Attempt at logo fabrication.

Is it any good?[/QUOTE]

Well, I would say there are a few issues. First one, is that logos should primarily be made in Illustrator. It is important for a logo to be vector, (with all the different size usages.) Its ok to tweak the logo in Photoshop for certain applications of the logo, though. Just always begin with a vector logo. Secondly, (this is a struggle for all designers) but just because something looks cool, doesn't mean it works for the subject. Case in point, the font you choose is a cool font, but its overall "theme" doesn't really fit with the subject matter. It would be great for a medieval or fantasy themed site or a team that had something like that for its mascot (i.e. UCF Knights). However, I don't feel like it works for the Dolphins or Miami. It would be like if I used the font from "Tron" to redo the Cracker Barrel logo. Lastly, I would say you need to scale back your "satin" or "inner glow", because it is starting to make your colors "muddy". Maybe instead of black for those effects you could try darker versions of the colors you're using. When using the Photoshop layer effects it is almost always better to think subtle, unless you're combining a bunch of them to create a specific effect, like glass or metal.

Excellent effort though, I would be very interested to see you take another crack at it.

 

But tell us what you really think j/k Are you a designer or printer? Being that you say all designers struggle rather than most I'd say the latter

 

I like this one the best, it's better than the first imo. I'm still not sure what the swoosh represents though. I like that you're experimenting with elements within the word rather than just having the word straight. But, like FD said, everything (mostly the elements) in the logo should somehow reflect the subject it represents and not just be there cause it looks good. It's kind of like story writing, sometimes you have to cut the parts you like the most because it upsets the flow of it

keep at it though

 

Vectors are made from lines and curves and produce solid, consistent colours. They are best for printing purposes, as FD said, because they can be resized without losing any clarity. Your typical rasterised image is made up of pixels and loses clarity when you zoom in on it... This'll give you a clearer description (see the sample image to the right of the page)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

yeah, I know it's the 'L' I didn't see the "do the phins.com" I do now though, in fact I can't stop seeing it my thing is that it doesn't symbolise anything. As an image it's good but as a logo it doesn't quite have that punch... how about making it look more like a wave coming over the top, you'd probably have to adjust the curve to do that. Or maybe somehow implementing some kind of dolphin element to it like a fin or a dolphin head (not a photo of a dolphin though) Or you could make it like half a stylised football... that'd look good

 

here's a list of quite a few. I've never tried the free ones listed here so I can't recommend them. I use illustrator for all my work so to me that's the best one, but it's not free

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vector_graphics_editors

 

HAHAHA. How dare you call me a print monkey!!!! Are going to call me a programmer next?!?! No, I'm a designer. I said it because I know we all struggle with it, at least in the beginning.

 

The good thing about this line of work is that you don't need formal training. Neither my boss or I have formal training we've both learnt on the job and we're the only two left of what was once a four person operation

 

That is exactly the right the attitude to have. I don't know if you're in school for design, but you'll get ripped apart in school. Most of us have. A lot. Just remember its never personal, and its way better than what you'd have to deal with in the business world. Clients, can and often do suck. There is nothing worse than justifying your designs to an accountant whose idea of good design is a logo made with Times New Roman and an exaggerated gold bevel.

I love seeing people with passion for something. It just so happens I know little about your passion for this, so I'd love to help you in any way i can. Feel free to PM me anytime with questions or advice. My first mentor in the field, taught me more than I ever learned in school. He did it because I had the same attitude as you.

 

These are definitely a step in the right direction.

I like the font choice much more. However, never be afraid to play the font some. Experiment with individual letter size and placement (not necessarily for this, but in general). Your colors are still a little muddy, though. The greens and the oranges seem to have some kind of black, which creates that muddy feel. Try scaling that back by using a darker green or orange, that is less black, where you have the "shadow". I read your other posts about the swoosh. I see what you're trying to accomplish, but it isn't quite working. Brainstorm a little bit more. Think about the team, or dolphins, or even football, and see if you can find something that fits with those things a little more.

Keep going though bro, you're making improvement.

 

Amen to that. All you need is a very solid foundation in the tools, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

 

my deepest apologies I was only joking of course

 

no what is it?

 

Looks interesting. We deal mostly in print produciton so that'd explain why I've never heard of it

 

not sure what it costs I use my work copy... if you're a student you'll be able to get it cheaper though I'm sure... also you may be able to buy an older version on ebay too. Maybe ask you're mum if there's a copy at work hat you could borrow to try it out or I think you can download a trial version but you may not have enough time on the trial to get the hang of the program. That wiki link I posted a few posts ago had some free vector programs I believe, maybe you could check one of those out to get a feel for it.

