My 2014 Self Promotion Campaign

With the new year in full swing, it's time to reflect on what occurred the year before, to ponder, what can I do better this year? Where do my strengths lie and what is the core drive of my business enterprise?

When put simply, I am an accomplished graphic designer with a sharp eye for detail, great typography and page layout skills plus a grounded sense of form, colour and function. What I do well is provide graphic design solutions coupled with a print and signage provision service as a result of my close working relationships with WA's premier trade printers and signage companies. I am also an award winning illustrator who's keen to produce private commissions for you.

So, this is what I do...

Please download my It's What I Do booklet here. Pass it on to your friends and colleagues and contact me for any print, design or illustration work you may have. It's the start of a new year and a great time to apply a fresh perspective to your business venture.

DID YOU KNOW?
That I design logos for a variety of companies. From corporate, retail, educational or hospitality business’s to sporting clubs, crests, bands, hobby groups, publication mastheads or unique enterprises - I do them all. I utilise an idea generation development process that produces great design results.

DID YOU KNOW?
That I specialise in corporate design and can provide graphic design solutions for company logos, branding, stationery, brochures, signage and vehicle wraps.

DID YOU KNOW?
That I have worked alongside print providers for over 12 years and have established close relationships with some of WA’s finest printers. I can provide competitive and professional print solutions for your company.

DID YOU KNOW?
That I have extensive signage design and production experience. I am able to consult on your company’s signage needs regardless of how big or small the job is.

DID YOU KNOW?
I am an award winning illustrator, available to PRODUCE private commissions. Check out my DKSartist Facebook page to see samples of artwork.

DID YOU KNOW?
I am a promotional key-tag expert. I have custom branded HUNDREDS of unique metal plated key-tags, working alongside sales representatives from all over Australia and liaising with production houses overseas. Contact me today to FIND OUT how promotional items can enhance your business profile.

DID YOU KNOW?
That I provide professional website design and development, online marketing, search marketing consultancy and digital advertising strategies plus social media marketing solutions including content development and scheduling.

Well now you do.

Thank you
...

Damian K. Sheiles

The world of Tron is a dream to work in...

I've always identified with the world of TRON. From the very first time I saw the original film in theatres back in 1982 to the sequel, TRON: Legacy and the fantastic underrated animated series, TRON: Uprising. I'm sure I didn't quite understand all the terminology at the time when I was 10 years old, but I totally understood the concept and what they were trying to achieve with the computer design aesthetic.

For me, TRON: Legacy, lived up tho the hype. Joseph Kosinski is a very visual director - he tells you what you need to know visually rather than using too much exposition or dialog in his films. Check out Oblivion, a veritable feast for the eyes.

When a chance arose to produce an illustration that celebrated the villains in any "Disney" universe, I jumped at the chance to illustrate the main villain, Paige from TRON: Uprising.

TRON: Uprising - Paige Final Design 

Below is my step by step process for the final illustration that is pictured above. First I start with the composition of the main figure, Paige. It took me about 3 hours to get the figure and face right with about 3 revisions of the body/pose.

I drew the head at 200% finished size to allow me to achieve the detail I wanted.

The head would be added to the body using the Photoshop, the above line drawing shows the end result

Final colour version of Paige. Coloured using Photoshop.

Screen Capture of Photoshop File

Next I looked at putting my own design spin on the iconic Recognizer. I sketched out half of the design in pencil, then refined in ink. I knew that the final piece would be completed using Adobe Illustrator so I only needed to draw half of the Recognizer, that way when I flip it in the computer, I get a perfect mirror image, resulting in a symmetrically perfect design.

Drawing only 1/2 of the Recognizer allows me to achieve perfect symmetry when mirrored on the computer.

Complete composite line drawing

Screen Capture of Illustrator File

Final Illustrator artwork for Recognizer - all vector art.

The final design composition was completed using Adobe Indesign. This allows me to move the individual elements around with ease to create a dynamic illustration with depth and shadow. I use separate layers for the background, figures and foreground elements. Below is two alternate design concepts.

The background design is a composite of several different elements blended together to create "The Grid". The row of guards in the second image above were generated directly using Adobe Illustrator - duplicated for the purpose of creating an instant army. I developed two different guard designs but only ended up using the one style.

(Black) Guard Design drawn directly in Adobe Illustrator

Black Guard Army

Design Background Composition

When creating artwork, I enjoy using different mediums. I enjoy the process of sketching out designs by hand and then rendering in ink, scanning the line drawing into Photoshop and utilising digital colouring techniques to bring out the vibrancy of the figure drawing. I also enjoy the precision that Adobe Illustrator brings to vector line drawing - the TRON Recognizer vehicle took me a few hours to complete.

Even though the end result is produced using a computer, my illustration work often has a humble beginning at my drawing table...

Where it all usually begins...

...

Damian K. Sheiles

Red Dragon - black ink // water colour

Just a quick little blog post this week.

Red Dragon (Jeff Smith's Bone) india ink, acrylic and water colour on acid free board

Red Dragon (Jeff Smith's Bone) pencil sketch