WeatherLoc Logo

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My latest logo design is this wordmark for the company WeatherLoc™, a company which specializes in home insulation — specifically that type of insulation that is blown directly into the walls of you home.

It was the client's desire to communicate the energy and cost saving benefits of their product. This priority was met through color choice and through the visual of the green leaves positioned over the letter t. The leaves were originally placed atop the letter h but were moved at the client’s request.

The target customer of WeatherLoc is the average home owner (not builders or professional contractors) so we agreed to avoid using any technical symbols that might not be well known to the average consumer. Instead, we decided to focus on the  benefits of locking-in energy and savings. I capitalized on the shape of the letter o in the second part of the company name by making it into a lock. This also helps remove any confusion that may arise as a result of the divergent spelling choice of changing Lock to Loc.

Purposeful misspelling, employed for special effect, is called sensational spelling, or divergent spelling. It is a popular technique in advertising and is used to create a unique word or identity that will attract attention and can be trademarked. While the risk of losing the meaning of the word is minimal in this case, visually reinforcing the lock concept helps to further drive home the message and also provides an easily memorable visual.

In one of my early designs for the logo, I made the lock element look more like a padlock. The client requested the removal of the shackle on the top of the lock.

Round 1 version sporting a shackle type padlock. 

Note also the leaves placed over the letter “h.”

In addition to creating a standard logotype that can be printed in 1 or 2 colors and also reversed out of a color background, I included a version featuring leaves and lock elements that are more illustrated, for possible use in high-end printed materials, signage or websites.

1 Color

2 Color

Reverse

Illustrated

The font usage for the logo is Univers 53 Extended which I have modified to be unique to this logo.  The same font is used unmodified in the tag line. Univers is a neo-grotesque san serif typeface designed in 1957 by Adrian Frutiger.

Areas of modification are circled in red.

The colors used for this logo are black and Pantone 376 C.

Font Formats

PostScript Type 1, TrueType and OpenType font formats are all multi-platform, outline font standards. Multi-platform (or cross-platform) means that the fonts can be used on different types of computer operating systems, Windows and Mac for example. The term “outline” means that the font defines the form of the letter (the character or glyph) through mathematical formulas which define lines and curves. TrueType and PostScript fonts each use different mathematics to describe their outlines while the OpenType format can use both TrueType and PostScript outlines.

PostScript Type 1: The Postscript Type 1 format, created by Adobe, requires two files for each font, namely the screen font (containing the metrics and other information needed to display the font properly on the computer screen) and the printer font (containing the actual PostScript typeface). PostScript is an industry-standard page description language (PDL) used to describe text, graphics and images for printed pages in publishing and graphic design. Consequently, the PostScript font format has traditionally been the preferred font format for use in those industries. Back in the day, when I wanted to send a completed design job to a print shop, I had to include the fonts that were used with the job. If I used Type 1 fonts  I had to make sure I included both the screen font and the printer font files. With PostScript being the industry standard in high-end print shops, I invariably used PostScript Type 1 fonts in my designs.

Type 1 fonts are limited to approximately 256 glyphs per font. PostScript font files are also platform specific, meaning that there are different versions of PostScript fonts for use with either the Mac platform or the Windows platform.

Adobe Font Icons

TrueType: TrueType fonts were originally created by Apple but the technology was then licensed to Microsoft. TrueType is a cross-platform format meaning it can be used on both Windows and Mac platforms. TrueType fonts require only one file per font with both the screen font and the printer font components contained in that single file. Like Type 1 fonts, TrueType fonts are limited to 256 glyphs per font.

TrueType Font Icon

OpenType: OpenType is the newest font format and is likely to supersede both Type 1 and TrueType. It was developed jointly by Adobe and Microsoft. It is a cross-platform font format working on both Windows and Mac platforms. Like TrueType, OpenType fonts consist of a single file which contains all the necessary font components (the outline, metric and bitmap data). Unlike Type 1 and TrueType, Opentype fonts can contain up to 65,000 glyphs. An excellent description of the OpenType font format can be found at Adobe’s web site.

