Good News and Bad News

Life has given me some good news and bad news this month.

Bad news: The furnace broke, and it will cost $600 to fix.
Good news: The furnace guy found the part for $300.

Bad news: The dryer broke down
Good news: We...get a new dryer.

Bad news: My car was broken into in SLC on Friday night. The douchebag took my laptop bag, containing my laptop, ipod, and many little things I held dear.
Good news: The laptop is my work's, and it's been backed up. So I didnt lose any files. I also didnt have sensitive info saved on it. So it could have been worse. I've been told that Apple has a lot of methods for tracking down laptop thieves, too, so that's good. Also, it'll only be $145 to fix the window, because the glass repair biz is highly competitive.

Hopefully the rest of December gets better, though. I'm getting kind of sick of these ups and downs.

Getting into the business of Business Logos business

So, I've been pretty busy lately, as you may have noticed. I haven't had time to post any animal logos, profile illustrations, or discussions about my illnesses. That's because I've started a new business with another designer. It's called Business Logos.

Check out my Logo Design Company over at Thumbtack. If you write a review, I would be indebted to you.

You can also go straight to the home page and peruse it's sweet, sweet offerings.

You're probably wondering what else you can do to learn more about me and the business. I understand completely. Here's a link for you to our Facebook page so you can stop wondering.

So. Support the site. Spread the word. And have a great Friday.

7 Awesome Design Clients

7. Is there anything specific that you DEFINITELY want to see in your logo?
-I want a MAP like the ones I attached.
-I want Minneapolis and St. Paul Metro area map with the Mississippi River running through (as it is on the map.
-I want highways 694,494,394, and 94 labelled on the map (see drawing, and map attached).
-On the top of the map, I want a faucet, maybe suggesting to clients to not let your faucet run like the Mississippi.

6. Why did you choose this particular composition?
It is the closest to the vision the Lord gave me. I am so excited! My heart is overwhelmed! The logo is taking shape and getting so close to the vision. I love the crown! I love the multiple shades of the children. You are doing a wonderful job. Thanks for your patience in helping me to develop a logo that I love and is pleasing to God.

5. Please enter the exact name you would like to appear in the logo.
Three Wishes or etcetera or Georgies or Inside Out


4. Is there anything specific that you DEFINITELY want to see in your logo?
I want this to include every symbol of every religion. If you want to include secret things as well, im open for suggestion.

3. Is there anything specific that you DEFINITELY want to see in your logo?

I want symbols that show the scope of this application. A collage of symbols could include a reference to birth (e.g., a baby), death (e.g., tombstone or casket), marriage (e.g., bride and groom), divorce (? - be creative), accounting (?), and statistics (e.g., bar graph or pie chart). And the outline of the state of Kentucky.

2. Is there anything specific that you DEFINITELY want to see in your logo?
Yes, a sketch from my daughter 4 years ago, recreated exactly. Rainbow Colored Glossy Background, fading gradually from Yellow at the top to blue, pink, etc filling entire background of card.

1. Please give us any other information that could assist us in producing your ideal logo and identity:
Finally, if we could get a monkey playing banjo and riding a unicorn, jumping over the u in church...that would be swell...

Animal Logo Wednesday - Orangutan

"The baby orangutan who is running, cool looking and high tech that will be in my logo must represent the following traits
Reflecting: The letters must reflect a little.
Understanding: The critter must have big eyes to show understanding.
Negotiating: The critter must be running
Innovating: The critter (baby orangutan) must look innovative. Perhaps carrying an Iphone or Ipad.
Networking: The baby orangutan must be social, funny, fun."

I'm going to miss this place.

I'll State that it was Fair

Took the fam to the State Fair yesterday. Belly had a cake that took Second Place, but I didnt get a picture of it. See Mandi's blog in about 2 years to see a picture of it.

What I did see was a booth that said this:

I was hoping that after paying a dollar, I would see this:

or even this:

But what I got was this:

But the Fair made it up to me by letting me see this awesome 10-ft Robot:

And the juggler really entertained Oliver:

The hypnotizer hypnotized me until I realized the Sea Lion show was starting, at which point I stopped performing, and he asked me to leave the stage. The Sea Lion show shocked and entertained us.

But the best part was an exhibit in the arts n crafts building. Imagine a cow. Or just look at this

Now imagine it MADE OF BUTTER. You read that correctly. BUTTER.

Now times that by 4. Carry the 7. That's what I saw last night. A FAMILY OF COWS MADE OF BUTTER.

Really?!?

I want to make 9/11 National Crotchpunch a Truther Day

Logo I created for a clothing company

Animal Logo Wednesday - Dog Star

Sirius the "dog star" is about twice as big as the sun and is the brightest star in the night sky.

