Hi Guys and Girls, Well seems everyone is changing there logos. Last time I did it was I saw that someone had copied mine. Well it has just happened to me again but this time it hurt. I sold my last work ute (you say truck) to another sign guy whom I know, well long story short, he had copied my logo and just put his name where mine goes and plastered it on my old ute. Now this car I painted up with full graphics etc (like I do) and sold it to him with no signage thinking and evan told him to do "his thing" to it and i'd be interested to see what he comes up with. So it would be very easy to think this was me driving around his town, and it looks like he did the entire car and thats the sort of work he can do.. Frustrating!! Especially since I hand drew the entire thing making sure there were NO commercial font in the design, hopefully making it "mine". Anyway I got off the point, in saying that I thought maybe I should do a rethink, and design a more simple and catchy logo. Its always easier doing someone elses logo than my own so this is where you guys come in. Since I'm known for my airbrush work as well as signs i was thinking possibly a airbrush/quill/ feather as a graphic. feather as the link is the quills from feathers, olned days people wrote with feathers and my last name is Tickle sorta suits. Also with my name being R.Tickle Signs - RT signs -Arty signs. could work with that too i guess.
Here are a couple of my existing logo designs used in different situations.
[ July 06, 2006, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: Rod Tickle ]
Posted by Rod Tickle (Member # 575) on :
Ok Just had to check that I knew how to post picture again. Now feel free to rip it apart, and be creative. My business definately is suited to a stevo ,deaton or the like of approach.
go for it. Have fun.
Cheers!
Rod
Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
They are all great, but I like the trailer the best! The illustration really shows off your versatility and the signs lettering is punchier in that one. I would add "Airbrush Artwork" under the signs, and how about merging an airbrush with a feather into one thing?
Posted by Dan Antonelli (Member # 86) on :
Rod -
I never liked the font/letterstyle for your subcopy 'Rod Tickle". Legibility issues aside, it just for some reason, didn't in my mind sync up with your freeflowing, creative talents. I wonder how a LFH Sofia would look or something a little racier, but bouny to offset the "Signs" part.
I would need to query you some more about your anticipated direction for the company, and from that perspective, offer some feedback and/or insight in a new direction.
Personally, I would like to see the image still maintain an edge (ie. A Rich Dombey approach - htttp://www.richdesignsinc.com ) while still looking sophisticated.
I browsed your site, and as usual, your work is stunning. I think you could tone down the logo a touch while still keeping it upscale and professional. Just very clean, and hi-end. I don't necessarily look at the logo now and say 'this guy is going to be expensive'. I think that's what I want to feel. Expensive and high end.
Cause that's what your work looks like. I don't exactly get that now from the logo... And the 'Airbrush Art' now looks like an afterthought - not integrated as well as maybe it could.
I hope that doesnt sound harsh Rod- I absolutely love your work and have tremendous respect for your talent.
Dan
Posted by Rod Tickle (Member # 575) on :
Jim , Thanks, All my signs were like the trailer but now I drop the tiger and have played around woth the existing logo with different effects but still not happy with it.
Dan- mate thanks for your honesty, thats really appreciated and exactly what i'm after. You have hit the nail on the head on many (if not ALL) of your points. I'm really glad I did this now, I hate doing stuff for my self and you guys are the best so that helps me no end.
At the moment Dan I still run my shop as a comercial sign shop doing everything that comes in the door but my specialty and the stuff I like doing more now days is the Airbrushed graphics, murals and tricked out lettering. I have several good clients in the City (3hours away) that I do all there custom graphics, murals etc and make better money doing that but its a week away from here at a time. I still get a fair amount of custom work here but not as much as in the city and doesnt pay as good here either, but beeing born and bread here i have an obligation to keep my local clients happy (mainly sign work)
I'm looking for a simpler design I guess but catchy. I use my work car as a rolling advert and at the moment I still need to put some mural work on it but the signage I want same. At the moment I have slapped some vinyl on it which is the same "signs" but only in black with engineturned outline (where its chrome look on the trailer sign) and the wording "airbrush art & Grafix" small down the side panel.
The word "rod Tickle" is done in a hand drawn script and is white with black outline which is tamer on the already LOUD paintjob. I'm still not sold on it thou and the points you mention definately make sence.
I'm a big fan of your work and have been for a long time along with many others here and the likes of rich,cozmic ray, schofield etc.
