Carl Gerhards

I'm Finally Here!

2007-09-19T13:18:00.001-04:00

I'm finally moved into my apartment in Woodside just outside of NYC. I'm already loving this lifestyle and can't wait to start interviewing for design positions and start a job.

Back in Business

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

Well, this is my first serious post in a long while. I have to say that I've neglected this blog terribly over the past few months, one because I feel like almost no one is viewing it and two I've just been overwhelmed with trying to finish school and my job search. I have no more excuses for not periodically posting my new work now because my undergrad studies are finally over and I've just signed a lease for an apartment in NYC. Almost all the parts of my life are coming together, now I just have that pesky task of finding my first job as an entry level designer. If anyone reading this has any promising leads for positions in the NYC area, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call directly.

The project you can see in this post was more of a fun piece than a serious one. While at my summer internship with BFG Communications we were given blank skateboard decks and asked to decorated them in any way. My approach was simply an experiment of materials and decorative techniques which I hadn't attempted before. The boards are now on display in BFG's office.

I'm working on it . . . sheesh

2007-06-16T09:08:00.001-04:00

I know that I have been posting less and less the last few months. Don't worry, that doesn't mean that I've stopped drawing and designing, in fact, quite the opposite. I've been working my tail off trying to finish up my undergraduate studies. Only two classes left to go!

I promise that more posts are coming very soon with all the work that I've been doing.

It's ALIVE, ALIVE I SAY!

2007-03-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

Just launched, the all new, much improved, carlgerhards.com. You can check out the new layout, awesomely cool navigation and the brand new portfolio work. A few sections are still awaiting some love, but be patient, I'm only one person going to school full time. I know I've been promising this update for months, but it's finally here and I'm so excited!

Any comments or critiques would be great.

Carl

Happy Birthday to ME!

2007-01-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

Celebrating my 22nd today. Thanks for checking out my blog, expect to see many new things posted in the coming months as I get close to graduating and moving to NYC. A major overhaul to my website is in progress with all new layout, new work and some goodies.

There's an Elephant in the Room

2007-01-21T18:33:00.000-05:00

The illustration department at SCAD has an illustration show every quarter. The theme this quarter was "There's an Elephant in the Room". The only requirements were that the image be 9x12 and it had to have an elephant somewhere. I thought that because the Democrats recently took both houses of Congress that a Republican elephant in a Democratic National Convention would be a great image. I was excited to try a crowd scene for once. Because graduation is approaching quickly, its important to me that I diversify my portfolio.

UPDATE! Good news, I got into the show. It goes up on February 1st in the Poetter Hall Gallery at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Any comments on this one would be great.
Sketch
Lineart
Final Art
I had planned on adding two politicians backstage whispering and pointing at the elephant. When it came down to it, I decided that the spot light would help break up the black line art more and give the piece a stronger focal point.

Lastly, thanks to Tyler Niccum for helping me get through two nights without sleep finishing this piece. He's a good guy and a good friend. Check out his sequential work at www.nohearing.blogspot.com

Nick Wheeler

2006-12-05T19:28:00.000-05:00

Sketch
Color Comp
Lineart
FinalThis is a portrait of Nick Wheeler from the All American Rejects. I really liked the shape of his hair. Through the sketch process, I found that I needed to make his head and hair a bit wider but this was a pretty simple solution from beginning to end. The shirt still looks a bit airbrushed, I need to paint it a bit more and add some texture.

Chuck Palahniuk Portrait Finish

2006-12-05T19:27:00.000-05:00

I finally got this back from my professor. I bought a great new scanner and the quality turned out to be amazing. Hope everyone likes the illo.

Oil Studies

2006-10-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-30T00:18:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-24T16:18:00.000-04:00

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

2006-10-24T16:14:00.000-04:00

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

2006-10-24T15:45:00.000-04:00

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}

2006-10-24T01:31:00.000-04:00

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?

2006-10-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

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}

2006-10-22T23:31:00.000-04:00

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.

Christmas Card

2006-08-24T05:35:00.000-04:00

This image is being used for an upcoming Christmas Card being used to drum up fundraising for some organization or another. Another Christmas illustration in August, this must be a trend.

Pen and Ink, Photoshop CS2 8x12 @ 300dpi

Deck the Halls

2006-08-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

This illustration was created for a magazine called "What's Up Annapolis". The brief requested an illustration about decking out your house for the holidays. It feels strange to do a holiday illustration in August but I had fun with this one.

Pen and Ink, Photoshop CS2 9X15 @ 300dpi

Little Chimp Society

2006-08-18T17:51:00.000-04:00

I was just recently asked to join the Little Chimp Society by TheApe of www.apefluff.com. The society features a blog dedicated to showing illustration and other creative works.

Spine-finned Octopus (final art)

2006-08-17T01:02:00.000-04:00

This is the final art of the second thumbnail that I mentioned in a previous post. It was created in Photoshop using textures and some custom brushes.

Savannah Music Festival Poster

2006-08-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

The Savannah Music Festival put out a call for entries for a poster to advertise their event. The contest was open to students in the Illustration department at SCAD. The brief mentioned that they wanted a fun themed poster and I think my character gets some laughs. The bridge on the cello is actually the Talmadge bridge here in Savannah. Hope you like it.

Fall Guide Cover Image

2006-08-12T23:47:00.000-04:00

A magazine in Augusta, Georgia called Metro Spirit contacted one of my illustration classes and asked for an image for a Fall Guide cover. In the brief they mentioned the symphony and falling of the leaves amongst other things having to do with Fall. This was the sketch that I came up with.

The magazine liked the sketch and asked me to complete the final along with two other illustration students.

It turns out that I wasn't chosen for the cover but two of my illustration professors thought the image would make a good New Yorker cover. I was very flattered when they told me to add the New Yorker cover logo and send a nice print of the image to the actual magazine. The mounted print will be on its way to New York this week, cross your fingers for me.

Spine-finned Octopus(sketch and line art)

2006-08-12T16:46:00.000-04:00

This assignment is for an electronic illustration class. We were assigned to create a new breed or species of animal. The process includes creating digital thumbnails of our creature, then traditionally inking them, scanning the inked image into the computer and adding color and textures using custom brushes and blending modes in Photoshop CS2.

I really wanted to draw some kind of octopus for this assignment and decided that it needed to look more menacing with some kind of spiney fins on its head.

This was my favorite thumbnail, especially because of the way the eyes looked.

After I inked the image I brought it to class and the teacher's aid didn't like it. He wanted me to do the thumbnail below instead. Hopefully it will turn out well.

I still want to finish the first one in color because I think it's a good character study. I'll post more progress as it comes.

Hello!

2006-08-04T07:59:00.001-04:00

Hello world!

I'm starting this blog as a illustrator/graphic designer outlet. I'll be posting sketches, process screen captures, and final artwork. I'm looking forward to getting comments from some of you other great artists out there. If you're interested in seeing more of my work, you can check out my website. If you're interested in seeing where I learned some of my skills, you can go and check out the Savannah College of Art and Design website. And finally, if you love illustration, go and check out Illustration Mundo where illustration gets all the love.

Check back soon to see some fresh artwork!