Maybe one of the most effective ways to explain the difference between creating a badge instead of a canvas is giving the movies example.
Think in yout favorite movie. Its perfectly integrates opening credits, its exactly measured character introduction, its action scenes, adventure, love situations. Even its amazing final twist during the last minutes…
…ok, now try to put all this in a 15 seconds ad.
With badges the things are similar. Your creativity and tecnique is as important as your synthesis and space optimization capability.
Today, we’re trying to give some tips so you can give the best of you in every design!
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1.- Don’t get obsessed with details.
Badges are, in general, very small products in which you won’t aprecciate those three tones of green you used painting your character’s eye. Or the seagull that flies over that backgrounded sea. In fact, it’s easy that looks like a stain in your drawing.
Try to compress your idea to its most essencial idea. It will look so much nitid and attractive.
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2.- Use plain and flashy colors.
In similar way to previous advice, most of the time ‘less’ means ‘more’. Plain well-defined colors will make your design easier to appreciate. You can use saturated, flashy colors too… draw everyone glances!
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3.- It’s not all about your drawing technique.
Most of the badges we see while walking in the street wouldn’t be exposed in an art gallery. People usually wear them for telling their likes, habits or aspirations… they try to transmit something, this is their true goal.
You don’t need to be a great illustrator. A quote, a word, a simple drawing… you just need a little bit of inspiration to achieve a good design. If you are an awesome artist too… even better!
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4.- Look beyond the circle.
The design of a badge doesn’t need to end in its surface, why not going further?
Divide your creation in different badges to create a jiraffe’s neck, or the Eiffel tower, for example.
Give it an extra function. Why not doing a button-badge that really buttons your kerchief? And waht about an eye so any object in which you put it come to life?
Don’t let appearance fools you. Bring it to the next level, beyond that small needled circumferenceand give your creation that ‘extra thing’ that will make it special.
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5.- Use proper tools.
It’s difficult to do a good job without them. And designing in a computer, it’s not an exception. Maybe you prefer to do your design the traditional way: pencils, markers, pens or brushes. Even then, you’ll need to digitalize it after, or make some retouch.
Use a good scanner to digitalize your drawings. No cell pics.
If you can, get some image editor like Photoshop or Illustrator. You cand find free alternatives like Gimp too, even free online alternatives like Pixlr. This programs will be very useful for design and retouch.
Finally, it would be a good idea to download any of our Camaloon templates so you can use it as a good base when you begin your work.
You can even go the easy way doing your whole design directly in our Atelier!