Facebook Friend Thursday - Deb, Dan and Matt

Animal Logo Wednesday - Moose

I havent done one this week, so here's one I did about 3 years ago. It's for a pool cleaning service that naturally chose a moose to represent the quality of their work.

You know how women always moan about things? Don't worry, human men. I just read an article about how women moose manipulate their dudes with moans, too.

Reservations of the trailer of the Movie of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes

This movie looks like I would really like it. I have no great love for the previous Ape movies, but I like the idea of apes going crazy and attacking humans.

The trailer had me until I saw the ape. It looks like this

It's supposed to be a chimp, right? An actual monkey? I admit I know very little about this film, but I know how monkeys look? They don't have a very visible sclera (the white part). They have eyes like this

So, does anyone else think an ape with shifty human eyes looks retarded? Or am I super sensitive to how eyes look. I mean, if they can get every hair in there and not looking like a video game...didn't they do research into how the eyes look? Wouldnt this

getting all smart and taking over the world look better than this?

Oooh....he's looking at me with human eyes. So ominous.

SFX artists, Hollywood...it's time you address this issue and stop making apes look like dudes with an ape mask on.

And don't tell me it wont look real, or the ape wouldn't be able to convey emotions. I cant hear you anyway. Kong had gorilla eyes and he was still able to convey emotion and danger and realism.

Maybe I'll feel stupid after I actually see the movie. Maybe they explain that the Alzheimers-fixing serum alters their eyes, and also gives them larynges, so they eventually learn to speak english like they do in the other Ape movies. Wait...do they all learn english? What about the apes in china? Do they learn chinese? And how is there a million apes in one city....are there that many zoos? Uh oh...now I'm starting to have all sorts of qualms...I hope they resolve these pre-issues. Maybe I'll love this movie. Maybe this will happen.

Return of the Clydesdale

So, the people that wanted the horse on the bike came back, wanting more comps. I was happy to oblige, although it took so much time, I'm unable to provide Facebook Friend Thursday enjoyment.

Animal Logo Tuesday - Dolphin

Though the exact methods used to achieve this are not known, dolphins can tolerate and recover from extreme injuries, such as shark bites. The healing process is rapid and even very deep wounds do not cause dolphins to hemorrhage to death. Furthermore, even gaping wounds restore in such a way that the animal's body contour is restored, and infection of such large wounds seems rare. In this way they are similar to Wolverine. or Paul.

Random Illustration Tuesday - Birdemic Dude

"The main actor from Birdemic is running in a track suit. there is a parrot on his shoulder, guiding him through the city. It has difficulty talking because its mouth is full of crackers." Submitted by JSH

Animal Logo Wednesday - Clydesdales and Foxes

I'll do a two-fer today, since I was too busy yesterday to do a Random Illustration. I know how you get.

The horse one is for a clydesdale-based cycling club. Fun fact: The clysedale is second only to the carp in biking skills.

Hawkward

While my wife and kids went to the Tracy Aviary yesterday, I had a bird encounter of my own. I was downstairs when I heard a bang. I thought it was someone slamming the door. I went upstairs but no one was home. I went outside to see if a tree branch fell on the roof. I found my neighbor and his kid, holding a mouse on a string.

My neighbor said sorry that his pet falcon got out and ran into my window. The kids say this bird is a little retarded.

I asked where he was and if he's all right and they pointed up. He was sitting right above me about 8 feet up.

I always thought falcons look like this

But this one had a dazed look more like this:

Wait. More like this:

So, falcons are pretty fast. This one shattered the window. This is the same window we had replaced about 2 months ago. But my neighbor was very cool and he's getting me a new one. He even came over and boarded it up until the window guy comes. And they eventually managed to get the falcon back in his cage.

Random Illustration Tuesday - Shattiger

I submitted my own today. "I want a tiger made out of shattered glass. I want it to be multicolored. I want it to be pronounced ShattIger with the emphasis on the I. It needs to be badass."

Fringe Fan Fotoshop Fun

Animal Logo Wednesday - Monkey with a Camera

Client wanted a monkey with a camera. So I drew a monkey with a camera.

Facebook Friend Thursday - Friday Edition

Today it's CuMo, Erik and Mark.

Animal Logo Wednesday - Stork

Storks have no syrinx and are mute, giving no call; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Also, newspaper and baby delivery are important to them.

Random Illustration Tuesday - Rollerskating Peanut

"I'd like to see a peanut roller skating in pink knickers please..." - Sara
"...

the constellation pisces looks on with pride." - Joel

Facebook Friend Thursday - Corey, Tiffanie, and Travis

Animal Logo Wednesday (Thursday Edition) - Bedbug

A bed bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow feeding tubes shaped like tongues. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. For this reason, they must be killed mercilessly.