Jane Abma

Above is my my basic idea for the second series of t-shirts for an AU based label I’m currently working with. This one is an illo of Missy Higgins I did years ago (a friend suggested I made her look a little retarded, but don’t think it’s too bad - sorry Missy!), but with the addition of bold type as an overlay I think it’s bringing on quite an edgy, ‘Karen Walker’/80’s flavour. The intention is to draw a few more musicians - Raphael Saadiq, Flying Lotus and KOS to name a few, then follow on with this theme somehow. I considered using lyrics, but I think that’s far too complex esp. in the area of copyright.

This is where I’m at for a logo design for a new t-shirt label called STOC. The concept for the label is great: five designers submit five designs to any theme they like and viola, out pops a boutique fashion forward collection of designers tees. As one of the five designers I’m very much looking forward to the creative journey and learning more about apparel printing!

This is what I ended up with as a logo design for Sydney based DJ Adam Lance. We decided on a basic, easily decipherable logo for use on the base of posters etc wherein the real estate would be minimal, then a very abstract rendition for more creative personal promotions.

I was asked by L.A-based Cornerstone Records to design Gift Of Gab’s latest EP, Escape 2 Mars. The brief was to feature a Mayan Skull on the front and some sort of Mars landscape on the back. Despite what ended up happening to it all, I really do like this version and am glad to have experienced talking to the artist and getting a different kind of brief.

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Below is the Vinyl design; cover and LP, cover back & the A/B sides of the LP.

This the packaging I designed for a new skin care range represented by Australian Super Model, Miranda Kerr. I also helped come up with the name KORA, I designed the logos and developed concepts for the rest of the branding and website. Although the product is organic skincare and would lend itself to more natural muted tones, we ended up going with an aqua to reflect the purity of the ingredients and to distinguish between it and competing brands. Overall the project took over a year to develop so it was a huge effort and commitment - it’s been a huge lesson in how long these things actually take.  I have finally seen the final packaging result and I’m really happy with it. Studio-shot photos coming soon.

Here is the first result of a logo design I’m trying to nut out at the moment. I did large amount of sketching using a got grid book and now I’m in the Illustrator stage. It’s a logo for an electro DJ so it can afford to be a little abstract, although right now it’s driving me nuts as I’m trying to retain the edge but also keep it readable. Now it’s time to take a break and come back with fresh eyes later.

Some typographic approaches to a magazine cover I’m working on. I have been through about 6 developed concepts so far, 3 more to go. That’s about right for a proper process though I suppose.

These are two typographic treatments for a magazine I currently art direct. Both were drawn in Illustrator, then rendered in Photoshop.

I’m currently reading this book by Adrian Shaughnessy and it’s slowly but surely curing a mild case of quarter-life career crisis. After years of pitching for work, going to countless interviews (even just for practice), conducting interviews myself, managing staff and selling my work to the point of design prostitution, the chapter I have just read about ‘how to find a job’ has struck multiple chords. Only 50 odd pages in it has already explained and justified a few of my beliefs about how to be a successful freelancer, employee or employer while also getting into the guts of the dark side of being in the design industry. So far I rate it as incredibly helpful, insightful and reassuring for those who are unsure and starting out, feeling the drag or just need to read some sound advice and let out a few empathetic chuckles along the way. Worthy for anyone from graduate to studio director.

I can’t wait to read more. Read it yourself.

I was asked to create an album artwork for 5 piece blues and roots act Dan Banks Band. Instead of going down the ’sunshine, rainbows and trees’ route I opted for a more weathered, vintage effect. Seeing as though I was starting from scratch I created them a set of logos as well - a full typographic band name and an initials logo. The headstock used in the logo illustrations is the actual headstock of Dan Banks’ guitar. This is how it all turned out. Tune into their tunes here.