Wednesday, September 19

Explore

UPDATE: OK, back again and so excited to see your names pop up on the sign-in below! Can't wait to see all your selections tomorrow over breakfast. What fun! Thank you. Oh, and I'll be sure to reply to everyone then too for this week's and last week's posts.


For today's Scribble Picnic entry, I decided to focus on what I said below — that whole idea of actively exploring without ever going anywhere physically. For many of us, that's often found through reading and for me, when working up designs, brainstorming is another avenue. As you can see here for this current logo ideation, I usually try to first scribble down some quick thumbnails.

A quick designer tip: sketching out your ideas beforehand keeps the focus on the design itself, helping you fine-tune it before ever getting to the computer. Too many people will jump straight to executing something digitally, relying on the computer to hopefully magically make it good, before properly thinking their ideas through to ensure they truly work. Quick thumbnails allow you to avoid wasting valuable time where it's too easy to let some software program dictate your design's look and feel, rather than being driven primarily by the strong concept itself. (Software's various features should only help embellish a piece within moderation, not become front and centre where all one sees are those certain affects and not the design which can then so easily become secondary by that point.)

Anyway, so for this week, no actual completed piece. Truly scribbles for our picnic! As it is, I still have too many other ideas knocking about in my head for this logo* that I want to capture first then sort through what's worth taking to the next level or not. For most designers, the joy is more so found in coming up with the actual idea, not so much its exact execution with all the various details that can later follow.

Happy Scribble Picnic everyone. Into Fall we go...

*P.S. More on this later. :)

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(Artwork TBA later Wednesday)

Time once again to muse artistically and reconnect. The long heat and brashness of summer will soon be over, for most of us at least. In it's place? Tartan shirts, sweaters, scarves, creamy lattés and slow contemplative sips. Ahhh... can there be any better time to reawaken one's creative spirit than in Autumnal promise?

Isn't it ironic that for many of us, the days spent indoors is the time where we most explore? After all, it's not just limited to what our mere mortal bodies can muster, as thrilling as that can be too. Whether it's winter, autumn or even spring, those colder days seem to gently beckon the heart and soul. Often our wanderings may take us far farther than one could ever reach by pedal, pedestrian or plane.

So, what artistic paths have you explored lately? For me and Alexandra, this is certainly a time for change. While on a new creative journey, we've also moved from the front range of the glorious Rockies to rolling hills and the distant edge of the cozy Appalachians. Life is in transition. All the while, we've brainstormed so many ideas along the way, distilled our artistic passions and found new footings. With that, I can't wait to later share the exciting news of what we're about to launch, both together and individually! Stay tuned.

But in the meantime, go ahead and join in our picnic when ready. My contribution will be up later Wednesday night where I'll be sure to add a few words about it too.

Oh, and finally, guess what? I'm rather in a muddle. The results of the our Scribble Picnic survey indicate there's equal preference among you for every week vs. once a fortnight. Hmm.... Well, let's first see how many sign up and if there's any more input on that here. Then I'll choose, although must admit, am rather inclined towards every two weeks but didn't vote, although Alex likes the idea of continuing weekly. (So, if you haven't done the survey, be sure to do that soon. Just go back to the bottom of the last post and help us out!) I'll be sure to announce this evening the new due date and picnic prompt on the side bar as well as on Instagram.

Thank you for rejoining, everyone. It's been quite the summer break, I know, but good to be back here. I'm bringing a massive baked berry pie and a tub of vanilla ice cream to our Scribble Picnic. Time to join in!

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21 comments

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    1. Thanks for letting us explore logo creation with you today Michael, nice thumbnail in progress.

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    2. Thumbnails lend themselves so well to conceptualizing and as such, I guess could be considered "in process" but keeping in mind the idea is not tightening it any more than needed to get that main visual idea across. I like that. often too, when one works in rapid succession, it sparks other ideas along the way.

      Thanks for playing along, Christine. You really are the best support and I love to see how you think these prompts through.