 

Question for you. I ask this of all designers I meet. Do you consider what we do for a living an art?

 

Yeah, check out Apple.com. They sell the entire creative suite and have a helluva student discount. Plus, you may the option to make payments as well.

 

I don't really think about it to be honest I've been doing this kind of stuff since I was crawling . I suppose it is though given that it follows many basic artistic principles the main being conveying a message to a wide audience. I don't know though really, I don't think that there can be an answer to it. I don't believe you can actually define 'art'

 

I think v.3 looks the best out of them all.

 

Excellent bro!!!! Once again, any advice with these programs, don't hesitate, to ask. Remember, Photoshop is a huuuuuge program. The quickest way to learn it, is to find every tutorial out there (or take classes) and just do them. Google, "Photoshop Tutorials". Go to the bookstore, and find Photoshop magazines (cheaper than the books and are constantly more updated, obviously) and such. As far as being just a designer (print) the 3 most important programs in the suite are:

1. Photoshop- By far the most important program to designers. Its to us what Word is to secretaries. It's main functions are:
A: Pixel based imagery. (Any photo or resolution based work)
B: Photo manipulation. (Anything you want to do to a photo)
C: Image creation. (Anything you want to realistic, websites, brochures, etc.)
D: Photo correction. (Adjusting, colors, exposures, size, cropping, etc. of photos)

2. Illustrator- The most misunderstood of Adobe's big three. Many designers end up hating it, but that's because they don't fully understand it. Its main functions are:
A. Vector based imagery. (Any thing you need to "draw", line drawings, cartoons, logos, etc.)

3. InDesign- The new standard for print layout.
A. Page layout. (Any kind of print layout, brochures, flyers, books, ads, etc. Essentially this a program that you'll create the elements of a piece, and put them together in InDesign and layout the text.)

Learn them in this order. And really focus on them one at a time. If you want to learn web and multimedia design, then the order is:

1. Photoshop

2. Illustrator

3. Dreamweaver- The ONLY program you should use to create html websites. (Strongly, strongly recommend a class. It is not intuitive. You absolutely need a base knowledge of photoshop, web design, and web terms, before you mess too much with this program.)

4. Flash- The culmination of all multimedia programs.
A. You can create web sites, animations, games, programs, etc. (Strongly recommend a class with this as well. This a super powerful program and to unlock its full potential you need to learn its proprietary programming language called Actionscript. It is a whole different animal than any other program. I am least versed in this program.)

Good luck, and once again, I'll help in any way possible. Have some fun. It is vital you learn these depending on your discipline, before you become a good designer. These are your tools, and if you don't know how to use them, you'll never be able to fully create what you see in your head.

 

This thread has been an absolute pleasure to follow. DarkMistress, we miss you over on the theganggreen.com! Fin, you've given some great advice in this thread, that even I'll benefit from. gi§h, keep it up, you've done a lot of nice stuff that i've noticed so far.

I've been teaching myself photoshop since I was 15, and I still learn more each time I use it.. I've attempted numerous times to learn illustrator, but it just winds up making me frustrated.

I have Dreamweaver and Flash, but just haven't been able to take any classes on them yet. And I wont even attempt to self teach myself.

 

I had my own design company once. My partner in that business, felt the same way about Illustrator. Hell, so did I when I first took a class on it. I've learned 2 things in accepting Illustrator: 1. Forget Photoshop when using it. They have nothing o do with one another. 2. Keep going past the frustration, I promise, if you do it will suddenly become "easy", and you'll end up loving it. It worked with me, my old partner, and a few other designers I know.

I'd be willing to help you with it, even though you're a Jets fan Seriously, though, that program is about as powerful as PS, and it will make you a better designer. Feel free to ask here or PM me if you want.

 

No problem, bro. Yes, Flash is different now. The basics of animation you learned awhile ago, will probably still work. Actionscript has gone through a few incarnations since then, but you'll be learning from scratch, so it'll probably be easier for you, actually.

As far as complex curves, you'll be able to do them both in PS and Illustrator. The key is mastering the "pen" tool. The best way to practice with the pen tool, is to silo (cut-out) parts of images in PS. I saw in another thread that you you did some image work where you had Satele in color and everything else in B&W. How did you separate him from the image?

 

Ok. Once you get the Creative Suite, one of the first things you got to do is get familiar (scratch that, you have to become one with the "pen" tool. When you get the program we'll go over it if you like. It may take a little to get used to, but in the end, it will become your most used tool. It is better overall, then erasing out stuff when singling out a part of an image and it works the same in Illustrator for drawing. In the end, it will be your best friend.

 

only when I'm doing work for screen/web I just use the eraser unless it's easier to cut it out using the marquee