Amanda Kirby Designs

Lady Illustration

2009-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more example of my illustrations using the wacom tablets. I made these in photoshop rather than illustrator so that I could make use of the burn and dodge function.

This image of a woman's face was also made in photoshop. For this I used the photoshop filter to add a little bit of texture to the image.

NGA Newspaper Ads - Concept

2009-01-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

These are two sample advertisements for the National Gallery of Art. This was a concept project for ads that might go into the Express newspaper in Washington DC.

For these ads I mimicked the theme of the NGA brochure (see earlier post) I added some movement to the pieces by allowing parts of the artwork images to pop out of their box.

CCS Brochure

2009-01-26T08:16:00.001-08:00

This was a project I did for the Capital City Symphony. Unlike most projects on this site - which were created for school - CCS used this as their sesaonal brochure. I was given a lot of freedom with this piece. I had to limit myself to the tri-fold dimensions, but I was able to come up with my own design concept.

The Flats Brochure - Concept

2009-01-23T11:49:00.002-08:00

Century Gothic!
Century Gothic!
Century Gothic!

The project that made me fall in love with the aforementioned font. For this project we were asked to creat a brochure for the Dupont Circle apartment complex, "The Flats." We were provided with text and a selection of pictures.

We had complete freedom when it came to size/shape so I had some fun with it! I created a gate-fold brochure with a di-cut to add a little pazzaz. When one looks at the piece from the front there is a little peak into the inside image of the flower. Once the brochure is opened, the full photo is apparent and the informative text is organized on the remaining space. The back of the brochure uses the flower once more. It also has a map of dupont circle that I made in illustrator.

I used the photos as inspiration for the color scheme - the yellow from the flower, the blue from the wall in the cover picture.

Overall, this was one of my favorite projects of the year. I want to experiment a little more with dicuts in the future.

Thank You Card

2009-01-23T11:49:00.001-08:00

Every once and a while I find myself with a little free time in between projects. When this happens I tend to do something involving some fun illustrator work (check out my Obama postcards in a previous post). For this random project I used an image I found of a bunch of buildings on a hill. I created a funky rendition of the picture and turned it into a thank you card.

I haven't sent it out to anyone yet, but my birthday is only a few months away...

Gilbert and Sullivan Scores - Concept

2009-01-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

"Life is a joke that's just begun" - The Mikado

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a theater nerd. So, when our teacher asked us to devote a week to a project of our choosing I decided to honor the fabulous Sir W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan. I choose three plays - The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore - and created musical score covers.

Since the project was completely guideline-free I went for illustration work (what can I say? I love those wacom tablets!) I'm proud of my little cartoons :)

It took me a while to figure out how to make the three covers look like a cohesive series. My big breakthrough arrived when Beth, my teacher, suggested I add some depth to the design by varying the size of the cartoons. Once I had that idea in my head, BAM everything came together.

After a while I realized it would be a good idea to create back covers as well. This provided me with another opportunity to link the series. It also let me use the cartoons in a different way.

Toblerone Identity Redesign

2009-01-23T11:44:00.002-08:00

Mmmmm... Chocolate...

The assignment for this week was to choose a brand a create a new identity for it. I chose Toblerone because, come on, chocolate is amazing.

For any of you that aren't familiar with the current brand, check ou http://www.toblerone.com/.

I started with the logo. I wanted something that would mimic the famous shape of the chocolate bar and also relate to the swiss alps. The chocolate is from Switzerland, after all.

I'm proud of the logo because of its simplicity. I like how the chocolate mountains curve over the word. I think it is very clear what they are meant to be.

From there we worked on packaging. This was my first experience with livery work in photoshop and I loved loved LOVED it. I had a good time warping things onto things and figuring out how to work with shadows. This is the package design I came up with:

I also drew that little chocolate lady. I liked her so much I used her again on my racecar liverly. This pushed my warping skills to the limit but I really enjoyed myself. Just imagine this sucker racing around the track:

Magrit-inspired Logo

2009-01-23T11:44:00.001-08:00

NGA Brochure - Concept

2009-01-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

Inauguration Postcards

2009-01-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Basil Thai Menu - Concept

2009-01-23T11:30:00.001-08:00