From Red G's to REALLY Red G's

One big advantage of being a 'master of several trades' is that I am assigned to the sign-painting department aka developing the visual continuity of our logo and color theme. The word 'advantage' is used in this instance because it would cost a small fortune if we had to job all of this out. PLUS, it is a sheer pleasure to focus creative juices on our own baby, Gibson-Gaudet's Gallery & Gifts...affectionately known as 'G-G's Gallery & Gifts'. 

The very first coat of red over the yellow base.

 Don't ask me why, but I decided to chronicle the evolution of the red 'G' from its first coat of red against a bright yellow backdrop. Yellow is a comfortable, homey color...even friendly, while red is outgoing and looking for a gr8 time.

Increasing the intensity with another coat. 

I figured, if I don't photograph this process as I go, it will be a process that is lost forever. Literally, as each successive layer gets buried as they build up. Just for the heck of it, I ran for my camera after the first coat and kept it handy to see the red 'G's'  through to completion.

Introducing highlights to suggest a beveled edge.

I like the idea of mimicking a three-dimensional, really shiny surface like poured resin, or carved ruby...polished to a bright sheen. This dresses up the 'G's to make them outstanding in contrast with the other flat rendered text and plain - but friendly- yellow backdrop.

The beveled effect is enhanced with the addition of shadowy bits.

Once the shadows are introduced-with consideration to a constant light source- the 3-dimensional, extra-shiny look kicks in.

Finally, after painting in the sunshine the effect of a raised, liquidey bright, clear ruby red is suggested.

A fairly delicate blending of translucent glazes finishes the 'G's of the G-G's logo to an eye-catching polish. 

In every instance, there is a concerted effort to accentuate the three-dimensional effect of the signature 'G-G's' as seen on the large sign just south of Manitou Beach on highway #365.

This rendering appears consistently throughout the graphic application of the logo...there's that graphic continuity thing again.

Designing for the Future

This year my wife (who is also my business partner with 'G-G's Gallery & Gifts' ) and I decided to forgo our usual inclination to be 'non-joiners' -we are fiercely independent thinkers and for the most part this has worked to our advantage- by taking out a membership in our local business association, Watrous-Manitou Marketing Association. 


Several years ago I was hired to design the association's logo. It appears that more and more I am the 'go-to guy' for creative design in these parts. Here's the logo that I came up with:

It has morphed a bit over the years but the concept remains intact. My idea for the logo was to show the reflecting of the 'W' of Watrous to the 'M' of Manitou...seeing as how Manitou Beach is famous for the 'Healing Waters' of Little Manitou Lake and after all is said and done, it is the lake itself that is our #1 attraction for the thousands of visitors every year. So, it only makes sense that the lake should be front and center. That is pretty much non-negotiable in my mind and the majority of stakeholders are in agreement. So far so good.


One of the perks of membership in the association is a special discounted rate for a full-color ad in the 'Visitor Guide', which is a 'Readers' Digest' format glossy magazine that is circulated to all of the tourist booths in Western Canada as well as in all of the participating businesses. This year, we are publishing 17,000 copies so it will enjoy fairly significant penetration into the collective consciousness of a wide readership. 


Doesn't that sound like a good opportunity for a young business enterprise such as 'G-G's Gallery & Gifts' ?


We thought so. Yesterday I sat down and designed a half-page ad for the Visitors' Guide. It was a group effort. I posted several rough drafts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ in the hope that I might get some valuable feedback. Turns out this is exactly what happened. About a dozen friends and colleagues chimed in with their tips and advice which I gratefully took into consideration. The result was very interesting!


Here is the final design after about seven drafts:

You know what they say..."Ya gotta spend money to make money". 


I bet this ad will work out for us in the future, that's what it's all about. Designing for the future.