Final Christmas Card

Overall, I am really pleased with what I have accomplished within the week and it was a good way to have a break from Context of Practice/Dissertation which is well underway. I think the gold screenprint and thick off-white card stock adds a real quality to the overall style of the card. I have stepped out of my comfort zone with the brief and improved on my illustrative skills which I have been putting off.

However, if I were to have more time on the brief I would perhaps like to have done a series of Christmas Cards! However, at this moment in time Context of Practice has been my main priority. In the future, maybe in the next couple months or so, I would like to do more hand-drawn work and I think with a lot more practice I could do even better. 

Christmas Card: Screen Printing

Screen Print

I managed to get my screens exposed in the morning at Rossington Street and print in the afternoon. Overall, I am really pleased with how the cards have turned out. The photographs really do not do justice to the quality of the gold screen print. My next step, will be cutting and folding the cards and getting them photographed in the studio. 

I experimented on printing on a purple stock. However, I felt it looked too "quality street" purple and the gold lettering was not legible. 

You cannot really tell this is an off-white stock but it does show the lovely shine created with the metallic gold screen print. 

Final Christmas Card

Above is the final Christmas Card ready to be screen printed! I spent a long time on Illustrator tidying up my work and trying out different layouts. I have really cracked on with getting this card complete as I have given myself a week to complete this brief the deadline being this Friday (11th). I have really enjoyed working on this brief. 

Overall, I am really impressed with what I have accomplished in three days and I have discovered that I have enough time to screen print, hopefully tomorrow or Friday!! As I plan to sell these cards as well as give them to family and friends I have bought 15x15 brown envelopes to put them in, lovely jubbly. I am planning on screen printing in a metallic ink either gold or silver on a nice thick off-white stock! 

Negative

Thank you Amazon Prime

Christmas Card: Initial Drawings

Initial Drawings

It has been a while since I have practiced my hand drawn typography and it was rather enjoyable to step away from the computer and dissertation writing and do something creative and hands one! very therapeutic. 

Below are my initial drawings for the christmas cards inspired by my research. I want to create a card which is really elegant yet understated. At the moment, I am thinking of screen printing my christmas cards in a gold metallic ink onto a quality thick card.

Next Steps:

• Scan In Drawings 
• Vectorise in Illustrator 
• Play around with layout 
• Consider Printing Methods

Christmas Card: Research

I felt this week brief would be a chance for me to be really creative and a chance to step away from the computer, have some fun, and create something "hands on" as well as getting myself in the festive spirit! I want to do create quite illustrative with typography, something I feel I need to improve on. 

I began, like all briefs, by doing some research. I collected these images from as inspiration! I want to create christmas cards quite similar, creating my own illustrative typography. I found the images below on Pinterest. 

I like the juxtaposition of the fir tree and the hand-rendered type 

The scripted typography works well, I like the rustic quality yet still looking professional

 I simply want, 'Merry Christmas' on the front. Regarding print finish, I am thinking maybe screen print? maybe some foiling?  I felt I didn't research extensively as, alas, it's a christmas card. I want to have fun, draw, and be playful and I feel a christmas card doesn't need a deep profounding concept!  

OUGD603: Christmas Card Brief

BA (Hons.) Graphic Design						LEVEL	6
STUDIO BRIEF
Self-Initiated					Module Brief	Christmas Card!
Semester			Outcomes Assessed		Module Tutors

Brief

A creative brief: Produce a Christmas Card to celebrate the festive season. The card must have a crafted feel, but look professional and artistic. Consider and reflect these words in your concepts and ideas: Christmas, friendly, creative, vibrant, specialist, independent, unique, innovative, quality, and contemporary

Background/Considerations

Relevant research into existing Christmas Cards. Consider target audience and tone of voice. Consider different printing methods

Mandatory Requirements	Deliverables
Relevant Blog posts to support the development of the brief Photographed Outcome Minimum of 3 Design Boards	A Christmas Card
Studio Deadline	Module Deadline
11/12/15	23/05/16