My Great New Vector Themed Tattoo!

I thought I would share this with the world after I decided to prove my love of all things vector by getting a tattoo!

I've been working with vectors for many, many years now and therefore decided to prove my love for vector artwork by dedicating the inside of my right forearm to this little design I 'knocked up'.

Any vector enthusiasts out there will no doubt recognise the pen tool icon from Adobe Illustrator. To fully personalise the tattoo I added a little 'smiley' face complete with vector style points and beziers to symbolise the last joy filled decade or so of my life.

Feel free to let me know what you think...and yes I do realise this ink will be with me for life. I am obviously a fan of tattoo's and this one is meant to represent a great chapter of my life. That will never change and I am very happy to be reminded of it on a daily basis!

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.

Warning Zone - Their Frog on my Blog

Warning Zone are a company based on Frog Island in Leicester. Due to the great name of their location it was decided to promote the business by using a frog character as a bit of a company mascot. The frog will be used in numerous places but especially on the website and in particular the blog which is aptly named 'The blog on the Frog'. A brand new happy frog character was therefore required to fulfill his promotional duties.
The frog needed to be a typical green frog that can be found anywhere in the UK. He needed to convey a positive persona without being too silly but also not too serious. A fun frog but not necessarily a funny frog. The initial design is of the frog sitting on a rock or a very small island (a frog island)! At a later date the character will also be developed further to incorporate different poses and props. Here is the final full coloured result for the initial frog pose...

If you're interested to see how the character developed then please read on! As I mentioned earlier the frog will be in different poses in the future therefore the initial sketches are of a frog both standing and sitting. I created several sketches for the first stage and then some additional sketches following the feedback from the client.

One of the frog's were chosen as the favourite. With only a few minor changes needed I went straight to vector artwork and created the amendments on screen before sending the next stage to the client, a version of the character in black and white and also a version using a few flat colours.

Some minor changes were required after this stage, mainly the shape of the rock the frog was sitting on. It was a little too uniform and needed to be more irregular and rock like. Apart from the rock all that was left to do was to add the minor details such as skin patterns, highlights and obviously the correct colour schemes.

The final result (appearing higher in this post) can soon be seen on the Warning Zone website.

If you would like to know more details or discuss anything else including any projects where you may need a character designed then please call 01858 462779 or email nathan@antcreations.co.uk

Mutt on the Move! Dog on the Door!!

It's another Healthy Mutt blog posting! That fab company from Orange County in California who supply all manner of healthy and ethical treats for dogs. We all know dogs love hanging out of a moving car window and so I designed several variations that were considered as possible window mutts! This is the mutt as he appears on his truck window advertising the company website and the alternative window woofers!

I've also created another version of the mutt looking lean and mean and carrying a doggy dumbbell. This mutt is used to promote the company and is aimed at the dog's who live a more active lifestyle.

Check out the other Healthy Mutt work from my blog posts 'Coconut Oil' label design and the initial Healthy Mutt logo design.

If you need a chat regarding any of your illustration or design work get in touch.

Happy Rabbit in a Hole

This is the latest creation for Rabbit Rooter based in Pennsylvania.
The character has been created to promote the drainage business and will appear in many forms to market the company including truck wraps! I will hopefully get some pics to post at a later date.

If you are interested in seeing how the character developed you can visit my earlier blog post by clicking here. (Note the original company name was going to be 'Red Rabbit Rooter' but has since been shortened to simply 'Rabbit Rooter'. The rabbit however has remained red!

I have also created a couple of versions of the company logo. Each one may be used depending on where the logo will appear.

Please feel free to let me know what you think. If you would like to get in touch please email or call or visit my site www.antcreations.co.uk

Lucky Langton Pump Clip!

This is the latest design for a pump clip for a regular client of mine the Langton Brewery.
The beer is called 'Farrier' and is available in many pubs throughout the area.
Here is the design you'll see clipped to the pump on the bar advertising the beer...

Vanilla Magazine - First Edition is Online NOW!!!

The very first edition of the Vanilla Magazine is now online!
I create all the design and branding for Vanilla but this is the first time I've created an online magazine. Vanilla Recruitment is a great company based in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, UK.
Below is the first edition of the new quarterly magazine designed to promote the company whilst offering some really useful news, hints, tips and advice from the world of employment, HR and business in general. If you have five minutes to spare have a look through and let me know what you think.

If you would like to subscribe and receive the Vanilla Magazine on a quarterly basis please go to the Vanilla subscribe page.

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

The Healthy Mutt - Coconut Oil Label Design

I recently designed a label for The Healthy Mutt. They are a great company based in Orange County, California who specialise in natural products for dogs. They needed a label for their Coconut Oil created especially for canines! Here is the final result...

Below is the full label as it would appear flat...

If you get a chance then please visit their site and check out all the great, natural products they supply for your healthy pooch! And as always please feel free to let me know what you think.

Langton Brewery New Festive Beer Label - Welland Innkeeper

Here is the latest beer label I designed for the Langton Brewery based in Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire.
They needed a label designing for their festive beer for 2010 which is called Welland Innkeeper.
The illustration has a little bit of a biblical influence with a few festive colours thrown in.
The beer is for sale as a 500ml bottle and also on draught in certain public houses in the area.
Please feel free to comment, and if you see the bottle or the pump clip out in the real world let me know and feel free to send me a pic so I can put it on this blog with a hearty thanks!

A large version of the artwork

The 500ml beer label

The pump clip which advertises the draught beer in pubs