I'm in the city again next week so i'll try to work on something as soon as I can.
Your on the right track, now I need to find where to pull onto that track.
Cheers!
Rod
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Rod.......it's easy:
just sandblast all that peeling paint & rust off the front of your trailer and repaint it in something more durable!
I ought to have some ideas, as you just said, it's waay easier to design something for someone else, rather than yourself, but I'm trying to do a redesign of our own logo first (and ooold website too).
I've always admired your logo/look, but Dan was spot on with his comments. The tiger used to look great, but after some people downunder started using a tiger as a teaching exercise, and others followed suit, is loses its uniqueness.
Your odd-sided frame that contains the tiger is a great design feature, I think- maybe you could put a John Deaton-type of caricature of yourself in that panel. (and for a bit of humour, some tiger hairs falling from your mouth...!)
The only easy tweak I will offer for designs 2 & 3 is to make Signs longer, and shorten 'airbrush art'; and as per Dan, it needs a more harmonious font- the 'rigidity' of impact is contra the 'softness' of airbrushing, and the contrast doesn't help, IMHO.
signing off, best wishes!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
P.S.
your car is your rolling billboard...
so put your www.rodticklesigns.com on it, really clearly. That's the biggest suggestion I can make.
Posted by Rod Tickle (Member # 575) on :
Thanks Ian, I have the web address accross the back window and that was all I had for months.
Thanks for the remarks.
Rod
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
Hi Rod. I feel a bit like someone critiquing David Butler's work here but I will be brave and give it a go.
Your typestyle in "SIGNS" to me looks dated and too flashy. The whole thing is a bit busy and hard on the eyes, except for your airbrush art line.
I think that the feather you have on your website has a huge potential. I'd run with it, as your name is sooo unique. The Ute guy can't copy that!
I kept this very simple, just as a suggestion, to try and play up your name and the word ART. The feather would look cool with some neato airbrush effects, and of course your name needs to be tarted up. But I am not good with Corel tricks just yet. This is only a rough idea.
Love....Jill Posted by Stevo Chartrand (Member # 2094) on :
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Stevo, What can I say, you're one talented guy.
Rod, there are just no words for how cool your truck is!
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Cool Idea with the shadow of the feather Jill. I like that. And Stevo that rocks! Rod I like the word signs on your current logo because it says "airbrush" to me. I like either Jill's or Stevo's "Rod Tickle" better though. The one you have seems to fight to overpower everything else.
Posted by Michael R. Bendel (Member # 5847) on :
Hey Rod... I just returned from your site & have to say it's one of the more entertaining sites I've seen. Great work! Really enjoyed it.
That said... Your logo does portray your work.
Take what you can from these great ideas & put your unique spin on it. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
Now wadn't Jilliebeans & stevo's designs awesome? Imagine what they could do paired up - they would only have to submit one design each for a superior presentation to a client - -
jill's version I would make "SIGNS & AIRBRUSH" larger - let it flow toward lower left -
stevo's version - I would increase the visibility of the website on the bottom - hey this rocks especially wid the black background - this is the one I'd run with - -meybbee even copyrite. . .
rod - that's one of the baddest trailers I've ever seen - outstanding!
I Like the Tropical feeling font you used for your name on the trailer - although dan posts good points - I'd like to see it in a more "bamboo" style - - - again, nice work thanks for posting
Posted by Mark Stokes (Member # 5351) on :
Not bad stevo, but it is still a bit tight corporate look for Rod. Anyone who knows Rod his style is out there and is one of the Leading airbrush signwriters in this country. The logo needs to be loose and free and knowing Rod he will nail something out. Good luck with it rod.
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
Cut the front break lines on the old ute while the other guy is parked in the main drag doing a quote. Dunnydore utes have a habit of chewing through rotors and calipers so it shouldn't even look suspect Problem solvered.
Posted by Dawn Drake (Member # 6533) on :
Rod I think youir logo has personality and goes with the airbrush -almost counter culture feel. What if you just simplify and crisp it up a little. Heavier Black outline around your name, Do something with the dot of the i to make that area look less buisy. The metalic bevel look has the feel to it that works but can you simplify it? I even like the tiger and the tag line but your trailer has too many different things going on? Somebody mentioned sofia script but that's too traditional for you. the pinstiping works from layout three. Take your basic concept and simplify and ask how do I keep this feel but look just a tiny bit more corporate. ?
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