OpenType Font Icon

OpenType fonts come in two varieties, namely CFF and TTF. OpenType fonts of the CFF type are designated by the file extension .otf and are PostScript Type 1 fonts. OpenType fonts of the TTF variety are designated by the file extension .ttf and are TrueType fonts. TTF (.ttf) Opentype fonts are a better choice if you are working on a Windows platform or are doing work that is only going to be viewed on a computer screen. This is because TrueType fonts have better “hinting”. Hinting involves embedded instructions which control how an outline font is rasterized and determines how clearly and legibly the font displays, especially at low resolutions.  CFF (.otf) OpenType fonts are the best choice if you are working on a Mac platform or are doing print work.

Free Vs. Commercial Fonts: There are several reasons to only use fonts purchased from reputable font foundries as opposed to free fonts. Some TrueType and Opentype fonts can contain restrictions which do not allow them to be embedded in a PDF file. These fonts are not licensed for commercial use. Such restricted font files should not be used in print production. Also, free fonts often lack the quality and craftsmanship found in commercial fonts and they tend to be very limited in their character sets. There are also ethical considerations, since some free fonts may actually be commercial fonts which someone purchased then posted on the web.

Finally: According to Printing.org, “You can use TrueType, OpenType and Type 1 fonts interchangeably in your page layout. Each typeface will produce equal results and print properly on all up-to-date RIPs. (http://www.printing.org/page/2775)

_____________________
Sources:
Anonymous, OpenType, Publishing Date Unknown, Retrieved 5/9/2011 from Adobe.com. (http://www.adobe.com/type/opentype/)


Anonymous, Fonts: Bitmap, PostScript, and TrueType Compared, Last Modified 10/03/2008, Article: TA21573, retrieved  5/12/2011 from Apple.com. (http://support.apple.com/kb/TA21573?viewlocale=en_US)


Anonymous, Font Formats, Published 8/19/2008 (updated 5/13/2009), retrieved 5/11/2011 from Printing.org. (http://www.printing.org/page/2775)


Phinney, Thomas W., TrueType, PostScript Type 1, & OpenType: What’s the Difference?, Version 2.22, 12/5/2002, Retrieved 5/11/2011 from Scribd. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/202365/TrueType-PostScript-Type-1-and-OpenType-Whats-the-Difference)


Marin, Joe, When You Shouldn't Use a Font, Published 5/13/2009, Retrieved 5/9/2011 from Printing.org. (http://www.printing.org/page/5352)


Anonymous, What is the Difference Between TrueType, PostScript and OpenType Fonts,  Publishing Date Unknown, Retrieved on 5/14/2011 from Herff Jones Yearbooks, (http://www.yearbooks.biz/?event=FAQ.Detail&faq=2)


Bear, Jacci Howard, Why Buy Fonts When There are So Many Free Fonts on the Web?, Retrieved 5/14/2011 from About.com (http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/fonts/f/why_buy_fonts.htm)


Strizver, Ilene, Which Flavor of OpenType iIs Best?, Published on 4/13/2011, Retrieved on 4/21/2011 from CreativePro.com (http://www.creativepro.com/blog/typetalk-which-flavor-opentype-best)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness

Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness by Martin Jamison ©2011

Oil on Strathmore Illustration Board
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 33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. (Daniel 4:31-33 NIV)


34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. (Daniel 4:34 NIV)

This painting focuses on a moment from one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. Daniel Chapter 4 is a very short chapter (only 36 verses long) and can be easily read in about 2 minutes. This chapter is fascinating in that it is written in the words of Nebuchadnezzar himself, the mighty king of one of the greatest empires in history. . .  Babylon.

