i•con•ō•flage

Noun

1. Artwork, typically of a logo, composed of many iconic illustrations that pertain to a brand.

Iconoflage® (yes, I have it registered) is a style of graphic artwork I have been working on for over a decade. It was a way I could combine my illustrative skills with my interest in the small things that make up the larger picture.

I like to explain this work as the antithesis of logo design. While the goal in most logo design is to take all of the things about an organization and distill it into a single symbol, Iconoflage puts the logo under a microscope to reveal all of those things that go into it.

Depending on the application(s), some of this artwork is turned into patterns, while other designs are just artwork that fills in a shape.

Since these projects run in line with logo design, my process for Iconoflage is fairly similar to how I design a logo (view here).

I start by researching the brand or topic so I can understand what the design needs to communicate. Some projects are light-hearted with fun shapes like hearts and music notes while other designs have very specific illustrations such as product logos and products the company sells. During this phase, I create a list of objects to incorporate in the design. I also sketch some of the more complex illustrations for practice and to get an idea of the negative shape that will surround the shape.

Once I’m done researching and sketching, I create a stencil to use as the template of the area I will fill in with illustrations. I usually only need an image of the logo or shape I’m filling in. If I’m working with traditional media, I print the stencil and use tracing paper to transfer and impermanent outline of the shape to the surface I’m drawing on.

Once I have the logo to scale, I start filling in the shape with illustrations as you can see in the video below.

The final piece establishes a captivating connection between the audience and the design that you don’t see much in graphic design. While these pieces are like art, they still have a functional purpose to visually tell a brand’s story. As companies begin to understand that their brand and story is one of the best ways to connect with their audience, artwork like Iconoflage, whether the piece is a mural, on apparel or packaging, is going to continue to gain popularity.

Click on an image below to view the project.