Project Description:
Poster and T-Shirt Illustrations for American Motorcyclist Association
Usage:
– Promotional poster graphics
– Apparel and accessories: Tees, pins, bags, patches, etc.
– Print collateral elements: brochures, maps, magazines, signs, etc.
The Goal:
To get the blood pumpin’ in vintage motorcycle enthusiasts! We wanted to show a fun portrayal of two iconic machines going head-to-head to convey the fun and nostalgia that awaits them. These graphics inform while engaging the viewer.
Background:
Every summer, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) hosts Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In 2012, we were called in to design and illustrate an event poster and T-shirt based on the theme, “Rockers & Mods,” an homage to the feuding British subcultures of young motorcyclists and scooter riders of the late 50s and early 60s.
The Process:
As with most of our projects, we start with pencils and paper, sketching many, many rough compositions (thumbnail sketches). In the comps posted here, you can see how we’ve roughed in an old Brit bike and a metal-bodied scooter. We then scan and import the sketches into the computer and loosely mock up how it’ll look with type and required graphic elements.
For the Rocker’s bike, a Norton Manx 500 provided inspiration. The stylized proportions are figured out in graphite, to be used as a reference when rendering on the computer. For this project, the “inking” stage took place in Adobe Illustrator.
Maintaining the proper fashion of the 60′s Mod required a li’l research and consideration for each item of clothing. His scooter is a period-correct Vespa, enhanced with cartoony zoom lines and whoosh-clouds.
If you need fun motorcycle-themed illustration or design, give us a shout!