Job hunting
I finally signed on (after being told I had to have <£x savings, turns out I didn't, & could've signed on straight away). Anyhoo, a LOT of time has been spend fulfilling The Governments Rules on Job Hunting :(
Exorcising
Casting out the Mammon! Since starting Adrenalize, Xym hath lost 20lb, 3" off me waist, 4" off me belly, and body fat down 5.6%! Go me!!
Spiderxym
Takes a web, any site, commissioned to redesign!
So, I gets a message through That There Facebook: "Are you still on the job hunt scene? If you have a moment I would like a quick chat with you."
Oooh! Jobby job job?
Alas no - people hath once more been extolling the virtues of virtuoso Xym and spreading word of his mavellousness. And so Xym has been charged with having a look at the orangey overcomplicated mess of a website and seeing what he can do with it.
So, I has spent ages redesigning the Jaquard Anthems Website! And here is the result of my much more user-friendly simplified tinkerings:
Ooooh! Not only is it cleaner, with less too-small unreadable embeds with scrollbars, but is now readable on tablets and phones! And I gave it a forum too! You ask - I deliver!
And the new logo? Yes, that IS John and Jon, all Sisters Of Mercified! A couple of people have asked how I did it, so here's how...
The making of a logo
1. Have a fabbo idea!
So, as I starting point, I looked at the classic logo on the Greatest Hits cover:
Simple enough - three rings, some text, and a face looking up and to the left.
2. Choose the base image
However, John isn't the only DJ. What about John Fry?
So, somehow I need to incorporate the two.
As I like the circled text, is there another logo I could find to replace the solitary head?
3. Central 'head' replacement
I can work from this - how about I put a dividing line down the centre, and have it half-and-half?
Right - concept in place. Let's start creating a logo
4. The easy bit!
Why powerpoint? Because I only have Photoshop CS2, and it doesn't allow me to create circular lettering.
So, on a new slide, I created a set of concentric rings.
Next - I added some text using 2 WordArt objects. One containing "Jon Fry & John Faircloth'*, & the other containing "● Jacquard Anthems ●"
*as you can see, the names are now in a different order - see below.
Then, using Format > Text Effects > Transform, the circular text was created.
The font used was Caslon Antique, which comes as a standard font with Windows and looks somewhat Sistersy (if not the actual font itself!).
5. Base image #2
Luckily, this was captured at the last event, so I have the two together...
...and as John is on the left, and Jon on the right, this is why their names are in this order in the logo.
6. Photoshop!
A bit of cut, paste, rotation, and I manage to create this ungodly hybid!
Right, on with the tracing...
7. First attempt...
What a blinking mess - really hard to draw steadily with a mouse! And me tablet pen has decided not to work at all! Still - it's a rough idea how it may turn out.
8. Second attempt
But one google session later on Path Stroking (oo-er missus) and I gets nice smooth lines! A few plotted points on a new layer, and we get this image.
(I had to move John in a bit, to compensate for being at an angle to the camera, and not head-on)
9. Completing the 2 face for inclusion
Am I happy with that? You bet I am!!
Oh FFs, I spent all that time on John's beard beads, I missed his dangler out! Oh well, earrings aren't the be all and and all!
10. Final composition
Finally, I copied the Powerpoint slide and pasted it into Photoshop as a new layer, removed the central circle and positioned it accordingly. And this gives us the final, completed logo:
God, I'm totes amazeballs!
