I have always thought of myself as an illustrator first. When I was asked to help redesign the logo for a company called the Funky Parrot, I wiped out my trusty pencil and paper and went work—surrounding myself with reference illustration and photo that supported my style. After some work, I came up with a design that I felt was both distant and unique. Aftershow a few of my peers and receiving feedback, I was told that my design was to complicate. Taking their advice and insight into consideration, I went to work on the redesign.
Normally I would start work on my own. Somebody would tell what they wanted I draw it, job done. I understand that if I am going to grow as a business and as an artist, I need to concede other people’s verbal input. That is one of the reasons I decided to go back to school. There is only so much you can see and learn on your own. My weakness was my greatest strength growing up. The same determination the help me push through roadblocks is part of what is holding me back. You can give me a job with a little guidance and work it on my own and deliver the best I have to offer. But that is not always what the job requires.
My school has helped me get a better understand of programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. They have given the push I needed to get a better grasp of color theory. The most important thing I learned was how to work with people, and not all feedback is bad.
The finished design was a little out of my comfort zone. Honestly, I do not think I would have come up with it on my own.
