Photo of a friend altered in photoshop for a logo idea. I used a few filters and some other tweaking on the side.

A friend asked me to take an out of focus photo and make a logo out

of it. I applied a few filters and did some tweaking with the colors

and created this. It is going to be used for their art shop logo.

What do you think??

I don't know. Seems like the filters and effects turn into the main idea (or subject) of the picture. The Photoshop treatment is evident instantly to anyone with even little experience with the program. And not just because one can think "Oh it is digitally altered", but because one inmediately thinks "photoshop filters". If you don't mind that, well...

USE your filters in photoshop, don't just use them, if you know what I'm getting at.

Don't just use the filters as they are, combine them, use them on small parts, whatever, but don't make it so obvious you used photoshop filter such and so.

This was a combination of filters and various tweaks of color and line. It wasn't just one filter or one tweak. I imagine there are tons of options I could have used considering Photoshop is such a massive program. But it didn't turn out to bad.

 

The whole point of the project was to make the out of focus shot different. Of course you don't know what the original looks like. But the friend who is using it loves it so I guess that is all that matters.

 

Thanks for the comments.

Sarah,

 

I won't echo the filters comments above that I agree with but my other point would be from a graphic design and usability standpoint.

 

For a logo, if they use it on letterhead, b-cards, signage etc... they will run into problems down the road with your image.

 

If they plan to print 4/C process (four colors that they use for offset printed items) this logo could end up costing them quite a bit of money and them and you some headaches.

 

Here's why:

 

They will have to find great paper (good ink holdout with little bleed or dot gain) and a good printing house running their presses at higher than 133 lpi (lines per inch) to keep all the detail in this image when it goes down to 2" X 3.5" (standard b-card size) or a bit smaller to fit with type and info on the card.

 

As well this probably won't work for something like a phone book of which most are black only. And the size of most ads in phone books are small as well. So you definitely have to translate it into a B/W only version. Invoices usually in triplicate form are only a singel color for most company's as well.

Again think of their whole system - envelope letterheads are rarely printed in 4/C... it's just to expensive for something that ends up in the bin. Most people don't even have 4/C cards.

 

From a 'pure' design standpoint most logo's have about 15 seconds to communicate it's meaning to the viewer. With this one I'm not sure what message you'd be sending. .

What I mean is that it's not very obvious right off what this logo is for - could be an artsy italian restaurant, a line of aroma therapy oils or a facial/treatment spa.

 

A logo should be fairly well able to stand alone and still communicate it's message. I don't get any of that here.

 

All that being said is not to discourage you..

You have a good start at something you could distill into a logo. But beware - when your friends come to print this one up - they may have all kinds of questions why it doesn't print the way it looks here or why the printer won't run it. Or they may keel over from the cost and complication of it all.

 

Design for friends/family is a bit like shooting wedding for friends/family. Very very risky!

 

Thanks for posting it and giving us the chance to check it out.

 

 

 

The image you used reminds me of Les Miserables for some reason. I revised your image and added an artistic font for the name of the business. (You don't actually name the business, so I made one up.) Lucas knows how to apply an incredible amount of tact!

Ha ha..

Marry, A very effective solution to solve some of the problems one could run into using the original. Much credit to you for posting that!