OctoPie a process book by patrick blanchard
Research before any pencil was put to paper, information about the octopus was gathered
Word List slimy
playful
speedy
colorful
harmful
quick
spotted
harmless
defensive
suckers
poisonous
skilled
tentacles
careful
brainy
beaked
intelligent
mischievous
arms
smart
lively
legs
helpful
invested
pillowy
threatening
dedicated
squishy
crafty
committed
morph
clever
inginuitive
spread
cheeky
inventive
looping
spectacular
resourceful
bumpy
curvy
protective
wet
organic
webbed
soft
speckled
curled
intimidating
shiny
velvety
muscley
flexible
woosh
sticky
adventurous
drip
inky
vulnerable
drop
slippery
lumpy
squash
rounded
masterful
squish
symmetrical
secretive
plop
jelly-like
hidden
slap
creative
camoflauged
slither
malleable
patient
pop
friendly
gentle
suck
willful
ticklish
squack
powerful
sensitive
screech
knowing
otherworldly
growl
responsive
alien
roar
mysterious
unusual
rustle
hypnotizing
splash
squeek
mesmerizing
swoosh
tidal waves
Phase One an exploration in mark-making, studying the octopus and various methods of representation
Phase One Categories 10-12 marks were created or collected in each category.
01.
Photograph.*
02.
Gestural.
03.
Painterly & calligraphic.*
04.
Graphic.
05.
Circles, squares, triangles.*
06.
Photocopier.
07.
Alternate mark-making tool.
08.
Specific meaning, one line.
09.
Behavioral.*
10.
Texture.
11.
Hybrid.
12.
Alternate surface.*
13.
Icon.
14.
Index (inspiring word).
15.
Abstraction.*
16.
Typographic.*
01.
Photograph. This category allowed me to explore the form of an octopus and study the many angles from which it can be represented.
The photographs that were most successful in communicating “octopus� were the ones that showcased the curliness of the tentacles, the round suckers on the underside, and the large, round blob of a head. Knowing the characteristics that were most recognizable helped me create marks in other categories that could be understood easily.
03.
Painterly & calligraphic. From the first round of critique, this was one of my strongest categories.
These were easiest for me to make. At this point, I was taking photographs of my sketches and drawing over them with Illustrator’s pen tool. I have had some experience with graphics tablets which helped me keep a hand-drawn feeling without using Live Trace.
I also think I was strongest in this group because the requirements fit my style of hand work. Icon design and simple, vector shapes attract me; painterly marks felt the most natural out of the first eight groupings.
01.
02.
03.
05.
Circles, squares, triangles. This category came with heavy restrictions and sparked ideas I don’t think I would’ve had if the rules were more relaxed.
09.
Behavioral. “Ink�. This mark is one of my favorites from the entire project.
With squishy bodies and flexible arms, an octopus can squeeze through holes and crevices that appear impossibly small. This behavior helps them hide and escape from predators.
Octopi can rearrange pigments in their skin to blend into their surroundings, a behavior I tried to capture in this mark. My execution isn’t quite clean enough for the mark to read well, but I felt this concept could lead to something interesting when given refinement. I left this idea behind after the initial phase.
15.
Abstraction. Using the most identifiable characteristics of an octopus, I tried to create marks that were as simple as possible. Recognizability was something I needed to keep in mind.
12.
Alternate surface. While I’m happy with the mark shown, this category gave me trouble. I found that unrelated surfaces, like concrete and tree bark, could produce similar results. Becuase I was aiming for 10 different marks, the similarities forced me to continue testing surfaces until I found one that gave a completely new texture.
I felt this watercolor painting showed slimy texture well, but because it was on graph paper, I didn’t think I could touch it up to the point were it would be acceptable. I now keep a blank sketchbook, too, so I won’t have to abandon sketches like this one.
16.
Typographic. This category surprised me when I looked at my classmate’s first round of work. I realized I made a mistake during in-class critique; I didn’t think to try filling in my hand-drawn type.
The letters in my first round of marks were all the same, thin stroke. While making them, I knew something seemed “off”, although I couldn’t figure out why. Observing the work of my classmates allowed me to realize how to improve my own. I finished with the mark on the left as my final selection in this category.
Phase Two creating a food truck brand based on the octopus, including multiple examples of brand application
My classmates responded to the logo on the left more than they did the previous tentacle icon. One of my top five brand adjectives was “handmade”, so this logo combined illustration with typography I drew myself. I feel like this could’ve been a solid direction to pursue, and I hope to use the handdrawn approach in a future project.
In this exploration, I used the navy and yellow color scheme I would end up using in my final work.
I felt the octagon shape would fit with my concept and give more interest than plain circles. I added waves to reference the ocean and to give the pie labels some visual texture.
The final logo.
Early business card draft.
I left the black and white and brights color scheme in favor of the navy and yellow palette I explored earlier. I think it helped bring unity and a sense of cohesiveness to my brand applications.
Business cards.
Menu, back.