Oil Studies

These are a few portrait studies in oil from my portrait illustration class with Linda Warner. Even though these are some of my very first oil paintings, I'm enjoying the process. I think that I'm getting better at seeing color and I'm working faster as well. The anatomy on the second portrait is a bit off. I get so bored with the basic portrait, I need some kind of emotion or pose to keep me interested. It really does make my drawing and painting better. The last one was a quick study of Linda because our model didn't show up for class. The likeness is pretty close.
Two Hours
Two Hours
Forty Minutes

{N_F} Final Poster

Here is my final solution for the Bomb Squad5 poster project.
Because you can't see my Designer Statement from the image it reads as follows:

"Nuclear weapons are a constant threat to our planet. Nine countries in the world openly claim to have nuclear capabilities and consider these weapons a major part of their national defense and foreign policy.

I have spent many hours researching topics related to nuclear weapons, from the concept behind their creation, the decision to detonate, and the declared number of nuclear devices found in the world today. My research led me to the devastating consequences scientists expect if these weapons are ever unleashed on the world. My project name, Nuclear Fallout, represents one of the worst consequences of the use of nuclear weapons.

While designing my poster, I focused on the duality of nuclear weapons, including their use for national protection and their possibility for global destruction. The detonating mushroom cloud represents nuclear weapons and the root system represents nature and our habitat. I then concentrated on nuclear weapons’ possibility to devastate our ecosystem, economy and way of life. The roots are also a representation of how nuclear weapons have ingrained themselves in many countries’ foreign policies and national security plans over the last sixty years.

Before nuclear disarmament can take place, we must first destroy the roots of our current polices and develop new global accords banning the possession, development and use of nuclear weapons by all countries. I truly believe that global disarmament is the only hope we have of a peaceful future.

Carl Gerhards, Graphic Designer"

I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out both in cocept and execution. There are some elements on the back side that I think could be a bit tighter, but overall I think that my message is pretty clearly illustrated.

Thank you for looking through my process and I hope that you enjoy the final design and message. Any comments are welcome.

Carl Gerhards

Chuck Palahniuk Portrait

For my Portrait Illustration class we were assigned a 20th century author to create a black and white illustration of. The idea was to include some kind of concept but keep it subtle. I chose Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, Survivor, Choke, and a few more books. I focused on his fame for Fight Club by making him look as if he had been in a fight.
This was a one hour study I did to get his features down.
Sketch 1
Sketch 2
Sketch 3

After my professor chose my first sketch, with a few adjustments, I decided to add a tattoo to his neck from the cover of his book Lullaby.

This is the pen and ink linework for the image. I finished the washes up and turned it in but I forgot to scan it to post. My professor gave me an A on it but hasn't returned the work yet, I'll post it when I get it back. I plan on digitally painting a colored version of this one for my portfolio because I need more celebrity likenesses.

Chatham County Courthouse Sketches

These were quick sketches done at the local courthouse here in Savannah Georgia. It's very strange to hear and see individuals getting sentences for twenty years in prison while you're drawing them. The bailiffs loved to pose for me though! They were hilarious, always kind of peaking over my shoulder as I drew.

BOMB SQUAD5 Logo

This logo was created by Professor Jason Fox. The logo and blog url will be placed in the same place on all four students' posters for consistency of the series. Thanks for the extra work Jason.
This is my recommendation for the placement. This will also be the direction for my final poster, I decided that the other poster just didn't have enough of a message or feeling to it.

{International_Fission}

Ok Professor, I told you I wouldn't abandon this idea, and I think that it has potential along with my first execution, in fact I'm torn between the two posters.

This new concept is based off of the idea of nuclear fission where atoms are bombarded with particles that cause a chain reaction and eventually, a nuclear explosion. I thought the same idea applied to the way that the world's nuclear powers might attack one another in a full out nuclear war. I tried to keep the typography very clean and "international" in style. I used Frutiger for the typography along with the arrow from Adrienne Frutiger's way finding signage in the Paris Airport. I've included a couple of different color combinations for this new one. Let me know which you like, I'm leaning towards the blue, green and gray poster.


Carl Gerhards

{N_F} flatter=better?

Professor Fox posted in the online discussion board about my initial images:

"As for the images, not bad, I wonder if there is too much going on in the background? In addition increase the baseline shift of the brackets, they're too low right now. Good typeface.

You had another idea. Don't let it go.

I haven't forgotten about the logo and INDD file. It's coming."

So, before I pass out for the evening, I quickly made up two version of the blue mushroom cloud image with a flatter background and another with all of the colors flattened. I'm not sure if the flat colors work better or not. Hopefully fresh eyes and other comments will help me make the big decision. I also fixed the baseline on the brackets.

Carl

{NUCLEAR_FALLOUT}

Sorry about the lack of posting the last couple of monthes, I'm not sure if anyone is even looking at this thing anyway.

This assignment is for my Graphic Design Print Production Class. The assignment was to create a poster on the broad topic of nuclear weapons. We could take any stance we wanted but we had to work in a 12x18 format with three Pantone spot colors, and one mixed color from those spot colors. We also were told to leave a 1/2" border for laser printing. The poster will be folded into a 4"x6" mailer with one color on the back for address and any body copy we want to include. I'll post the back soon.
From all of my thumbnails, this was one of two that my professor picked. I agreed with him that it worked as a poster image. The nuclear mushroom cloud taking over the place of the tree says something about cause and effect, which is why I went with a very symmetrical reflected composition.
This was my first color version of the poster. I thought that the blue and white mushroom cloud kind of resembled a beautiful cloudy sky but still read as an explosion. I really love the colors and think that they do a great job of getting the viewer to look at the piece for longer and think about what it means. Although we're outputting this poster with a laser printer, I want to do a short run of hand screen printed posters for family, friends, and an online store I'm working on. I think that the image would make a great framed fine art print and would be a great conversation starter.
Not much different here other than an orange mushroom cloud. I like the colors here as well. This is a really easy change if I'm screenprinting.

More posts on this project coming this week.