"Cat's Out of The Bag" - Beginning Stages
I started the hand-done part of this project by researching different fonts I could add elements that would fit the vibe I was going for. I wanted a thicker typeface so I could implement textures and cat tails and paws that would look bold but still readable. I found the typeface "Opake" on Adobe Stock and typed "CAT'S OUT THE BAG" in Illustrator and imported that file into Procreate on my iPad.
In Procreate, I was able to trace over the existing font but add extra elements to each letter to create a personality for the poster. I wanted the type to have extra flow and some mystery to it, similar to a cat's personality, and relate to secrecy as the idiom suggests. I also created four pattern blocks in Procreate by using fur-like brushes to create various cat fur patterns. I researched tabby cats, calico cats, and siamese cats for these illustrations.
"Cat's Out of The Bag" - Illustrator Process
After I exported my black and white file from Procreate, I imported it into an Adobe Illustrator artboard. I used the Image Trace tool to vectorize my hand-done type. I expanded and ungrouped the type so I could arrange a composition freely. I decided to add the word "of" to the idiom because I felt like it needed extra flow. I was able to create a cat eye within the O in "of" so I'm glad I made that choice to add an extra element to the piece. After each letter was vectorized, I was able to import my cat fur patterns and create clipping masks for each letter. The final step was illustrating tiny doodles to add around the piece and adding a drop shadow underneath the letters.
"Once In A Blue Moon" - Beginning Stages
I started the digital type portion of the project by sketching an idea for the composition in Procreate. I started looking for fonts that had the thin/thick variation I wanted to use in the final piece. I created a moon illustration referring to images of the moon I found online. I wanted the graphic to have a slight blue tint to it to match the theme of the idiom.
"Once In A Blue Moon" - Illustrator Process
My first finish was the blue and orange-toned poster, but I edited the color palette to feel more whimsical with a blue and lavender color scheme. I played around with many fonts as well because I felt the first version was too blocky. The Pen Tool came in handy because I was able to manipulate the original font and add elements to make "once" and "blue" feel more handwritten. I played around with the composition and layout of the words themselves because it felt too linear and stacked originally. I switched up the size and curves of each word until I found a layout that felt fantastical and fun.
