Creative Project: Animal Stickers
The objective is to create a set of kid friendly stickers that have incorporated my work from a previous project. They should show efforts of creativity, art and my ability to combine drawing and digital techniques.
What will I need for this project?
1. Drawing - Art line pens and led pencils
2. Software - Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fresco, Adobe Scanner.
3. Skill development - YouTube Tutorials
4. 3D Adobe Mock-up sticker template
5. Printing Company and pricing
Skill Development
I used my drawings I had previously completed with led pencil and art line pens for this project, which did not involve any skill building. As I was using old drawing material, I was able to complete the designs quickly.
When transferring them to a digital scale to start colouring the stickers, I used Photoshop and fresco. I was already familiar with Fresco, however to build an understanding on colouring-in using Photoshop, I researched some tutorials.
My favourite and most useful was the 'Coloring Characters the Industry Way! Photoshop' by BaM Annimation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4atFicBvhMM
(I didn't need or use all of their techniques but the video was really interesting)
This part of the project was very insightful as it has helped me grasp more of an understanding of Illustration processes on Photoshop. As someone that looks to do primarily Illustration in the future, I will definitely use these techniques again.
The Design Process
These images are the transition phase from the sketchbook drawings to the digital coloured versions. I was able to play around with colours more easily this way. The colours I chose were specific to young kids.
I then made mock-up stickers using Adobe Stock templates.
Sustainability
As I have created stickers with a very environmental conscious message, I need to ensure that the product its self doesn't contradict that. I researched different suppliers and came across an Australian printing brand called Sustainable Printing Co. They work towards producing products out of the most sustainable products they can find.
What makes them more environmentally friendly?
- They use vegetable based inks over petroleum ink. Vegetable inks are a renewable source and don't contain harsh chemicals.
- They use dry toner, which can be de-inked in the recycling process!
- 100% of all printing plates and paper are recycled.
- They invested in high quality printers and computerised press control to minimise waste of inconsistencies in the production process.
An example of the sticker outcomes are as follows.
Image: Adhesive stickers example from Sustainable Printing co. https://www.sustainableprintingco.com.au/label-stickers
Pricing and Product details
Sustainable Printing Co prints stickers on sheets. I have asked for a sticker size of 9mm with a matte uncoated finish. The background of the sheets will be a blank/white background as seen in the example image above.
They have a minimum quantity of 25 stickers for $60.45, with a receding price as the quantity increases. For this project I would look to order around 100 stickers for $72.45. This is a better deal when it comes to money and allows me to get a decent amount.
https://www.sustainableprintingco.com.au/custom-quote
Costing
I need to charge $1.50 to $2.00 per sticker to make a substantial profit whilst covering the production costs. As it costs more for small quantities, the stickers will be more expensive singularly, rather than for a pack of 4. Prices are as follows;
1 Sticker = $2
4 Stickers = $6
Process Summary
I began with 4 drawn images in my sketchbook which I then scanned on to a computer digitally. I removed the backgrounds off the images and was left with an outline skeleton. Since I chose to colour them digitally, I learnt how to adapt and change the colours around very conveniently on Photoshop. Learning new techniques to encourage quicker production of creative work will be beneficial in the professional industry.
Once I was happy with the turn out of images, I transferred them on to an Adobe Stock mock-up template for a 3D visual on what they would look like. This helped confirm my project as a whole. It gave me reassurance and it helped me demonstrate to other people what my goal was before spending money on orders.
Reflection
I personally have always preferred drawing techniques over digital, so I thought the project would be a modern step in the right direction. The design process was ideal for my development because of the additional skills I learnt enhance my drawing abilities.
The techniques I chose to work with have been affordable for me and didn't require any expensive materials. I had the at home convenience of developing this project from my sketchbook and laptop through lockdown.
Luckily I didn't encounter to many issues other than motivation and distraction. To avoid the project going off course, I had frequent feedback and video call meetings for feedback and review. I was also originally worried about not being able to digitally colour the image the way I imagined, but the tutorials and some peer feedback helped me past this.
The production process as a whole was beneficial to document as it keeps you focused and allows you to prove to yourself how a draft sketch you once thought was useless can be turned into a creative product. This process demonstrated to me that there is a lot of underlying considerations to take in when tackling a product building project.
