From Imagination to Illustration
By Mandy Sturdevant on Aug 2, 2023
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of our illustration process? Learn how our designers take an idea and bring it to life with custom illustrations.
“The Clay County Fair is an entity unlike any other around these parts. It seems everyone knows—or at least has heard—about it. It is a presence so significant it almost takes on a life of its own. In fact…what if it was a living person?”
Our creative concept for this year’s Fair revolved around doing just that - personifying Clay and bringing him to life through traditional and digital media. When it came to TV and radio, this concept would be carried by the fun and energetic voice of Clay. But, our more traditional and visual media posed more of a challenge.
We set out to create three visual representations of Clay using iconic fair elements from their main attractions - food, entertainment, and agriculture. Our goal was to subtly represent the figure of Clay in each illustration yet keep visual consistency between the three variations. The classic Ferris wheel was a mainstay between the three and formed the ‘head’ of Clay. Other elements were added around the Ferris wheel to create the abstract form of Clay. The color schemes in each version add uniqueness to each illustration but keep a common thread of bright yellow between the three.
For example, in the entertainment illustration, his dirt track arm strums his electric guitar sending musical notes through his Elvis-like hair. But not to out-shine the twinkle of ‘bright light’ in his eye and of course, a slight Ferris wheel smile.
Each illustration also has a subtle nod to Clay by including his name. Many other fun details and textures were added to bring the illustrations to life and make them unique to the Clay County Fair.
And there you have it! A sneak peek into our illustration process at Caliber. Can you imagine Clay coming to life through these illustrations? Stay tuned to see more of Clay very soon!