Monday, December 9, 2013

No Top Secret Handshakes


This Trader Joe's billboard was a particularly difficult assignment and I was apprehensive about it. The idea, set by another member of the sign team, was to render the slogan in multiple typefaces, sometimes each word in a different typeface. These were to be done by hand in white acrylic marker on a black background. I created the prototype of the sign on Adobe Illustrator using my font resources, then printed it out and brought it in. The slogan came from a handbook and I couldn't change it. Part of the design was shading in white using a white pencil. 

With all these words and different typefaces it was difficult to make the sign readable especially since it was to be mounted above eye level and on the back of other signs. I think this one works, at least for now. They may ask me to put more visual clutter on the sign but this is my offer, folks. Note the triangle beneath the "no top secret handshakes" phrase. That is an allusion to Freemasons or Illuminati and for all I know we may have angry Masons complaining to our management that we are making fun of them. But one co-worker said it looked like the prism on the famous cover to Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side of the Moon." So I've got an alternative explanation for it. 

White acrylic marker on black-painted Masonite, 6 feet by 2 feet, December 8, 2013.

2 comments:

Mo said...

I think this look great!

I stumbled upon your blog because I am a TJ's artist as well, and I must say that I find your work an inspiration. It's hard to *not* doubt yourself on some of the assignments we get for this job, but I think you handled this perfectly.

Keep up the awe-inspiring work! I visit your blog frequently. :)

Mo said...
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