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  2. Oh I'll have some pie and ice cream!! :) I'm happy to join in again Michael, and as you know, weekly is my bag. ;) I'll stop by later to check out your scribble and your news!!! How exciting!! :)

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    1. Warmed or cold pie? I like it either way. Thank you, Rain. I'm also super excited the Inktober is coming up soon too. Can't wait to see what you do for that.

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    2. Between you and me and the lamp post...I'm thinking about a unique idea for Inktober....GHOST-ober.... :)

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  3. I do apologise that all I had was a 'scribble' so far for this week's theme. I intend to post more pics as I progress along. I'll look forward to seeing your entry later.

    I'm also very curious to hear what your's and Alexandra's artistic plans are...EXCITING!

    I do love the weekly challenge but I'm fine to settle for fortnightly if you should decide to go that way. :)

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    1. I like your Logo 'explore' piece, Michael! It fits with the theme for sure and we both lived up the scribble picnic title this week. :)

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    2. Serena, the whole idea with Scribble Picnic in the first place was that as I knew all of us are usually just so busy, the idea was then that we would at least get in the habit of scribbling ideas down to keep that creative spark alive. HAve to say, I'm guilty of wanting to finalize everything though each time but it really isn't necessary. As it is, I'm just glad you did anything. The more ideas we see from peeps, the better. :)

      Yes, definitely exciting times. Will be a passion project that will take time but there are lots of ideas wrapped up with it and potential pay offs too.

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    3. The logo itself definitely ties into explore--glad you saw that and will make even more sense later down the road....part of the plans we are working on. :)

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  4. sadly, I didn't do anything for the prompt. I seem to be saying that a lot but I honestly don't know what happen. I see the prompt, read about it and kind of forgot about it...

    every two weeks seems better to me, I voted for that in the survey. but then again, the more time I am given, the less likely I would actually finish. I seem to start late when giving more time. I will try to do something for the next prompt.

    now what could you and Alex be launching together? is a book? a music album? it's probably something creative, right?

    have a lovely day.

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    1. Oh, haha, I so wish it was a music album - Alex could do that, no problem, but I have absolutely zilch talents there, must say.

      Yes, we have so many things going on right now and I'm taking advantage of being out of the corporate job world for the first time in decades to revive my creative soul. New challenges present new opportunities too. We literally are bursting with enthusiasm, ideas and goals and are learning so much too in the process. Can't wait to share more. Soon enough!

      "but then again, the more time I am given, the less likely I would actually finish." - Well then that, dear Lissa, rather encourages me to want to do weekly as you are an integral part of this community and I really don't think it would be the same without your input at least now and then. You inspire us all! Thank you for your feedback. So appreciated.

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  5. I'm here - just! Had my post ready for over a week (in case Hurricane Florence caused power outage or worse!). Left home at 3:30 this morning for such an early flight to Seattle, and you hadn't put up the link dear Michael. So here I am now in this hotel in Port Angeles, WA and will be crossing by ferry to Victoria B.C. early tomorrow! No time for comments, so tired from such a long journey - will catch up soon!
    Mary x

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    1. Ahhh..you're in my favourite part of the world in North America for sure, Mary. How lovely. Have you been there before? Can't recall. The air is so clean there and will rejuvenate you no end. Enjoy!

      Yes, I scheduled the post to not go up until 5:30am EST so that makes sense. I like to keep the anticipation going. :)

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    2. Ooh, and glad you escaped fairly unscathed from the storms there too. So good.

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  6. It's good to see everyone once again. I came so very close to bowing out because things have just been so overwhelming lately. Then the muse struck this afternoon and I found peace again working on this. This is always good "therapy". Thank you for sharing your creativity during this very busy time in your lives.

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    1. SO glad you managed to do something for this, Lorraine. Great to have you here. Sorry life is being so overwhelming currently. We certainly have some challenges too, some quite unexpected but we're chugging along and keeping our creative spirits fed! If these picnics can be a part of that, all the better.

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  7. Interesting design with the rocket ship Michael :) I'm happy to see so many entries too! :)

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    1. It will all make more sense later when I fill you on on some of those new things coming up. :)

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  8. Hi Michael, I am looking to get back into challenging myself each week to your art challenges. Can't wait to see what next weeks challenge is.

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