In the year 605 BC, this pagan king began his invasion of Judah which would end in his victory and the exile of the people of Judah to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, no doubt, viewed this conquest (one of many during his reign) as a triumph for himself and his pagan deities. What he did not know, however, is that he was just a tool in the hands of an almighty God and he had just been given temporary custody over the people of this God. As a result, this king’s whole worldview was about to change.

I used a lot of reference material for hair, lighting and expressions of insanity, including some photos I found in a news article about citizens of Iraq suffering from insanity. Iraq is the modern day name for the land that was once called Babylon.

In my original sketch, you can see more detail in my handling of his beard than is visible in the final painting.

The challenge for me was to try to show a man awakening from insanity. I chose to do this through his eyes. One eye is still veiled or lost in an induced stupor. The other is awakened, humbled and repentant. I also used his hands for this purpose. One hand is still tightly clutching a bunch of grass, the food of an animal some of which still clings to his lips, while the other is open and surrendered.

The only hint that we are looking at a once noble man are the few remaining jeweled beads woven into his beard. I don't know if ancient Babylonian men decorated their beards in this way, it's just an idea I had so I went with it.

In Daniel chapter 4, we read the words of a man steeped in pagan thought who is, at the same time, trying to get his brain around a new understanding of a God he previously did not know, but whom he now understands rules everything:


"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (Daniel 4:37 NIV)


If you want to read the whole chapter, BibleGateway.com is a great resource where you can read the same passage in 26 different translations and 43 different languages.

Trade Show Booth Graphics

Here are two graphics I've created for two very different clients to be used in their respective trade show displays. One is for Liberty Pumps and the other is for the Rochester Institute of Technology, Center for Imaging Science. Since these graphics are intended to be viewed within a large trade show setting, they have to be able to compete with neighboring (possibly competitor’s) booths. Company branding is very important as is the need to draw attention through compelling graphics. 

RIT Center for Imaging Science Hall of Fame

Jonas Ferdinand Gabriel Lippman

2010 Inductee

This past December, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Center for Imaging Science held their ceremony for 2010 inductees to their Hall of Fame. I was once again commissioned to draw the portraits of scientists whose discoveries have contributed to the advancement of imaging science. I so enjoy working on these portraits and learning about the very interesting work and discoveries of these scientists.

In addition to Mr. Lippman above, here are the other 2010 inductees.

George Carruthers

2010 Inductee

John Logie Baird

2010 Inductee

Herman Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz

2010 Inductee

Click any of the images above to see a larger view of these portraits.

To see all of the portraits I have done for the Hall of Fame and to learn more about these scientists, click on this link: http://www.cis.rit.edu/ImagingHallOfFame

The Saint and the Serpent

The Saint and the Serpent ©2011 by Martin Jamison

Oil on board. Click image for a larger view.

This saint is too distracted to notice the serpent lurking just behind him. Maybe he’s too busy admiring his cape, all puffed up as it is by the wind. I wonder if he even notices the storm that is coming in on that wind. Perhaps he’s tired from conflict. His armor, after all, looks dented and his hand appears to be injured. If he has just been victorious in battle, then maybe he deserves to be a little full of himself. Perhaps there are some beautiful maidens blowing kisses at him from just out of our view.

One thing is certain, if he’s not careful the serpent will get the jump on him. Where is his shield? Why is his sword not at the ready? Where is his helmet? He’s not exactly prepared for battle as prescribed by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12-18.

“Wake up, O sleeper!”

Illustrations for Wegmans

Over the hears I've had the pleasure of doing work for Wegmans Food Markets. Usually my work for them has been in the area of illustration. Here is some of that work (click each image for a larger view):

These two colored pencil illustrations appeared on Wegmans Italian Classics, Soup and Salad Pasta packaging.

This is a pastel illustration I did for Wegmans olive oil bottle labels.

Here are three illustrations I did for Wegmans Italian Classics Pasta labels. The compositions were done by my colleague Dalas Gose. I then did the final illustrations in water colors. I believe there were 4 illustrations for this product line.

This is how the illustrations looked on the labels.