new logo as we were starting from scratch due to there being no previous logo design for the company.

The brief was initially quite broad, and we were unsure whether to use an icon related to fishing, log cabins or caravans etc. Following several stages of design it was decided to be more broad in the choice of icon. We did not want the logo to be too restrictive with regards to the 'topic' of any image or icon used, and by being a little more open in our approach with the theme it would 'future proof' the logo as much as possible to cover all the various aspects of the business.

Below you can see several stages of the design proces, mocked up on compliment slips or business cards along with some slight variations of each theme. We actually went through many other designs, tweaks and colour schemes but these should give an overall picture of the project as a whole

The final design was chosen to incorporate a tree icon. This was felt to be broad enough in it's theme and covered the countryside and 'back to nature' ethos of the company. I've shown the final logo in black, but also a few variations with colour to show the diversity the logo has and how it can be displayed in different settings and colours etc. Let me know what you think and if you'd have chosen a different approach maybe. Cheers and enjoy! 

New Logo Design for We Are Epic - Corporate Identity Branding

I was asked to help design the new corporate identity, logo for We Are Epic (Epic for short). I have been working with the Leicester based design company for some time, and therefore had a good idea of the type of business they are and what style of branding would work for them.

We worked closely together to come up with a text based design, simply concentrating on the word 'epic'. The new branding needed to be fresh but fun, with the ability to use the logo in many colour schemes including a single coloured version. I tried a variety of text styles in an attempt to get the 'feel' of the brand just right. You can see my first stage of designs on the image below with the blueish squares. I've also added my initial sketches so you can see exactly where my design process begins.

The client then narrowed the choice to two potentials as you can see on the second pic. We also tried a few colour variations to see what worked for the future.

The final logo can be seen above in a single black colour. I think you'll agree there are some obvious links to perhaps an 80's style, but hopefully a more modern twist and different or advanced enough to stand the test of time. Let me know what you think or if you'd have chosen a different path. Cheers and enjoy!

Grr's 2 Purr's logo design - The cat's whiskers, the dogs...

I had the pleasure of working with a great client recently creating a brand new logo for Grr's 2 Purr's. Grr's 2 Purr's (as the name suggests) specialise in services and products for both cats and dogs. They're based in The Langton Farm Shop just outside Market Harborough and provide a premium dog grooming service as well as selling loads of high quality products, accessories and treats for our favourite four legged friends!

You can see the full logo below and how it works across several colour schemes including black and white and the companies corporate colours. I've also added many of the initial early designs I created as alternatives to the one that was finally chosen. As usual I would love to know what you think, and if you have any comments feel free to leave your thoughts. Cheers and enjoy!

New Logo Design for Bibo - Drinks For Events

Here are several versions of the new Bibo logo recently created for the Kibworth based drinks for events, hire company. The basic 'Bibo' in the glass design is used throughout the branding, but the text and layout will change for the different ways the logo will be used. The logo can be used portrait or landscape and as a single colour. If you see it out and about then I would love to know about it. Enjoy!

Naturally Naked Logo Design

I've once again been working with a fantastic client of mine named Marcie DeWolf. Marcie runs 'The Healthy Mutt' which provides top quality and totally natural pet food for dogs. We have worked together on several projects and you can see examples of our previous work in my 'case studies' section by clicking on 'The Healthy Mutt'.

This time however we've worked on a logo for a new business venture and pet product range called 'Naturally Naked'. The brief was to create a dog character that could work independantly or as part of the logo with text. We tried several dogs and many different colour schemes to try to get the right look and feel for both the dog and the lettering. The dog needed to be fun and healthy looking but somehow convey the 'naked' message without being offensive in any way. The text needed to be friendly, healthy and natural but also professional. Here's the logo in full colour...

And here is the dog on his own (complete with a branch and leaf to cover his nakedness)... 

You can also check out the sketches I created for the dog in different poses and with different expressions across his doggy chops by visiting my 'sketches' album at the official Ant Creations Facebook page. Enjoy!

VAT Wizard Character/Logo Design

I've been working on a mysterious and wise new character/logo design project recently. The business is called VAT Wizard and a character was needed that would be fun and memorable and could also be used as the company logo. After several sketched ideas (see here) I came up with the magic man below. He will appear on business cards and letterheads (coming soon) and on any adverts and promotional material for the company. I have created a couple of ads that are currently in print to promote the new business, and the new website is currently in development. As usual would love to know what you think. Enjoy!

New Logo for National Link Couriers

I have recently been working with National Link Couriers to help re-brand their business. They are a same day courier service operating in the Northamptonshire area. They have been in business for over twenty years and have decided that their logo and branding needed an overhaul. This is the final result...

 

The red and black colour scheme has been carried over from the initial logo and general company branding to add some continuity to the changes. The logo needed to convey a feeling of friendliness but also the simple message that your parcels will be delivered quickly.

We tried various solutions before settling on the cartoon type man. I have designed him to be usable as a stand alone icon, so here he is without the text...

Feel free to let me know what you think. If you need any more information please get in touch on 01858 462 779 or email nathan@antcreations.co.uk

Nelson Skate and BMX Jam Logos, Posters, Flyers and More!

I created these logo's, promotional posters and flyers a little while back. It's taken me this long to get them on the blog because to be honest I forgot all about them!
I did however really enjoy creating this artwork. The world of skating and bmxing is full of great images, illustrations and designs! This artwork was created to promote Nelson Skate and BMX Jam which is a day of fun and competition held in Nelson Skate Park in South Wales every year. A logo was required that represented the skate and bmx scene and would be useable year after year that would be changeable whilst keeping it's overall identity.
This is the logo I created for the 2009 competition and also the 2010 event. The different colour schemes and date show how it is adaptable and unique every year.

 

 

I created a few different designs for the logo before the final version was chosen. The images below show the initial design options and the various colour schemes

As I mentioned earlier I also created a poster and a flyer for the event. Because the event is held in my hometown of Nelson which is in the beautiful South Wales valley the posters and flyers needed to be created in both English and Welsh. Here are the final results for the posters and flyers

And if that's not enough cool and funky stuff already the client which was Caerphilly Borough Council also had some other promotional items created. Here are some pics of the shoulder bags and dog tags that incorporated the logo

Phew, long blog post eh! If you need any more info please get in touch by email at nathan@antcreations.co.uk or call me on 01858 462779.

Super Duper Bumper Boats!

The new logo I recently created for Bumper Boats www.bumperboats.co.uk They are a company providing inflatable boats in an enclosed water filled pool for events and fetes etc. Great fun for kids to get in the boats and bump each other to their hearts content! A fun logo was required showing a couple of boat characters post bump! It needed to show the splashing water and also be vibrant yet friendly. The logo will be used on all the usual including t-shirts and advertising materials! Here's the final result...

In case you are interested in the development here are the initial sketches I created for the boat characters...

If you need any more information please get in touch on 01858 462779 or email nathan@antcreations.co.uk