Label Concept #2 (possible ideas)

I now feel as if I have produced the necessary amount of research, in order to allow me to progress onto the second stage of creating the vital concepts for the Wylam beer bottle label, experimenting with what could be done with the label.

http://healthybreakfastfoods.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/blank-beer-bottle-label.jpg < Image reference at this link.

I have decided to choose to develop the beer bottle label first, as I feel like it is the most vital part of the criteria, and will help to allow my beer clips to be directly influenced by it.

Going on all of my research so far, I have created a few themed doodle-like sketches in an A4 book, of how I think the bottle label could appear as, using an assorted variety of mixed design styles, in order to experiment as fully as I can.

I will also be using my sketches found in my small A5 book to help with the development of concepts.

I haven't yet thought about a theme to go with, which is why this stage exists, letting me see with what I can work with, as there are so many options available to me.

I like the idea of the illustration being the main focus of the bottle design, being the first thing that people see.
If you look at existing examples, this is always the case.

Figure and flag.

Illustration of a 'hobgoblin'.

Illustrated company logos, using typography as part of the design.

Some animal illustrations. All of the images showing bottles were taken from Tesco.

The doodles in the very start of the A4 development book are not polished or refined, or even worthy of being a final design.
They are only illustrated within the book, to work as an hypothetical idea, to possibly be progressed upon.

I have specified dimensions as stated by the Wylam brief, but this doesn't restrict me from for example, the shape of the borders surrounding the illustrations, similar in style to the image below.

http://images.onlinelabels.com/Images/bottles/beer/beer-bottle-labels.jpg  < image reference at this link.

My first page in my book full of ideas and collages of images, shows a possible example draft doodle, going on the strong themes of the Roman military.

All my doodles are only rough sketches, simply representing what my label could appear like.

Across the majority of my research to date, this military topic is one that keeps coming up in a lot of the books that I have been using, and to a lot of people, as soon as the topic of Roman culture comes up, most people think about such items and imagery as helmets, swords, shields, armour, forts etc.

I then thought about using the imagery of Romans, and thought about placing some of Rome's key figures onto the bottle, including such people as Julius Ceaser, and Nero.
I experimented with some very rough designs in order to see how this idea may work, and you can see a few of these below.

More roughs.

I thought about how the imagery of using key Roman figures could tie well into the brief's ethos, and I thought about using figures who had an influence on the North of England.
One of the key figures that I have come across is Emperor Hadrian, who is known for the construction of Hadrian's wall, which was originally used to separate England from Scotland.

http://www.romanscotland.org.uk/pages/chronology/Emperors/img/Hadrian.jpg < image reference at this link.

Moving onto other ideas, I then began to think about working in some way with the theme of animals, as certain animals were key symbols in Roman culture, and even used in the colosseum.

http://www.thehistoryhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Colosseum-Pictures.jpg < image reference at this link.

According to this link (http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html) some of the key Roman animals included the following, depicted below.

The Eagle:

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link.

A very majestic bird, often used in military decorations, as seen below.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Vexilloid_of_the_Roman_Empire.svg/2000px-Vexilloid_of_the_Roman_Empire.svg.png < image reference at this link.

The Wolf:

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link. < image reference at this link.

Well known in the story of Romulus and Remus, the mythological founders of Rome, who were apparently both raised by a she-Wolf.
These creatures were also often used in the Colosseum for amusement, pitted against gladiators.

The Horse:

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link. < image reference at this link.

Used very often in the Roman military in the form of cavalry units, and also to use for work, as horses were used to do such tasks as carry heavy cargo and pull farming equipment.

The Lion:

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link.

Lions were most commonly used in the colosseum arena, in a similar fashion to the way Wolves were used.

They were deemed very powerful, scary, and exotic animals, and this was why they were often used in the arena for fighting, as when they were used in an event, there was often a bigger crowd turnout.

Bear:

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link.

Like Lions, bears were also deemed exotic animals, although they were found much closer to Rome than lions.
They were very powerful creatures, and were fierce fighters, which made them a good choice for use as fighters in the colosseum.

Oxen, (and other domesticated animals):

http://www.romeartlover.it/Bestiario.html < image reference at this link.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUcSG-dm5ZXNh_GgbV8DKL3b55lWVIGi6Dhphdt-5PzdSwmxmUbJ35Z9UTjhgrmGg8xjAhYyNUwgnWN1BBpeDq9FNh1oeKBtrVm_s3GfW48fyk47G86Kde1MgKlIZ_590Ao2lYW8UPWCP/s1600/Farmer+Life+roman+scenes.jpg < image reference at this link.

Oxen, and other livestock were a staple of Roman culture, used in farming to be slaughtered for food, or to be used to produce such foodstuffs as milk, and cheese.

http://www.immunehealthscience.com/images/milk-cheese.jpg < image reference at this link.

I took to doodling some very rough label design ideas in my A4 book, using the imagery of animals to see how this theme would work, I also looked back at my early sketches found in my A5 sketch book.

A Lion and a Wolf, the latter based off the mythological story of Romulus and Remus.

A Lion

A Bear.

A Tiger.

In the next stage of developing concepts, I will be creating rough, but more refined illustrations, to be classed as my first 'set' of initial concepts.









Thomas.