A logo...

Alex L

Senior Member
I've had illustrator for a matter of days so I'm still getting the hang of it.

My aim is to make a logo which works as black on white and white on grey.

To be handwritten style and to incorporate some kind of simple visual image.

This is what I came up. And please, tear it apart, I can only get better with criticism.
 

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What do you mean by font? Should I get something pre-made rather than drawing them out using the pen tool? I quite liked my "A"

I might make it a bit thicker but I was looking for it to be a bit cleaner/more readable that the example you showed me.
 
Hi Alex

Sorry but i dont like it. It looks like a kid scribbled it. I think you should use handwritten looking font.
 
Calvin_T said:
Schakalwal and Bobs made are annoyingly good at what they do. I'd lean more towrds a hand mde font rather than a script looking font. If that even really makes sense.

Look at this.

Bobsmade vs Pinztype by ~schakalwal on deviantART
I think I get what you mean but its damned hard to explain it to someone who doesn't understand what you mean by font but I'll try.

Alex L said:
What do you mean by font? Should I get something pre-made rather than drawing them out using the pen tool? I quite liked my "A"

I might make it a bit thicker but I was looking for it to be a bit cleaner/more readable that the example you showed me.

Easiest way to explain it. Your current design is basically a load of lines made into the shapes of letters.
A custom font is more fleshed out, it has a form or an outline to give it more of an impact, sometimes including patterns (say floral designs) flowing from the letters or things integrated into the letters. You can either start from scratch or you can modify an existing font (license allowing).

As to the design, sorry don't like it seems too (no offence) amateurish for my tastes.
 
Levi said:
Easiest way to explain it. Your current design is basically a load of lines made into the shapes of letters.
A custom font is more fleshed out, it has a form or an outline to give it more of an impact, sometimes including patterns (say floral designs) flowing from the letters or things integrated into the letters. You can either start from scratch or you can modify an existing font (license allowing).

As to the design, sorry don't like it seems too (no offence) amateurish for my tastes.

Got you. I'll work on a new one over the weekend and see if I can make it a bit better than my kid scribblings ;)

Thanks for taking the time to look though.
 
You could try writing it on a piece of paper to get the hand written style. Then scan it in and trace it in illustrator to get your logo.

Remember letters have weight. They aren't just lines. If you have a look at Helvetica at 72pt you should realise how the letters look like they have been formed, cuts have been taken away to leave the letters rather than lines which have been drawn. Its the stuff that you don't see which defines a letter.
 
I've taken on board your comments and created a simple logo on paper, however, I just don't have the skill in manipulating text with the pen tool at the moment.

Should I just continue to play around until I get the hang of it or has anyone got any good tutorials I could have a look at?
 
i learned the pen tool by tracing images. its a good way of learning cos depending on the drawing you can have any number of different lines and shapes, it should give ya a good range of what the tool can do. i read in computer arts magazine a good article about the pen tool, it may be on there website, worth a search. also the best way to start a design is on paper, but before that its good to start collecting images that give you inspiration, make up a mood board. on your comp or on paper. look for other logos that might already achieve the effect you want to create. dont copy them tho. just think about what makes it what it is. give yourself clear goals. if you had a client that wanted a logo, (most of the time) they have a pretty clear idea of what they want, and give you the key points that need to be represented. do that for yourself, set yourself a brief and see how you get on from there, in my opinion thats more fun than just drawing your name and calling it a logo, it makes it a whole project, and will come out with a better outcome.

also as 'A's go thats a nice one. but it might not be the right one.

Z
 
Alex if I were you, do what bentzak says, find roughly what your looking for in other peoples work, but do not copy them just get a feel for what you want. The practise on paper until you get what u want, scan it in to photoshop, use the levels to add contrast ie. blacks blacker, whites whiter, then create alpha channel, copy merge your working layers in to the alpha channel, invert, make a selection by control clicking the alpha channel, go back to layers panel create new layer, right click on selection and choose make work path, use a tolerance of 2-3 pixels, then edit the path using the direct selection and pen tools. Fianlly export the paths to Illustrator. You can then use Illustrator to fine tune and Hey presto.

I would avoid trying to draw staright in to Illustrator unless you have
a. tons of experience with a tablet and Illustrator and brushes in Illustrator.
b. a scan to trace from.
Hope this helped
 
@TomStutt:

I disagree. I don't think you should EVER use fonts that looks handwritten. If you want to use a handwritten font it is often because you want to make your logo look soft and personal and nothing does that better than REAL handwriting.
 
Renniks said:
I would personally use something off of the font-squirrel handwritten free fonts section to get the same affect, with what would presumably (if it's a nice font) have alot of depth to the lettering and the form it takes.

Font Squirrel | Handdrawn Free Fonts

That Font Squirrel is awesome. cheers

Kasper Pyndt said:
@TomStutt:

I disagree. I don't think you should EVER use fonts that looks handwritten. If you want to use a handwritten font it is often because you want to make your logo look soft and personal and nothing does that better than REAL handwriting.

I disagree. Have a look at font squirrel that renniks has given us the link to and youll see some nice free ones that look better.
 
@TomStutt:

It's possible they look "better" when you see them at first, but I think it's too much the easy solution. And one of the most annoying thing about these typefaces is that they resemble handwriting and yet e.g. all the A's are completely the same. I just think it looks cheap.
A good graphic designer learns how to draw handwriting that looks good!
 
Kasper Pyndt said:
@TomStutt:

I disagree. I don't think you should EVER use fonts that looks handwritten. If you want to use a handwritten font it is often because you want to make your logo look soft and personal and nothing does that better than REAL handwriting.

The rules are there are no rules, if it looks good then use it, if not then don't.
 
Kasper Pyndt said:
@TomStutt:

It's possible they look "better" when you see them at first, but I think it's too much the easy solution. And one of the most annoying thing about these typefaces is that they resemble handwriting and yet e.g. all the A's are completely the same. I just think it looks cheap.
A good graphic designer learns how to draw handwriting that looks good!

It's hardly an easy solution if done possible...
 
For your own logo dont use a handwriting font looks cheap, use your own handwriting
Handwriting fonts do have there place though more for layout of text.
 
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